Over the years, micro farming has become a household name in the agricultural niche. But regardless of this, many people are still ignorant about what the term means.

If this is you, we’ll help clear the confusion for you.

Micro farming, also called Micro gardening is considered to be small scale farming in containers in urban or small confined spaces. Considering how small the area for planting is, it’s amazing how highly productive it turns out to be.

For those of us who do not have the privilege of owning a large scale farm, you could resort to owning a Micro farm instead.

For someone like me, I don’t own a large scale farm, but I really enjoy gardening and planting crops. Seeing that I hadn’t any land where I could plant my favorite crops and do what I loved the most, I had to figure something out.

Then the idea popped out of nowhere if plants could grow anywhere, nothing is stopping me from starting a mini highly productive garden of my own. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?

In order to achieve this goal, I needed to maximize my knowledge on large scale farming but rather than the usual large scale farming, it would be in a small urban space using pots and keeping it simple but yet productive enough to achieve the kind of garden I wanted.

With this, I began growing my micro-farm from scratch, and today, it has turned really great.

The different types of Micro farming

Based on the purpose of the Micro farm, there are different kinds. For example, many individuals use it for educational purposes in universities and colleges. An example of this kind is the Half-acre UT farm.

Some are also used to make research on agricultural problems and ways to solve them. An example of this is the Ohio State Mansfield Microfarm.

The whole idea is to make use of a small urban area to produce a high yield. Many micro farmers prefer to grow crops that grow quickly, that’s why one of the first things that come to mind when we hear micro-farms are microgreens and herbs.

Another type is commercial micro-farms. Although the crops are grown in urban areas, the yield usually earns up to $30,000-$40,000 annually. They grow high-value crops, that do not necessarily need large space to grow.

Characteristics and features of a micro-farm

plants and crops are grown using 100% Biological and Organic strategies.
Uses small confined spaces.
Optimizes microclimate to increase food production as well as crop health.
There is a mutual relationship between plants, insects, microbes, and the farm.
Doesn’t require a million-dollar investment to maintain a healthy micro-farm.
Makes efficient use of the resources to maximize production.

Techniques used for growing micro gardens

If you’re looking to grow a micro-farm of your own, you will need to know the following techniques.

Produce your own soil and plant food.
Make sure your soil PH is balanced and has enough minerals in it.
Select the right mulch in order to create healthy soil.
Make use of your urban space wisely so you can maximize its yield.
Make use of enough water for your soil.
Practice crop rotation in containers from time to time.
Use a journal to record details of the micro-farm.
Be sure to plant diversity to improve pollination in the micro-farm.
Make use of microclimates to your advantage.
Work hand in hand with nature to produce a greater yield.

You can earn lots of cash from a micro-farm

Considering the amount of time and investment you put into your micro garden, have you ever thought of monetizing your garden. In as much as that may not be your primary goal, maybe you just want to grow plants for your kitchen alone. But this may be a chance to make a lot of money.

All that is required of you is to produce nutrient-dense crops and either begin one of the following.

Start your own farm shop and sell plant seeds and crop yields
Become a go-to micro-farm consultant who people seek help and advice from concerning their garden.
Create a mini class where you teach people how to start their micro-farm in exchange for a smalltoken.

Who is qualified to be a micro gardener

The good thing about microfarming is that anyone could become micro-farmer. It’s great for people who live in small apartments. And if you’re wondering where they’ll be able to create their own urban farm, that’s where balconies come in, with careful crop choice to utilize the limited amount of space well.

You need not worry about sunlight, because naturally, the balcony gets enough sunlight because of where it is positioned.

What I am trying to say in essence is that, even if you have a large space of land at your disposal, you could still be a micro farmer.

Are there any benefits of micro gardening

Yes! One of the reasons why I’m so into micro-farming is because I don’t need to get any expensive equipment or machines to make work easier.

Micro farming requires lower maintenance when compared to owning a large scale farm. They are cheap and easy to maintain.

You could easily grow healthy crops on it without having to worry about pest or insect infestation or weed even. This way, your plants are healthy and so are you.

Where can I learn micro-farming

Thanks to the internet, we can learn a lot of things from it. The internet is a great way to learn about micro-farming. You can watch YouTube videos or read up articles on how to start up your micro-farm.

But if you still have doubts about the internet, you can schedule an appointment with a micro-farm consultant to explain everything there is to know about being a micro farmer and what it involves.

In the meantime, check out my other articles, and don’t forget to leave a comment! Best of luck.

An Introduction To Microfarming (Microgardening)