Sod houses on the Canadian Praries - circa 1886

As every green roof enthusiasts knows green roofs have been around for centuries. One particular type, sod roofs, have been commonplace in Scandinavia since prehistory. Did you know they were built in North America too? A few months ago I stumbled upon this picture in the Concise Historical Atlas of Canada.

Above the picture it reads "Sod house, oxen and hay rack. Killarney, Manitoba. Photograph, circa 1886." And below the photograph: "Courtesy J.A. Victo David Museum, Killarney, Manitoba/Western Canada Pictororial Index, Winnipeg, WCPI 354-11394".

Another resource to add to my bibliography for when I write "The history of North American Green Roofs, pre-1970"!

A North American native sedum - Allegheny "somethingorother"

A couple of years ago a client in Ontario asked for some native succulents, in particular native sedum species plants for their green roof. I know of very few in Ontario, almost none grown commercially. I did some investigating, a lot actually, about indigenous sedums and the easiest one to get was Allegheny somethingorother. I say that because there's a debate as to what it is actually called.  
I've seen it called Allegheny Spurge Sedum (a.k.a. Pachysandra procumbens) and also called Allegheny Stonecrop (a.k.a Hylotelephium telephioides). How can the same plant be called two different things? I have no clue.
There's another funny bit on the Wikipedia page...that the plant has "introduced" itself into Ontario (when?). That leads to a bigger question, does that make it native? 

I'm comfortable just calling it a successful North American native (it seems good from possibly USDA zone 8 to zone 5) and observing it carefully in New York and Ontario, where I have some specimens planted.
After a year, so far so good. Here's a few pictures of the plant. It seems to grow ok from cuttings.

1000 insects farmers in Kinshasa

-96 tonnes of caterpillars are supplied to markets in Kinshasa. As insects are already part of the local diet, the FAO has decided to train 1000 people to become insect farmers to help stop malnutrition and food insecurity.

-Across the continent in Nigeria, the UN has been sponsoring research to see how effective native plants, in particular African vetiver grass, is at removing contaminants from wastewater. Perhaps this is a solution for stormwater as well?

-Agricultural engineers in Spain are rigorously studying how effective green walls can be at acoustic insulation and saving energy, controlling rainwater and increasing biodiversity.

-It is super early in the year, but this remotely controlled rooftop farming system could be the biggest star of the year!

-Lastly, while some municipalities slowly integrate urban agriculture, Wheat Ridge, a Denver suburb building on it's agricultural tradition, has embraced it as a way "to brand itself". 

to improve the life quality of citizens, to save energy, to increase biodiversity, to control rainwater, to lessen town/city noise and to minimize waste and pollution.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-green-walls-effective-acoustic-insulation.html#jCp

to improve the life quality of citizens, to save energy, to increase biodiversity, to control rainwater, to lessen town/city noise and to minimize waste and pollution.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-green-walls-effective-acoustic-insulation.html#jCp

to improve the life quality of citizens, to save energy, to increase biodiversity, to control rainwater, to lessen town/city noise and to minimize waste and pollution.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-01-green-walls-effective-acoustic-insulation.html#jCp

Permaculture video - Diversification

A verrry instructive recent permaculture presentation which gives farmers some crops to try for diversification!

Fearless forecast for 2015!

A brand new year is upon us and here's what I think is on the horizon!

1) I think aquaponics will cool down a bit. Why's that? There has been so much activity, so many huge projects have been announced, that people will just get down to business and start doing the work.

2) With the rise of the sharing economy and urban agriculture, you'll see more policy changes to allow urban and maybe even some suburban agriculture and more sharing between municipalities on how to get it done.

3) The second half of last year it didn't see that many big urban agriculture projects were coming down the pike. So I think that means early this year we'll some impressive stuff is in the works.

4) Has anyone noticed that permaculture was all the rage a couple of years ago and now, very little is said about it? I think the permaculture is so huge and all-encompassing, practioners and participants started talking about and focusing on the smaller tenants.

5) Singapore will continue to lead the charge in vertical gardening experimentation and commercialization.

6) With great swaths of the USA under some level of drought pressure, rainwater harvesting (especially grey water) will enjoy a tremendous year. Maybe there will even be a huge project which focuses on these new technologies!
Combining 5 and 6 a bit, there are those who have said urban agriculture cannot supply most of our food. I'm not sure if they are right, but what happens if the California drought continues? Will people have to start growing more food at home? Or will produce begin to trickle in from other countries? Like Singapore?