Saskatoon next in line for green roof legislation?

I stumbled upon a few high quality websites over the last week. Top of the heap is EfficientGov, I've thought for years "there needs to be a resource for government officials to turn to for great ideas." And it was here all along! This week the good folks cover zoning steps to make to allow for urban farming success. Check out the other articles on leasing rooftops for solar panels and urban farming.
Here's another tip for bureaucrats. I-tree can help you figure out just how much your urban forest is worth.

-Saskatoon could be the next Canadian city with a green roof bylaw. Stormwater management is key for them, hopefully there will be a law of some kind on the books by the end of this year! That's just me hoping...

-For true fans of rainwater harvesting, the meatiest article in a while!

-A recent podcast covers the surge of permaculture in Croatia and Slovenia. It seems the recent economic downturn has led to greater reliance and interest in the movement.

-Staying on the topic of food security, the USDA yesterday released a report illuminating how important food hubs are to rural America.

Enjoy the last day of February!!!

Edible green roof plants - part 2

Last year I blogged about edible green roof plants, little used plants which could perform well on a roof, while potentially filling our stomachs.
I continue to read everything that I can get my hands on, looking for other overlooked gems.
Here are a couple more to add to the list, generally considered to be weeds but with a shift in perspective, I think they could be helpful as accent plants. And if you see them up there, maybe leave them...they could come in handy.

Purslane 

Also known as Pigweed, Little Hogweed and at least three other names, can do well in lots of soils, including poor ones and is fairly resistant to drought. It has a taproot, but is not aggressive from what I have seen and because of its spreading ability it creates humid microclimates for other plants to exploit. It spreads easily (via thousands of seeds), maybe too easily, but has a decent taste. Personally I think it’s better raw than cooked.  A special feature, it has more omega-3-fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable and a ton of vitamins.

Violet

A great companion plant for shady areas, one of the few I can think of. It can be used for salads, desserts and more, especially good when candied! Because there are so many species around the world, it can be used almost anywhere, including very cold climates.

Broad-leaf Plantain

Huge, huge asterisk here. Although it could be used, in theory, as a companion plant, I wouldn’t put the most common varieties in on purpose. But I might leave them in if they were already there. The reason? This plant is REALLY hard to get rid of. And I don’t think the most common varieties look good next to most of the sedum species plants usually used. It’s an uncomplementary companion plant, if you will. Nevertheless, it can has both medicinal and edible attributes and if you can get your hands on some ornamental cultivars, you’re in for an aesthetic treat.

Plants help make us more creative?

A few things to write about, so here we go...

First up are always the videos. This one profiles two entrepreneurs who have taken their demonstration aquaponics set-up to a local Bushwick, Bronx market.

of the embryos and endosperm in seeds sharing the same mother and father with the growth and behavior of embryos and endosperm that had genetically different parents.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-02-altruistic.html#jCp

of the embryos and endosperm in seeds sharing the same mother and father with the growth and behavior of embryos and endosperm that had genetically different parents.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-02-altruistic.html#jCp

The researchers looked at corn, in which each fertilized seed contained two "siblings"—an embryo and a corresponding bit of tissue known as endosperm that feeds the embryo as the seed grows, said CU-Boulder Professor Pamela Diggle. They compared the growth and behavior of the embryos and endosperm in seeds sharing the same mother and father with the growth and behavior of embryos and endosperm that had genetically different parents. "The results indicated embryos with the same mother and father as the endosperm in their seed weighed significantly more than embryos with the same mother but a different father," said Diggle, a faculty member in CU-Boulder's ecology and evolutionary biology department. "We found that endosperm that does not share the same father as the embryo does not hand over as much food—it appears to be acting less cooperatively." A paper on the subject was published during the week of Jan. 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Co-authors on the study included Chi-Chih Wu, a CU-Boulder doctoral student in the ecology and evolutionary biology department and Professor William "Ned" Friedman, a professor at Harvard University who helped conduct research on the project while a faculty member at CU-Boulder.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-02-altruistic.html#jCp

-And here's a rare treat, an aquaponics setup in Hawai'i which is solar powered!

 

-The first urban agriculture technical program in Oregon, at Clackamas Community College, has kicked off its first semester.

-I was excited to see a few news outlets report that plants can hep enhance creative performance. I went to the source for further insight. Turns out what researchers in Germany did do is assert that the color "green" can help us become more creative, not necessarily plants. So a green crayon on top of your computer which you stared at for hours on end would do the trick. And since most plants are green, I guess they would too. But this is more of a story about green, than plants.

Three Urban Agriculture Internships

A few urban agriculture internships to pass along...touch up that resume!

-Save the Children is looking for a permaculture consultant in Somalia, applications due February 28.

-Check out Idealist for a 2-8 month urban agriculture internship in Cape Town, South Africa.

-Turning state side, in Boston (Roxbury, actually) City Natives has a six month spring/summer urban agriculture internship available. 

Today is world cabbage day

Today's the day we celebrate the hardy cabbage. Almost everywhere in North America, if you haven't started yours, now would be the perfect time as it needs 6-8 weeks indoors before it's ready to go outside!

Food security, food justice and urban agriculture

There are "hundreds of nonprofits dedicated to building organic gardens" reports Civil Eats. And their recent article takes a look at a few exciting projects from across the continent. There's one particular project that I wanted to highlight, I forgot to post it back in August! (I know, so bad). But New Roots' work with refugees, particularly in cities.

 -Could big ag and big oil join forces? It's definitely something to be aware of as the US invests more time and energy into fracking.  

-Last for today is a short but illuminating article on the role of urban agriculture in South Africa, urban ag. has historically been illegal but that hasn't stopped people from embracing it across the country.

Permaculture in Germany and New York's bold post Sandy green infrastructure plans

There's a ton to catch up on from the last two weeks. Good stories with no central theme. Well, two central themes, green infrastructure and living architecture!

-The LEED system appears to be under attack from a few folks with big money. I don't usually write much about LEED, but the "dark money" behind its attack begs the question what would happen for any other technical organization, especially an environmental one, which gains the trust of the market?

-Permaculture continues to spread across the world, here's a video of a permaculture community in Germany!

-True composting efforts and even businesses are growing in Washington DC and around the US! Great news for us all!

-New York is making bold moves to combat global warming by authorizing initiatives like having the state by back land ruined by Hurricane Sandy and leaving it as green space to buffer against more flooding. Besides the cost ($400 million), this requires a centuries old departure from how New Yorkers look at coastal land and will further cement New York's status as a leader in green infrastructure and urban forests, although there is always room to improve.
In Chicago they are rethinking the work of an architectural giant to make buildings and the city more vibrant and sustainable.

-Tool libraries have been the rage since 1979 and I've been a fan since 2009. Toronto is getting its first in a few short weeks. I will definitely donate a few things and sign up as well!

Urban Agriculture summits in late February - Liberia + Morocco

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (RAFS) (which used to be known as the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture) is seeking papers for a special issue focusing on sustainable urban agriculture production systems as well as the social/economic underpinnings of these systems in North America and abroad. If you have something to share, February 28 is the deadline.

-The second annual Peri and Urban Agriculture Conference kicks off in Liberia on February 14.
One of a precious few in Africa, if you are nearby it looks like a great opportunity.  Later in the month (February 27) Morocco is hosting its own international urban agriculture symposium.

Your Thursday Peak Oil Movie - "The End of Suburbia"

Released in 2006, I was thinking about this film the other day and thought I would post it for others to watch again or view it for the first time.

Enjoy!!!

Green infrastructure will save our children?

A ton of stuff from the last week and more...

The NYTimes reports that sometime this year, for the first time in history, we will eat less fish from the wild than from a farm. With the surge in aquaponics and depletion of wild fish stocks, I wonder when we will hit the 75% mark. 2100???

Urban farming on the Greater Boston Area has really taken off, with politicians in both Somerville and Boston firmly behind the movement, with training offered to residents to promote urban agriculture and maps detailing the farms across Boston.

I should mention that GreenGrid has launched a DIY green roof website, the first of its kind. It could be helpful especially for knowledgeable building owners and contractors, especially those without green roof professionals nearby. For now, it looks like its available throughout most of the contiguous USA, but not Canada or Mexico. Contractor availability is restricted to the Northeastern USA.

-When someone asks why green infrastructure is important, the new response is now "it will save our children. "Read on...."