agricultural roofs in Gaza

Rooftop agriculture is taking root around the globe.  With its beginnings in 600 B.C.E. Babylon (present day Iraq), rooftop farming has arrived, full circle, back in the Middle East.  According to the online Lebanese newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour, Gazan residents are installing aquaponic gardens on their roofs to meet local food demands.

Rooftop farming in Gaza ||  photo by Mohammad Abed (published in L’Orient-Le Jour)

The February 4th article, written by an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist, stated that, “Gaza has 1.7 million people crammed into an area of [139 square miles].”  As one of the most densely populated areas in the politically-unstable region, Gaza’s ability to grow its own food is critical.  The article points out that 35% of Gaza’s arable land, which could be used for farming,  is located in the “buffer zone” barrier, instituted by neighboring Israel in 1994.  Farming within 330 yards of the border can be deadly, so Gazan farmers operate within safer areas whenever possible.  A fact sheet released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) notes that the barrier additionally excludes 85% of Gaza’s fishing territories.  Combined, annual losses from restrictions on agricultural and fishing territories exceed US$50 million, according to the fact sheet.

Gaza Strip || image by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

In response to Gaza’s food insecurity- which the FAO has deemed a “humanitarian crisis” – the FAO took interest in teaching Gazans how to efficiently grow their own food at home, in confined spaces.  With funding from the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium, the FAO established an emergency food production support project in 2010.  During the project’s first phase, deputy director Mohammad al-Chatali successfully facilitated the construction of 119 aquaponic gardens on the roofs of female-headed urban households.  Twenty-four additional gardens were installed in community and educational facilities.   In 2011, during phase two of the project, 100 more were constructed, for a total of 243 rooftop aquaponic gardens.

Aquaponic gardening consists of a closed-loop system that combines aquaculture (aquatic animal and plant cultivation) with hydroponics (soil-less plant propagation).  The technique simultaneously produces fish and vegetables, by re-circulating water through the troughs or barrels in which the fish and edible plants live.  In Gaza, tilapia is the fish of choice for these gardens.  Residents grow lettuces, peppers, broccoli, celery and herbs, among other edibles, which are all fertilized by the fish waste in the recirculating water.

One Gazan resident who received a home aquaponic system, Abu Ahmad, feeds his 13 member household with the vegetables and fish produced on his roof, thereby minimizing his need to buy groceries.  With additional rooftop gardens in the pipeline, Gaza is able to feed itself, one bite at a time.

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sunny-side up with a pinch of lead

Hen at Eagle Street Rooftop Farm || photo by Lauren Mandel

On October 8th the New York Times published an article by columnist Julie Scelfo, revealing detectable levels of lead in the eggs of city-raised chickens. The article discussed a recent New York City Health Department study, in which researchers found lead in amounts of 10 to 100 parts per billion in roughly half the eggs tested. The other half of the sample was free of lead, as is typically the case with a grocery-bought dozen. The sample eggs were laid by chickens occupying neighborhood gardens in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, which presumably browse on ground-level plants and insects. The article ignited conversation about free-range fowl among urban agriculturalists.

Lead consumption is a serious concern, particularly for young eaters, whose small bodies are more sensitive to contaminants. While Scelfo notes that the Food and Drug Administration has not designated acceptable levels of lead contamination in foods, chicken owners and urban farm supporters alike are undeniably nervous about lead consumption at any level.

How do we prevent lead contamination in urban eggs? Bring your feathered friends to the roof. Grazing rooftop chickens will pick through the soil that you provide, rather than the who knows what down below. By bringing in and building your own soil, you have control over what enters their beaks, and your breakfast. What’s more, is that the chickens will pluck pesky pests from the soil, while fertilizing your rooftop crops! It’s a win-win situation.

Notable rooftop farms like Brooklyn Grange and Eagle Street Rooftop Farm boast resident chickens. These lead-free birds help the farmers, while laying healthy eggs in their rooftop coops. As with many ground-level farms, chickens play an important role in agrarian rooftop ecosystems.

I’ll take my eggs with a sprinkle of salt and a side of potatoes; no lead for me please.  

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goat à la roof

While some skyline growers tinker with beets and collard greens, others push the limits of hoofed farm hands.  Rooftop goats are all the rage in Sister Bay, WI, where a small herd has grazed the grassy roof of Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik since 1973.

Installing the Goat Cam || photo by John Nelson

Restaurant founder Al Johnson explained in a 2007 interview that sod roofs are common in Sweden, where he was born, as a means of moderating a building’s indoor temperature.  Johnson decided to install a sod roof atop his Wisconsin restaurant, and rather than mowing, he  introduced a herd of goats to keep the lawn at bay.  As it turns out, the goats draw large crowds to the now iconic restaurant, particularly during the summer months.  In addition to providing utilitarian services like mowing, rooftop goats are fully capable of supplying milk, meat, and even wool.  Their milk can be used for drinking, making dairy products (like cheese and yogurt), and also for crafting soap and other value-added products.  These rooftop ruminates sure do give you a lot of bang for your buck… er, ah, for your billy?  A little goat humor.

Check out Al Johnson’s goats for yourself, through this live feed to the restaurant’s Goat Cam.

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fishy business

Aquaponics || photo by Lauren Mandel

Does all this talk about lettuce and broccoli make you hungry for some real meat? Let’s talk aquaponics.

For centuries, people around the world have raised fish as a food crop. This cultivation occurs in ocean pens, large outdoor tanks, or sometimes in small tanks within greenhouses, in basements, and on roofs. A variant of the latter practice is called aquaponics.

Aquaponics is the symbiotic production of plants and aquatic animals in a closed-loop environment. This means that vegetables and herbs are grown hydroponically, while fish or other sea creatures occupy the water that fuels the hydroponic system. The symbiotic part of the relationship comes into play when the animal waste (fecal matter, excess food, etc.) is used as the sole nutrient source for the food crops, and in exchange, the plants filter the water for the fish. The clean water is pumped back into the hydroponic system, and the cycle continues – what a beautiful thing.

Bony fish (such as Tilapia and Perch), molluscs, and crustaceans are the most common aquatic animals cultivated in these systems. Variations in organism growth rates, compounded by the need for equipment adjustments, means that it can take up to six months for an aquaponics system to become fully operational. The Milwaukee-based agricultural organization Growing Power experiments extensively with aquaponics. Growing Power’s fish are sold to restaurants, direct customers, and ethnic markets.

While aquaponics is relatively new to the U.S., the technique has been practiced in Asia for many years. The concept of integrating farming with fish production is rooted in Asian tradition, and historic evidence suggests that this type of integrated farming may have existed 3,000 years ago in China.

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