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Canada: This is urban agriculture?

“A lot of people just don’t get it,” says Wally Satzewich on ground he farms with Gail Vandersteen. “They don’t see the potential.” Photo: David Stobbe

Over the next few issues, Country Guide will highlight urban farm operations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, showing their diversity and innovation.

By Angela Lovell
Country Guide
Oct 8, 2021

Excerpt:

How does urban farming differ from the conventional, rural farming?

Operating costs and overheads are obvious difference between the large, rural farm, with land, buildings and equipment that keep increasing in value, compared to the small plot — typically less than an acre — that generally uses more intensive management methods and more manual labour than technology.
But while costs are lower for many small, urban farm systems, the notable exception is indoor farms, whether that’s hydroponic operations growing food in containers, commercial rooftop greenhouses or large vertical farm systems, which, despite their potential to produce huge yields in a very small area, are slower to develop largely because of the cost to establish and operate them.

A 37-floor vertical farm at Germany’s University of Bonn cost a whopping 201 million euros (approx C$300 million) to build and equip (in 2014) and operating costs are another eight million euros (almost C$12 million), making the average cost of the raw food it produced between 3.5 and four euros (around C$5 to C$6) per kg. Although that figure is likely to come down with advances in technology, vertical farming has a long way to go before it catches up with other forms of urban farming.

While there are differences between urban farms and conventional, rural farms, there are also a whole lot of similarities, and number one is that these farmers, big and small, urban or rural, are passionate about growing high-quality food and proud of what they do. Satzewich says the fundamental difference between urban and conventional farming is the proximity to and relationship with the end-consumer.

Read the complete article here.