How Hydroponics May Be Essential

Traditionally, agriculture is reserved for rural areas. With each crop grown, gallons of water irrigate the soil to ensure high yields and plant growth. While this farming method still dominates the agricultural industry, new — and possibly improved — practices continue to develop.

Two of these practices include hydroponics and urban agriculture. Each of these innovations aims to give people peace of mind as worries rise that the growing human population won’t be able to adequately feed itself in the coming years.

What Is Urban Agriculture?

Moving farming from vast expanses of land to urban settings sounds like no easy feat. How can enough plants grow to feed large populations in a limited space? Instead of taking down skyscrapers, urban farmers use their vertical nature to their advantage.

Urban agriculture is not a new concept. During World War II, Americans grew victory gardens in small plots in populated areas. Today, typical city plots include vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. There are a few options for urban gardening, which include:

• Private outdoor gardens on rooftops, patios or yards
• Community gardens in empty lots or fields
• Private indoor gardens on windowsills or countertops
• Indoor community gardens in vertical greenhouses