In the past 30 years, the concept of urban agriculture has really caught on. It stated as a novelty with just a few gardens and beehives on rooftops in some city centers. Yet now in every major city of the world, there is always a very active society of urban farmers. In fact I have now started seeing farm produce in supermarkets - Where it is proudly written on the packaging, that this was organically grown in an urban farm. What's more is that I have seen people willing to pay a little extra for anything which is organically grown. I have also noticed that majority of the people who are buying organically or even hydroponically grown produce of urban farms - Are mostly ladies who are either expecting, or have already got a baby in the pushchair. The biggest selling point (I think) is not even it's organically grown claim - But rather that it is 100% pesticide free, as well as extra fresh, (harvested just a few hours ago). Which I guess explains why people are willing to pay extra for it. I mean it is literally flying off the supermarket shelves! Anyway, I am posting about this here. Just to know if am I the only one seeing this? Or is the same happening in your cuties as well???
Well, since this virus thing,, I couldn`t even get a parking place at the plant center ! Before in years past there were maybe 4 or 5 cars during this time of year ! All the talk about food shortages has made a bunch of new farmers ! May not be such a bad thing after all ! I think everyone needs to know how to feed themselves !
For a number of years (probably 40+) there have been urban gardens where you buy shares and pick up produce weekly. We also have food forests supported by communities and churches. There is a local food forest around the block located on church property just outside their community garden (for individuals and produce for the food bank) Here is one in Seattle https://beaconfoodforest.org/ and another in Portland https://sherrettfoodforest.org/. The rest is off topic but dear to my heart. I love the permaculture approach to gardening. I’ve turned my yard into a fun little food forest as I have moved away from fruit trees to berries. I am also a pretty poor vegetable gardener and we eat mainly cole crops and salads. (Few nightshades and even less high carb veggies.) My food forest consists of goumi berries, elder berries, blueberries 6varieties), strawberries (3 varieties all everbearing), raspberries (2 everbearing varieties and 1 wild), boysenberries and native berries from salal, Oregon grape, and huckleberries. Although we seldom eat high fructose fruit I did keep one pear and apple tree. I also have elephant garlic that grows wild in my yard and British Columbia ginger (indigenous people used it and makes a great tea tasting like root ginger). Then there are the mint family of lemon balm, spearmint and chocolate mints. Did you know some common garden plants in North America are also edible? I had heard that day lilies were with some provisions, but all parts of hostas are edible and are even in the asparagus family. I have been dividing my hostas and in a couple of years I won’t have any more places to put them. Maybe I will see about the edibility then, but not until (I love my hostas).
Just look at this guy. He seems to have everything tuned just right. But what's even more amazing is how much money he is saving! He is even making bio-diesel! You guys remember how I too made my own bio-diesel 8 years ago? If not, here is the link to it below. https://www.gardenstew.com/threads/what-cotton-can-create.25730/ 8 years down the road, now more people are making it then ever before! Yeah, hard to believe it's been 8 years since I shared that with you all over here...
Of course, no amount of urban farming can be successful - Without urban beekeeping, (for pollination).
