Urban agriculture + permaculture events

May is rapidly passing us by and there is lots to look forward to this summer.

The PeaceMeal project has planned a four day workshop, from June 18-23 at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). If you have ever thought how can my “daily act of eating contribute to creating a more peaceful world”, this is for you! Also in Toronto is a one week Locavore Food Camp. On the menu, growing, preserving, cooking, harvesting local food at the incredible Evergreen Brick Works.

And I can’t forget to plug an Architecture for Humanity get together next week, a speed networking event where two people have five minutes to discuss one topic and then it's on to the next topic and attendee. 

Lastly in July, once you have attended the first ever Mediterranean Regional Permaculture Conference in Istanbul, you can head stateside to get your permaculture teaching certificate in Oregon.  

How to green an economy? Lessons from Germany's road, roofs and railways

-Earlier this week I reviewed a debate from October's Ontario provincial election. The members had ideas about how to green the economy, but really, who knows what needs to be done to make it actually work? Ah ha! The Solutions Journal, says follow Germany's lead!

-Will large scale urban farming finally take flight in Detroit? And why, after almost 3 years if the law doesn't need to be changed, why can't a big farm start making some bucks? Another question is, once the farm is operational, what kind of urban farming jobs will be available? Meanwhile Toronto will decide in the spring whether to allow backyard fowl.

-In a battle royale between Small Planet Institute's Anna Lappe and Freakonomics Steve Sexton guess who reigns supreme?

-The urban agriculture word of the week is "food swapping." You heard it here, folks. Let's see if this practice picks up steam!

Grants for school garden projects, green roofs and green walls

If you're looking to escape the cold and/or snowy regions of North America, February 17-26, 2012 head down to Guatemala for the Mesoamerican Permaculture Design Course. The bilingual course is a little cheaper than most others. Lucky for you!

-In what's probably the first of it's kind, a public/private partnership at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point will allow students to enroll in an online aquaponics course this winter/spring. Lucky them! Maybe if you pester them, they will let you in?

-There's money, both big and small, available for living architecture projects. The TKF Foundation and others have created Open Spaces Sacred Places, designed to "increase a sense of community and contribute to a deepening of human connections". You have until December 15, 2011 to get your team and idea together.
Until December 31, 2011 those in the Canada, the US and UK can apply for the School Garden Grant Program and receive up to $2,000 to support school garden projects.

-The Girl Scouts now have a locavore badge!

New York City law makes green roofs, urban gardens and greenhouses easier, other cities make it harder

Big news this week out of New York City, as City Council passed giving access to more land for urban gardens and to make it easier to build rooftop greenhouses.

Is New York now in the lead for greenest city in North America? We know they take their green seriously, they take it even more seriously in Uganda. How about a fine or imprisonment if you don't report how many animals you own?

Detroit's first commercial farm is finally getting started! It's 1/1000 of the size they wanted, but it's a start. The law needs to be changed to allow more farming in Detroit, Philly and elsewhere. And this article outlines some of the challenges.

Urban agriculture roundup

It's been a week, so I'm giving everything I've got...

First the continental roundup:

-In California, developers can now get tax credits for including community gardens in their plans. In New York, I was glad (and surprised) to learn you are now allowed to keep bees and that there are over 100 CSA programs in the five boroughs!
Chicago has the green roof crown, it wants the urban agriculture crown as well. Upping the limit for community gardens to 25,000 square feet? Beyond progressive.
In North Carolina, there's increased interest in farming, as we all know this is a great thing.

And across the pond urban agriculture hits Germany, while in England some grocery stores are considering rooftop gardens as well.

-Who wants money for a food project? You've got 5 days left to apply.

-Two head scratchers. What does this app actually do and how can farmers win big if the purchase of local foods is still in doubt?

-Lastly, mark your calendars, the International Permaculture Conference is September 3-15. And just days ago a new book concerning the history of permaculture in Australia, it's birthplace, hit the shelves and web.

60 year leases on government land?

I haven't looked at the stats for urban farming in North America vs Europe, but it appears things are heating up on the east side of the Atlantic as well.

-In Canada, National Parks and Conservation areas are warming up to the idea of farming. Stat of the day, in Canada 5 year leases are normal but one U.S. national park in Ohio is offering farmers 60-year leases. THAT we need to hear more about!
A similar program to Guelph, Canada's FarmStart is profiled in Ottawa for its local work.

-I am definitely a lover of Utne magazine, they consitently deliver really interesting and timely articles. Case in point, this one about how the local food movement is inching toward inclusion across the USA.

Urban agriculture bonaza

So much happening in the world of urban agriculture this week!

But first a little about "decking highways", which seems to be a green roof by another name. Looks like Dallas is giving it a good hard look. At $500/square foot, gotta look at it REALLY closely.

On to the urban ag...

-Vancouver unveiled it's regional food draft report, which includes labeling local food and creating a school for sustainable agriculture. Comments are due by October 24, so have your say!

-There's a new battle brewing between big agriculture and the locavore movement. When John McCain chimes in you know it's now a national issue.

-Couldn't make either one of these, but while the ASLA has a conference on urban agriculture this weekend, the Good Food (National-International Urban & Small Farm Conference ) conference is also happening. Wouldn't it have been nice if they weren't on the same weekend???

-On the heels of the history of urban farming in New York City, comes a short post chronicling urban agriculture's history in Philly.

Lastly check out this comprehensive article on how agriculture & urban heat islands are changing regional and continental climates.

Along with the help of various assistants and machetes...

Something about that line just struck me really funnily. On a more serious note, this "Chase and Chase" team sounds like a true dynamic duo. They've unearthed (with some help) that the Mayans were green builders. I wonder what kinds of plants they used on their green roofs?

When you're in Los Angeles and looking for grub, here are some of the best ways to scrounge up some food.
David Craft's latest ebook can help you distinguish even more foraged finds. Give it a preview and see if you want the whole shabang.

The Obama Administration is getting behind the locavore movement. And it includes gems such as "Where possible, use school gardens to educate students about healthy eating. School gardens offer opportunities for fun and physical activity while also serving as an important educational tool to help students understand how healthful food is produced" Sounds good to me.

Montreal bus shelters are getting green roofs. I saw something like this in Toronto, except, I think it was the handwork of guerrilla gardeners because once the city found out, the greenery came down. Heading further east, Nova Scotia Community College recently completed their first vertical garden.



Lastly, if you're in Portland, Oregon...please drop me a line and let me know how the local food cook offwent today.