How to Build Sitopia: Urban Gardens

    The worldwide population is currently around 7 billion, and is continuing to rise. It is projected that the population of the world will reach 9 billion by the year 2050. This massive increase in population will present a challenge regarding the question of how to feed so many people. Feeding a city is a complex process: it requires the harvesting of food, transporting, selling, purchasing, preparing, consuming and disposing of food waste. Carolyn Steel proposes that one answer to this upcoming challenge is that of the sitopia. A sitopia is an urban community built around its food system, that seeks to raise awareness among its inhabitants, encouraging them to eat healthy food and simultaneously create a balance between the needs of humans and the needs of the environment. According to Steel, "food belongs at the heart of society, not at its periphery. *" That is why we need to recognize the importance of the food in our lives, and build our cities around the places where we can find it. The best way to develop sitopia in our cities is through of the construction of self-sustainable gardens, such as: community orchards, backyard plots, and indoor greenhouses. To understand how we can connect food with our cities, it is necessary to know how we can build each of these steps of sitopia.  

    The first step is to build a community garden. To do this, find the right place to plant fruit trees.  After finding a good place, identify the owner of the land and lease it. Next, clear the planting site of weeds, test the soil to check the existent nutrients, and subsequently adjust any imbalances in the soil. Once the planting site is ready, purchase some fruit trees and soak them in water between two to four hours before planting them. Meanwhile, dig wide holes that will allow the roots of the fruit trees to spread out evenly without coiling. After this, proceed to plant the trees without forgetting to water them regularly; preferably in the mornings. Finally, organize harvest festivals and share the care and upkeep of the garden with the community.

    The second step to create sitopia is making backyard plots. To construct them, choose a spot in your yard and clear it of any undergrowth. Afterwards, proceed to fertilize the land with compost and manure. Be sure to read the label instructions carefully for each seed to know the proper planting depth, proper season, and amount of watering needed. Finally, dig holes, put the seeds, cover them with soil and water them.  Now it is just a matter of waiting for the seeds to sprout to be able to bring the vegetables to your table.

    The last step to develop sitopia is the construction of indoor greenhouses in apartments. First, decide where you will put the greenhouse, remembering that it requires a lot of light. Next, select what kind of plant you want to grow. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, lettuce, or arugula are the best vegetables to plant in apartments. After that, buy planters that have a good drainage system, soil rich in organic matter, and a variety of seeds. Then, proceed to plant the seeds in planters and install a drip irrigation system that allows the plant to absorb the right amount of water. Finally, involucrate your family in the care of the plants. Remember that an indoor greenhouse will help you to improve the health and eating habits of you and your family.

    In conclusion, sitopia is a good alternative to grow fruits or vegetables in the community, and reintroduce food production in cities. The construction of orchards, plots, and indoor greenhouses will leave great benefits, such as reducing the environmental impact caused from agriculture, reducing family expenses, providing a secure and healthy food, and connecting families with the natural cycles of growing food. 

*Carolyn Steel, Architect and author of Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives.

Adda Barrios

ESL 302

04/08/2019

Essay 3

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Critical Thinking

  According with Jonathan Foley, feeding nine billion of people will be a big challenge for the humanity. The increment of the population by 2050 mean that we will increase the demand of meat, and in consequence we will need to double the crop production.  She thinks that we will need to balance between the demand of food, and the serious problems that the raise of the agriculture cause to the planet. Among the most dangerous complications of the agriculture that she mentions are pollution, emission of greenhouse gases, and reduction of the biodiversity. That’s why she proposes five steps that cut the environmental impact of the agriculture worldwide .    “The first step is to stop creating new farmland and instead use existing agricultural areas. This will prevent the destruction of rain forest and grasslands.”   The second step is to employ modern Tecnologies that permit reuse the existent lands. This will increase the yields on farms that are not productive.    The third step is to
Read more

Challenges for Foreign Students

     Education is a process where students acquire knowledge, skills, values, and habits. (Bradbury, 1999).  Education is a right for all human beings, and it needs to be accessible for all people without discrimination. However, in some countries, education might be difficult for some students who encounter some challenges such as lack of resources or inadequate infrastructure. In the United States, there is a huge quantity of resources and technologies; even so, foreign students face three big challenges that they need to overcome: language barriers, class schedule, and financial issues.      The first challenge is language barriers that prevent students from communicating ideas and acquiring knowledge. As a result, students cannot advance in their careers until they learn the language. For example, A foreign student in the United States must level his English skills before continuing his education in the university. To level his knowledge of English, the foreign student will have to
Read more