How To Grow Your Own Christmas Dinner With Urban Farming

Urban farming is a serious business. While it may be more popular in places like Brooklyn or Seattle, urban farming has also been taking off in the UK and Europe.

Here’s how you can join the growing number of people who are turning their backyards into vegetable patches and raising their own livestock.

Urban Farming in a Toronto Backyard

Key Takeaways
How urban farming can be a sustainable and affordable way to grow crops
The benefits of growing your own Christmas dinner through urban farming
Tips for starting your own urban farm in the new year
The top crops to consider when farming vegetables and herbs for Christmas
The benefits of organic farming for the environment and your health

Potatoes

Potatoes are the ideal crop for urban farmers. They’re easy to grow, don’t take up much space and can be harvested from April through May.

Dig a trench about 30cm (1ft) deep and 30–45cm (1–1¾ ft) wide, place some compost at the bottom of the trench and fill with topsoil on top of this layer.

Sow 5cm (2in) apart in rows that are 15–20cm (6–8in) apart and cover with soil or straw before watering well.

Potatoes like a rich soil that is well drained and not too fertile so add plenty of compost when preparing your beds to ensure they have optimum drainage.

You should harvest potatoes when their foliage dies back and starts turning yellow – usually mid-summer or later depending on where you live!

Looking to start container gardening in a small space? Our ultimate guide to container gardening for small spaces has got you covered with everything you need to know about choosing the right containers, soil, and plants to make your space green.

Peas

If you want to grow your own Christmas dinner, peas are the way to go. They’re easy to grow, they taste great and they’re a good source of protein as well as fiber.

Peas will do very well in containers or small spaces so if you have limited space at home this is one plant that won’t get in the way of other things.

You can start sowing peas now for harvesting this time next year!

Table: Top 5 Pea Seed Varieties for Urban Farming

Pea Seed Variety	Brand	Description
Sugar Ann Snap Pea	Burpee	Early and productive dwarf variety reaching 2 feet tall, suitable for small spaces
Cascadia Snap Pea	Territorial Seed Company	High-yielding variety with sweet, tender pods that are ready in just 65 days
Progress No. 9 Shelling Pea	Johnny’s Selected Seeds	Heirloom variety that produces sweet, meaty peas in about 70 days
Green Arrow Shelling Pea	Botanical Interests	Vigorous and disease-resistant variety with long and straight pods
Little Marvel Shelling Pea	Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds	Classic English garden pea producing sweet-flavored peas in about 60 days

Asparagus

Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that can be grown in your garden. It has a long growing season, and asparagus is easy to grow. Asparagus can be harvested for many years, so it’s an investment that will pay off in the long run.

Blueberries

Blueberries. These delicious little berries are easy to grow and can be grown in pots, in the ground or even in a greenhouse or polytunnel.

Urban farming is a great way to have a sustainable Christmas dinner and save money. Learn more about the surprising benefits of urban farming this Christmas season and how it can help you stay healthy and reduce your carbon footprint.

Berries

Apply some compost or manure fertilizer before planting them out, then water regularly during dry periods. Harvest when the berries are ripe by picking them off the plants, but leave some behind so they will ripen later on.

Berries are best grown in a container, but can also be grown in the ground or in a greenhouse. If you have limited space, consider growing your berries vertically with trellises and arches.

You can keep your berries watered without having to bend down by putting them on countertops or other surfaces where they are easy to reach.

Apples

Apples are great for the urban farmer, as they require very little maintenance, and can be grown on a balcony or in a backyard.

You can plant them in soil, but you will need to water them daily which isn’t ideal if you’re busy with other tasks. If you don’t have time to tend to your apple trees every day, we recommend growing cider apples instead of eating apples (eating apples will be more difficult).

Cider apples are easier to grow than eating apples due to their ability to withstand drought conditions without dying off. They also produce a sweeter juice that’s easier on the stomach than eating raw fruit, which has been known by some people as “the worst thing they’ve ever tasted”.

Once your seeds have germinated and grown into saplings, it’s time for them! You can either plant your seedlings directly into their final location or transfer them into large pots so they don’t dry out from windy conditions during transportation from place A (wherever) all the way back home again at place B (your house).

Once planted at home–or wherever else may seem appropriate–watering should only be done once per week by hand since there is no irrigation system installed yet; however this rule does not apply if there is already an established irrigation system already set up earlier on before planting took place.”

Want to know which crops are perfect for an urban farm during Christmas? Our top 10 Christmas crops for your urban farm guide has got you covered with everything you need to know about growing veggies and herbs indoors or in small spaces.

Cherries

If you’re looking to add some fresh fruit to your Christmas dinner table, cherries are a great choice. They’re easy to grow and have a short growing season, so you won’t have to wait long before they’re ready for harvesting.

You can eat them fresh or use them in cooking—they make an excellent addition to sweet and savoury dishes alike!

Cherries also contain vitamin C and trace minerals such as magnesium and potassium, so they’ll provide your family with all their holiday nutrition needs (not that I’m suggesting you rely solely on urban farming for holiday nutrition).

Table: Top 5 Cherry Varieties for Home Gardens

Cherry Variety	Brand	Description
Bing Cherry	Dave Wilson Nursery	Large, dark and firm cherries with a mild sweet flavor; self-fruitful
Stella Cherry	Stark Bro’s	Self-fruitful, heavy-bearing variety with juicy and sweet fruit
Lapins Cherry	Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Co.	Late-season cherry with dark red, medium-sized and flavorful fruit; self-fruitful
Rainier Cherry	Nature Hills Nursery	Large, golden-yellow fruit with a red blush and sweet flavor; requires a pollinator
Sunburst Cherry	Burpee	Sweet, firm and mid-sized cherries with bright red skin; highly productive and self-fertile

Herbs and Spices

The next part of the Christmas dinner puzzle is herbs and spices. They’re delicious, but can also be grown in tiny spaces.

If you don’t have a garden or backyard, herbs are great for growing in pots on the windowsill or porch. Herbs are easy to grow and can be used in all kinds of recipes from soups to sauces.

You can mix up your spices too! For instance, if you like spicy food, try growing chili peppers or cayenne pepper plants that will give your chili dishes an extra kick!

If you’re a beginner looking to start your own urban farm, check out our beginner’s guide to urban farming for 2023. Learn about the benefits of urban farming, how to get started, where to find resources, and much more.

Veggies

Growing Vegetables

Vegetables are an important part of any diet, as they provide a wide range of nutrients and vitamins.

They can be grown in the garden or even on a windowsill, making urban farming very accessible to anyone with a green thumb.

If you have kids, it’s also a great way for them to learn about where food comes from – and perhaps even start cultivating their own taste for gardening! On top of all that, growing your own vegetables can save families money over time due to the cost savings associated with buying locally-grown produce compared with grocery store options.

Fish

Growing your own fish is a great way to provide yourself with a sustainable source of protein. You can grow fish in small spaces and harvest them for food, or let them grow and sell them for profit. Fish are also good sources of omega 3 fatty acids, which can be beneficial to your health.

If you decide to start growing fish in your urban garden, make sure that you have access to water or containers large enough to hold it.

You’ll also need an aquarium pump so that the water circulates throughout the tank and oxygen can enter into it; this will keep your fish healthy!

If you don’t want to deal with finding an aquarium pump yourself, there are many options available on Amazon that turn out great results at reasonable prices (here’s one).

Once you’ve set up everything correctly, fill up your tank with tap water and add some gravel at the bottom (this helps filter out any impurities). Put some decorations into place like plants or rocks before adding any fish!

Organic farming not only helps the environment, but it can also boost your health and well-being. Discover the incredible power of organic farming to boost your health and well-being and learn about the benefits of choosing organic produce over conventional ones.

Pork Products/Poultry Products

If you want to get meat, pork is a good way to go. Pork products are a little more expensive than poultry products because they’re not as common in supermarkets and can be hard to find.

Butchers will often have them on offer, so it’s worth checking with your local butcher if you’re aware of one nearby. You might even be able to get some for free if you mention that you’re growing vegetables!

Conclusion

We’ve shown you how to grow your own Christmas dinner with urban farming. It’s a great way to save money and eat healthier!

You can even grow your own food inside the city, so you don’t need any garden space at all. Now that you know all about urban farming, we’ll leave it up to you to decide what to do next! Happy gardening!

FAQs

What is urban farming?

Urban farming is a type of agriculture where crops are grown in small urban spaces such as balconies, rooftops, and small gardens in the city.

What are the benefits of urban farming?

Urban farming provides a range of benefits, including fresh produce, a sense of community, reduced carbon footprint, and improved mental and physical health.

What are some popular crops for urban farming?

Some popular crops for urban farming include lettuces, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and herbs.

What is organic farming?

Organic farming is a type of agriculture that avoids the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and GMOs, and focuses on using natural methods to grow crops.

What are the benefits of organic farming?

Organic farming has many benefits, such as improved soil quality, reduced environmental pollution, and better nutrition for the produce grown.

Hellen James

I’m Hellen James, and I’m an urban farmer and blogger. I’ve been growing food in my backyard for years, and I love sharing what I’ve learned with other people who want to start farming in their own yards.