The Top US Cities for Urban Farming
There is so much to love about growing your own food its cheap, its lack of travel requirements and packaging make it sustainable, you know what was used in its creation, and then of course, its literally as fresh as it can be. There is simply nothing like plucking a tomato off the stem and eating its still-sun-warmed self from a hand scented with tomato-leaves smell. And all of that is not lost to legions of urban farmers who have taken over scruffy back plots and rooftops and vacant lots, giving them new life with gardens, greenhouses, coops and even hives. Little House on the Prairie has given way to little house on the subway line.
Every city has different regulations in terms of what urban harvesters can and cannot do, but what cities are doing the most in terms of urban farming? Researchers sifted through thousands of listings in the database of real estate brokerage Redfin and collected data on keywords like greenhouse, garden and chicken to see which cities (with populations greater than 300,000) have the most of these features per capita. Granted this list is based on homes for sale not homes in total, but it nonetheless gives an indication of where people have invested in agricultural accouterments. And maybe better yet, where the best place to buy a home with a chicken coop might be!
Holding the number one spot is Eugene, Oregon. Its not uncommon for homeowners in Oregon to have chickens or honey bees, said Matthew Brennan, a Redfin agent in Portland. The city of Portland allows homeowners to keep up to three animals, including chickens, ducks, doves, pigeons, pygmy goats and rabbits, without permits. Oregonians have a hankering for that sustainable lifestyle and Eugene is more affordable and has more space than Portland.
Below is a summary of the findings, visitRedfinfor more on each city.
1. Eugene, Oregon
Listings with Chicken: 1.4%
Listings with Garden: 17.8%
Listings with Greenhouse: 1.29%
Median Sale Price: $256,000
2. Burlington, Vermont
Listings with Chicken: 0.9%
Listings with Garden: 16.7%
Listings with Greenhouse: 1.25%
Median Sale Price: $243,000
3. Santa Rosa, California
Listings with Chicken: 0.7%
Listings with Garden: 15.0%
Listings with Greenhouse: 0.5%
Median Sale Price: $475,000
4. Greenville, South Carolina
Listings with Chicken: 0.5%
Listings with Garden: 15.5%
Listings with Greenhouse: 0.15%
Median Sale Price: $159,000
5. Orlando, Florida
Listings with Chicken: 0.1%
Listings with Garden: 14.9%
Listings with Greenhouse: 0.12%
Median Sale Price: $178,000
6. San Francisco, California
Listings with Chicken: 0.1%
Listings with Garden: 14.4%
Listings with Greenhouse: 0.22%
Median Sale Price: $1,150,000
7. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Listings with Chicken: 0.4%
Listings with Garden: 13.7%
Listings with Greenhouse: 0.28%
Median Sale Price: $219,000
8. Columbia, South Carolina
Listings with Chicken: 0.1%
Listings with Garden: 13.7%
Listings with Greenhouse: 0.20%
Median Sale Price: $125,000
9. Tampa, Florida
Listings with Chicken: 0.1%
Listings with Garden: 13%
Listings with Greenhouse: 0.06%
Median Sale Price: $176,000
10. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
Listings with Chicken: 0.2%
Listings with Garden: 12.7%
Listings with Greenhouse: 0.11%
Median Sale Price: $223,000
Written by Melissa Breyer. Reposted with permission from TreeHugger.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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