Among the newest vertical farming companies are FarmedHere in Bedford Park, Illinois; Vertical Harvest in Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Green Spirit Farms in New Buffalo, Michigan, and Alegria Fresh in Irvine, California.

What is Vertical Farming?

Vertical farms are high tech places where food is grown ​in buildings in largely urban areas. The food is grown in stacks, rather than laid out across the fields. Small vertical farms and even home vertical farms are growing an enormous amount of produce. In many cases they are growing this food with no sun and no dirt. They are using artificial lights and controlled climates as well as hydroponic methods.

​Can ​it be done at home?

In a home situation vertical farming can be done simply by attaching containers to a wall or a latticework and growing in containers that hang or are attached. Most of the time the growing can be done with an incredibly small amount of water and plant food, aside from taking a lot less time to work the farm and to harvest.

Vertical farming has proven to be incredibly successful in both farm and home. There is no seasonality involved since the growing can be done inside in very small areas, making it ideal for home use as well as for ​urban gardening . There's no risk of bad weather or even of drought and other issues such as contaminated seed from outside intervention.

Can you make money in vertical farming

If this is your first urban gardening adventure, you may want to go small to start with. The more sun that you have shine on the garden the better. You should have at least 6 hours of sunlight shining on your garden a day. You have a choice between a raised bed and an in-ground bed.

The in-ground bed is cheaper and is easier to start...

...but if you only have roof space then you'll need to build yourself the raised bed. There are kits for raised beds or you can choose to build one from wood.

You also need to make sure that your soil is aerated and not clumpy when you're using a raised bed. When it comes to in-ground beds, you should mix the natural soil with some garden soil when you plant anything. Once you have your space ready, look to see how much space that you have and gauge what you'll be able to plant.

Whatever it is that you choose should have room to grow within the space that you give it. When you do choose your plants you can choose either starter plants or grow your plants straight from seeds.

Urban gardening is not a hard project to manage. You can be growing crisp and crunchy peas and carrots or lush and yummy lettuce and herbs! It's a wonderful way to start a trend with your friends and family. Having an urban garden will put you on the road to healthy beginnings!

Once you have your first garden producing for you, you'll be amazed at how easy it can be. Transform other areas of your roof or backyard. Grow upside down tomatoes and strawberries! Veggies aren't the only thing that you can grow and some of your plants can even be grown indoors!

Other Backyard Urban Farming Ideas

Vegetables aren't the only things you can cultivate. Depending on the zoning and regulations in your area you can also try:

• Worms: "vericomposting,” aka. worm composting to create your own rich compost or “black gold” is becoming a popular new trend.
• Bees: Many beekeepers are simply gardeners who want bees to pollinate their flowers and vegetables.
• Chickens: chickens can be fed just about any old scrap from the kitchen table, and in fact, the more variety in their diet, the more nutritious the eggs they lay. Aquaculture: For the more ambitious backyard farmer, this is a great way to have both fresh vegetables AND fish for protein.
• Goats: Goats are making a comeback. Not only will they eat all your scraps, they can be used for dairy, meat, and various other goods.

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• Grow lights that are designed to promote indoor growth. The Kelvin units for this light should fall in is between 4,000 and 6,000. The higher the number, the warmer it is. If you need to cut costs a fluorescent light will also work, avoid cheaper lights though.
• A tomato cage is a good tool for indoor gardening. You can attach your light easily to it and it’ll also allow you to grow tomatoes with ease.
• A timer to remind you of the schedule. Plants need darkness to help stimulate their growth. A timer can ensure there are consistent periods of light and darkness.
• A small fan to promote air circulation. This reduces the risk of fungi from growing on the plants, and keeps away some pests.

​You’ll also need potting soil, water, and seeds. It’s important that you use seeds and not plants from other growers or ones you find outside. As this can bring in pests and disease into the space. Once disease or pets enter your controlled space, they are difficult to remove.

Indoor gardening isn’t right for all plant types either. There are some species that are better to use in indoor gardens than others. Those plants include:

• Arugula
• Basil
• Cauliflower
• Chards
• Chives
• Cilantro
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Marjoram
• Mint
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Spinach

These are of course just some of the plants you can grow inside of your home. A lot of your results will depend on the humidity, heat, and amount of light you are able to provide the plants in your garden. It’s a good idea to take the time to sit down and review gardening manuals that can give you some additional insight into the needs of these indoor plants.

Ideally, you’ll want to have at least 14 hours of light for your indoor plants and at least six hours of darkness. You can adjust the final four hours as long as these minimums are met. With this, you can also have an automatic watering system spritz the garden at certain times of the day. If you do that, you should find that you are able to achieve some incredible results in the garden.

Advantages to indoor gardening

1. Better Air
2. Therapeutic
3. Fresh herbs in your kitchen
4. fresh fruit and vegetables all year around with no pesticides.
5. Improve your mental health
6. Anyone, no matter their condition can do it.

Indoor Gardening Methods

To start your own indoor garden you may wish to pursue some soilless gardening systems such as:

• Indoor hydroponics
• Indoor aquaponics
• Indoor aeroponics

While there are quite a few things to consider for indoor gardening, once you get a formula down, you’ll find this is one of the most rewarding forms of gardening. More importantly, you’ll have a delicious garden full of organic fruits and vegetables that you can take pride in and add some fresh flavor to all of your favorite dishes that you make for your family.

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