EAT UPthe inside scoop with Dave Snyder
Rooftop Farmer Dave Snyder at Uncommon Ground|| photo by Lauren Mandel
Let’s hear what the experts have learned up on the roof. This post is the first in a series where I pose the same two questions to various leaders in the rooftop agriculture movement. First we speak with Dave Snyder, Uncommon Ground‘s rooftop farm director from 2008-2012. Dave was the first rooftop farmer to tend the certified organic crops above this award-winning restaurant in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. While Dave has moved on to other urban agricultural endeavors, he is still one of the most knowledgeable skyline farmers around.
1| What is the greatest obstacle your rooftop farm has overcome?
Early on at the Rooftop Farm at Uncommon Ground we had problems with soil depletion. The suspicion was that reduced soil depth and high soil drainage was leading to a general and fairly rapid decrease in fertility. Our strategy was to spend a huge amount of time reading and talking to people. Although we never found a single, simple answer to our problem (which seems to be the way of the world, in agriculture especially) we followed the advice of those smarter than us and took a more active role in our soil health. Although our soil had abundant organic content, it showed rapid depletion in a couple of minerals. In addition to other fertility management strategies, we made sure to add organic compost to each bed annually to reinoculate our soil with the microorganisms responsible for breaking down our organic material, making it available to our plants. Ever since, the roof has increased productivity every year.
2| What piece of advice would you offer aspiring skyline growers?
More than anything else, the most important piece of advice is to go for it. With a little bit of planning, rooftop growing is a great project for anyone with a roof on which to grow. Don’t be intimidated by the scale and complexity of some rooftop growing efforts — there are plenty of small, micro and nano-scale rooftop gardens out there, some of which are featured in EAT UP. Expect lots of learning and gratification to spare.
skyline cornucopia
Executive Chef Dana Hauser knows fresh food, and is committed to growing it as close to her kitchen as possible. When Hauser gained her prestigious culinary appointment at The Fairmont Waterfront hotel in 2012, she decided to convert the Vancouver hotel’s ornamental roof garden into a kitchen farm.
Executive Chef Dana Hauser || photo by and courtesy of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
The idea of on-site production went over well with the international parent company Fairmont Hotel & Resorts, as select Fairmont hotels began cultivating fresh vegetables and herbs over 20 years ago. Today, edible rooftop gardens exist at several of the company’s locations in Canada, the US, and Singapore. As a matter of fact, in 1995 former Executive Chef Daryl Ngata and herbalist Elaine Stevens established The Fairmont Waterfront’s first food roof, in the same location where Hauser later built her rooftop kitchen farm.
Last summer I asked Hauser what crops occupy the roof of her hotel. She quickly rattled off, “Several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, turnips, carrots, red and white potatoes, leeks, edible flowers, several varieties of lettuces… arugula, sorrel, rhubarb, an assortment of herbs – especially rosemary, rosemary is my signature herb right now – basil, sage, thyme , oregano, and five or six varieties of basil. [We also grow] bay leaf trees, three figs are coming in next week, an apple tree, grapes, raspberries, and gooseberries.” What incredible variety! This is the first rooftop farm I’ve heard of that grows rhubarb, figs, and gooseberries – how utterly enchanting.
Hauser’s farm is only 2,100 square feet (0.05 acres), yet this well manicured space produces 10%-15% of the kitchen’s ingredients, according to Hauser’s estimates. The roof’s vegetables, herbs, and honey freshen the hotel’s two restaurants, in-room dining, and tea service offerings. The hotel additionally offers guests tours of the rooftop apiary, so they can see exactly where the honey comes from. Hauser’s chefs visit the roof daily to harvest herbs and check on crops. The ability to gauge ripeness and availability first-hand on a daily basis has reconnected Hauser and her chefs to their ingredients in a profound way. And they have a sense of humor about it, too. When I asked Hauser which rooftop-inspired dish stands out to her, she replied, “We do an heirloom tomato salad with fresh [rooftop] basil, buffalo mozzarella cheese, and 100 kilometer croutons.”
Have you visited a Fairmont Hotel & Resorts rooftop?
getting started
Aspiring rooftop gardeners and farmers often ask me what to look for when selecting a building on which to build their skyline gem. This is an important question, as you never want to commit yourself to a rooftop that will cost you in upgrades. Rooftop gardeners, here are the key features to look for on an existing roof:
Sand Residence rooftop garden with deck and railing || photo by Lauren Mandel
1| Structural integrity – If you’re interested in a garden larger than a few potted plants, hire a licensed structural engineer to evaluate the strength of your roof. Your roof may not be as strong as you think, and so you’d be wise to have the structure investigated by a professional.
2| Building codes – Check your local building codes to find out how you are permitted to access your roof on a regular basis. Is a staircase up to the roof (i.e. with a “headhouse”) required? Do you or your neighbor have an existing headhouse that can be used for garden access? What does the building code require for fall protection and setbacks? Do you need to install a railing system?
3| Waterproofing condition – How does your roof’s waterproofing membrane look? Was the membrane installed within the past 5 years? Have you experienced any leaks? If it’s time to re-roof than complete this task before hauling plants up the roof. If the membrane looks good, consider placing walk pads or even building a deck in order to avoid ware and tear from foot traffic. Jay Sand, owner of a townhouse in Philadelphia, opted to install a roof deck and railing to distribute the planter loads across his roof, protect his waterproofing membrane, and keep his kids safe (see image).
4| Water hookup – Your rooftop plants will get thirsty! How will you water them? Is there an existing hose bib on the roof? Can you stretch a hose from your kitchen or bathroom to the roof without springing a leak? Be sure to think this step through, and consider hiring a plumber to install a water line and hose bib if necessary.
Eagle Street Rooftop Farm || photo by Lauren Mandel
Considerations for rooftop farmers may sound similar to those for gardeners, but the details are quite different. Here are the primary considerations when selecting a roof for your commercial venture:
1| Zoning – Does the local zoning code permit commercial food production in the area in which your building is located? If not, are you able to apply for a zoning variance?
2| Structural integrity – Before you get too attached to the building you’ve been pining for, hire a licensed structural engineer to evaluate the load capacity of your building. He or she should provide you with dead load allowances across each roof area, which will be in addition to the snow load, wind load, and live load requirements. Many local building codes require a live load of 100 pounds per square foot for regularly accessed roofs. The remaining dead load allowance must be sufficient to allow for the soil depth you have in mind for your crops. Make sure you and the engineer crunch the numbers before committing to the building.
3| Access – How will you, your employees, interns, volunteers, and visitors access the roof? Is there an existing staircase, or better yet a freight elevator that extends all the way to the roof? Carrying compost and loads of vegetables up and down the stairs can be exhausting and inefficient. Time is money up on a roof, and efficient access and transportation must be prioritized. Increasing the height of an existing elevator within the building may cost upwards of $100,000, a hefty line item that most people do not include in their budget!
4| Fall protection – Does the building of your dreams contain a high parapet or railing system all the way around the roof’s perimeter? The local building code will dictate the required height of this safety feature, which is intended to keep rooftop visitors from tumbling over the edge! Keep in mind that the specified height is measured from the walking surface to the top of the railing. If you install 12″ of growth media, your parapet or railing must factor this added foot.
Eagle Street Rooftop Farm railing || photo by Lauren Mandel
5| Waterproofing condition – What is the physical condition of the roof’s existing waterproofing membrane? Replacing a membrane can be one of the most expensive parts of building a rooftop farm, and so it’s best to find a building with a new membrane whenever possible. Is the existing membrane under warranty by the waterproofing provider? How will installing a rooftop farm on top of the membrane affect this warranty?
6| Microclimate – What are the wind and temperature conditions like on the roof? Have you visited the roof several times, perhaps even during different seasons? The taller the building the more extreme the growing conditions may be, so keep this in mind when selecting your roof.
7| Proximity to sales outlets – The final consideration is the buildings proximity to prospective sales outlets. Are there markets or restaurants nearby with which you’re already under contract? Have you started marketing a rooftop CSA? This consideration is integral to the success of your farm, and must be thought through when developing your business and marketing plans.
is NPR interested in rooftop agriculture?
It’s been a busy few weeks for promotion as I’ve participated in a slew of radio interviews aimed at spreading the rooftop agriculture gospel. EAT UP‘s publisher, New Society Publishers, was kind enough to hire the PR firm Open Book Publicity to represent my book during it’s post-publication infancy. So far I’ve spoken with radio hosts from 10 cities including Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Madison, New York City, Springfield MA, Boston, Albany, Dallas, and Napa. Many of these stations are NPR Affiliates, which means they share programming with the big kahuna: National Public Radio. Swoon.
Let’s get serious for a minute. I love NPR. In a busy world filled with a demanding job, regular speaking engagements, literary obligations, and a dog that requires lengthy walks, I don’t have time to read or watch the news. My daily multitasking routine involves sneaking in NPR whenever possible to obtain, yes, 100% of my news. Whether it’s catching up on Libya while brushing my teeth or learning who won the Oscars while driving to a job site, I live for NPR. In fact, my all-time nerdy dream is to appear as a guest on Fresh Air with Terry Gross or Radio Times with Marty Moss-Cohane.
Needless to say, I’ve been inching closer and closer to this dream with my recent radio spotlights. Will any of the Affiliate stations pass one of my interviews to the mother station? Will I get to speak with one of the NPR matriarchs? As the Affiliates “eat up” the idea of rooftop agriculture, it’s only a matter of time before NPR bites.
Here is a recent interview for your listening pleasure; click here for the full list. What do you think? Is this subject matter suitable for NPR?
– Think on KERA Dallas – June 10, 2013
– The Jefferson Exchange on CA/OR NPR Affiliate Jefferson Public Radio – July 3, 2013
BREAKING NEWS: South Philly High did it!!
South Philadelphia High School’s rooftop vision || rendering by Lauren Mandel
This is a blitz post to announce that South Philadelphia High School just reached it’s crowdfunding goal of $26,300 to develop a ‘Greening’ Master Plan and fund a one-year, full-time garden educator position! As of this morning 192 supporters had donated money toward the public school’s visionary project through Projexity.com. By hitting the $17,000 mark before Saturday, June 7, an anonymous donor provided the remaining $9,300, as was previously pledged.
Thank you to everyone who donated so generously to this incredible cause! School and neighborhood representatives will collaborate with local green roof firm Roofmeadow (where I work) to develop the Greening Master Plan at the start of the fall 2013 school year. We couldn’t be more excited! Stay tuned for more news on this exciting project as it continues to take root.
green on the horizon
In early April South Philadelphia High School embarked on an unusual fundraising campaign: crowdfunding for a greener urban campus. With only eight days left in this 60 day campaign, the school and surrounding community need your help in reaching their goal!
South Philadelphia High School || photo (left) and rendering (right) by Lauren Mandel
The campaign aims to raise $26,300 to develop a campus-wide Greening Master Plan and partially fund a full-time garden educator position. The Master Plan will evaluate every square inch of the school’s 5.5 acre site (most of which is barren rooftop and pavement) and propose sustainability improvements including rain gardens, expanded ground-level vegetable garden plots, solar arrays, thin green roofs, and of course, an educational rooftop farm. Students, school representatives, and community members will participate in the Master Plan development with local design firm Roofmeadow (where I work) to collaboratively craft a vision from which the whole neighborhood can benefit.
Crowdfunding is nothing new in the world of rooftop agriculture. Several rooftop farms have conducted successful online campaigns, including Brooklyn Grange and Boston’s Higher Ground Farm, which is not yet built. South Philadelphia High School’s approach stands out from the flock. The school’s full fundraising effort for design and construction will include five distinct phases; this being the first phase.
The school and it’s partner in the greening initiative, the Lower Moyamensing Civic Association, opted to pair with Projexity, a new online platform that raises micro-donations for neighborhood improvement projects in Philadelphia and Toronto, in part because the site accommodates phased campaigns. Within each phase a series of benchmark fundraising goals make large projects more digestible and achievable. When visiting South Philadelphia High School’s Projexity page you can see that with over $11,800 raised the first two benchmarks are almost complete.
School is almost out for the summer. Development of the Master Plan will begin in fall 2013 thanks to passionate folks like you!
a week in the kitchen
What do you in eat in an average week? How much of what you eat is shaped by culture? How much is shaped by your access to fresh fruits and vegetables? How would your diet change if you grew your own food?
A week’s groceries in an American household (from Hungry Planet) || photo copyright by Peter Menzel
Award-winning photojournalist Peter Menzel examined what families in 24 countries eat in a week, in his book Hungry Planet: What the World Eats (Material World Books, Ten Speed Press, 2005). The book’s vivid family portraits and intimate interviews won Menzel and his wife and co-author Faith D’Aluisio the James Beard Best Book Award in 2006 for their extraordinary journalistic work.
The photo expose gained recent attention on Time Photos, ABC News, The Guardian, and blogs such as Fstoppers. Why are people drawn to this imagery? Each of Menzel’s photos speaks a thousand words about culture, equality, and health. The economics of industry and trade become paramount. Personal and national wealth are brought into comparative focus.
A week’s groceries in Ecuador (from Hungry Planet) || photo copyright by Peter Menzel
A week’s groceries in Chad (from Hungry Planet) || photo copyright by Peter Menzel
Disparities in a week’s worth of fresh fruits and vegetables from one photo to the next fascinates me. An American family with $342 worth of processed drinks, snacks, and meats is put in plain focus next to an Ecuadorian family’s $32 grain and produce diet. Why are these diets so diametrically opposed? What public health implications are raised?
Since the publication of these photos eight years ago the American diet has freshened for some, but for many it remains dominated by the highly processed products of agribusiness. With obesity and diabetes on the rise and fresh food inaccessible to many, we are beginning to see a resurgence in vegetable gardening. Impoverished areas of Philadelphia and Detroit increasingly look toward gardening as an empowering and practical solution to fresh food access. Public schools, such as those in Cambridge, MA are incorporating gardening into curriculum to reconnect kids with their food. Immigrant families are able to grow their own produce rather than relying on imports.
Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is essential in maintaining a healthy city, regardless of geography. Urban gardening proves fruitful in empowering, educating, and localizing production. When there’s no space on the ground, we must look to the roof for a food solution.
EAT UP in the media
Since EAT UP‘s publication on April 12th, the first book on rooftop agriculture has received its fare share of media attention. The fascination? Interest in growing food on rooftops is rising as farmland disappears, transportation costs increase, and urbanites realize they can grow their own food close to home.
In an April 30th Boston Globe article, “Coming to a Roof Near You,” reporter Joseph P. Kahn discusses the burgeoning rooftop agriculture movement by highlighting Boston’s forthcoming Higher Ground Farm and EAT UP. The article includes fabulous images (some of which appear in the book) and quotes from a phone interview Kahn conducted with me several weeks ago:
Beyond the expertise required, “A big part of this is exposure and social media coverage,” Mandel continues. “When you couple rooftop agriculture with a restaurant or grocery store, you have a lot of marketing potential. There’s an element of sex appeal there, to be honest.”
EAT UP‘s media coverage extends to the blogosphere, where journalist CG Lawrence – who attended last week’s Roof-to-Table Launch Event in Philadelphia – wrote about the launch and freshly published book in his post, “Don’t Eat Out: EAT UP: New Book on Rooftop Agriculture.” Click here for a full list of EAT UP‘s media coverage, which includes newspaper, magazine, and radio coverage. Hopefully we’ll see more stories sprout up as the press release below (released yesterday) digs its roots into newsrooms near and far.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Philadelphia Green Roof Designer Writes First Full-Length Book on Rooftop Agriculture
EAT UP | The Inside Scoop on Rooftop Agriculture
Press Contact: Lauren Mandel (lauren.mandel@gmail.com / 518-221-6230)
Green roof designer, landscape architect, and Philadelphia-native Lauren Mandel breaks down the lofty notions of Rooftop Agriculture in the first full-length book about rooftop food production.
Author photo by Geoffrey Goldberg Photography
PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 29, 2013) – EAT UP, the first full-length book about rooftop food production, has been released by Philadelphia-based author and green roof designer, Lauren Mandel. Published internationally by New Society Publishers (a carbon-neutral publishing house), EAT UPexplains the practices and practicality of rooftop agriculture through case studies, interviews with industry leaders, and useful checklists. With over 60 percent of the global population now living in urban areas, innovative forms of food production such as rooftop agriculture are becoming increasingly important in addressing food needs while also appealing to those interested in growing fresh food close to home.
EAT UP culminates a three-year research and photography project for Mandel. The book consists of three sections: home rooftop gardening, commercial rooftop farming, and the rooftop agriculture industry, making it the most comprehensive guide to date on the subject matter.
The book was unveiled on April 25, 2013 at Philadelphia eatery Good Karma Café. The Roof-to-Table Launch Event celebrated literature, art, and food by featuring a book signing, 30-piece photography exhibition of images from the book, and seasonal food sourced from local farms, complete with food mileage labels. The Roof-to-Table Photography Exhibition consists of images of rooftop farms and vegetable gardens taken by nine photographers (including Mandel) in nine cities throughout North America. Each photograph is framed with “twice-reclaimed” lumber made from barn siding re-purposed as flooring, re-purposed again as framing stock. The Exhibition will hang in the launch venue (925 Pine St.) through June 29, 2013, and will then travel to Chicago’s Uncommon Ground restaurant (1401 W. Devon Ave.) where it will hang from August 20 – September 15, 2013, with a Midwest launch event on August 20. The exhibition is available for additional restaurant and gallery spaces from July 1 – August 1, 2013 and after September 23, 2013.
EAT UP is available in print and ebook from New Society Publishers (newsociety.com), Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and local book stores.
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About Lauren Mandel — Lauren Mandel is a Project Manager and Rooftop Agriculture Specialist at the Philadelphia-based green roof firm Roofmeadow, where she designs vegetated and agricultural roofs and oversees green roof construction throughout the United States. She has visited and photographed rooftop farms and gardens across North America and interviewed prominent rooftop farmers, CEOs, and designers. Mandel is a contributing writer for Urban Farm and Grid magazines, a guest lecturer at universities and conferences, and a blogger ateatupag.wordpress.com. Mandel holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science from Skidmore College. She has previously worked as a landscape designer, US Forest Service wilderness ranger, organic farm intern, and a research intern for American Farmland Trust.
For more information please visit eatupag.wordpress.com and roofmeadow.com.