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Stepping outside the box.

© Bob Ewing

As I sit down to write this week's article, a gentle snow has begun to fall, perhaps this year's Christmas will be white after all. Snow for the holidays has become a major conversation. No one I've talked with can remember a Christmas when there was no snow. I grew up in Toronto and can recall mild temperatures and no snow on a number of occassions, but here, in Thunder Bay, it's almost unthinkable.

You could say the unthinkable is what this week's article is about. When we think about farming, if we ever do, we picture vast fields covered in grain or corn, combines and tractors at work. We rarely, picture a brick and cement building, located in the industrial core of a city. Yet, hydroponics makes this picture possible. Indoor farming is possible.

In a previous article I wrote about the futur of work and community cooperative projects. An indoor, urban farm is a possibility for both a housing and work cooperative. A cohousing project could develop one part of a deserted warehouse, into apartments while turning another into an indoor farm. Residents could create a hydroponic market garden and a retail business to sell the produce.

On an individual level, you could set up an indoor garden in your basement or a spare room and supplement your food supply. You could concentrate on growing herbs or one specific vegetable or you could diversify and grow a variety of herbs and veggies. The choice is yours to make.

The place to begin is within your mind. Let your imagination loose. You may revel in the journey.

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