Program launch for Grey to Green Conference

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities is launching the program for Grey to Green: A Conference Exploring the Economics of Local and Regional Food Systems and Resilience on June 1-2, 2015 in Toronto. Grey to Green features the cutting edge of design and policy practice, and will showcase more than 50 leading thinkers and doers across a diverse range of fields which reveal many dimensions of architecture, agriculture and our food system. The multi-disciplinary program is packed with fantastic project case studies, useful designs, business models and analytical tools.

“Building our capacity to grow food in cities and the surrounding region, on vacant lands and upon the roofs and walls of buildings is critical to securing our resilience in the decades to come, “ said Steven Peck, Founder/President, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. “Learn from the pioneers, the movers and shakers at Grey to Green.”

William McDonough + Partners has championed food production as a component in a sustainable vision for the planet. Keynote speaker Roger Schickedantz, Director and Architect at William McDonough + Partners, will profile a variety of paradigmatic projects that include rooftop food production at varying scales, ranging from experimental hydroponic greenhouses to a commercially viable 80,000 sq. ft. production facility.

Eric Corey Freed, Vice President, International Living Future Institute will deliver a keynote address in which you will discover how the threat of climate change is already affecting your business. You’ll uncover how to take more of a leadership position by using natural principles to make your facility more resilient and sustainable.

The trade show brings together exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations in products, services and designs. Tours: Gain exclusive access and information to local projects such as the new Corktown Common, Sugar Beach, Sherbourne Common, Eastdale Collegiate Institute Rooftop Farm, Access Point on Danforth and Ryerson University’s Rooftop and Community Garden projects. These projects are pushing the boundaries of integrating green infrastructure and design for multiple benefits.

Professional training courses offered as part of the Grey to Green Conference include: Introduction to Rooftop Urban Agriculture; Green Walls 101: Systems Overview and Design; Green Infrastructure: Policies, Performance and Projects; Integrated Water Management for Buildings and Sites; Integrated Water Management for Buildings and Sites III: Water Storage and Cisterns; and a new soil workshop developed by Compost Canada.

Come to Grey to Green this year and learn from speakers such as: Ben Flanner, Head Farmer and President, Brooklyn Grange; Shelley Petrie, Director, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation; Liat Margolis, Director, GRITLab; Debbie Field, Executive Director, FoodShare Toronto; Lauren Baker, Food Policy Specialist, City of Toronto/ Public Health; Lauren Mandel, Project Manager, Roofmeadow LLC and Owner, EAT UP LLC and more!

Sponsored by: Canadian Association Of Physicians for the Environment, Carrot Common, City of Toronto Environment and Energy, Compost Council of Canada, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, Green Infrastructure Foundation, International Living Future Institute, Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and William McDonough + Partners.

See full list of speakers at www.greytogreenconference.org