EAT UP

About the Author

Lauren Mandel is a Project Manager and Rooftop Agriculture Specialist at Roofmeadow, the preeminent green roof firm in North America, where she designs vegetated and agricultural rooftops, and oversees green roof construction throughout the United States. She has visited rooftop farms and interviewed rooftop farmers and gardeners across North America, and has contributed to the design of several rooftop agricultural operations in the Mid-Atlantic. Ms. Mandel holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science from Skidmore College. She has previously worked as a landscape designer, US Forest Service wilderness ranger, organic farm intern, and a research intern for American Farmland Trust.

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EAT UP

The Inside Scoop on Rooftop Agriculture

by Lauren Mandel

Soaring prices and concerns about chemical-laden fruits and vegetables increasingly drive us to grow our own healthy food close to home. In cities however, vanishing ground space and contaminated soils spur farmers, activists, and restaurateurs to look to the skyline for a solution. The hunger for local food has reached new heights, and rooftops can provide the space that cities need to bring fresh, organic produce to tables across North America.

The first full-length book to focus entirely on rooftop agriculture, EAT UP views this growing movement through a practitioner's lens, explaining:

Structural, access and infrastructural considerations
Zoning and building codes
Proven growing techniques
Business and marketing strategies

This graphically-rich guide provides inspiration and advice to aspiring growers through photographs of successful rooftop farms and gardens and interviews with industry professionals. Easy-to-use checklists and a decision tree are included to help gauge the viability of each unique rooftop opportunity. Essential reading for home gardeners, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, policy makers, academics, and designers, EAT UP takes urban agriculture to a whole new level, proving that rooftop farming is not just pie in the sky – it is the future of urban food.