Those who are able to afford the “pack up and go” attitude are indeed lucky. Unfortunately, not all city dwellers are lucky enough to have this kind of opportunity. Some need to be in the city because their jobs require them to be while others are not yet ready for the kind of life that awaits them in farms and rural areas. Let’s face it, not all humans are created to easily adjust to the demands of time, whether they like it or not. The good news is, your home need not be situated in far, far away land nor be as big as your whole street. You can live the kind of life they lead in farms right in the heart of the city, this is called urban homesteading.

Urban homesteading can be considered as your first step to the sustainable life you have always dreamed of and it doesn’t have to be so drastic, especially if you cannot afford it. Those who successfully made it swear that urban homesteading requires a lot from a person but at the end of the day, one will soon realize that it’s all worth it. Taking precious baby steps toward your goal will help you a lot.

farmcommunities.com

Organic farmers believe that a free range chicken is one happy chicken and therefore is not oozing with harmful toxins. Not only will it help your energy levels and staying power last longer but also it was said to delay the aging process when introduced along with overall healthy lifestyle.

Most free range chickens are kept organic, since then it became so popular to health buffs the world over causing a shortage in supply. This alone makes it a very lucrative business for farmers worldwide especially in times like these when people are beginning to make a conscious effort in living a healthy lifestyle. Organically raised chickens are grass fed and they are encouraged to live a stress free life of clean air and water. As much as possible, no chemicals are introduced to the chicken’s system, whether directly to the chicken or to its surrounding areas.

Free range chickens are a great source of protein. Aside from that, it offers many benefits to humans when consumed. It is healthy and very delicious too unlike those that are raised in coops which tend to be less tasty. Be warned though, since free range chickens require special care, it tends to cost more than its supermarket counterparts.

farmcommunities.com

Bee farms are cheap and easy. In fact, they are most recommended for small scale farmers with no resources to start their own businesses with. Many organizations are working on introducing this kind of activity for developing countries like Africa and Asia. So far, may farmers have responded and bee farms are faring well.

There’s no better time to start your own bee farm than today since the demand is very high and the supply is somewhat lacking. It opens a door for poor farmers to somehow generate enough income to support his or her family. It can even be a family business since beekeeping can be done by everyone in the family including kids. Best of all, it can blend perfectly with your crops, assuming you’re also growing them. As we all know, bees pollinate, making your crops all the more healthy therefore increasing their productivity level.

Bees produce honey while honey has high value when sold. They are very easy to harvest and won’t require any additional technology to do so. All it takes is a simple know-how which most free seminars will teach you. Furthermore, its byproduct is well sought-after by manufacturing companies and even health conscious individuals so there’s no need to fret where to sell your goods after each harvest.

farmcommunities.com

Although it’s to be expected, the slow phase organic fertilizer is currently experiencing is partly due to the fact that farmers are quite confused on what organic fertilizers are and how it can work on their farms. It seems that there is no existing group or organization that helps spreading the word to farmers while commercial fertilizers come complete with instructions and even extend support to small farm communities. According to surveys, almost a hundred percent of gardening hobbyists already made the switch and have been enjoying the benefits of organic fertilizers ever since. It’s because they can afford to wait, spend a little more money and most of all, can try again next time if this season’s batch won’t come out great while farmers don’t have this kind of luxury and unfortunately, they are not informed how to do it properly.

Basically, anything that comes from nature and encourages bacterial growth is considered as an organic fertilizer. Some examples of which are manure, fish emulsions, blood meal, bone meal and even sewer sludge. Organic fertilizers take time to generate results but if one can afford the wait, it will all be worth it.

farmcommunities.com

Forest farming involves trimming down, albeit cautiously, some certain genus to reestablish balance and equilibrium of a particular forest. Forest farming is encouraged in areas wherein there is an existing issue of overabundance of certain species which restrict growth of other living organisms essential in the biological cycle. Some of the most popular harvests are exotic mushrooms such as Shiitake and other medicinal, edible fungi. This method of farming is not only about harvesting but also it involves planning and cultivating to ensure that the biocycle is not destroyed in any way. Forest farming proves to be a fun and profitable venture that anyone could explore.

Several government funded seminars are conducted to teach locals residing near forest areas about forest farming methods and techniques, as well as the kinds of mushrooms that could be grown in the area. These seminars go as far as how and where to sell your produce after harvests. Aside from mushrooms, there are other crops you can find, grow and harvest in forests since they have rich and very fertile soil that could grow practically anything you can think of. These crops include, but not limited to:  ginseng and ferns which are used for medicinal and ornamental purposes.

farmcommunities.com

Given these bountiful rewards, who could turn away from this very lucrative business? If the only thing that hinders you from acquiring your own income generating farm is land, think again; there are microfarms operated right in the heart of the city and its neighboring suburbs–one might even be near your place.

Actually, all you need is a piece of land. Determine how much space you can set aside for your own garden and consult an expert on what crops could be grown based on the condition of soil within your space. Usually, you can grow small crops like tomatoes, peppers and radishes. In microfarming, variety is important. However, if you plan to make this as an income generating one, stick to crops that are popular so you could sell them once they are ready and stay away from the ones that will take up too much space such as corn and potatoes. Start with a little garden first then if everything goes right in place, you can add a greenhouse later.

farmcommunities.com

Growing Disease-Resistant Plants

Just like some people have stronger immunities than others, there are plants that are more resistant to the diseases prevalent in the same farming community. This, in part, is also determined by the climatic conditions as some plants prove more disease-resistant in a particular kind of climate. As a general rule, F1 hybrid varieties are mostly immune to diseases and they produce a healthier and greater yield, in addition to blooming earlier.

Getting Greater Sunlight

Crops which are grown in brighter and sunny locations are most often healthier than those grown in shady places. Sunlight not only boosts photosynthesis (natural food-making inside plants) but also evaporates the moisture, which blankets the cultivated land. This latter role of the sun is important in preventing plant diseases since most of the pathogenic microbes thrive and spread in moisture. By drying the surface of the grounds, sunlight eliminates the growth medium of harmful organisms.

Watering Properly

Water is essential to plants as blood is to animals. It is the medium of circulating nutrients and oxygen. But more so for plants since water is part of the chemical process whereby glucose is prepared by the plants in their leaves. Too much and too little water are both harmful to crops. It is important to get information on the right quantity of water for different kinds of plants, soils, and climatic conditions. Watering the foliage (leaves) is usually not advisable and it is generally recommended to water the crops early in the morning. Working in the garden, while the plants are still wet, is also not recommended. This is because water droplets can carry infectious microbes from one plant or part of the land to another and cause diseases.

Providing Healthy Soil

Healthy plants grow in healthy soils and there is no exception to this rule. Healthy soils are fertile (usually with natural organic matter), well-drained, and have a growth-friendly chemical nature (a pH between 6 and 7). Lime or any other additive should not be added to soil without first testing the soil for its pH value. The structure or tilth of the soil also counts in hosting healthier crops. What we need here is some expert opinion.

farmcommunities.com

Sustainable agriculture is a broad term that covers a number of related concepts, all centered on the fundamental principle of practicing farming for the greatest possible good. Thus, we can trace the ramifications of agricultural sustainability into four main spheres of life (and education):

•    Health
•    Environment
•    Economy
•    Society.

Each of these aspects of agricultural sustainability reciprocates the rest, forming an agricultural sustainability cycle. Health, for example, generally refers to human health (disease-free living) but the recent advance in environmental research reveals an intimate connection between health and the environment. Hence, our modern concept of health includes an environmental-friendly lifestyle that does not adversely affect the life of existing and/or coming generation. Economy and society stand in a similar relation relative to each other. Economic stability, in general, means prosperity and better living conditions for the members of a society. However, the social structure (social classes, division of labor, and proportion of benefits) is a main determinant of shaping the economy of a society and the actual benefits that people get from the economic state of affairs. Health, environment, economy, and society may be thought of as the four sides of a square whose symmetry creates sustainability.

In the 21st century, agricultural sustainability refers to looking at the current and future needs for healthy living in terms of environmental, economic, and social stability. This calls for well-informed and skilled utilization of both natural and human resources in farming on all scales. Living by agriculture today translates into ‘Live Green, Live Forever!’

farmcommunities.com

One of the main strategies that a 21st century Kibbutz may adopt for keeping their communal culture intact is recognizing and intensifying their growing power for any food species or a group of them. Accepting investment from business groups or investors at an affordable rate of interest has been tried successfully in some Kibbutzim and this has also saved a good deal of profit for the coming generation. The best examples of these are Lohamei Hagetaot (aka Ghetto Fighters) and Hatzor – two Kibbutzim that resuscitated their dwindling economic states by relying on soy production. By making profitable deals with investors, usually manufacturers of soy food products, these Kibbutzim are near to becoming multinational forces in the soy food industry. Thus they secured themselves financially while also saving a good deal for communal wellbeing.

To make communal living feasible for families, an inviting proportion of benefits versus work is being followed in the Kibbutzim Lohamei Hagetaot and Hatzor. Demanding some private space goes in tandem with business economy as it gives greater benefits to those who work more for the community. This mode of capitalist living is now entering the 21st century Kibbutz. Lohamei Hagetaot is about to allow privatization of homes and fixing payments (including pensions) according to the work completed by the community members and not entirely according to their needs (as in the classic communal system of life). The changing situation of agricultural based communities, interacting with the corporate world, call for a balance between work and earnings such that the communal living may be preserved without compromising some essential equalities among the Kibbutz members. The quality of life can then go undaunted with a strong financial shelter and satisfaction of the basic needs of individual families.

farmcommunities.com

With the advent of synthetic fertilizers and scientific techniques for genetically modifying food, food safety became a greater focus of attention among health-conscious people. At the same time, the concept of ‘genetic pollution’ came under debate – the adverse effects of modifying food species through genetic engineering on biodiversity of an ecological community. The practice, of course, is a main concern for people who know that eliminating/limiting the growth of certain natural plant species also affects animal species and causes ecological imbalance at large. Thus, where in developing countries most of the people are concerned with growing more food, in urban western societies, people have been thinking of growing healthy food by healthy, environment-friendly means. Even making clean water available for drinking has become an issue of import for a considerable part of population, especially in less developed countries.

The statistics of food-borne illnesses do not anywhere fall short of alarming levels. Each year, about 76 million people in the United States alone become ill due to some kind of food-borne disease. Among these, over 300, 000 get hospitalized and about 5000 people don’t make it. In global context, food safety is the leading public health issue. As synthetic foods and chemicals for growing/handling food become more abundant in number and use throughout the world, food safety, environmental pollution, and public health are ascending up in the list of priorities for health-conscious and environmental friendly communities. Government organizations like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other non-profit public interest organizations like the Center for Food Safety (CFS) are actively involved in efforts to prevent health risks from unhealthy food by working through multiple strategies, ranging from pubic awareness campaigns to legal efforts for sustainable farming. Food safety is a growing issue in the sphere of environmental amelioration.

farmcommunities.com