Urban Gardening and Farming

Will we soon be planting our lettuce in department stores and going up to the roof to harvest carrots? We present 10 start-ups and exciting projects in the city of Zurich - and probably the oldest urban gardening project ever, which started in Zurich more than 100 years ago.

On Futureplanter you can enter an address and see at a glance which endangered wild bees and butterflies live in your area. You learn which food plants they need to survive and can order seedlings from their own organic nursery in Zurich-Affoltern. With concrete measures, you can easily promote biodiversity and join the life-giving web of nature, as the initiators say.

futureplanter.ch

The ZHAW campus in Wädenswil has gardens and plant collections that are open to everyone between sunrise and sunset. The Institute for Environment and Natural Resources uses the gardens and green spaces to address the interrelationships between plants, animals and people. There you can learn about sustainability in a playful way and be encouraged to act more consciously in and with nature.

After Brooklyn and Berlin, Zurich is now to have a large urban roof garden: On the Zollhaus, right next to the tracks, which will be home to around 175 residents once it is completed. The lush green outdoor areas will be leased to visionary city landlords. At lofty heights, the roofs and the sunny track terrace will be a wild oasis in the city, providing a diverse habitat for insects, beetles and birds. The "edible planting" will be composted after being enjoyed and will return to the cycle.

Kalkbreite.net

There are several SoLaWis in the city of Zurich - that stands for solidarity farming - and meh als gmües is one of them. meh als gmües produces vegetables cooperatively all year round. The members receive harvest shares and thus ensure long-term production by professional gardeners. In addition, all members help out 20 hours a year, for example with sowing, in the greenhouses or with the harvest. The cooperative promotes biodiversity, local supply and sees itself as an element of future urban design. mehalsgmues.ch

Probably the oldest urban gardening project in the city: In the spring of 1911, the initiative to establish and run "school gardens" in Zurich came about under the leadership of Pastor Gottfried Bosshard. A first site, the old "Friedhof auf der Platte" in Fluntern, was made available by the city's real estate administration. It covered a good 1,200 square metres and initially served as a trial field. Today, around 650 children plant, tend and harvest their own vegetables and flowers in 23 school gardens. These are spread throughout the city of Zurich, mostly near school buildings.

Schuelergaerten.ch

On the 4th floor of an office block in the middle of Zurich Altstetten grows what many would hardly expect: The water oasis houses an ecosystem with fish, shrimp, plants and many other organisms. The best known are probably their microgreens, which you can sprinkle on salads, soups or in sandwiches. Fish live in her indoor permaculture and their excrement serves as nutrients for the plants. This vital nutrient cycle is free of chemicals and enables the production of quality food that amazes top chefs and hobbyists alike.

eat-umami.ch

Attention all city dwellers who enjoy gardening and nature: You can join an association (club, cooperative, etc.) that leases a garden area from Grün Stadt Zürich and cultivates it collectively in various forms. One of the projects is the Wynegg Quartierhof, the last farm in Kreis 8, where children can press their own apple juice, pet rabbits and families run the "Knospe" certified garden together. Community gardens

Here you can get everything you need for gardening in the city. Whether you have a small patio, a balcony, a windowsill or a garden: Here you'll find plant containers, organic seeds and locally produced vegetable seedlings. The trained staff will help you - on site in the shop or at special courses. Their goal: to restore the lost connection to food and preserve the knowledge of growing your own vegetables for future generations.

vegandthecity.ch

What looks like a warehouse is actually a greenhouse: ETH spin-off YASAI is developing systems for vertical farming, where plants grow on top of each other in enclosed spaces on several floors. Today's agriculture consumes 40 percent of all ice-free land in the world, 70 percent of drinking water and is responsible for 30 percent of global CO2 emissions. Vertical farming can reduce land use for the same amount of production by a factor of 15 and water consumption by 95 percent - and it requires virtually no pesticides and no more air miles. From autumn this year, the first commercial vertical farm will be in operation and YASAI herbs will be available at selected retailers.

yasai.ch

Now it gets briefly scientific and really exciting: aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponic cultivation in one cycle - in other words, fish farming and soil-independent food production. The goal? You can recycle the nutrients from wastewater, which are contained in fish food and fish excrement, and use them to produce food. Are you interested? The ZHAW will introduce you to aquaponics in a one-day workshop and give you tips on how to build your own small system.