A Brief History of Urban Farming
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon are likely humanity’s first case of urban farming. The legendary garden is still shrouded in mystery, yet one thing is certain – it was a hit. Humans have been growing food in cities all over the world from ancient Egypt to industrial age Europe. It only makes sense that we would want to get our food from nearby sources. Populations usually tend to concentrate in towns and cities, and urban farming is the natural solution. Why is it then that most of us drive to the grocery store to spend our hard earned cash on food that was grown in foreign lands and shipped on barges and in long-haul trucks to be stacked on shelves for us to fill our carts with?
A Look at My Home Garden
At my family home, we have a vegetable garden that takes up more space in our backyard every year. We grow tomatoes, kale, lettuce, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, peas, all kinds of herbs, rhubarb, and – my favorite – raspberries (my mom makes the best raspberry hand-pies). We’re always adding new things to the garden.
The other day we were eating cherries at the dinner table, when I got up to throw out the bowl of stems and pits, my brother stopped me and said: “Why don’t you plant some of those?”. Now I have 4 cherry pits planted and I only spent the money on cherries I was eating anyways. Plus, the cherries were on sale! Although I don’t really know if the cherries will grow, it didn’t cost me a penny extra. Worst case, I learn something new about growing cherries. Best case, I will have 4 cherry trees producing delicious cherries for me and my family every year!
Hop on the Trend and Save Big!
With more and more of us working from home these days, it seems that everyone is hopping on the trend of growing food in their backyard and it’s not too late for you to hop on the urban farming train too! It may feel overwhelming seeing some of the elaborate farms your friends and neighbors have grown over the years, but you don’t have to make it so complicated. Start off small. Choose something that you know you’ll actually eat too. This will help keep you motivated to take care of your plants and you will be all the more satisfied when you harvest your yummy home-grown fruits and veggies. If you’re like me, once you get into it you’ll be planting new crops whenever you can and your backyard will become a functional and productive part of your household. The hardest part is sometimes just getting started.
This is why I am starting a monthly urban farming garden box starter kit program. Each month (during the growing season), I will choose a different fruit or veggie and build garden boxes to get your backyard urban farm started. For July I have chosen the nutrient-dense, curly-leafed, dark green and purple plant we all love – kale. Other good crops to plant in July include beans, corn, brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, corn, and cucumbers.
July’s Veggie of the Month : Kale
Kale is a great plant to kick-start your urban farm because it’s very hardy and easy to grow for beginners. Its large yields put more food on the table for you and your family and it’s a perennial so it will come back next year and produce all season with even less work. Planting kale from seed in July will produce yields through the fall and even into early winter. The colder it gets, the sweeter the kale! If you find that kale is rough and bitter, try taking out the large stems and massaging the leaves well before using it in salads and stir fries. If that still isn’t doing it for you, kale makes for an amazing green smoothie, just add your favorite fruits and water, blend, and enjoy!
Kale can grow in any plant hardiness zone between 3 and 9. If you live in the Durham region like me, you are in the zone 6 range. However, if you live anywhere in Ontario south of Timmins, you will still fall in the kale-growing 3-9 range.
Here’s another quick tip on growing kale: aphids are your worst enemy. They will suck nutrients out of your kale and stunt their growth. To naturally get rid of aphids, put some lady bugs in your garden. Lady bugs will live 1 year and can kill up to 5000 aphids in their lifetime. Buy lady bugs at your local gardening store or, if you don’t mind bugs (or your kids are bored), try catching some and placing them in your garden.
Don’t Wait, Start Urban Farming Today!
Click the link below to schedule a call with me to talk about building you a kale garden box and get you started on your urban farming journey! Can’t stand kale? No worries! Schedule a call with me and we can talk about growing something you will enjoy! Remember, if you really want to save money, always plant your fruits and veggies from seed.
