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Urban Farming in Uganda

Urban farming can be found in almost every city in the country and in almost every space found in the city that can be cultivated in restaurants, rooftops, backyards, schools, churches and parks among other things. There are several techniques that people have come up with in order to continue with urban farming and how it can work in the different garden settings. The techniques have been listed below with detailed explanations on how to use them.

When people talk about urban farming the first image that comes to the minds of people are gardens right in the middle of the city Centre which is not the case. It involves growing different types of crops and rearing animals however there are city centres that have a zero tolerance policy for animals in the city centre. You can however rear animals like rabbits, bees, poultry feeds and other animals.

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Hydroponics

Hydroponics is where plants are immersed in water mixed with nutrients. No soil is used in hydroponics and hard materials are used to support the containers that are used for planting. Chemical and organic fertilizers and it is best used for plants where the farming conditions are not favourable like poor soils and climatic conditions.

Shipping container farms

The most commonly grown crops in shipping container farms include mushrooms and vegetables. They are extremely good in places which have bad weather conditions and the advantage of using them is that they do not take up a lot of space. They can be placed anywhere and all you need to do is install a climatic control, lighting and other factors that help with the proper growth of plants in the outside environment. You can place them in a corner in your home and install shelves to act as support to the containers used for planting.

Backyard gardens

If you have enough space on your property, backyard gardening is the right venture for you to start. With the right tools and proper management, you can earn big from backyard gardening. Some of the plants that can be grown in backyard gardens include greens, mushrooms, herbs and leafy greens.

Vertical farming

This is where the crops are grown in stacks of either polythene bags or pots that are arranged vertically. They can be placed on walls, fences and pallets that are constructed on the walls. Vertical farming allows you to easily plant numerous plants in a small space while earning big from the garden.

Rooftop farming

The types of foods that can easily be grown in urban farming include the following:

  • Fruit growing
  • Vegetable growing and poultry rearing
  • Bee keeping

backyard farming chicken

Why urban farming is important

Urban farming comes with a lot of benefits for both the environment and the farmers who want to join in farming but stay in the urban centres. Some of the benefits for venturing into urban farming include the following:

  • It helps bridge the gap at the demand market especially for the leafy greens.
  • Urban farming creates healthier foods as compared to the normal gardens
  • It also helps in preserving the environment, especially the hydroponic method.
  • It makes dormant land efficient when the small urban gardens are placed in the area.
  • It creates jobs for the people in the form of labour for the markets.
  • Less investments are needed in order to be able to start urban farming

In conclusion, it does not matter where you are living but as long as you have the love of farming, you can join the urban farming bandwagon and get to enjoy the numerous benefits that come with urban farming.