The Edge Magazine Vol. 8

A Snapshot of Urban Farms Around the World

ASHBURN, VIRGINIA Home to one of the largest agrihoods, a farm-focused housing development, Willowsford consists of 300 acres of managed land and offers 100 different varieties of vegetables through its CSA and farm stand. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS On top of the Boston Medical Center , you’ll find a rooftop farm with more than 25 crops. The farm provides fresh, local produce to the hospitalized patients, cafeterias and the Preventive Food Pantry, a free food resource for low income patients. HONG KONG One Island East Farm is the highest urban farm in Hong Kong, situated 300 meters (984 feet) above ground. JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Neighbour Roots , a rooftop farm located on top of a shopping center in Johannesburg grows lettuce, spinach and a variety of herbs, which are sold to restaurants inside the shopping center.

MONTREAL, CANADA Lufa Farms opened the world’s largest commercial rooftop greenhouse in 2011, and today its combined Lufa Farms facilities have 137,000 sf of growing space, offering approximately 75 types of vegetables. PARIS, FRANCE The Parisian rooftop farm, Nature Urbaine , is the largest in the world and produces up to one thousand kilos of fresh produce per day. ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS The DakAkker is an 11,000-square-foot urban rooftop farm, where organic fruits, vegetables, flower, and herbs are grown and bees are kept. It is the largest open air roof farm in the Netherlands. SINGAPORE A parking lot roof was turned into an urban farm – Citiponics . THE BRONX, NEW YORK On top of a LEED-certified affordable housing building sits Sky Vegetables , an 8,000-square-foot hydroponic farm that employs local residents, a project development by AmHydro.

13