Food can be dangerous. Pesticide usage is an all-too-common practice on many farms. Likewise, genetically modified foods infest grocery store shelves throughout the country. It’s easy to see, then, why so many people have taken up the responsibility of growing their own produce. Food costs have increases substantially, and a glut of store-bought produce has become unaffordable for the average American family. These and other factors explain why urban gardening is becoming more popular.
People need alternative, economically friendly produce options. Harmful mass-production techniques do serious damage to our bodies. This has ignited a passion for healthy and locally grown foods. In Colorado Springs, for example, we’re clearly establishing interest in producing our own agriculture. Community gardens have begun to appear all across the city. Many now realize that self-sufficient gardens improve one’s health and finances. They’re learning how stress-free, financially profitable, and rewarding urban gardening can be.
Some think of urban gardening as a time- and space-consuming nuisance. In fact, the opposite is true. When I began my first garden, my compost bin consisted of a large plastic trash can on the corner of my third story apartment deck, with my small patio serving as my garden. I began by growing tomatoes, arugula, spinach, potatoes, strawberries and many different herbs in my first season as a gardener. When the season ended, I broke down my plants and tilled them back into a compost pile. The next year, I moved into a house with a tiny back yard. I sectioned off a six-by-eight foot plot of land and built a raised bed for my garden. Then I transported all the compost I had gathered from my patio garden and tilled it into the soil. This created the foundation and devotion for my new love, my garden.
Though tending a garden requires effort, the perks far outweigh the setbacks. There is something very rewarding about taking that first bite into a vegetable grown by your own hand. Organic vegetables grown from home are more flavorful and nutritious. They’re also free of pesticides, which infect most store-bought produce. The key to a plush garden is the integration of well-developed compost and soil. This ensures a high crop yield.
Most gardeners expect fruits and vegetables to be in organic fertilizer. However, many don’t realize that dog hair, the inside of your vacuum bag, coffee grounds, fireplace ashes, grass clippings, and even cardboard tampon applicators may be used in a compost pile. Just do a simple Internet search. You’ll find lists of hundreds of items that break down easily. The key is to continuously till the compost into your soil daily to decompose the organic materials. Think about how many times you’ve thrown a banana peel or apple core into the trash without a second thought. Creating a compost bin would be far more practical and require just a little added commitment.
Dedicating some time out of your day to till any new compost into your soil is all it takes to make a nutrient-rich soil that will give you a lush, healthy garden. Just this last summer, I harvested anywhere from two to five pounds of tomatoes each day in the peak of the season. Tomatoes and peppers began to take over my garden towards the end of the season. This forced me to get creative with my cooking to attempt to use all of the crop. I even gave neighbors some of my harvest on a regular basis.
Pikes Peak Urban Gardens operates seven community gardens in our area. This is a very good sign. People are waking up and realizing the advantages of raising their own food. In fact, a few years ago, California state representative John Perez defended this claim in clear public terms. He noted that kids perform better in school, employees are more productive, and the obesity rate drops when communities eat urban garden produce.
Aurora and surrounding cities like Denver, Lakewood, and Colorado Springs have started implementing laws to make urban gardening more acceptable. This includes allowing residents to raise hens in their own back yards although sensible rules must apply. Denver Post writer Megan Mitchell notes that urban chicken farmers must have a permit, pay a one-time fee of forty dollars, and inform the neighbors if a coop is placed within fifteen feet of their property. Roosters are not allowed in the urban area for obvious reason. An appropriate fine is issued for any resident wishing to break that law.
Urban gardening isn’t all that time-consuming, nor does it require too much space. All you need is some dedication, knowledge, and the desire to want to establish a healthier community. As each urban gardener recruits one more person into the fold, our community grows healthier and happier. It’s hard to imagine a more productive short- and long-term collaboration.
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Katy Stambler is a writer from the Colorado Springs area.
Photo credit: Springs Magazine
