Episode 23 - Going Slow with Benjamin Fahrer
In this episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with farmer, rooftop agriculturalist, and integrated ecology advocate Benjamin Fahrer, owner of Top Leaf Farms. Benjamin is a sustainable food and farm management expert, directing his energy on regenerative farming approaches for long term sustainability, health, and food security. His ecological approach to farming and farm management aims to grow food that supports not just the people who eat it, but the land in which it grows, and the people who grow it. He is also an advocate for directly interfacing with the natural world, getting your hands dirty and finding the power in the connection with the planet that sustains us. Join us for a conversation on the importance of food, soils, and a better, more sustainable path towards growing food.
Guest
Benjamin Fahrer
Top Leaf Farms
Benjamin Fahrer has overthree decades of organic farming experience and is specialized in designing and building integrated ecological farming systems as a contractor and consultant. He has brought innovation to urban agriculture by designing, building and operating highly productive integrated urban rooftop farming systems in the SF Bay area. He owns Top Leaf Farms, serves as the Educational Program Manager for the Regenerative Organic Alliance, and is a part of the Market Garden Institute teaching team. Benjamin is deeply committed to education and in building these productive ecosystems in service to nature and community and is excited to work with a number of groups and organizations to highlight their work and build alliances within their bioregions.
Host
Steven Peck, GRP, HASLA
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Steven spearheaded the first green roof demonstration project on Toronto City Hall 20 years ago and the mandatory green roof policy in Toronto a decade ago. This innovative policy has resulted in more than 6 million additional square feet of green space across the city. Due to Steven’s work, GRHC has helped to win green roof policy victories in San Francisco, Washington, DC; Portland, Oregon; and Denver, Colorado. Steven also founded Green Infrastructure Ontario coalition to bring together organizations that share an interest in the protection and development of green infrastructure in Ontario. In 2007 he co-founded the World Green Infrastructure Network, an international organization that promotes the use of green infrastructure around the world.
