"Springing" Into Action

Nature flows through my veins! No kidding! Growing up on a farm, I always loved being out in the meadows and forest and helping out in the flower and kitchen garden. Moreover, having a background in environmental studies with a focus on sustainable communities has continued to shape my appreciation and understanding of sustainable food systems. 

Moving to Toronto, Canada, I realized that living in an urban area with small space can be quite a challenge, especially for us die-hard gardeners!  My husband and I moved to an apartment with a small balcony (East facing, towards the sunrise) in the city. I started to plan for a balcony vegetable and flower garden in December 2013! It will be awesome to have locally grown vegetables and fruits in a small space. Very sustainable and cost effective!  I am definitely looking forward to the fresh salads out of the garden.

As you can see on this picture, the balcony is quite small!

The urban food movement is growing as more and more people move to cities. Urban agriculture promotes social, economic and environmental integration necessary to build sustainable food systems in cities.  Vertical gardening provides a medium to utilize urban spaces for food production.