We recently presented at our local library as part of a series on Local Food initiatives. Our talk was about "urban agriculture and urban homesteading", done as a slideshow as well as discussion based on questions from the audience. There were some great questions raised, including:
"is it legal to keep chickens and bees in the city?"
(In our city the bylaws seem unclear, but we do know of many people keeping both hens and bees locally, and also of many cities that do allow this);
"is it really making a difference to go off grid in the city?"
(We say why not aim for net-zero by reducing your energy comsumption and producing your own energy even if you are on the grid)
"how can we produce more food during the winter months?"
(We use grow tunnels, cold frames, a passive solar greenhouse, and an audience member mentioned both an underground greenhouse which has been set up at the University of Guelph, and a geodesic greenhouse model)
"does buying local food hurt international farmers?"
(We believe local small farmers will never put other small farmers out of business. The problems with trade are to do with the largescale agriculture and production which has taken farming out of the hands of individuals, as well as the disparate systems of distribution that are set up for global trade. If every city could be supporting it's small farmers, plus individuals growing much for themselves in whatever space they may have - rooftop, balcony, yard, acreage - and trading for those commodities that can't be grown locally - in our case, coffee, chocolate, spices, rice, etc - then we would be more sustainable globally. But a very good point for discussion, and much more could surely be debated on this topic.)
There were some requests for our resource list, so here it is. I hope to post the entire presentation on our website at some point, but for now this is all I have time for.
Resources
URBAN AGRICULTURE
"is it legal to keep chickens and bees in the city?"
(In our city the bylaws seem unclear, but we do know of many people keeping both hens and bees locally, and also of many cities that do allow this);
"is it really making a difference to go off grid in the city?"
(We say why not aim for net-zero by reducing your energy comsumption and producing your own energy even if you are on the grid)
"how can we produce more food during the winter months?"
(We use grow tunnels, cold frames, a passive solar greenhouse, and an audience member mentioned both an underground greenhouse which has been set up at the University of Guelph, and a geodesic greenhouse model)
"does buying local food hurt international farmers?"
(We believe local small farmers will never put other small farmers out of business. The problems with trade are to do with the largescale agriculture and production which has taken farming out of the hands of individuals, as well as the disparate systems of distribution that are set up for global trade. If every city could be supporting it's small farmers, plus individuals growing much for themselves in whatever space they may have - rooftop, balcony, yard, acreage - and trading for those commodities that can't be grown locally - in our case, coffee, chocolate, spices, rice, etc - then we would be more sustainable globally. But a very good point for discussion, and much more could surely be debated on this topic.)
There were some requests for our resource list, so here it is. I hope to post the entire presentation on our website at some point, but for now this is all I have time for.
Resources
URBAN AGRICULTURE
Kitchen Gardens - www.kitchengarden.org
Heifer International - www.heifer.org
FoodShare - www.foodshare.net
Centre for Ecoliteracy - www.ecoliteracy.org
Ryerson - www.ryerson.ca/foodsecurity
American CG - www.communitygarden.org
Cdn Organic Growers - www.cogwaterloo.ca
SPIN Farming - www.spinfarming.com
Edible Schoolyard - www.edibleschoolyard.org
URBAN HOMESTEADING
City Farmer - www.cityfarmer.org
Path to Freedom - www.pathtofreedom.com
Fairview Gardens Farm - www.fairviewgardens.org
Rhizome Collective - www.rhizomecollective.org
Little City Farm - www.littlecityfarm.ca
LOCAL FOOD
SELF-RELIANCE
Lehmans Hardware - www.lehmans.com
Mother Earth News – www.motherearthnews.com
LOCAL FOOD
FoodLink - www.foodlinkwaterlooregion.ca
Baileys Local Foods - www.baileyslocalfoods.ca
Fertile Ground CSA - www.fertilegroundcsa.com
100 Mile Diet - www.100milediet.org
Slow Food Canada - www.slowfood.ca
Edible Toronto Magazine - www.edibletoronto.com
Food KM - www.foodkm.com
Local Eating - www.localeating.ca
Locavore - www.locavore.ca
Ontario Farm Fresh - www.ontariofarmfresh.com
Ontario Harvest - www.harvestontario.com
Kitchener Market - www.kitchenermarket.ca
Baileys Local Foods - www.baileyslocalfoods.ca
Fertile Ground CSA - www.fertilegroundcsa.com
100 Mile Diet - www.100milediet.org
Slow Food Canada - www.slowfood.ca
Edible Toronto Magazine - www.edibletoronto.com
Food KM - www.foodkm.com
Local Eating - www.localeating.ca
Locavore - www.locavore.ca
Ontario Farm Fresh - www.ontariofarmfresh.com
Ontario Harvest - www.harvestontario.com
Kitchener Market - www.kitchenermarket.ca
SELF-RELIANCE
Lehmans Hardware - www.lehmans.com
Mother Earth News – www.motherearthnews.com
There are many other great books, websites and blogs about urban homesteading, gardening and self-reliance.
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