Mini Farm is a small-scale agricultural operation proposal integrated with local businesses. Its compact size facilitates collaboration with other Mini Farms, fostering crop diversity and promoting a varied agricultural output. Spanning an area of 125m², its modular structure spans three to four levels, optimizing sunlight exposure with its shallow depth.
This innovative farming model combines traditional outdoor vegetable crops with above-ground crops in greenhouses. Due to its spatial requirements, the Mini Farm thrives in clear urban areas such as urban wastelands or open islets, preferably located along traffic arteries like streets, platforms, canals, and tram tracks.
The design of the Mini Farm emphasizes verticality, featuring classic horticultural greenhouses stacked on multiple levels. Its compact layout maximizes solar input, necessitating exposure to light from all four facades. With a height comparable to tall trees, the Mini Farm blends seamlessly with its surroundings, contributing to urban greening.
Aside from its agricultural significance, the Mini Farm serves as a beacon of urban renewal, revitalizing neglected areas and fostering a symbiotic relationship between agriculture and suburban life. Its potential extends beyond mere cultivation, offering opportunities for business creation and social engagement.
Operationalizing a Mini Farm requires expertise in market gardening techniques and business management. However, acquiring these skills is feasible through practical and theoretical training programs. Additionally, the Mini Farm’s proximity to public spaces provides educational opportunities, showcasing farming practices to the wider community. From an architectural standpoint, the Mini Farm’s transparent design lends itself to modular and versatile construction methods. Its integration within the urban fabric underscores its role in fostering diversity, competition, and community engagement.
Ultimately, further research, including commercial studies, will determine the Mini Farm’s viability as a standalone business or as part of a broader community-driven agricultural initiative.
