EAT UPmore bees please
Standing on the roof of SHARE Food Program in north Philadelphia, the audible hum of bee wing vibration is hypnotizing. Workers dart out of their hives to forage for pollen and nectar, others sluggishly return with…
chocolate skyline
This Valentine’s Day season I’d like to be as close to chocolate as possible, and consumer market trends suggest that I’m not alone. For those of us living far from the equator, though, the main ingredient…
Philly’s tipping point
On March 19th ten players in Philadelphia’s urban farming community received a whopping $5 million grant award aimed at kickstarting healthy eating, exercise, and community building opportunities for local teens. The IMPACT Grant, awarded by GlaxoSmithKline…
Toronto-style thin farming
As ornamental green roofs increasingly coat our skylines, some urbanites have begun re-purposing older vegetated rooftops for agriculture. One example, north of the border in Toronto, is Ryerson University’s George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre, constructed in 2004….
rooftop rice paddy
Two hectares of rooftop in South Central China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region stand a cut above the rest. The Liuzhou Chenfeng Brewing Factory, founded in 1954, supports one of China’s only rooftop rice paddies. Tan Zhaohan,…
hyper-local food
North Carolinians, you’re in luck! You’re lust for local food journalism has been assuaged by Food Life, a new foodie magazine recently released by parent company Sophie Magazine. The budding farm-to-fork publication has taken an interest in rooftop agriculture by…
no water? no problem.
All this talk about high-tech rooftop farming makes my hungry for a good old fashioned DIY project. Presenting: the self watering planter. As you may recall from an earlier post, “the naked truth,” my Philadelphia row home roof…
seedling envy
Behind on starting your seedlings this year? Don’t fret! Thanks to this winter’s polar vortex you’re not alone; we’re all a bit behind. With frosty nights and spring (hopefully) around the corner, it’s time to hit the seed…
top 5 rooftops of 2013
Rooftop agriculture reached new heights in 2013 thanks to enthusiasts around the globe like you! Skyline farms and gardens sprouted up in record numbers, bringing fresh fruits and veggies to tables to urbanites from New York…
winterize that garden
The blustery weather and wintry mix blanketing much of the country lead many to believe that winter is upon us, albeit a week early. It may be cold up on your roof, but you best climb…