Sent to you by Robin via Google Reader:
Finally, the NY Times gave some space to a writer living in the current digital age instead of a prior century. The usual tiptoe through the tulips articles from their garden writers serve a very limited social purpose. This article by Michael Tortorello of Minneapolis is well worth reading. He is evidently a new contributor to the Times.
Watch the video by Rob Torcellini (quoted in the article) as an introduction.
Rob makes a very professional presentation of his aquaculture system (fish and food). While probably not practical for most apartment dwelling urbanites this type of system has a place in the city. It definitely belongs in the mix of modern local food production systems like sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) and hydroponics.
via www.nytimes.com
Mr. Torcellini's greenhouse wouldn't look out of place on a wayward space station where pioneers have gone to escape the cannibal gangs back on Earth. But then, in a literal sense, Mr. Torcellini, a 41-year-old I.T. director for an industrial manufacturer, has left earth — that is, dirt — behind.
What feeds his winter crop of lettuce is recirculating water from the 150-gallon fish tank and the waste generated by his 20 jumbo goldfish. Wastewater is what fertilizes the 27 strawberry plants from last summer, too. They occupy little cubbies in a seven-foot-tall PVC pipe. When the temperature begins to climb in the spring, he will plant the rest of the gravel containers with beans, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers — all the things many other gardeners grow outside.
In here, though, the yields are otherworldly. "We actually kept a tally of how many cherry tomatoes we grew," Mr. Torcellini said of last summer's crop. "And from one plant, it was 347." A trio of cucumber plants threw off 175 cukes.
Things you can do from here:
- Subscribe to Inside Urban Green using Google Reader
- Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
No comments:
Post a Comment