EAT UP: The Inside Scoop on Rooftop Agriculture

FROM ROOF TO TABLE – URBAN FOOD HAS REACHED NEW HEIGHTS

Rooftops may be America's greatest unused resource and Ms. Mandel's book gives an exciting, but realistic assessment of the opportunities and challenges involved with turning these forgotten spaces into productive suppliers of food. — Stacy Bare, Sierra Club, Mission Outdoors Director

This guide suits all cities, roofs and styles of farming: once read, you can no longer ignore the possibilities above us. Green thumbs up! — Annie Novak, co-founder and farmer, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

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. Whether you are a home gardener, restaurateur, entrepreneur or policy-maker, EAT UP will give you the tools you need to turn your dreams of rooftop farms and gardens into reality.
As the first full-length book to focus entirely on rooftop agriculture, EAT UP provides inspiration and advice to aspiring growers, as well as easy-to-use checklists and a decision tree to help gauge the viability of each unique rooftop opportunity. This graphically-rich guide views the burgeoning rooftop agricultural movement through a practitioner's lens with useful tips related to:
• Structural, access and infrastructural considerations
• Zoning and building codes
• Proven growing techniques
• Business and marketing strategies.
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.

Anyone interested in bringing the benefits of a localized food system to cities will gain from EAT UP's clear and concise information on how to capture the relatively untapped potential presented by urban rooftops. — Beth McKellips, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Director of Agricultural Economic Development

… an inspirational look at the future of food gardening in cities. This book will expand your notions of where gardening is possible and just how much food you really can grow right at home. — David Greenberg, Growing Gardens, Executive Director

Lauren Mandel holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science. She is a Project Manager and Rooftop Agriculture Specialist at Roofmeadow, where she designs green roofs and oversees green roof and rooftop agriculture projects throughout North America.