green
Chicago's 1st Certified Organic Rooftop Farm! (M.O.S.A. Oct, 2008)
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BEYOND
GREEN; AN UNCOMMONLY CERTIFIED ORGANIC ROOFTOP FARM
Chicago,
IL, November 2008 - What began as an
innovative idea hatched from a passion for sustainability has grown to become a
2500 square foot certified organic rooftop farm, rising 30 feet above Devon
Avenue on the north side of Chicago.
The
Midwest Organic Services Association designated the farm organic on October 16th,
2008, making it the first certified organic farm in the United States that
resides on a rooftop. The organic farm boasts a grocery list of produce, from Nardello
Peppers to Black Prince Tomatoes, which fuel the restaurant below. For 17 years
Uncommon Ground has upheld a farm to table mentality, building relationships
with farmers from the Great Lakes region who follow sustainable and organic
methods. In 2007 the owners of Uncommon Ground, Helen and Michael Cameron,
decided to expand and in finding the second home for their restaurant at 1401
W. Devon they were inspired to bring local food even closer to home. Not only
do they now grow vegetables on the roof, they also employ 5 solar panels that
heat up to 70% of the water for the restaurant, house 2 beehives that this year
produced over 40 pounds of honey, and teach urban agriculture classes to the
local Waldorf school 3rd graders. The rooftop has been busy since
mid-summer of 2008 when the construction finished and the farm opened its
planter boxes for planting and eventual harvest. "There are many green
roofs in Chicago," said Helen Cameron, "but they are not necessarily
geared for full-on production and used as an educational tool. We made an
enormous investment with the idea of producing food for the restaurants and
using it to teach and create awareness about the possibilities of urban
agriculture. That's the biggest difference between us and other green
roofs."
The
extensive remodel at 1401 W. Devon began with digging down into the basement an
extra five feet to accommodate for heavy-duty steel beams that could support a
rooftop farm. Every effort is taken to make the restaurant as “green” and
sustainable as possible, including the interior tables, which are made from
re-claimed wood out of Jackson Park and are designed by local furniture makers.
On the organic farm there are 28 raised bed planter boxes that were designed
and built by local craftsmen and hold a total of 640 square feet of organic
soil (nearly 6 tons). The planter boxes rest on top of a deck that is made
entirely out of a recycled plastic and wood composite material, making it
durable to the daily duties of farming. Beyond the green materials and products
that the restaurant uses, the idea for a sustainable community hub is important
to Helen and Michael Cameron. There is a weekly farmer’s market, complete with
live local musicians and artists displaying their goods. And, once a month
Uncommon Ground holds an Eco-mixer hosted by local green organizations with the
intent of developing opportunities for
# # #
About Uncommon ground
Uncommon
Ground operates a community based restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch
and dinner and advocates the principles of local, sustainable and organically
produced food and contributing to the community that they reside in. The Uncommon Ground Roof Top Farm is
committed to a long-term organic gardening program that hopefully will be used
as a model for other roof top gardens and farms in comparable environments. We
hope our Roof Top Farm will become a beacon for our community and raise
awareness of the power of local production and what is possible in urban
agriculture.
Press Contacts:
Michael
Cameron
Owner
mike@uncommonground.com
Cell:
773-968-1228
Office:
773-465-9801
Helen
Cameron
Owner
helen@uncommonground.com
Cell:
773-968-9166
Office:
773-465-9801
Natalie
Pfister
Manager
& Green Coordinator
natalie@uncommonground.com
Office:
773-465-9801
