Curtis Stone

The Urban Farmer (eBook, ePUB)

Growing Food for Profit on Leased and Borrowed Land

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Strategies and techniques for making a living with intensive food production in small spaces

There are 40 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.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: New Society Publishers
• Seitenzahl: 240
• Altersempfehlung: ab 16 Jahre
• Erscheinungstermin: 1. Dezember 2015
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781550926019
• Artikelnr.: 44477116

Autorenporträt

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. During his slower months, Curtis works as a public speaker, teacher, and consultant, sharing his story to inspire a new generation of farmers. Curtis Stone lives in Kelowna, BC.

Inhaltsangabe

Foreword, by Diego Footer
Preface

1: A Farm in the City

1. Why Urban Farming?
2. Connecting the Dots: An Urban Farmer's Place in the Community
3. Quick Breakdown of Economics

2: A Viable Farming Business On ½ Acre Or Less

1. The Zones of Your Farm and Your Life
2. Crops Better Suited for the City
3. Introdution to Urban Infrastructure
4. Start-Up Farm Models

3: The Business of Urban Farming

1. Starting Small
2. Market Streams
3. Working with Chefs
4. Labor
5. Software and Organization
6. Self-Promotion
7. Finance Options

4: Finding the Right Site

1. Scouting for Land
2. Urban, Suburban and Peri-Urban Land
3. Multiple or Single-Plot Farming
4. Urban Soil
5. Land Agreements and Leases
6. Urban Pests

5: Building Your Farm, One Site at a Time

1. Turning a Lawn Into a Farm Plot
2. Choosing A Site
3. Garden Layout
4. The Perimeter
5. Irrigation

6: Infrastructure and Equipment

1. Base of Operations
2. Tools
3. Special Growing Areas
4. Inexpensive Season Extension
5. Transportation

7: Operations

1. Work Smarter not Harder
2. Harvesting
3. Post-Harvest Processing
4. Portioning and Packing

8: Production Systems

1. Beds for Production
2. Planting
3. Microgreens
4. Extending the Season

9: Basic Crop Planning

1. Determine Your Outcome
2. The Base Plan

10: Crops for the Urban Farmer

1. Parting Words

Acknowledgments
Glossary
Endnotes
Index
About the Author