DAKAKKER ROOFTOPFARM
HOW WE CAN GROW THE SUSTAINABLE CITY TOGETHER
The DakAkker is a 1000 m2 rooftopfarm on top of the Schieblock in Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Vegetables, edible flowers and fruit are grown and bees are kept. The DakAkker is the largest open-air roof farm in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. The Smartroof is located on the roof of the rooftoppavilion. A testsite for smart waterstorage and – management.
DakAkker Rooftopfarm is an initiative of ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles] and Rotterdams Milieucentrum in cooperation with Optigrün Benelux en Binder daktuinen as part of the first city initiatives of Rotterdam: de Luchtsingel‘.
‘Dakennie’ the educationprogram for primary schools in Rotterdam on the rooftopfarm and is financially supported by Watersensitive Rotterdam, the municipality of Rotterdam and the Waterboard Hoogheemraadschap Schieland en de Krimpennerwaard.
DAKAKKER IN THE MEDIA
Dakakker in de top 10 Green Tourism Solutions
Bovenop het Schieblock aan de Schiekade is het eerste grote oogstbare dak van Nederland te vinden: de DakAkker. […]
Rotterdam Watershit op TV Rijnmond
Een nieuw product van de DakAkker is 'Rotterdam Watershit' … Je leest het goed, het is een perfecte vloeibare compost en voeding voor planten en [...]
Europas største takhage
Wouter Baumann er sjefsgartner på Europas største takjøkkenhage i DakAkker i Rotterdam, Nederland.
Cineac TV – Beecam Dakakker
De bijenkassen op de Dakakker hebben sinds kort een beecam.
ROOFTOPBEES
There are several beehives on the DakAkker. The honeybees ensure pollination of plants on the DakAkker.
In earlier days beekeeping was part of the farm. Nowadays, more and more citypeople are discovering what beekeeping a special hobby can be. Considering the scarse space in the cities the urbanbeekeeper should look for a suitable place to place the beehivers. In some cases, a roof can be a great place to put a hive. When taking care of bees on rooftops you have to deal with a number of things that you do not have to deal with if you keep bees on the ground.
Read more at www.beesonline.nl or contact our rooftopbeekeeper for more information.
Roof Beekeeper
In the past, beekeeping was part of the farming business. Nowadays, more and more city dwellers are discovering what a special hobby can be. Given that space in cities is scarce in the countryside, the urban beekeeper should look for a suitable place to place the cupboards or baskets. In some cases, a roof can be a great place to put cupboards. When taking care of bees on rooftops you have to deal with a number of things that you do not have to deal with if you keep bees on the ground floor. Read more on www.beesonline.nl
Temperature
Flat roofs can become very hot in the summer. The temperature of a black roof covering can rise to 80 degrees during a summer day. That is why it is important that the cabinets can ventilate well. If possible, on extremely hot days you could humidify the roof around the cabinets several times a day with a garden hose or watering can so that the temperature of the roof covering goes down.
Bee Bar
Make sure that water can be found within a few meters of the cupboard for the bees. Especially in the spring they need water to dilute the honey (and sugar) to feed the larvae. Bees can also reduce the temperature of the hive with the evaporation of water.
ROOTOPTECHNOLOGY
The Optigrün rooftopvegetablegardensubstrate is spread over the entire roof. Depending on the maximum load of the roof in some places considerably thicker (30 to 40 centimeters) than for example in the weakest places (10 to 20 centimeters).
Characteristic of this substrate is high waterbuffering with good waterpermeability. The amount of nutrients used is adapted to the needs of the cultivated crops. Thanks to this experience, the substrate has been optimized and made suitable for vegetablegardens on rooftops.
The Optigrün naturalroofsystem was chosen on the DakAkker with the rooftopvegetablegardensubstrate as top layer. The rooftopsystem is made up of different layers: a protective absorption layer (not rootresistant), a drainage buffer layer, a filter layer with the rooftopvegetablegardensubstrate on top.
ROOFTOPFARMERS
Organic seed and – plantingmaterial is used at the Dakakker rooftopfarm. No fertilizer is used and no spraying with poison a 6-year alternating cropschedule is used.
Wouter Bauman, nature and spactial planning consultant at the Rotterdam Environmental Center and also beekeeper affiliated with the Ambrosius Beekeepers Guild, is responsible for the management of the DakAkker, together with a large group of enthusiastic volunteers.
BOTANICAL GARDEN
PRODUCTS
The conditions on the DakAkker are comparable to a Mediterranean climate: dry rocky soil, a lot of wind sometimes quite warm.
That is why herbs such as mint, lemon verbena and lavender are grown on the DakAkker, as well as vegetables such as Jerusalem artichoke, beetroot, carrot, radish and garlic varieties such as onion, leek, garlic and strong plants such as raspberry, rhubarb and pumpkin. The edibleflowers of the roof are the top product and are delivered to six restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the rooftopfarm.
Worm compost
In the wormhotels on the rooftopfarm, compost worms make wormcompost that is used on the roof but is also sold as “RotterdamWatershit” (an excellent liquid compost for your plants!). De ‘wormtea’ is for sale online on Ecomondo, Stadstuinwinkel Stek and Dille & Kamille in Rotterdam.
WELCOME TO THE ROOF
We are happy to organize an excursion for groups up to 30 people.
DAKENNIE
LEARNING AND DOING ON THE ROOF FOR SCHOOLS
¿?Dakennie¿? is the rooftop educationprogram at the rooftopfarm about urban agriculture, greenroofs, climate and water, healthy food and bees for primary schools.
ROOFTOPFARMERS & ROOFBEES & WATERTABLE
BEEHOTELS & SEEDBOMBS
SNUFFELKAART & GROENTEN & BLOEMEN & WORMENHOTELS
Location:
The children are welcome at the DakAkker on the seventh floor of The Schieblock. Schiekade 189 3013 BR Rotterdam. There is a lift to the sixth and a staircase to the seventh floor.
Target audience:
Pupils from primary schools in groups 5 to 8
Group size:
Maximum 30 children
School supervisors:
At least two supervisors from the visiting school (more is also allowed!). Three supervisors from the environmental center.
Length of visit:
Two hours in the morning from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Period:
September, October, November, March to June
DAKENNIE ACTIVITIES
Seedbombs
(Top secret!) The children will make seedbombs with nativeseeds (from the rooftop) in the “secret rooftoplab”. They will take the seed bombs back to school and they can “thrown” them around the school. The childrenare asked to take a picture of the emerging plants. In this way the children participate in spreading native plants in Rotterdam and the children learn more about “biodiversity”.
Watertable
Green – and blueroofs are good for the city. At the watertable, children can let it rain in a “stupid city” and a “smart city”.
The “stupid city” it is full of houses with “black roofs” and in the “smart city” it looks much greener because the roofs are greener. There is even a smartroof with a “drossel”. In this way children learn more about “water and the city” and green – and blueroofs.
Scavenger hunt on the rooftop
The children discover the rooftopfarm with a rooftopmap . They are introduced to everything that grows on the rooftopfarm, the bees, the wormshotels. In this way the children learn more about urbanagriculture, healthy food and biodiversity.
Making a beehotel
Of course our beekeeper also tells about the bees on the roof. In this way children learn more about how important bees (and other pollinators) are for all of us. To help the bees and other pollinators, the children make a beehotel together to take it to their school.
Rooftopfarmersn
The children also get to work on the DakAkker as real rooftopfarmers, they will weed, sow, and give water. This is how the children learn about rooftopfarming.
DAKENNIE SPONSORS / PARTNERS
SMARTROOF
THE SMARTEST ROOF OF THE NETHERLANDS!
The Smartroof on the roofpavilion is a smart waterstorage greenroof with a smartflowcontrol that is driven by the weatherforecast. When predicting extreme rainfall, the smartflowcontrol responds by making extra waterstorage capacity available 24 hours in advance.
Ledigen (Empty)
Verdampen (Evaporate)
Bergen (Waterstorage)
SMART FLOW CONTROL
The Smartest roof in the Netherlands was opened on 1 June 2018 by alderman Adriaan Visser and alderman of the Schieland and Krimpenerwaard WaterBoard Paul van den Eijsden.
SMARTROOF SPONSORS / PARTNERS
DAKAKKERNEWS
Vrijwilligerswerk op het dak
Iedere vrijdagochtend Tijd: 09.00 uur - 13.00 uur Locatie: DakAkker Iedere vrijdagochtend werken er vrijwilligers op de DakAkker en de Dakgaard samen met dakboer en imker [...]
Rotterdamse Dakendagen 31 mei t/m 2 juni 2019
Van 31 mei t/m 2 juni 2019 kan je weer de Rotterdamse daken op tijdens de Rotterdamse Dakendagen. […]
TV Rijnmond: Dakwormen produceren compost
In addition to Rotterdam sailor butter (peanut butter) and Rotterdam old cheese, we now also have the Rotterdam Watershit. Plant food made by worms. They [...]
CONTACT DAKAKKER
DakAkker / Wouter Bauman
Postal address: Schiekade 189 (unit 302) Rotterdam
Location: Schiekade 189 (7th floor) Rotterdam
Telephone: 010-465 64 96
Email: info@dakakker.nl
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