Soils

Healthy soil is essential to all farms and gardens. Soil presents special challenges for urban farmers, since soil has sometimes been contaminated and degraded by past uses and nearby activity, including industry, unauthorized dumping, construction, heavy nearby traffic, and adjacent buildings where lead-based paint has been applied. Or, soil can be relatively clean. Soil testing is critical.

Some urban agriculture takes place in raised beds or containers over paved surfaces, such as parking lots, and then farmers have the additional challenge of identify a source of high quality soil to bring onto their site. Another issue is that urban soil may be extremely compacted and may have low fertility. Whether growing in the ground or in raised beds, continually improving soil through adding compost and other strategies will foster healthy, productive plants.