Newsletter

Dear Urban Agriculturalists,

Here is our September 2010 issue of the City Harvest newsletter.  City Harvest is an online resource which demonstrates the wide range of benefits associated with urban agriculture, with the purpose of strengthening and developing the movement across the globe.  After reading the newsletter please be sure to take a look at the rest of the site and add any relevant publications or projects, helping to keep the website fresh and up-to-date. Also feel free to send us your local news to add to future newsletters.

Enjoy,
Paola Guzman & Seb Mayfield

In this issue

1. Feature: Garden Resource Programme (Detroit, USA)
2. Question for our readers: High rise farms: are they a real sustainable means of local food production?
3. Capital Growth Open Day September 25th (London UK)
4. 1st Global Summit on Metropolitan Agriculture 28-30 of September (Rotterdam, NL)
5. AESOP 2nd European Sustainable Food Planning Conference 29-30 October (Brighton, UK)
6. Edible Estates Conference October 21st 
7. RUAF Distance learning on Urban Agriculture
8. Scottish Orchards 
9. International skyrise greenery conference November 1-3 (Singapore)

1. Feature: Garden Resource Programme (Detroit, USA)
The Garden Resource Programme (GRP) was created between The Greening of Detroit, Detroit Agriculture Network, EarthWorks Urban Farm/Capuchin Soup Kitchen, and Michigan State University  to recognize the importance of urban agriculture in providing fresh local food to families, building communities and renovating vacant land in the city of Detroit.

The programme offers support to homes, schools and community gardens that grow food. For a nominal fee participants become part of a network of urban farmers, receive training and technical assistance and become advocates of urban agriculture and community gardens across the city.  To date GRP works with 185 organizations and hundreds of individuals. To find out more visit http://www.detroitagriculture.org/

2. Question for our readers: Vertical Farms, are they a real sustainable means of local food production?
The New York Times first published an article in 2007 called Skyfarming. This article features the research of Dr. Dickson Despommier about “vertical farms” that grow food in the city. He believes that 150 farms could feed New York, but an article published two weeks ago in the Guardian by George Monbiot challenges Dr. Despommier’s research. Monbiot criticizes “vertical farms” because they wouldn’t be carbon free, therefore making them a method no better than our current one or worse. Do you agree?  Please send your thoughts about these articles. You can find the New York Times article at http://nymag.com/news/features/30020/ and the guardian article at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/16/green-ivory-towers-farm-skyscrapers

3. Capital Growth Open Gardens Day September 25th
The Open Gardens Day is a great opportunity for Londoners to visit their local community food growing space. Thirteen Capital Growth spaces will be open on 25 September offering Londoners the chance to take a look at the site, participate in different activities, and learn how to get involved. Capital Growth has also organised a bike tour between some of the gardens http://capitalgrowth.org/opengardens/

4. 1st Global Summit on Metropolitan Agriculture 28-30 of October
Reos Partners, an international organization dedicated to support and build capacity around the world, have organized a summit to explore how innovations in agriculture and food systems can be useful in meeting essential needs for people in cities. In addition they will be launching The Metropolitan Agriculture Innoversity. This will be a space where stakeholders around the world will be able to share their visions about metropolitan agriculture and put them into action through innovative projects http://www.metropolitanagriculture.com/

5. AESOP 2nd European Sustainable Food Planning Conference 29-30 October
The Association of European Schools of Planning will be discussing how urban and rural planning can support sustainable and equitable food systems. The conference will focus on four topics: urban agriculture, integrating health environment and society, food in urban design and planning and food governance. You can find out more here.

6. Edible Estates Conference October 21st
This half-day conference is a great opportunity for those working in local government, social housing or community sectors, as well as residents who want to set up food growing projects.  It brings together the expertise and lessons learnt from support to over 600 food-growing spaces across London, many of which are working with or are lead by social housing residents. 

Speakers include Rosie Boycott, (Chair of London Food), Belinda Porich (Head of London Region, National Housing Federation), Elizabeth Hoehnke (Public Space Advisor, CABE). There will also be a number of workshops to enable participants to explore topics in more detail and to share experiences of setting up and sustaining food-growing projects on housing estates www.capitalgrowth/edibleestates

7. RUAF Distance learning on Urban Agriculture
The Resource Centre on Urban Agriculture and Food security (RUAF) has launched a course series in urban agriculture in conjunction with Ryerson University. Students will be able to understand the environmental, socio-economic and political challenges in practicing urban agriculture; gain knowledge on technical aspects, policy dimensions and governance issues for the development of urban agriculture systems. This course of 14 weeks is offered online and students who complete it will receive official documentary acknowledgment from the university http://www.ruaf.org/node/2260

8. Scottish Orchards
Scottish Orchards is an organization helping schools, community groups, local authorities and individuals to care for their fruit trees. They aim to establish and maintain orchards in Scotland by providing training to its members, establishing a national mapping database, creating markets for locally grown fruit and promoting fruit trees as part of the design of rural and urban environments. Members receive a regular newsletter, information about funding and access to expertise, seminars and local meetings http://www.scottishorchards.com/

9. International Skyrise Greenery conference November 1-3
Organized by the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE) this conference will include the latest developments in green roof technology and vertical greenery along with experts in the field. Speakers include architect Emilio Ambasz who has done extensive work in green architecture and has exhibited at the MOMA and The Trienale de Milano, Patrick Blanc, inventor of the vertical greenery concept, Dr. Manfred Koler professor of landscape ecology and researcher of green roofs in Germany http://www.skyrisegreeneryconference.com/index.asp