Agriscaping is a hot new trend. Entrepreneur Justin Rohner of Agriscaping Technologies in Arizona is one of the driving forces fueling the agriscaping movement. This interesting and sustainable approach to using your outdoor space has many benefits.

What is Agriscraping

Agriscaping combines productive agriculture and ornamental landscaping to efficiently use the outdoor spaces around homes. An agriscape is a landscape designed around maximizing the yield of the space by growing produce and other useful plants. Each design elegantly blends elements of productive agriculture and sustainability principles such as the reduction of waste and water consumption.

The company’s mission is to sustainably improve local food production one home at a time by transforming ordinary landscaping into edible food gardens. Everyday people can manage agriscapes easily using local experts and online tools. So, how does it work?

Grow Food to Consume

The goal when designing an agriscape is to maximize the productivity of whatever space is available. Agriscaping Technologies now trains ordinary people wanting to change their yards into agriscapes. The company also trains landscaping professionals and gardeners to become Certified Agriscapers. The end result is more people using their patios, yards, and other land to grow sustainable foods. Some successful agriscapers can even produce enough to sell once they’ve changed their land.

Deal with Drought

Rohner learned to grow produce successfully over years of time in the arid climates of Utah and Arizona and then founded Agriscaping Technologies based on these experiences. This style of land use was envisioned by Rohner in part to deal with arid climates and drought. A successful agriscape will make use of rainwater, irrigation, and low-impact watering techniques. An efficient watering system will need to be built into your plans so that you properly excavate and establish water lines.

Sustainability

Among the defining goals of agriscaping is the desire to shift the way we acquire and consume food. The agriscaping design allows for a more localized food system. It is also a way to recover from the market domination of transport-heavy and increasingly automated macro agriculture. Practically this means that your agriscaping plan must make the most of only what is available, and efficiently use water.

Technology and Tools

Agriscaping Technologies has developed software for agriscape planning: “MyAgriscapePro”. You will also need the right equipment to transform your yard into an agriscape. As you begin to change your yard, you may well need heavy equipment for various tasks; expect to need mowers, excavators, tractors, and tillers to reshape and grade the land. This is because any more than a few square feet of space requires more power and land-moving capability.

Agriscaping is a great option even for urban dwellers with access to a small patio. If you have a yard that you’d like to put to work, start creating your agriscaping transformation today.