Urban farming complements rural farming.
So says Ron Berezan, also known as the Urban Farmer.
Berezan, originally from Edmonton, recently moved to British Columbia to make a business out of helping individuals and communities develop and improve gardens using sustainable methods.
He said the more urban residents understand food production, the better it is for larger scale farmers.
“First and foremost for me, it’s about people connecting with their food, just having an idea how food is grown and an appreciation for that,” said Berezan, who was in Lethbridge May 12 speaking about edible landscapes.
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In the case of city residents, who make up most of Canada’s population, “all of your food is purchased at the grocery store. Do you have any idea of what a farmer goes through to grow it for you? No, you don’t.
“If people are connecting to food in their backyard, they’re going to have a stronger sense and interest in the food that’s grown around them. They’re not mutually exclusive at all.”
Berezan said growing food is an education, but it is also a protection.
“In terms of food security, more people growing food on a smaller scale means that we’re more resilient should there be an interruption to our food supply for some reason.”
It could also reduce reliance on fossil fuel for food production.
Berezan said he doesn’t think the food system is sustainable because of its energy use, reliance on fossil fuel and chemical inputs, climate change, topsoil degradation and water supply issues.
He is an advocate of permaculture, a vision of food growth as part of an ecosystem that works with nature and natural processes.
Berezan encouraged his audience to explore new methods of gardening that incorporate food into flower-beds and landscapes.
“We do not have to separate food production from ornamental horticulture,” he said.
Edible species can easily be integrated and still be aesthetically pleasing.
He favours edible perennials such as fruit trees, berries, rhubarb and asparagus.
Perennial greens include bloody dock, garden sorrel, chives, Egyptian onions and lovage.
Plants for tea, culinary herbs and edible flowers can also form part of a flower garden or other landscape.
He encouraged “thinking outside the box” when designing a garden, noting there is no need for them to be square or rectangular or even in one location of the yard.
A spiral shape for a herb garden or a keyhole design for other plants can be successful and attractive, he said.
If space is severely limited, “there isn’t a single vegetable that you cannot grow in a pot.”
