YOUR HEALTH

Local or loco?

Maclean’s magazine (Oct. 22, 2012, pages  84-85) had an article extolling the trend to using urban building roofs as farms.  The article extolled a Brooklyn New York project where a warehouse’s massive roof has been turned into a farm “in the city’s navy yards”.

The concept, the ultimate in feel good ‘local’ food (outside of your own backyard) uses large roofs on top of 3 storey or higher buildings. There is even a YouTube video extolling the Brooklyn, New York project and one for Chicago. (See YouTube, roof farms).

But to me this idea has dangers that are being ignored.

I have no objections to using such space if enclosed in greenhouse fashion, but growing food in open air atop buildings strikes me as potentially more harmful than pesticides.

Rooftops are closer too and therefore more exposed to all sorts of air pollution and dangerous chemicals – from chimney exhaust to manufacturing  air waste.  Smog and air currents from power plants and industrial smokestacks expose rooftops to all kinds of pollutants we do not get at ground level or in sheltered back yards..

So while rooftop crops may be ‘local’ and look and taste good, beware!!!