by MELISSA PETERMAN, Eater Seattle, July 11, 2013

Photo: Geoffrey Smith/LookatLao Studio
Source: www.seattle.eater.com

Welcome back to Up on the Rooftop, a monthly column by Seattle Slow Food board member and writer Melissa Peterman, who gets up close and personal with Seattle’s mile-high club in the form of (mostly) rooftop gardens.

With the incredible spring weather we had, and what’s shaping up to be a summer to match, diners can expect to see more rooftop garden produce taking center stage on Seattle menus. This month, we talk to Jason Stoneburner about how things have been progressing with his rooftop garden at Bastille and what he’s most excited about this summer (like, those awesome rooftop dinners). It should be noted that at the time of this interview, Stoneburner had not yet opened, but chef Jason says that he is definitely sharing produce from Bastille’s rooftop garden with his namesake restaurant, especially when it’s in full-swing like it is right now.

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by STOVER E. HARGER III, The Columbian, July 10, 2013

Portland beekeeper Damian Magista taps a container on July 8 to persuade thousands of honey bees to enter their new home on the roof of the Fisher’s Landing New Seasons Market
Photo: Stover E. Harger III
Source: www.columbian.com

Honey, they’re home.

Two honeybee colonies — made up of nearly 50,000 pollinators — now live on the roof of the Fisher’s Landing New Seasons Market, part of the regional chain’s new “Bee Part of the Solution” campaign. The company did the same in April at its store in Happy Valley, Ore.

The goal is not only to provide the bees with a safe place to raise their brood and make honey, but spark further dialogue on the precarious plight of the important insects. By next spring, the rooftop bees’ ranks could grow to more than 120,000.

The Portland beekeeper who was hired to help kick-start the campaign said it might just raise awareness about dwindling bee populations and ongoing threats to their survival, such as pesticides, parasites and disease.

“A piece like this is a great way to start that conversation,” said Damian Magista, owner of honey company Bee Local.

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