Farming in the concrete jungle

Even as the idea is nascent,though not recent,if carried out on a larger scale,‘urban farming’ can actually provide solutions to some of the most serious of problems confronted by cities,namely waste management,pollution and most important,address the growing demand for fresh and uncontaminated vegetables and fruits.

Alternative farming methods have emerged as a response to the scarcity of land,water and even time as owning a spacious backyard for a kitchen garden is a rare luxury that 95 per cent of residents in metros cannot afford.

MISSION HEALTHY FOOD

The experiment of farming amid the concrete jungle was pioneered in the country by activists working towards finding ways to get organically grown food in cities. The credit is often given to Mumbai based activist the late Dr RT Doshi who patented the a process of disposal of the organic waste generated at the household level and later founded an organisation called City Farming. The other pioneer in the field has been Bangalore-based Dr BN Vishwanath,who wrote the first book on organic farming on one’s terrace.

“The advantages of terrace farming are many. Eating chemical food continuously may result into their accumulation in the body and can also affect our genes. Urban farming reduces the distance the organically developed food has to travel for reaching the kitchen of an urban dweller. It provides fresh and uncontaminated vegetables and fruits to the family and it keeps members of the house hold busy for a few hours productively that helps keep the mind attuned with nature,” says Vishwanath.

Experts also claim that as an effort to increase the productivity farmers are growing vegetables and fruits in areas closer to the city tend to use more fertillisers and pesticides. Presence of sewage and heavy metal effluents in water used for irrigation purposes and chemical pesticides render such food unhealthy in the long run.

Disposal of solid waste remains one of the major problems facing Indian cities currently,with hundreds of crores of rupees being spent on this essential task.

One step in this direction,that if undertaken on a large scale can reduce the burden on the municipal apparatus is the farming methods advocated by the experts that can dispose of almost all of the household organic waste by turning it into manure.

One successful endeavour in this direction is the organic farm developed by the Mumbai Port Trust on the terrace of its central kitchen on an area of 3,000 square feet disposes of all its kitchen waste in an eco-friendly manner.

“It is a widely accepted view that it is best to dispose of the waste in the same premises the waste is generated. We can use the household waste as manure for the plants instead of throwing them in garbage bins. It reduces the pollution and gives food to your plants,” said Sunil Doshi of City Farming.

Part of urban and household inorganic waste too has its uses. Instead of throwing out polyethylene bags,used tyres,containers and cylinders they can be put to good use in one’s own farm. (See box)

THE FIRST STEP

According to the proponents of urban farming the big challenge that they currently face is to convince an urban dweller that it is possible to grow plants other than the ornamental plants on terraces and in balconies.

“Most of the time people find it hard to believe that it is possible to grow vegetable plants and fruit trees on limited space of terraces. That needs a lot of convincing. They don’t know that like humans,plants also adjust themselves to the shortage of space. If a whole family can reside in a small room in Mumbai slums why can’t plant adopt to shortage of space. They do,” says Doshi.

Will it smell? Will the soil and greenery lead to infestation of insects and rats? These are the other questions frequently raised.

“It takes a lot of convincing that it doesn’t lead to any of these things,” adds Doshi.

“People do not know where to get started. They do not know from where they will get the inputs such as seeds,pots,manure and other accessories. They don’t know what kind of spaces to grow the plants. That needs some guidance,” says Adrienne Thadani who is based in Bandra,Mumbai and is director of Fresh and Local, which guides and trains people for setting up urban farms at their homes.

Apart from the getting organic food,growing crops makes your terrace or balcony greener. It also cools down your the habitat and and increases oxygen content which,of course,would be a welcome change from the constant pollution that urban dwellers are exposed to.

“Working in the garden is very relaxing. It is refreshing to go and work in the garden and taking care of plants is very beneficial when done on a regular basis. Having a green space around makes you feel fresh,” says Thadani.

“I took up terrace farming two years ago after attending a seminar on urban farming. The produce from my farm is more than enough to meet the needs of my family. It gives me emotional satisfaction that I am feeding my family food grown by myself,which is free from pesticides and contaminants,” said Ranjana Murthy,a resident of Richmond Town in Bangalore.

It just needs that first step,the will to get started,and with some guidance and you too can well be on your way to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

URBAN FARMING: THE BASICS

Determine the site:

Plants can be grown on terraces,balcony or window-sill. Sunlight and ventilation are important factors although few would be lucky enough to have one satisfying all needs. Different plants will have to be grown at sites getting direct sunlight throughout the day (tomato,brinjal,chilli) and those which will get partially (leafy vegetables).

Preparation:

Find a container large enough to support fully grown plants and with adequate space for the plant’s root system. Polythene bags or containers and large metal drums of about 200 litres capacity open on both ends and with holes on the sides would suffice.

The bottom half of the bag should be tightly filled with biomass eg. sugarcane residue from a juice centre

The next one-fourth of the bag should be filled with compost. Get cow dung,leaves and other organic matter available at home,put them in a plastic bag,add water,and close the bag. In about 2-3 weeks you will get compost.

Fill the rest of the bag with nursery soil. If you do not get nursery soil,get any garden soil and add about 5 per cent by volume reinforced organic manure available in the market. The fertility of the soil can be maintained from domestic and garden waste.

Selection of plants:

Vegetables or fruits that are most expensive are good choices. Getting the right mix of vegetables can even ward off certain insects. For example,beans and potatoes work together to drive off various types of beetles.

Plants generally grown: Coriander,fenugreek,ginger,cabbage,cauliflower,capsicum,chillies,tomato,ladyfinger,brinjal,lettuce,cucumber,radish,carrot,beetroot,onion,garlic,ginger and all sorts of gourds and also fruits such as mango,orange,pomegranate.