EAT UPmajor league crops
The Kansas City Royals may have won this year’s World Series, but the Boston Red Sox were the real 2015 winners. While this American League team’s game may not have been up to snuff, it’s historic stadium…
ruminating on rain barrels
Winter is the perfect time for gardeners and farmers to rest, plan for spring planting, and investigate big questions that sprouted during the past growing season. My big question this winter: Is it safe to water edibles…
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,…
an onion blooms in the desert
Amid conflict and persistent food insecurity Palestinian refugees are cultivating their rooftops to produce fresh vegetables close to home. Last week the Middle Eastern sustainability news website Green Prophet reported that families in West Bank refugee camps…
open source seeding
Earlier this week a group of scientists and food activists launched a campaign to change how seeds are governed. Headed by University of Wisconsin vegetable breeder Irwin Goldman and sociologist Jack Kloppenburg, the Open Source Seed Initiative released 29 new crop…
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…
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…
skyline vegetable convention
Overlooking the Windy City’s articulated skyline a handful of urban farmers has climbed up to the convention center‘s roof to cultivate 1/4 acre of prime real estate. McCormick Place West, as its known by locals, was…