NY Times - "The Rooftop Garden Climbs Down a Wall" - Story On Urban Farming

[TomCADem]

Interesting story on the green economy and urban farming. Of course, how long before China starts mass producing these things to be sold at Walmart if it ever takes off?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/19/business/energy-environment/19WALLS.html?_r=1&hp

The Rooftop Garden Climbs Down a Wall
IN most ways, the Barthelmes Manufacturing Company is a typical sheet metal fabricator. Five days a week, machines here stamp out thousands of computer cases, electrical patch panels and other items for companies like United Technologies.

Yet a growing part of the company’s business is being devoted to something decidedly unindustrial: edible walls — metal panels filled with soil and seeds and hung vertically.

They may sound like a piece of Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory. In fact, they are the latest development in green roof technology. Like green roofs, edible walls include a thick layer of vegetation on the outside of buildings to provide insulation and reduce heating and electricity costs.

But unlike green roofs — and their vertical cousins, green walls — edible walls also produce fruit, vegetables and herbs in far less space than typical gardens. That’s why advocates of urban farming have embraced them as a way to lower food costs, increase nutritional quality and cut fuel consumption and carbon emissions by using fewer delivery trucks.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Cool. Is there a link?

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. I'd like to see a picture

[TomCADem]

3. Doh! Fixed It!

[abelenkpe]

4. Ooooo

That is cool! And efficient.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Mexico City is doing this as a policy

http://features.csmonitor.com/gardening/2008/08/27/community-gardens-sprout-in-mexico-city/

[BrklynLiberal]

6. That is so very, very cool.