Why Sustainable Gardening is the Future of Urban Life
Updated: Nov 30, 2021
As our population rapidly expands, the demand for food will only continue to grow. We must find new ways to sustain this rising need for food, or else many people might not be able to have enough. Fortunately, organic gardening is emerging as a method of sustainable agriculture for city dwellers. It yields better produce than conventional farming methods like monoculture crops and pesticides, while also mitigating environmental impacts like carbon dioxide emissions. Let's see how sustainable gardening makes for a sustainable lifestyle. First, have you heard about vertical farming?
Vertical Farms - the basics of sustainable gardening
This form of sustainable gardening is spreading rapidly around the world, as demand continues to increase. Yet the next phase of urban agriculture will be even bigger. By building more vertical farms we can develop sustainable ecosystems that promote biodiversity for both plants and animals. Not only that, but if the land is scarce, vertical farms can help us save a large amount of space.
What exactly are vertical farms?
All of these benefits might sound good to you, but what exactly is a vertical farm? Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers.[ It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics. Some common choices of structures to house vertical farming systems include buildings, shipping containers, tunnels, and abandoned mine shafts. As of 2020, there is the equivalent of about 30 ha (74 acres) of operational vertical farmland in the world.
More benefits from sustainable gardening?
Another benefit of vertical farming is that it is easy to set up in cities, allowing people to grow food in areas where land is scarce. It has become a popular way to promote sustainable living, as many neighborhoods are attracting their own youth by using this method of agriculture. Plus, small plots of vertical farms are being set up in stores and restaurants which are creating new locations for consumers to also learn more about agriculture and the technology itself. It is an easy way to promote and encourage sustainable living without people having to travel far from their homes.
However, there are a few issues that still need to be addressed. For one thing, vertical farming requires a lot of space and energy. Even though it is a non-toxic, efficient way to grow food, space for animals can still be a concern in urban settings. Still, vertical farming is an important step towards sustainable living, and it may one day become crucial for the survival of our planet.
Sounds almost too good to be true, right? To illustrate how vertical farming can change our future, take a look at the project below!
The Better Farm Project
The Better Farm Project is a perfect example of how vertical farming can lead to big results. It's a team of designers and architects who are building an innovative farm in the city of New York. They're creating a space where farming can thrive in a densely populated environment. For example, they're designing their space with hydroponic systems that use compressed air and LED lights to reduce energy consumption. They also plan to install solar panels and photovoltaic cells that will produce even more energy, allowing them to operate even without power. This group of urban farmers will even put up a wind turbine to harvest energy from the wind.
Not only is their design cutting-edge and forward-thinking, but it's beautiful as well. They're building the farm inside a historic theater, with the vision of transforming it into a lush greenhouse. Even if you aren't an urban farmer, you can still eat food grown there for less than half the cost of food sold in supermarkets!
This is just one example of how organic gardening is changing the world. As more and more people adopt sustainable gardening practices, we will see a ripple effect in the greater environment. From reduced carbon dioxide emissions to cleaner water and healthier ecosystems, we're sure to reap benefits from this movement for years to come.
Eventually, the Better Farm Project will be able to produce 5,000 lbs of fresh produce each year—that's enough for hundreds of families! And they aren't alone in their endeavors either. A global movement of governments and municipalities is spreading. Over 80% of our food is not grown in our own nations, and we must change that. These cities and towns are pioneering this approach: the Vertical Farm Revolution.
How does the future look like?
In the future, cities will be able to feed their residents through vertical farming, producing food from locally grown ingredients. In fact, planners are already getting creative with how they can use this technology to solve a multitude of problems in urban areas. They're using crops that require less water, for example, which can then be used to irrigate people's yards or empty lots. In the city of Detroit, they're growing crops with lower demand for pesticides. In Phoenix, they're using hydroponics with LED lighting to grow organic food faster. It's not just sustainable gardening that will benefit us in the future; cities themselves will also become more productive and efficient.
Urban farming = Sustainability
Urban farming is not only about producing food but also about community and sustainability. That's why we look to the future and believe that our children will see a time when every city in the world has at least one vertical farm. Urban farming will provide solutions to problems we're facing today—and, more importantly, it is giving us hope for what tomorrow holds.
And I think it's time we consider what sustainable gardeners are actually doing for us. Just by growing plants in their communities, they're actually reducing carbon dioxide emissions for the entire nation. It's an incredible feat that's often overlooked. So let's give these sustainable gardeners the praise they deserve while also learning how we can keep them growing!
By planting foods locally, we can harvest fresh produce all year round, even in the most crowded areas. The farmers of tomorrow are here today! And if you're looking for an easy way to get started with sustainable gardening yourself, check out our articles.