1BillionHungry

The FAO of the United Nations has recently launched a campaign to get people riled up about the one billion stomachs that don't get enough to eat. 

If you want to sign the petition (like I did), head on over here and make your voice be heard.

(Caveat: with all its resources, this viral campaign is the least the UN FAO can do to stop the terrible, terrible inequity which is the 21st Century hungry human.)

Guest Blogger Series: Intelligence at the Supermarket

Leading up to the release of the book (available for pre-order on Amazon.com), the Vertical Farm Blog will be accepting guest blog entries via email (theverticalfarm@gmail.com) from our readers around the world.  The only condition is that your submission has to touch on some aspect of vertical farming--be it multi-use buildings or conscientous shopping choices--and it would be great if you could include pictures (people love pictures). 

The first article in our series is written by Dan Grifen, a blogger over at Everything Left.  Take it away, Dan.

Sustainability Through the Consumption of Things Conserved
"In other environmental issues we tell people to stop something, reduce their impact, reduce their damage," - US Ecologist Gary Nabhan

Since the beginning of the green movement, there has been a rise in the number of organizations and businesses that are doing their part in the promotion of sustainability through conservation. As human beings, we're told to reduce our carbon footprint, consume less unhealthy foods, and spend less time in the shower! But let's take a minute to step back and look at this from a different perspective; one that Gary Nabhan strongly suggests.

Gary Paul Nabhan, PhD., is a Arab-American writer/conservationist whose extensive farming work in the U.S./Mexico borderlands region has made him world renowned. Specifically speaking, Nabhan is known for his work in biodiversity as an ethnobotanist. His uplifting messages and attitude towards life and culture has granted us access to multiple beneficial theories including his latest of eat what you conserve.

According to The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, about three quarters of the genetic diversity of crops been vanishing over the last century and that a dozen species now gives 90% of the animal protein eaten globally. In accordance, just 4 crop species supply half of plant based calories in the human diet.

Nabhan claims that by eating the fruits and vegetables that we are attempting to conserve/save, we're promoting the granular dissemination of various plant species. But this goes beyond what we typically buy in supermarkets, particularly because of price and abundance. We must remember to try new things and immerse ourselves in the very concept of diversity. Keep in mind- the benefits of splurging for that costly fruit/vegetable supremely outweigh the cons. Not only are you promoting biodiversity and further eliminating the needs of farmers to remove rare, less purchased crops off their agenda, but you're also effectively encouraging healthier lifestyles.

Agriculturist Marco Contiero mentioned, "Biodiversity is an essential characteristic of any sustainable agricultural system, especially in the context of climate change."[1] With sustainable crop efforts being lead by the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) and the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) the duo plans to provide a more sustainable crop that can withstand natural disasters, avoiding food shortages like Haiti is experiencing. Contiero goes on to state "We need to ensure this is the basis for the future…" – This is exactly what Doug Band, the CGI, and the IRRI are doing by engaging in sustainability efforts.

So remember, next time you're in the supermarket picking out a common varietal of navel oranges or strawberries, turn your attention to something that's a bit more exotic in nature. The same goes for salads/salad ingredients; shop outside the norm, picking spices and vegetables that you wouldn't normally incorporate into your everyday diet. During such economic downtime it isn't always easy to maintain the same level of grocery shopping intrigue, but we must also not forget that in this sundry of foods we can find fun!

Dan Grifen – Supporter of all things green and progressive.

Turn Plastic Into Oil

A Japanese man and his company, Blest, have been touring the globe showing off a little machine they invented which can turn plastic garbage back into oil.

As the video describes, plastics are made from oil, so why shouldn't we be able to turn plastics back into oil once we're through with them?  This is great thinking.  Why do we dump tons and tons of plastic waste into landfills (and oceans) every day, when the technology currently exists to reclaim the energy in that waste and turn it into fuel?

Plastic waste, the video says, "are a treasure."  I'm not sure why our species is so good at squandering.

Share your thoughts...

More Newark News

Remember Newark?  Well, Dan Albert and Peter Greaves of Weber Thompson recently issued a press release detailing a bit more about their involvement with getting a vertical farm up and running in Brick City.  I'll let them tell you:

July 23, 2010

At a time when the world ponders how to feed its nine billion people, Seattle architects Weber Thompson have designed a Vertical Farm for the Garden State to help solve that problem. The Newark Vertical Farm (NVF) a radically new prototype for Newark, NJ, illustrates the ideas promoted by Dr. Dickson Despommier for an approach to high capacity controlled environment urban farming. Principal Peter David Greaves, AIA, LEED AP and Ecological Designer Dan Albert, Associate ASLA, LEED AP and Dr. Despommier made a presentation of the design to government officials including Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Stefan Pryor and City Councilman Donald Payne, Jr., along with leaders from the Greater Newark Conservancy and Brick City Development Corporation.

The term “Vertical Farm” was originally coined by Dr. Dickson Despommier at Columbia University. The vertical farming concept begins with a simple idea: grow food in a climate-controlled multistory building free of pollutants, pesticides and seasons while producing the highest-quality produce in an urban environment. The Vertical Farm, designed to supplement the existing food supply while bringing more healthful products to our cities, is but one of a host of solutions needed to address the complexities of bringing food to people. Despommier envisions buildings filled with stacked soil-less growing systems designed to produce the maximum yield and eliminate contamination. This concept has been illustrated by designs ranging from 10-story structures to dragonfly wing-inspired behemoths that tower over Manhattan.

The Newark Vertical Farm represents not only the next generation for Urban Agriculture and Vertical Farming but also an approach to design which incorporates integrated and overlapping sustainable design features. More than just a Vertical Farm, it is a research and development program for sustainable design in an urban context. It is an open system designed to attract any number of features for both demonstration and research into the best ideas for sustainable design of our cities. Both a demonstration project and a laboratory, NVF is envisioned to be a flexible armature for uses relating to vertical farming, urban agriculture, sustainable design and energy efficiency. The main building contains the vertical greenhouse, and research labs separated by a full height atrium for light and ventilation. The greenhouse space contains high intensity soilless growing systems and is designed to be flexible and adaptable. The ground floor showcases a demonstration green house for public interaction while the upper floors serve as an agricultural laboratory. The purpose of the building is to develop, test, and educate with the ultimate goal of a commercially viable building type. 

The site is also designed to showcase sustainable site strategies in an urban environment. The buildings and the site are oriented to maximize solar exposure, with the Vertical Farm green house section facing due south and the more conventional urban agriculture plot with south to north rows. The spaces are arranged in a series of overlapping rooms that allow both observation and function to coexist. The parcel is organized to create numerous opportunities for both demonstration and research platforms relating to the study of vertical farming, urban agriculture, urban gardens, water conservation, constructed wetlands, on-site power generation, and more. The site, like the buildings, is designed to attract a range of uses and to be adaptable as these uses evolve over time. 

Dr. Despommier, Peter Greaves and Dan Albert have spoken of the Vertical Farm concept and emerging ideas about urban agriculture at a number of conferences including The King County Government Confluence and the Living Futures 2010 unConference. Dr. Despommier and Dan Albert will also be on a panel this coming fall at the Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design on September 29th in New York, NY. This is the second prototype vertical farm structure designed by Weber Thompson. Their Eco-Laboratory project has won numerous national and regional awards. 

Dr. Dickson Despommier is the author of The Vertical Farm: Feeding Ourselves and the World in the 21st Century to be released by Thomas Dunne Books / St. Martin’s Press on October 12, 2010. 

For more information on the rationale behind Vertical Farms please see: 

A new use for urban high-rises: farming by Dan Albert 

The Vertical Farm Project - Dickson Despommier 

To top it off, they've released pictures of what their finished project might look like.  They're sweet.

(all images: Copyright © 2010 Weber Thompson, PLLC All Rights Reserved)

Pulled Pork with Pickled Red Onions and Black Rice

Pork shoulder is a cut of meat that is often overlooked. Perhaps because of its sheer size, which requires that it be cooked for a lonnnnnng time. As in 4 hours. To be exact, it's 4 excruciating hours of hovering around the oven as the tantalizing aroma of slow-roasted pork taunts your tastebuds. But once you take the first bite of the tender porky goodness, foiled by the pungent tang of the pickled red onions, you realize that you've never had 4 hours better spent. The avocado provides the perfect mellow reprieve from the heat and tartness, and the black rice provides a nutty base and turns this dish into a one bowl meal (but you can use whatever vehicle you want - eg. taco shell, tortilla, bread)


Pulled Pork
Mix up a spice rub to your own taste. I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, and paprika.
Rub spice mix all over the pork shoulder. Use a heavy hand in seasoning the pork (look at how BIG it is!)
Place pork shoulder in a roasting pan. Cover tightly with foil and into a 350 F preheated oven. Roast for 4 hours. (no cheating!)

Pickled Red Onions
Slice red onions real thin.
Pour a cup of very hot water over onions. Drain water after 30 seconds.
Squeeze juice of one lime into non-reactive bowl and add drained red onions. Cover and refrigerate while the pork's-a-roastin'.

Billion Dollar Home Employs Hydroponics for Energy Efficiency

Mukesh Ambani, the Indian billionaire ranked 5th on the Forbes list of richest men, is devoting part of he and his family's 27-story home in Mumbai to growing hydroponics crops.  You might wonder, Why?  Well, unfortunately, it's not because Ambani is actively endorsing vertical farming, like some other well-known men.  No, instead, it's primarily an economic concern:

Hanging vertical gardens dot the exterior. While they make for good decoration, their key function has to do with energy efficiency: The hydroponic plants, grown in liquid nutrient solutions instead of soil, lower the energy footprint of the home by absorbing heat and sunlight and providing shade that helps keep it cool.

The architecture firms of Perkins + Will and Hirsch Bedner Associates are responsible for the design of this $2 billion skyscraper home, so I think we can safely assume that hydroponics is catching on as a financially viable design element within the architecture community.  We'll take it.

This massive complex won't be considered a vertical farm, not even close.  But it certainly will add to the growing body of work demonstrating that the ideas we've been promoting for the past decade are, in fact, the ideas for our cities' future.  With each 27-story billionaire's home that integrates any element of what a vertical farm will perform, the chorus of support grows louder and louder.  


Do you know of any similar developments that we should share with our readers?  Let us know via email--theverticalfarm@gmail.com.  


(Check out the full story (and pictures!) here)

Reforming the Chicken

Dana Blankenhorn over at Smart Planet published a nice article about the FDA taking some initial steps to curb our outrageous food system towards something more sustainable, humane and less fattening.  Here's an excerpt from it:

We’re fat because we are reacting rationally to the incentives government has placed in the food supply market. These incentives favor quantity over quality, protein over vegetables, and things like corn syrup over cane sugar.

Change the incentives in the production and manufacturing of food, I argue, and consumers will respond. Just saying “eat healthy” when you have an unhealthy production system won’t get the job done.

I recommend heading over there to check it out.

BEST. COMBO. EVER

=Roasted Beets + Fried Egg

Scrub beet. Wrap beet in foil, skin and all. Roast beet in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil (carefully!). Wash beet under cold water and scrape off skin with spoon. Dice beet and mix with vinegar, dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Top with fried egg, however you like it. Break egg yolk and enjoy slowly.