Welcome to the Urban Bios Project.

HOW THE URBAN BIOS PROJECT WAS BORN

While researching for a recently project, based in Bethnal Green, London. The projects main interest was sustainability. My proposal in brief, was based on the community producing there own food via permaculture design and using networks to produce input & output. In the process I went to a talk where Professor Greg Keefe was speaking, In Brief, I ask Pro Greg Keefe, why is permaculture not used in the design process as a valid way of producing much of what us needed in terms of organic food and a healthy diet in urban environments? Pro Greg Keefe answer was valid as is was simple, Can permaculture be used in the design process as a valid way of producing much of what us needed in terms of organic food and a healthy diet in urban environments? Prove it!

That was the birth of The Urban Bios Project. 10 days later, I had found a unused garden which I gain permission to use. The deal was simple, I set the forest garden up and take half the crop, the other half is for Phil, the land owner. I will measure the weight of all crop to gain an idea of how much we produce annually. 

THE PROJECT. FROM DAY ONE

is about designing a urban Forest garden, which can feed me and become a source of income, The permaculture way. Our vision is to grow around 300 kilograms of food a year for the kitchen. The Trick in to introduce diversity step by step, evolving into a hybrid organic growing machine, creating a flux of possibilities. 

At the same time, to heighten the biodiversity of the 8x8 space. 

THE SETTING.

The URBAN BIOS sits in South Central Manchester, on the RedBrick Estate. The URBAN BIOS is a unused garden, which is ticking over slowly, it looks like a home for aggressive weeds and unknown small trees, Now, In November the weeds live with a thick layer leaf matter dropping from the well established canopy. The garden floor is only 8x8 meters and it has no canopy layer of is own, but right outside the garden there is well established trees ideal for our canopy needs. 3 meters outside the garden The Leaf Street Project,  is a strip of green space which is around 100 meters long, which is It is one of the finest examples of urban permaculture in the UK.

THE DENSITY.

The design challenge is to build a Forest Garden in 8x8 meters, which will produce a high amount crop for consumption with low input. Jam packing ecology together making a rich organic soup in 8x8 meters. Building on what we already have.

CREATING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING.

In November the strips outside the URBAN BIOS is full of organic matter which is perfect for composting. I will collect a huge amount of this matter for future mulching , compost and soil management . In the strip outside, there is  large trunks of wood dying , which will be used as walls for the Raised Beds. 

The Urban Bios Project are building are worm farm just of Leaf Street. so we can manage and heighten the 

Biodiversity while strengthening the fertility of the local soil. 

We are so have a shredder in the Urban Bios Project. We are looking for any local Christmas that we can collect to ues for Mulch/Compost/wood chip for the Urban Bios Project.

Many Thanks

The Urban Bios Family 

http://www.theurbanbios.co.nr/