The Urban Farmer: Growing Food for Profit on Leased and Borrowed Land

Front Cover
New Society Publishers, Dec 14, 2015 - Gardening - 288 pages

There are twenty million acres of lawns in North America. In their current form, these unproductive expanses of grass represent a significant financial and environmental cost. However, viewed through a different lens, they can also be seen as a tremendous source of opportunity. Access to land is a major barrier for many people who want to enter the agricultural sector, and urban and suburban yards have huge potential for would-be farmers wanting to become part of this growing movement.

The Urban Farmer is a comprehensive, hands-on, practical manual to help you learn the techniques and business strategies you need to make a good living growing high-yield, high-value crops right in your own backyard (or someone else's). Major benefits include:

Low capital investment and overhead costs Reduced need for expensive infrastructure Easy access to markets

Growing food in the city means that fresh crops may travel only a few blocks from field to table, making this innovative approach the next logical step in the local food movement. Based on a scalable, easily reproduced business model, The Urban Farmer is your complete guide to minimizing risk and maximizing profit by using intensive production in small leased or borrowed spaces.

Curtis Stone is the owner/operator of Green City Acres, a commercial urban farm growing vegetables for farmers markets, restaurants, and retail outlets. During his slower months, Curtis works as a public speaker, teacher, and consultant, sharing his story to inspire a new generation of farmers.

 

Contents

Community
7
A Viable Farming Business On ½ Acre Or Less
13
The Business of Urban Farming
37
SelfPromotion
73
Finding the Right Site
79
Scouting for Land
81
Urban Suburban and PeriUrban Land
89
Multiple or SinglePlot Farming
93
Special Growing Areas
147
Inexpensive Season Extension
151
Transportation
155
Operations
157
Work Smarter not Harder
159
Harvesting
167
PostHarvest Processing
173
Portioning and Packing
179

Urban Soil
95
Land Agreements and Leases
99
Urban Pests
103
Building Your Farm One Site at a Time
105
Turning a Lawn Into a Farm Plot
107
Choosing A Site
115
Garden Layout
119
The Perimeter
121
Irrigation
127
Infrastructure and Equipment
133
Base of Operations
135
Tools
143
Production Systems
185
Beds for Production
187
93
196
Basic Crop Planning Determine Your Outcome
217
Acknowledgments
251
13S 143
257
vii
258
173
259
187
261
About the Author
265
Copyright

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About the author (2015)

Curtis Stone is the owner/operator of Green City Acres, a commercial urban farm based in Kelowna, BC. Farming less than half an acre on a collection of urban plots, Green City Acres grows vegetables for farmers markets, restaurants and retail outlets. After five successful seasons, Curtis has demonstrated that one can grow an extraordinary amount of food in a backyard, and make a good living doing it. During his slower months, Curtis works as a public speaker, teacher, and consultant, sharing his story to inspire a new generation of farmers.

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