The kitchen is an ever-evolving space, and thanks to today’s technological advancements, urban farming has become as accessible as a ready-to-use appliance you can buy. The kitchen work triangle as we know it can even become a square as we integrate different modes of growing food in our kitchens. Today we’ll look at the variety of products currently on the market that you can plug in and grow food right away. From mushroom growing kits to fully automated mini farm, these appliances make urban farming easy!
❓ What is a kitchen farming system?
In simple terms, it's an appliance specialized to cultivate food in the kitchen. A kitchen farming structure typically has a lighting system and watering capabilities, and is — of course — constructed with food grade building material. These products have a range in cost as well as usage.
Sprouting products
Sprouting is one of those funny urban farming things. If there’s only one thing you have time to do, I would strongly urge you to try sprouting. In the past, I’ve written about sprouting in a city and recommended some DIY sprouting techniques. But for now, let’s look at some products on the market for sprouting.
Glass jars are a great way to start sprouting because, chances are, you already have several of these lying around in the house. Most pasta jars are great for sprouting once cleaned out. The main thing is to make sure there is air flow that can get into your jars, so to this end, placing them on an angle is important.
Sprouting bags are another great tool as they are designed for air flow as they sit. Depending on the amount you put in them, the bags sometimes need to be massaged to keep space for all the sprouts. It is important to ensure the bags are cleaned until they are spotless after each sprouting cycle, to reduce the risk of cross contamination.
Sprouting trays are good option if you’re looking to grow a high volume of sprouts. I like these trays because they don’t use soil as a base, meaning you can eat all aspects of the sprouts. Another benefit of these sprouting trays is that you can grow the sprouts longer, until they mature to microgreens.
These auto-misting sprouters are very convenient, as they make sure your sprouts get daily watering without any attention on your part. Well-watered sprouts are healthy sprouts! The multi-tray machine on the right has been around for a while, and is quite expensive, but it does give you the option to grow different sprouts at once.
Microgreens mini-farms
For many microgreens growers, these nutritious “vegetable confetti” supplement what they normally eat. In my blog post on food-growing appliances, I get into detail about growing in your home and making an impact on what you buy. That said, let’s take a look at how to grow microgreens on your counter top.
These growing machines are meant to be self-contained. With lights and a water reservoir, they provide the basic ingredients to successfully grow plants in your kitchen.
The grow light above is a fantastic tool for a standard individual grow tray. If you want to grow microgreens or, as the picture above shows, grow a lush tray of basil, this light will provide your kitchen counter with the capacity to do so.
Mushroom growing kits
Both products above are simple mushroom-growing kits. They are a great way for kids to learn about the science and responsibilities of looking after a plant. Both of these kits will fruit multiple times, and you will get your money’s worth of mushrooms. For those interested in growing mushrooms in their home, take a look at my post on how to grow mushrooms in the city.
🌱 The Hive
A forerunner in its own right, The Hive is only the start to the insect farms that will be dominating the urban farming market. What is great about this mealworm farm system is how easy it is for people to grow these insects in their home.
🌱 RotoFarm
I love RotoFarm’s indoor growing system not only for its attractive design but also for its efficient use of space to light ratio. It is only 2 feet wide but it has a growing surface of 5 feet.
🌱 OPCOM
This company has been featured many times on Truly Local Farms. If you want to see a full breakdown of their product line, click here. Here is a look at some of their products they have for your kitchen farm.
Grow Box – $699 Micro Grow Dome Garden – $99 O2 Garden – $199 Grow Box 2 – $699 Grow Box 2 – Stacked up – $699 each
What is great about all these products is that they come with lighting and watering systems. The Grow Box is a great product because the amount of lighting it offers allows you to grow crops to full size. This company makes it as user-friendly as possible, so it makes finding what you want to grow and picking a unit that suits your needs easy and simple.
🌱 CityCrop
2 layer farm €1,889.10 single layer farm – €1,125.00
Crop Farm is a compact indoor growing system that is fully automated and has a cell phone app that lets you monitor the growth in your little urban farm. This small box is an automated hydroponic system for leafy greens and herbs.
🌱 Urban Cultivator
Urban Cultivator has been producing automated growing systems for a long time. Originally, the company specialized in automated growing for cannabis, so thanks to the years of perfecting fully controlled systems, they were able to make the switch to microgreens with confidence.
The above unit is fully automated with climate, lighting, and watering capabilities. It can also be hooked up to your home’s plumbing for watering and drainage.
Updated August 3, 2021. Originally published May 7, 2019.