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Is New York Ready To Embrace Urban Agriculture?

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Rooftop and indoor farms have been part of a trend in New York for quite some time now. Amateur urban agriculturalists seem to pop up ever more, and while their efforts are commendable, they need a bigger hand backing them in order to do something actually substantial.

The world has been locking horns to sit together and discuss the growing problems of climate change and greenhouse gases. The Paris Agreement was one of the many summits where world leaders gathered to make suggestions and work out solutions.

Why Businesses Matter

Succeeding in making the environment a sustainable one can never be done if the business sector refuses to join hands. Since New York is a big business hub, it has its due share of contribution to make for the environment.

Many in New York have already embraced this ideology: the New York Times Building, the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, the City Transit, and many more. While the numbers are piling, there still aren’t enough to ensure that the city is one that can be deemed to  embrace the concepts of electric transportation infrastructure by constructing green infrastructure to charge EVs within the City using the existing grid and improving the air quality.

Urban Agriculture In New York   

Procedures such as aquaponics, community gardens, and commercial farming have already taken their places among New Yorkers as popular and sustainable. In the December of 2017, the City Council gave the green light to go green: the Urban Agriculture Policy Bill was passed, which is also the first of its kind. According to the bill, a digital network was required which would be responsible for the collection of agriculture-related information so that a database could be created.

Urban agriculture is no longer a hobby of community gardeners or a topic of discussion in heated debates. Being promoted and with the state institutions agreeing on encouraging such, one can conclude that it is high time that the city embraced urban agriculture as a whole. This would set an example for many smaller towns and villages in rest of the state to do the same.

 

What More Can Be Done?

New York has a long way to go in terms of urban agriculture—it will require professional agriculture consulting and innovative engineering to make the city as green as green could be, but with a few crucial steps the mission can be accomplished. Here’s what else can be done.

1. Create a Database

This has already been brought to life thanks to the bill passed in December 2017. Now it remains to keep this database perfectly organized, constantly updated, and easily accessible to masses for taking action at their community neighborhood.

2. Promote Agricultural Development and Train Youngsters

The biggest operating cost that comes with urban farming is that of manual labor. By having training programs in place the importance and immediacy of the issue can be highlighted tenfold.

3. Create Awareness About Local Food as First Choice

Urban agriculture can only flourish if locals are financially supporting it. If locals continue to renounce locally produced food, the market might as well be doomed.

4. Go Solar and Harvest rainwater for stormwater management

A major portion of anti-urban farming protesters argue that urban farming, since it requires great amounts of electricity, will further add to the problem since there will be an increase in energy consumption.

Now while it is true that urban farming requires energy in surplus, it also mitigates the scorching heat generated by excess concrete and black tar. Rooftops that are green help create a cooling effect, for which reason urban agriculture is so ideal for the city. What can be done here is an alternate source of energy to be used to avoid excess carbon emission. Utilize recycled rain water for irrigation and landscaping maintenance

5. Promote Green Buildings

Encourage sustainable design in buildings so that the consumption of water and energy are reduced whereas the productivity is not affected. The creation of green buildings is beneficial for the environment, nature preservation, and for the overall quality of human health. Healthier people equals increased activity which will directly lead to a rise in the quality and quantity of work being done, thus directly affecting the economy.

Join The Initiative Today!

It is far easier to go green than most people seem to think, and with the right set of decisions, any building in the span of New York can be transformed into an environment friendly, green building.

If you’re interested in building them from scratch, Larsen Engineers can help you out in all the process that are involved: from the services required during the municipal planning, engineering design or construction phase. You’ll have a wholesome green space available to serve the occupants and provide healthy environment

Join hands in saving the planet by giving Larsen Engineers a call at (585) 272.7310 today!

We have an environmentally-friendly building at our disposal, planned to be equipped with a solar roof, free EV charging, and is in all senses become a net-zero energy building. 9000 square feet of the office space in this building are available for rent, with the first month’s rent being FREE.

We also offer discounted rates to Green Business ventures who, like us, care about the environment..

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