One less green roof bylaw + the world's largest vertical farm breaks ground

 It looks like construction started long ago, but last week was the official ground breaking for the largest vertical farm in the world. Politicians galore stopped by for the photo-op, here's hoping they can deliver on 80 jobs for the citizens of Newark, New Jersey!

Are you involved in urban farming? Then a Dutch grad student wants your help in filling out a survey to find out what role innovation has on urban agriculture.

China has big, big plans. Earlier this week was a story about their mega city, Jing Jin Ji, which would join several big cities to make a GIGANTIC one, as big as all of New England and with over 130 MILLION PEOPLE! Several of these cities have begun installing porous bricks and bio-swales, I hope the entire region gets the green infrastructure!

-Barbados becomes the latest island nation to embrace aquaponics.

-Jakarta has added 66 urban farming spots in the last year. It has been reported they are "modest" plots. Regardless of the size, that's a big commitment.

-If you have an environmental business based in Canada, ECO Canada just announced their internship program. With almost a $1 million dollars in wage subsidies for over 100 jobs, it's a great way to introduce a young person into your green field.

-One of the first cities to adopt a green roof bylaw, Port Coquitlam, has now rescinded it. This is big news for the green roof industry. There are only about 20 bylaws in North America. It seems their City Council how to decide which program to greenhouse gas program to support, so they went with something more general which targets an increase in building insulation and overall energy efficiency.
We'll keep watching to see if this is a one-off for the industry or a trend.

The future of farming today

What will farming look like in the future? At Expo Milano, which kicked off last week, the architects at the US pavilion think vertical farming will be key. This year's Expo theme is "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life". $60 million was raised to put the pavilion together!

-Dubai has a vision for 2020 and has set aside over half a billion dollars to green 12,000 hectares of land (which would be 8% of their total space) with landscaping and horticultural projects.

GILA word of the week: Agrihood & NJ gets the world's largest vertical farm

It's Horticultural Therapy Week and there's no regular proponent for HT greater than the state of NJ. You have, Mycentraljersey.com, which constantly churns out articles include 10 ways you can celebrate the week. And let's not forget the New Jersey Senate officially recognizing the week.

-Speaking of NJ, the picture above is of a $30 million dollar vertical farm which should be ready to roll by the end of the year. With backers like Goldman Sachs and Prudential, this AeroFarms venture has the potential to be very, very big.

-Agrihood, it's what you get when you mix the best place for a subdivision and a farm...a mutually symbiotic relationship demonstrated in northern Virginia on 2,000 acres of land.

-This article both excites and saddens me. A Philadelphian is excited about schoolyards becoming the "next set of great public spaces". And I am all for multi-use facilities, but, we should look at deeper causes as to why Philly schoolyards are "...in deplorable condition, with pockmarked pavement, aging play equipment and few amenities". The schoolyards shouldn't need to be viewed as "curb appeal" for the surrounding homes, the schools should be good enough (and it's facilities) to encourage parents to move and send their kids there.

-Here's a way for airports to use their undeveloped spaces, put a few beehives in. Question, has anyone studied how loud noises affect bees?

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.

New Jersey Adopts Horticultural Therapy Resolution + World's Largest Vertical Farm

If you're in St. Louis or Washington State there are a couple of ways to make your voices heard to support living architecture/green infrastructure in your cities.

Write to your legislators to support Bill 228 (in St. Louis, to incentivize urban agriculture) and call (1-800-562-6000) in Washington State to support a much bigger measure, $100 million in general obligation bonds. The latter seems to be, at least partially, inspired by Seattle's green infrastructure successes.
One more piece of legislation to consider supporting. Texas House Bill 1306 would reduce the amount of property tax a homeowner would have to pay if they engaged in urban agriculture.

-Speaking of legislation, one already adopted is the most comprehensive Horticultural Therapy Resolution (by New Jersey) to date. What does it mean? I am not sure, but perhaps a funding stream for horticultural therapy projects? We can only hope!

-The biggest news of the week (in my book) is the first Canadian school (and, I think, North American...correct me if I am wrong) to get an working urban farm! In a unique partnership between the school board and local not for profit, the kids have a place to learn about farming and get some fresh food!

-In the winter I passed through Chicago's O'Hare airport and had no idea something so cool was growing there. A demonstration vertical farm, almost 1000 square feet of aeroponics, provides herbs and vegetables for three airport restaurants.
Chicago also will boast the world's largest vertical farm...for now. 90,000 square feet on Chicago's South Side!

-What do you get when "The Plant" meets "Plantagon"? A lovely vertical farming facility where Manchurians are treated to a venture that educates communities about sustainable food production. 

Is rooftop and vertical farming the key to a true local (food) movement?

-Two weeks ago the world was a buzz with the news of the first commercial vertical farming system in Singapore. Just two years ago analysts were saying the technology was at least five years away from implementation, even in the experimental stage.
The most illuminating part of the second article is the assertion that sky farms could play a roll in places where land is at a premium and few big rooftops remain. That kind of common sense is refreshing in an industry full of promise, but, pardon the expression, needing of grounding.
The next step, pairing these businesses with groups to process the food and make value added products, like in Washington DC and somewhere that can compost (like in Tennessee) the refuse to create a nutrient-rich topsoil. Then we're talking about a true local food movement.

-While it would take years to build an integrated system I have envisioned above, in disadvantaged communities there are already programs, practices and policies working to sustain urban agriculture efforts on a smaller scale.

-Apps, apps and more apps. A multi-billion dollar industry has hardly touched the the GILA industry until now. Thanks to the Harvard Graduate School of Design the app helps unite environmentalism and urbanism.

-The last article for today is a fascinating one. One woman's 20 year journey from planting vegetables on a balcony to eventually becoming a major force in possibly eliminating Mexico City's pollution problem.

Should Buffalo invest in vertical farms?

We haven’t had a video in a while, how about peeking in on the University of Detroit Mercy’s School of Law’s Urban Agriculture Symposium? They have been kind enough to put a great deal of the proceedings online and have been at the forefront of discussing urban ag and law for at least 5 years.

-I guess there’s a first time for everything. I’ve never really seen a green infrastructure company campaign for a certain city to buy their product by talking about said product on tv. Maybe they are looking for government funding to make the Plantagon feasible for somewhere in the US? What the spokesperson says is true “we are living in a world where the pollution is increasing and acreage is decreasing.” But the opposite is true of Buffalo, with a decrease in population comes the need to shrink the city. Residential land can become agricultural once again. 

-Remember that Occupy the Farm movement in California? Of course you do! Well, it looks like a lawsuit against the occupiers has been dropped. 

-A model for all of North America, Chicago’s award winning Vanguard Weiss Memorial Hospital is highly accommodating to it’s neighbors, including embracing various payment methods, letting disadvantaged community members garden and growing more “ethnic” crops. 

Bright Farms scales up urban farming production + your template for urban ag business survival

-If you're active in the urban agriculture field you know how difficult it can be to earn a living as an urban farmer. Global Green USA has released a report, which could serve as a template, for what your organization needs to become a sustainable urban agriculture endeavor.

-Bright Farms is scaling up in a major way, announcing a new partnership in Minnesota with other greenhouses on their way soon.  How are they doing it? This article pulls the curtain back a bit on their financing scheme.

-Check out Boston's pilot urban agriculture rezoning initiative. Instead of removing regulations, like other cities have, they have chosen to add more to make it easier to grow food.

The federal farm bill is up for renewal!

The federal farm bill is up for renewal this year, how will this all shake out?
Utne reader’s blog does a commendable job of collecting resources to get Americans up to speed. With this election being even more contentious than previous ones, I wonder if this will be hardly a blip on the radar, a middling issue or lead to a massive battle. My guess, the nation will be caught up in presidential election fever. There will be the normal level of house and senatorial acrimony (not “let’s shut down the government level”), a slightly leaner budget will get passed, but neither Obama nor Romney (the odds on favorite) have ties to this battle so it will not draw big presidential focus or headlines.

-Public hearings into urban agriculture and its place in Montreal are scheduled from June 11-14. The Office de consultation publique de Montréal's has 24 videos up displaying various urban agriculture techniques. Don't forget to look for an urban agriculture expo on May 12 and a conference on May 17.

-BrightFarms is ready to go with a 100,000ft2 facility in Brooklyn. It may be the world’s biggest rooftop farm, for now (that title seems to change hands every 6 months), regardless, it's still epic.

-School gardening coordinator, love the concept and hope that the title and practice spreads beyond Portland. Anyone know how much a school gardening coordinator makes per year or are (substitute) teachers taking on the roles in addition to their normal duties?

-Wind power is not really related to green infrastructure, but I had to share this really cool wind power capacity map.

Green roof training in Philly, green roof food production in Vancouver

I've taken a breather between celebrations to catch up on some living architecture news.

-Valcent Products, one of the first to the vertical farming table, has signed on with the City of Vancouver to open a parking garage green house which could churn out over 95 tons of produce per year.

-In Philadelphia a green roofing program over the last year has trained over 30 individuals and installed 11 "green roofs", 2 vegetated and 9 white roofs. The program features a unique combination of government, non-profit and private support.

-Remember when I admitted knowing very, very little about urban agriculture projects in the Southwestern US? Thanks to the Worldwatch Institute I now know a whole lot more!

-The UK's Offshoots Permaculture Project won an International Green Award last week. If their beekeeping tutorials are par for their teaching courses, the award is well-deserved. And speaking of permaculture, it's been a while, but here's a little permaculture informationin Spanish.

Now for more resting!!!

Living architecture world of the week: horticultural foodscapes

Alternatively called "wildcrafting" and horticultural foodscapes by the author, I favor the latter because it is just a touch less vague although both could be employed depending on the situation. Using any old pine needles carefully arranged on the table = wild crafting, eating those pine needles carefully arranged on the table = horticultural foodscapes.

Two questions...
-Did you know that contest to create an urban farm in Atlanta was partially funded by Walmart?. They are operating at all levels from the mainstream to grassroots.

-Also, did anyone know that the USDA gives out approximately $5 million dollars per year as part of the Farmers Market Promotion Program? AS far as I can tell, this money is open to urban agriculture operations as well.

-Lastly for today comes a tidbit from Lebanon. ANERA, the American University of Beirut and the Ein El Helweh Women’s Program Center have joined forces to improve the lives of 26 women and they hope eventually, 70,000 refugees. Using vertical plantings, rooftop rain water collection systems and other urban agriculture technologies, they hope to green a landscape dominated by cement.

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!

Lloyd and Dickson

Lloyd's of London is sounding the alarm about peak oil.

Okay, so, this bumming you out, you say? We need solutions. Good, there are some...

-It looks like politicians in Newark are seriously considering the first vertical farm by Dr. Despommier. And the USDA has taken an in depth look at local food systems. And Terraform One announces the winners of an ideas competition focused on creating productive green spaces in cities.

Now, I think that I can sleep tonight!

Vertical farms, yea or nay?

Ecogeek says it's not a good idea, Dickson Despommier says "It sure is!" What say you?

The latest from Dubai- vertical farming with seawater

If someone's dreaming something sustainable and cool, the dreamer's probably in Dubai. Although just in the concept stages wouldn't this seawater greenhouse skyscraper be amazing?



Read more about it here: http://www.gizmag.com/dubai-seawater-vertical-tower/11309/