January 16, 2015 | Nina Ignaczak

Food ‘Accelerators’ and the $10 Bag of Pasta

Excerpt: Most of what’s produced here gets shipped elsewhere, said Robert Puro of Seedstock, a consultant in sustainable food systems. In most major cities, only 1% to 2% of what’s consumed is produced locally, he said. Developing that shorter supply chain—from local farms to packing and production facilities to retailers—is “the big missing piece in the local food puzzle,” Mr. Puro said.

Source: WSJ.com

One Of The Largest Urban Farming Communities In The Country Might Be Created Where A Public Housing Complex Once Stood

Pennsylvania might soon be the home of one of the largest urban farming communities in the country, according to a nonprofit organization that has set its sights on land where a public housing complex once stood.

Source: Inquisitr.com

Underground and on rooftops, farms take root in big cities

Excerpt: In India, social businesses are setting up small farms on the rooftops of crowded apartment blocks. China‘s government has built urban farming “showcases” to encourage city-dwellers to start projects at home. In the coming decades, cities in rich and poor countries alike are set to swell and cause ever more pollution by transporting food from rural areas. Two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050, versus just over half now, according to UN forecasts.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

SMU launches Grow initiative: Other places in Singapore where urban farms can be found

Excerpt: A new urban farming project took root at the heart of the city on Tuesday morning, as the Singapore Management University (SMU) launched its Grow initiative. – See more at:

Source: straitstimes.com

5 Ways We Can Scale Sustainable Farming

Excerpt: Those of us dedicated to sustainable agriculture have distinct ideas about how to define it and what it should look like. We use adjectives like “soil-building,” “water-conserving,” “air-cleansing,” “people-respecting,” “nutrient-enhancing” and “animal-honoring.” Adhering to these attributes is a great litmus test for Earth-friendly agriculture.

Source: Mother Earth News

Festival Foods is an affordable alternative to local food incubators

Excerpt: Not only are food incubators like Union Kitchen and Mess Hall increasingly difficult to get into, they can be cost-prohibitive to many. That’s where Festival Foods comes in. The first nonprofit food incubator, located in Adams Morgan, caters to an underserved demographic.

Source: Washington Post

Grow Your Own Greens With The Growbot, A System Designed To Make Rooftop Farming Easy

Excerpt: As much as city-dwellers might like the idea of buying vegetables grown on local rooftops or vacant lots, it’s hard to make urban agriculture commercially viable. Farming actually takes a lot of work and care, and the infrastructure and workforce just aren’t there in most cities to make urban agriculture happen at scale. But a startup called Cityblooms hopes to help change that.

Source: FastCompany