Is Personalized, Next-Day Delivery the Future of Urban Farming?

“Canadians have grown accustomed to seeing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pop up in unlikely photos, sometimes shirtless or in athletic gear. But Trudeau was wearing a suit for a planned photo op when he toured Lufa Farms, a 63,000-square-foot rooftop greenhouse in Montreal, last March. During his visit, Trudeau took a moment to harvest a bag of greens for his family.

One of Canada’s largest urban farming projects, Lufa Farms is the brainchild of Mohamed Hage and Lauren Rathmell. Back in 2011, Hage and Rathmell—partners in business and life—opened the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse, a 31,000-square-foot space atop an old Montreal warehouse. They now oversee three hydroponic greenhouses, each placed on a sturdy, low-rise building, with a combined 138,000 square feet.”

Read the FULL STORY “CityLab.com“

Upgrade Your Garden With These 19 Cheap Homemade Decor Projects

“Does your garden need a little refreshment? If you have no idea of how to upgrade your garden and add some life to it, not to worry. We have these awesome DIY Cheap Garden Decor Ideas to solve your problem. It’s always fun to make creative and unique outdoor garden projects. Your garden is the place for outdoor activities, fun BBQ parties or even if you are in a mood to chill. If you are ready to put little efforts, you would be able to add a personality and glow to your garden.

These projects are so cheap. You can re-purpose existing stones from your garden, colors, wires etc.”

Learn how to create all 19 Garden Decor Projects, HERE!

49 Beautiful DIY Raised Garden Beds Ideas

“If you are planning to a vegetable garden, the best place to plant it may not be in the ground, many gardeners today use raised beds which lift the plants and their roots above ground level. There are a number of good reasons to garden this way; you can choose your soil for good plants and good harvest. Raised bed also brings the garden up where it’s easier to reach for weeding and harvesting.”

See all 49 Raised Bed Garden Ideas, HERE!

Urban farmers are learning to grow food without soil or natural light

Growing food in cities became popular in Europe and North America during and immediately after World War II. Urban farming provided citizens with food, at a time when resources were desperately scarce. In the decades that followed, parcels of land which had been given over to allotments and city farms were gradually taken up for urban development. But recently, there has been a renewed interest in urban farming – albeit for very different reasons than before.

As part of a recent research project investigating how urban farming is evolving across Europe, I found that in countries where growing food was embedded in the national culture, many people have started new food production projects. There was less uptake in countries such as Greece and Slovenia, where there was no tradition of urban farming. Yet a few community projects had recently been started in those places too.

Read the FULL Story at: “CityMetric.com“

Cabbage and Kale Chicken Taco Bowl

I posted a picture of one of my new favorite meals over on Instagram and a few of you asked for the recipe.  Today I am delivering on that promise and sharing my Cabbage and Kale Chicken Taco Bowl with you!  Call me crazy but I think this combination works so well.  I can’t get enough!

Follow my hashtag #goodformyhormones over on Instagram and you will find I try to do things everyday that nourish my hormones.  It could be anything from gentle movement, self-care, relaxing, sleeping, or nutrition.

Believe it or not this dish fits the requirements of supporting health hormones in multiple different ways.  This Cabbage and Kale Chicken Taco Bowl is a balanced meal containing quality proteins, healthy fats, and good carbohydrates, which help stabilize blood sugar levels.  If you ride the blood sugar roller coaster all day long, then you are stressing out your adrenal glands.  Your adrenal glands have a lot of control over your other hormones too, so you want to keep them happy and healthy.

This Cabbage and Kale Chicken Taco Bowl has some important hormone-supporting ingredients.  Avocado is a wonderful source of good fat.  We have been afraid of fat for far too long.  Healthy fats are important for many different reasons, one being that your hormones are made out of fat.  Bottom line: if you don’t eat fat, you can’t make hormones.

Cabbage and kale are both in the cruciferous vegetable family.  These types of vegetable help support your liver’s ability to properly detox and excrete excess hormones.  If you liver is clogged up (which is a common problem with many of my clients), then your hormones can’t be detoxed from your body.  This situation can contribute to things like estrogen dominance.  Symptoms of high estrogen include:

• PMS symptoms
• Heavy or irregular periods
• Fluid retention/bloating
• Breast tenderness
• Weight gain
• Headaches
• Brain fog
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Weepy and emotional
• Irritability
• Low libido
• Sleep issues
• Sugar cravings
• Histamine intolerance
• Breast cysts or fibrocystic breasts
• Uterine fibroids
• Endometriosis
• Thyroid problems
• Gall bladder problems
• Blood sugar issues

I hope you (and your hormones) enjoy this Cabbage and Kale Chicken Taco Bowl as much as I do.  When you make it be sure to share with me over on Instagram, tag me in the photo @theorganicdietitian, and include the hashtag #goodformyhormones.

When I make this recipe I use my homemade taco seasoning and top it with my easy salsa!

Cabbage and Kale Chicken Taco Bowl

One easy bowl loaded with nutrients that support the health of your liver, blood sugar, and hormones.

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons red onion (peeled and diced)
• 1 cup red cabbage (shredded)
• 1 cup kale (stems removed and diced)
• 4 ounces cooked chicken (shredded)
• 1/2 tablespoon homemade taco seasoning
• 3 tablespoons salsa
• 1/2 whole avocado (diced)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (diced)

1. In a saute pan over medium low heat melt coconut oil.

   Saute the red onion, cabbage, and kale until vegetable are softened and onion is translucent.

   Add in the cooked shredded chicken and sprinkle with taco seasoning.

   Mix and cook until chicken is warmed.

   Serving in a bowl topped with salsa, avocado, and chopped cilantro as desired.

   

Choose organic ingredients when possible.

The post Cabbage and Kale Chicken Taco Bowl appeared first on The Organic Dietitian.

Urban Farmer Makes $1000 a Week Growing Vegetables in Rental Home

“In this episode, you will learn how in just 7 months the Farmers transformed an empty yard into a fully operational farm growing microgreens, leafy green vegetables, root vegetables, and fruits. You will get a tour of the entire farm showing you all the different areas and some of the infrastructures that have been built that can be easily removed if necessary.

You will discover how this farm is able to gross $1000 a week by selling food they grow on their 1/3 acre lot including washing, drying, cleaning and storing the vegetables when necessary. You will learn about some of the most important equipment that was purchased to get this farm up and running. You will discover how hoop houses allow them to get an early start on the season, and grow foods until late in the season to produce an income for the longest period of time.”

Video via: “GrowingYourGreens.com“

Vertical Gardens on Parking Garages Boost Well Being

If you’re going to build something like a car park, why not make it beautiful?

This is the philosophy of Maitland’s Bob Dennerley, a craftsman with a passion for creativity and design.

Bob is urging the Hunter’s city planners and politicians to push for vertical gardens on multi-level car parks.

What Bob is trying to say, is that car parks are ugly. Hideous, even.

And who would disagree?

Many [or all] of them are concrete monstrosities often frequented by understandably moody commuters, struggling to get to work on time or desperate to get home.

Bob says vertical gardens have an “aesthetic value on people’s mental health”.

READ the FULL STORY at: “TheHerald.com.au“

Do not eat your veggies — if they are grown in your front yard!

Hermine Ricketts and her husband Tom Carroll may grow fruit trees and flowers in the front yard of their Miami Shores house. They may park a boat or jet ski in their driveway. They may place statues, fountains, gnomes, pink flamingoes or Santa in a Speedo on their property.

Vegetables, however, are not allowed.

Ricketts and Carroll thought they were gardeners when they grew tomatoes, beets, scallions, spinach, kale and multiple varieties of Asian cabbage. But according to a village ordinance that restricts edible plants to backyards only, they were actually criminals. They didn’t think they were engaged in a Swiss chard conspiracy or eggplant vice, yet they were breaking the law.

Florida’s 3rd District Court of Appeal upheld Miami Shores’ ban on front-yard vegetable gardens in a recent decision, so the couple will take their case to the Florida Supreme Court. They argue, on behalf of gardeners everywhere, that the village’s restriction is unconstitutional and an infringement on their property rights.

Read more here: “MiamiHerald.com”

Join UOG’s Monthly Seed Club, Just in Time for Spring!

Collect heritage seeds and GROW A GARDEN, ALL-Year-ROUND!

Join the club that delivers you garden seeds at just the right time of the year to plant them – hand selected based on your garden specs. Start by telling us a little bit about your garden, preferences, and location. Then, each month we’ll send you a curated collection of heritage garden seeds.

Now is the perfect time to join.
Spring is right around the corner!

Visit: https://urbanorganicgardener.cratejoy.com

**NEXT SHIPMENT: FEBRUARY 5**

Urban Agriculture and the New Meaning of “Eating Local”

“A bumper crop of city farms, rooftop gardens, and futuristic urban greenhouses here and abroad is changing what it means to eat local.”

“That’s our mockingbird,” says willowy Annie Novak, immaculate and breezy in ankle-length linen and high-heeled strappy sandals. She points at a bird in a beleaguered tree outside the industrial building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, whose stairs we’re about to climb and apologizes that the bird is about to run through its entire repertoire. “I hope it’s not too annoying.”

Read the FULL STORY at: “Vogue.com”