It sounds contradictory, doesn't it? Urban farming? Well, it's real and may just take off (hopefully) if we get really serious about living "greener" lives.

What is urban farming?

Urban Agriculture is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in a village, town or city. Because urban farming promotes energy-saving local food production, it is generally seen as a sustainable practice.

How is urban farming "green?"

The agriculture industry uses ridiculous amounts of energy to transport food across the world. The average conventional produce item travels 1,500 miles. If shipped by tractor-trailor, one gallon of fossil fuel is used per 100 pounds of produce! The energy used to transport food is decreased when urban agriculture can provide cities with locally-grown food.

So how realistic is it?

Very! Take inspiration from the Dervaes family. July Dervaes and three of his adult children live on one-fifth of an acre in Pasadena, California, a block away from a multilane highway. On this tiny sliver of land, they manage to be mostly self-sufficient. So, how do they do it?

• The family harvests 6,000 pounds and more than 350 separate varieties of fruits, vegetables and edible flowers annually.
• They brew the biodiesel fuel that powers the family car.
• Solar panels on their roof reduce energy bills to as little as $12 a month.
• Red wiggler worms turn the kitchen and garden waste into compost, which is then recycled back into the garden.
• The family generates cash for their limited expensies by selling produce to local restaurants.

Sources:
Washington Post
The New York Times Magazine
Do it Yourself Network