The USA's food waste reduction plan

Upon completion in 2017 this is how the Memorial Children’s Hospital should look. Lush walls will make this a landmark building in the southwestern Michigan/northern Indiana area.

 -You had the pizza farm...farmers cutting out the middle people and serving their produce on their farm. An innovative chef will try his own spin on this. Of course other culinary experts have had small plots of land or the odd planter to supplement their offerings, but an entire urban farm? This is a first and seems to be a different spin on the totally controlled culinary experience.

-The biggest news last week was the American government joining forces with several organizations to outline and launch a (food) waste reduction strategy. And concerted effort to reduce the 133 billion pounds (!) of lost food is a very, very good thing.

-Farmers are turning to very precise methods to keep an eye on their produce and farms. One program can tell them the exact point on a field where a planter has missed a seed! A huge question remains...who does this data belong to? The farmer or the software company?

-The UK's underground farm is humming alone, 18 hour days of sunlight means plants can be harvested between in 28 days, sometimes in as few as 6.

Horticultural therapy - helping veterans transition back to health and civilian life

Horticultural therapy program and projects have benefited many people and groups over the years. It seems programs focused on veterans are sprouting up everywhere. In the last six months I've seen stories from Chicago, London, Grand Rapids, and Fort Wayne. Heck, three of those are from the last WEEK! There's even a book which came out in the spring and an ongoing study in Virginia.
Let's keep our eyes peeled to see if this is a (mid-western) trend...or phenomenon!

$46 million for 1,800 urban farms in Seoul

Lots to talk about over the last week, municipalities across the world are doing some incredible things revolving around urban agriculture and green roofs:

-The government of the city of Seoul will inject about $46 million dollars into urban agriculture to hopefully build 1,800 gardens in parks, schools and rooftops, all of which will be within a ten-minute walk!

-Staying abroad, a small aquaponics project has been funded in Trinidad, it's great another island nation is jumping on board. But I wanted to discuss semantics. What do you think looks better, $.5 million or $500,000? Intuitively I know it's the same, but there's something about seeing the decimal which makes me think it's smaller than if we saw all those zeros.

Stateside the biggest news of the last week comes from Houston...let me repeat, Houston!...has given the go ahead and favorable terms, for an aquaponics operation in an abandoned building. The company agrees to apply almost $5 million dollars into the project.

-Living architecture has reached new heights when towns like Traverse, the tart cherry capital of the world with 15,000 people, is considering green roof credits!

-In California's Napa Valley one of the country's most eco-friendly developments just got the green light.  They are calling it a "housing experiment", Napa Creek Village promises greener design (LEED platinum complete with green walls) and a path to home ownership via a rent-to-own mechanism!
 
-Oregon's state legislature is considering property tax credits for those who start urban agriculture operations.

-Up the coast a bit Vancouver will convert some of the caretaker houses for their parks system into food hubs, to plant gardens, share ideas on producing, preserving and preparing food and more. It seems they have been also used for art over the years, hopefully that continues as well.

-And this last story comes from a college. Cornell University now has a college level course, from which you get credits AND a permaculture certificate once you are done!

Urban foraging to mitigate hunger?

February is here and already there's been an uptick in GILA articles. Spring is around the corner...

A nice little lobbying piece in Crain's New York for the creation and protection of the greater Tri-State's regional "foodshed" in New York's Hudson valley. Every article trumpeting its importance raises the issue and awareness. Tying it to the safeguarding of water is genius!

-Other welcome developments, small cities considering green roof legislation and its applicability as when calculating "permeable surface" percentages.

-If you have a few moments, check out this Chris Reed interview about landscape architecture and the future of urban life.

-Grist poses a great question. "What if we connected the people most in need of healthy food with the expensive, nutrient-dense greens that just happen to be growing between the cracks in their driveways?" That sounds a lot better than "Can urban foraging actually feed poor people?"

-Next month Abu Dhabi will have a motley crew attending the two day 2015 Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA). Over 300 next generation agricultural solutions will be on display.

-The National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon is outlining a 20 year Master Plan for it's five-acre campus. It includes a food forest and aquaponic system. Looks like they already have a healing garden.

-Last, but not least for today is a paper assessing urban and peri-urban agriculture, particularly in Asia. A fascinating read, it has several great statistics. Like the fact that "70 percent of households in developing countries are engaged in some kind of farming and food production"!

ianScientist (Jan. 20, 2015) - By Dilrukshi Handunnetti - Irrigated urban croplands can improve global food security and play a larger role in densely populated and increasingly water scarce regions like South Asia, says a new study. Pay Drechsel, scientist at the Colombo-based International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and co-author of the study, published in Environmental Research Letters in November, says urban and peri-urban agricultural areas worldwide are larger than the total area under rice cultivation in South Asia. The paper recognizes a global trend of food production taking on an increasingly urban flavor, with an estimated 456 million hectares—an area about the size of the European Union—being under cultivation in and around the world’s cities, challenging the rural orientation of most agriculture research and development work. South and East Asia comprise 49 percent of urban irrigated croplands and 56 percent of the non-urban irrigated areas globally. These two regions account for 26 percent of urban rain-fed croplands and 22 percent of non-urban rain-fed croplands. Drechsel says, “The study documents that 70 percent of households in developing countries are engaged in some kind of farming and food production and challenges the notion that food production, far from being a rural phenomenon, is commonly occurring within cities.” The study says irrigation is more common on city farms than rural farms, intensifying water demands in sprawling urban zones. It further highlights how urban agriculture—particularly in South Asia—contributes to food security, puts marginal lands into productive use, assists in flood control, increases income opportunities for the poor and strengthens urban biodiversity. Drechsel says India is a good example of an urbanizing country which is already more peri-urban than rural. “Feeding the cities with food and water is changing the Indian agricultural landscape. There is more competition between urban and rural needs for water and there are strong urban markets but also significant pollution. Urban and peri-urban farming is operating in this interface,” he says. The study shows that three out of four cities surveyed in the global South were using wastewater for irrigation, predominately for local market sale and livelihood support. “For example, downstream of Hyderabad in India, the only available water for irrigation is the city’s wastewater which is only partially treated and used for the production of fodder grass and rice, supporting about 50,000 people.” A more recent study shows that in India, the conscious and safe use of wastewater could help irrigate an additional 1.1 million hectares. In Sri Lanka, Drechsel says, urbanization is most obvious in the island’s Western Province where urban farming is also receiving policy recognition as a means to support subsistence needs or as additional income source, mostly for women. The article can be found at: Thebo et al. (2014) Global Assessment of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture: Irrigated and Rainfed Croplands. ----- Source: SciDev.Net. Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff. Tags: Agriculture, India, South Asia, Sri Lanka, Urban Development, Water Resource Management RELATED STORIES FROM ASIAN SCIENTIST A Word To Young Physicists In Asia In a wide-ranging interview, Sir Anthony Leggett shares his thoughts on science education and the prospects for young physicists in Asia. Air Pollution Hits Crops More Than Climate Change Black carbon and ozone may have caused India more than US$5 billion in losses to wheat and rice crops. The Nature And Scope Of India’s Faculty Shortages According to Pushkar, the government of India is not fully cognizant of the nature and scope of faculty shortages in the country. Climate Change Threatens India’s Native Plants Even moderate climate change could have an impact on the native biodiversity of India, home to 11 percent of the world’s flora. Asia’s Invisible Women Farmers Technology support for farmers should address the needs of women, who provide more than half of the agricultural labor input in Asia. Addressing India’s Scientific Brain Drain India has taken measures to increase the pay of young researchers, but experts say this may not be enough to beat brain drain. More Stories Subscribe to our newsletter ADVERTISEMENT Subscribe to our newsletter Read more from Asian Scientist Magazine at: http://www.asianscientist.com/2015/01/features/farming-town/

 

Michigan State University offers free online urban agriculture course

Michigan State University has announced a new, free, online urban agriculture course which is part of their Food Knowledge Cloud. The course runs from November 3 to December 19.

Wisconsin wants more green roofs

-Last week plans for a potential urban farm in Battle Creek, Michigan, organized by several (eight, to be exact) churches, were potentially scuttled when neighbors complained that there would be too much traffic and a reduction in property values.
They were hoping the land would produce as much as 220,000 lbs of fruit and vegetables. The timing of this unfortunate disagreement is impeccable as Earth Island reports how cities across the US are struggling with how to amend its’ current laws and the disparate concerns of residents.

-Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources wanted Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's to install 5 million gallons of rain collecting capacity by the end of 2017. Last year, alone, the City did 4 million! So the DNR may raise it’s bar. Here’s your stat for the day, digging more deep tunnels to store wastewater “would cost between two and six times more per gallon of capacity than the various types of green infrastructure” and "This is our lowest-cost approach."
The ultimate goal? 740 million gallons' worth of storage capacity by 2035. The district estimates it will distribute $1.3 billion over the next 20 years in grants to its green infrastructure partners.

-One city council candidate in Ottawa is suggesting adopting a green roof policy. It could have happened earlier, but the delay comes from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. A change has to be made at the provincial level to allow Ottawa to change its’ own laws.  The article references Toronto’s green roof bylaw which has been fantastic. Being one of the first has its advantages. It also has its' disadvantages, as now people seem to realize that the bylaw's emphasis on 90% coverage within 2 years does not help the urban agriculture movement at all. As you know most food we eat are annuals. How (and when) will this be changed? Good question.

-Istanbul has rolled out it’s own green roof bus. It’s called the “Botobüs,” a combination of “botanic” and “bus”.

Green roof industry grows by 24% in 2012

Hot off the presses, according to green roof and green wall advocacy group, Green Roofs For Healthy Cities, the green roof industry grew by approximately 24% in 2012. Not as much as previous years, but growth in the industry means more green roofs...and that's a great thing for everyone.

-Horticultural therapy internship opportunities don't come around often, so when the opportunity arises you have to jump on them FAST! After your internship is done, who knows, you may be the next to create an award winning program like Horticulture for People with Disabilities in New Jersey have.

-I don't mean to make this post focused on metro New York, but one last thing. The green roof property tax abatement has run out, but City Council is investigating whether to renew it or offer something bigger and better.

-NY and Philly have had a friendly rivalry for a while, add the Green Angel Fund, an urban agriculture focused competition between two high schools, to the mix.

-The last two years have brought several insightful articles (exposés???) about Milwaukee's Sweet Water Organics, the pioneering aquaponics company. Unfortunately, it looks like they have closed up shop. It will be interesting who ends up taking control of their equipment and what sort of operation will rise from the rubble.

-Apps for urban agriculture have definitely picked up steam in the last six months.  Michigan State University Extension has been very kind to do a roundup of the very best, including those which can help you determine weeds, insects, and soil characteristics.

Big green roofs lead to a healthier life

I can make that statement, right? Tuesday's Metro  summarizes an extensive Canadian study by Health Canada which states living near a green space leads to a healthier life. A similar study in 2008 confirms this. So one could reasonably assume just living near a big green roof would have similar effects, right? Read the full story and let me know what you think.

-If you live in Michigan and would like a sweet aquaponics setup for a reasonable price, someone posted one last week on craiglist. Talk about a deal!

-Another aquaponics system might be on the market or the occupants of a co-op will be looking for a new place to stay because their aquaponic system may get them evicted. You know a family truly loves urban agriculture when they brush aside their co-op board and threaten to double-down by expanding to growing mushrooms! I hope cooler heads prevail, for we all know urban agriculture works in New York City apartments.

Urban agriculture bonanza

Urban agriculture is many things to many people. Frequently food is about social justice. From NY to San Francisco to Washington DC we have examples all within the last week, big and small, up high and low, demonstrating how food implores urbanites to act. 

More news:

-The City of Vancouver has joined a chorus of other cities changing their bylaws to allow more urban agriculture. Question to anyone out there, is it common for municipalities to have legislation caused by one plant (marijuana) prohibiting the sale of others (everything else)?

-Colorado has it’s first urban agriculture extension agent. Looks like he is the only urban agriculture extension agent  in North America so far!

-Remember this title: The State Of Urban Farming In The United States: Enhancing The Viability Of Small And Medium-Sized Commercial Urban Farms. A recently awarded $453,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will allow researchers at Penn State to study urban agriculture in fifteen cities. Can’t wait for the  findings. 

-Lastly, Rick Foster and Michigan State University are totally with me. I love this quote “Detroit ‘could be the research and innovation engine’ for urban agriculture around the world”. They are certainly dreaming big.

32 square foot green roof for $20,000

A 32 square foot green roof for $20,000??? Yes, you heard right.. No one can argue that this is a good thing, educationally, and that the tiny green roof provides minimal environmental impact (the officials was smart to say that right away)...but in a time where economic austerity is sweeping the continent, that money could certainly have been used for another green roof projects with greater educational and environmental reach.

-PRI Cold Climate is looking for individuals and/or design teams to create a self-sustaining system for growing annual or perennial food crops in cold climates. Deadline for registration is January 6!

-Ahhh...now I understand why Michigan's Right to Farm Act and the City of Detroit seeking an exemption from it to allow urban agriculture, was such a big deal. At least, I think that I understand. Some have fears that "nuisance odors, traffic and similar issues" would be hard to control. However the Michigan Agriculture Commission approved amendments Wednesday to state farm regulations, so we'll see how things turn out.

New contender for biggest green wall + 365 Days of Green in...

...Jersey City?. Believe it. Energy audits for 25 municipal buildings and creating two hydroponic greenhouses which will provide job-training and educational opportunities and more.

-There's a new contender for biggest green wall, some say the biggest in Asia, some reports say the biggest in the world. I've looked far and wide for pictures, none have surfaced yet. When I track some down, I'll be sure to post them!

In the midwest, urban farmers in in Michigan have won the USDA's small farmers of the year and Minneapolis has expanded its urban farming regulations.