Canada: Producer finds his way into farming through backyards in the big city
In 2014, Mason and Sprague found about 10 back (and front) yards to farm along with three vacant lots, and operated what was then called Reclaim Urban Farm for four seasons in Edmonton
By Alexis Kienlen
Alberta Farmer
Feb 11, 2022
Excerpt:
“She and I started the farm while we were doing our master’s (degree) to kind of pilot why we wanted to do this as a lifestyle,” said Mason. “We both had an interest in production of food. We were trying to find accessible ways to do that in the environment we were in (Edmonton), so we focused on the SPIN model, which stands for Small Plot INtensive.”
At its name suggests, this model (which started in Canada several decades ago) is focused on generating a good income by growing high-value crops on small parcels of land, typically in backyard plots.
“Most farmers don’t look at a piece of land and think about how much they can get off a square foot. It’s about how much they can get off an acre,” he said.
In 2014, Mason and Sprague found about 10 back (and front) yards to farm along with three vacant lots, and operated what was then called Reclaim Urban Farm for four seasons in Edmonton’s Whyte Avenue neighbourhood.
Having a farm with multiple urban locations had its advantages.
“If you got hail, you never got hailed out because you were spread out,” said Mason. “You had a little microclimate wherever you were — the sun changed depending on where you were. Then you had different wind patterns where buildings were taller or shorter.”
