Factors Contributing To the Need for Urban Agriculture by Roksena Nikolova

Since the world population is increasing urban quarters have turned out to be an essential new leading edge for food production. The city expansion and degradation contribute towards the crucial need for urban agricultural development. The economic and health problems resulting from malnutrition have caused great concern amongst planners and decision-makers.

A case study of an Ethiopian urban agriculture consultant, Yilma Getachew argues that “…organic agriculture is a valid strategy for both stimulating economic growth and developing markets…” and that he could verify this by his experience in supporting urban agriculture in three towns in Ethiopia. “Families in one town keep dairy cows either to supplement their meager salaries, or are totally dependent on milk and dung sales as their sole source of family income. In the other two towns, the main income source is the production of Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes together with a small amount of assorted vegetables not only selling to local markets but also to markets within a 200 kilometer radius. In this way, organic agriculture in an urban setting can both be a tool for community building (health and vitality) and development (income generation and marketing of scarce nutritious food).”

Guatemala City Problem and Solution

One of Guatemala's most alarming issues is the lack of access by all of its residents to a clean, safe water supply.Like other developing country cities, Guatemala City grew very quickly during the 1980s. Its population almost doubled in under 40 years, from 477,000 in 1955 to 946,000 in 1995, and the metropolitan region is even larger, comprising approximately 3 million people.

A large portion of the residents live in precarious and illegal squatter settlements.The residents of the squatter settlements have no legal rights to the land, pay no taxes, and receive no city services.Because of poor living conditions, including the lack of clean water and the consumption of contaminated water, people in these settlements suffer many health problems.

Two different models for improved water supply were developed: the single-source tank and the well. Both required active community involvement, outside technical help, and the institutional support of COINAP.

In Chinautla (one neighbourhood of Guatemala City), residents asked the city to install the single-source water tank. Such units are usually installed only on a temporary basis at construction sites. From this single source, the community created a supply network to reach individual residences. UNICEF provided the funds for the pipes and other materials, and each family provided its own home connection. The local community association receives the bill from the water company, and it collects payment from residents for the water they have used.

Roksena Nikolova

References:

1) Getachew, Yilma."The Living Garden". http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/The%20Living%20Garden.pdf  (accessed November 01, 2009).

2) UNESCO. "Water Supply - Guatemala City, Guatemala." 1995-2009. Learning Journal. http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/TLSF/theme_c/mod17/uncom17t03s01.html (accessed November 01, 2009).

Hydroponics by Caelin Schneider

http://www.fbs.leeds.ac.uk/garden/index.htm

Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants and crops using only mineral nutrient solutions, therefore without soil. When the required mineral nutrients are introduced into a plant's water supply artificially, soil is no longer required for the plant to live. Most terrestrial plants are able to grow using hydroponics.  This would help conserve land, and if aggregate hydroponics are used it would also conserve water.  Using hydroponics makes it possible to easily grow plants for consumption in a city and indoors.  The two hydroponic systems are, aggregate hydroponics and liquid hydroponics.  Aggregate hydroponic systems have a solid medium of support such as sand, sawdust or peat-moss.  Where as liquid hydroponic systems have no other supporting medium for the plant roots, other than the water they sit in.

Hydroponics is also an important technology because it is one of the leading technologies that is being looked at to grow crops in the proposals for vertical farms.  

It also becomes possible to grow small personal farms very easily using simplified hydroponics, which is based on minimal inputs, requires no pumps, energy, or expensive equipment. The small scale farms or gardens are built with recycled or discarded containers, and are hand watered once a day with a hydroponic nutrient that can be bought off the shelf.

In 1985, in a small Columbian town of Jerusalen, a hydroponic project was established by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP).   The project used hydroponic growers, made of small containers and discarded wood pallets, these were than placed on rooftops, balconies, stairs, and any available space that was in the sun.

The people who participated in the project (around 130 families) ended up earning as much as three times more than they would have earned in semi-skilled jobs, and were also able to provide food for their families from overripe or less than perfect crops. They produced 30 types of vegetables in their hydroponic gardens.

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/livingthings/biofarming.html

The gardens were built out of donated or recycled materials.  The costs of setting up each square meter of hydroponic garden was less than $5.00.

Wood pallets were set flat in the space and plastic sheeting rice bran surrounded by plastic sheeting was placed inside of the pallets.  The hydroponic nutrients come at a cost of about $9.00 per year. 

Surplus produce was sold to a supermarket cooperative for cash.

The Jerusalen project was a successful example of hydroponic farming in a developing country in a urban setting.  If it can be achieved in this situation it would be even easier to use this technology on a single family scale or in a indoor farm in any north american metropolis struggling for space.

Hydroponics, can be used inside, or outside, and is productive in small spaces regardless of soil or water.  These small barren or indoor spaces, will be the only spaces left for agriculture after the impending mass urbanization and expansion of our cities.  Hydroponics works in the scale of a fully functioning farm, yet unlike technologies like vertical farms it is also affordable to the individual person and even becomes possible for poor people living in developing countries to produce quality food and a source of income.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHBhyqowSEc

Caelin Schneider

References: 
.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroponics

-Jenson, Merle. H. "Hydroponics." October, 1997.http://ag.arizona.edu/PLS/faculty/MERLE.html

-Bradley, Peggy. "Simplified Hydroponics in Urban Agriculture." March 23, 2000.http://www.cityfarmer.org/hydroponicsBradley.html#bradley

Mini-Farming, Settlement and Water Supply Systems by Roksena Nikolova

The Biointensive Approach to Agriculture

It is an organic agricultural system which focuses on maximum yields from the minimum area of land, while simultaneously improving the soil. The goal of the method is long term sustainability on a closed system basis. It has also been used successfully on small scale commercial farms.  

Biointensive is frequently is referred to as mini-farming. It is not meant to be used on a large scale. The idea is people to grow their own food and retreat from large-scale farming. Monocropping is not good for the soil. Variation is vital. Biointensive farmers rarely use mechanized equipment, such as tractors. Not only does machinery use too much energy and leave the bare soil susceptible to erosion, but it also compacts the soil, counteracting the effect of double digging.Whole farming systems give emphasis to diversity and offer both a sufficient amount and quality food which generates profit to buy other provisions. It further provides the family with a year-round supply of food and income together with a year-round source of employment.

http://www.ezhealthydiet.com/image-files/biointensive-vegetable-gardening.jpg

One major objective of biointensive farming is to improve the soil, which generally takes quite a few years to accomplish.


Benefits of Biointensive
- Possibility of 200-400% increase in caloric production per area
- Decreased water consumption
- Increased soil fertility  

- 99% reduction in energy used per area

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/DoubleDig.gif

The System

• In order to achieve greater productivity, the biointensive method uses double dug raised beds, intensive planting, and companion planting. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx9pM9tPOWM 

The biointensive method includes the raising of animals. A diet which incorporates animal products can be raised biointensively, without graze. Although this uses the land less efficiently than a vegan diet raised biointensively, it is more space efficient than typical methods of raising animals.

Edible Boulevards

The City of North Vancouver is considering an innovative plan proposed by the Green Skins Lab of the University of British Columbia to create edible boulevards. The idea is to combine commercial vegetable farms with social spaces within the city. Some features include biointensive farming, on-site energy generation and rainwater harvesting.

http://tokyogreenspace.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/north-vancouver-and-edible-boulevards/ 

Rainwater harvesting and conservation

Rational use of water for watering the mini-farms.There are three major categories of activities aimed at the rational use of water. The first is harvesting water during the season of plenty, for use when water availability is being stretched - roof water harvesting, ponds and artificial lakes are some examples. The second is to conserve the available water (mulching, shading, precision planting, etc). The third is recycling water or reusing it for a second and third time depending on your previous use. 

Benefits:

• Inexpensive
  
• Sustainable
• Especially beneficial for areas where there is no plumbing system or any sort of water system

Water Wells are also a good resolution to the water harvesting and conservation issue.  

There are three common types of wells: dug, bored and drilled.

 http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/buho/buho_003.cfm?renderforprint=1

Dug and bored wells (60 – 120 cm/24 – 48 in. diameter) are commonly used to produce water from shallow surface aquifers (less than 15 m/50 ft. deep); and are prone to contamination from surface water infiltration and to water shortages (see Figure 1). An aquifer is an underground formation of permeable rock or loose material, which can produce useful quantities of water when tapped by a well. 

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/buho/buho_003.cfm?renderforprint=1

Drilled wells (10 – 20 cm/4 – 8 in. diameter) are commonly used to penetrate deeper aquifers (15 to greater than 60 m/50 to greater than 200 ft. deep), are more costly to construct, but generally provide a safer source of drinking water.(5)

Wells though, can be useful for watering the mini-farms only in the case where there is sufficient amount of water in the property. That is depending on the water table at the site. In a case of a too deep water table roof water harvesting, ponds and artificial lakes are a better solution to cheap or even free water supply.

Settlement

 

http://brainoff.com/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/derinkuyu.jpg

Derinkuyu Underground City
Being the largest excavated underground city in Turkey, Derinkuyu is one of many of its kind. It is located in the region of Cappadocia and the first level was built by the Phrygians in the 8th–7th centuries B.C according to the Turkish Department of Culture,^[2] the underground city at Derinkuyu was enlarged in the Byzantine era. The city could be closed from inside with large stone doors. With storerooms and wells that made long stays possible, the city had air shafts which are up to 100 feet (30 m) deep. The complex has a total 11 floors, though many floors have not been excavated. Each floor could be closed off separately. (6)
The city was connected with other underground cities through miles of tunnels. The city could accommodate between 3,000 and 50,000 people.

It was opened for visitors as of 1969 and to date, only ten percent of the underground city is accessible for tourists. (7)

Its eight floors extend at a depth of approximately 85m.

The water wells were systematically placed throughout the city in order to service everyone every few families.

http://www.nerdcore.de/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/derinkuyu2.jpg

http://www.nerdcore.de/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/derinkuyu2.jpg

Roksena Nikolova

References: 
(1)   Yilma Getachew, "The Living Garden," April 2002, http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/The%20Living%20Garden.pdf (Accessed November 4, 2009) 

(2)  "Biointensive," Wikipedia, April 17, 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biointensive (Accessed November 4, 2009)  

(3)  The Pennsylvania State University,  "Biointensive farming," Crop and Soil Sciences, 2005,  http://watershed.allegheny.edu/comps/04-maureencopeland/biointensive_ag.htm (Accessed November 4, 2009)  

(4)  Palmsundae, "North Vancouver and Edible Boulevards," Vancouver's Olympic Vegetable Garden, August 11, 2009, http://tokyogreenspace.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/north-vancouver-and-edible-boulevards/  (Accessed November 4, 2009) 

(5) Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, "Buying a House with a Well and septic system," About Your House — General Series, July 2008,  http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/buho/buho_003.cfm?renderforprint=1  (Accessed November 4, 2009)  

(6)  "Derinkuyu Underground City," Wikipedia, September 14, 2009, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derinkuyu_Underground_City (Accessed November 4, 2009)  

(7)   "Derinkuyu Underground City", Capadocia, Turkey,  http://www.cappadociaturkey.net/derinkuyu_underground_city.htmhttp://www.cappadociaturkey.net/derinkuyu_underground_city.htm (Accessed November 4, 2009)