Shobha Devi on edible plants

Urban Farming: By BCIL

What is Urban Agriculture?

• Urban agriculture is the practice of growing edible plants in urban spaces such as terraces, backyards, and unused plots of land

Facts..

• 50% of the world’s population lives in cities• Low income urban dwellers spend between 40% and 60% of their income on food alone• Only one benefiting from agriculture is the middle man, neither farmer nor consumer.

City’s Food Needs

• Average purchase of fruits & vegetables to a family is 1 kg.

• Middle- and upper classes in Bangalore count up to 1 million in a city of 8.5 million. That’s 1000 tons a day.

• Average distance of travel of vegetables in Bangalore : 100 km. That’s 30 liters for every 5 tons of fruits and vegetables.

• That’s 200 trucks a day!

The Benefits of Urban Farming

• Energy Saving: Urban agriculture produces food that is truly local while reducing food miles (the distance food travels before you get to eat it)

• Reduced Use of Pesticides: Crops produced on a smaller scale are less likely to be devastated by pests and disease, particularly when biodiversity is practiced

• Reduced Need for Preservatives: Food produced within the city is not transported over long distances and does not require extra measures to increase its lifespan

What it takes ?

• Sun, little water, cow dung or organic manure, little soil.

• organic waste generated in the house, and containers

Recycled containers

• Recycled cements bags / poly bags • Recycled drums • Recycled containers • Planter boxes • Old tiers • Concrete structures • Any structure that can hold a garden

Locations

• Balcony: Vegetables like a couple of beets, carrots, some spinach, methi, coriander, onions can be grown in a container.

• Productive Public Spaces: Convert public lands into productive farms of organic vegetable produce

• Schools and Educational institutions: Make students care for vegetable gardens whose produce could be Used in their canteens.

Locations

• Corporates: Empty spaces around office buildings could serve to grow veggies for employees. Would serve to green office areas and make employees healthy and happy – De-stressing for the mind, a good exercise and relaxing for body

• Terraces: Apartment dwellers in cities could take our services to reduce their food miles by letting us convert their terraces into productive vegetable growing spaces

Planter boxes

Herbs

Vegetables and gourds

Fruits

Greens

“How to”• First step of sowing the seed begins with finding the right container

Punching the hole• Punch four holes in the container

Draining• Add a layer of draining materials like, Coconut shells,brickbats,baby jelly or

Charcoal.• Charcoal , apart from draining excess water ,retains the moisture for

plants

soil mix• Terrace/Container garden soil mix consist of soil, manure, sand and coir

pith and other inert material like purlite, vermiculate to add volume and hold moisture .

• Soil mix consist of soil, manure, sand and coir pith

Treat the seed • Coriander seeds are crushed before they are sowed in the soil

Spread the seeds on soil • A thick layer of seed to be spread over the soil

Cover it with a layer of soil• After the seeds are been spread they have to be covered with a layer of

soil

Watering • Water the container thoroughly

Select a sapling• Select a healthy sapling

Plant the sapling

Watering • Water the sapling and keep it in the place with good sunlight

After 3-4 months