Repurposing Urban Spaces for Farming: 7 Creative Ideas

While many people think of rural landscapes as agricultural hubs, more and more people are realizing the benefits of growing food, flowers, and fiber in urban spaces. Urban cores and peri-urban spaces are closer to large population centers and bustling markets, lessening the need to produce your product in one place, then drive it elsewhere to market.

However, urban farming doesn’t come without its challenges. Small spaces, contaminated soils, high water costs, and tight regulations can make growing difficult.

Turning to creative urban farming ideas can help boost your production and profits. Whether you’re looking to pump out more food for your community or let others see the production that’s possible in a small urban space, these ideas can help you reach your goals. 

Grow Vertically

When you’re working with limited square footage, consider growing up. Vertical growing can take various forms depending on your context and goals. Here are a few examples.

• Grow vining crops on trellises. Peas, melons, pole beans, and cucumbers will all grow up fences, arbors, and other trellises. Plant low-growing crops like beets, lettuce, and carrots on either side of the trellised crop to further maximize your space.
• Construct vertical planters: South-facing fences and walls are a great place to add vertical planters to maximize growing space. You can use prefabricated pots or construct your own system out of materials like PVC or recycled plastic containers. Since plants can uptake harmful phthalates leached by some types of plastics, take note of daily exposure limits and weigh the pros and cons of using materials that leach these compounds.
• Construct an indoor vertical garden: If you’re working with an empty indoor space, you can utilize vertical planters and grow lights to produce lots of food. You can set your vertical growing space up to run on a hydroponic, aeroponic, or aquaponic system.

Plant Intensively

If you’re working in an urban space, you probably don’t have acres and acres to play with. While rural farms can stand to plant one crop per field per season, this isn’t always practical on the small scale of an urban farm. Fortunately, intensive planting allows you to grow a lot of food in limited space—just ask farmers like Jean-Martin Fortier.

Consider growing quick-growing crops like salad mix, arugula, radishes, and bok choy. You can also grow cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and other plants that allow for multiple harvests. Stay away from plants that take months to mature, require lots of space, and only produce a single harvest—brussels sprouts, watermelon, and winter squash are a few examples.

Lean Into Education

If you want to make a living off your small, urban farm, you may need to do more than produce vegetables, flowers, or eggs to sell. Although it’s unfortunate that many people are disconnected from agriculture, many are yearning to learn more about where their food comes from.

Opening up your farm for educational tours and events is one way you can connect with your community and add another source of income. Try hosting classes on topics like the basics of soil health, planning your spring garden, or growing herbs in a small space.

Utilize Relay Cropping

If you’re looking to maximize a small growing space, relay cropping is another practice to try out. Relay cropping involves planting a new crop into an area where an existing crop is already growing. By the time the second crop begins to compete with the first crop, the first one is ready to harvest.

Here are some examples of relay cropping to try on an urban vegetable farm.

• Plant tomatoes or trellised cucumbers in the middle of a bed of lettuce.
• Sow carrot seeds in between rows of nearly mature scallions or onions.
• Transplant kale, cabbage, or broccoli seedlings in between rows of dill or cilantro.

Capture Water

If you’re growing in an urban space, you’re probably turning to a municipal water supply when it’s time to irrigate. Without access to a well or irrigation pond, you may think you have to pay for every drop of water you use. Fortunately, there’s another way.

Capturing rainwater into rain barrels connected to gutters on sheds or larger buildings provides you with a free source of water after you pay to set up the system. Before you set up a rainwater collection system in your area, check your local regulations. Some states and counties prohibit or limit rainwater collection.

Think Beyond Vegetables

Many people associate the term urban farm with community gardens and small farms growing vegetables. However, veggies are just one possibility for urban farmers. If you’re working with contaminated soil or your community isn’t interested in greens and tomatoes, consider producing another product.

Mushrooms, honey bees, and cut flowers are all alternatives that work in small spaces. If you’re just starting, spend time visiting other farms and thinking about which product and system would work well with your available space, time, and skillset.

Consider Aquaponics

Aquaponics could make sense for you if you want to grow a lot of food in a small space and don’t have access to healthy soil. This system combines freshwater fish and plants so the fish waste provides the plants with the nutrients they need to grow.

Aquaponics systems often utilize tilapia because they can tolerate crowded conditions and stress. However, some systems raise channel catfish, trout, and striped bass. As the fish excrete waste, bacteria convert it into a plant-available fertilizer that you can apply to crops like lettuce and herbs.

Aquaponic systems often have higher start-up costs than other urban farming methods, and reliable electricity is required to run pumps and aeration systems. However, if you get your system up and running smoothly, it can pump out both greens and protein.

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