Urban gardens in Mexico City

After getting to know the gardens of Buenos Aires and Berlin , today we are going to talk about urban gardens in Mexico City . The City of Mexico , Federal District , is the capital and one of the 32 states that are part of Mexico. It constitutes the largest urban nucleus in the country, as well as the main political, academic, financial, business and cultural center.

The growth of the city is one of the fastest globally, and its economy is expected to triple by 2020. Its population is around 8.8 million inhabitants , the capital together with the suburban area ( Metropolitan Area of ​​the Valley of Mexico) has a population of more than 21 million inhabitants , which makes it the third largest urban agglomeration in the world.

Due to its low cost, health benefits and being within reach, food production in urban gardens is gaining strength in Mexico City. For the Government, they constitute a source of food that strengthens the country’s food security , and that is why, for a couple of years, programs have been carried out to promote the creation of this type of space dedicated to urban agriculture.

Government programs promoting urban gardens

Since 2013, a small-scale organic farming program was launched , which consists of occupying common spaces without constant use to transform them into orchards tended by the neighbors themselves . Crop surpluses are sold and the resources obtained are reinvested in the community itself.

Another agency that promotes family farming is the Ministry of the Environment (Sedema) , with programs such as Alcánzame , which every first Sunday of the month during the cycle ride on Reforma invites people to know the orchards at home and advises on the process of installation. In the first two editions of the program, more than two thousand people were attended .

Mujer de Huerto is another of their programs and in it they train women, housewives, in vulnerable situations or students to care for the garden.

The Government of Mexico City and the Ministry of the Environment invite citizens to participate in the courses on urban gardens that are taught at the Environmental Education Centers (CEA) Acuexcómatl, Yautlica and Ecoguardas. In these workshops, theoretical and practical activities are developed on how to implement urban gardens in homes, the importance of soil, benefits of organic fertilizers, compost preparation, homemade pesticides, seed selection, as well as contributions to the nutrition and health of citizens to improve their quality of life.

LEARNING CENTERS ON URBAN HORTICULTURE IN MEXICO DF

In Mexico DF , learning centers on urban agriculture are common in which they develop workshops to train the farmer and they are advised to install their garden at home. Next we will talk about some of them:

Cultivation of Author

Founded in 2008, this school garden is responsible for promoting cultivation in all its facets . It began as a service for the sale of organic products, focused on vanilla for gourmet stores. Since then they have dedicated themselves to producing basils of different colors and flavors, tomatoes, flowers, oregano and a whole series of top quality products in a sustainable way  that attract even the best chefs in Mexico City. They also teach eco-friendly techniques such as water harvesting, cooking, and solar dehydration.

Sow Merced

It is an allied project of the SomosMexas collective  where community participation is encouraged through urban agriculture workshops. The activities are carried out on the rooftop of ATEA (SomosMexas studio-workshop in La Merced), which has been transformed into a 40-square-meter orchard where vegetables, aromatic herbs and vegetables are grown . They offer a wide variety of workshops focused on organic farming such as vermiculture , mulching , hydroponics and eco-technology.

Al Natural

They are dedicated to the promotion of the cultivation of vegetables and vegetables at home. They teach  courses aimed at future urban farmers through workshops on fungi, hydroponics or how to select the plants and vegetables to grow. They also advise during all the productive stages of each crop.

Cool vegetable

This project consists of creating gardens at home using a special form of cultivation called MOL. This hydroponic growing method allows the cultivation of up to six types of vegetables and herbs. Chula Verdura seeks to create ties between MOL users through a web platform in which they share their cultivation experiences.

Green center Azcapotzalco

In this center, courses and dynamic talks are offered to ensure that the population respects nature . Strategies are planned to train visitors in the development of sustainable projects through recycling workshops, creation of gardens, hydroponic cultivation and rainwater harvesting . Its objective is to position organic production as a healthy, fair and sustainable alternative.

They offer two types of workshops: one for the creation of urban gardens and the other for creative kitchen gardens , since for them it is not only important to cultivate, but also to be able to consume nutritious and delicious food. In addition to visiting them at their headquarters in Coyoacán , they give their workshops in different forums, inside and outside of Mexico City.

Urban sowers and Huerto Romita

Organization that promotes urban agriculture, offering materials, seeds, and training workshops. It has a demonstration center, the Romita Urban Agriculture Center.  The organization disseminates its teaching in various ways, including courses and workshops at the Romita garden and elsewhere, advisory and design service for clients and businesses, and a school garden program in the city.

I hope your comments and that you tell us if you know any of these orchards. Until next time gardeners!