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- Cultivating a Greener Future: Urban Agriculture examples from Portugal, Germany, and BrazilContinue reading →
Cultivating a Greener Future: Urban Agriculture examples from Portugal, Germany, and Brazil
In an increasingly urbanised world, our cities are bustling hubs of innovation and culture. Yet, many urban areas face pressing challenges: rising food insecurity, environmental degradation, and a growing disconnect between people and their food sources.
The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) presents three urban agriculture initiatives from Portugal, Germany, and Brazil that are addressing these challenges to cultivate vibrant, green futures. These initiatives were Finalists for the ‘Living Green for Urban Agriculture & Food Systems’ category of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024.
Cascais’ Harvest Haven
Cascais, Portugal, retains a strong connection to its agricultural roots. Responding to a diminishing size and number of backyard vegetable gardens, the municipality launched “Terras de Cascais” – a pioneering urban agriculture strategy – to provide and support community food gardens.
Launched in 2018, Terras de Cascais encourages local organic food production, promotes sustainable consumption, provides education, and fosters entrepreneurship. Currently, the programme supports 34 vegetable gardens, five orchards, and four vineyards. The Terras de Cascais team provides regular workshops on organic farming, having educated approximately 5,000 people to date.
In addition to providing low-cost food alternatives, the gardens have reduced isolation and bolstered social cohesion. Of the gardeners, 30% participate for the therapeutic benefits that gardening offers while 36% take part as a way to connect with the community.
Munich’s Garden Plots for All
Balancing the need for urban growth and preservation of green spaces, the city of Munich in Germany has championed the “Krautgärten” initiative. This programme offers residents an opportunity to cultivate their own produce using agricultural land on a seasonal basis.
Residents are able to rent plots of land at low cost from May to mid-November, providing an affordable and accessible avenue for urban gardening. This direct engagement with food production boosts participants’ food supply resilience and educates them about plant cultivation and environmental stewardship.
The Krautgärten serve vital functions beyond providing fresh food. They strategically safeguard agricultural land, strengthening Munich’s green belt. Adhering to organic principles promotes healthy soil, enhances local biodiversity, and reduces reliance on synthetic pesticides and herbicides.
Curitiba’s Urban Agriculture
Faced with the challenges of rapid urbanisation and compromised food security, the city of Curitiba in Brazil has spearheaded a groundbreaking Urban Agriculture Programme.
Urban Vegetable Gardens transform underutilised public and private spaces into vibrant communal growing areas. These gardens both regenerate urban land and also foster social cohesion and improve residents’ quality of life. The City Hall supports these endeavours by providing essential resources, such as technical guidance and seedlings. Currently, 150 such spaces are thriving across the city.
Curitiba has also established the ‘Urban Farm’ to serve as a crucial educational hub for sustainable urban agricultural practices. The farm offers free guided tours, courses, and workshops on food safety, urban sustainability, and gastronomy.
On 23rd October 2025, Curitiba’s Urban Agriculture Programme will be featured in an AIPH Green City Briefing – a free one hour webinar focussing on the benefits and practicalities of urban greening. Find out more.
About AIPH – the International Association of Horticultural Producers
Since 1948, AIPH has united horticultural producers in an international community that thrives to this day. Much has changed in that time. Technologies advanced, cities rose from the ground, and we have become more connected than ever. As a result, our essential bond with nature has been weakened. AIPH strives to reignite and uphold an appreciation of plants that we believe is a basic human instinct. We support the work of grower associations globally and together we champion a prosperous industry, growing plants that enhance lives, advance societies, and sustain our planet, for this generation and the next. AIPH is also the global approving body for International Horticultural Exhibitions, which are hosted by cities around the world.
Website: www.aiph.org
About the AIPH World Green City Awards
The AIPH World Green City Awards is the first and only global awards for cities where plants and nature are the core focus. As an ongoing competition with entries open every 2 years, the Awards recognise the role of city authorities in promoting and supporting greater inclusion of plants and nature in urban environments. The Awards are designed to champion ambitious nature-orientated approaches to city design and operation. Specifically, they seek to recognise public initiatives relying on a greater use of plants and nature to create better city environments – helping to fulfil local aspirations for improved economic, social and environmental resilience.
- Edible Gardens in BloomContinue reading →
Edible Gardens in Bloom
How Self-Watering Planters Are Revolutionizing Urban Agriculture
With Communities in Bloom declaring “Edible Gardens” as its 2025 theme, towns and cities across Canada are embracing the opportunity to grow fresh food in creative, sustainable ways. From community gardens to sidewalk herb beds, one solution stands out for its simplicity, efficiency, and long-term value: Desert Planters – polyethylene self-watering planters.
These planters offer more than just a place to grow. Manufactured through rotational molding, their seamless polyethylene construction is engineered for durability. They won’t rust, crack, chip, peel, or dent, making them ideal for public spaces, commercial zones, schools, and residential areas. Their weather resistance ensures they can handle everything from scorching summers to Canadian winters.
But the real innovation lies in their self-watering technology. Each unit features an internal reservoir that consistently delivers water to the plant’s roots. This eliminates the need for daily watering and helps prevent overwatering—common issues in public gardens. For municipalities, this means reduced labour costs and healthier plants, with minimal maintenance.
With 16 color and finish options, these planters can seamlessly blend into any landscape or branding initiative, making them as visually appealing as they are functional.
Polyethylene planters by Desert Planters are helping communities “bloom” with purpose. Their low maintenance, water-saving design supports sustainability while encouraging local food production. Whether you’re planting herbs outside a library, tomatoes on a schoolyard deck, or lettuce in a town square, these planters make it easy to cultivate food in any space.
In a time when food security, water conservation and community health are top priorities, Desert Planters self-watering planters provide a powerful tool for positive change. They help municipalities save time, reduce costs, and create more edible green spaces—one durable pot at a time.
In 2025, let’s grow smarter. Let’s grow together. Let’s grow edible gardens.
Three standout Desert Planter models include:
• Loft 48
Dimensions: 119.4 cm L × 54.6 cm W × 81.3 cm H (47” × 21.5” × 32”)
The Loft 48 is ideal for urban gardens and accessible gardening, especially for seniors or those with mobility issues. Its elevated height also makes planting and maintenance easier and more ergonomic.
• Liberty
Dimensions: 117.5 cm L × 56.5 cm W × 38.7 cm H (46 ¼” × 22 ¼” × 15 ¼”)
Combining timeless design with modern function, the Liberty is great for beautifying public walkways or creating natural privacy screens in urban areas.
• Ellipse 30
Dimensions: 76.2 cm L × 38.1 cm W × 38.1 cm H (30” × 15” × 15”)
A compact choice for tighter spaces like balconies, schoolyard corners, or sidewalk edges, the Ellipse 30 offers functionality without compromising on form. Its smaller footprint makes it perfect for herbs, salad greens, or flowers.
- Clean, Green, Beautiful North BayContinue reading →
Clean, Green, Beautiful North Bay
Written by: Maggie Horsfield, Hariett Madigan, Andrew McGarrity
North Bay’s Communities in Bloom journey began in 2023 when Clean, Green, Beautiful North Bay partnered with the City of North Bay to join this inspiring initiative. After competing provincially in 2023, we entered the National category (population over 50,000) in 2024. We’re proud to have received 5 Blooms, a special mention for the Northern Pines Crisis Center, and an Outstanding Achievement Award for Community Appearance.
In 2025, as we continue on the national stage, we celebrate North Bay’s 100th anniversary as a City. From a population of 12,000 in 1925 to just over 50,000 today, North Bay has always embraced its heritage while looking to the future.
This milestone year is filled with free, accessible events for all ages—concerts, drone shows, and increased funding for community gatherings—to celebrate our vibrant, growing city.
As part of our Centennial Celebration Festival, hosted by Clean, Green, Beautiful North Bay, we’re excited to welcome the Communities in Bloom judges. The festival will showcase live performances through North Bay’s Summer Concert Series, a community fair featuring local non-profits and service organizations, and more. It’s a moment to reflect on our past, celebrate our present, and look toward a sustainable, inclusive future.
Communities in Bloom has helped us look inward, inspiring ongoing improvement and connection. Every volunteer effort counts. Together, we’re building a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful North Bay—for today and the next hundred years.
‘The value of one, the power of many!’ (Volunteer Canada 2021)
- PILLEY’S ISLAND HISTORYContinue reading →
PILLEY’S ISLAND HISTORY
Written by Ben Callahan
Long before European settlers stepped foot on Pilley’s Island or on to Newfoundland, Maritime Archaic, Dorset Eskimo and Beothuk peoples roamed our shores as they would make their way from Newfoundlands interior, to the coast in the springtime, to hunt and fish.
The mummified body of a Beothuk child, wrapped in birch bark, was discovered in a cave on Big Island, just to the East of Bumblebee Bight, Pilley’s Island and is now housed in the Rooms Museum in St. John’s.
Local oral tradition says that European / early generation Nefoundlanders first settled Pilley’s Island, at least part time, by the early to mid 1800’s. However, the first permanent settler recorded was Richard Rideout.
The population of Pilley’s Island started to bloom after the discovery of base minerals in the 1860’s by Captain Phillip Cleary and the opening of the mine in 1887. As part of an ancient Volcanic system, Pilley’s Island is rich in minerals and although chiefly pyrite, the mine produced some Copper and iron.
The pyrite was produced for its sulfur content which was in high demand in New York and was used in the production of paper.
On return trips, the ore carriers would take passengers north with stops in Halifax and St. John’s, picking up adventure seekers looking to explore the untamed landscape of Newfoundland.
Even though it was the largest pyrite mine in Newfoundland, fully equipped with electric lights, (Pilley’s Island was the only place outside of St. John’s to have electricity at the time) and after going through several operators, the mine closed its doors for good in 1908. The workers finished their shift only to find the doors closed the following day with no word of the closure from the company and with the final payroll never being met.
After the closure of the mine, many miners moved on to the next new mine on Bell Island. However Pilley’s Island was still a hub for the Northeast coast with at least 6 merchant establishments, Courthouse and in 1911, the opening of the Grenfell mission hospital.
The hospital was converted from the hotel established by the mining company and could house 25 patients.
The hospital was in operation until 1925 when the decision was made by the Grenfell mission, to move the hospital to a more central and accessible location in Twillingate.
When the Great war broke out in 1914, the Country of Newfoundland was proud to do its part by sending a contingent of soldiers. Pilley’s Islanders answered the call with over 60 men, approximately 10% of its population, volunteering to go overseas to fight.
Sadly not all returned and those who did were not the same as when they left.
After the war and with the opening of the paper mills, the men of Pilley’s ISland took to the logging industry. Between the fishery and the logging industry, the population of Pilley’s Island remained fairly stable and in the mid 1980’s the population was approximately 550 people.
In 1992, due to mismanagement and over fishing, the Federal government announced the Cod moratorium. This caused the largest loss of employment in Canadian history and with the modernization in the logging industry, young Newfoundlanders, especially in outport Newfoundland, moved to the “mainland” in droves to find employment.
Communities, such as Pilley’s Island, have had to struggle to hold on. Many of the remaining men found work either at the local fish plant, now processing crab instead of cod, in aquaculture on the local mussel farms, at the local marine center, at the local diamond drill production facility, Duralite or finding rotational work at different sites around Canadaand around the world.
In the last census, Pilley’s Island had a population of 290 people with the population still in decline. However, Pilley’s Island is starting to see more of those “Pilley’s Islanders” who moved away for employment, return home to retire. That coupled with the tourism interest garnered with the introduction of a new micro brewery/Inn and a B&B, the future of Pilley’s Island is starting to look up. Already, 2 new Airbnb’s have started and a new property owner is proposing to develop Crown land with the purpose of selling approximately 30 new housing lots. This would be the largest development for Pilley’s Island in over 30 years.
All that said, prospecting still goes on every few years and the consensus is there is still a whole lot of minerals to be mined on Pilley’s Island, when the market economics make it right to do so.
