The River Cottage Australia host says suburbia is the perfect ground to preserve the future of agriculture, and there’s no time like now to get started.

With the amount of farm land decreasing, the suburban backyard has become prime real estate for fruit and vegetable crops.

“In Australia we’re fortunate that we’ve got a bit of urban space, we’re a pretty sparce urban society so that gives us a lot of scope for producing.”

But don’t feel like you have to dig up all the yard and feed the city. 

Mr West says starting small will give you longevity. 

But he warns once you start it won’t be long before you become addicted. 

“Once you start the tendrils get into you even though you might only be starting with a tomato plant, herbs or some lettuce,” he said. 

Planting everything at once and starting with a huge area is a recipe for disaster.

Start with one plant.

“I don’t think the significance of growing a couple of plants yourself can be under-rated,” Mr West said.

Start with a small pot of parsley.

“It’s one of those herbs that can be used for pretty much any savory dish to enliven it with a fresh herbaceous flavour,” Mr West says.

“It’s very hardy so it keeps going. 

“Give it a tiny little bit of natural feed every now and again.”​

Choose herbs like thyme and mint.

“Once you get the taste of produce that you have grown yourself, it really lights a fire and you want to grow more and more,” Mr West said. 

“It’s an addiction of the best kind.”

“Make sure you build it in little steps,” Mr West said. 

“The idea of everyone growing their entire vegetable bill in a year is a bit lofty, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

“The way that people engage in farming is by growing a bit of their own – whether it be only herbs on a window sill.”