Grand Rapids 2010 (left) and 2015 (right), USDA Defined Food Deserts with Existing Supermarkets and Alternative Food Retail Stores

Kotval-K et al. (2021)

Using compost in your own garden in your backyard or on a farm can have many benefits. Making your own compost bin is very easy and does not cost too much money compared to buying fertilizer at the store. You only need a few materials to create your own bin and this makes using compost in a garden accessible to everyone!

The Benefits of Composting:

Compost contains an abundant amount of essential nutrients for plants, and you are able to test nutrient levels in compost to find out what other nutrients you need for your plants . Compost helps improve soil structure which makes soil easier to work with and can bring a diverse life to the soil that supports healthy plant life (Compost Fundamentals: Benefits & Uses - benefits of compost, n.d.).

Steps for DIY Composting (Petersik, 2022):

Step 1) Select a bin ( storage bin or trash can)

Step 2) Drill holes in the bottom and the top of the container

Step 3) Create your brown base like dead leaves and twigs

Step 4) Add dirt until the container is ½ full

Step 5) Toss in food scraps like fruit or vegetable scraps

Step 6) Stir the compost so food scraps are covered with dirt

Step 7) Spray with lukewarm water until moist

Step 8) Find a convenient spot for the bin in a shady area

• Vertical Farming

  • Vertical Farming can be beneficial if you do not have an expansive amount of space to grow your garden! It can be as simple or complex as you make it. The basic idea of vertical farming is using vertical space that would otherwise be wasted. You can start vertical farming by growing plants on shelves, or on a pallet along a wall or a fence.

• Rooftop Farming

  • Rooftop farming is also a great way to make use of space that would otherwise go to waste. If you live in a high-rise apartment building (or really any building that has a roof), and there is nothing on the roof this might be your opportunity! If your landlord/the owner of the building is willing, you could put some raised garden beds on the roof and start your garden there.

• Hydroponics

  • Another great option for urban gardening is hydroponics! Hydroponics involves growing plants without soil. You can create a simple hydroponics system and do this in your house. Also, when you use a hydroponics system to grow, water is recycled and reused so this can save on water costs!

• Aquaponics

  • Aquaponics combines hydroponics and aquaculture (fish!). The waste from the fish provides the plant's nutrients. Aquaponics is one of the most sustainable ways to garden, and it requires little maintenance once your system is set up.

Within the growing region, Grand Rapids is located is USDA Hardiness Zone 5 and 6, with each zone characterized by the average winter low (-10 to -20 ℉ for zone 5) (-10 to 0 ℉ for Zone 6)

Due to the Grand Rapids region having colder temperatures in the winter (on average compared to the rest of the US) the sowing date for seeds outdoors is often in mid-late April, though you can begin to sow seeds indoors in a small pot or cup in early/Mid-March

Overall, the crops that thrive best in Grand Rapids are vegetables, specifically hardier crops, that is, a plant that can survive a freeze, frost, or a cold snap (as the springtime here often omits a couple more nighttime freezes). Examples of hardy crops include greens such as spinach, lettuce, carrots, kale, and brussels sprouts.

The button below shows all of the crops that perform well in the Grand Rapids climate, as well as the average sowing date indoors/planting date outdoors.

Planting your own crops allows for the diversification of your produce, as many large scale farms operate through monoculture, or the cultivation of a single crop in a given area. For example, on conventional farms in Michigan, the major cash crops (a crop produced for commercial value) are dry field beans, corn, wheat, and sugar beets (Schaetzel), meaning it is likely that many of your other fruits and vegetables are transported from other states, or take lengthy transportation routes in order for them to reach your produce store. Planting an abundance of different crops in your garden reduces your need to rely on large-scale farming and the nationalized produce system, decreasing your overall effect on the environment, and increasing the convenience of delicious fruits and vegetables near your home!