The majority of the world’s population lives in cities, and thanks to the rising monetary and environmental costs of transporting food to these areas, interest in urban farming has dramatically increased over the past decade. In cities like Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles, it is relatively easy to find food growing in windowsills, on rooftops, in community gardens and even on corporate campuses. Since 2008, Farmscape has helped people, communities and companies across the country embrace sustainable farming practices and local food.
Farmscape is the largest urban farming venture in the U.S., and it helps individuals, communities and businesses with their food producing needs by designing, installing and managing raised vegetable beds and gardens in places like residential backyards, building rooftops, multi-acre agrihoods and commercial properties. Using an organic soil blend and drip irrigation systems, Farmscape has led the urban farm movement by installing more than 700 gardens in California and designing and consulting projects internationally.
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Farmscape is a licensed landscape contractor, and according to the company, its setups are 25 percent more cost-effective to run than traditional setups. Another bonus to using Farmscape is that its landscaping can add up to a 28 percent return on investment on property values. Studies also show that homes with lush outdoor areas sell 15 percent faster when they are listed on the real estate market.
Corporations like Oracle, North Face, Levi’s Stadium and AT&T Park have famously used Farmscape. Those larger spaces make more produce and fruit easily available to employees, customers and residents. Three small cafes inside of AT&T Park (where the San Francisco Giants play) use the produce grown in a Farmscape garden, which allows the businesses to provide vegan and gluten-free options to people who don’t enjoy “baseball food.” The hydroponic towers near the bullpen sprout berries and greens that different ballpark eateries use for smoothies and salads. The rooftop garden at Levi’s Stadium (where the San Francisco 49ers play) supplies fresh produce to the stadium’s food service vendors.
But the Farmscape urban farming venture isn’t just for large corporate clients. It is also perfect for homes, apartment complexes and neighborhoods. Because you don’t have to plant or maintain the farm yourself, you are guaranteed to get a fresh, successful harvest of things like cilantro, arugula, lettuce, parsley and kale each season.
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Farmscape’s hands-on, local farmers maintain the space each week as part of their contract, but you can also spend some stress-free time outdoors by joining them to do some digging and weeding. People who live in cities are often busy feeding their technology obsession with handheld devices, but Farmscape gives them the opportunity to step outside and work with their neighbors and co-workers to harvest healthy food.
However, you don’t have to have any farming or gardening knowledge to find success with Farmscape. Their team takes care of everything from planning to planting to harvest. The setups also include seasonal flowers, herbs and ornamental plants mixed in with the vegetables to give their beds a manicured and attractive look year-round. According to Lara Hermanson, the gardener/farmer who co-founded Farmscape, people love that the gardens look good and also provide fresh, organic food.
Being able to harvest your own produce to create a delicious meal — and not having to get your hands dirty (unless you want to, of course) — is an attractive idea for home chefs. Plus, there are mental, emotional and physical benefits to gardening for those who do choose to get involved. Even if it is just a few minutes each day, getting outside can be good for you, and using the food from your garden will lead to a healthier, more plant-based diet.
The idea of being able to come home from work and step outside to your garden to pick the ingredients for your salad or picking some fresh fruit for a sweet dessert is an exciting one. Farmscape gives you the option of being surrounded by nature, even if you live in a crowded urban environment.
If a Farmscape garden is something that you would like to add to your neighborhood, Hermanson says that is easy to initiate through city councils and homeowners associations. While Farmscape only builds and maintains gardens in California, the team is happy to help design and consult projects around the world.
People love the idea of having gardens as landscaping in their neighborhoods, and the benefits of having plenty of healthy food readily available are nearly impossible to turn down. To start Farmscape-ing, visit the website at FarmscapeGardens.com.
Images via Farmscape
