Community farming facilitates urban population to get access to high quality, home grown, fresh grains, pulses, vegetables, and fruits directly from local and regional farmers. This initiative which is still at a stage where it’s finding its feet helps individuals to become more aware and understand how the food they consume is grown and where it comes from; besides it connects them with the land on which their food is grown; making them understand the importance of sustainable farming.
Community farming is a new concept; a community-owned social enterprise that grows & sells (or uses for self consumption) organic items. It is an association of people who mutually agree to support each other or farmers in their area, monetarily and otherwise under fixed guidelines to reap benefits of getting farm fresh veggies, fruits, and dairy product in reciprocation which the associate members may use for personal consumption or business, i.e sell it further as they deem fit. Community farming may be seasonal or round the year, they may grow different things or same over and again. Everything is clearly laid out. Associated members are given share of farm produce based on their contribution and role, or as agreed.
The idea of people sharing ownership with local farmers, participating directly or indirectly in the process of farming and having a say in how it can be improved to make a difference has taken off better than expected as increasing number of people are becoming conscious of what they are eating, pesticides and chemicals in the food, and so on.
Community farming is formed through cooperation, mutual trust and support where risks and rewards of farming are shared in equal proportion between the farmers and consumers who come together to form a unit. Consumers agree to lend support to the farmers; and this support results in improving quality and quantity of their produce. This becomes a win-win situation for both parties involved. The local population that extends support gets share of farm fresh produce in reciprocation of their support AND improves output and income for the farmers. The farmers can sell the surplus and use this income to develop more farms or improve health and fertility of the soil in existing farms. This concept also helps to protect flora, fauna, wildlife and surrounding environment.
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