What to do with the harvest

It makes sense to grow leafy vegetables and fruit-bearing plants that are usually used by one’s kitchen.

Urban farming can be accomplished through several ways. There’s the traditional approach which is primarily soil-based. Another option is the soil-less kind. The latter is often accomplished through hydroponics and/or aquaponics. There are pros and cons to each approach that one may adopt. Though, for urban farming, this writer confesses that his bias is towards the soil-less kind, in particular, aquaponics.

That being said, beyond how farming is done, once it works and the farmer begins to reap what he has sowed, hardly anyone will contest the claim that the experience is very much rewarding. In said case, especially when the harvest is plenty, the question then moves to, “what do we do with the produce?”

Basil leaves are packed and prepared for delivery to a customer.

Of course, the first and most logical option is to consume the fresh harvest for one’s household needs. And this is why it makes sense to grow leafy vegetables and fruit-bearing plants that are usually used by one’s kitchen. For example, for the fruiting kind, tomatoes and chilis are on top of the list. For the latter, even the leaves can be used for soups (monggo and tinola comes to mind).

For leafy greens used for dishes and salads, pechay (bulalo is incomplete without this), lettuce, and kale are often grown. Those into Italian and Asian food may also want to grow different kinds of basil for pasta (Genovese basil) or for Vietnamese noodles (sweet basil).

Mint sells for around P650 per kilogram at the grocery.

As for growers who want to add some refreshing flavor to what they cook as well as for their drinks, mint is an option, and it is a prolific grower. Spearmint is the usual option for cocktails while peppermint is often dried and turned into tea.

Besides what one’s household can consume, some of the harvest can also be given away to neighbors and friends. If they have their own urban farm, a barter trade can be conducted by planting different kinds of crops for each farm. Tomatoes in exchange for basil, chilis in exchange for lettuce, the list goes on. To boot, this strengthens the social fabric of the local community.

Tomatoes sell for around P90 per kilo at the grocery, while the organic kind can sell for as much as twice of that.

Arugula is a rare find at the market, hence growing them at home makes sense.

Kale is considered a super food and can be grown at home.

For the more entrepreneurial farmers, another option is to sell the harvest. Note however that the more known restaurants (including those in hotels) are likely to have a centralized procurement system. And one big problem that a small-scale urban farmer will encounter with them is the volume of produce that they need on regular (if not daily) basis. They need a lot. Also, it may take some time before they pay. Some take as long as 90 days from delivery of the produce.

Thus, for those with an urban farm that cannot comply with bulk orders, they may want to explore selling to smaller restaurants, especially the kind that operates near one’s residence. Often, there are restaurants that line the roads towards a village. BF Homes Q.C. and the one in Parañaque are good examples of this. They are likely to have a lower quantity requirement, will probably pay cash upon delivery and are nearer to one’s urban farm. Hence, freshness and logistics concerns will not be a problem.

Besides selling the harvest, there might be those who would like to sell logistics support for urban farmers’ seeds, seedlings, grow media, grow lights, fertilizers, pots and the like. Overall, there are many options depending on the needs of the market where an urban farmer finds himself situated.