What does Urban Agriculture mean?
Urban agriculture is farming or gardening that occurs within an urban setting. Due to space limitations, urban agriculture can be very creative, such as rooftop intensive gardening in raised beds, or vertical gardening in the small spaces between buildings.
There are many different challenges unique to urban agriculture that are not an issue with conventional, rural agriculture. Space is the primary one, along with pollutants unique to the city, and the limited amount of natural lighting.
Urban agriculture may also be known as urban gardening.
More on Urban Agriculture
Urban agriculture exists in several forms, including container gardening, patio gardening, rooftop agriculture, or the cultivation of vacant lots. In almost all cases of urban agriculture, some form of intensive or vertical gardening must be utilized due to space limitations. Greenhouses are also a popular form of urban agriculture.
Most urban agriculture includes growing produce, but it can also be a chicken coop or beehive.
In most communities there are already municipally owned garden spots available for rent at a nominal fee to the urban gardener. There is also neighborhood or community gardens that are communally operated and shared by entire neighborhoods. Some schools develop areas for students to participate in urban agriculture.
Fruit trees or vines can be pruned and trained to grow vertically on a trellis or a support on the side of a building. However, getting enough sunlight can be a problem for vertical gardens.
