GILA (green infrastructure, living architecture) word of the week: dry farming

Normally around this time of year things slow down but we’re deep in summer and the news keeps on coming. 

-First the GILA word of the week, thanks to Grist and the unfortunate drought now being experienced across 1/2 of the USA: dry farming.

-Add Matanuska-Susitna to the list of municipalities offering green roof incentives. North of Anchorage, Alaska the Borough of Matanuska-Susitna offers up to $500 reimbursement for the installation of a green roof. Obviously this is helps mitigate the cost when applying a green roof to smaller shelters, like a garage or shed roof. Hopefully this does well and the program expands. 

-I love this idea, what's not to love about an edible garden at every bus stop?!

-And in another first, here’s the first article I can recall referencing permaculture in Pakistan. 

Hamburg, Germany wants multiple High Lines

During certain times of the year there are lulls in living architecture news. Traditionally, mid to late December is oh so quiet.

However, there are a few interesting tidbits today and later in the month I will have a couple of top 5 and top 10 lists.

But first...
-Hamburg, Germany, is committing $1 billion to High Linesque parks covering one of their busiest highways.

-I should also add, even though it's the dead of winter, it's not too early to start thinking about permaculture courses and the spring. Alaska will be beautiful in late April!

Alaskans attempt to eat local...365 days a year?

-Utne magazine has had some fantastic articles in the last few weeks. A seed library sounds like a fantastic idea, one easily (cheaply too!) implemented in conjunction with a local partner, like a food bank or gardening club. On a more somber note, they note how the farm crisis, which is not front page news in the US or Canada, has not actually passed.

-There's crazy and then there's this...a few Alaskans have pledged to eat local food all year long. Now, to someone who hasn't spent a ton of time in Alaska, this sounds hard. It sounds even harder than I imagined when I read 98% of Alaskan food is imported. If these folks can pull it off, then there's no reason anyone in North America cannot.