You need 34 city lots to sustain an urban agriculture business

How would you like to have one of these on your block?

Here's a tree which grows 40 different kinds of fruit. Wouldn't it be great if city trees were grafted to produce fruit. And not via the Guerilla Grafters?

-No doubt the information is out there, however it's great to see the Michigan State University Extension post information illuminating the financial stress of farming. And for urban farmers this particular fact is sobering: "The single farmer would need to accumulate and manage approximately 34 city lots, to achieve scale that has the potential reach the poverty threshold." Wow!

-Of course all municipalities need money to operate. It's a bit sad when "user fees" are applied to accessing your local community garden. After reading this story I was naturally thinking about
the "paying for things" and we've seen many municipalities support growing vegetables and herbs on lawns, while others are not so keen. So when I read this headline I immediately thought "How disappointing is that, a woman is giving a citation for doing horticultural therapy?" But it's the good kind of citation.

-I love the alliteration of this new offering from an aquaponics operation: "salad subscription".

GILA word of the week: Personal Food Computer

There's only one eco-village in Cameroon and it's called the Ndanifor Permaculture Eco-village. Here's a little about their unique story.

-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.

Agriburbia in Missouri

If you know foraging, you know Wildman Steve Brill. Rarely do we get background on his life, here's a little bit. And check out his old school website!

-Remember that urban farm in Vancouver which shut down and then was taken over by a company to possibly grow marijuana?  Business in Vancouver has an update on the situation

-Agriburbia hits Columbia, Missouri with the construction of a new housing development with an urban farm as it's focal point.

-If you're an urban farmer in Baltimore, rejoice, there's a new 90% property tax break for urban farmers!

-Sydney, Australia is getting an urban farm. The Daily Telegraph doesn't like that at all!

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/

 

Urban foraging...in your grocery store

Those mushrooms you picked up for dinner tonight, might not be exactly what you thought and might be a revelation to science: a brand new species!

Sturgeon in aquaponics + horticultural therapy in South Korea

The aquaponics industry is still relatively new, we don't know which plants and animals will prosper. That's why it's encouraging to see new experimentation with new flora and fauna. Last week
Vancouver Island University's Nanaimo campus unveiled a demonstration aquaponics system featuring sturgeon. Will using a cold water fish help drives prices down, as it would take less energy to heat the tanks? Stay tuned.

-If you'll allow me to take a quick detour from the regular proceedings, I just have to highlight Vox's amazing "40 maps which explain America and its relationship to food".

-Last week gave me another first. It's the first time I've seen horticultural therapy mentioned in southeast Asia. I figured that there were programs there, but often trends in North America are given different names and no one knows what's going on until the dots are connected. In Seoul it appears horticultural therapy is called "professional garden therapy".
By the way, the new American horticultural therapy journal is now in print.

-The folks at Falling Fruit are chugging along with their tremendously useful worldwide foraging guide...the database has grown a lot since we last checked in. There are now over 500,000 sites listed!
Milwaukee can add a few trees to the website as Growing Power got a 4,000 fruit tree donation to spread among vacant city lots.

-Santa Fe Community College has become the first institution to offer an accredited rainwater harvesting course.

-San Francisco has a new Urban Agriculture Incentive Zone Ordinance that will allow land owners to take advantage of a property tax break when they allow a parcel of land to be used for agriculture and educational purposes. Wow! This could go a long way to literally changing San Francisco's landscape as program participants must "guarantee the land will stay in agricultural use only (it can’t be on land with a house for example) for at least 10 years".

-This is turning into an epic post! How about a little permaculture news? One of the first Greek permaculture design course is taking place right now. And if you would like to live the permaculture experience a 100 acres Chinese permaculture community is looking for practitioners and community members.

-Last but not least is exciting news that two Johannesburg academics have started a multi-stakeholder engagement project that hopes to create opportunities for urban agriculture. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Deputy Minister recently said the sector could create 1 million jobs over the next 16 years, perhaps this will be the model for future urban agriculture projects.

HTA members will continue to receive digital versions of the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture at no cost as a member benefit; however, those who prefer to read JTH as a printed document now have the ability to purchase a print version of the publication. The current edition is already available. This change in publishing policy is the direct result of feedback received during 2013's Membership Satisfaction survey.
AHTA members, as well as non-members, may now purchase a printed version of JTH through Amazon or Createspace, which is a publishing arm of Amazon. AHTA members may order the printed Journal at a significant discount (up to 90%) when they use Createspace.com through use of a promotional code. The promotional code can be found on the AHTA Members' Welcome page.
At present, AHTA is only able to offer the latest edition of the Journal through Createspace; however print editions of JTH are still available through AHTA for most years between 1996 and 2010. These Journals are also still available via the online ordering system found on the Publications page on the AHTA website.
The cost for purchasing a print edition of  JTH is $25.00 per issue for non-members. Members are able to purchase printed editions at cost, which will fluctuate based on the number of pages per issue but is expected to be approximately $5.00 (plus shipping) per edition.
To order a printed copy of the current issue of the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, visit the AHTA Members' Welcome page to access the Member Discount Code. Log on to www.createspace.com; click the Site dropdown and select Store. Enter 'AHTA' in the Search field and the current issue will be available. The AHTA discounted price will not appear until you checkout using the Members Only code. Once the purchase is completed, the issue will be mailed to you within 8-10 days. While the Journal is also available on Amazon.com, the “Members Only” discount cannot be used on that site. The discount is only available on the CreateSpace.com site.
For more inform
- See more at: http://ahta.org/news/journal-therapeutic-horticulture-now-available-print#sthash.Izaf0Xlc.dpuf

t is among the oldest living species on the planet, but researchers say sturgeon may be a key to future food security.
International Centre for Sturgeon Studies staff members unveiled a demonstration aquaponics system at Vancouver Island University's Nanaimo campus Friday.
It's a variation of hydroponic, or water-borne, growing that replaces chemical fertilizers with fish waste to nourish plants.
At VIU healthy chives, Swiss chard, lettuce, basil, cress and even quinoa grow on waste water from tanks containing the 250-million-year-old, living dinosaurs.
Visitors dined on a lunch of salads from the vegetables, served alongside grilled sturgeon steaks - all grown from the same system.
"This is the first time anybody has combined sturgeon, a coolwater fish, with aquaponics on this scale," said Don Tillapaugh, centre director.
The system provides a more immediate return on investment after someone pours money into a commercial fish farming (aquaculture) operation, boosting an investor's cash flow.
Tiny microbes release nutrients for plants to easily absorb.
"Studies have shown plants can grow up to 30 per cent faster, as compared to hydroponics."
"In aquaculture, it takes two to three years. .. where you don't have any cash flow. With aquaponics, you can get a head of lettuce in three weeks."
The goal now is to move toward commercial food production.
The VIU program, in existence since 1979, is reaching out to its extensive network of industry contacts.
"The project is to develop scientific information to allow entrepreneurs to decide whether sturgeon farming or aquaponics is a business for them," Tillapaugh said. "It's about food production, not fish production."
DBellaart@nanaimodailyn
- See more at: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/viu-researchers-say-sturgeon-could-hold-the-key-to-future-food-security-in-the-world-1.1129681#sthash.t9PIxH3V.dpuf

t is among the oldest living species on the planet, but researchers say sturgeon may be a key to future food security.
International Centre for Sturgeon Studies staff members unveiled a demonstration aquaponics system at Vancouver Island University's Nanaimo campus Friday.
It's a variation of hydroponic, or water-borne, growing that replaces chemical fertilizers with fish waste to nourish plants.
At VIU healthy chives, Swiss chard, lettuce, basil, cress and even quinoa grow on waste water from tanks containing the 250-million-year-old, living dinosaurs.
Visitors dined on a lunch of salads from the vegetables, served alongside grilled sturgeon steaks - all grown from the same system.
"This is the first time anybody has combined sturgeon, a coolwater fish, with aquaponics on this scale," said Don Tillapaugh, centre director.
The system provides a more immediate return on investment after someone pours money into a commercial fish farming (aquaculture) operation, boosting an investor's cash flow.
Tiny microbes release nutrients for plants to easily absorb.
"Studies have shown plants can grow up to 30 per cent faster, as compared to hydroponics."
"In aquaculture, it takes two to three years. .. where you don't have any cash flow. With aquaponics, you can get a head of lettuce in three weeks."
The goal now is to move toward commercial food production.
The VIU program, in existence since 1979, is reaching out to its extensive network of industry contacts.
"The project is to develop scientific information to allow entrepreneurs to decide whether sturgeon farming or aquaponics is a business for them," Tillapaugh said. "It's about food production, not fish production."
DBellaart@nanaimodailyn
- See more at: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/viu-researchers-say-sturgeon-could-hold-the-key-to-future-food-security-in-the-world-1.1129681#sthash.t9PIxH3V.dpuf

t is among the oldest living species on the planet, but researchers say sturgeon may be a key to future food security.
International Centre for Sturgeon Studies staff members unveiled a demonstration aquaponics system at Vancouver Island University's Nanaimo campus Friday.
It's a variation of hydroponic, or water-borne, growing that replaces chemical fertilizers with fish waste to nourish plants.
At VIU healthy chives, Swiss chard, lettuce, basil, cress and even quinoa grow on waste water from tanks containing the 250-million-year-old, living dinosaurs.
Visitors dined on a lunch of salads from the vegetables, served alongside grilled sturgeon steaks - all grown from the same system.
"This is the first time anybody has combined sturgeon, a coolwater fish, with aquaponics on this scale," said Don Tillapaugh, centre director.
The system provides a more immediate return on investment after someone pours money into a commercial fish farming (aquaculture) operation, boosting an investor's cash flow.
Tiny microbes release nutrients for plants to easily absorb.
"Studies have shown plants can grow up to 30 per cent faster, as compared to hydroponics."
"In aquaculture, it takes two to three years. .. where you don't have any cash flow. With aquaponics, you can get a head of lettuce in three weeks."
The goal now is to move toward commercial food production.
The VIU program, in existence since 1979, is reaching out to its extensive network of industry contacts.
"The project is to develop scientific information to allow entrepreneurs to decide whether sturgeon farming or aquaponics is a business for them," Tillapaugh said. "It's about food production, not fish production."
DBellaart@nanaimodailyn
- See more at: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/viu-researchers-say-sturgeon-could-hold-the-key-to-future-food-security-in-the-world-1.1129681#sthash.t9PIxH3V.dpuf

Foraging season begins

If you're a permaculture enthusiast in or near Belgium, (here's looking at all of you urban agriculture folks in the Netherlands) later this month is your chance to be part of the very first permaculture "teach the teacher" course.

-Urban agriculture proponents have plenty of reasons to champion their cause. One of the most profound is how reconnecting to the earth can literally change lives.

-With most of North America enveloped in warm weather for the last month, urban foraging season is upon us. Take a look at some recent foraging excursions in Washington DC and  Toronto.

-In "The Big Smoke" earlier this week the Toronto Food Policy Council released a new report which details how over 60 goverments use food systems for a slew of purposes, from generating economic development to engaging communities.

GILA word of the week: Fruit activist

Whether you consider the installation and care of fruit trees as “art”, is another matter, but more fruit trees in the world, especially on city streets, is definitely a good thing.

-Well, that didn’t take long. Several parties are interested in what remains of the Sweet Water Organics facility, including some former employees and local professors and entrepreneurs. Their complete proposal hasn’t been released yet, however it includes a commercial kitchen which can serve the fish and vegetables processed in the adjoining facilities.

-In September I posted a story about an aquaponics operation in Abu Dhabi. The facility was quietly kept under wraps until it was up and running and very little information about the people behind the idea was ever released. This is the first article I have seen which talks about the manager and driving force behind the project, Jabber Al Mazroui. They even have been able to grow watermelon!

-Whenever I give a talk about living walls I reference on of the most well-known examples, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Now it seems the gardens were never in Babylon, but 300 miles further north in Ninevah.

Urban agriculture + green infrastructure = a new term...Edible Infrastructure!

The urban agriculture movement has taken a strong hold in Hong Kong, so much so we have globe trotting videographers stopping in to check out what's going on.


A Tale of Two Rooftops from The Perennial Plate on Vimeo.


California's first public orchard opened last week in Los Angeles. Fallen Fruit was heavily involved in bringing the project together. The article lists New York, Boston and Madrid as other cities experimenting with edible landscaping. Don't forget Seattle (where they call it a "public food forest"), Toronto and London!!!

Hmm...I think I am ready to coin a new term. How about Edible Infrastructure or Edible Architecture to describe using edible plants specifically to meet all of your green infrastructure needs?

Despite what the creative grant writers of the Los Angeles public orchard say, I am not sure how the orchard is edible art...but it is definitely a place ripe for an ecopsychological experiment. Do public orchards or fruit trees in general make people feel differently about their municipality and life?

The greatest green roof website ever!!!

Behold! And tell me, this green roof tool isn't the coolest, most practical thing you have ever used!!! (Provided that you're in the USA and/or love green roofs.)

I would be remiss if I didn't remind Austinities to check out their 5th annual bug festival on Saturday. See how many of these insects you can sample!

Knotweed is bursting + songs of the month

May is here. Leaves, flowers and knotweed are bursting. But we’ll get to that later. Here are the songs of the month:

Bee Gees- First of May 

The Caesars - May the Rain                                     

      And one for Mother’s Day: 

Jeannie C. Riley- Harper Valley P.T.A. 

-Quite often I’ll judge a dish by it’s recipe, that’s why I’ll reluctantly try Marie Viljoen’s knotweed soup. I have been a little afraid to try any recipes with Polygonum cuspidatum in it, as it supposedly has a laxative effect. But she’s right, this stuff can really grow. The picture below is the knotweed next door, hard to tell but it's already over 6 feet tall. 

Last year it hit about 10 feet. And it has stretched it’s footprint, underground, about 6 feet in one year. Sometime before my arrival it moved to this side of the fence and it has been a formidable challenge since day one. Anoter note of caution, if you do see tasty young sprouts in between mature stalks and want to indulge, be careful...splinters, scrapes and cuts are highly probable.

Atlanta's low flying giant urban agriculture farm

-In the last two months I would say “the most ignored urban ag project” goes to an urban agriculture farm in southwest Atlanta. Why? Maybe because it has over 10 corporate and civic partners, so it's not a David vs Goliath story? But I think this Atlanta BeltLine Farm project is one to watch. You be the judge.

-Nearly 30% of the land within the Detroit city limits is vacant. Gardens are popping up and people are doing all sorts of creative things with the land without the city’s permission. With so many things in Detroit happening all at once, I think managing urban agriculture is low on their list of concerns. But I truly hope everyone in Detroit embraces this unfortunate opportunity, urban agriculture could lead to Detroit’s resurgence, be a massive source of pride and become what it is known for around the world.

-In San Francisco one particular group is involved in urban agriculture without city permission. NPR did a short story last week on the Guerilla grafters; I wrote about them earlier in the year. At the time I thought they were assertive, perhaps a little sneaky by grafting onto city trees. It looks like it’s actually a form of city disobedience and could be an offense worthy of a fine.

-Speaking of last week, as you know I was totally bummed to read some of the climate change news. Mother Jones heard my call for solutions to the despair. Of note, a scientist claims the sacrifice to establish a true cap and trade system, as one possible part of the solution, could be minimal, only the cost of a stamp for each family per day.

-The pretty much inaccessible green roof at Cincinnati City Hall is in need of someone to provide maintenance...for free. Any green roofers in Cincinnati looking to perform some valuable community service while getting valuable experience call City Hall!

-Lastly Edmonton’s first food and agriculture conference is scheduled to take place May 25 and 26, 2012. According to a local city councillor it’s “an opportunity for Edmontonians to participate in the conversation, so that we can capture and integrate diverse ideas into a consensus around a new strategy.” You’ve got lots to choose from, including focus groups, citizen panels and online questionnaires. Might "the Big E" be in line for a food policy council as well? We’ll see.

Odds and ends from the last few weeks

Want to know what to do with peach leaves and corn cobs???

-For all of those in Central America, there's a permaculture course in Nicaragua happening this February.

-No surprise that in the UK 6% of city kids are interested in becoming farmers. But when they spend 2 days in the countryside and 17 watching tv, that makes a lot of sense.

-Not every African country is behind the idea, but it looks like Senegal is doing its part to make the the Great Green Wall project and stop the "Sahara creep" (I just coined that term) a reality.

-Lastly the Washington Post reports organic farming is reducing resistance of certain bacteria to antibiotics!

One dollar invested in a community garden yields...

...$6 worth of vegetables according to Food Security.org Plus gardening is good exercise!

-Mayor Bloomberg has taken a little heat, one critique says PlaNYC is a little light on finding ways to insure equitable future growth. Perhaps the city can tap into some HUD/EPA "superfriends" money to
make transportation more efficient and reliable, and support vibrant and healthy neighborhoods for American families.

-Time has a little piece on urban foraging, mulberries are definitely in season. My socks even got stained this week!

-Everyone loves top 10 lists, how about the top 10 most forward thinking US Cities on climate change. Another index looks at the top US and Canadian green cities and ranks them on individual policies, energy, land use and much more.

Growth is a ponzi scheme?

Wow, I've got a ton to comment on starting with an article from the New Urban Network. I've never heard
growth referred to as a ponzi scheme, but the more numbers he crunches...the more ponzi like it seems. If our government officials are aware of this and haven't sought to remedy the problem (more taxes or doing things VERY differently), I don't know what to say. If they are not aware of the facts, that is probably just as bad.

-On the positive side, there are a couple of great stories about urban agriculture in
Hong Kong and, closer to home Philadelphia, where refugees are planting crops from back home.

-A little further south, if you're in DC "Wildman" Steve Brillis in town to drop some foraging knowledge.

-More urban agriculture news. There are rooftop garden classes in
New York City and Toronto this week. Speaking of Toronto, it looks like a buy local food bill is in trouble as council is under pressure to cut costs and go with the cheapest produce.

-On the climate change front, the Guardian has a great article about how El Paso, Texas, is beating the worst drought in a generation. Hopefully others in Texas and abroad are paying attention to their conservation efforts and start listening to Paul Epstein as well. Who's Paul Epstein? Glad you asked.

My New Year's resolution...no G.L.A.R.E.! (Gratuitous Living Architecture Representations Ever!)

Are we already a week in? If so, let's get to it.

First off, I have one resolution. I've shied away from taking a true stand in the past, but this year I resolve to not posting eye-popping living architecture conceptional drawings or whimsical green roof or green wall renderings, found pervasively online. This is the year of No G.L.A.R.E! Who knows how many of these projects ever get built. And in some cases, I hate to say it, there are more cost effective solutions. In addition, I should be supporting and highlighting the people who actually get stuff done. And there are lots of people doing small things without much fanfare. Here's to you...

On to what's new and what's new to me.

-If you're looking for tasty ways to make interesting dishes from foraged foods, Hunger and Thirst is a nice place to start.

-Can genetic engineering be used for good? By the way, click through to Conservation magazine and check out the other articles. I won't ruin the surprise by telling you any more!!!

-This story has been making the rounds, but I forgot to post about it...the EPA's attitude toward rigorous examination of that Bayer clothianidin study is infuriating. But what's even scarier is that it's not "the EPA", there aren't tens of people at fault, but power lies in the hands of a few people to review something and a whole continent can be affected. Or maybe I should be upset at Bayer?

-So I'm not feeling so great, but can still enjoy Geoff Lawton taking us on a food forest tour 300 years in the making. What's better than that? A 2,000 year old food forest in Morocco!

Goats on a green roof - trademarked

-The green wall arms race continues, Longwood Gardens' East Conservatory now holds the title.

-More fruit foraging initiatives are popping up around North America, everyone, please welcome Fruits of the City.

-The financial times has had a couple of good stories about urban agriculture and vertical farms in the last week, unfortunately I can't put the material up here, but sign up if you want the full scoop.

-A couple of weeks I mentioned someone getting fined for growing too many vegetables. Here's the news features with his story. Oh yeah, he's facing $30,000 in fines. Any bets on how long before this is overturned? My guess...14 days.

-Speaking of suits, I'm sure folks have seen THAT picture of the goats trimming the grass on a green roof? Well, don't go trying that idea on your roof unless you get permission first!

What's the best green roof plant of all time?

Some cool events happening in NYC in the next few weeks including two conferences and a makers faire. The Soda Bottle Garden workshop looks great!
However a word of warning, if you're in NYC and tempted to pick some tasty treats from park property, please don't. You've been warned.

-Detroit really is the place to be for urban agriculture these days, check out all of the programs currently operating! If you're not near Detriot, there are a plethora of ways to get involved with the urban agriculture movement online, thanks to Grist we have several new websites to try out. If you want a more hands on way to learn the skills, check out Gwinett Tech next year, they'll have a sustainable urban agriculture certificate program. Maybe the second in North America???

-I've made you wait long enough. Last week research came in that lamb's ear may be able to reduce the surface of a green roof 1.5 degrees celsius. Looks like I'll have to get to know Stachys byzantina better.

-Lastly, but not...umm...leastly...a permaculture website in French! Why? Because they are so rare! As rare as finding a forager in a New York City park after today!

More foraging aps + urban agriculture in Maryland

It's been a while since the last post, lots happening on the work front..a touch less on the internet, it seems.

In Maryland it seems an urban agriculture project or two is sprouting up, including this one in Edmonston . Could this be the DMV's first urban farm?

Wonderful article from Huffington Post about school gardens in New York City.

More phone apps for urban foraging, if you prefer to carry around something more traditional, like a wad of paper and live in the UK this foraging guide might be for you.

Will Cleveland do a "full Detroit"?

Looks like we've got ourselves a good ol' fashioned arms race. Longwood Gardens now has the largest green wall in North America, who's aim for the title next?

-Take an unused mall and combine it with urban agriculture, what do you get? Gardens under glass. On their website they say "nowhere in cleveland is there a project of this nature or magnitude." I don't think there's another city IN NORTH AMERICA with anything like this. So Cleveland is leading the way with this project, will Cleveland do a "full Detroit" ? I think I just coined that phrase. Umm...maybe??? If Cleveland gets a GOP task force, like Detroit did, to champion urban agriculture then...yes. It's official, everyone is pulling for a Detroit recovery now!
But once the gardens are up and running will they be self-sufficient and sustainable???

-And for the truly cutting edge, how about using Foursquare to plot urban foraging stashes throughout your city.