Toronto's first urban garden?

For those of you in Toronto interested in the urban gardening movement, check out Foodcycles city farm at Parc Downsview Park. They had a launch party in October. From the press release:

"FoodCycles is a productive city farm and food learning centre based in the Greater Toronto Area. They raise worms, produce nutritious, vibrant soil compost, and grow vegetables, fruit and eventually fish and honey outdoors, indoors and upwards. FoodCycles' will create a just and ecological city food system that inspires all people to come together to grow, learn about, and celebrate food and earth in Toronto. FoodCycles is supported by the City of Toronto's Live Green Community Program, Parc Downsview Park, Wayne Roberts of Now Magazine, Heifer International Canada (Ontario), Evergreen, Home Depot, FoodShare, the STOP Community Food Centre, the Toronto Food Policy Council and Enterprising Non-profits Toronto."

For more information contact:

Sunny Lam
Co-Director, FoodCycles
t: 416 845 0818 --- http://foodcycles.org --- Twitter: @foodcycles --- Email: foodcycles@gmail.com
Facebook Fan Page: http://bit.ly/13ToL1

A few things

cnn.com reports on the future of green jobs. If you're looking for a beat on a few training companies, this is a good start.

Santiago chile has installed a few living walls in their subway system. What a great idea. The plants absorb the fumes and other nasty airborne gases and particles, cut down on the sound pollution and look great. The comments about why Toronto wouldn't do the same are, well, you judge for yourself.

Meanwhile architects in NY are pondering algae pontoon parks.

permaculture reading list

Wow...talk about comprehensive, plus you get a two-fer-one... titles in English and Spanish!

Word of the week: Agriburbia

Keep an eye out on this project: "618-acre Platte River Village is ready for construction, with 944 planned homes surrounded by 108 acres of backyard farms and 152 acres of drip- irrigated community farms..." Agriburbia has hit mainstream in Colorado.
And from last month, here's an article from the NY Times about the next frontier zero-waste
So many green frontiers, so little time!

Vertical farms, yea or nay?

Ecogeek says it's not a good idea, Dickson Despommier says "It sure is!" What say you?

Next stop: Detroit!

Over the last few months I've read several articles about the recovering economy and contracting municipalities. The pieces are sometimes terribly depressing, one does wonder what will happen in and to a once glorious city. But at Triplepundit they offer that Detroit might actually be the next agrarian paradise .

Last (Canadian) green roof of 2009

Well, folks, it's about that time. Early November and the temperature is already down to freezing. But here's a little lovely that we completed a few weeks ago...can't wait to see what it looks like in the spring.


Now, it's time to shut 'er down and prep for next year...in Canada, that is. There's always work further south!