Actual Urban Farming Challenge in Bangkok

Hi Guys,

I was listening to the radio that day came across this project food for change. It a competition for people in Bangkok to grow their own vegetable here is the link
http://food4change.in.th/index.php/สวนผักในบ้านฉันปี-3-ตอน-ไอเดียบรรเจิดในสวนผักคนเมือง.html . I roughly read through it winner get 5000 baht cash.

Interesting source

1) www.greenthaimarket.com
It is the networking among producer, consumer and also the community who is interested in green product and living sustainability.

2) The magazine named "เกษตรกรรมธรรมชาติ" by Media Center for Development Foundation.(www.pttinternet.pttplc.com/greenglobal/2551/media-03.html)

3) www.brightfarms.com
Brightfarm operates hydroponic rooftop greenhouses at grocery retailer, eliminating time, diatance, and cost from supply chain. Check out the VDO here, it will explain more how its turnkey solution works.

For group 8, this is the similar case you mentioned about rooftop on 7-11.

4) www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfVfq3IUIGM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF44p7FG2AQ
It is called Science Barge, the urban farming with innovation and technology helping planting effectively the most.

For group 8, planting on boat is cool idea, but find the suitable way and possibilty in our own way.

Open IDEO challenge

First off, I want to say that all groups did a good job of presenting their ideas. If you feel confused and unsure of what you are doing sometimes, I think this is perfectly normal. But, the more research you do, the more you talk to people, the more you wrestle with the ideas, the more insight you will get to help you decide the direction you want to go.

There are so many people around the world trying to connect people to good, safe food. Whether we like it or not, it will be a topic that will be gaining importance in our future. Urban farming is one way that people are trying to get back to understanding where their food comes from. It is a solution; not a problem. Keep that in mind when looking for the opportunities which you center your challenge around.

I like how Ajarn Ed said that this is unlike selling a product/service that people already know. This is the case in Thailand with urban farming, you will most likely be trying to provide a product/service to someone who doesn't understand it at all, so communicating your benefits to your customer will be key to get them see the value of your offer. Your job is to find the message which makes a real connection to the customer, something that matters and motivates them. Is it hard? Yes, but if it was easy then everyone would be doing it.

Take a look at the OpenIDEO challenge on below for an example of a challenge and many good ideas:

How might we better connect food production and consumption?

The Value of Urban Farming to Community

1) "Urban planting here can tell the story of homeless people that we have development and it can show our potential. Before doing urban garden here, normally people look down us like a garbage of society. Can we been developed? But now they have to change their thought, many people are interested in what we do and visit our garden as a good example for community. We planted them by ourselves , no need to pay money but can sell for money." Uncle Dum - the leader of homeless community at Bangkok noi said.


For more information, you can visit their vegetable bed at the Suvit Watnhu Homeless. 11/24 Rimtangrodfai., Jaransanitwong 37, Bangkok Noi., Bangkhunnon.,BKK. 10700.


2) Roof top vegetable garden at Jankasame University. The leader of project said that " We can utilize the space on roof top do gardening together among the colleges. Normally we do our own job and stay on the different floor, never talked much. After we have roof top garden, people would love to join and share ideas there with nature, it has been the important meeting place for us. It is more than the internal project for staff to just let them have good food because we have the real learning center to let other people learn from what we are doing and what we have been changed after doing."


People who are interested in the project can contact 02-942-6900-99 # 1701

3) "Gardening is really hobbies for older people because not only we can have good food without chemical, but also it is good exercise for us. Furthur more, it's really good for mental, we feel fresh and happy with the product from what we grows." said Sompich- The leader of vegetable garden for old people at LiKit community, Bangpleeyai moo 12

Presentation Order

The more perceptive of you will notice a small change in the presentation order in the earlier post.

Please re-check.

(Our supercomputer had a change of heart.)

Try to think beyond plants

Most of the time when we think of urban farming, we tend to think of green vegetables and fruit trees. But actually many urban farmers are looking at keeping chickens, fish, goats, turkeys and bees. Smaller farm animals are better suited to the small spaces available in the city compared to, let's say, a cow or horse. Keeping bees and chickens are exceeding popular in the US, even in New York and Chicago!

Take a look at this example from another large city in Asia. With the decline of global bee populations, raising bees in the city may be a good way to pollinate those urban farms and gardens while ensuring better security for bees and producing local honey.

Hong Kong's First Urban Beekeeper

Presentation Order

Class starts at 10 am tomorrow (July 3), to allow everyone to cast their vote for the future of the country.  Choose wisely...

Now, about the presentation order:

We have used our scientific selection process, dumping huge amounts of data into a supercomputer and letting it chug away until it came up with the following presentation order (group or team number);

6, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1, 8, 4

Some other things to keep in mind:

• In general, we will try to stay on 30-minute intervals, but we may go faster or slower, depending on each particular group.  Please be prepared ahead of time.
• You do not need to sit and listen to other teams, but you will learn a lot if you do: about urban farming, about making presentations, and about handling Q&A.
• If you are in the room, please be quiet so that we can all concentrate on the presentation.
• (In other words, if you are still working on your presentation, don't sit in the back of the room whispering...IMBA students do not whisper very quietly!  Just work outside.)
• After all presentations, we will have a final discussion about the next steps for the project; make sure you are around for that.

See you all tomorrow!

Another Challenge...

...and another chance to analyze, "Why would somebody be motivated to join this challenge?"

Think about this, as you prepare for tomorrow.

Ed

Look at the site below and try to answer the questions that I gave you:

http://www.greenchallenge.info/

Try to answer these questions:

(Again, don't assume that is Challenge is "right", just use it as an example; then, analyse it and make your own judgments.)

Decide what action do they want to encourage:

• Why should this activity be encouraged? 
• Is it big enough to be interesting and worth the effort? 
• Is it focused enough to be a success? 
• How will they measure progress or success (or winners of the Challenge)? 
• Environmental factors—focus on people! 

Who do they want to encourage to do it? (Target group)

• What will motivate them to take part in the challenge? 
• What does the target group require to be successful? 
• Who provides it? (The Challenge organizers, or somebody else, or the participants?)
• What other partners or stakeholders need to be involved? 

How does the Challenge motivate their involvement?

• Why should I do your challenge? 
• Why is it worth my time? (Personal reward) 
• How will it make things better? (Big benefit) 
• Why do I think it has at least some chance of succeeding (even if it seems very difficult)? 

Progress of Group 2 (^^;)

From building "Greener City" which is our 1st challenge we find more and more related challenges.

We are summarize our potential Ideas as Table below.

Challenges	Ideas	Target Group
1. Develop Bangkok to be Top 5 “Asian Green City” within this decade.	Products & Services Package for planting in high raised building.	• Owner of Condominium & Office Building People who live in condominium
	Building “Green Slum” and Provide jobs to poor people through Contract farming in Slums	• Government Poor People who lived in Slums
2. Available Food along the Street in Bangkok.	• Edible Park Edible Bus Stop	• Government Poor People who lived in Bangkok
3. Bangkok Alternative source of Energy	Is thinking	• Government
4. Create the plants that do not need any preparation before planting.	Canned Plant which you just open and water. And also provide Fresh Smell Bio-fertilizer.	• People who like and don’t like (or lazy) gardening. People who want to plant but have a little space.