With more people than ever in urban areas, how can we balance our desire for fresh fruits and vegetables while balancing the challenges of living in a urban area where the time and space to garden are restricted?

There are a variety of ways to grow your own fresh food in urban areas that surpass the conventional method of an allotment. Five of them are:

Make the perfect window farm

Here’s proof you can cultivate food in the tiniest and most urban settings. Window farming lets you cultivate plants vertically within your home or on flat ground with the roots sitting in water and enriched with nutrients, also known as hydroponics. It doesn’t require an outdoor space, or even soil.

The “farms” can be as complicated or as simple as you’d like, and currently there are more than 45,000 window farmers across the globe working together in the search for new ways to produce food.

Reduce the amount of soil in your home by becoming soil-free. Jon Kalish, CC BY-SA

Guerrilla gardening

The most basic of all, guerrilla gardening is the cultivation of the land you don’t have a legal right to utilize. This means that it’s more than simply cultivating vegetables and fruits in that projects usually are more extensive in their goals and are concerned with reclaiming public space as well as changing neglected or abandoned areas that are part of urban areas.

When done well, it’s an innovative and inspirational illustration that shows immediate action. Consider “seed bombs” used to transform an area of demolition into a refuge for insects that pollinate or sunflowers and lavender being added to an island of traffic under the dark skies.

The transformation of the wasteland in the south of London in the evening. Alessia Pierdomenico / Reuters

Get involved in an active community garden.

As opposed to allotments and community gardens, they focus on working in a group with other people. They are ideal for those who lack the time or expertise to manage an allotment on their own. Additionally, friendships that come from working together and learning from other skilled gardeners can provide immense social benefits in addition to the food they grow.

Community-supported agriculture

“CSA” or “CSA” projects are still relatively new in the UK; however, the concept behind them is easy, which is to establish the direct link between consumers and farmers and reclaim control of the food supply from big corporations and supermarkets. Certain schemes are similar to the existing vegetable box delivery services, where you only pay for signing up and get regular deliveries of vegetables in return.

Some permit you to be beyond a “consumer” as you spend time working on farms to earn produce. As a result, you get a breath of fresh air and exercise while also learning new skills and interacting with like-minded individuals. From a farmer’s point of view, this can also mean a reliable market and additional help at the farms. Interested? Find where your nearest plan is right here.

Urban foraging

Do you enjoy the thought of growing your food, but not a fan of gardening? It’s not a problem. If you are aware of which places to search, cities are also a great place to eat good food no cost.

Cemeteries, parks, and neglected canal towpaths usually have a variety of edible species, ranging from the regular elderberry and blackberry, to more exotic and delicious treats that can be used to add flavor to your meals. For instance, hedge garlic, also known as Jack in the hedge, is an excellent ingredient in salads, and hawthorn crab apples and berries make an amazing jam.

The shady urban wastelands The ‘Jack in the hedge’ tastes delicious when used in salads. Nick Saltmarsh, CC BY

Of course, you have to be aware of the possibility of contamination or mistaken identification; however, if you’re doubtful, why don’t you check whether your city has an open forage trail that you could join? In this way, you’ll get a firsthand understanding of the foods that are safe to consume.

Restaurants, stores, and grocery stores are also dumping a lot of food that is perfectly delicious each day. A growing number of people are searching in containers for beans, bread, tinned beans, or even beer. The hunt for pre-made food is called “skipping” or “dumpster diving”. Similar to many of the other methods discussed here, it’s not only food for yourself but also a way to raise awareness about the political implications of food and shows the inefficiency of the food system worldwide.