Potatoes on Rooftops: Farming in the City - Hardcover

Dyer, Hadley

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1554514258 ISBN 13: 9781554514250

Publisher: Annick Press, 2012

Synopsis

From high school students to high-rise dwellers, people—including Michelle Obama—are discovering innovative ways to grow fresh, healthy, and delicious fruit and vegetables at home, in community gardens, and at school. This brisk, informative overview explains how farming in the city is not only fun, but also important for the planet. There are many ways to farm in the city: a Detroit high school program teaches students to grow food and raise chickens; in Tokyo, a bank vault was converted into an underground greenhouse; in Nairobi, local youth transformed part of a slum into a garden that helps feed their families. Read about modern inventions such as futuristic pod greenhouses, food-producing wall panels, and industrial-sized composters. Short, kid-friendly descriptions and vibrant photos and illustrations keep the pace moving and the tone light. Toronto Public Health and FoodShare, two respected agencies, both have contributed to the book. Potatoes on Rooftops is the perfect book to get you thinking about how you, too, can grow food in the city.

About this title

About the Author

Hadley Dyer is the celebrated author and editor of many books for children and young adults. She is a former bookseller and library coordinator. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Review

Highlighting innovations in landscape architecture, shrewd use of space and materials (for example, growing lettuce in a colander), and a more complete understanding of food's influence on the health of nations, Dyer underscores how each individual is a link in an important chain. (Publishers Weekly)

Timely, attractively designed, and inspirational. Dig in! (Randall Enos Booklist 2012-12-01)

A manifesto advocating local microfarming as an ecological necessity... bound to provide food for thought and perhaps for the table. (Kirkus Reviews 2012-10-15)

In the current climate of sustainability, this title is small but mighty... Not to be missed or dismissed. (Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library School Library Journal 2012-12-01)

Dyer challenges her readers to take the environmental concepts they learn through gardening and apply them to similar conservation efforts. (Melissa McCartney Science Magazine 2012-12-07)

Hopefully, the book will be used to inspire young urban dwellers to start growing their own food in their backyards, on their balconies, at school or in a community garden. (Sandra O'Brien Canadian Children's Book News 2013-01-23)

Potatoes on Rooftops is just about the best introduction to the new food movement that one could imagine. (Sienna Powers January Magazine 2012-12-30)

A timely, beautiful, and accessible book about urban gardening that just might inspire some school-based food growing. (Mackin Books in Bloom 2013-01-04)

Budding environmentalists and green thumbs will find much here to satisfy their thirst for knowledge. (Quill and Quire)

Teachers interested in urban farming or starting projects for their classrooms will find this a valuable guide to share with students. (Reading Today Online 2013-05-22)

About this edition

• Publisher: Annick Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1554514258
• ISBN 13: 9781554514250
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 84