New Stories From 'Urban Agriculture Notes'

Liao Kun, a human resources manager at the company, said, “Happy Farm enables our staff to strike a balance between rest and work, especially after prolonged periods of monotonous mechanical tasks or computer work.”

By Tan Yingzi and Deng Rui in Chongqing
China Daily
2024-05-15

Excerpt:

A group of employees at Chongqing Meixin Group rolled up their sleeves and pants on Tuesday morning and waded into a paddy field on their factory building’s rooftop.

They were taking part in an activity that has been organized by the company for four years, with the aim of helping staff members decompress after long hours of work.

They caught fish and planted rice seedlings 33 meters above the ground at Happy Farm, a 20,000-square-meter ecosystem created by Meixin, a door manufacturer headquartered in Chongqing’s Nan’an district. The farm produces crops like rice, rapeseed and lotus root and also features a 1-kilometer artificial river teeming with fish and shrimp.

Our aim is to identify highly nutritious food plants

Karalyn Hingston
Executive Officer
Food Plant Solutions
Australia

Good Gardening And Growing Root And Grain Crops In Zimbabwe

Potentially Important Food Plants of Zimbabwe

Food plants for healthy diets in Zimbabwe

Leafy greens and vegetables in Zimbabwe

Fruit and nuts of Zimbabwe

Healthcare Association of New York State
May 13, 2024

SBH Health System is partnering with Project EATS to teach high school students in the Bronx about nutrition, healthy eating and cooking. Project EATS provides neighborhood-based organic, urban farms in areas where people do not have access or cannot afford fresh food. This partnership is one of the recipients of the AHEI Community Partner Stipend program.

The scheme is being repeated after great success in 2022, when residents of Antwerp were inspired to create over 200 facade gardens, 170 areas of trees and 100 garlands.

By Rebecca Ann Hughes
Euro News Green
13/05/2024

Excerpt:

Antwerp is encouraging citizens to go green by giving away free trees.

Until 30 September, the Belgian city is handing out 2,000 trees to residents with a garden or unpaved space available to plant them in.

For the project, 20 tree types that do well an urban environment have been selected. A short questionnaire covering the amount of space and sunlight available helps determine which type is most suitable.

It is hoped the initiative will help cool the city in the summertime, improve air quality, and create more breeding grounds for birds and other animals.

Video Story

teleSUR
May 12, 2024

To guarantee food for Venezuelan families the Ministry of Agriculture is promoting a program of urban crops.

We compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on 4 categories. We looked for cities with plenty of room for gardening, in addition to accessible gardening supplies, ideal climates, and gardening clubs, among 14 total metrics.

By Sav Maive
LawnStarter
May 7, 2024

Excerpt:

New York sprouted to 2nd place with 639 more community gardens than Atlanta (No. 1), which claims the 2nd-most. Community plots are necessary for many gardeners in NYC where few residents have access to a private outdoor space. However, the Big Peach outgrows the Big Apple thanks to large yards, abundant sunshine, and 39 regional gardening clubs — the most in our ranking.

All 38 Florida cities scored in the top 70 of our ranking with a long growing season and ideal gardening climate.

In Woodlands Cemetery, trees and plants that commonly grow farther south are being given a chance to flourish beneath a pair of unheated greenhouses.

By Michaela Althouse
Philly Voice
May 10, 2024

Excerpt:

The high tunnels are home to the “experimental food forest” that POP has created to develop climate-resilient fruiting plants and trees. The organization plans to grow plants that can withstand cold weather – like fig and persimmon trees – and those that typically grow in warmer climates – like guava plants and olive, banana, yuzu and kumquat trees.

“Plants that are grown in our climate are going to grow best in our climate and produce the best harvest,” POP co-Executive Director Kim Jordan said. “So, this is a really important space for us to have.”