As more people choose to live in towns and cities, urban areas are becoming concrete jungles. As the cost of living continues to rise and inflation has reached 9.2%, it is imperative that people utilize the available space to produce food and survive the difficult times.
Here are some of the most effective ways to utilize the small spaces around us.
Container Gardening
Growing food in pots, containers, or raised food beds is a popular method for those with limited space. \
Next, you prepare the container, fill it with soil, add a good starter food, select your plants, prepare them, plant them, and then water them. Ideal for kale and tomatoes.
Vertical Farming
Vertical agriculture in small spaces or gardens is gaining popularity. It maximizes space by cultivating food vertically on shelves or in stacked layers.
To support and supply the local market, a large number of plants can be grown on a very small floor area. It is ideally suited for crawling crops, but it can also support crops like kale, onions, and tomatoes.
Hydroponic Agriculture
This involves growing plants without the use of soil. Growing plants in nutrient-rich water as opposed to soil is referred to as hydroponics, which is derived from the Latin word for “working water.” It requires very little space.
There are a couple of methods of hydroponic farming which include among others deep water culture systems, wick systems and nutrient film techniques.
Aquaponics
This system combines aquaculture and hydroponics, in which nutrient-rich aquaculture water is fed to hydroponically grown plants. This method is advantageous because it uses only 1/6 as much water as conventional agriculture to produce 8 times as much food per acre.
Source of all-natural fertilizer derived from fish waste. No reliance on mined and manufactured fertilizers. Efficient, sustainable, and highly productive. Both plants and fish can be grown in hydroponics and aquaculture.
Square Foot Gardening
This method of farming involves dividing the growing space into smaller square sections to maximize space and minimize waste, and it is typically 1 foot on a side, hence the name. The objective is to assist in the creation and planning of a small but densely planted vegetable garden.
This method, which has been used for decades, is a tried-and-true, space-saving technique for growing vegetables. You can grow 16 plants in a square foot of space with seed/plant spacing requirements of 3 inches.
Rooftop Agriculture
Utilizing unused spaces and insulation, this method entails cultivating food on a building’s roof. This type of urban agriculture has many benefits, including the ability to reduce extreme heat in urban areas, feed people, and help reduce urban poverty.
Community Gardening
Sharing a communal space by creating a garden with other community members, typically in a park or open space, is an excellent idea.
This type of farming fosters a sense of community among neighbors who are becoming increasingly estranged.
Recirculation Aquaculture Systems (RAS) Farming
The RAS method represents a novel and novel approach to fish farming. RAS can save a lot of space that could be used for other profitable endeavors.
It allows fish to be raised in net cages or tanks rather than ponds. The water in a recirculating aquaculture system is continuously recycled, thereby reducing waste and conserving resources.
poultry farming
The majority of poultry raised for human consumption is raised indoors in large sheds with automated equipment under environmentally controlled conditions, which can only be accommodated in small spaces even in urban areas. These chickens are known as broilers, and genetic advancements have allowed them to reach slaughter weight within six or seven weeks of hatching.
Newly hatched chicks are confined to a small area and provided with additional heating. The droppings are absorbed by the litter on the floor, and the area they occupy grows as they do.
Straw Bale Gardening
These are the plants that are growing in bales of straw, which provide insulation, retain moisture, and decompose to add nutrients to the soil. In addition to conserving space, this type of farming is advantageous in a number of other ways, including back-saving because it has easier access or raised beds and is ideal for areas with poor soil.
In addition, it reduces the need for weeding and prevents the spread of pests and diseases.
