Potatoes on Rooftops
Farming in the City
by Hadley Dyer
All around the world, people are farming in the concrete jungle!
The urban farming movement is rapidly gaining widespread acceptance. Now it's time for kids to be a part of it, too! With a minimum of equipment and whether alone or with friends, kids can start growing fruit and vegetables at home, in a community garden, or at school.
Combining practical tips and well-researched facts, Potatoes on Rooftops is a brisk and informative overview of the how and why of the movement toward small-scale urban farming. 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; First Lady Michelle Obama established an organic garden at the White House; and more in other countries.
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. A perfect book to get kids thinking about alternative ways of growing and getting food.
close this panelHadley 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.
close this panelDyer challenges her readers to take the environmental concepts they learn through gardening and apply them to similar conservation efforts.
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.
Timely, attractively designed, and inspirational. Dig in!
A manifesto advocating local microfarming as an ecological necessity... bound to provide food for thought and perhaps for the table.
In the current climate of sustainability, this title is small but mighty... Not to be missed or dismissed.
