The rise of the urban garden

OLGA LIVSHIN

Anyone can grow lettuce in a garden, but who can do it inside a basement apartment with insufficient light? Philip Be’er can. His invention, Home Harvest Farms, will empower anyone to grow their own greens in their urban home. The farms, a compact array of metal troughs arranged in three tiers in an esthetic aluminum frame, will allow people to have a small garden inside their living rooms, on small balconies, on rooftops, practically anywhere.

”My focus is on food security and nutrition,” Be’er said. “Traditional food production is becoming more and more expensive, as the oil prices go up. Many farmers are trying to bring back organic farming, to reduce the use of oil in pesticides and as the source of power. My goals are the same but on a smaller scale – the scale of one home.”

Be’er came up with the idea for Home Harvest Farm last October, after a friend gave him the book Solviva: How to Grow $500,000 on One Acre and Peace on Earth by Anna Edey. Inspired by the book’s message, Be’er looked into the matter and discovered a gap in the market: the potential demand for a portable, self-contained garden. So he started Home Harvest Farms and set to work, experimenting with different designs and materials, buying equipment and learning to grow vegetables.

“I’m on prototype number nine at the moment,” he said. “I expect we can start sales by April or May.” So far, his company consists of one man – himself – and he does everything, including research, development, production and marketing, although he’s used several consultants to help with the business planning and finances. He also has rented a small factory space to manufacture the troughs and the frames.

Be’er is not a novice with agricultural machinery, although he admitted that he had never before grown anything by himself. For 14 years, he lived in Israel. He studied engineering technologies in a college in Beersheva and then worked on an agricultural kibbutz, involved in creating mechanical designs, developing farming equipment and solar collectors.

In the case of Home Harvest Farms, he started from the mechanical side as well. “I thought about the best material for the troughs. Planters that are available now are made of wood, ceramic or plastic. I knew I didn’t want plastic, didn’t want any contamination in my food. There is a lot of research available about the dangers of plastic. Ceramics might be an option in the future, but it’s too heavy and expensive. So I decided on stainless steel troughs suspended on aluminum structure. It’s clean. It doesn’t take much space. It’s esthetic enough to decorate a room. And I wanted it to last, so people could leave it to their children, like an heirloom.”

After building a prototype, he installed it beneath his living room window and planted lettuce, kale and some other greens. To his disappointment, while some seedlings grew healthy, others looked sickly and yellow. He invested hours to find the reason for this initial failure. “The soil didn’t have enough nutrients,” he said. “When I started adding the right nutrients, everything began to grow. It’s green now. I hope my family will be able to have a meal out of this a couple times a week.”

Be’er has been interested in urban farming since he came to Vancouver in 2000. He became engaged with Village Vancouver, a group of several thousand people with similar concerns about climate change, community living, alternative ways of gardening and bartering. Home Harvest Farms is a logical extension of his search for a better place on the planet for himself, his daughter and his community.

To determine the best direction for his farms, Be’er surveyed the audience at a talk by urban farming advocate Will Allen. Of the 700 attendees, about 100 participated in the survey. “Forty percent of them said they would be interested to buy,” Be’er said.

In addition to the basics, there are optional features for the farms, including two different size frames, drip trays, fluorescent light fixtures and covers for outside use, as well as a greenhouse solution. He is also considering making his farms available to schools and offices. “It could be an educational device for teaching children how to grow food,” he said. “It would also be good for office spirit. It only takes a few minutes to water the plants, but how much restful energy!”

Be’er sees his little garden under the window as an unending source of miracles. “Last thing before I go to bed each night, I check on the plants. I feel good waking up every morning and seeing what’s changed overnight. I grow food in my home, my family can eat healthier and I’m helping other people too. It makes one feel emotionally healthy.”

To learn more, visit beernecessities.org.

Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She is available for contract work. Contact her at [email protected].

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