SPIN farming is part of organic horticulture and is this weeks focus on green business. SPIN farming stands for Small Plot INtensive farming. It is essentially a small scale gardening method but organic gardeners with business savvy use a collection of urban lawns, either rented or bartered from the lawn owner, to create a green business  in the urban environment. Much of the produce is sold in local farmers markets or through word of mouth.

Reasons to SPIN farm

1. Environmentally focused
2. Entrepreneurially driven and fuelling regional economy
3. Building community
4. Close to market

The two largest barriers to farming are side-stepped by SPIN farming. Those two barriers are the extremely high cost of land, and the significant amount of capital needed to set up a farming infrastructure.  Do you wonder if SPIN farmers can make a decent living doing what they love? Paula Sobie and her partner set up an urban agriculture business in Victoria, BC, Canada called City Harvest. She explains how she and her partner SPIN farm to raise a family. Their motives are clear, they want to make a living with a clean conscience. She states that some SPIN farmers can make $50,000 in a single year!