Geoff Lawton's "Rooftop Farm" video now live

Visit a rooftop farm in Brooklyn - talk about a garden with a view!

Full version for which you will need to sign in with your email address and password is HERE

Short version below:

See that screen that is being used to screen the compost? I can see that being used for all sorts of stuff! Where do you get something like that?

That's too funny - I coveted that compost screener too!! I immediately thought - "how can I get the metal artist down the street to weld together a couple of those wire mesh waste baskets and attach a turning handle..." It's a sexy system to be sure.

When I think of rooftop gardens, I think of how the soil has to be so thin so it doesn't add too much weight. Which makes me yearn for deep soil.

I think about putting hugelkultur up there, but there is the concern about how much weight can the roof support.

I really like the part where Geoff talks about what different weeds indicate, and how the soil could use some clay and humus.

Whenever I hear of rooftop gardens I think of urban beekeeping. Urban beekeeping is a noble pursuit, to be sure; though I heard somewhere that the main source of "nectar" for certain urban bees was discarded pop cans. [shudder!]

With more rooftop and urban gardens popping up, I hope the bees would find the plant forage preferable over the pop can "nectar" and find enough of it!

Speaking as an urbanite, I find this video really motivating. There is a LOT of unused space in cities all over the world. To use it for urban forestry, growing food, raising bees, chickens, whatever, is, in my mind, a noble pursuit. There is more possibility for unique and unusual forms of permaculture in cities than any other place in the world.

As for bees getting their nectar from soda cans - well, many animals that we eat feast on things that we might not personally find desirable - but they turn it into some pretty good stuff! Plus with more urban gardens, the bees will find more deliciousness close to home. Cities have an incredible waste stream - the majority of which can be reused to spread permie goodness. The more permie goodness spreads in these high population areas - the healthier well all become.

Rock on, urban permies, rock on!

What struck me about this was the sheer size of the operation! Wow.

Does anyone know of a resource / guide for implementing something like this? Preparing the roof, health and safety, red tape etc?

Nick - check out their website for more resources: http://brooklyngrangefarm.com/education/

Jennifer Wadsworth wrote:As for bees getting their nectar from soda cans - well, many animals that we eat feast on things that we might not personally find desirable - but they turn it into some pretty good stuff! Plus with more urban gardens, the bees will find more deliciousness close to home. Cities have an incredible waste stream - the majority of which can be reused to spread permie goodness.

Such good points, Jennifer! Thank you.

There is a rooftop garden in Seattle, that was touted as the first rooftop community garden. I thought I'd posted about it here on permies, but I can't seem to find it.

Besides their raised beds, they put an old Airstream there for their toolshed.



And as if that wasn't enough, they added a "purple haze" (h/t to Seattle-born Hendrix) artcar:

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Now there's some Seattle-style urban garden art for ya!

Whoa! Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing, Jocelyn. Loving the creative reuse of "junk".

Those old Airstreams are so wonderful - there is a "motel" in Bisbee AZ that uses them as rooms or suites (depending on the model) - the one I stayed in had all red vintage appliances from the 50s - super cool. Next time I'm staying in the "Tiki Bus".

I felt sorry for the bee at around 8:18. Anyone else catch that?

Paul, that device is a variation of a compost tumbler. There are several DIY videos on YouTube, and I've especially seen them used by vermiculturalists to separate worms from the castings. Supposedly, the worms don't mind, but I have my doubts...

From a different angle: Here is a timelapse of the Brooklyn Grange.

http://vimeo.com/86266334

That was awesome!

But....is it just me or did it look like a bunch of stuff went unharvested? Perhaps it was just that those were plants where you harvested the fruit and not the whole plant and they just left it as green manure...?