It is said that growing your own food is like printing your own money. If you print your own money, you might end up in a jail but by growing your own food you are only going to be a healthier and a wealthier person. One would wonder then why so few of us actually get to grow our own food. Well, people have reasons. "Where is the land to do so in my apartment ?", "I have a job to do.", "Where is the time ?", "Why not buy it instead of getting your hands dirty ?". But then, people have reasons to counter the reasons. "I wanted to remain connected to the roots (literally) and eat healthy. That’s why I decided I have to find a way to grow whatever I can in whatever space and time I have", says a Lipsi in a chirping voice, showing the fresh red tomatoes plucked moments ago from her own balcony.
Lipsi has a full-time job as a software engineer and lives in a small 2BHK apartment in the suburbs of Portland. But that did not stop her from becoming a farmer in her own right. "As the summer approached, I knew that I have to grow something and I looked around for space. My roughly 40 sq. ft. balcony was all the space that I had. I decided to make the best use of this limited space and began sowing seeds in March. Soon, the balcony was full of small plants". The list of harvest from Lipsi's farm includes tomatoes, chilli, french beans, cucumber, watermelon, jalapeño and mint and this is her way to remain connected to her childhood memories of growing these plants in the backyard with her father.
One would wonder how so much can be grown in so little space ! "Growing vertical was the key. As the plants started growing, I realized I had sown more than I could reap in the small balcony. So I made two layers for the roots to thrive and then used an extensive network of strings to hold all branches of the plants vertical. Soon many of them, even tomatoes, were growing taller than me. Now I don’t need to buy tomatoes, chilly, cucumber and mint for several months."
It was not just growing of food, but in the eco-friendly and cost-effective way that it was grown was special. All the containers used in holding the soil and the roots were recycled containers. The initial small ones came from the empty containers of curd and milk used in the house, the larger ones were picked up from the confectionery section of Fred Meyers, which usually throws away such empty containers after using the cream they typically carry. All these containers were brought home, cleaned and filled with soil. All seeds, soil and fertilizer used in growing the plants are organic.
"The most exciting parts of this entire project are the 'community plants'- the tomato plants planted in common spaces of the apartment. These plants are watered by us but anybody who sees the tomatoes red and ripen can pluck them and take them home." says Lipsi when asked about what she likes the most about this mini-farming. "Several of my friends have loved the idea and next summer, we are hoping for many more balconies, with many more plants."
