General description.
* Organoponicos.
* Linear orchards.
"Organoponicos" are greenhouse blocks of tunnel category equipped with raised crop benches mainly for intensive vegetable production and they are using compost substrates with high content of over 50%.
"Linear orchards" are production blocks which use the high density linear system of SHD (Super High Density), a new cultivation technique for trees, where after many years of pilot applications it is changing the world status in agricultural production field with high annual harvests.
Organoponicos and linear orchards are operated by "urban farmers groups” of usually 5 to 10 persons, and the right to participate in these groups only the citizens of the municipality have, with priority to those belonging to vulnerable groups with low annual family income. Basic Units Of Cooperative Production are key elements of municipality’s development plan and implement the following philosophy:
* Citizens and entrepreneurship connection with social return.
* Excellent financial combination of available land use and social capital for the benefit of local community.
* Agricultural production with high added value (commercial & exchange.)
For the reasons presented above the land use rights should be ensured to citizens who want to participate in development programs. Municipality’s services which will undertake this work will have to adapt their planning regulations, so that farmers have legal priority to any unused organized municipal area, as well as land cultivation rights to be given quickly and with minimal bureaucracy. Citizens who want to join in the program establish with other interested persons a group of urban farmers and make an application to the municipality, asking for a particular plot. However, if urban farmers do not begin production in scheduled timeframes, all rights return to the rightful owner, ie the municipality.
* Excellent financial combination of available land use and social capital for the benefit of local community.
* Agricultural production with high added value (commercial & exchange.)
For the reasons presented above the land use rights should be ensured to citizens who want to participate in development programs. Municipality’s services which will undertake this work will have to adapt their planning regulations, so that farmers have legal priority to any unused organized municipal area, as well as land cultivation rights to be given quickly and with minimal bureaucracy. Citizens who want to join in the program establish with other interested persons a group of urban farmers and make an application to the municipality, asking for a particular plot. However, if urban farmers do not begin production in scheduled timeframes, all rights return to the rightful owner, ie the municipality.
Support services.
A) Support network
Each municipality has a supportive network with 2 to seven 7 employees, depending on the size and the number of production blocks. The network offers agronomic services, technology transfer, visits and assistance to producers for crops monitoring, identifying diseases and pests and provide necessary biological control products. Another important responsibility of network’s employees is the supervisory control of producer groups regarding the financial return of production blocks. If the officer detects that a block is not productive, ie it didn’t reach the minimum performance standards, repeatedly warns the production team, and if the team still is indifferent, he grants the facility to another group of producers.
B) Agricultural supply stores
Municipal agricultural supply stores provide technical and material sustainability of urban agriculture, seeds supply, seedlings, saplings, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, soil conditioners and tools to production blocks.
C) Organic matter (compost)
The available land is often hard soil filled with gravel and with low organic matter content in it. Moreover, in order to become productive land it is required to add large quantities of organic compost. The necessary quantities of compost derivatives production units need for soil enrichment are supplied by the compost production unit.
D) Waste management
Production blocks produce daily tons of waste which is collected and recycled in special compost plants, which of course is passed again in greenhouses and city gardens.
Schools of agricultural education.
The key to success of urban agriculture.
The main objective of these schools is to mobilize all available sources, collectives and individuals, and put the social reflexes of sensitized citizens in the service of social solidarity structures and reciprocation. We are not talking about institutionalization of society, but for the support society owes to those who must stand on their feet and regain their lives. We promote the institution of volunteering with "marriage" and not "capping" of voluntary effort in a single coherent structure. More specifically we propose training seminars in modern agrotechnology (know-how education in parallel with practice), so that beneficiary citizens after they complete their preparation through these actions to be able proceed further as follows:
* Establish urban farmers groups which will operate the production blocks (organoponicos & linear orchards).
* Establish social enterprises which will join the municipal social business network.
* Establish social enterprises which will join the municipal social business network.
Moreover, in order to be financially viable they must be fully connected to the market needs their products are being addressed to, and they will have the full support of Municipal Development Bank for this task. We follow a clear business model with culture change that will transform the crops into profitable systems with reduced cost and increased production which finally will improve cash flows.
Basic Units Of Cooperative Production as teaching farms.
A parallel activity of production blocks (organoponicos & linear orchards) is the institution of “teaching farms”, so they will receive children and educational excursions. They will offer young people the opportunity to discover an alternative model of life through agricultural activities and their products, based on the active participation of young people. They will promote and restructure the existing production of local products and their production techniques for a sustainable and healthy diet.
Construction specifications of production blocks.
Each organoponicos is installed on an area of 1000 m2 and consists of 4 rows of greenhouse tunnels with the below features:
* Maximum width: 2.60 m.
* Overall height: 2.20 m.
* Total greenhouse area: 91.00 m2.
* Total farming area: 728 m2 in 2 levels.
B) Linear orchards
Each block of linear orchard is installed on an area of 3000 m2 and it consists of dense rows of trees with the below features:
* Farming frame: 2 m X 2 m with a corridor of 2 m.
* Total farming area: 3000 m2.
C) Equipment
* Electric generators.
* Water tanks.
* Water supply network (piping).
* Water dechlorination unit.
* Fertigation head.
* Shade nets.
* Soil science laboratory.
* Agronomists offices.
Each block of linear orchard is installed on an area of 3000 m2 and it consists of dense rows of trees with the below features:
* Farming frame: 2 m X 2 m with a corridor of 2 m.
* Total farming area: 3000 m2.
C) Equipment
* Electric generators.
* Water tanks.
* Water supply network (piping).
* Water dechlorination unit.
* Fertigation head.
* Shade nets.
* Soil science laboratory.
* Agronomists offices.
D) Crop benches
The cultivation of various plants is done on specially designed benches that can be customized to any form of cultivation and constitute a highly efficient and effective cultivation model. It increases the efficiency of work force and generally facilitates all cultural operations, reduce the risks of diseases, better water management takes place and diseases control is more effective.
E) Yields
* Organoponicos production block.
Production quantity of organoponicos is multiple of conventional greenhouses and can reach yields of 20 kg / m2. The total annual quantity ranges between 35-50 tons and is the result of the number of harvests of species cultivated.
* Linear orchards production block.
Intensive irrigated plantations yields may reach 12 to 15 kg per tree (ie almond, pistachio). The total annual quantity ranges between 1.6-2.1 tons and it is the result of the number of trees, their age and the variety grown.
The cultivation of various plants is done on specially designed benches that can be customized to any form of cultivation and constitute a highly efficient and effective cultivation model. It increases the efficiency of work force and generally facilitates all cultural operations, reduce the risks of diseases, better water management takes place and diseases control is more effective.
E) Yields
* Organoponicos production block.
Production quantity of organoponicos is multiple of conventional greenhouses and can reach yields of 20 kg / m2. The total annual quantity ranges between 35-50 tons and is the result of the number of harvests of species cultivated.
* Linear orchards production block.
Intensive irrigated plantations yields may reach 12 to 15 kg per tree (ie almond, pistachio). The total annual quantity ranges between 1.6-2.1 tons and it is the result of the number of trees, their age and the variety grown.