Ladybirds

Ladybirds are a good way to keep your garden organic and at the same time free from pests. Both larvae and adults eat different types of pests such as aphids and scale, and one type of ladybird feeds on fungus.

A ladybird which lives for one year can eat more than 5,000 aphids, so by not using pesticides you are actully feeding your ladybirds. Even if a plant is infested with aphids, when the ladybirds find the plant they will eat them quickly and the plant should recover just as fast as if you’d sprayed it.

If a ladybird gets plenty of aphids to eat, they can lay up to 2,000 eggs in a year which will improve your garden even more. Most people know what adult ladybirds look like but ladybird larvae are strange looking and many confuse them with pests. As a result many of them are killed by pesticides, including organic sprays, and a when there are fewer ladybirds there will usually be a pest outbreak. Learn what they look like before you spray so don't kill your garden protectors.

A garden full of ladybirds is a happy garden.

Farmers Market

Farmers Markets are getting more and more common all over the world and Sweden is no exception. The largest one is called Farmers Own Market and can be found in 19 cities around Sweden.

All their produce is from Swedish farmers and a very important rule is that everything that the farmers sell should be produced on their own farms. That rule applies also to the key ingredient in produce like jam or sausages. Everything that's sold comes from farms within a radius of 250 kilometers, and thus considerd to be locally produced. Many times the produce is harvested on the same day that it's sold and it doesn't get much fresher than that. A lot of the produce is organic and the consumer has the opportunity to talk directly to the producer about the meat or the vegetables they are buying. That teaches the farmers a lot about what their consumers want, and it teaches the consumer how their food is produced.

A Farmers Market allows the consumers to find local produce that they may not be able to find otherwise. In the era of supermarkets a lot of local specialities get lost and this is a way to keep traditions alive and to introduce them to a new crowd.

On the homepage you can find more information and opening hours for the Farmers Own Market, and there are also some food recipes to try.

Rooftop farming New York

In USA the art of rooftop farming is picking up. It sounds simple enough to start gardening on your own roof to get fresh vegetables and fruits, but you have to consider the impact of wind, sun and rain and plan accordingly. The rooftop farms are carefully planned to protect it's harvest and produce as much as possible on the limited space.

There are a lot of different reasons why people want to start a rooftop farm. Some value the marketing potential of a rooftop farm, some are interested in managing stormwater, and others want to supplement their commercial kitchens with locally grown food.  

Gotham Greens is situated in Brooklyn and sells their produce to local chefs, markets and retailers. They started in 2008 and their goal is to produce over 80 tons of fresh greens annually. They care about keeping the entire chain sustainable. From fair treatment of workers to biodiversity and preserving water. Their main goal is to produce tasty, safe and nutritious greens. The greenhouses are powered by solar-panels and they have an advanced computer systems to manage heating, cooling and plant nutrition.

Brooklyn Grange is another rooftop-farm. They sell their produce directly to the local people and businesses. Everybody is welcome to visit and to participate. They visit different markets to sell their produce, and in the sping of 2012 they will start an apiary project which will include 25 bee hives and produce over 1000 pounds of honey.

Follow up on their projects and read about the driving spirits behind them on Brooklyngrangefarm and Gothamgreens

Allotment gardening

An allotment garden is a piece of land that has been divided in to smaller pieces and made available for individuals to rent. The size of the plot usually range from 50-400 quare metres and may include small sheds, greenhouses or small garden houses.

Most of the allotment gardens in Europe started out as a way for the poor to get acces to fresh vegetables and fruits. This was especially true during war-time when access to fresh produce was limited and prices high.

Denmark was first country with allotment gardening in Scandinavia in 1778. Sweden established their first allotment garden in 1895.

Today when most people have busy working days and many live in an hectic urban atmosphere, allotment gardens are more popular than ever and have turned into recreational areas. It's your own green oasis in the middle of the city that provides relaxation from the stress of work.

Many families sees it as an opportunity to come together and have a meaningful leisure activity and for the children to learn about gardening and nature. Allotment gardening also helps providing the community with a better quality of urban life through the reduction of noise, the binding of dust, and conservation of biotopes.

To get your own mini-garden visit one of the many homepages found on the internet or use this page to start from (Scandinavia)

High Line

The High Line is a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan's West Side. It was founded the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement.



 

No trains have run on the High Line since 1980 and in 1999 the structure was under the threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line was founded by the local community to save the historic site and transform it into the beautiful public park it is today. The park is located on Manhattan's West Side and runs from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues.

Friends of the High Line works very actively to keep the park open and to involve the community in this project. On the High Line you can find a lot of green areas to just relax, you can find cafées and restaurants and different art projects. They have tours for the local schools to teach children about the history of the High Line, about the plants and ecosystem of New York and about the history of Manhattan's shipping industry.

It's a really great example of recycling, turning something old and run down into a beautiful place that everybody can enjoy.

Read more about the High Line. And don't forget to visit when you're in New York.

A Positive Greenhouse Effect

By 2050 up to 80% of the earth's population will reside in urban centers. In the same time the population will increase with 2 billion people. How will we provide food for everybody?

Plantagon is an interesting Swedish company working on a solution. They have developed architecture and technology for urban agriculture.

They've designed several different types of greenhouses; from houses used only for farming to solutions integrated in already existing office buildings. They've taken into consideration both the architecture itself and also ways to provide as much natural light as possible.

The entire farming process is based on a sustainable system with organic fertilisers, water recycling and ways to convert waste into biogas. They want to integrate farming with cities in ways that saves both money and the environment.

Their first greenhouse is currently being built in the city of  Linköping in Sweden.
They will be the first city in the world to test this new technology and break new grounds for future cities to develop sustainable farming solutions.

Read more about Plantagon's truly amazing inventions here.

Exciting  information about Vertical Farming can also be found on Verticalfarm.

Whole Foods - Whole People - Whole Planet

Whole Foods Market started their first store in 1980 in Texas. Today, there are 310 stores in North America and the U.K and WFM are the world leading retailer when it comes to natural and organic food.

Apart from the actual stores they also contribute in spreading the message of a sustainable future. Among other things, they work together with farmers to get meat free from antibiotics and to reduce the use of pesticides in the fields.
WFM take great pride in not only caring for the animals and the planet but also to educate their customers in ways to reduce their impact on the environment. That includes discussions about animal cruelty, sustainable agriculture and why we should use environmentally-friendly cleaning materials etc. There is an extensive program designed to educate children, teachers and parents about healthy eating and to give children access to nutritious food.

They have also started a foundation, Whole Planet, that deals with micro-lending operations and sponsoring af neighborhood events to support organic farmers and expand the market for organic produce.

Whole Foods Market's vision is a sustainable and holistic future where we all work together with an in-depth knowledge of the environment and that we all are connected to each other. A future where everybody accepts resonsibility.

They see this vision as something that's going to seep through every company, organisation and individual and they lead by example through sustainable and ethical business practices.

It's a grand vision, and one for all of us to believe in to make it happen.

Read more; Wholefoodsmarket

Six Senses

Apart from beeing absolutely amazing resorts, their spas and hotels are something out of the ordinary when it comes to environmental issues, and they are highly involved in reducing the impact of their activities.

There is a very extensive program to try to achieve this in every possible way; from waste management to energy saving, from environmental concerns during constructions to raising awareness among staff, guests and the local community.

Apart from the smaller things, they are also involved in sustainability issues on a larger scale.

They have a fund, SERF, that is to be used primarily for social and environmental projects and initiatives in responsible development. All of the resorts and spas contribute 0,5% of their total revenue to this.

Six Senses is also dedicated to a water saving project. Half of the sales of water on their resorts are invested in organisations that helps to provide clean water for people around the world who doesn't have access to that.

In 2008 they started a symposium called Slow Life. The hope for this is that politicians, philosophers and influential people, sharing insights and making connections, can make way for a better and more sustainable future. Some of the speakers on the 2011 symposium were; Daryl Hannah, President Mohamed Nasheed and Richard Branson.

Read more and dream away at; Sixsenses