We are pleased to introduce to you the initiative Baufachfrau Berlin, which is part of the Edible Cities Network.

The non-profit association BAUFACHFRAU Berlin e.V. has been pursuing the goal of strengthening the chances of women in craft, technical and creative professions since 1988. They develop and implement projects within the framework of education and work, vocational orientation and qualification, education for sustainable development (ESD) as well as in the fields of women and gender justice.

In their idea and construction workshops, they develop and design their own living environment, open spaces, play areas, living spaces – from street furniture to intercultural gardens – in a participatory manner with the users. Conservation of resources, reuse and recycling as well as sustainable planning and construction are important to them, and they communicate this in exhibitions, publications, educational materials and in their practical work. In their work in the context of sustainability they include and promote the theme of Edible Cities, because they estimate it as important as well as integral relevant for changing cities to livable places for their inhabitants.

The initiative promotes ECS in its work theoretically and implements the realization of small ECS in Berlin in its practical participation projects. Its main service includes the promotion of ECS-Goals by work-based-learning-qualifications in the theme of “Green Cities” as well as by participation projects in the neighborhood within the themes of urban gardening and ECS.

Find their projects and more information on their website: https://www.baufachfrau-berlin.de/

Become part of the EdiCitNet Marketplace along with many exciting initiatives like Baufachfrau Berlin and register here: https://www.edicitnet.com/biz/

We are pleased to introduce to you the initiative Onkel Trolls Spiskammer, which is part of the Edible Cities Network.

Onkel Trolls Spiskammer collects mushrooms and herbs in Norwegian forests. They began to process their forage yield directly and then distribute the products. After 4 years they now deliver fresh mushrooms to some restaurants and have a range of different products within the brand. The core products are a set of sauces, spices, pickles, pestos, chutneys and syrups that they manufacture from foraged, grown and surplus food.

The relation to the EdiCitNet project is given by a project in Linderud Gård in Oslo, where they are experimenting with growing herbs, which is one of their expertise areas, along with knowledge about mushrooms.

One of the achievements was to become certified mushroom controllers in Norway; making a range of tasty products from what they collect in the local forests and arranging their first courses about foraging and preparing the catch.

Find their projects and more information on their website: http://onkeltroll.no/

Become part of the EdiCitNet Marketplace along with many exciting initiatives like Onkel Trolls Spiskammer and register here: https://www.edicitnet.com/biz/

We are proud to announce that our committed Follower City Carthage is published in the newspaper “Le Monde” as one of the world’s leading cities in re-greening and the first North-African city to participate in the EdiCitNet Project.

You can find the full article here: https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2020/09/12/en-tunisie-l-agriculture-urbaine-s-installe-graine-apres-graine_6051912_3212.html

Unfortunately, the article is only for subscribers. If you are interested in reading the whole article, please contact us via the contact form on the EdiCitNet website.  

We warmly welcome Anneli Karlsson to the EdiCitNet team, who has been managing our project in the front runner city of Andernach since August 1st of this year as a replacement for Iris Kröger.

We are pleased to intensify the teamwork with Anneli Karlsson but also must not forget to thank Iris Kröger for her fantastic work and wish her all the best for her future.

We are pleased to introduce to you the initiative Spreeacker, which is part of the Edible Cities Network.

Spreeacker was called into life in 2011 and is committed to developing and demonstrating the practice of edible and productive landscapes in urban, public spaces. The NPO understands itself as part of a larger movement actively working to stay ahead of the emerging food and climate crises.

The initial goal was inviting the neighborhood and the larger community to discover, explore and activate the open spaces next to the River Spree and Spreeacker has gone on to develop and manage a number of community gardens at this location. This garden work is meant to be enjoyed as well as to be educational, especially for the wider public.

An edible city solution – a food forest – has been initiated in the public space, which brings together practices of permaculture and edible landscaping with nature’s way of developing forests. More than 80 different plants in this garden are edible and/or productive. This urban food forest is growing with the support of the surrounding community, with experts, students, neighbors, activists and interested persons.

The main work, Spreeacker is doing consists of:

– The practice of developing and demonstrating edible and productive landscapes in urban, public spaces, in cooperation with private and public partners, neighbors, experts, students and activists

– Educational work regarding tours, visits, workshops and discussions with a wide range of groups

– Connecting permaculture experts, community garden activists and other food experts

Find their projects and more information on their website: https://spreeacker.de/

Become part of the EdiCitNet Marketplace along with many exciting initiatives like Spreeacker and register here: https://www.edicitnet.com/biz/

The Productive Urban Landscapes Blog, set up by members of our partner University of Brighton, counts 100 posts today! http://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/pulr/

One of the newer articles is about the first presentation of the EdiCitNet Toolbox, an online platform aimed to promote knowledge sharing, networking and learning among people involved or willing to get involved with food-related initiatives. Read more: http://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/pulr/2020/09/07/first-presentation-of-a-toolbox-for-edible-cities/

To mark the occasion and celebrate, the initiators give away 5 goodie bags with treasures from their work to the first 5 respondents who send in an answer to the following question “What is a productive urban landscape?“

Answers can be found on the blog, but you are also entirely welcome to compose your own.

Please do send your answers by email to: katrin@bohnandviljoen.co.uk or a.viljoen@brighton.ac.uk or post them on the blog as a comment via “News”.

Deadline of submission: 30th September 2020

Amongst all entries, they will select the best ones for an own little news post to be published on the blog.

Please note: The goodie bags will be send out by post. They therefore need a name and full postal address with your submission. All names and full postal addresses will be deleted at the end of this action.