EAT UP in the media

Since EAT UP‘s publication on April 12th, the first book on rooftop agriculture has received its fare share of media attention.  The fascination?  Interest in growing food on rooftops is rising as farmland disappears, transportation costs increase, and urbanites realize they can grow their own food close to home.

In an April 30th Boston Globe article, “Coming to a Roof Near You,” reporter Joseph P. Kahn discusses the burgeoning rooftop agriculture movement by highlighting Boston’s forthcoming Higher Ground Farm and EAT UP.  The article includes fabulous images (some of which appear in the book) and quotes from a phone interview Kahn conducted with me several weeks ago:

Beyond the expertise required, “A big part of this is exposure and social media coverage,” Mandel continues. “When you couple rooftop agriculture with a restaurant or grocery store, you have a lot of marketing potential. There’s an element of sex appeal there, to be honest.” 

EAT UP‘s media coverage extends to the blogosphere, where journalist CG Lawrence – who attended last week’s Roof-to-Table Launch Event in Philadelphia – wrote about the launch and freshly published book in his post, “Don’t Eat Out: EAT UP: New Book on Rooftop Agriculture.”  Click here for a full list of EAT UP‘s media coverage, which includes newspaper, magazine, and radio coverage.  Hopefully we’ll see more stories sprout up as the press release below (released yesterday) digs its roots into newsrooms near and far.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Philadelphia Green Roof Designer Writes First Full-Length Book on Rooftop Agriculture

EAT UP | The Inside Scoop on Rooftop Agriculture 

Press Contact: Lauren Mandel (lauren.mandel@gmail.com / 518-221-6230)

Green roof designer, landscape architect, and Philadelphia-native Lauren Mandel breaks down the lofty notions of Rooftop Agriculture in the first full-length book about rooftop food production.

Author photo by Geoffrey Goldberg Photography

PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 29, 2013) – EAT UP, the first full-length book about rooftop food production, has been released by Philadelphia-based author and green roof designer, Lauren Mandel.  Published internationally by New Society Publishers (a carbon-neutral publishing house), EAT UPexplains the practices and practicality of rooftop agriculture through case studies, interviews with industry leaders, and useful checklists.  With over 60 percent of the global population now living in urban areas, innovative forms of food production such as rooftop agriculture are becoming increasingly important in addressing food needs while also appealing to those interested in growing fresh food close to home.

EAT UP culminates a three-year research and photography project for Mandel.  The book consists of three sections:  home rooftop gardening, commercial rooftop farming, and the rooftop agriculture industry, making it the most comprehensive guide to date on the subject matter.

The book was unveiled on April 25, 2013 at Philadelphia eatery Good Karma Café.  The Roof-to-Table Launch Event celebrated literature, art, and food by featuring a book signing, 30-piece photography exhibition of images from the book, and seasonal food sourced from local farms, complete with food mileage labels.  The Roof-to-Table Photography Exhibition consists of images of rooftop farms and vegetable gardens taken by nine photographers (including Mandel) in nine cities throughout North America.  Each photograph is framed with “twice-reclaimed” lumber made from barn siding re-purposed as flooring, re-purposed again as framing stock.  The Exhibition will hang in the launch venue (925 Pine St.) through June 29, 2013, and will then travel to Chicago’s Uncommon Ground restaurant (1401 W. Devon Ave.) where it will hang from August 20 – September 15, 2013, with a Midwest launch event on August 20.  The exhibition is available for additional restaurant and gallery spaces from July 1 – August 1, 2013 and after September 23, 2013.

EAT UP is available in print and ebook from New Society Publishers (newsociety.com), Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and local book stores.

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About Lauren Mandel – Lauren Mandel is a Project Manager and Rooftop Agriculture Specialist at the Philadelphia-based green roof firm Roofmeadow, where she designs vegetated and agricultural roofs and oversees green roof construction throughout the United States.  She has visited and photographed rooftop farms and gardens across North America and interviewed prominent rooftop farmers, CEOs, and designers.  Mandel is a contributing writer for Urban Farm and Grid magazines, a guest lecturer at universities and conferences, and a blogger ateatupag.wordpress.com.  Mandel holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science from Skidmore College.  She has previously worked as a landscape designer, US Forest Service wilderness ranger, organic farm intern, and a research intern for American Farmland Trust.

For more information please visit eatupag.wordpress.com and roofmeadow.com.

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Roof-to-Table Launch Event!

Roof-to-Table Launch Event || photo by Jane Winkel

It is my great privilege to announce that EAT UP | the inside scoop on rooftop agriculture was launched on Thursday amidst family and friends at Good Karma Café (928 Pine Street) in my hometown of Philadelphia.  The event drew in over 100 enthusiastic readers from as far as Toronto, who are now some of the first owners of EAT UP.  The book arrived at the event hot off the press after its publication on April 12, 2013.

Launch Event crowd || photo by Jane Winkel

Busy sales table || photo by Jane Winkel

The Roof-to-Table Launch Event celebrated three necessities of urban living: literature, art, and food.  Literature was highlighted through piles of fresh, EAT UP books topped off with a book signing (which was in high demand!).  The event celebrated Art through a 30-piece photography exhibition of images from the book, which painted a colorful backdrop for the festivities.  The Roof-to-Table Photography Exhibition features images of rooftop farms and vegetable gardens taken by nine photographers (including myself) in nine cities throughout North America.  Each photograph is framed with “twice-reclaimed” lumber made from barn siding re-purposed as flooring, re-purposed again as framing stock.  The event also featured the flavors of fresh, local Food!  The Avenue Delicatessen catered the event with a focus on locally-sourced produce, artisan breads and honey, and home-made jams.  Food mileage tags let guests know just how close key ingredients were produced!

My grandmother with her book || photo by Jane Winkel

Young vegetable plants sprouting from metal pales and terracotta pots and two vintage typewriters furthered the event’s ”author’s farmhouse” theme.  Piles of EAT UP postcards and note card sets sprinkled about enhanced the decor, luring people in for a closer look at rooftop agriculture imagery.

The Roof-to-Table Photography Exhibition will hang in the launch venue through June 29, 2013, and will then travel to Chicago’s Uncommon Ground where it will hang from August 20 – September 15, 2013.  A Midwest Roof-to-Table Launch Event on August 20 will be open to the public.  The exhibition is available for additional restaurant and gallery spaces from July 1 – August 1, 2013 and after September 23, 2013.

EAT UP | the inside scoop on rooftop agriculture, published by New Society Publishers (a carbon-neutral publishing house), is the first full-length book about rooftop food production.  Its three sections target home rooftop gardening, commercial rooftop farming, and the rooftop agriculture industry, making it the most comprehensive guide to date on the subject matter.  The book is available in print and ebook online and in stores.

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making your rooftop farm a reality

As my company, Roofmeadow, delves deeper into the world of rooftop agriculture, keep us in mind for your rooftop farm or garden project!  With engineers, landscape architects, construction specialists, and a rooftop agricultural expert (yours truly) on staff, we approach each project holistically, with the roof’s long-term performance in mind.  The hunger for local food has reached new heights, and we’re here to help you make this vision a reality.

This video clip will be featured at the Green Roofs & Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2013, hosted by greenroofs.com, from February 12th to March 13th.  Visit their website for information on how to access the Summit.

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EAT UP BOOK DEAL!!

I am thrilled to announce that EAT UP | the inside scoop on rooftop agriculture will be published by New Society Publishers!  The book will be released in Canada and the U.S. in spring 2013, with an e-book to follow.

New Society Publishers, a carbon-neutral publishing house in British Columbia, is committed to publishing solution-oriented books that resonate with readers ecologically and socially.  For over 30 years, the company has remained at the forefront of sustainability within the North American book publishing industry, both in titles and in practice.  Through a commitment to printing all books domestically on 100% post-consumer paper with vegetable-based, low VOC inks, New Society Publishers has saved over 20,200 trees and mitigated thousands of pounds of solid waste.

EAT UP book deal with New Society Publishers

Stay tuned for more publication news and details on upcoming Roof to Table launch events as spring 2013 approaches.  Thank you for your interest in the EAT UP blog, and now for your continued interest in the book.

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the hottest of hotspots

If the U.S. were a cupcake, and the rooftop farms and gardens dotted around the country were the sprinkles, then Brooklyn would be the cherry on top.  Thank you for bearing with me on that analogy.

Greenpoint, Brooklyn || Image by Google Earth

It’s true, though.  Brooklyn currently houses several of the country’s most innovative and inspiring rooftop farms.  Gotham Greens, a 15,000 square foot (0.3 acre) commercial greenhouse operation in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood, leads New York City in rooftop yields.  With high-end distribution channels and a solid business model, the success of this rooftop pioneer may be inspiring other entrepreneurs to follow suit.  Eagle Street Rooftop Farm is another critical piece of the cherry.  As the country’s first rooftop row farm, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm plays an important role in building community and demonstrating farming techniques.  With a picturesque backdrop, this farm is arguably Brooklyn’s “greenest” icon.  Brooklyn Grange, while not actually located in Brooklyn, contributes to the local skyline network as well.  Ben Flanner, founder of Brooklyn Grange, co-founded Eagle Street and then spread his seeds of knowledge to the Grange’s rooftop in Queens.

It is with this proliferation and contagious behavior that Brooklyn is booming – I mean, blooming!  The New York Times reports that Gotham Greens is scheduled to open three new rooftop greenhouse operations in 2013, totalling 180,000 square feet (4.1 acres).  Brooklyn Grange is also expanding, and construction of the farm’s new 45,000 square foot (1 acre) location could begin as early as spring of 2012.

Then there’s the Sunset Park Greenhouse.  Brooklyn residents should expect to see this 100,000 square foot (2.3 acre) hydroponic operation atop a former Naval warehouse in the not-too-distant future.  According to the New York Times, the project’s greenhouse development company, BrightFarms, anticipates that the farm will produce 1 million pounds of food per year.

With agro-icons and big projects in the pipeline, Brooklyn is hot hot hot.

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rooftop ag for a global audience

In this video clip I discuss the burgeoning field of rooftop agriculture and it’s potential for growth in the U.S. The video was originally filmed by Roofmeadow for the “Green Roofs and Walls of the World Virtual Summit 2011,” which was organized by GreenRoofs.com and held for a global audience this past month.

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inner snark

In re-crafting and editing “Eat Up,” I catch myself slipping into a mildly snarky tone.  Maybe it’s just my inner snark breaching the surface, or maybe it’s because rooftop agriculture is a relatively wild subject matter, that demands a little humor.

The book touches upon technical information, fairly serious subject matter, and cultural critiques, and I find myself inadvertently inserting some snark to lighted the load.  Sometimes the snark grows out of control, though, and I have to prune it back with care and precision.  An example of an over the top sentence that was removed from the book introduced a chapter on agricultural methodologies (the chapter is called “Seed to Plate”).  The sentence initially read: “There are almost as many ways to grow a tomato on a roof as there are to skin a cat.”  Admittedly, this sentence grew out of a late night writing session, and it seemed rather brilliant until I read it the next morning and quickly deleted the nonsense.

The introductory sentence to the chapter now reads: “There are many ways to grow a tomato on a roof, but the most effective growing method may be dictated by production goals and building conditions.”  Lets save the snark for later.

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an introduction to the author

With a passion for productive infrastructure, Lauren Mandel works as a Project Manager and Rooftop Agriculture Specialist at the Philadelphia based green roof firm Roofmeadow (formerly Roofscapes).  At Roofmeadow, Lauren designs green roofs, oversees green roof construction, and is integral to every rooftop agriculture inquiry and project that the firm encounters.

Lauren began exploring the viability of urban rooftop agriculture while in graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a Master of Landscape Architecture. With six years of professional landscape architectural and green roof design experience, Lauren is in the process of refining her thoughts on rooftop agriculture in book form. If published, “Eat Up” will be the first book ever written to exclusively focus on rooftop agriculture.

In her spare time, Lauren lectures on green roofs and rooftop agriculture, and is currently assisting with the design of a potential 160,000sf rooftop farm in North Philadelphia. She also loves backpacking and extreme dog walking.

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