Depending on the type of produce and your climate, a single square foot of growing space can yield between 1-4 pounds of food per year. Extrapolate that outward and a relatively small growing space can produce a large amount of food. This is particularly true of high-value, quick turnaround crops grown in succession, things like baby greens, arugula, green onions, and cherry tomatoes.

Urban farming does not necessarily increase food security as urban farmers need to focus on the highest-value crops to keep the lights on. It does, however, increase the variety and freshness of foods available in an urban area and can act as a stopgap in times of food shortages.

Urban farmers grow vertically, in-ground, hydroponically, and in containers. There are two different types of urban farms. There is a controlled environment type of growing in shipping containers and warehouses, and there is in-ground, container outdoor urban farming.