Background

Since 2013, CEDARS-GE and the former Sustainability Office have jointly established the HKU Rooftop Farm and the Herb Garden. The Rooftop Farm was also a demonstration project of Mr. Mathew Pryor’s, Associate Professor (Teaching), Division of Landscape Architecture, HKU, Edible Roof Initiative (https://www.arch.hku.hk/research_project/the-edible-roof-initiative). By turning unused campus space, or space originally designated for ornamental landscaping into edible spaces, this initiative has demonstrated the holistic potentials of urban edible spaces, not only in producing food, but also in generating social values, including environmental awareness, sustainable living and improved mental health for the community.
 
Throughout the years, members from the international community, including the Minister for Rural Affairs of Sweden, Korean civil servants from the Agricultural Research and Extension Services and members of the International Sustainable Campus Network have visited and learned from our endeavours. The Rooftop Farm has also been featured in international and local media including BBC, CNN, Hokkaido Broadcasting Company, TVB Pearl, HK Cable TV, SCMP, etc.
 
With the establishment of organic farm and herb garden, HKU students and staff have the opportunities to participate in farming workshops, learning organic and sustainable farming skills on campus. Organic fresh harvests from the farm and the herb garden has also benefitted numerous HKU as well as community members. New edible spaces projects have been initiated around campus based on our experiences, such as the farm at New College.

Programme Website: www.holisticurbanfarming.hku.hk

Vision

HKU Holistic Urban Farming endeavours to re-connect people with nature, and to explore and promote the positive impacts of sustainable urban farming and gardening activities on the wellbeing of people and the communities.
 
Mission
 

1. Promoting Farming and Food Education
   

• We promote and practise sustainable organic farmingthat is good for our health and the environment
  
  
• We adopt the permaculture ethics and design principlesat our spaces. The permaculture ethics include i) care for the earth, ii) care for people and iii) return of surplus
  
  
• We utilise our campus space as a testing ground for urban farming and innovative techniques to offer solutions for the potential food crisis due to rising global population and climate change
  
  
• By learning to grow food, we hope to raise awareness on the safety, health and nutritional factorsof the food we eat
  
  
• When we practise farming and gardening, we are more connected and grateful to nature, thus more conscious of the environmental impact of our choices and lifestyles
  
  
• We encourage our community to transition to a more plant-based dietfor health and for our environment

 

2. Community Building for a Sustainable Future

• We cook and share our harvestwith the community, especially to those in need
  
  
• We support local sustainable agriculture by providing platforms, such as Farmers’ Market and gatherings, to connect local farmers (food producers) and our community (consumers)
  
  
• Through growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing food, we hope to nurture a community, regardless of our disciplines and origins, that shares the same concern on health, environment and our future

• We also support and promote green living lifestyles and choices in HKU. GE has collaborated with the well-known “Green Monday” since 2013 as their first university partner to promote plant-based diets.
  
  
• We see the campus as a living lab, we can test our ways to build a sustainable communitythat can be applied to the society as large

 

3. Mindful Gardening to Cultivate Wellbeing

• Through spending quality time with plants and insects, sun and rain, soil and water, as well as people in the community, we hope we can all find a sense of belonging and togetherness and enhance our physical and mental wellbeing, especially during the Pandemic. Additional funding was received to enhance the programme in this aspect.
  
  
• We work to make the edible spaces a relaxing and nourishing place for people and all living beings to learn, share and enjoy together. The infusion of arts and cultural activities such as music, poetry, film and so on further connect people with more depth and dimensions. 

 
Edible Spaces on Campus

• Rooftop Farm
  
  Established in 2013, the Rooftop Farm provides organic farming workshops and farming space for students and staff to spread the joy of growing our own food. The farm was first established on the rooftop of the Runme Shaw Building in HKU's Main Campus (2013-2021) and relocated to the roof garden of the Meng Wah Complex in 2022.
  
  Objectives:

• Raise the awareness of sustainable lifestyles such as conserving natural resources, reducing food waste and maintaining a healthy diet through introducing the concept and practice of organic farming.
• Foster a sense of responsibility and connection to the natural environment by reconnecting people and food production.
• Create a humanistic and harmonious campus climate conducive to student learning and social inclusion.

 

• Herb Garden
  
  Herb Garden is a community garden outside the Main Library growing mostly herbs. It is purposely founded on Earth Day (Apr 22, 2018) and the annual celebration is also a highlight and reminder for students to rethink about our life choices. Herb Garden hosts regular community activities to share herbs, cuttings and seedlings, and to promote sustainable living and wellbeing. The activities conducted in Herb Garden were further developed with an emphasis on promoting wellbeing and mindfulness.
  
  Objectives:
  
  
• Grow fresh organic herbs to share with the community.
  
  
• Nurture a community that shares the same concern on health, environment and our future.
  
  
• Promote wellbeing and enhance social connectivity, including intergenerational connection, through engaging students and community members in a variety of activities.

 
Major Programmes

• Knowledge Exchange Impact Project 2020/21
  Urban Edible Spaces Initiative: Growing Food and Happiness in a Sustainable Community”
  
  Building on HKU’s research on the value of urban edible roofs and the experience of HKU Edible Spaces, this project aims to expand the benefits of edible spaces to a wider audience. Through hosting educational programmes, training student ambassadors and building online resources, this project will raise sustainability awareness and enhance the wellbeing of participants. Members of the public, especially the elderly, will be invited to join tailor-made activities at the HKU Edible Spaces. These activities will be assisted by trained student ambassadors such that intergenerational connectivity can be fostered. Talks and online resources will be developed to spark off similar initiatives elsewhere in Hong Kong.
  
  Details and online resources: https://www.holisticurbanfarming.hku.hk/urbanediblespaces

 

• Sustainable Farming Workshop
  
  Professional farmers are invited to teach farming workshop for HKU students regularly, preparing them to take care of the crops growing in the edible spaces on campus. Basic farming skills such as seeding, soil management, watering, fertilising, pest control and pruning etc., are covered in the workshop. Students who have completed the programme can join the farming team and to help with daily tasks in the farm.
  
  Latest programme:
  https://www.cedars.hku.hk/ge/programme/detail?id=818  

 

• Herb Garden Meet-up, Tour and Workshop
  
  Student ambassadors of Holistic Urban Farming will bring you to the Herb Garden to explore herbs and plants grown on campus. Through a guided tour and a DIY workshop using the plants in the garden, participants can understand the relationship between urban farming and sustainability, and experience how gardening can improve our wellbeing.

   Latest programmes:
   https://www.cedars.hku.hk/ge/programme/detail?id=760

• Urban Farming Workshop in the Community
  
  To further extend the positive impacts of urban farming to the community, we have collaborated with the Caritas Mok Cheung Sui Kun Community Centre at Kennedy Town to organise farming workshops for the public, especially the needy communities in the neighbourhood. The workshop aims to empower the participants with basic organic farming and food processing skills. And during the workshop, additional learning elements such as wellbeing awareness will be included.
  
  
  

Partners / Supporting Organisations:
• Caritas Mok Cheung Sui Kun Community Centre at Kennedy Town 
• Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG)
• Green Hub, KFBG



August 2022