Three Farmers Tips on Urban Gardening
/SPONSORED BY THREE FARMERS
The evolution of our food production and the growing divide between rural and urban living can create disconnect between farmers and consumers and even consumers and their food. Many people do not get the chance to experience agriculture and its many facets and intricacies. Most people do not get the opportunity to walk the fields of a freshly seeded crop and check the soil for nutrients. They don’t get the opportunity to watch the crops sprout and then flower into the colourful fields that the prairies of Canada are known for. Most don’t experience the sense of urgency when the fields are ripe which drives farmers to wake at dawn and harvest past dusk. And to bring it all full circle, we don’t all get to experience the chance to eat the fruits of our labor in the very place the work began.
Urban Gardening is a wonderful way to tap in to these experiences where ever you live.
Here are a few tips from Three Farmers Foods (www.threefarmers.ca) on how to grow nutrient dense foods:
1. Intercropping or Inter-gardening: It all starts in your soils. Methods, such as intercropping, are ancient farming methods that take the approach of planting many different plants in the same area. This is referred to as ‘inter gardening’ in your urban environment. This type of farming and/or gardening can take some serious planning, but plays a great role in reducing disease, pests and building nutrient dense soil and foods.
Interplanting with nitrogen fixing plants, such as beans or pulses (chickpeas, peas and lentils) will fix nitrogen in your soil and create macro-nutrients availability for other plants.
2. Composting and Rain Water: Composting is another way to assist in building nutrient dense soils and disease resistant plants. The stronger the nutrients of the soils and plant, the more disease resistant the plant will be.
Collecting rain water is not only the freshest, cleanest way to feed your gardens, but also cuts down on your water use at home.
Three Farmers Foods ((www.threefarmers.ca), have been practicing regenerative farming tactics, such as inter cropping for several years, focused on improving soil health, bettering the environment and sustaining nutrient dense foods and nutrient dense soils. Farming is not just a job, but a way of life. It is something that can’t be done well without passion, hard work, dedication, and true respect and appreciation for our land and for our food.
