Urban farming can be one of the foundations of your organic food supply

NTI has been involved in the urban farming movement since 1998. Adjacent to our main office building on York Street are three city lots owned by NTI and donated for the use of organic gardening to students, graduates, teachers, and community members. It is located in the midst of hustle, bustle and busy streets. It is a haven for our gardeners to come and spend some time in the earth, forgetting their stressors and reconnecting with the basics—dirty hands and fresh food. The garden is supported by Denver Urban Gardens, an organization that helps more than 100 gardens throughout the metro area. All of the gardens are initiated by the community and maintained by the gardeners.

April 30 was our seasonal opening. We had more than 40 people attending, spreading compost, setting up their plots, digging, planting and getting to know each other. Everyone agreed that it is so much more fun to work with other people, sharing the excitement and anticipation of a harvest and teaching each other good gardening ethics and techniques.

The urban farming movement is well timed, given the prevailing farming techniques used today in the US. If you want good organic food, it makes good sense to grow your own, especially from an economic point of view. In past years we have had great crops of beans, tomatoes, all sorts of squashes, potatoes, all kinds of leafy greens, peppers, and beautiful arrays of flowers. We have had years of overflow and sharing among gardeners, and when we have had even more than what we could use, we have offered a basket of vegetables free for the passers-by. You probably have guessed that the vegetable most often found in our overflow basket is, yes, zucchini!

And so our garden feeds over 40 people. It nourishes the body and feeds the soul. It creates a sense of belonging to something bigger than your own plot, health direct from your local earth, grounding to balance out the stress of the day, and beauty to feed the eyes. And don’t forget, it’s work too! A lot of us are now in day jobs where our work is tied to our computers and mental efforts. We understand how exhausting it can be to be sedentary and mentally stressed. Working with the body at the end of a hard day can literally feel rejuvenating. Come to think of it, I think I will go outside now and pull some weeds.