Think working farms only belong in the country? Think again! Sydney now has its own urban organic farm, with Pocket City Farms launching in Camperdown on a former bowling green.

Seeking to provide an alternative to fast-food supermarket fare, Pocket City Farms General Manager, Emma Bowen, says, “In cities, we are often disconnected to the origins of food and the effort that goes into growing food. So we wanted to put farming in a place where people can suddenly reconnect with how food is grown again and know where their food comes from.

“Our primary aim is to bring farming into the city and to create food as locally as possible… People can come past and see us growing the food and then come in on a Saturday to our market and buy the food. It’s a real instant connection.”

Incorporating 1200 square metres of market garden growing vegetables, greens, and herbs, the farm also includes a food forest, chicken coop, and a public footpath currently under construction featuring fruit trees and other edible plants.

Volunteers help out on the farm in exchange for practical lessons on urban farming. One such volunteer is Marrickville local, Kirsty Davies, who says, “Nowadays, food is just big business. We are so used to going to the supermarkets to get food, not knowing how it was grown. But this farm is visible to the public and it raises awareness about where food comes from.

“The nutritional value in food from the big supermarkets is [often] pretty low. To see the food being grown locally makes you think about where it comes from. It would be great if we could have so much food growing around us that we wouldn’t need to be so reliant on big supermarkets.”

To find out more, visit Pocket City Farms. Or, find out more about innovative urban forests here

Source: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/08/12/sydney-now-has-its-very-own-working-city-farm

Study finds green roofs improve concentration:

A new study from Melbourne University has found that environmentally-friendly green roofs are not only good for the environment, they also improve employee concentration.

In the study, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, 150 students were asked to press a key as a series of numbers repeatedly flashed in front of them on a computer screen, unless the number was three. Midway through the task half the group was given a 40-second break during which they looked at a flowering meadow green roof and the others looked at a bare concrete roof. The participants who looked at the green roof made fewer errors and had better concentration in the second half of the task.

Dr Kate Lee, Head Researcher, said, “We know that green roofs are great for the environment, but now we can say that they boost attention too. Imagine the impact that has for thousands of employees working in nearby offices. This study showed us that looking at an image of nature for less than a minute was all it took to help people perform better on our task.”

The study deliberately used a 40-second “micro-break” to mirror the mini breaks which happen spontaneously throughout the day. “It’s something that a lot of us do naturally when we’re stressed or mentally fatigued. There’s a reason you look out the window and seek nature, it can help you concentrate on your work and to maintain performance across the workday.

“This study has implications for workplace well-being and adds extra impetus to continue greening our cities. City planners around the world are switching on to these benefits of green roofs and we hope the future of our cities will be a very green one.”

More and more rooftop gardens are appearing in Melbourne and Sydney, including The City of Melbourne offices on Little Collins Street and the M Central apartment building in Pyrmont, Sydney.

image credit . sookie

Chicago Green Thumbs Transform Brownfields:

In any city, there are underdeveloped sects, or areas long ago places of industry now fallen to ruin. These areas are often termed as brownfields.

In keeping afoot in advancements in urban landscaping, technologies and innovative thought, Chicago is no different than the many other cities taking a proactive approach to the future.

Method Home Products has been one to invest in the Brownfields of Chicago, setting up their first manufacturing facility in the U.S. and not only reconnecting with the domestic market, but designing a facility that earned them a LEED Platinum standing. Just one of the substantial benefits of the plant’s design includes, “sustainable farming practices that will replenish groundwater to the tune of 6 million gallons annually.”

“Roughly 3.5 acres of the 22-acre site are used for industrial purposes, and the rest has been converted into a natural habitat for wildlife…[and] the facility will employ about 100 people,” says Adam Lowry, Method’s co-creator.

On September 2, Chicago will host the 16th annual Brownfields Conference, an event supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the ICMA: International City/County Management Association. Carrying the theme “Sustainable Communities Start Here”, the conference forum is,“calibrated to provide attendees with case study examples, program updates and useful strategies for meeting brownfield challenges head on.”

Discussion groups and speakers are confronting topics specific to engaging the community, investing wisely, and resurging manufacturing activity in these otherwise unused spaces. The latter has recently been endorsed by President Obama’s Administration in the development of, “the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP), a multi-agency initiative…”

“The Economic Redevelopment Forum will call forward site owners, investors, developers, end-users and state and local economic development officials to lay the groundwork for potential revitalization deal-making.”

Given the sheer square miles in cities nationally and internationally, and the innovative minds propelling urban development, the future is cast in green.

image credit: mnn.com