Urban Farming
New food chain specializing in Urban Farming coming to the Rochester Public Market
by Brenna Hartmann
Home&Yard Media Group is proud to sponsor the largest Urban Farming Edible Wall in the world, right here in our hometown Rochester, NY.  Green Living™ Technologies, sponsor of the Urban Farming Food Chain, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end hunger in our generation, will establish Green Living ‘edible’ walls in Rochester’s downtown Public Market. Cookie Waller, program manager for The Rochester Teen Court, who is funded by the Center for Youth Services is excited that the students will have the opportunity to build and maintain these edible walls. As part of the Urban Farming Food Chain this link will be part of a global food chain, connected to each other by intention and design, and providing a model that is replicated across the country and abroad as a means of growing food in urban neighborhoods. A portion of the food harvest will be donated to local food banks and neighbors in need.
The walls used to grow edible crops vertically are one of a variety of green products produced by Rochester based Green Livingâ„¢ Technologies. Thanks to the efforts and expertise of Green Living Technologies, the student members of the Rochester Teen Court program will utilize the opportunity to learn about green roof and green wall technologies. Green Living Technologies CEO George Irwin, a certified teacher has developed an educational component, which includes a 10-week unit plan to be implemented in the non-growing season. During the gardening season the Rochester Teen Court participants will be working hands-on, tending to the vertical farm. In the off growing season, the students will be attending classes to learn about green technologies.
According to George Irwin, the program will offer the students a skill set and enough knowledge to be prepared for an interview with many companies now involved in vegetative green technologies.
The Urban Farming Edible Wall pilot program, which has been implemented in the heart of skid row in Los Angeles, California, has provided empowerment, community involvement and education for those residents. The food grown on these walls can include tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, peppers, herbs and more.
The Rochester Teen Court Urban Farming Food Chain wall installation at the Public Market will begin with a launch event on Saturday June 27th, 2009. Â During the growing season the wall will offer immediate access to fresh healthy produce in a time of great need, while simultaneously creating opportunities for team building, skills training and community involvement.
Engineered by Green Living Technologies these innovative food-producing vertical gardens will beautify the downtown core and help to lower heat index in the fight against global warming while providing Rochester’s Teen Court Program an educational opportunity to learn about green roofs, green walls and vegetative technologies.
For more information on the Urban Farming Food Chain Project, visit urbanfarming.org/foodchain. Â
Tags: farming, fixie chick, green, ny, rochester, roof, urban, wall