Just because a household lives in an urban environment doesn’t mean that they can’t be involved in farming. The benefits of urban farming are numerous. Not only are you able to produce food that has been personally grown, but it also reduces the pressures that are placed on croplands to produce.
Here are some of the other benefits of urban farming to consider.
1. Urban farming is more productive.
Did you know that urban farming can be up to 100x more effective in production than traditional farming? This is because of how urban farms must be designed. Because space is limited in urban settings, most urban farms are vertical in nature. This maximizes the amount of output that can be achieved per square foot. Urban farming is also more productive because there are fewer weather-related impacts to the crops being grown.
2. Urban farming is more sustainable.
Urban farms typically use about 90% less water than traditional farming methods. There are also fewer issues with soil erosion, persistent drought, and power consumption because the environment of the urban farm is more consistent. For households that invest just $500 into an urban farm at the start of the year, they’ll be able to make a complete return on their investment in food savings in the first 12 months.
3. Urban farming makes organic products more accessible.
At the moment, organic sales account for just 4% of the US food chain in grocery stores right now. Yet when consumers are asked if they prefer to purchase “standard” produce or “organic” produce, more than half will prefer to purchase organic. Because of traditional farming challenges, organic products are difficult to produce. This makes them costly. Urban farming changes this because it creates a stable environment where organic methods can be easily used.
4. Urban farming can be done by anyone.
Even in space-constrained areas like NYC or Hong Kong, the designs of urban farming can make turn any living space into croplands. Most urban farms are designed to be like closets, with several shelves available to grown dozens of different plants. These farms can be placed into dark corners and still be a productive food-growing unit with the proper design.
5. Urban farming can produce year-round crops.
In traditional farming methods, the crops being grown are reliant on the seasonal attributes of that region. If you don’t have a long growing season because you live in the north, then you can’t grow crops which require long growing seasons. Yet with urban farming, you can create year-round results because your growing season never really ends. Environmental and seasonal factors are virtually non-existent.
6. Urban farming is easy to start.
You can create a formalized structure for your urban farm or you can create your own system. As long as you can plant seeds, water them, and expose them to the right amount of light, then you can produce your own food in no time at all.
With urban farming, you can grow your own food in a simple, easy, and cost-effective way. Anyone can do it. That means you can personally experience the benefits of urban farming right now with a minimal investment.
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
