What Is the definition of Urban Farming?

Useful Resources –Â Urban Farming Blogs
BeginningFarmers.org is a great tool for getting the most basic information about urban farming. The concept of farming is foreign to most Americans who live in big cities or surrounding suburbs. Yet, you do not need ten acres of land out in the middle of nowhere to start your own farm. The Beginning Farmers website also provides blog links to information specific to your area – from California to New York. For Californians, the Family Farm Series Publication includes information on how to get started and determine whether the concept is right for you. If you are looking to turn your backyard into a small business, like creating a food network for your neighborhood, the blog Grow Your Farm from the University of Missouri includes details on how to turn your farming into a “successful business venture.” Another useful resource is the Garden Culture Magazine to get an idea of what urban gardening, indoor gardening, and organic gardening looks like among regular citizens. There are also online resources that explain how to offset the cost of urban farming, such as group discounts, coupons, and cheap seeds. So, if farming can be done in your own backyard and resources are available online and places like Lowe’s or Home Depot, then why doesn’t everyone do it? One of the significant barriers is people not understanding the importance of urban agriculture.Why Is Urban Farming important?
There are two ways of looking at why urban farming is important. One is using our available land more productively to build a sustainable ecosystem. This will ensure quality life and food for generations to follow. The other way of looking at urban farming is reduced dependence on big companies who take food through several different processes, add chemicals, mark up the price, and sell a lower-quality product to unsuspecting customers. The food is simply not as healthy as growing it yourself. The story goes that a man had an orange tree in his backyard. One summer, the tree produced seven or eight oranges. The man’s yardman approached him one day to ask if he could take a few of the oranges for his family. The man looked at the oranges, said to himself that they look ugly and blemished, and said, “Sure, take them all.” But, the yardman replied that these are the best oranges because they are grown naturally. “Don’t look at the outside; take a bite,” he told the man. So, the man took a bite and noted it was the best orange he had ever tasted. The yardman told him that oranges he typically buys at a store have been processed, dyed with orange coloring to look appealing, and marked up for profit. So, use the resources in your own backyard! Urban Farming puts the emphasis back on the individual consumer, not the big corporation making money off our food supply. It’s also good for our ecosystem to use the land for its intended purpose. Plus, communities have access to healthier food to improve the quality of life for its citizens. This is part of a generational shift that could impact future generations in significant ways. For example, Americans went from making their own turkey sandwich at home using locally-grown food to having someone else make a sandwich for them using processed food that was shipped from another state. Americans have become too dependent on other people for food, teaching our children to simply visit Subway for a turkey sandwich instead of using readily available resources to make our own sandwich at home, at half the cost. Urban farming is a way to bring natural food back to major population regions that will help educate children on the importance of sustainability and independence. When land is used for urban farms instead of parking garages, it sends the right message that healthy food is more important than business profit. There is still profit to be made from urban farming – this is America after all! But, too much control of the food supply is concentrated in the corporations that package, ship, and market processed food that is sold at double the cost in national sandwich shops or restaurant locations. Education is vitally important to help future generations understand the importance of farming. This is especially true in large areas where guys and girls can discover ways to produce their own food and learn about the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle. These students might also come up with ideas for future implementation of farming technology by having upfront access to urban farming right in their backyard or school park to learn by doing.Major Cities Where Urban Farming Is Popular
Urban Farming has become popular in big cities throughout the U.S., especially in California where tax credits and grants are available in cities like San Francisco and Sacramento. Many city officials see the benefits of urban farming as re-purposing lands, such as empty lots in residential neighborhoods, or vacated businesses in run-down areas. They are willing to provide tax breaks or other incentives to individuals who commit to running an urban farm for a period of time, sometimes 3-5 years. If you ask knowledgeable people what the top cities are in urban farming, the list will vary based on the criteria. But, the consensus is Detroit and Chicago are leading the way in the Midwest, Austin is leading the South, San Francisco, and Portland are leading the West, and Boston is leading the East.

What Are the Benefits of Urban Farming?
One of the key factors in the rise of urban farming is the advancement of technology. No longer is farming just an ox and a plow, or the picture of an old farmer sweating in the sun while covered in dirt. Technology has made it more do-able and beneficial to farm in your own backyard, with neighbors, or in your city. Jobs are being created in cities where technology is being used to create things like vertical farms. You’ve heard of real estate going vertical in big cities that are running out of land to build neighborhoods. In urban agriculture, vertical farms are being built for several different purposes.
Are Farm Animals Used in the City?

What Are the Basic Steps to Start an Urban Tree Farm in a City?
When it comes to building an urban tree farm in a city, there are a few basic steps to follow. First, identify a suitable location with enough space to grow and nurture different tree species. Next, secure the necessary permits and permissions from local authorities. Then, prepare the soil and choose the right tree species that can thrive in an urban environment. Lastly, implement a regular maintenance and care routine, including watering, pruning, and protecting the trees from pests and diseases. With these steps in place, building an urban tree farm can bring beauty and numerous benefits to the cityscape.
What Is Indoor Urban Farming?

How Can I Start My Own Urban Farming Projects?

Conclusion
Is Urban Farming the next big revolution in America? If you surveyed 1,000 city-dwelling Americans, it’s likely that only a percentage have even heard about it, unless you live in an area where urban agriculture has become part of the norm. Urban farming is not yet part of the American cultural conscious, making it more reserved for the types of people who frequent coffee shops or seek out hip restaurants in their city center. You might come across someone at a party who has experience with urban farming or actually is an urban farmer. At the very least, this guide will allow you to have an educated conversation about sustainable living and bringing farming from rural areas back to the mainstream. Maybe you will decide that you’re tired of depending on others to produce or make your food, and you will strongly look into urban farming to decide if your backyard or community park filled with beautiful oak trees is ready to be repurposed. Urban farming at its heart is about repurposing land that has been over-used or abused for city purposes to benefit citizens who want to live a more fulfilling, healthier lifestyle. Is it time to tear down an abandoned warehouse and turn it into an urban farm, or repurpose the warehouse for indoor urban farming? Are there acres of abandoned land in your neighborhood – do you drive by that land and think about what could replace it? Why not consider organizing neighbors to turn it into farmland? Or, if you have the funds, why not buy the land perhaps using grants or tax breaks from your local government to start your own urban farming business? There are numerous ways to repurpose land in your city. We typically think of tearing down old buildings and replacing them with parking garages, condos, or shopping malls. Perhaps the concrete flooring makes it seem like the only thing that can exist in the same space is another concrete structure. But, if enough people start making noise about urban farming, businesses will begin to consider alternative methods of using land and making the profit, but in a way that satisfies a sustainable lifestyle. Right now, urban farming is the cool thing to do among hipsters who want to be independent and encourage others to follow suit. If urban farming “goes mainstream,” will empty lots suddenly turn into rows of farmland overnight? Unlikely, as the barriers to entry might be too prevalent for city-dwellers who enjoy their lifestyle. But, if looking for the next revolution in business, home improvement, or social settings like backyard BBQs, urban farming is on the rise in cities across the U.S. In ten years, you might find yourself standing at a backyard birthday party looking at a garden, row of fruits and vegetables, and a few chickens sectioned off in your friend’s yard and think it’s completely normal. You might even think it’s worth looking into to see if urban farming is right for you.