urban farming

Today well be talking about urban farming in general. what is urban farming? what are the advantages of urban agriculture? The practices involved and how it’s done. Most people still believe in the myth that agriculture takes place only in rural areas which isn’t true. People have practised urban farming for thousands of years by growing crops and rearing animals in the vicinity of their homes and settlements. The ancient Egyptians, the Persians, the Greeks, the Mayans, the Africans and the Indians all practised this. They grew fruits, vegetables, herbs and crops like beans, maize, potatoes, rice, wheat and yams. The ancients also reared animals; cows, goats, sheep and pigs, birds; chicken, ducks and fowls. Urban farming is therefore not something new. Today science and technology have simplified and revolutionalised things; great yields can be got on a small piece of land and also some agricultural activities can be done at the tap of a button or by pressing a switch for example irrigation and milking. The modern urban farmer also doesn’t have to worry much about the big bad wolf due to improved security systems. That being said, urban agriculture is not rocket science and can be done by everyone irrespective of location. Modern farming systems also allow you to do urban agriculture in your bedroom so you have no excuse not to grow food at all. Urban farming is also very relevant to us since the majority of people around the world are clumped up in cities and slums yet they have to eat every day; sometimes four times lol. what is urban farming? Urban farming involves growing plants and rearing animals in the city; in and around homes, on the rooftop, balconies, and urban farms. It’s mainly done in a smaller area due to lack of space for commercial farming. However, people with relatively large land can set up actual structural farm structures. Different kinds of plants can be grown namely; 1.Vegetables: tomatoes, cabbages, microgreens 2. Spices: ginger, garlic, 3. Fruits: oranges, apples, bananas, melons, peaches 4. Herbs: Aloe Vera, mint, sage, 5. Flowers: chamomile, tulips 6. Food crops: corn, bananas. Birds like chicken, ducks, geese and turkeys can also be reared. Animals like goats, sheep and cows are reared but not necessarily on a very large scale. Fish and sea food can also be grown in tanks in aquariums. Traditionally, plants can be grown in anything from plastic bottles, containers, cans, old tyres, tins, sacks. Box gardens can also be made for growth in plants. Sheds and small structures like hutches, pens, cages are made for animals and birds. These can be raised or constructed on the ground. Trees and fruit trees like mangoes, oranges, apples, peachesand guavas can be planted around the house or in orchards. However, very modern urban farms like hydroponics, vertical farms, recirculating aquaculture systems and aquaponics utilise sophisticated equipment which we will discuss later on. Larger urban farms which grow on a large scale exist. Vertical farms like aero farms, square roots grow, Gotham greens, freight farms, and splash of green profusely grow vegetables on enormous tall raised stands with sunlight in greenhouses or indoors using led light technology. Hydroponic farms like American hydroponics grow vegetables in a  water substrate in large numbers. Other large urban farms that rear fish and grow animals also exist. Types of urban agriculture Urban agriculture/ farming is a very broad subject but these are the major categorisations; 1.vertical farming 2. Greenhouse farms 3. Indoor farms 4. Backyard farms; box-gardens 5. Rooftop farms 6. Aquaculture; aquaponics, RAS 7. Hydroponics 8. Vermiculture 9. Apiculture 10.Poultry production 11. Animal husbandry; goats, cows, sheep, pigs. 12. Orchards 13. Floriculture 14.Mushroom growing 15. Rabbit rearing We shall be discussing each of the topics in detail in the coming series. Well now that you know what urban farming is. Lets dive into the advantages of doing urban agriculture. 19 remarkable advantages of urban farming you should know today 1. Saves money One wouldn’t need to go to the market to buy vegetables, milk, eggs or even chicken if they grow plants and rear birds or animals in their home steads. The money that would have been spent on such necessities can then be stowed away and used for other things. Imagine what an extra 100$ would do for you if you saved it weekly.  2. Environmental beauty Plants and flowers beautify homesteads and add more to the décor. Flowers and certain plants also have good scent. Certain plants can also be used as repellants for vectors like mosquitoes and certain animals like snakes. 3. Shade Trees at home provide shade and cool environments as shelter from the sun. The shade can be used for resting, reading, parking, playground…etc. 4. Health benefits Herbs grown at home can be used as ailments and cures for certain diseases and allergies. Urban farmed produce also results into a balanced diet as the veggies, eggs and meat raised at home are consumed by the home owners. This helps combat malnutrition illnesses like scurvy, kwashiorkor and results in people living healthy lives. 5. Source of income. Surplus vegetables and fruits can be sold to the market to make a living. Unemployed people can also do agribusiness and earn a living by growing and selling vegetables, seedlings, eggs and birds. These businesses can also be scaled to save money hence making the owners rich. Large urban farms like Aero farms and Gotham greens create employment for people and they also generate a lot of money selling their fresh produce to the urban market. 6. Conservation We live mostly in the urban jungle surrounded by concrete and buildings. With the ever increasing impacts of the human population on the environment, the only way we can contribute to the earth’s diversity is to allow nature live with us in our homes and reduce our carbon footprint. This will help to reduce on greenhouse gases. Moreover, plants purify the air and provide us with oxygen. 7. Source of food The