Guelph and Kansas City get food forests

On Saturday temperatures hovering at freezing couldn't keep people away from the first round of planting for Guelph, Ontario's first food forest. It was cold, but worth it...

  
The concept is sweeping North America and it says a lot when cities with 125,000 residents dedicate 27,000 square feet and join the movement.

Congrats to Kansas City as well, a 10,000 square foot food forest is being planted there, the second in the city. One question for the permaculture enthusiasts out there. Any thoughts for how big a permaculture garden has to be in order to be labelled a food forest? Does it matter? An article from February says there are 50, perhaps 100, food forests in North America. I've only heard of about 25, quick, someone make a list!

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/living/home-garden/article76738647.html#storylink=cpy

Singapore's supertrees

Last week Philadelphia's city council introduced resolutions calling for the expansion of urban and vertical farming. What that means is still unclear, does anyone know what happens next in this process?

The grand opening of Europe's largest urban farm, capable of churning out 45 tons of vegetables and 19 tons of fish, May 20. The founding company is expanding to the US, they hope to open 10 sites in the New York Tri-State area. 2016 will be an interesting year rooftop farming!

-The USDA announced a urban agriculture toolkit for aspiring urban farmers. Wow!

-A $6.5 million dollar private-public partnership in New Mexico will create 14 permanent jobs and another 35 construction jobs to build an urban aquaponic system capable of feeding 16,000 people. And the micro-algae which grows as well will be supplied to another company to produce omega-3 nutritional supplements!

-Hamilton, Ontario's first legal marijuana production facility is capable of producing 2,700 kilograms per year.  And because it's marijuana, they have bank level security.

-This is really fantastic. Vacant lots in Germany are being turned into public gardens and I mean truly public. Anyone can, even tourists, can pick a tomato or two.

-Did you know in the UK sustainable drainage systems (like water retention ponds, green roofs, permeable paving) for all new developments is now the rule? Perhaps we should look to places like Singapore for the next wave in water usage. Faced with tremendous constraints, they have innovated unlike any other place. Two desaslination plants produce a quarter of the city's needs. And wastewater is being reused in all sorts of fantastic ways. Check out these super trees:

The Great Green Wall gets creative

 

Africa's Great Green Wall has thankfully received more attention as of late. Branding is always helpful for selling products and programs, it's wonderful to see what these students created, like the poster above, to publicize the campaign.

-As many of you know, China is attempting their own green wall, affectionately called "the Green Wall of China", to hold back desertification. And they've done a lot, 66 billion trees planted since 1978. The problem? Fast-growing and thirsty, non-native species were planted making things worse! And they were all cuttings, meaning they are all dying at the same time. Encroaching deserts threaten 400 million people in total with poor agricultural land, water shortages and air pollution from giant sandstorms. Officials are even worried about civil unrest. If you have a chance, read the story.

-Aquaponics and marijuana are two of the hottest trends in agriculture. What happens when you combine the two? I'm predicting really big things for this Hamilton, Ontario outfit.

-Building owners in Geelong, an hour long drive south from Melbourne, Australia, have a chance to win $10,000 for their green roof. If you live there, throw your hat in the ring!

-A design competition in Italy has yielded some fantastic renderings and further interest from local cities to make a combination pre-school/urban farm.

-Two weeks ago France banned supermarket waste, this means companies must find other ways to dispose of their food. Hopefully they won't dispose of it, but it becomes another revenue stream if they sell it to supermarkets, which exist in Denmark, which only sell second hand food.

The second design meeting for Guelph's food forest

Last night was design meeting #2 for the Guelph food forest. A nice turnout despite the driving rain, gale force winds and temps flirting with freezing. Three designs were created composites of the original six designs (picture number four). Participants split into groups to discuss what they liked and did not like about the designs and which one they like the most. It seemed to be a tie between picture number 1 and 3.
What's your opinion?
The next meeting should be after the new year, stay tuned!

Food forest community meeting in Guelph - October 22

If you're in or around the area and interested in becoming part of the process, on October 22 from 7-9 pm stop by Jean Little Public School. Led by the City of Guelph and with the support of the immediate local community around the site (University Village Park) and the broader Guelph community, this is a unique opportunity! There are perhaps only 10 food forests in North America  and very few in small communities, be there or be square!

GILA Word of the Week (part 2) - Green infrastructure bank

Ontario is set to become the first jurisdiction to put a limit on the use of neonics, a class of agricultural insecticides blamed for the reduction in bee numbers. This article, in particular, is a head scratcher. It's not simply "farmers" vs "the government", other groups like nurses and doctors have called for a ban for a while.

-Chicago is trying to address food deserts by outfitting buses and bring produce to the articles most in need.

-The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization estimates it would only cost $160 per person to eliminate hunger.

-Rhode Island may get an Infrastructure Bank soon. It's Clean Water Finance Agency may expand what it's already doing (making loans to cities and towns for sewer projects and other clean water infrastructure) and is already thinking beyond that. It just added roads and bridges to its portfolio and may finance all kinds of green infrastructure improvements, meaning everything from stormwater infrastructure to energy retrofits for buildings. The article states "the new green infrastructure bank would make giant loans – in some cases 'a half a million dollars or higher' for massive energy overhauls of public buildings."
How about green roofs as well?

-Oregon has been very supportive of urban agriculture. Now they will even allow you to grow marijuana (four plants) in your backyard, since it is now legal.

-For folks interested in (or in the middle of) an urban agriculture business a grad student has several models for success.

-Could the future of farming be underwater? If nothing else, we now know seaweed is a useful additive to green roof substrate. Perhaps it is to regular soil as well?

The big question...will food one day be a government regulated industry?!

In New York a few organizations have banded together to establish a rather large shade food forest. Stay tuned, this is definitely a first for that area.

-Here's an awesome infographic detailing the major ways buildings can grow food.

-It was just last week I was writing about agrihoods, here's one in Chicago in the works. 

-A number of people are drawn to aquaponics because it offers self-sufficiency. Two brothers hope that one day every Native American tribe will have their own operation.

-I was reading an article about how vertical farming have yet to take off in New York City, despite the best efforts of many enthusiasts. One entrepreneur thinks things could heat up as urban agriculture systems become embraced as amenities.
For me there a few things which are hard to square. If food is essential why is it so lightly regulated? One day, could we see food be more closely regulated, since so much of our food is made up of a regulated resource...water. With California experiencing droughts, will politicians there (maybe in 10 years???) and in other drought stricken locations advise, then perhaps incentivize, farmers to grow certain water friendly crops? Will home owners battle farmers for the rights to water and how they can use it?
Will the government one day be responsible for growing food for everyone...and locally?


Speaking of land battles, here's one happening today in Ontario as farmers disagree with conservationists about the use of an urban park.

New spaces (and places) for living architecture

Spring has exploded and so has the big living architecture news across North America.

BrightFarms, known for its rooftop greenhouses in hyper urban settings, is the first of the frontrunners to open a location in America's heartland, Kansas City. Does this mean it's ready to take on the established hydroponics industry? We may look back at this week as a turning point in the hydroponics industry.

-While the BrightFarms behemoth is getting off the ground, school kids in Dallas are in the midst of creating their own youth lead urban farm operation. 

-The aquaponics field had it's own huge announcement, as a 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art production facility will be producing medical marijuana. Early projections suggest first year sales of $25 million with a market valuation in excess of $500 million!!!

-It just recently came to my attention, but in 2013 Wal-Mart produced their green roof case study, profiling a store in Chicago and the massive benefits it has enjoyed. If Wal-Mart gets behind green roofs, like they did organics...watch out world!

Last, but not least. If you have a little time on your hands check out this well-researched article on the botanical diversity of our cities.

A closer look at vertical and rooftop farming leaders

Even if you're new to the vertical and rooftop farming industry you know the major players spend their time heads-down trying to produce food, not on the radio, TV or in the papers touting what they do. That's why it's nice to see, over the last 6 weeks or so, some longer articles and audio on some of the pioneers, Lufa Farms, Alterrus and FarmedHere.

-In general I believe the more green the better. But when it comes to a place like Abu Dhabi, I would love to see this proposed lush 19,000 square foot green roof become something more climate relevant, like a xerogarden. With deck chairs and umbrellas too, perhaps?

-In Uganda one enthusiast is trying the simplest materials possible to make an aquaponics system, included in his list of components are an old fridge, water and perfume bottles.

-Another innovator in Canada, this one 16 years old, has invented his own green wall system and turned it into a educational opportunity for children.

-Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been involved in some inspiring projects over the years, recently they've been involved in developing a curriculum to accompany the farm based at a suburban Vancouver school.

Aquaponics, 3D printing and University of Waterloo Aquaponics Symposium

For you true aquaponics fiends, I am happy to share with you the next level of system customization, 3D printing. Tapped by many to be the next big rage, applicable for everything from cars to Mars (bases), it makes perfect sense for crafting the perfect part for your aquaponics system.
See what this enthusiast did!

-If you're in Southern Ontario there are a few days left to register for an aquaponics symposium at the University of Waterloo. They are working hard at building their own system and helping to create a foundation for an aquaponics movement in southern Ontario and northern New York.

GILA (green infrastructure, living architecture) word of the week: bioadaptive façade

-Still stuck in the "looks good on paper phase", bioadaptive façade, building surfaces that could, say, produce heat harvested from the photosynthesis process of micro-algae, sound like a great idea.
The first building of its kind is scheduled to open in Germany next year.

-A new website debuted recently called The Growing Map. It's aim is to make a more interactive, comprehensive visual map of living architecture projects around the world. Of course they need your submissions and support to make it work.

-A couple of weeks ago I was at the School for Social Entrepreneurs - Ontario to chat about verticiel Inc. and its past, present and future.  There are a few folks working hard on living architecture initiatives, don't think I can publicize their ventures yet, but when the time is right I will definitely give them some space.

-Projects which analyze Urban Ecology, such as the ULTRA-Ex (Urban Long-Term Research Areas: Exploratory), are more important than ever as cities "launch efforts to slash carbon emissions, reduce water use and improve habitats". How will urban agriculture projects and programs affect the urban landscape as whole? One particular project in Cleveland is investigating the effects of building urban farms on unoccupied lots. Preliminary research has shown that the gardens develop ants and pest-killing microbes over time, meaning the gardens can start out and remain organic.

-Last one for today is a draft recommended for public review by the ASPE (American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association and American Society of Plumbing Engineers) Main Design Standards Committee. The goal is to develop a standard to assist stakeholders (builders, developers, engineers, designers, plumbers) in safely implementing a rainwater catchment system.
After having a look, you can have your say!

A community cannery guidebook

Slowly, but surely the numbers of folks reading the blog is increasing. Is it the writing or the weather? Either way, it sounds good to me.

-Toronto's West End Food Co-op released a community cannery guidebook, Canada's first and when I get my hands on it, I'll let you know if it's the best as well.

-Also out last week was a report which illuminates the canyon between rules and reality for farm workers in the USA. That children as young as 12 are legally allowed to farm, although it's one of the most dangerous occupations!

A quick continental farming roundup...if you're in Buffalo 2 hours a week gets you free vegetables at Coldspringfarm. In Vancouver you'll need to join a waiting list, unless a garden comes with your condo unit. In Toronto I've been made aware that shares are available at a newish CSA called Plowshare Farm. Those in Guelph and Orangeville can join in the fun!

A very shady green roof

Pictures from a green roof we installed near the Georgian Bay. I think it's the first green roof designed specifically for the shade in Ontario...and definitely this zone! We got to try out a few cool new plants, including woodland strawberries! Yum!!!

New certificates, Sustainable Urban Agriculture and Local food

Let's kick it off with a nice green wall from Vancouver at the Sheraton.



Will definitely have to check that out later in the year during a break at the Cities Alive.

-Chicago and all of North America, have come so far, but so many opportunities still!

-The University of Guelph announced a new Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certificate which kicks of September 2010. Learn things like how to convert degraded urban green space into functioning ecological areas and more. Or if you like, give St. Lawrence College's part time, online sustainable local food certificate a try!

-Oh yes, and the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development is looking for contributors. It's a NEW online, international, peer-reviewed journal focused on applied research and best practices in the development of thriving farming communities and sustainable food systems. Peer reviewers include development practitioners, organization and agency staff, faculty, graduate students, consultants, and farmers from around the world with expertise in a wide range of agriculture and food-systems issues as they relate to community, ecological sustainability, and economic development. JAFSCD is online at www.AgDevJournal.com.

Authors are invited to submit articles on Best Practices in Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Development and may address topics such as:

Urban livestock management and regulation
Urban market gardening and backyard gardening
Aquaculture and hydroponics
Marketing and value-adding
Waste management and reuse
Urban farming by immigrant or other special populations
Farming on the fringe.

Toronto's urban food strategy

Forgot to post this earlier, Sustain Ontario breaks down the Toronto Board of Health's endorsement of the report, “Food Connections: Toward a Healthy and Sustainable Food System for Toronto.” What's most impressive to me is that outlining strategies to deal with issues like school food and food literacy are waaaaay beyond what most other big, North American cities are even entertaining. A tip of the cap to the Big Smoke!

Ontario Volunteers needed: Guelph Organic Conference, January 28-31, 2010

Some volunteer opportunities are available for interested folks in Ontario.
Click on "Volunteers Needed Now" and all the info's at your fingertips. Also you can contact Kerry Brookes, volunteer co-ordinator, at kbok at sympatico dot ca for more. If you're in Toronto, word has it there are buses during the conference to get you out to the proceedings.