Urban Farmer

1 Why Urban Farming?

You've probably heard the term the end of suburbia before. In fact, a very well-known film was actually made about the whole concept. The basic premise is that as fuel prices increase, living in the suburbs will become less economically feasible for average North Americans; the cost and time it takes to drive into the city for work will outweigh the benefits of living in the suburbs, and this will cause their imminent collapse. Hence the term, the end of suburbia. You can look at that in two ways:

The decline of real estate values and mass exodus from the suburbs will turn them into ghost towns.
There is a huge opportunity to repurpose these places into modern day, self-reliant farming communities

This book will show you how option #2 is possible.

Let's look at some facts. Right now in the US, there are 40 million acres of lawn. Between 30% to 60% of the fresh water in cities is used to water those lawns, and 580 million gallons of gasoline are used to mow them.1 When we factor in all the costs it takes to maintain a lawn - such as watering, mowing, weeding and manicuring - it's easy to come to the conclusion that a lawn is nothing but a cost center, one that a lot of North Americans simply cannot afford.

But, what if we changed our thinking about lawns? We can tackle two huge problems

Lawns are unsustainable in many ways
Access to land is a major barrier for most young people who want to enter the agricultural sector

and create one great solution. Lawns, particularly in suburbs, offer great opportunity for new farmers because:

Land is abundant. The average home in the US has an average of .2 acres of land. That's around 8,000 square feet.2
Using land without owning it removes the idea that one must own land in order to be a farmer.
All of that land sitting in lawns now becomes a great place to farm.

What if we could repurpose the suburbs to be the new frontier of localization? What if all of these suburban streets

Foreword, by Diego Footer
Preface

1: A Farm in the City

1. Why Urban Farming?
2. Connecting the Dots: An Urban Farmer's Place in the Community
3. Quick Breakdown of Economics

2: A Viable Farming Business On ½ Acre Or Less

1. The Zones of Your Farm and Your Life
2. Crops Better Suited for the City
3. Introdution to Urban Infrastructure
4. Start-Up Farm Models

3: The Business of Urban Farming

1. Starting Small
2. Market Streams
3. Working with Chefs
4. Labor
5. Software and Organization
6. Self-Promotion
7. Finance Options

4: Finding the Right Site

1. Scouting for Land
2. Urban, Suburban and Peri-Urban Land
3. Multiple or Single-Plot Farming
4. Urban Soil
5. Land Agreements and Leases
6. Urban Pests

5: Building Your Farm, One Site at a Time

1. Turning a Lawn Into a Farm Plot
2. Choosing A Site
3. Garden Layout
4. The Perimeter
5. Irrigation

6: Infrastructure and Equipment

1. Base of Operations
2. Tools
3. Special Growing Areas
4. Inexpensive Season Extension
5. Transportation

7: Operations

1. Work Smarter not Harder
2. Harvesting
3. Post-Harvest Processing
4. Portioning and Packing

8: Production Systems

1. Beds for Production
2. Planting
3. Microgreens
4. Extending the Season

9: Basic Crop Planning

1. Determine Your Outcome
2. The Base Plan

10: Crops for the Urban Farmer

1. Parting Words

Acknowledgments
Glossary
Endnotes
Index
About the Author

Curtis Stone is the owner/operator of Green City Acres, a commercial urban farm based in Kelowna, BC. Farming less than half an acre on a collection of urban plots, Green City Acres grows vegetables for farmers markets, restaurants and retail outlets. During his slower months, Curtis works as a public speaker, teacher, and consultant, sharing his story to inspire a new generation of farmers. Curtis Stone lives in Kelowna, BC.