Cathy Isom tells us about a rooftop garden with a twist. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Rooftop Wheat
Rooftop gardens are becoming quite commonplace in major cities for those wanting their very own fruits and vegetables. But one architectural firm in Chicago that has a 5-thousand-square foot rooftop garden took it a step further, you might say by accidentally harvesting a wheat crop. Originally, the plan was for wildflowers like milkweed and black-eyed susan. But when some winter wheat was planted as a placeholder to keep the soil healthy throughout the winter, and it actually did very well, the plan changed and the unconventional crop was IN. Much of the harvesting was done by hand by an after school program for students. Of the 1,000 square feet dedicated to the wheat (the rest of the roof is for other crops), the wheat was processed locally and produced about 60 pounds of flour. It’s not a huge amount by any stretch, but it is edible, and quite good says those have tasted it.
Image courtesy of Omni Ecosystems. Omni Ecosystems brings natural, thriving ecosystems into cities and onto buildings.
