Urban Farm magazine

From their website:

With Urban Farm, you’ll learn you don’t have to own acreage to fulfill your dream of raising your own food. The new Urban Farm magazine, from the editors of Hobby Farms, will walk you down the path to homegrown food and greater self-sustainability. It doesn’t take a farm to have the heart of a farmer. Urban Farm reaches out to those in the city and suburbs, those who are inspired by the local food movement and who want to start raising chickens and growing food for themselves, supporting local agriculture and living more sustainably.

Urban Farm magazine’s mission is to promote the benefits of self sustainability and to provide the tools with which to do it on any size property. Urban Farm reaches out to those in the city and suburbs, those who are inspired by the local food movement and who want to start raising chickens and growing food for themselves, supporting local agriculture and living more sustainably.

Urban farms are popping up all over America. However, things are different on an urban farm, versus a rural hobby farm. With less space to work with, projects must be scaled down, efficiency becomes crucial, and one must be resourceful to use every inch of space and recycle every unused object into something useful.

Urban Farm is informational and inspirational, filled with how-to projects, profiles of urban farmers across America, “green” and innovative products, and of course, recipes for preparing your homegrown vegetables, eggs and other farm bounty.

Growing Inside and Out

By Karen Keb Acevedo, the Editor

You might wonder why my editor’s note is called “Crossroads.” It’s because the words “urban” and “farm” haven’t historically been used together and may seem contradictory to some. The word “urban” brings to mind skyscrapers and crowded city streets; to some, the word “farm” conjures up bucolic images of barns, lush pastures and happy cows; to others, “farm” conjures up images of stinking feedlots and animals in cages. But an “urban farm”?

For the past few years, I’ve watched the groundswell of interest and support of the concept of urban farming, and I’m happy to report that it is no longer a “concept” but a reality. In fact, it has been for many, many years. Growing one’s own food, taking measures of self sufficiency, and attempting to do things to contribute to the sustainability of our planet wherever you happen to live aren’t fads to be swept out with next year’s “Hot and Not” lists. I’ve got a mountain of news-paper clippings attesting to the benefits of urban farming, identifying all of you out there fighting the good fight—whether that’s to raise urban livestock; to keep bees for pollinators and honey in your backyards; or even for the right to hang your laundry out on a clothesline to save energy.

There will always be people who can’t wrap their minds around change; who want to keep doing what they’re doing without ever thinking about the consequences; who are more concerned about appearances and resale values than a profound quality of life—operating on a higher level, in tune with the Earth and nature. Having said that, the eternal realist that I am, we’ve edited Urban Farm with “neighbor” issues in mind, so you’ll find advice on how to minimize pushback.

Urban Farm isn’t a political statement, and it isn’t a “revolution.” It’s an evolution, as Urban Homestead author (and UF contributor) Erik Knutzen says in his blog. Urban Farm is here to shed a little light on the things we can all do to change our lifestyles, in ways we think are monumental as a whole, yet at the same time, barely noticeable on their own. Recycle, compost, garden, learn, preserve, and support farmers and businesses that advance these efforts; in other words, live a purposeful life.

I know you urban farmers out there, and I know you believe in growing … inside and out.

Premiere 2009 – Table of Contents

Take a peek at Urban Farm magazine, your source for sustainable city living.

Features

The Sustainable Life
What it means to live “sustainably” and how to do it.
by Lynda King

Back to Basics
Learn to Grow Biointensive—a holistic approach to growing in any area, city to farm.
by John Jeavons

Class Is In Session
If you’re new to urban farming, enroll in a class—from composting to chicken keeping—in your city.
by Deborah Brandt Buehler

Chicks (& Goats) in the City
Raise some of your own food by keeping chickens and goats in your suburban backyard.
by Cherie Langlois

Beekeeping in the ‘Burbs
From backyards to rooftops, bees can thrive and provide you with homegrown honey.
by Susan M. Brackney

Where Urban Meets Farm
Meet three groups of nontraditional farmers, growing vegetables and raising animals on rooftops, along sidewalks and in a suburban backyard.
by Erik Knutzen

Lawn Be Gone
If a lawn requires too much input from you, learn how to replace it with native perennials or vegetables.
by Susan M. Brackney

Rules of Containment
Follow this gardening expert’s advice for growing fruits and vegetables in patio containers.
by P. Allen Smith

Eat Local: Hire a Personal Vegetable Gardener
When you want to eat homegrown foods but don’t have time to garden, hire someone to do it for you.
by Rose Strong

Urban Renewal
Straight recycling is so last decade. Learn some fresh ideas for the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra.
by Jessica Walliser

Hoarding the Harvest
Preserving doesn’t have to be daunting. We offer simple ways to put up your homegrown harvest.
by Cheryl Morrison

Growing Communities
From San Francisco to Atlanta, community pride has sprouted wherever there is a communal garden.
by Cherie Langlois

Mini Gardens Under Glass
Build a simple and beautiful terrarium in seven easy steps.
by P. Allen Smith

Columns

Green Thumb
R.J. Ruppenthal

Backyard Coop
Barbara Kilarski

Urban Feast
Kris Sherer

Visit the Urban Farm website here.