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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sky-high winter greens

While rooftop farms around the country lay fallow for winter, one skyline gem continues to churn out greens.  Noble Rot, a restaurant and wine bar in Portland, OR, supports a 3,000 square foot (0.07 acre) farm that fuels the kitchen below.  The upscale restaurant occupies the sixth floor of a LEED Platinum building, providing a panoramic view of the city.

Noble Rot’s rooftop farm in winter || photo by Jake Stein Greenberg

I travelled from snowy Philadelphia to the City of Roses last week, and saw for myself how crops continue to grow – albeit slowly – in Portland’s mild winter climate.  Kale, lettuce, endive, cabbage, arugula, parsley, thyme, and garlic sprouted from the roof’s raised beds and steel containers.  A fig tree with small buds stood near the roof’s bee hive and compost bins, and to my surprise, restaurant co-owner and manager Kimberly Bernosky explained that the tree remains uncovered year-round.

Insulated planters || photo by Lauren Mandel

How do the growers at Noble Rot keep their crops warm in winter?  Fig tree aside, they elicit the help of insulated containers.  The steel containers were wrapped in a thin layer of insulation, which helps to moderate soil temperature fluctuations.  Several of the steel containers were additionally retrofit with opaque lids – resulting in vessels known as cold frames - in order to retain heat from the sun.  By trapping solar radiation, cold frames act like miniature greenhouses and moderate or warm both soil and air temperatures.

Hoop house greens || photo by Jake Stein Greenberg

A handful of the farm’s raised beds were covered with plastic to keep the greens inside toasty.  Ground-level farmers and gardeners often use plastic or garden fabric to cover crop rows or raised beds, but on a roof, the wind may blow the covers off your crops!  Noble Rot keeps their plastic in place with the help of wire framing, attached the the wooden raised beds.  These low-stature “hoop houses“ prevent air temperatures above the greens from swinging down to uncomfortably chilly levels at night.  A rather clever approach to crop warming.

Of course, Portland is blessed with a relatively mild climate that allows for year-round production.  Farmers in less utopic regions (like the Northeastern US or Canada) may not be able to grow throughout the whole year, but they sure can extend their growing seasons by expanding upon Noble Rot’s clever innovations.  What tricks do you use to keep your crops warm?

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fancy plants

Designing and building a rooftop farm may come with a hefty price tag.  While many ground-level farms offset costs by expanding acreage, rooftops are limited by the bounds of the building below.  So how do you get the most bang for your buck with a slim budget and limited space?  Some rooftop growers invest in “fancy plants” to attract business.

Uncommon Ground chef Patch Carroll admires his restaurant’s crops ||  photo by Lauren Mandel

Heirloom cultivars - diverse crop varieties that became scarce with the onset of industrial agriculture – are re-emerging and gaining momentum in restaurants, farmer’s markets, and backyard gardens around the country.  Restaurateurs and foodies alike find the unique flavors of heirloom vegetables irresistible, but many of these crops are difficult to grow, or transport without significant bruising.  The solution?  Grow them close to the kitchen!  There, you can keep a close eye on your babies and eliminate their transportation all together.

In north Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, the iconic restaurant Uncommon Ground fully embraces the cultivation of “fancy plants” in it’s 0.06 acre rooftop

Organic rooftop mustard greens || photo by Lauren Mandel

farm.  In May I spoke with Dave Snyder, Uncommon Ground’s Rooftop Farm Director from 2008-2012, about his crop selection.  Dave explained that he and the head chef work together to select specialty crops that the restaurant can’t source elsewhere.  During the 2011 season, Dave grew 37 crop varieties on the roof, some of which were more rare than others.  During our interview Dave pined over a rare tomato breed called the Purple Calabash, which he said attracted a lot of attention in the restaurant below.  The cultivar bruises like a peach, and so other restaurants decline to carry the magnificent ingredient.

Uncommon Ground capitalizes upon its ability to grow specialty crops that are relatively unattainable by other storefronts.  Guests with sophisticated pallets and encyclopaedic plant knowledge may know exactly what’s in each bite.  Most guests flock to Uncommon Ground because the food simply tastes too good to be true.

Heirloom tomato at SHARE Food Program || photo by Lauren Mandel

In Vancouver, British Colombia, specialty crops similarly dot the roof of The Fairmont Waterfont hotel.  I spoke with executive chef Dana Hauser in August, who rattled off a laundry list of crops grown on the roof for use in the hotel’s kitchens.  She mentioned several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, six types of basil, and some unexpected rooftop crops like rhubarb, figs, and goosberries.

It’s safe to say that marketing the uniqueness of your rooftop crops is invaluable.  Whether customers come for the superior flavors or for the experience of eating something they can’t get anywhere else, these “fancy plants” create something to brag about.

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the root of it

garden carrots || photo by Lauren Mandel

This year’s Thanksgiving dinner was something to write home about.  A menagerie of vegetable dishes flanked my mother’s heavenly, rosemary-infused turkey: roasted bliss potatoes, braised fennel, sautéed Brussels sprouts, butternut squash soufflé.  But the one side that got me thinking was the roasted rainbow carrots.

I grew these carrots from seed in my backyard garden.  The colorful crop produced tall greens and long, spindly tap roots that plunged into the soil below the raised bed in which the carrots grew.  But what about root crops that don’t have the luxury of growing endlessly downward?  As depth-limited environments with thin soil profiles, rooftop farms and gardens present a unique set of challenges.  Thankfully, we can pluck some useful knowledge from the green roofing world.

For decades, green roof designers have experimented with growing deep-rooted plants – even trees! – on rooftops.  The key is selecting hardy cultivars, providing at least the minimum thickness of soil in which the plants can survive, and ensuring that their nutritional needs are met.  Irrigation is also key in cultivating plants in depth-limited environments.  Proper irrigation techniques often allow deep-rooted plants, like ornamental grasses, to flourish in unusually thin soil profiles.

In the case of rooftop carrots and other root crops, follow these 6 steps:

1| Make sure your roof contains adequate root protection (i.e. a polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride root barrier)

2| Select hardy cultivars that won’t grow excessively deep

3| Blend or purchase well-drained growth media

4| Mound enough media for each crop

5| Pay close attention to each crop’s nutritional needs

6| Provide sufficient drip irrigation

What’s been your experience with root crops?  Have you tried growing them in a container or other depth-limited environment?  We want to hear all about it!

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the groundhog done it

It finally happened.  While harvesting cherry tomatoes from my backyard garden earlier this week, a patch of topless broccoli plants caught the corner of my eye.  Slowly turning to assess the damage – brow low, fists clenched – the reality became strikingly clear: my broccoli plants were completely decimated.  Taking a step farther, I noticed that my beet greens were shorn to nibbly stumps as well.

How could this be?!  Who was the culprit?  One more step provided the answer: a groundhog done it.  Marmota monax, little bugger.  With a complete and utter lack of courtesy, this groundhog had made its home directly in the center of my peri-urban vegetable garden.  There was nothing discreet about it.  Main hole, back hole, emergency exit hole, all plain as day.  Apparently in the eyes of a hungry rodent, it’s never too “city” for groundhogs.

After the initial shock and desire for revenge faded, I paused to consider the threat, or lack thereof, of rooftop vermin.  Ground-level farms and gardens are often plagued by groundhogs, rabbits, and other fuzzy creatures looking for an easy meal.  Growers spend time and money on poison, traps, fences, chemical deterrents, guard dogs, and even guns!  But rather than removing the vermin from the garden, what if you were to remove the garden from the vermin?  Rooftops offer a unique setting that is out of reach from groundhogs and rabbits.  The occasional squirrel may wander up a downspout, but this can be easily prevented by installing metal collars at potential access points.  As for mice and rats?  Well, in the green roof industry we only really see these animals when the green roof is at-grade with the surrounding landscape.  Elevate the roof, and 99 times out of 100, you’re safe.

Are your garden pests driving you crazy enough to try rooftop gardening?

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containers and raised beds and pouches, oh my

In many developed nations we are both blessed and cursed with an obscene breadth of consumer choices.  With a selection as simple as what type of cereal to buy: low fat, high fiber, whole grain, multi-color… decisions can quickly become daunting.  Selecting planters for your home rooftop garden can conjure similar feelings of intimidation, and so here are a few quick steps to select your planters and grease your track to success:

Seedlings awaiting transplant into containers || photo by Lauren Mandel

step 1| Determine your garden’s objective.  What prompted you to build a rooftop garden in the first place?  Do you need herbs for cooking?  Would you like to feed your family and friends throughout the summer?  Defining your goals while considering the size and weight restrictions of your rooftop will start you off in the right direction.  Honestly evaluating your lifestyle and how much time you can commit to watering, staking plants, and harvesting, will also help you determine what garden scale to pursue.  For dainty installations, try focusing on containers and hanging pouches.  If quantity is what you’re after, consider raised beds and self-watering containers.

step 2| Decide what crops to plant.  This will be your garden.  What vegetables and herbs will you enjoy eating and sharing with others?  Each crop prefers a different soil depth, and the height of your planters should reflect these needs.  Select shallow containers for shallow-rooted plants like greens and herbs, and deeper containers for crops like tomatoes, eggplant, and Brussel sprouts.  Keep in mind that deeper soil means heavier planters, so be sure to consult a licensed structural engineer whenever a roof’s structural capacity is unknown.

step 3| Consider using recycled materials.  Off-the-shelf planters can be quick and easy to install, but what if you’re trying to save a few bucks?  Salvaging recycled materials, such as barrels, tins, even old bathtubs, can provide you with the planters you need, without the cost.  Be smart about your selection by avoiding materials that could contaminate your soil, such as pressure treated wood, lead paint, or resins.  Remember also that metal will rust and degrade quickly.

step 4| Let it drain!  Regardless of whether you select containers, raised beds, hanging pouches, or recycled vessels, your planters must drain to prevent root rot.  Most off-the-shelf containers are manufactured with at least one hole in the base, through which excess water is ushered.  Metal containers do not contain drainage holes as consistently as ceramic and plastic pots, so drill or punch out several holes (with a hammer and nail) if none exists.  Hanging pouches are generally made of felt or burlap cloth, both of which are permeable to water.  For raised beds, try installing a hard plastic sheet drain with a high compressive strength (a common green roof component) underneath the frame to allow water to leave the bed.

What types of planters exist in your home garden?  Are you happy with their performance?

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“Daddy, I want a cucumberrrr!”

Jay Sand, a home gardener in West Philadelphia, feeds his kids the freshest veggies on the block. The source? His own roof.

Sand Family with a freshly-picked rooftop cucumber || photo by Lauren Mandel

Sand and his wife decided to renovate their spacious Victorian fixer-upper from bottom to top, with one key addition: a rooftop vegetable garden. “We wanted the fun of the house to extend up to the roof,” explains Sand. Now the whole family can spend time together outside, while working the soil and experiencing the joys of fresh food.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Sand Family Rooftop Garden yesterday, where I saw for myself what joy the space brings to the family. Sand’s three girls (eight, five, and three years old) frolicked around the garden as they described their favorite use for mint and explained the importance of a self-watering planter system.

Molly Sand, 8, harvesting mint ||  photo by Lauren Mandel

Sand had never heard of rooftop vegetable gardening when he first conceived of the project. He bought a book on container gardening, did some online research, and developed a rooftop prototype. The container design utilizes two plastic bins, one nested inside of the other. Overflow holes are drilled into both bins, and a flexible pipe leads from the surface of the soil to the base of the inner bin. The pipe is used to water the bins – at the base of the system. This type of container provides a reservoir for the growing vegetables, and Sand refills each reservoir once per week with a garden hose.

With 12 self-watering bins, Sand and his kids grow enough vegetables to snack on throughout the summer. Tomatoes, cucumbers, Brussel sprouts, and mint currently dominate the garden, and each year the family experiments with new crops.

Adaline Sand, 3, enjoying a freshly picked cucumber || photo by Lauren Mandel

Toward the end of my visit the girls shared a freshly-picked rooftop cucumber. They passed around the snack, each taking a bite, until the veggie was demolished. With the realization that the cucumber was gone, little Adaline, three, burst into tears screaming “Daddy, I want a cucumber!” The tot had developed such a deep connection to fresh vegetables that only the promise of more cucumbers could console her.

With a crop of young vegetable-loving kids, Sand certainly walks the talk of local, organic eating. What foods do your kids crave?

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got organic? you betchya.

Chicago has something to brag about.  Uncommon Ground, a restaurant on the north side of town, houses the country’s very first certified organic rooftop farm.  The farm was founded on the restaurant’s Edgewater location in 2007, and became certified by the Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) shortly thereafter.

Greens basking in the sun at Uncommon Ground || photo by Lauren Mandel

The 2,500 square foot rooftop contains an intricate patchwork of raised beds, containers, and gathering space, with a lower roof area reserved for bee keeping.  The farm’s innovative design drips with sophistication, and great care was clearly taken in both layout design and material selection.  One key innovation involves a railing system that integrates raised planters into the perimeter fencing.  Additional design features include a rainwater harvesting system (to capture roof runoff), drip irrigation, and solar thermal panels (to heat  water within the building using sunlight), which provide an extra pinch of “green” to the rooftop farm and the building below.

Earlier this week I visited Uncommon Ground for the first time, and was delighted by the farm’s spring bounty.  Radishes, mustard greens, and lettuces were out in full force, as were blossoming chives and spring peas, climbing toward the sun.  An idyllic setting?  Yes.  An example of how a commercial agricultural facility can build community and empower people?  You betchya.

Radishes ready for the chef || photo by Lauren Mandel

Before diving into a fiddlehead and asparagus salad down below in the restaurant, I had the pleasure of meeting Dave Snyder, Uncommon Ground’s full-time farmer.  Dave’s official title of Rooftop Farm Director is as comprehensive as it sounds.  In addition to crop planning and tending to seedlings, Dave spends almost half of his time tending to people.  Whether it’s leading rooftop farm tours or training interns, coordinating with the chef or meeting with partner organizations – it’s all part of the job.

As Dave and I chatted, he sat on a bar stool beside a pile of papers ballasted with Felco hand shears.  When discussing Uncommon Ground’s decision to go organic, Dave explained that “we use our farm as an education and outreach tool… to get people more aware of the food they’re eating.”  One benefit of the farm’s organic certification is that it opens the door to conversation about organics.  If you can get people talking about organic veggies, they are more likely to try them, love them, and support the cause.

Sign up for a rooftop farm tour at Uncommon Ground’s Edgewater location next time you’re in Chicago, and see what all the fuss is about!

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harden off those youngins

Greenhouse seedlings at SHARE Food Program || photo by Lauren Mandel

With spring upon us, greenhouses across the country are full of eager seedlings.  Sheltered greenhouse environments are ideal for sprouting seeds and providing a head start for young veggies, but the real growing occurs outdoors.

Before transplanting seedlings to nearby raised beds and agricultural plots, the youngins need to be “hardened off.”  This involves acclimatising the seedlings to the sun, wind, and variable temperatures they will experience outside.  Farmers have different strategies for hardening off their plants, which usually involves introducing seedlings to the elements gradually.  Farmers may move young plants in and out of a greenhouse, leaving the seedlings outdoors for longer periods each day.  This gradual introduction often lasts for one to two weeks.

When moving seedlings to rooftops, extra care must be taken in hardening off the plants.  As discussed in earlier posts, rooftop environments are much more extreme than their ground-level counterparts.  Skyline farms and gardens are prone to high winds, desiccation (soil drying), and fluctuating temperatures.  So what does this mean for the hardening off process?  Well, the plants should probably be exposed to stronger elements.  This could mean leaving them outside on a particularly cold and windy night, or even bringing them up to the roof for short periods before transplanting.

Anticipating scenarios such as hardening off can help to inform the design of a rooftop farm or garden.  Enough foresight could lead to the construction of a sheltered rooftop area, designed specifically for acclimatizing seedlings.

What techniques do you use to harden off your youngins?

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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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