Touch the Soil News #1809 (Feature Photo – Greenhouse – CCA SA 4.0 International, Veeti Davideson) While growers like to be passionate about what they do, the reality is that the bills need to be paid, wealth needs to be built, and we have to have a vacation here and there. For this reason, having…
Touch the Soil News #1807 (Feature Photo – Urban Agriculture – CCA SA 4.0 International) While this story is about cities embracing urban agriculture for a variety of reasons, the important aspect for growers is finding a sustainable business model that delivers what the cities want, Hopefully there are ideas from these cities, that have…
Vertical farming is not new, but it is if you are growing in a soil medium. Future Crops operates an 8,000 square meter indoor vertical farm (roughly 86,000 square feet or 2 acres). The goal is to create foods that are kosher, hence a chemical free environment in a soil medium (https://www.future-crops.com/). You can read…
Positive Future News #905 (Feature Photo – Abandoned Stadium – Courtesy of Harrisburg City Farm) Harrisburg City Farms, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is transforming an abandoned high school stadium into an urban farm. This is probably the first time ever that a farm takes root in old bleacher seating. Fox 43 news brings the story about…
Positive Future News #893 (Feature Photo– Calgary – CCA SA 4.0 International) Calgary is one of the largest northern cities in North America. With a population of 1,250,000, the city has a very short growing season, Different from the past, governments are getting interested in urban horticulture to support food banks and other charitable feeding…
Positive Future #888 (Feature photo – Growing Food in Malaysia – GNU Free Doc License) Malaysia is divided into an area of land south of Thailand, and an area of land North of Indonesia. Despite being dissected by the South China Seas, this nation of 33 million people is facing a challenge, that faces all…
Positive Future #871 (Feature photo – Urban Farming – CCA SA 4.0) Envisioning a national urban farm strategy, seems far a fetched, for a large nation like the United States. Where do you even start? However, for a small nation like Luxemburg – population 640,000 – in the heart of the European Union, you can…
Positive Future #859 (Feature photo – The Jian Mu Farmscraper – photo courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associates.) Arch Daily brings us the story of Carlo Ratti’s 51 story farmscraper. Externally, the building is clad with giant hydroponic farming system, capable of feeding 40,000 people. You can read the full story here: https://www.archdaily.com/967740/carlo-ratti-associati-unveils-worlds-first-farmscraper-in-shenzhen
Touch the Soil News #1676 (Feature Photo – Volunteers Dsiree Dieno, Nadine Smith and Carson Dieno tend to new garden boxes – courtesy of Maegen Krajewski) CBC News brings us the story of how urban food gardening continues to expand in Canada – specifically in Regina. Of note is the participation of schools and people…
Touch the Soil News #1679 (Feature Photo – USDA official Seal – Public Domain) Successful Farming journalist Megan Schilling reports on recent grants by the USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture. Formed by an Act of Congress in 2018, the Office of Urban Agriculture is pursuing its mission to promote urban agriculture. The Office recently announced…
