An idea so wacky, it just might work. From Jack O’Reilly, an architecture student at the University of Manchester:

My project tried to push the boundaries of the hybrid building by combining an urban farm with a television studio as an attempt at broadcasting the need for sustainability both physically and in the media…

This program is known as: URBAN F.@.M.I.N (Urban farming and media interactive networks). Vegetables and fruit are grown hydroponically using water from the canal, which mainly serves as a transport route. The crop produced is sold back to Manchester reducing the cities reliance on importing foreign goods and generates an income to sustain the project. The crop is used in the restaurant, which in turn promotes the urban farming and sustainability to the user.

To reach the widest possible audience a TV studio is integrated which produces programmes based around food cultures and sustainability. One of the key points of the scheme is to teach people about sustainable approaches to living. An exhibition space with a ‘hands on learning experience’ allows people of all ages to learn about possible new technologies for the ‘future city’ before seeing them in use on either the farm or TV studio.

Will the farmers be able to vote each other out, as they do in Survivor? Perhaps Paris Hilton, based on her experience with The Simple Life, could host? That would certainly increase the size of the audience.

Thanks to City Farmer News.