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Up On The Roof, Residents at Allegheny General Hospital Tend Vegetable Garden
Up on the roof of the hospital’s Hemlock Parking Garage, doctors and residents have planted eight raised garden beds as part of an initiative designed to relieve stress for residents and provide food to patients in need.
By Anya Sostek
July 19, 2021
Fresh off a morning seeing patients in clinic, resident Deanna Huffman started her afternoon shift at Allegheny General Hospital with a list of tasks: sweep around the garden beds, prune the tomatoes, harvest the snap peas.
Up on the roof of the hospital’s Hemlock Parking Garage, doctors and residents have planted eight raised garden beds as part of an initiative designed to relieve stress for residents and provide food to patients in need.
“It’s pretty well known that there’s a burnout crisis in medicine, and we’re a residency program, training future doctors,” said Dr. Anastasios Kapetanos, director of the residency program. “It was an opportunity to get our residents outside the building, get some sunlight and some wellness benefits of gardening, and we could tangibly give something back.”
Dr. Kapetanos first proposed the idea in an email in February 2018. From there, it was a two-year journey to find the right spot in the hospital’s North Side campus. A courtyard that was identified — and even leveled during the wintertime — ended up being too shady during the summer. A rooftop that looked promising turned out to need tens of thousands of dollars in reinforcement to work as a garden.
“The chief operating officer would go on like, three, four hour walks with us, just on campus,” said Dr. Kapetanos, describing the search for a plot. “Finally he said, why don’t we go check out the parking garage, and that’s how we ended up here.”
Dr. Deanna Huffman, left, and Divya Venkat and other doctors at Allegheny Health Network harvest vegetables from their garden atop the Hemlock Street parking garage at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side.(Post-Gazette)
For busy residents, the parking lot ended up being the perfect spot, he said, because they can park their cars on the top floor and check in on the garden as they come and go from work each day. And the vegetables couldn’t be happier.
In late June, residents had already begun to harvest lettuce and kale. Plump sugar snap peas hung from a trellis ready to go.
“It’s thriving even more than our home garden,” said Dr. Kapetanos. “I am so jealous,” added his wife, Dr. Yenny Cabrera-Kapetanos, who is also an internal medicine doctor at Allegheny General Hospital. Dr. Cabrera-Kapetanos was instrumental in developing the garden and planning out the plots, even starting seeds for the garden over the winter at the couple’s house in Cranberry.
Dr. Cabrera-Kapetanos gives a tour of the garden, pointing out zucchini, cherry tomatoes, melons, basil, and edible flowers to bring pollinators up to the top floor of the parking garage.
Dr. Huffman pulls peas and cuts lettuce with scissors, placing it in a bag that will be delivered to the hospital’s Healthy Food Center, which distributes food to patients along with nutrition lessons.
“I’ve seen so many patients who have told me they’ve gotten vegetables from our garden and they’ve been so happy about it,” said Dr. Divya Venkat, a physician with AHN’s Center for Inclusion Health. Dr. Venkat, who grew up gardening with her parents in Las Vegas, started a community garden plot on the North Side when she was a resident at AGH to grow vegetables with other residents.
Dr. Divya Venkat, left, and Dr. Yenny Cabrera-Kapetanos harvest vegetables from their garden atop the Hemlock Street parking garage Monday at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side.(Post-Gazette)
The garden plot on the parking garage has now been formalized into a curriculum for the residents, where they learn not only about tending the vegetable garden but also about how to talk to patients about diabetes and hypertension.
They are also working with the Healthy Food Center to develop simple recipes to accompany the garden foods, such as a recent one for vegetable chili using garden zucchini.
“The plan is for residents to think of a patient they are taking care of in their own clinic and say, oh, this is a patient who has food insecurity. I would like to bridge that divide,” said Dr. Venkat, “and physically hand them the food that is grown here with an accompanying recipe.”
Other hospitals, such as Boston Medical Center and the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, also have vegetable gardens that produce food for patients, although they are not run by residents.
In addition to producing vegetables and educating residents, the garden has had other benefits, helping to develop a new community within the hospital. “Once you start talking about gardening, all the gardeners come out of the woodwork,” said Dr. Kapetanos. “Like there’s a lady that works in cytology. I met her up here last week, and we’re exchanging seeds. She just emailed me and said I have those seeds, and I said, ‘I’ll get you my mom’s tomato seeds from Toronto.’”
Allegheny Health Network doctors, from left, Dr. Deanna Huffman, Dr. Divya Venkat, Dr. Yenny Cabrera-Kapetanos, Dr. Paige Langhals-Totino and Dr. Anastasios Kapetanos pose for a picture near their garden atop the Hemlock Street parking garage at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side. (Post-Gazette)
And while it wasn’t in the plan when the garden was envisioned in 2018, it also became a sanctuary for doctors and residents during COVID.
“Indoors we were always wearing our masks and shields around the clock and spending long hours and taking care of COVID patients as well, which was very stressful,” said Dr. Cabrera-Kapetanos. “It’s therapeutic, sometimes, just to come and start plucking weeds or pruning some of the plants. It’s nice and quiet up here.”
As COVID intensified in the hospital, Dr. Venkat and other residents could take solace in the garden.
“COVID was so scary because you just watch so much death, right, there’s so much uncertainty,” she said. “I think everyone was pretty scared because no one knew what was going on with COVID, but this is a place that was outside, it was not contaminated, and no matter what, it is always living. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, if it’s snowing, there’s always life in the garden, and it was a nice thing to have.”
CANADA: Feeding a City From The World’s Largest Rooftop Greenhouse
Can you grow enough produce for an entire city in rooftop greenhouses? Two entrepreneurs in Montreal, Canada, believe it might be possible.
May. 08, 2021
By Sean Fleming
The world's largest rooftop greenhouse is in Montreal, Canada.
It measures more than 15,000m2 and produces more than 11,000kg of food per week.
The company behind it had to hire 200 new employees due to pandemic-driven demand.
Can you grow enough produce for an entire city in rooftop greenhouses? Two entrepreneurs in Montreal, Canada, believe it might be possible.
Lauren and Mohamed Hage cofounded Lufa in 2009. The company has four urban gardens in the Canadian city, all in rooftop greenhouses. Lufa's most recent sits on top of a former warehouse and measures more than 15,000m2 – larger than the other three greenhouses combined. Its main crops are tomatoes and aubergines, producing more than 11,000kg of food per week. It is, the company says, the largest rooftop greenhouse in the world.
An Ambitious Goal
Rathmell says the new greenhouse will accelerate Lufa's mission to grow food where people live and help it to meet an "ever-growing demand for fresh, local, and responsible foods".
The company – which says it's not trying to replace local farms and food makers, acknowledging that not everything can be grown on rooftops – follows what it calls 'responsible agriculture' practices. These include capturing and recirculating rainwater, energy-saving glass panels, and an absence of synthetic pesticides. Any waste is composted and reused, and food is sold directly to customers on the day it is harvested. Lufa also has a fleet of electric vehicles to make those deliveries.
"Our objective at Lufa is to get to the point where we're feeding everyone in the city," Hage said in an interview in Fortune. Lufa's fifth greenhouse is due to open later in 2021.
At the moment, Lufa grows food for around 2% of the city's population. While that might sound like a modest proportion, interest in urban agriculture is on the rise. Presently, agriculture in urban areas tends to be more common in developing countries. But the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) favors an increase in urban agriculture, saying it can have "important benefits for food security."
Urban farming is often more common among poorer members of society. UN FAO
A Growing Global Trend
Lufa produces more than 11,000kg of food per week, including tomatoes and aubergines. Lufa
Urban agriculture has been taking off in other parts of the world in recent years, too – from shipping containers in Brooklyn, New York City, to allotments in unused spaces in Brussels, Belgium.
And at 14,000 m2, there's Nature Urbaine in Paris – which claims to be the world's largest urban rooftop farm. Nature Urbaine rents out growing space to Parisians who want to grow their own crops. Tenant farmers pay around $450 per year per 1m2 sized plot. They get a welcome pack with everything they need to start growing, as well as regular access to the Nature Urbine gardening team who are on hand to offer advice and support.
Lufa's first greenhouse was opened in 2011, in Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, to grow herbs, microgreens, cucumbers, and peppers. Two more were added in 2013 and 2017, with the fourth joining last year. It sits on top of a former Sears warehouse in the Saint-Laurent area of the city.
In addition to its own produce, Lufa also sells a selection of other locally made or grown food, including bread, cheese, and drinks to its customers. Rising demand for its service, in the wake of the pandemic, led to the company hiring an additional 200 people, and partnering with 35 new farmers and food makers.
Lead photo: The new greenhouse will accelerate Lufa's mission to grow food. Lufa
Lufa
Feeding A City From The World’s Largest Rooftop Greenhouse
The world’s largest rooftop greenhouse is in Montreal, Canada. It measures more than 15,000m2 and produces more than 11,000kg of food per week. The company behind it had to hire 200 new employees due to pandemic-driven demand
The New Greenhouse Will Accelerate Lufa’s Mission To Grow Food
Image: REUTERS/Mariana Bazo
20 Apr 2021
Senior Writer
The world’s largest rooftop greenhouse is in Montreal, Canada.
It measures more than 15,000m2 and produces more than 11,000kg of food per week.
The company behind it had to hire 200 new employees due to pandemic-driven demand.
Can you grow enough produce for an entire city in rooftop greenhouses? Two entrepreneurs in Montreal, Canada, believe it might be possible.
Lauren Rathmell and Mohamed Hage cofounded Lufa in 2009. The company has four urban gardens in the Canadian city, all in rooftop greenhouses. Lufa’s most recent sits on top of a former warehouse and measures more than 15,000m2 – larger than the other three greenhouses combined. Its main crops are tomatoes and aubergines, producing more than 11,000kg of food per week. It is, the company says, the largest rooftop greenhouse in the world.
Lufa says its new rooftop greenhouse in Saint-Laurent, Montreal, is the largest in the world. Image: Lufa
An ambitious goal
Rathmell says the new greenhouse will accelerate Lufa’s mission to grow food where people live and help it to meet an “ever-growing demand for fresh, local, and responsible foods”.
The company – which says it’s not trying to replace local farms and food makers, acknowledging that not everything can be grown on rooftops – follows what it calls ‘responsible agriculture’ practices. These include capturing and recirculating rainwater, energy-saving glass panels, and an absence of synthetic pesticides. Any waste is composted and reused, and food is sold directly to customers on the day it is harvested. Lufa also has a fleet of electric vehicles to make those deliveries.
“Our objective at Lufa is to get to the point where we’re feeding everyone in the city,” Hage said in an interview in Fortune. Lufa’s fifth greenhouse is due to open later in 2021.
At the moment, Lufa grows food for around 2% of the city’s population. While that might sound like a modest proportion, interest in urban agriculture is on the rise. Presently, agriculture in urban areas tends to be more common in developing countries. But the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) favours an increase in urban agriculture, saying it can have “important benefits for food security”.
Urban farming is often more common among poorer members of society. Image: UN FAO
A growing global trend
Urban agriculture has been taking off in other parts of the world in recent years, too – from shipping containers in Brooklyn, New York City, to allotments in unused spaces in Brussels, Belgium.
And at 14,000 m2, there’s Nature Urbaine in Paris – which claims to be the world’s largest urban rooftop farm. Nature Urbaine rents out growing space to Parisians who want to grow their own crops. Tenant farmers pay around $450 per year per 1m2 sized plot. They get a welcome pack with everything they need to start growing, as well as regular access to the Nature Urbine gardening team who are on hand to offer advice and support.
Lufa produces more than 11,000kg of food per week, including tomatoes and aubergines. Image: Lufa
Lufa’s first greenhouse was opened in 2011, in Montreal’s Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, to grow herbs, microgreens, cucumbers, and peppers. Two more were added in 2013 and 2017, with the fourth joining last year. It sits on top of a former Sears warehouse in the Saint-Laurent area of the city.
In addition to its own produce, Lufa also sells a selection of other locally made or grown food, including bread, cheese, and drinks to its customers. Rising demand for its service, in the wake of the pandemic, led to the company hiring an additional 200 people, and partnering with 35 new farmers and food makers.
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Three Ways Singapore Is Designing Urban Farms To Create Food Security
Securing food during a crisis and preserving land for a livable climate is changing the focus of farming from rural areas to cities
FARMING IN THE CITY
Urban farming in Singapore
How Singapore has stimulated innovation in urban farming on a massive scale
By Clarisa Diaz | Things Reporter
March 31, 2021
Securing food during a crisis and preserving land for a livable climate is changing the focus of farming from rural areas to cities. At the forefront of this shift is Singapore, a city-sized country that aims to produce 30% of its own food by 2030. But with 90% of Singapore’s food coming from abroad, the challenge is a tall order. The plan calls for everyone in the city to grow what they can, with government grants going to those who can use technology to yield greater amounts.
“This target took into consideration the land available for agri-food production and the potential advances in technologies and innovation,” said Goh Wee Hou, the director of the Food Supply Strategies Department at the Singapore Food Agency. “Local food production currently accounts for less than 10% of our nutritional needs.”
The food items with potential for increased domestic production include vegetables, eggs, and fish. According to the Singapore Food Agency, these three types of goods are commonly consumed but are perishable and more susceptible to supply disruptions. Alternative proteins such as plant-based and lab-grown meats could also contribute to the “30 by 30” goal. In 2020, there were 238 licensed farms in Singapore.
Only 1% of Singapore’s land is being used for conventional farming. That created the constraint of growing more with less. The government has put its hopes in technology, stating that multi-story LED vegetable farms and recirculating aquaculture systems can produce 10 to 15 times more vegetables and fish than conventional farms.
Since 2017, land has been leased in two districts on the edge of the city—Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Tengah—to large-scale commercial farm projects. While the optimization of these farms to produce at maximum capacity is being determined, the idea of growing food in the more urban spaces of Singapore has emerged: from carpark rooftops to reused outdoor spaces and retrofitted building interiors.
Urban farms in Singapore
Urban farms using hydroponics on parking structure roofs
Citiponics is one of Singapore’s first rooftop farms. The hydroponic farm is on top of a carpark, a structure that services almost every neighborhood in Singapore.
Read more: How a parking lot roof was turned into an urban farm in Singapore
Installing urban farms into existing buildings
Sustenir Agriculture has created an indoor vertical farm that can retrofit into existing buildings (including office buildings). The company grows foods that can’t be produced locally, displacing imports and cutting carbon emissions.
Read more: The indoor urban farm start up that’s undercutting importers by 30%
Building a better greenhouse for urban farms in tropical climates
Natsuki’s Garden is a greenhouse in the center of the city, occupying reused space in a former schoolyard. The greenhouse is custom designed for the tropical climate to allow for better air circulation. Yielding 60-80 kg of food per square meter, the greenhouse caters to a small local market.
Read more: How a Singaporean farmer is building a better greenhouse for tropical urban farming
High production urban farms still need to be sustainable
Open to applications later this year, a new $60 million government fund will provide funding for more agritech businesses. According to the Singapore Food Agency, the fund will assist with start-up costs catering to large-scale commercial farms, no matter the location.
But as Singapore tries to advance, there are some left behind. The traditional farms that do exist in Singapore are being displaced, their knowledge no longer valued because they are not seen as hi-tech, according to Lionel Wong, the founding director at Upgrown Farming Company, a consultancy that helps equip new farming business owners across Singapore. “While we are trying to increase production, the net result could actually be reduced production because the traditional growers are being removed from the equation in the long term.”
In the long-run, high production of food within Singapore will need a sustainable market of consumers, to Wong that market isn’t completely clear at the moment. “‘30 by 30’ is really just a vision. The Food Agency deserves a lot of credit in terms of what they’re trying to push, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.” Wong continued, “productivity doesn’t necessarily equate to sustainability or profitability.”
Whether Singapore is able to produce its own food sustainably for the long-run remains to be seen. But the endeavor is certainly an exciting moment for entrepreneurs pushing the boundaries of what farming and cities can be.
Lead photo: COURTESY CITIPONICS | Singapore aims to produce 30% of its food by 2030.
Tanimura & Antle Acquires Boston-Based Green City Growers
The merger of the two companies is based on a common commitment and passion to provide communities, organizations, and individuals with a hands-on educational experience to increase awareness
SALINAS, Ca. (March 9th, 2021) – Employee-owned grower-shipper, Tanimura & Antle BB #:115075 announced today the acquisition of Boston, Massachusetts, based Green City Growers.
The merger of the two companies is based on a common commitment and passion to provide communities, organizations, and individuals with a hands-on educational experience to increase awareness, build engagement and provide education about where food comes from. By providing a path to engagement with hands-on experience, Green City Growers will assist Tanimura & Antle with reaching individuals of all ages, promoting a long-term healthy lifestyle with consumers.
The combined goal of this partnership is to access and serve individuals and local communities not ordinarily provided with the opportunity to connect with their food while strengthening the food supply by providing a supplemental, healthy, and independent food source.
Founded in 1982, the Tanimura and Antle families created a partnership centered on equality, trust and ownership. Since their foundation, Tanimura & Antle has been an industry leader in innovating how food is produced and delivered as well as their first-to-market product offerings.
The Company’s foundation on partnerships has built a culture that carries forward with its employees, customers and suppliers, creating an environment that fosters innovation and willingness to succeed or fail forward.
“Our investment in Green City Growers is our next level of engagement to continue our efforts to impact the lives of all. Our philosophy has always been a learning by doing approach. By reaching children, charitable organizations, corporations, wellness and community outreach programs, we can have a strong impact on promoting a healthy lifestyle,” said Scott Grabau, President & CEO of Tanimura & Antle.
“This partnership and acquisition will also provide our retail and foodservice partners their own opportunity to have an impact in the communities they serve by partnering with us on these programs.”
Founded in 2008 and a certified benefit corporation (B-Corp), Green City Growers started their business by installing and maintaining raised garden beds at people’s homes. From there, the business expanded to include schools, non-profits, corporate clients and real estate companies.
The company provides their customers with the infrastructure, tools, and educational tools required in order to grow their own fresh produce using the principles of organic, regenerative and pesticide free agriculture practices. Green City Growers also offers consulting on design, workshops, virtual engagement and educational opportunities.
With this certification comes a mission that combines bottom-line success with environmental and social responsibility. Green City Growers reaches thousands of children and adults with hands on educational programs about growing healthy food.
As of 2021, Green City Growers has installed hundreds of garden spaces using organic, regenerative and pesticide free agriculture practices and currently services over 150 unique farm and garden locations. The current farms and gardens range from small raised garden beds to rooftop farms and are located throughout New England, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York.
The Company is proud to service New England’s largest rooftop farm on top of Whole Foods Market in Lynnfield, MA, and be the Red Sox’s “other farm team”, maintaining the rooftop farm at Fenway Park since 2015.
In addition to these unique farm and garden locations, Green City Growers also manages garden education programs for Public Schools, Boys, and Girls Clubs and supports wellness and sustainability programs for property management, real estate companies, and corporations with their own gardens.
“We see innovation in the food production and distribution chains as a societal and environmental necessity. We are implementing creative and realistic solutions that help to meet the multiple challenges food systems currently face. We work towards this while at the same time providing local jobs, sourcing local materials, and supporting local economies”, said Chris Grallert, President and equity partner of Green City Growers.
“With a solid business foundation in our proven and robust soil growing technologies, we can now thoughtfully look into how we can expand our custom services in other areas of urban agriculture including vertical and other indoor technologies. I could not be more excited about this new partnership.”
Under the new ownership, the company will continue doing business as Green City Growers with Chris Grallert as President of this new partnership.
Lead photo: The 5,000-square foot Green City Gowers rooftop farm at Fenway Park is on the roof of the front office on the third-base side.
Tagged mergers & acquisitions, tanimura & antle
USA: Wichita, Kansas - Fidelity Bank’s New ‘Car Park’ Adding Ground-Floor Restaurant, Rooftop Urban Farm
Called Rise Farms, it will include 5,000 square feet of space where fresh vegetables and herbs will be grown in raised beds, large planters, and a 24x70-foot long hoop house
Fidelity Bank is embarking on a $51 million project to build a 10-story tower next to its existing five-story headquarters at Main and English. It also plans a new 505-stall parking garage. BY JAIME GREEN
The ground level of Fidelity Bank’s new five-story “car park” on Market between Waterman and English will soon have a new 4,000-square-foot restaurant on its main level.
And that’s not even the biggest news to come out of the project this week.
In addition to the restaurant — which Fidelity isn’t ready to share details about quite yet — the new parking garage will also be home to a rooftop urban farm that bank officials say will be the largest in the Midwest.
Called Rise Farms, it will include 5,000 square feet of space where fresh vegetables and herbs will be grown in raised beds, large planters, and a 24x70-foot long hoop house. The food the farm produces will be used not only by the new ground-level restaurant tenant but also by other restaurants around Wichita. Fidelity Bank employees also will be beneficiaries of the produce, and the first crops should be ready by fall.
The rooftop project will include a private event center with retractable garage doors where Fidelity can house small events and gatherings during warm weather seasons as well as a 5,622 square-foot solar farm featuring 204 solar panels, which produce 380 watts each. The panels, which weigh about 35,000 pounds, are already up and running and producing enough energy to provide the power for the car park and its first-floor tenants.
A rendering of what Fidelity Bank’s rooftop Rise Farms will look like Courtesy FIDELITY BANK
The car park, which has 405 stalls, 24 electric car charging stations employees can use, and daytime public parking on the ground level, just opened and is the first part of a $51 million Fidelity Bank expansion project that also will include a new 10-story, 135,000 square-foot office tower at 100 E. English, where the bank’s parking deck is. Construction on that hasn’t started yet.
The idea for the rooftop farm came about after Fidelity polled its employees about what types of tenants they would like to see move into the 17,000 square feet of retail space on the car park’s ground level, said Aaron Bastian, Fidelity’s president, and CEO. Overwhelmingly, they said they’d want a restaurant.
In the course of meeting with potential restaurant tenants, Bastian said, one suggested the idea of raising fresh produce on the roof.
Bastian, who said that local food culture is a topic he’s passionate about, liked the idea, but bank leadership decided they’d need to consult with an expert to pull it off.
“When we started talking about this idea, we wanted to go out and find people we could partner with to help create what we think could really be a cool downtown amenity,” Bastian said.
Fidelity has since partnered with Leah Dannar-Garcia, the owner of Firefly Farm at West 21st Street North and North 159th Street East, who already raises produce that she sells to about 38 Wichita restaurants. She’ll be in charge of the farm and will offer its produce for sale to restaurants on her route. The ground-floor restaurant, though, will get first dibs.
Fidelity Bank’s new car park in downtown Wichita just opened to employees. By fall, it will have a ground-floor restaurant and a rooftop farm. Courtesy FIDELITY BANK
Dannar-Garcia has been working with the bank for about a year, she said and has mapped out her growing plans in detail. Once it gets going, she’ll have plants growing in beds and containers along both the north and west sides of the building as well as in the climate-controlled hoop house. The bank envisions a program in which Fidelity employees will be able to volunteer to work the farm, and they’ll also set up some type of program where employees can get boxes of fresh produce to take home.
Once it’s fully functioning, the farm will produce vegetables like beets, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts as well as greens like arugula, Swiss chard, and spinach. It’ll also grow herbs, including parsley, cilantro, and Greek oregano.
“We’re going to grow in all four seasons on this farm, so we’ll have spring, summer, fall, and winter crops,” Dannar-Garcia said.
The project is a “natural extension” of the bank’s health, wellness, and green initiatives, it says. One goal of the farm is that it produces zero wasted food.
“Whether that means it gets donated, we haven’t defined that yet,” said Melissa Knoeber, executive vice president at Fidelity who is also the bank’s director of culture and talent. “But that’s really important to us.”
Construction on Rise Farms should start in the spring, and the first crops should be ready by fall.
COURTESY FIDELITY BANK
DENISE NEIL
316-268-6327
Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.
Ensuring Singapore's Food Security Despite the Odds
As with most issues that impact national security in Singapore, it often seems that the odds are stacked against us. Food security — access to safe and nutritious food — is a challenge on several fronts. Singapore is a small city-state with limited resources, with only 1 per cent of land available for food production, and over 90 per cent of food is imported from an increasingly disrupted world. The Covid-19 pandemic has further amplified the gravity of safeguarding food security
Image from: Reuters
As with most issues that impact national security in Singapore, it often seems that the odds are stacked against us. Food security — access to safe and nutritious food — is a challenge on several fronts.
Singapore is a small city-state with limited resources, with only 1 per cent of land available for food production, and over 90 per cent of food is imported from an increasingly disrupted world. The Covid-19 pandemic has further amplified the gravity of safeguarding food security. The city-state has been proactively planning for long-term food security through the Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) strategy of “three food baskets” — diversifying food sources, growing locally and growing overseas. This approach has served the Republic well in securing a supply of safe food.
DIVERSIFIED SOURCING IS KEY
Singapore’s food importers leverage the nation’s connectivity and the global free trade environment to import from multiple sources in about 170 countries and regions worldwide. Should there be a disruption to any one source, importers are able to tap alternative food sources and ensure supply remains stable. Lockdown measures brought about by Covid-19 underscored Singapore’s vulnerabilities to supply disruptions in food.
It was not by luck that the Republic’s food supply remained stable and market shelves continued to be promptly restocked — it was the result of a deliberate whole-of-government strategy to diversify food sources. To keep the nation’’s diversified food supply lines intact amid the Covid-19 global pandemic, SFA worked closely with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) to monitor Singapore’s food supply situation. Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these economic agencies worked with like-minded countries to maintain open trade links.
LOCAL PRODUCTION AN IMPORTANT BUFFER
SFA drives innovation in local farms with the ambitious goal of producing 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030 as part of our “30 by 30” plan. To meet this goal, we need a holistic and long-term approach to space-planning, boosting agri-food technology and developing local agri-specialists. To facilitate and support the establishment of high-technology and productive farms in Singapore, SFA tenders out land based on qualitative criteria such as production capability, production track record, relevant experience and qualifications, innovation and sustainability.
In addition, a masterplan for the greater Lim Chu Kang (LCK) region, spanning about 390ha of land, will be undertaken in consultation with stakeholders over the next two to three years. The redeveloped LCK agri-food cluster will produce more than three times its current food production.
Building on the above efforts to grow Singapore’s high-tech agri-tech sector, SFA will continue to partner with the Economic Development Board and ESG to attract best-in-class global agri-tech companies, as well as to nurture promising homegrown agri-tech companies into local champions and help them to expand overseas.
EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE, UNDERUTILISED SPACES
Urban food solutions are expected to play a key role in global food security. While there are progressive enterprises operating out of farmlands and industrial estates, some agricultural game-changers are also taking root in unconventional areas — indoors, on rooftops and in underutilised spaces.
SFA worked with the Singapore Land Authority to introduce an urban farm at the former Henderson Secondary School site, which was transformed into Singapore’s first integrated space comprising an urban farm, childcare centre and nursing home within a state property. The farm space within the site was awarded in May 2019 to social enterprise City Sprouts, and it has become a vibrant destination for the young and old to learn about urban farming and enjoy a relaxing day out.
Citiponics, the first commercial farm located on a multi-storey car park in a residential neighbourhood, harvested its first yield of vegetables in April 2019. In September 2020, another nine sites atop multi-storey car parks were awarded for urban farming.
The successful bidders included proposals for hydroponic and vertical farming systems with a variety of innovative features, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain technology and automated climate control. These sites have the potential to collectively produce around 1,600 tonnes of vegetables annually.
Image from: Ciitiponics
TAPPING TECH
The Agriculture Productivity Fund (APF) supports local farms in their capability development and drive towards higher productivity. Through APF, SFA co-funds the adoption of farming systems to better control environmental variables, test-bed technologies and boost production capabilities. Between October 2014 and September 2020, a total of almost S$42 million has been committed to 115 farms.
The Covid-19 pandemic presented greater impetus to speed up local food production capacities. In September 2020, SFA awarded S$39.4 million to nine companies under the 30x30 Express Grant to quickly ramp up food-farm outputs over the next six months to two years. With advanced robotic and digital systems increasingly being used in farming, Singapore’s vegetables farmers have also become innovative agri-engineers and specialists in their own right.
With support from the 30x30 Express Grant, urban farming engineering solutions firm Indoor Farm Factory Innovation will set up an indoor vegetable farm with a vertical integration growth system up to 8m in height in a fully controlled and pesticide-free environment. The farm will leverage artificial intelligence farming systems integrated with IoT monitoring, dosing irrigation and an advanced environmental control system to achieve optimum growing conditions all year round.
Seng Choon, a chicken egg farm that has been in business for more than 30 years, has also proved itself a modernist in its operations. The company uses a computer that scans eggs to ascertain if they are clean; while feeding systems, temperature controls and waste cleaning systems have been automated with SFA’s support. Singapore’s efforts at ensuring food security would not be complete without support from consumers. To boost recognition of local produce among consumers, SFA brought the industry and public together to create a new “SG Fresh Produce” logo.
Farmers have been using this emblem on their packaging since August 2020. A website was also launched to provide a trove of information on locally farmed food. While the Covid-19 pandemic has led to import restrictions, it also helped to accelerate support for local produce. With public support for local farmers and other key measures, Singapore can beat the odds in ensuring food security in this ever-evolving, ever-disrupted world.
Is AppHarvest the Future of Farming?
In this video from Motley Fool Live, recorded on Jan. 28, Industry Focus host Nick Sciple and Motley Fool contributor Lou Whiteman discuss AppHarvest, one such SPAC that is looking to disrupt the agriculture industry. Here are the details on what AppHarvest wants to do, and a look at whether the company represents the future of farming.
Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are red-hot right now, with investors clamoring to get into promising young companies.
In this video from Motley Fool Live, recorded on Jan. 28, Industry Focus host Nick Sciple and Motley Fool contributor Lou Whiteman discuss AppHarvest, one such SPAC that is looking to disrupt the agriculture industry. Here are the details on what AppHarvest wants to do, and a look at whether the company represents the future of farming.
Nick Sciple: One last company I wanted to talk about, Lou, and this is one I think it's -- you pay attention to, but not one I'm super excited to run in and buy. It was a company called AppHarvest. It's coming public via a [SPAC] this year. This vertical farming space. We talked about Gladstone Land buying traditional farmland. AppHarvest is taking a very different approach, trying to lean into some of the ESG-type movements.
Lou Whiteman: Yeah. Let's look at this. It probably wouldn't surprise you that the U.S. is the biggest global farm exporter as we said, but it might surprise you that the Netherlands, the tiny little country, is No. 2. The way they do that is tech: Greenhouse farm structure. AppHarvest has taken that model and brought it to the U.S. They have, I believe, three farms in Appalachia. The pitches can produce 30x the yields using 90% less water. Right now, it's mostly tomatoes and it is early-stage. I don't own this stock either. I love this idea. There's some reasons that I'm not buying in right now that we can get into. But this is fascinating to me. We talked about making the world a better place. This is the company that we need to be successful to make the world a better place. The warning on it is that it is a SPAC. So it's not public yet. Right now, I believe N-O-V-S. That deal should close soon. [Editor's note: The deal has since closed.] I'm not the only one excited about it. I tend not to like to buy IPOs and new companies anyway. I think the caution around buying into the excitement applies here. There is a Martha Stewart video on their website talking up the company, which I love Martha Stewart, but that's a hype level that makes me want to just watch and see what they produce. This is just three little farms in Appalachia right now and a great idea. This was all over my watchlist. I would imagine I would love to hold it at some point, but just be careful because this is, as we saw SPACs last year in other areas, people are very excited about this.
Sciple: Yeah. I think, like we've said, for a lot of these companies, the prospects are great. I think when you look at the reduced water usage, better, environmentally friendly, all those sorts of things. I like that they are in Appalachia. As someone who is from the South, I like it when more rural areas get some people actually investing money there. But again, there's a lot of execution between now and really getting to a place where this is the future of farming and they're going to reach scale and all those sorts of things. But this is a company I'm definitely going to have my radar on and pay attention to as they continue to report earnings. Because you can tell yourself a story about how this type of vertical farming, indoor farming disrupts this traditional model, can be more efficient, cleaner, etc. Something to continue paying attention to as we have more information, because this company, like you said, Lou, isn't all the way public yet. We still got to have this SPAC deal finalized and then we get all our fun SEC filings and quarterly calls and all those sorts of things. Once we have that, I will be very much looking forward to seeing what the company has to say.
Whiteman: Right. Just to finish up along too, the interesting thing here is that it is a proven concept because it has worked elsewhere. The downside of that is that it needed to work there. Netherlands just doesn't have -- and this is an expensive proposition to get started, to get going. There's potential there, but in a country blessed with almost seemingly unlimited farmland for now, for long term it makes sense. But in the short term, it could be a hard thing to really get up and running. I think you're right, just one to watch.
Sino Group Presents City-Wide Integrated Green Community Project Farm Together
Ms. Nikki Ng, Group General Manager of Sino Group, says, 'With a vision of Creating Better Lifescapes, the Group focuses its efforts on three interconnected pillars, namely Green Living, Community Spirit, and Innovative Design
January 28, 2021
ACROFAN=PRNewswire | mediainquiries@prnewswire.com | SNS
Dedicated to Creating Better Lifescapes for the community
HONG KONG, Jan. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The year 2021 marks the 50th Anniversary of Sino Group (the 'Group'), commemorating its effort in community-building and dedication to building a more sustainable society. Sino Group today presents Farm Together – an integrated green community project that promotes urban farming and brings the community closer to nature, in keeping with the Group's Sustainability Vision 2030 commitment of Creating Better Lifescapes. With six farms currently operating across its properties in Hong Kong that span over 23,000 square feet, the Group has one of the largest urban farming footprints in the city.
Ms. Nikki Ng, Group General Manager of Sino Group, says, 'With a vision of Creating Better Lifescapes, the Group focuses its efforts on three interconnected pillars, namely Green Living, Community Spirit, and Innovative Design. In collaboration with our green partners and NGO partners, Farm Together aims to encourage our community to re-establish a connection with nature. We promote sustainable living and wellness while celebrating local biodiversity in alignment with the mission of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Through Farm Together, we seek to plant the seeds of sustainability and grow a greener future with our colleagues, residents, tenants, and the wider community.'
Sino Group sees sustainability as the core of its business and has introduced many green initiatives over the past 50 years, including the 'Mission Green Top' that has brought green inspiration to commercial buildings since 2008 and Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel's outdoor organic farm, launched in 2018, which pioneered the industry. Over 5,000 tenants, hotel guests, students, and colleagues have participated in a variety of green tours, workshops, and educational programmes over the years, and more than 1,000 kg of vegetables have been harvested from rooftop farm that has generated over HK$2 million of sales proceeds for the not-for-profit Hong Chi Association. These meaningful experiences and networks laid a solid foundation for the city-wide Farm Together project.
Urban farming footprint across the city
Farm Together currently operates six farms city-wide, across the Group's commercial and residential properties as well as hotel. The largest farm in the portfolio, spanning 11,840 square feet, is Sky Farm at the Skyline Tower, located in Kowloon Bay. Featuring a wide range of seasonal plants from Romaine lettuce to sweet potatoes as well as being Hong Kong's first rooftop farm at a commercial building to grow indigo plant for tie-dyeing, the farm is managed in collaboration with sustainable social enterprise Smiley Planet and local NGO Hong Chi Association.
Other farms include 148 Farm (1,300 square feet) on 148 Electric Road that is a lush urban garden with mesmerising views of the Victoria Harbour. The Group's Hong Kong Gold Coast is home to four farms: Gold Coast Eco Farm (2,500 square feet), bringing the joy of urban farming to residents at Hong Kong Gold Coast Residences; Gold Coast Fun Farm (1,600 square feet), a green oasis where families and neighbours meet and share wonderful moments together; Gold Coast Farm (3,680 square feet), the first farm within a hotel in Hong Kong using organic farming practice to grow a variety of crops; and Butterflies and Herbs Farm (3,700 square feet) at the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel, which features more than 20 types of butterflies and 40 types of flower and plant species.
These farms together grow over 150 plant and crop species including the seasonal plants snow jade cabbage and taro winter melon. Farm Together aims at promoting a more sustainable urban lifestyle through vertical farming practices and farm-to-table experiences. It is expected to generate a total of around 1,000 kg of produce annually to be shared with residents, tenants, and charitable organizations to support the local community.
Following this success, Farm Together has been extended outside of Hong Kong. The Fullerton Farm (2,152 square feet) at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore has been launched to promote the concept of sustainability and biodiversity to the Singapore community.
148 Farm on 148 Electric Road is a lush urban garden with mesmerizing views of the Victoria Harbour.
Wide range of activities to bring the community closer to nature
Committed to creating a better community that thrives in harmony by embracing green living and wellness, the Group's Farm Together project offers a range of community workshops, programmes, and tours – that teach participants everything from the farm-to-table concept to expert farming tips – in collaboration with urban farming experts including Smiley Planet, Rooftop Republic, Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve and NGO partners including Hong Chi Association, New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, Warehouse Teenage Club and The Providence Garden for Rehab.
The first round of community activities will open to public this April. Popular workshops that utilize the plants and herbs grown at the farms include the Tie-Dying Workshop where participants can create their own tie-dyed fabrics and accessories with indigo, and the Herb Soap Making Workshop in which participants can create their own sustainable soap using a traditional cold processing method with herbs and flowers. Those who wish to learn more about farming techniques and harvesting can enjoy the Mixed Farm Tour and Urban Farm Tour. Please visit the Farm Together website https://www.farmtogether.com.hk/ for details and fee of the workshops, with online registration starting mid -February on a first-come-first-serve basis. Proceeds from the workshops (deducting administrative cost) will be donated to New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association.
About Sino Group
Sino Group is one of the leading property developers in Hong Kong. It comprises three listed companies – Sino Land Company Limited (HKSE: 083), Tsim Sha Tsui Properties Limited (HKSE: 0247), and Sino Hotels (Holdings) Limited (HKSE: 1221) as well as private companies held by the Ng Family.
The Group's core business is developing residential, office, industrial, and retail properties for sale and investment. In addition to an extensive portfolio in Hong Kong, the Group has footprints in mainland China, Singapore, and Australia. The Group has developed more than 250 projects, spanning a total plot ratio area of over 84.6 million sq ft. Our core business is complemented by the gamut of property services encompassing management, security, and environmental services to ensure a seamless Sino Experience. We are also a key player in hotel and club management.
The Group employs more than 10,000 committed staff members, who share the vision of creating better lifescapes. Lifescape is our vision – to build a better life together, where the community thrives in harmony by embracing green living and wellness, by engaging with all and pursuing meaningful designs, and by seeking innovation while respecting heritage and culture. Committed and together, we create a better community where people live, work, and play. In the year 2021, the Group celebrates its 50th anniversary, commemorating our five decades of community-building and dedication to Creating Better Lifescapes.
The Group focuses its sustainability efforts on three areas, namely Green Living, Innovative Design, and Community Spirit. Sino Land Company Limited (083) has been a constituent member of the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index Series since September 2012 for its continual efforts in promoting sustainability.
About Farm Together
Farm Together is Sino Group's integrated green community project for planting the seeds of sustainability and bringing the community closer to nature.
Farm Together currently comprises 6 farms in Hong Kong and 1 farm in Singapore, spanning over 26,000 sq. ft. and including the Sky Farm at Skyline Tower, the 148 Farm at 148 Electric Road, Gold Coast Fun Farm, Gold Coast Eco Farm, Gold Coast Farm and the Butterflies and Herbs Farm at the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel, the Fullerton Farm at the Fullerton Hotel Singapore.
Creating a sustainable future is at the heart of what we do, and Farm Together is one of the ways we are bringing this vision to life. Let's Farm Together!
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Lead photo: The Farm Together project currently operates six farms city-wide, across Sino Group’s commercial and residential properties as well as hotels.
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What Are The Emerging Trends Affecting Indoor Farming? State of Indoor Farming Survey
Artemis Ag has opened its third annual State of Indoor Farming Survey, and is looking for your input
By Artemis Ag
January 9, 2021
Photo: Kalera
Artemis Ag has opened its third annual State of Indoor Farming Survey, and is looking for your input. The survey will provide insights on emerging trends and challenges in the greenhouse and vertical farming industries.
“We’re looking forward to learning how growers are facing new challenges such as COVID-19,” says Allison Kopf, CEO of Artemis Ag. “In the past, expansion was one of the prime goals for growers, and we’ve asked some new questions around the topic. We will be sharing even more information related to technology usage, the evolution of the industry, and how growers are working with lenders.”
In the past few years, more than 500 growers have participated in Artemis’ annual State of Indoor Farming Surveys. Past reports have been downloaded more than 2 million times and are one of the most widely circulated and respected sources of industry data.
More and better data collected means more insights for growers. Growers can participate in the 2020 State of Indoor Farming survey here.
The survey will be open for a few weeks and Artemis expects to launch the 2020 report immediately following.
Learn more here.
INDIA: Hydroponics Startups Are Slowly Growing On Indian Consumers
Chennai-based biotechnology graduate Rahul Dhoka’s rooftop looks like a maze. Only, it’s a maze of over 6,000 organically grown leafy vegetables and herbs such as carrom, kale, lettuce, and spinach
Written by Monika Ghosh
29 Dec 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically
accelerated the demand for organically grown produce
Chennai-based biotechnology graduate Rahul Dhoka’s rooftop looks like a maze. Only, it’s a maze of over 6,000 organically grown leafy vegetables and herbs such as carrom, kale, lettuce, and spinach.
These vegetables, grown in planters made of PVC pipes that have taken over his 90 square feet rooftop, are grown using hydroponics technique—a method of growing plants in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. Non-commercial hydroponics farming does not require large spaces and can be grown on rooftops like Dhoka’s or even in a smaller set up such as a doorstep. They can also be designed as vertical farms to optimize the land area.
In 2016, Dhoka got into hydroponics as a hobby, and three years later, once he mastered the technique and learned how to create different design structures, he founded Acqua Farms, a consultancy startup that helps people set up their own hydroponics farms.
Dhoka told KrASIA that the consumer interest in hydroponics has increased dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic as people have become more conscious of what they eat and want to know where their food comes from.
“My revenue in the first two to three months of COVID-19 was almost the same as the entire previous year’s,” said Dhoka, founder and CEO of Acqua Farms.
Eat healthy, live healthy
Acqua Farms is one of the several organic food companies that have reported a surge in sales during the pandemic while individuals are showing interest in growing their own produce. This trend of owning farms and eating healthy has boosted the demand of hydroponics farms.
The startup, in addition to selling hydroponics starter kits, also runs a subscription service for people with no knowledge of maintaining a hydroponics set up. Under the subscription service, the startup assigns an agronomist who takes care of the plants and monitors them once a week. Till date, Acqua Farms has helped set up over 500 hydroponics farms.
Rahul Dhoka, founder of Acqua Farms posing with the hydroponics set up on his rooftop. Photo credit: Ashwin Prasath
One of the primary benefits of aquaponics farming is that since plants receive nutrition directly from the treated water, they grow around 15-20% faster than traditional soil-based farming, providing higher yields, said Dhoka. This also allows more harvests of the same crop than is possible in traditional farming, giving hydroponics farmers an edge.
“With good management, you can even get 16 harvests in a year [for leafy greens], whereas in soil-based farming only three or four [harvests] are possible,” he said.
Dhoka said, in addition to higher yields, hydroponics is also a sustainable way of farming as it utilizes 90% less water than traditional farming. The benefits of hydroponics don’t stop here: since it can be set up inside buildings and roof-tops, it reduces carbon footprint and food wastage as the produce doesn’t require any storage or long-distance travel, which makes it ideal for farm-to-fork model.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 190.7 million Indians are undernourished. Amidst this dire situation, 16% of India’s agricultural produce is wasted due to the lack of proper storage and transportation.
Hydroponics startups are largely focusing on growing leafy greens due to their shorter crop cycles, easier management, and lesser space requirements. It also caters to the niche market of exotic green produce like kale, lettuce, and herbs.
Commercial-scale set ups
While Acqua Farms works mostly with individuals and families, a few hydroponics startups focus on setting up commercial-scale farms as well. Unlike non-commercial set ups, these require greenhouses or poly houses to provide complete climate control. This allows the production of crops irrespective of the weather conditions.
This is where Mumbai-based startup Barton Breeze comes into the picture. It sets up farms on the rooftops of apartments as well as inside the buildings. To ensure its clients have a steady income, Barton Breeze buys their produce at a price that gives these urban farmers a 30% profit on each harvest. The startup then sells this produce in the market.
The entire process is hassle-free for farmers as Barton Breeze manages their farm, and takes care of marketing, transportation, and sale of the produce.
Large and commercial-scale hydroponics farms require to be equipped with advanced automation systems to ensure the yield is unaffected by weather conditions.
Barton Breeze enables such farms with automation systems to track their farms remotely. The startup’s app iFarm offers a farmer remote access to the farm, “wherein a farmer can not only just monitor but also control the farm remotely which means sitting at home, you press a button and things will happen on the farm,” Shivendra Singh, CEO, Barton Breeze, told KrASIA.
S Sudhanva, COO of Barton Breeze. Photo courtesy of Barton Breeze.
Through the app, the farmer can control the temperature and humidity, and even control the dosing of nutrients in the water. The app also allows users to get updates on their farm data such as energy consumption.
When anything in the farm fails or goes wrong, the farmer gets an alert via email, message, or a buzzer in the app. This not only makes it easier to manage large farms spread across acres but also reduces the need for human labor.
Additionally, Barton Breeze offers farm management software to maintain day-to-day activities. This software can help farmers identify their approximate date of harvest, and expected yield. Moreover, the company installs humidity sensors, sunlight sensors, climate control systems, and thermal sensors in the farm that send alerts when stocks are running low and highlights issues like pest attacks and any increase in the level of plant allergens.
To reduce human contact amid the pandemic, the company has automated customer onboarding through its app. But, most importantly, it has created an artificial intelligence (AI) system that provides crop management guidance to farmers. “For example, if your plant’s leaves are yellow, [the] AI can find out why they are yellow, what are the remedies, and what are the things you can do to cure it,” said Singh.
Singh claimed Barton Breeze grew at a CAGR of 500% year-on-year in 2019 and saw twice more online visitors this year compared to 2019.
Investor interest in hydroponics
According to Singh, hydroponics produce is very well accepted in urban cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. Spending is not a problem for customers–it’s the unavailability of options near them that keeps people from accepting hydroponics, he said. The products are sold in supermarkets, and unlike a couple of years ago, they have a distinct label that mentions they have been grown using hydroponics.
Most hydroponics startups are still, however, struggling to match their price with the market price of traditional farm produce due to high operational as well as production costs.
However, Singh said Barton Breeze has managed to significantly bring the cost down. “We have brought down the production cost. So, if something is coming from Bengaluru to Mumbai and costs INR 200 (USD 2.70) per kilogram, we offer it at a price of INR 120 (USD 1.62) per kilogram which is lower than the market price,” he said.
With the prices of hydroponics produce being at par with or lower than traditional farm produce, Singh believes the customer base for the former is expanding which is currently limited to upper middle class families. But the demand still remains limited to metros and tier 1 cities.
Read this: Farm to fork: This millennial urban farmer grows vegetables on carpark rooftops in Singapore
Even though the hydroponics startups are experiencing increased demand, investors remain skeptical of the potential of hydroponics produce in the market. For consumers, as long as the produce is organic and the price is at par with other available options, it doesn’t matter whether it is grown in a hydroponics set up or in any other way.
“Hydroponics is more expensive [than greenhouse and net-house farming], and mostly for the production of raw greens, exotic vegetables, and super-premium berries,” said Mark Kahn, Managing Partner at Omnivore, an agritech focused venture capital firm. Earlier this year, Omnivore participated in agritech startup Clover’s USD 5.5 million Series A round. Clover sells hydroponically grown fresh produce.
“We think there is a market for hydroponics produce in India, but it will remain a niche segment within CEA [Controlled Environment Agriculture],” he added.
According to Kahn, there are two major hurdles for the hydroponics segment–lack of consumer demand and high cost of infrastructure.
“…identifying the target segment and building demand will require significant downstream investment and large marketing budgets. As for the latter [hurdle], hopefully, hydroponics startups in India can find ways to lower setup costs and make units more modular,” he said.
However, he adds that Omnivore remains “excited” about hydroponics and will continue to explore investment opportunities in the sector.
Although Omnivore has a cautiously optimistic outlook of the hydroponics market, both Barton Breeze and Acqua Farms reported increased investor interest since the start of the pandemic. “We were definitely in touch with a couple of investors [before] but after COVID, every week there’s a new investor interested in us,” Singh said.
Lead photo: Rahul Dhoka, founder of Acqua Farms posing with the hydroponics set up on his rooftop. Photo credit: Ashwin Prasath
AUSTRALIA: A Brilliant Plan To Turn Parking Garages Into Rooftop Gardens
“It’s the third-largest land use in the city,” he says. Community space, on the other hand, ranks dead last. Bates Smart crunched the numbers and found that, in total, parking takes up nearly 1,200 acres of space, or more space than New York’s Central Park
Sourced from Fast Company
There are more than 41,000 parking spaces in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. Many of them could be put to better use, says Julian Anderson, a director at the large Australian architecture firm Bates Smart.
“It’s the third-largest land use in the city,” he says. Community space, on the other hand, ranks dead last. Bates Smart crunched the numbers and found that, in total, parking takes up nearly 1,200 acres of space, or more space than New York’s Central Park. And if it’s not bad enough that these parking spaces take up so much space and encourage more driving, they also sit empty most of the time. “You think, my god, there’s one and a half times Central Park wrapped up in car parking in central Melbourne,” Anderson says. “What can we do to unlock this?”
One potential solution, he says, is to convert some of that parking into much-needed community space such as playgrounds, community gardens, and rooftop parks. And with a new mechanism his firm is developing in consultation with the city government, there may be a way to incentivize the owners of these parking spaces to make that happen.
Anderson says there are at least 20 standalone parking garages in central Melbourne that would be good candidates for reuse. Bates Smart has developed concepts for a few garages to serve as models for how this conversion could work, with some minor structural revision. One, located near the city’s main sports stadium, imagines the space converted into a series of playgrounds and gymnasia, with basketball courts and other recreational spaces. Another, in the city’s Chinatown, uses the ground floor as a market space and the rooftop as an outdoor eatery with open-air cinema. Anderson calls these potential projects a new kind of “vertical urban space.”
Source:https://www.fastcompany.com/90579163/a-brilliant-plan-to-turn-parking-garages-into-rooftop-gardens
Tagged: green roof, green roof benefits, living roof, living roof benefits, rooftop parks, rooftop garden, Melbourne, sustainability, resilience
INDIA: This Goa Couple Grow Their Veggies & Fish Without Using Soil or Chemicals!
On 185 square meters of greenhouse and rooftop garden, in their house at Dona Paula, Panaji, they produce 120 kilograms of fish a year and grow 3,000 plants consisting of vegetables and fruits
AUTHOR: GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
December 1, 2020
Goa-based Peter Singh is 74-years-old, and his wife Neeno Kaur is 65. They are a power couple, setting an example of how to be self-reliant with food, and at the same time, converting biodegradable waste into something useful.
On 185 square meters of greenhouse and rooftop garden, in their house at Dona Paula, Panaji, they produce 120 kilograms of fish a year and grow 3,000 plants consisting of vegetables and fruits.
For the last four years, they have been practicing aquaponics at home, a combination of aquaculture (raising fish in tanks), with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water).
However, they do with a twist. “We do aquaponics with permaculture,” says Peter Singh, explaining his system to a bunch of enthusiasts earlier this year.
(L) Peter Singh in his air-conditioned greenhouse that has plants which require a cooler climate. (R) Ornamental fish are grown in a fish tank
He adds, “We compost our kitchen and garden waste and use it in our aquaponics. Plants are potted in a layer of gravel, 1/3rd of coco peat, and 2/3rd of compost. So, our plants get compost plus fish waste, which results in a higher yield. I don’t use any chemicals for this, and I am taking care of my waste and my food.”
One may wonder why they are doing it. For them, the answer is simple–they want to eat organic and be sure of how their food is grown.
Moreover, both have a background in agriculture.
“I was studying Mathematics at the Delhi University; the idea was to stay in Delhi, but then we thought of moving back to our farms in Jalandhar, Punjab. We worked on different forms of agriculture, in which different fruit and timber trees were planted, we did intercropping in the orchard of oilseeds and pulses, produced seeds for the national seed corporation, had a dairy farm, did beekeeping and even exported the honey,” explains Singh.
They moved to Goa seven years ago and found it difficult to source organic vegetables. The majority of the vegetables in the state come from the neighboring city of Belgaum in Karnataka. So, they decided to grow their food in this unique way.
“As we have limited space in Goa, we experimented and discovered aquaponics. We downloaded papers from universities, and read about it. And came up with this model,” says Singh.
They opine that they are still experimenting and bring in changes accordingly. As they have the technical know-how and a background in farming, they are quite confident of their system.
How this system works
Peter Singh explaining the model
This system of aquaponics which involves the fish tank, NFT pipes, (Nutrient Film Technique) which are used to grow vegetables, water-pumps, and artificial grow lights, may look complicated. But Singh makes it easier to understand. He has also made a model of this system that can fit in any balcony or even in any corner of the living room.
“This unit of 2 ft by 6 ft and 6 ft high, with artificial lighting of 200 watts uses 250 litres of water and can grow 180 plants. One can grow lettuce, kale, bok choy or any other vegetable. One fish tank can sustain five kilograms of fish mass so that you can have ten fresh-water fish of ½ kg each,” elaborates Singh.
The system works mainly on electricity, water, and fish waste.
Singh explains, “In a fish tank, the fish waste is mainly ammonia. In this system, aerators circulate the water and create a current. The fish waste settles at the bottom, and the pipes take this waste into the bio-filter, which breaks the ammonia into nitrates and nitrites for plants to use.”
The water gets further filtered and goes back to the fish. It also has aeroponic towers which work as the nursery of plants. It is also a space-saving system as it is vertical.
“Because of heavy nitrogen, green vegetables grow very well. We have lettuce, bok choy, and celery. Also, this system uses 10 percent of the water used in traditional soil-based farming, as water is constantly getting re-used. The only loss is in the evaporation. There’s no need of watering, no weeding, one only has to feed the fish twice a day,” says Neeno Kaur.
The entire system has three fish tanks on the ground floor. One is of 3,000 litres of water; second is 1,500 litres, and the third is 4,000 litres. They raise three types of fresh-water fish—rohu, catla, and chonak or sea bass. If one does not eat fish, Singh suggests using ornamental fish.
The rooftop garden
On their roof, they have a greenhouse of 12ft by 24ft, which has 2,000 plants. The greenhouse in the back garden is 6 ft by 16 ft and has 500 plants. A roof-top garden has 25 fruit trees, 300 onions, and an assortment of chillies, lemons, tomatoes, aloe, chives, creepers like ivy gourd, bottle gourd, cucumber, bitter gourd, ladyfinger, brinjal.
Along a boundary on the ground floor, they have mango, banana, and papaya. They also have an air-conditioned tunnel of 8 ft by 12 ft in their greenhouse, with 1,000 plants of lettuce, kale, bok choy, basil, parsley, cabbage, and broccoli. For the whole system, they spend around Rs 14,000 per month.
The aquaponics system doesn’t require cleaning of water as the water gets filtered in the process. And all the fittings are made by Singh himself. He has also part-time workers for about six hours a day. He adds, “We spend Rs 6,000 on electricity, Rs 4,000 on feeding the fish, and another Rs 4,000 on labour.”
They won the first prize for Most Innovative Stall at the Aqua Goa Mega Fish Festival 2020 held in February.
Agriculture expert from Goa, Miguel Braganza opines, “Peter Singh’s aquaponics is good for those who can afford it as the basic cost of the unit is Rs 30,000. Also, it is ideal for those who eat salads and continental cuisine.”
Regarding the cost, Singh states that it is high “because we pump water from the ground floor to the greenhouse on the roof. If it is on the same floor, this is much lower.”
They also have plans for solar panels and making fish feed at home to be self-sustainable. He adds, “If we automate the system, and put in solar power, then costing will go down substantially. We are also working on growing feed for fish. So our whole system becomes self-dependent.”
However, they are also trying to monetise from this system, by conducting two-day training programmes priced at Rs 5,000. Singh adds, “We also custom design and help set up aquaponics systems, of any scale, from small home systems to commercial systems, charging 10 per cent of the capital cost for the design.”
(L) Bok Choi grown in aeroponic towers. (R) Gourds grown on the roof.
Recently, they started selling these vegetables from their home. A basket contains two bunches of lettuce, a baby bok choy, three sticks of celery, sprigs of parsley, basil, and a small bunch of mint, priced at Rs 100. They will also add kale and Swiss chard to it. From next month, their air-conditioned model will produce about 300 packs of greens a month at Rs 120 each.
Singh and Kaur are hopeful that more people will learn from this system and eat healthy food as it is the need of the hour.
He concludes, “This method is independent of the weather, rain, hail, and sun; it is protected from predators and is the future of agriculture. It doesn’t need land, soil, or chemicals, and produces vegetables and fish wherever you are.”
Also Read: Experts Answer: Can a Hydroponics Farm Be a Good Business? Here’s How!
This shows that aquaponics could be next best thing in agriculture due to urbanisation and loss of agricultural land. It is estimated that the market of aquaponics will grow with the awareness to eat healthy food.
According to a report by Assocham and Ernst & Young, organic products market in India have been growing at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 25 percent, expected to touch ₹10,000-₹12,000 crore by 2020 from the current market size of ₹ 4,000 crore. As aquaponics is a part of the organic market, the future looks bright for this new-age form of agriculture.
During the current nationwide lockdown to tackle COVID-19, Peter Singh is selling their produce once a week from their home by maintaining social distancing. He says, “We slowed down the sale of our produce in the first week, and worked out a weekly production schedule, which includes a weekly harvest and transplantation. This means we will be able to supply every week all year round.”
Lead photo: Peter Singh is 74, and his wife Neeno Kaur is 65. Together, they grow 3,000 plants on just 185 sqm by a method that’s independent of the rain, hail, and sun!
(Written by Arti Das and Edited by Shruti Singhal)
Farming Brought To New Heights
Although still in its early stages of development, urban rooftop farms have already started to attract attention
Forward-Thinking Entrepreneurs, Neighbors, And
Farmers Have Discovered A New Use For Rooftops: Farming.
By Alexandra Neag
November 5, 2020
Who said rooftops should only be used for cocktail bars and beauty spots overlooking the city?
Although still in its early stages of development, urban rooftop farms have already started to attract attention.
Statistics predict that by 2050 the population of the world will reach 9.7 billion. By the same year, the UN predicts that 68% of the world’s population will most likely live in urban areas, up from 55% in 2018. This substantial growth would imply the need for more agricultural land and more fresh products. Yet, if we consider the climate change challenge and the transport pollution that aggravates it, we are in dire need of more local farms.
There is considerable potential for space usage. There are 4.85 trillion sq ft (450 billion m2) of roof space in the US alone, but only 1% is being used. This way, local businesses could supply their greengrocers locally without the added carbon footprint of transportation.
Leveraging rooftop space in metropolitan areas is a great advantage. This would make a significant positive environmental impact. Transport of goods accounts for 12% of all agricultural emissions worldwide.
Reducing transportation costs and pollution is not the only way in which rooftop farms would be more eco-friendly. They would also improve air quality, absorb heat, and cool down the building. They also would add more of a green landscape to the concrete jungle, which is proven to have psychological benefits for people.
Healthy food would be readily available to local businesses, which would reduce the cost of transport and, therefore, the prepared food cost to customers. The urban farmers might even use fewer pesticides as the crop would not be at risk of being eaten by insects and rodents, producing more nutritious and tasty ingredients for people’s diets.
As the advantages of city farming have become more prominent, many places worldwide have started to adopt this initiative. Among them are the City Farm in Tokyo, Dakakker in Rotterdam, and Brooklyn Grange in New York City. In each of these urban farms, people have added new elements and ideas to match the local demand. In Tokyo’s city farm, they adjusted the agricultural conditions to grow soybeans, eggplants, and rice. These are traditionally the most used ingredients in the region. In New York, on the other hand, the extra space has enabled further expansion. They now also raise chicken for eggs as well as bees for honey production.
In Paris’ 15 arrondissement, we can find the biggest rooftop farm. They went a step further and created a soil-free system where fruit and vegetables are grown on vertical columns using coconut fibre. Their model seems to be the most fructiferous, sustainable, and clean so far. As a result, they started offering a consultancy worldwide to help other city farmers start such productive and eco-friendly agriculture systems.
All in all, it is exciting to see such innovative solutions emerging to combat global issues and improve urban efficiency. Although there is still a lot of progress left to be made, ingenious entrepreneurs have shown that farming can be brought to new heights.
RELATED TOPICS : FEATURED, FOOD WASTE, MOBILITY, ORGANIC, PARIS, ROOFTOP FARMING, ROOFTOP GARDENS
Writer and Marketer. After launching new models in the automotive industry, I’ve shifted my focus to writing about sustainable mobility and ground-breaking ideas for a better future.
LATVIA: Safety of Food Grown In Urban Vertical Gardens
The project, called G(U)ARDEN, is a vertical garden experience set in Latvia aimed at exploring the safety of growing food in urban gardens.
26-10-2020 | Inhabitat
Interior architecture firm Annvil has brought together a team of urban planners, designers, environmentalists, and natural scientists to study the interaction between the urban environment and horticulture. The project, called G(U)ARDEN, is a vertical garden experience set in Latvia aimed at exploring the safety of growing food in urban gardens.
Urban agriculture has already been proven to reduce air pollution, collect and use runoff, increase productivity of space, and aid in urban cooling, but it is still lacking in substantial scientific research in the safety of these plants being used for food. The G(U)ARDEN project will measure the biochemical composition of vegetables and fruits grown in urban environments, especially in places with intense traffic and air pollution.
The primary urban vertical garden of this project is located in Riga, Latvia and is made up of local plants from the city’s horticulture centers and nurseries. Researchers chose to use endemic plants to inspire residents to grow and conserve locally as well as to encourage sustainable and effective urban environmental development discussions.
“Today we live in a digital world where everything is instantaneous. In answer to that, we want to stimulate people’s interest in real-life — interest in the physical world and in being close to nature,” said Anna Butele, author of project G(U)ARDEN and the founder of Annvil. “We can do that by creating even more green environments in the city — meeting places that bring together different groups of society. This way we can also bring attention to neglected environments in the city.”
The pilot program has started with the team studying the garden’s vegetable and fruit harvest in a scientific laboratory. Crops are measured for the presence of heavy metals, while the air and water is measured for the microbiological composition to help identify all possible risk factors associated with the impact of the urban environment on edible plants. The data obtained from the experiment will aid in continued projects to help create a series of urban gardens in Latvia’s largest cities next year.
Photography by Ingus Bajārs via Annvil
Source: Inhabitat
Europe's Largest Rooftop Farm Gets Growing Again After Paris Lockdown
On the top of a major exhibition complex in the south of Paris is a farm with a difference. The Nature Urbaine project is the largest of its type in Europe. Extending over 14,000 square meters, the project is aiming to become a model for sustainable production
13-Jul-2020
Ross Cullen in Paris
On the top of a major exhibition complex in the south of Paris is a farm with a difference.
The Nature Urbaine project is the largest of its type in Europe.
Extending over 14,000 square meters, the project is aiming to become a model for sustainable production.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many aspects of daily life and Paris authorities are hoping to make a permanent shift to more fruit and vegetable production sites in the heart of the city.
The city-farm project on the rooftop provides a chance for people to rent spaces to produce their own fruit and vegetables.
Our project is based on the genuine willingness to put some sense back to the city
- Sophie Hardy, director of the Urbaine project, wants to bring nature back to Paris
The Paris authorities are trying to grow greener models of sustainability through projects like this.
"Our project is based on the genuine willingness to put some sense back to the city, to support its resilience," Sophie Hardy, the director of Nature Urbaine, told CGTN Europe.
"Also to imagine how it could be more virtuous and how we can bring nature back in a city that pushed nature away for so many years."
Read more: COVID-19 and the city: The future of pandemic-proofed buildings
But a farm in a city runs the risk of plant growth being affected by the toxic fumes of road traffic.
Emissions of nitrogen dioxide have more than doubled in the French capital since the end of lockdown in mid-May.
Camille Billiemaz, a vegetable production manager at Nature Urbaine, told CGTN Europe that "with some plants, where the root system is protected, the plant doesn't absorb the pollution."
The Nature Urbaine Project is the largest of its kind in Europe and aims to become a model for sustainable production. /CGTN
"As for the produce grown in the water system, we check that pollution stays low," she says.
"We still advise people to wash the vegetables before eating it, but we conform to pollution thresholds."
During lockdown, this urban farm had an agreement with the local authority to deliver vegetable baskets to online customers.
And while the rooftop may not yet be crowded with amateur farmers, there is an enthusiasm for local shopping at the heart of French cuisine.
The creators of the project want Parisians to change their consumer habits and grow their own fruit and vegetables on rented plots. /CGTN
Weekly markets are a tradition across France, with many people still preferring to shop there rather than at big chain stores.
The sense of community at Nature Urbaine is a positive aspect.
But there are economic and cultural challenges for projects like this, says Frederic Madre, a biodiversity researcher.
"Urban farms are quite expensive to build, so local communities are not really able to pay for it.
"There are also problems linked to the fact that the majority of the population is disconnected from nature. And you can't respect what you don't know. But we hope people will change their consumer habits."
NYC's Roofs Are Getting A Sustainable Makeover
It's been two months since New York's Sustainable Roof Laws, part of the Climate Mobilization Act, took effect. Now architects and officials must decide: Are green roof systems or solar systems best?
It's been two months since New York's Sustainable Roof Laws,
part of the Climate Mobilization Act, took effect.
Now architects and officials must decide:
Are green roof systems or solar systems best?
AUTHOR: Cailley LaPara
Jan. 22, 2020
While the buzz around the passage of New York City’s Climate Mobilization Act in April 2019 has fizzled, the city’s public officials, property owners, architects, real estate moguls, and financiers are revving up to put new policies into practice.
As of Nov. 15, 2019, Local Laws 92 and 94 are in effect to target a vast, often overlooked and underutilized resource in New York: roofs.
The laws, known informally as the Sustainable Roof Laws, require most new buildings and buildings undergoing major roof reconstruction to include a sustainable roofing zone on 100% of the available roof space.
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Sustainable roofing zones are defined as "areas of a roof assembly where a solar photovoltaic electricity generating system, a green roof system, or a combination thereof, is installed." In other words, the roofs must have a solar panel array, green roof or both.
"When you fly into New York City, you see an amazing amount of unproductive roof space," Jonce Walker, senior associate at Thornton Tomasetti, told Smart Cities Dive. Walker and others in the sustainable design community hope Local Laws 92 and 94 are going to change that.
Facing change
The Sustainable Roofs Laws have mobilized several sectors in New York City, from the government to investment, each one grappling with how to manage new regulations designed to drive drastic changes in the city.
"The goal [of Local Laws 92 & 94] is to make sustainable roofs just one of the parts of how you put a good building together," Mark Chambers, director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, told Smart Cities Dive.
Currently, sustainable roofs are far from the norm in New York. According to a mapping project from The Nature Conservancy, there were only about 730 green roofs out of over 1 million rooftops in New York City in 2016.
Solar is much more prevalent, with a total of about 22,000 completed solar projects throughout the city as of 2019, according to the team at Sustainable CUNY. They indicate the number of new solar projects implemented each year in the city has increased dramatically since 2016, due in part to the establishment of Professional Certification (Pro-Cert), which shortened the review period of new solar projects to just 24 hours.
Solar growth in New York City. | Credit: Sustainable CUNY
Not all property owners will be immediately faced with the required adjustments. Buildings dedicated to affordable housing have an alternative compliance timeline of five years during which the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will conduct studies on the impact of the law on affordability.
But Jennifer Leone, sustainability officer at HPD, pointed out that the department has "already been leading the charge" when it comes to sustainable roof practices with programs like the Green Housing Preservation Program.
Lead Photo: Credit: Alex Potemkin vis Getty Images
The Green Revolution Spreading Across Our Rooftops
As concerns about climate change and dwindling natural resources grow, green roofs have become increasingly popular. The Toronto-based organization Green Roofs for Healthy Cities estimates an increase of about 15 percent in the number of green roofs in North America since 2013
The space on top of the 525W52 building in New York features plants, lounge chairs and a view of the Hudson. Credit 525 West 52nd Street
By Kelly DiNardo
October 9, 2019
When David Michaels moved to Chicago this year, he chose the Emme apartment building in part because of the third-floor green roof, which has a lawn, an area for grilling, fire pits and a 3,000-square-foot vegetable garden.
“The green space was a huge factor in choosing this apartment,” Mr. Michaels said. “My wife and I are out there every other night, grilling or relaxing. And we like that they host classes out there.”
The Emme actually has two rooftop gardens — the one visible to residents on a deck on the third floor and a 5,000-square-foot garden on the roof of the 14-story building. Both are run by the Roof Crop, an urban farm that grows food for restaurants on a handful of roofs in Chicago. Residents at the Emme can also subscribe to regular bundles of rooftop-grown fruits and vegetables.
As concerns about climate change and dwindling natural resources grow, green roofs have become increasingly popular. The Toronto-based organization Green Roofs for Healthy Cities estimates an increase of about 15 percent in the number of green roofs in North America since 2013.
Replacing black asphalt and shingles with plants can lower the surrounding air temperature, filter dirty stormwater and reduce a building’s energy use.
While it is difficult to calculate the savings, as utility costs vary from city to city, the National Research Council of Canada estimates a green roof can reduce air-conditioning use in a building by as much as 75 percent.
Beyond the energy savings, by lowering air-conditioning demand, green roofs also help to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
As understanding of the benefits grows, more cities around the world are passing green roof legislation. In 2010 Copenhagen began requiring green roofs on all new commercial buildings with a roof slope of less than 30 degrees. In 2016, the city of Córdoba in Argentina issued a bylaw that directed all rooftops — new or existing — of more than 1,300 square feet to be turned into green roofs. The same year, San Francisco began requiring that 15 to 30 percent of roof space on new buildings incorporate solar panels, green roofs or both. More recently, the New York City Council passed a suite of measures to reduce greenhouse gases, including a requirement for green roofs, solar panels or a combination of both on newly constructed buildings. Other cities support green roofs through non-legislative measures; Washington, D.C.’s stormwater regulations and Philadelphia’s tax credit both encourage green roofs.
Toronto was the first city in North America to pass a green roof law, in 2009, requiring new buildings or additions that are greater than 21,000 square feet to cover between 20 and 60 percent of their buildings with vegetation. Developers can opt-out for a fee, but fewer than 10 percent choose to do so, according to Jane Welsh, the project manager for environmental planning at Toronto’s City Hall. Many that do seek exemptions are simply looking to install smaller green roofs than are required by the Green Roof Bylaw.
The green terrace at the Summit New York building in Midtown East has living trees, barbecues, and an herb garden. Credit Quallsbenson
Since the law was enacted, roughly 640 green roofs, covering more than five million square feet collectively, have been constructed, effectively changing Toronto’s architectural DNA and making the city a leader in the green roof movement.
Simply put, a green roof is one that allows for the growth of vegetation, but the process is more involved than plopping down a few potted plants. Typically, a green or living roof is constructed of several layers including a waterproof membrane, a root barrier, a drainage layer, a growing medium — soil is too heavy — and plants.
As green roofs have become amenities for residents and employees, they often also include picnic tables, benches, fire pits, and other extras.
Before Toronto’s green roof bylaw took effect, the Hugh Garner Housing Co-operative in the city decided to build one when its roof membrane needed replacement. Residents were presented with three designs — one that evoked a circus, one modeled after an English garden and one that brought to mind a city park. Residents voted for the park in the early 2000s, and today, the 22,000-square-foot roof features flower beds, trees, an herb garden, gazebos and specially-made picnic tables that are wheelchair-accessible.
“In the summer, every picnic table will have folks eating dinner out there,” said Beata Domanska, a resident and former board member who advocated the green roof. “People are up there playing cards, reading, sun tanning. We have member events there. We’ve even had weddings up there. It’s become part of the culture here.”
Of course, green roofs are not entirely new.
“We’ve been using soil and plants as a roofing material for thousands of years,” said Steven Peck, the founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. “The Vikings would flip their boats over and cover them in sod because it’s a great insulator. What’s new is the research the Germans have done. They essentially invented the lightweight extensive system.”
In the 1970s, German horticulturists, construction companies and others began developing waterproofing technologies and researching blends of growing mediums that would be lighter than soil. In the 1980s, Germany passed a mix of local and federal laws encouraging green roof development and today the country features approximately 925,000,000 square feet of living roof. The movement began to take root in the United States and Canada in the early 2000s, with developers, architects, and designers looking to imitate Germany’s achievement.
Today, the University of Toronto’s Green Roof Innovation Testing Laboratory has grown into a leader in green roof research. The state-of-the-art facility uses 33 testbeds, a weather station and more than 250 sensors gathering data on soil moisture, flow rates, temperature, rainfall, humidity and amounts of sun and wind to help researchers assess and improve green roof performance.
Research like this helped overcome some early hurdles when ambitious designs, plant choice, lack of irrigation or a combination of factors left plants dying and green roofs turning brown.
“The focus has shifted from pretty to performance,” explained Vanessa Keitges, the chief executive of Columbia Green Technologies, the firm behind more than 1,500 green roofs in North America, including Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle and the Zella Apartments there, which feature a deck with an herb garden, outdoor kitchen, dog run and plenty of seating. “We’re getting better at fine-tuning the plant palette so you don’t end up with a brown roof. We’ve moved to drip irrigation instead of spray. We’re designing systems that are much easier to maintain. We want them to be goof proof.”
A bird’s-eye view of the roof of the Zella Apartments in Seattle, where green areas available for residents’ use include a dog terrace, with waste bags provided, and an outdoor kitchen. CreditGreen Technologies/Weisman Design Group
City planners are looking to green roofs to mitigate the urban “heat island” effect, which describes a metropolitan area that’s significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas because of human activity. Air temperatures in cities, particularly after sunset, can be as much as 22 degrees Fahrenheit (around 12 degrees Celsius) warmer than less developed regions. The elevated temperatures raise energy consumption, increase air pollutants and compromise human health, with extreme heat now causing more deaths in the United States than all other weather events combined, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The vegetation on a living roof cools the surrounding air through evapotranspiration, the process in which moisture in plant leaves evaporates into the air, essentially working like an outdoor air-conditioning system. In addition, the increased insulation and decreased need for air-conditioning means less overheated air is put back into the surrounding environment.
The plants on green roofs also work like a giant sponge, soaking up water and therefore reducing the amount of rainwater that reaches street level, lowering the risk of flooding, minimizing sewer system overflow and filtering dirty runoff.
“Cities are built to be impervious,” Mr. Peck said. “The water runs off buildings and streets, and when it hits streams and estuaries, it can cause erosion. It’s also incredibly contaminated. If you want to have drinkable, fishable, swimmable water in and around our cities, we need to capture stormwater and use it as a resource, instead of just getting it away from the buildings as soon as possible.”
Beyond the long list of financial, health and environmental benefits, green roofs have become valued amenities in residential buildings.
“We were really keen on finding a place with outdoor space,” said Carolyn Kushner, who chose the apartment building 525W52 in New York in part because of the roof, which features lounge chairs overlooking the Hudson River, a large lawn, grilling stations, bocce ball and Ping-Pong and shuffleboard tables, all surrounded by shrubs and greenery. Dr. Kushner and her partner — who proposed on the roof — go up there several times a week. “We have a glass of wine and watch the sunset. The city can be really overwhelming if you don’t get that kind of greenery. It’s nice to have someplace to escape to.”
One early cause of hesitation in adopting living roofs was the upfront cost. Green roofs cost two to three times as much as a traditional roof.
“With so many environmental initiatives, it often boils down to money,” Ms. Domanska said. “One of the ways we’re able to sell this is that a green roof significantly extends the life span of a roof. Over time it saves money. That was very attractive to the people who live here. Now people see all the benefits, but initially, it was about the savings.”
Studies bear this out. A 2006 study from the University of Michigan compared the expected costs of conventional roofs with the cost of a 21,000-square-foot green roof and found that over its lifetime, the green roof would save about $200,000. Almost two-thirds of that would be in reduced energy needs for the building below.
“We’ve established best practices for creating green roofs,” Mr. Peck said. “We have political leaders looking for ways to improve the health and well-being of the people in their cities and also address climate change. We have research that shows the benefits of green roofs. It seems clear that the cities that invest in green infrastructure will be the cities that thrive.”
A version of this article appears in print on Oct. 12, 2019, in The New York Times International Edition.
The World's Largest Rooftop Urban Farm Is Set To Open In Paris Next Year
The goal is to make this urban farm a globally-recognized model for responsible production, with nutrients used in organic farming and quality products grown in rhythm with nature's cycles, all in the heart of Paris
A joint Project Between Viparis
And Its Partners Agripolis, Cultures en Ville and Le Perchoir.
Paris, March 1st, 2019
In 2015, Viparis launched an extensive renovation project at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition complex. This decade-long initiative will raise the complex to the highest international standards and make it a model of sustainable development, an integral part of Paris as much as a business centre. The initial phases have been completed; they include a new reception area, the redesign of the central walkway and the opening of the Paris Convention Centre, Europe's largest conference site.
During this transformation, events hosted there continue uninterrupted. Paris Expo Porte de Versailles welcomes trade fairs and conferences, but it is also rapidly becoming a haven for biodiversity, thanks to a 14,000 m2 urban farm on future Pavilion 6's roof. This will be the world's largest rooftop urban farm, offering a range of activities starting in spring 2020. To bring this exciting project to completion, Viparis teamed up with three partners, all of whom are experts in their fields.
An urban farm in cooperation with Agripolis and Cultures en Ville
These two companies, specializing in urban agriculture, have teamed up to create a dedicated structure for the use of this exceptional space.
The goal is to make this urban farm a globally-recognized model for responsible production, with nutrients used in organic farming and quality products grown in rhythm with nature's cycles, all in the heart of Paris. More than twenty market gardens will produce over a thousand fruits and vegetables every day in season, from about thirty different varieties of plants.
Taking things to the next level, the farm will offer a range of services related to urban agriculture: educational tours, team-building workshops for companies, and vegetable plots leased by residents.
3D view of the urban farm on the rooftop of Pavilion 6 (Paris Expo Porte de Versailles)
© VALODE&PISTRE ARCHITECTES/ATLAV - AJN A restaurant and bar with a unique concept signed Le Perchoir
Le Perchoir, Paris's renowned chain of rooftop venues, will open a bar and restaurant on the panoramic terrace of Pavilion 6, with a menu that will include produce grown on-site. Le Perchoir's aim when developing its spaces is to spotlight urban heritage and encourage the greening of cities. Building on the success of its previous efforts, the company has now set its sights on western Paris.
--
"This project is in line with our goal of making the exhibition complex a part of Paris. We are transforming our venues with a view to sustainable development and maintaining biodiversity, which is reflected in our "Better Events Viparis 2030" strategy. Viparis is proud to contribute to the development of urban agriculture in Paris by making Paris Expo Porte de Versailles a flagship point of reference, and we are excited by the passionate commitment of our partners: Agripolis, Cultures en ville and Le Perchoir.
Pablo Nakhlé Cerruti, CEO, Viparis
"By installing working farms on the sites we operate, we are helping to foster environmental and economic resilience in tomorrow's cities. This is our guiding principle. To this end, the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles site will supply restaurants in the complex, primarily Le Perchoir, but also residents of southern Paris and neighbouring municipalities, either directly or through distribution, company canteens and hotels."
Pascal Hardy, Founder, Agripolis
"Today, large metropolitan areas are the focal point of a number of ecological issues. These include the loss of natural groundcover, pollution and rainwater management, but also societal issues such as the lack of connection between urban dwellers and their food supply. Cultures en Ville is keenly aware of these challenges, which is why, for the past four years, we have been providing innovative solutions that reconnect city dwellers with a healthier diet. The Paris Expo Porte de Versailles project is an ideal response, by offering local residents high- quality, locally-produced food and the opportunity to cultivate their own gardens. Working alongside our expert partners, we are proud to be building the world's largest rooftop urban farm!"
Clément Lebellé, Co-Founder, Cultures en Ville
"This project combines ecology, high-quality produce, the highlighting of the Parisian landscape, authentic experiences, cultural richness and human warmth. Le Perchoir shares these values, and is delighted to be part of this ambitious, trailblazing effort."
--
About Viparis
Viparis, a subsidiary of the Paris Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, is the European leader in conferences and trade events. Viparis manages nine event venues in the Greater Paris region. Each year, it welcomes ten million visitors (the general public, business visitors and spectators), and hosts 800 events in a diverse range of sectors at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris Le Bourget, Paris Nord Villepinte, Espace Champerret, the Palais des Congrès de Paris, the Palais des Congrès d'Issy, the Salles du Carrousel, the Espace Grande Arche and the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild.
To learn more , visit Viparis.com, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Agripolis
Christophe Talon, President, Le Perchoir
Agripolis is transforming food systems by installing and operating urban farms that use innovative techniques to generate high-quality, responsibly-produced vegetables and fruit. Our soil-free, aeroponic "vertical farms" require minimal installation. Fruit and vegetables can be grown without pesticides and harvested at maturity, optimising water use and with a very low carbon footprint. Agripolis' vision is a city in which flat roofs and abandoned surfaces are covered with these new growing systems that contribute directly to feeding urban residents, who now represent the bulk of the world's population.
About Cultures en Ville
Cultures en Ville specialises in urban agricultural development. Our core business is the creation of productive, playful and aesthetic vegetable ecosystems. Cultures en Ville is a partner of the AgroParisTech research institute and takes part in cutting-edge research into urban agriculture. With a customisable offer that includes the design, production and management of vegetable gardens, the company has already carried out more than thirty large-scale projects, including the urban agriculture demonstrator at La Maison de la RATP, a vegetable garden at one of La Poste's headquarters and another at the head office of Vinci Construction France in suburban Paris.
Agripolis and Cultures en Ville have each won several calls for projects, including the "Inventing the Greater Paris Metropolis" and "Les Parisculteurs" initiatives.
About Le Perchoir
Le Perchoir's mission is based on the desire to re-inhabit the rooftops of Paris and give Parisians the opportunity to reclaim unusual spaces.
Our first challenge was transforming a Parisian industrial building's 400 m2 terrace into a nighttime attraction.
Our rooftop bar quickly became a genuine crossroads for creative minds, a setting for collaborations and partnerships that generated a range of original projects - exhibitions, concerts, popup rooftop restaurants, outdoor film projections, and more.
To expand this nomadic undertaking, we turned to other venues - the Perchoir Marais, with its breathtaking view of Paris and its finest monuments, and the Pavillon Puebla located in the heart of the historic Buttes-Chaumont park. Our goal when developing and re-appropriating spaces is to spotlight urban heritage and encourage the greening of cities. The venues are Parisian, but act as gateways to other places and other spaces. This is reflected in our musical programming featuring gems from around the world selected by Karl Planck from Radiooooo.com, an eclectic Internet radio station.
MEDIA CONTACT - AGENCE GEN-G
Adrien De Casabianca
Tel.: +33 (0) 1 44 94 83 66
Cell: +33 (0)6 30 30 34 84 mailto:adrien.decasabianca@gen-g.com
Could Rooftop Gardens Save Our Cities From Climate Change?
Lucent, a 17-storey residential tower at trendy Newstead in inner-city Brisbane, is one of those, winning local, state and national design awards. The tower, completed in November 2017, included a 1,600 square metre rooftop area with expansive views over Brisbane
09-05-19
Rooftop gardens could save our cities from climate change, but archaic planning laws are holding back a green revolution.
Australian cities are heating up, with an alarming report this year finding temperature increases from climate change and urban growth will make Brisbane "a difficult place" to live by 2050.
Key points:
Rooftop gardens are considered a storey of a building, so it is not financially viable to have one as a garden instead of sellable space
Research shows rooftop gardens promote physical activity and psychological wellbeing and have a positive impact on air pollution, noise levels and temperature regulation
Town planners want the Brisbane City Council to legislate to enforce rooftop gardens in all new apartments
Scientists blame what is called the urban heat island effect, which means cities are hotter than nearby rural areas due to development.
But it is not too late to turn it around, and plants could be the solution.
Green rooftops could help to take the heat out of the city, but Brisbane's property developers and planners said local laws were holding them back.
Cities like Singapore and New York have long embraced sky gardens and while Brisbane is late to the garden party, there are dozens of developments in the pipeline that would use clever ways to provide greenspace, when room on the ground is at a premium.
In September 2018, then-Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk announced the Council would amend the Brisbane City Plan to formalise the Council's support for rooftop gardens and green spaces, but 12 months on, that had not happened.
Currently a rooftop garden is considered a storey of the building, so if a developer has planning permission for a certain number of storeys, it is not financially viable to have one as a garden instead of sellable space.
Developers hamstrung by poor planning laws
Brisbane town planner Mia Hickey said the majority of large-scale inner-city apartment developments in Brisbane wanted to incorporate rooftop spaces, but were hamstrung by the poor planning laws.
"There are definitely some developers who are shying away from adding rooftop gardens for this reason," she said.
"It's not a good look when they [council] said they were going to do this [change planning laws] and it hasn't been done."
Ms. Hickey said research showed rooftop gardens promoted physical activity, psychological wellbeing, and had a positive impact on air pollution, noise levels and temperature regulation.
"It's no longer just OK to put a half-shaded BBQ area up there with a little bit of grass," she said.
"We're now starting to see developments that incorporate resort-style amenities that are winning awards.
Newstead rooftop garden a 'sky retreat'
Lucent, a 17-storey residential tower at trendy Newstead in inner-city Brisbane, is one of those, winning local, state and national design awards.
The tower, completed in November 2017, included a 1,600 square metre rooftop area with expansive views over Brisbane.
The luxury development by Cavcorp described its rooftop garden as a "sky retreat" complete with "lifestyle-enhancing amenities".
It claims to have Australia's longest infinity pool, along with a detox sauna and spa, yoga lawn, Zen gardens and even a golf green on the rooftop.
With more families abandoning the suburbs in favour of inner-city living, Ms Hickey said even those on more restricted budgets were demanding rooftop garden space.
Consumers looking for the 'up-yard'
"It's just as important as the local school catchment," Ms Hickey said.
"It's no longer about the size of the backyard, but about the size and amenities of the rooftop, or as I like to call it — 'the up-yard'."
There are numerous inner-city apartment proposals with ambitious rooftop gardens on the drawing boards.
Cbus Property is building a 47-storey apartment block at 443 Queen Street in Brisbane's CBD.
Claiming to be Australia's first "subtropical-designed" building, construction is underway on the riverside development.
The building will have a "breathable facade" with gardens on every floor as well as on the rooftop, aiming to reduce energy consumption by up to 60 per cent.
At New Farm in Brisbane, the Maison project by Frank Developments will have cascading gardens on every floor of the proposed five-storey development.
The development, yet to receive Brisbane City Council (BCC) approval, claimed it would be one of the most heavily landscaped buildings in the city, with more than 86 per cent of the site to be planted, when the current council requirement was just 10 per cent.
Further afield, a Victorian property developer has plans for a "sustainable shopping centre" at Burwood in suburban Melbourne.
Frasers Property group is building a 2,000 square-metre urban farm on the shopping centre's rooftop, which it said is a first for Australia.
Failure to move quickly hampering rooftop landscaping
The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) agreed the BCC's failure to move quickly is hampering rooftop landscaping in Queensland.
UDIA Qld CEO Kirsty Chessher-Brown said currently there was "really no incentive for our members to be able to do this — it's actually disincentivised".
"The current situation is that our members can provide communal space on rooftops, but the minute that any roof structure is added to that rooftop space, it's then considered to be an additional storey to the building.
"That then impacts on our members' ability to comply with acceptable rules for building heights.
"If our [UDIA] members do put a structure on the roof, which is incredibly important for our climate, we see our members lose a complete storey, which could obviously be habitable space."
She said these spaces provided "really critical opportunities for landscaping".
"People can provide community or productive gardens and the real lure is being able to reduce some of the heat-island affect, traditionally associated with built-up environments," she said.
Ms Chessher-Brown said there was also a need for further incentives for developers.
"The next step is to replicate other programs in place across the world including Singapore, where there's actually a program to encourage developers to consider greater landscaping and use of planting on rooftop spaces," she said.
Legislation needed for developers to do rooftop gardens
In 2009, Singapore introduced its Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH) Program, which encouraged developers to provide green roofs in all new developments and gave financial incentives for those that went beyond the minimum requirements.
The Property Council of Australia (PCA) is more forgiving of the council for the delay.
Acting Queensland deputy executive director Nathan Percy said the PCA supported the action contained in the BCC Brisbane Future Blueprint to make it easier for new developments to include rooftop gardens.
"We are working with Brisbane City Council on the implementation of this action, but it is important to remember that planning amendments do take time," he said.
"As Brisbane grows, we need to ensure that we continue to deliver spaces that allow people to enjoy our subtropical climate and rooftop gardens are one way that we can achieve this."
In a statement, BCCs planning chairman, Matthew Bourke, acknowledged there was a need for rooftop gardens but admitted it would take until the end of the year to make changes.
"Brisbane is a great place to live, work and relax, and we are increasingly seeing residents and visitors enjoying the city's vistas and subtropical weather from the rooftops of inner-city dwellings," he said.
"Increasing green spaces means a healthier and more sustainable city and Brisbane City Council has proposed an amendment to make it easier to include rooftop gardens for new developments as part of its review of City Plan.
"Investigations, research and drafting of the amendment package is underway and Council plans to be able to send it to the State Government for review soon, before opening up the proposed amendment for public consultation in late 2019."