Friggin sustainable

Looks like another great way to start programming multiple levels of space and functionality into urban environments. The food connection adds to the opportunities for community building, education, and access to a more wholistic landscape, + fresh vegi’s do taste better when just picked.

I am curious why the idea has to stop at the buildings edge though? Extending the idea outward could start to mitigate the effects of the large parking lots surrounding grocery and other big box stores by reducing stormwater runoff, reducing the heating effect of exposed paving, while adding interest and complexity to the landscape. Such a structure could also provide shelter for people entering the store during inclement weather and reduce the need for snow plowing in northern cities.

An idea full of possibilities!

This system is hydroponic so there would be no soil to haul up. But Andrew is probably right. There would be no advantage to growing food on the roof to be sold in a store. Growing food on roofs and balconies is probably better for individuals who want to grow their own veggies. I’m all for growing food in the city, but this is probably not the best way to do it.
As for trains vs. trucks, I think that’s the wrong way to look at it. Trains are good at hauling stuff long distance and trucks are good at taking stuff directly to the place it’s sold. They work well in combination, so it’s not about one vs. the other. Here’s one link on the subject: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/rail-trucking-greenest.php

I shouldn’t say this, since I have freinds in Reno who are trying to start a hydroponics business, but it is mainly the hydroponics part of this system I’m not too fond of. The thing is, it requires the same artificial fertilizers that the huge factory farms do. I just think you get a better product when you farm organically in the soil on the ground.
Maybe that’s a personal bias I got from my time at my first job. I just think when humans try to simplify things we don’t fully understand, we are in for trouble. That’s what we’ve done with farming in general. There’s this idea that all plants need is fertilizer and water and the rest of the soil just anchors the root. Good soil is a lot more complex than that, and I think our food plants should be grown in good soil.
I do think there are plenty of places in more urban areas that people could successfully grow food, and I like the idea of solar and water harvesting. Roofs have a lot of wasted space that could go to some use or another. I think a more conventional green roof is a better idea, though. Then you can choose plants that don’t need good soil.
I’m sure the hydroponic system isn’t what other people are objecting to. I was surrounded by permaculturists at my first job, and they stress the importance of building good soil for food plants.

Ben,
If all you are saying is that this idea should be given a chance to prove itself, I find it hard to argue with that. I certainly wouldn’t stand in the way of someone who wanted to do it, and I don’t think that trucks being able haul large amounts of food justifies bringing all our food into cities from far flung corners of the earth. I just think there are plenty of other ways to grow food in cities that don’t require as much energy input as this, and that food grown in soil is likely to be better nutritionally. There are plenty of examples of urban agriculture in parks, schoolyards, etc.
From what I’ve read on the internet since this discussion started, growing food on roofs hydroponically is a fairly popular idea in places like New York. The idea does have merit where land is scarce. Land is not scarce around big box stores, though.

Nice website. Here’s a video I posted in another discussion that is probably more relevent here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sohI6vnWZmk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpermaculture%2Eorg%2Eau%2F