#rooftop farming

Europe’s largest rooftop farm, Nature Urbaine in Paris, can produce 10 tons of produce each season. 

Hundreds of immaculate white columns dotted with small cylindrical outlets cover the rooftop of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition center in the south of the French capital.

Fragrant basil, scarlet strawberries and unwieldy masses of dark green kale are among the colorful produce sprouting from each of the holes, which form part of a soil-less farming device known as an aeroponic growing tower.

“You see, there’s nothing in there,” says Eugénie Mercier, pulling out a bunch of kale to reveal its roots dangling freely inside the plastic structure. “When we water them, the plants take what is needed and we recycle the leftover water, so none is wasted.”

Mercier is manager of Nature Urbaine, Europe’s largest urban rooftop farm, which opened in spring 2020. At 14,000 square meters (150,000 square feet), its surface is almost as large as the playing area of the Stade de France football pitch not far away, and it can produce more than 10 tons of fruit and vegetables per season, using neither pesticides nor soil. According to manufacturer Agripolis, its computer-controlled hydroponic and aeroponic systems use 80% less water and produce 62% fewer CO2 emissions than a conventional farm for the same yield. Last year it was recognized by Ecocert, a French certification organization, as the first urban farm in the world to net offset carbon.

“It’s not just greenwashing,” adds Mercier. “This will really benefit the planet.”

Who on earth won’t mind to have a sip of passion fruit juice to quench your thirst in this summer? Oh ohh I know this is a premier juice which you have to get  from the market. But as I mentioned in my earlier posts passion fruit juices for sale doesn’t guarantee the actual nutrient. But at home you can have your own tray of passion fruits :).

Organic farming is the manthra.

MY SETUP

1) Washing machine drum - this reusable part can be a very functional planter because of the large area it provides for planting.

2) Used plastic fasteners for strings - being a climber, this helps a lot in its growth

3) Used fish nets - supports the climber to spread over an area and bear fruits spaciously

The reverse order of the pictures depicts the different stages of growth of the passion fruit plants at my home. I have also planted a few of them on the ground, that too has given a good yield.

Why Rooftop Farming Is The Best Solution For Smart Urban Agriculture

By James Coffman, Director, Commercial Tower Garden Division

We lose more than 50 acres of American farmland to urban development every hour. And in that same amount of time, our population grows by 240 people. Less land to grow food + more mouths to feed = big problem. But, increasingly, forward-thinking farmers are eschewing the confines of conventional agriculture and growing on what’s traditionally been considered unusable space: city rooftops.

Alternative farming on the rise in besieged Gaza

Organic Rooftop Farming

Abu Nasser, 53, has grown 3,500 kilogrammes of organic produce without any soil, transforming his rooftop and concrete lot in Gaza City into an organic oasis. He grows a dozen different types of vegetables and herbs for his family, including eight children and eight grandchildren.

Using hydroponic techniques, Abu Nasser can grow twice as many crops than with conventional techniques, and he saves 90 percent more water by recycling nutrient-dense water. His broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce and cauliflower float on polystyrene squares with holes cut into them, while their roots absorb nutrients from the water.

Hydroponics

Iyad al-Attar, from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, also received a UN grant to launch a hydroponic project after his family's rented farmland was bulldozed and annexed as part of Israel's buffer zone.

He spent years cultivating fish for his backyard aquaponic farm. After many costly experiments, he now grows 5,000 lettuce heads a year on water, along with a dozen other crops. To prevent crop diseases, he uses solutions mixed with natural ingredients, such as onions, hot peppers and olives, instead of chemicals.

"The most precious thing is the health of a human being," Attar said. "The situation in Gaza pushed me to pursue this project. There are too many buildings, the land is shrinking and clean water is scarce."

Solar Water Distillation

Last year, Gaza photographer Fayez al-Hindi created his own water distillation and purification system using solar energy. Tap water is poured into a three-metre-long basin, and as it evaporates onto the panels, it purifies and the clean water drops into a separate basin.

On an average sunny day in winter, his invention produces four to six litres of clean drinking water for his family.

"As human beings, we cannot live without water; we depend on water every day," Hindi told Al Jazeera. "But the cost of water filters is expensive and the economic situation is bad, so I was thinking of alternative ways to filter the poisoned water and to share it with people."

...

Unfortunately, Hindi says that he has found little support to expand his project...

Wondering what’s cooking for the next few days???  How many of us can guarantee that the fruits & vegetables we buy from stores and market is fresh and of good quality? Apparently none . Its ok because this is how the market rolls, but not at the stake of our health. I would say, if you wanna live another 50 years or more, you should take this seriously. Keep your grocery bags away and step out of your house and observe the idle space around your house. Every nook & corner of your premises can be a  dwelling place for your own FRESH HOME GROWN plants. Limited ground space? then move to rooftop. Not interested in spending money on pots? take your unused cans, buckets or even tyres.