1000 participants compete for the title in two categories – Best Plot and Best Organic Products
Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory body of Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), an integrated free zone technology park, announced the commencement of this year’s community farm. The farm, providing DSO residents with a total area of 8,000 square meters, aims to instill sustainability values and encourage environmentally friendly practices.
The community farm introduces families living in DSO to the standards of organic farming and drip irrigation, enhances biodiversity, raises awareness on food security through providing residents with 400 plots in a bid to test the sustainable organic community farming model, in a useful and enjoyable experience.
Exceptional Experience
DSOA provides fertilized soil and smart irrigation for the project at regular intervals twice per day, as well as supports the farmers in combating common agricultural pests in environmentally friendly ways by adopting world-class technologies. Children will have the chance to spend enjoyable hours learning the values of manual labor, environmental protection and explore new applications and technologies that support sustainability.
Internal Communication with DSO Community
Engineer Khalil Odeh Shalan, Senior Vice President of Operations and Facilities at DSOA, said: “In line with the DSOA Strategy, the community farm initiative at DSO strengthens bonds among community members, and instills the values of sustainability in the younger generation. The farm also helps the youth in learning about the values of cooperation, as well as preservation of the environment and natural resources.”
Shalan emphasized DSOA’s commitment in following strict precautionary measures to protect the community from the spread of the coronavirus.
Shalan commended the massive turnout by DSO residents to participate this year, as the farm welcomed more than 1000 participants from different nationalities. The community farm this year will include a friendly competition between participants to win the titles of Best Plot and Best Organic Products.
Self-sustainability
The community farm aids the community in leading a self-sufficient lifestyle, as they can grow multiple types of vegetables and plants that are consumed almost daily during the agricultural season.
Green Landscapes
Green spaces in DSO, including the Community Farm, public parks, green roofs, and interior vertical gardens, cover 1.2 million square meters, in addition to the jogging and cycling paths, urban beautification and open public spaces, that welcomes residents, visitors and employees alike.
DSOA’s has obtained a series of certifications, 4 LEED Platinum and 1 LEED Earth, for sustainable green buildings that span over 4,000 square meters, 3,000 square meters of green roofs, and 100 square meters of green walls.
Water Efficiency
The centralized smart irrigation system, controlled through the wireless networks across DSO, saves more than half a million dirhams in yearly operational costs. The hybrid solar irrigation system analyzes the weather to calculate how much water needs to be dripped across its 100,000-square-meter subsurface irrigation network. This effectively reduces the amount of water that is evaporated by the sun’s heat, saving up to 55 percent of irrigation water.
