-Urban foraging has come a long ways, from back in the day when it wasn't permitted because it just wasn't. And then officials let folks forage for decades because most residents weren't into it. Now in places like Toronto the tide has turned, with foodies and chefs on the prowl and overforaging, officials are hoping to stop foraging before it gets out of hand.
Look up, people, there are always tons of mulberries on city streets!
-Quezon City supports urban agriculture. How much? The vice-mayor advocates for it!
-Open-source farming....data-driven agriculture. The term most likely to catch on is "personal food computer". At least, that's what I think!
through
her campaign “The Joy of Urban Planning” which started in 2010 --
advocates the development of green thumbs among city dwellers.
Right in the Quezon Memorial Circle are rows and rows of vegetables planted in a 1,500 square-meter area.
“Quezon City is lucky that places, especially in Fairview and Novaliches, still have a province-like ambiance. We have organic piggeries and chicken farms. As long as you’re not near streets, even if you’re at the slumps, you can grow organic produce,” said Ms. Belmonte.
She credits Mayor Herbert Bautista because “he started it in 2010 [with a program] called Halamanan sa Bakuran (Backyard Gardening), I only continued and grew it. This is the most well-funded in all of my projects because I really believe in it.”
HOW VIABLE IS URBAN FARMING?
“When I started the program, the problem was the mind-set that farming isn’t compatible in the city. It’s all in the mind-set. You can do vertical garden or start with small containers,” said Ms. Belmonte.
She said residents, like senior citizens who find it therapeutic, are interested in organic farming. “They write us a letter, we check if they are sincere and check their space. We give them farming materials, the soil they need, and unlimited seminars. We assign an agriculturalist and a provide greenhouse,” she said.
The city currently has 68 farms of various sizes found in barangays, public elementary schools, daycare centers, parishes, and nongovernment organizations. The city works with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, which provide financial grants.
But even if city farmers fail to bring their items to market, urban farming is still a win-win situation.
“If they don’t produce [enough] for selling, as long as they can eat their products to decrease the issue of malnutrition, it’s already a triumph,” said Ms. Belmonte.
Urban farming can also be a matter of self-suffiency, especially when calamity strikes. “We still rely on the provinces to deliver our food. [The produce is delivered by] carbon-emitting vehicles that only add to climate change.”
- See more at: http://www.bworldonline.com/weekender/content.php?id=112163#sthash.twQAEZOT.
Right in the Quezon Memorial Circle are rows and rows of vegetables planted in a 1,500 square-meter area.
“Quezon City is lucky that places, especially in Fairview and Novaliches, still have a province-like ambiance. We have organic piggeries and chicken farms. As long as you’re not near streets, even if you’re at the slumps, you can grow organic produce,” said Ms. Belmonte.
She credits Mayor Herbert Bautista because “he started it in 2010 [with a program] called Halamanan sa Bakuran (Backyard Gardening), I only continued and grew it. This is the most well-funded in all of my projects because I really believe in it.”
HOW VIABLE IS URBAN FARMING?
“When I started the program, the problem was the mind-set that farming isn’t compatible in the city. It’s all in the mind-set. You can do vertical garden or start with small containers,” said Ms. Belmonte.
She said residents, like senior citizens who find it therapeutic, are interested in organic farming. “They write us a letter, we check if they are sincere and check their space. We give them farming materials, the soil they need, and unlimited seminars. We assign an agriculturalist and a provide greenhouse,” she said.
The city currently has 68 farms of various sizes found in barangays, public elementary schools, daycare centers, parishes, and nongovernment organizations. The city works with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, which provide financial grants.
But even if city farmers fail to bring their items to market, urban farming is still a win-win situation.
“If they don’t produce [enough] for selling, as long as they can eat their products to decrease the issue of malnutrition, it’s already a triumph,” said Ms. Belmonte.
Urban farming can also be a matter of self-suffiency, especially when calamity strikes. “We still rely on the provinces to deliver our food. [The produce is delivered by] carbon-emitting vehicles that only add to climate change.”
- See more at: http://www.bworldonline.com/weekender/content.php?id=112163#sthash.twQAEZOT.
