The Urban Garden Tour

A local Phoenix resident has an urban farm and has worked for years at building a more sustainable, healthy lifestyle in a smaller city space. I went for a tour of his property a few weeks ago. He discussed the idea of permaculture. The basic concepts of permaculture have to do with working with nature and the environment to create a sustainable culture. The graphic below from Permaculture Principles (https://permacultureprinciples.com) illustrates this concept beautifully. The site also offers a large number of books and resources as well if you want to study more deeply. Additionally, if you live in Arizona, and want to attend an in-person class, click here for a course schedule.

https://permacultureprinciples.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/shop_flower_poster_800s.jpg

During the Urban Farm tour, this idea of permacuture was demonstrated beautifully. The home owner, Greg Peterson, has applied the concepts of sustainability and healthy living to his home in a myriad of ways. He has over 40 fruit trees on his property that he also strategically uses as a natural barrier for his yard. He has a solar grid and an outdoor shower for a grey water system. He keeps backyard chickens as well as vegetable gardens and incorporates beautiful shade trees to help with the hot Arizona sun. Being that Arizona is so dry, water is an important resource. It was suggested to use wood chips in garden beds to retain moisture as well as improve soil quality.

The tour was truly an inspirational experience for me. If you live in Arizona and want to learn more about creating your own Urban Farm, Greg provides a vast array of resources and offers classes throughout the year. Check out http://www.urbanfarm.org/ and help to create a healthier environment for your family and for the entire planet.  

Fruit Trees Acting as a Natural Barrier

Using Front Yard Space for a Vegetable Garden