I want one!
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/first-ever-rooftop-farm-affordable-housing.php?campaign=weekly_nl
Buzz up!
Image credit: BrightFarm Systems
Solar is not the only green feature appearing on affordable housing projects
these days. In fact, a project in the South Bronx is hoping to combat food
miles and food deserts at the same time, growing fresh, nutritious vegetables
in a 10,000 sq ft rooftop greenhouse on top of a six story affordable housing
project. But does the project make sense?
Certainly there are those who argue that vertical farming is pie in the sky,
and that expensive urban real estate should be saved for people, and lots of
them. After all, density is good for the environment. But that criticism seems
to apply more directly to the outlandish farm/skyscrapers that occasionally
grace these pages, not growing capacity integrated into residential units.
Much like this rooftop hydroponic farm, the BrightFarm rooftop greenhouse in
the South Bronx will be harvesting rainwater from the building for irrigation,
and will even be using waste heat from the residences below to keep the plants
warm.
Presumably the opportunities for symbiotic relationships don't end
there--residents will be able to enjoy fresh, nutritious food grown right above
them (the farm is said to be capable of producing fresh vegetables for up to
450 people), and they will also have an opportunity to connect with how their
food is grown. Add to this the opportunity for local employment and this is
looking like a winning idea.
Of course you could take this further, if people weren't too squeamish, with
the use of waste streams (pun intended) like urine as fertilizer. But maybe we
take this one step at a time.
LEVEL GREEN - fostering sustainable community through collaborative initiatives
in hospitality, education and the arts, in the 150 year-old democratic spirit
of the Danish Folk School. 1519 Slaterville Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607)
339-9472
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