Quezon City signs incentives for green roofs and green walls

 
Quezon City, the Philippines largest city, recently approved tax discounts for residential, industrial or commercial buildings which install green roof or green walls! This makes it the first, and only municipality on Earth, to offer incentives for both green technologies!

Last week was filled with so many big news stories...

-In Montreal an organic farming initiative was launched to cultivate vacant land. The hope is by 2019 to have an operation "the size of 55 football fields"!

-Across the province in Quebec City the first rooftop farm on a homeless shelter began it's growing season. It will supply about 1/3 of its growing needs.

-In Wisconsin, the Aquaponics Innovation Center opened last week. With the help of $677,000 in federal funding, the "center will provide education and resources for economic and workforce development". If you're really interested in a career in aquaponics as a career, have a peek at this new job site.

-Yesterday was National Permaculture Day in Australia. I'll have a roundup later in the week on the best activities in Oz.

-A new agrihood is sprouting up in North Carolina on 230 acres of functioning farmland. The developers envision educational events for students, in addition to the working community farm.

-The vertical farming sector is growing every day. However for most people some of the most basic facts are hard to find out. For instance, how big is vertical farming or indoor farming worldwide? In China, according to one researcher, they grow 25% of their food indoors already!
How much does it cost to start a vertical farming operation? In South Korea at least we know it's roughly 10 times the cost of a standard, glass greenhouse.

Experimental GILA projects in Asia

Some experimental systems and projects to watch over the coming year as Malta and India experiment with aquaponics (the later to up farming's "cool factor". Kuwait is trying its hand at urban farming as well.

It looks like the water folks are slowly moving towards green infrastructure at the same time that green roof folks are migrating there as well. In late July, North Carolina is having a green infrastructure talk during their water symposium.  

The giant urban greenhouse just keep coming

It has become quite clear that Bright Farms has its eye on establishing itself in urban locations across the US, not just in one particular region. They are entrenched in the Midwest and have their first building in DC going up soon.

-I need to confirm this, but Randolph Community College in North Carolina may be the first school in the South to run an aquaponics course.
 

-In Malaysia the Agriculture minister believes about 20 percent of city dwellers will take up urban agriculture with the aid of technological advances and government help in the form of seedlings, fertilizer, training and guidance.

-We've seen how aquaponics is sweeping the Caribbean, the same can be said for permaculture in general.

-Food forests have begun to spring up across North America. An off shoot of this phenomenon? How about an urban rare apple orchard.

rld face hunger everyday and Randolph Community College is teaching its students a new and sustainable way to combat starvation.
Randolph Community College science lab facilitator Kevin Jones is using a fish tank and plants to teach students a new way of sustainable farming known as Aquaponics: a combination of breeding fish and using their waste to feed plants without soil.
"It's a re-circulating system,” Jones said.
The idea behindthe system is to create an automated system so growers can focus more on harvesting and less time on maintenance.
“You don't need a lot of land. You don't need soil, there's no fertilizer, no pesticides. [It is] more natural, it uses 10 percent less water than a traditional farm would,” Jones said.
The World Food Programme said about 840 million people worldwide don't have enough food to eat.
“There are those who are using this right now on mission projects such as Haiti. There are medical missions that try to establish sustainable food sources for communities in third world countries," Jones said.
Sophomore biology major Joseph Vanbencoten said Aquaponics should reach beyond the classroom.
"It's not just a greenhouse for the school, give a basis for people to do out in the own world, to help do a sustaining garden and they can produce their own food, be organic, healthy,” said Vanbencoten.
It is a farming practice which may change how people around the world grow and collect their food.
To get started, people only need a small aquarium, some gold fish, and just a few plants.
- See more at: http://centralnc.twcnews.com/content/news/triad/707921/randolph-community-college-teaches-sustainable-farming#sthash.f2MDJYr2.dpuf

rld face hunger everyday and Randolph Community College is teaching its students a new and sustainable way to combat starvation.
Randolph Community College science lab facilitator Kevin Jones is using a fish tank and plants to teach students a new way of sustainable farming known as Aquaponics: a combination of breeding fish and using their waste to feed plants without soil.
"It's a re-circulating system,” Jones said.
The idea behindthe system is to create an automated system so growers can focus more on harvesting and less time on maintenance.
“You don't need a lot of land. You don't need soil, there's no fertilizer, no pesticides. [It is] more natural, it uses 10 percent less water than a traditional farm would,” Jones said.
The World Food Programme said about 840 million people worldwide don't have enough food to eat.
“There are those who are using this right now on mission projects such as Haiti. There are medical missions that try to establish sustainable food sources for communities in third world countries," Jones said.
Sophomore biology major Joseph Vanbencoten said Aquaponics should reach beyond the classroom.
"It's not just a greenhouse for the school, give a basis for people to do out in the own world, to help do a sustaining garden and they can produce their own food, be organic, healthy,” said Vanbencoten.
It is a farming practice which may change how people around the world grow and collect their food.
To get started, people only need a small aquarium, some gold fish, and just a few plants.
- See more at: http://centralnc.twcnews.com/content/news/triad/707921/randolph-community-college-teaches-sustainable-farming#sthash.f2MDJYr2.dpuf

-This is not about living architecture at all, but I wanted to pass along a fantastic opportunity for those living in Canada. This summer youth can spend time in Ghana, Tanzania, or Costa Rica on a Turtle Conservation Project and have their airfare taken care of!

The Farmery - an urban farm featuring aquaponics and more

Last year a colleague introduced me to The Farmery. A duo from North Carolina is trying to solve a big problem facing urban farmers: lack of supply. In a clever reuse of old shipping containers, they have mushrooms growing inside and plants growing outside.   But there's more, room for the farmer to sell their produce and the wares of others. They are hoping with a successful Kickstarter campaign to build their third prototype.

Check them out!

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.

More green roof and green wall incentives on the way?

-Some state senators in North Carolina are trying their hardest to make a big splash. And it would indeed be a big splash if the lawmakers agreed to offer a 75% tax credit for the installation of green roofs.

-With the Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme Singapore now offers cash incentives of up to half the cost of installation of green roofs AND green external walls for existing buildings.

-Clients of a homeless shelter Squamish, British Columbia, will be putting together four raised garden boxes and cold-frame hoophouses in a vacant parking lot so they can enjoy some veggies throughout the year.