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Community Corner

Valentino's to Grow Food

The Humpty Dumpty Institute brings home-grown herbs, spices, vegetables to a local restaurant.

After spending millions to make a cozy and traditional eatery with state-of-the-art facilities, owner Georgio Kolaj is adding education and recycling to his menu.

In cooperation with Architecture for Humanity and the Humpty Dumpty Institute, Valentino’s will be establishing growing environments to produce fresh herbs, spices and even vegetables for the restaurant – and providing an educational experience for local schoolchildren.

“It’s an exciting concept,” the restaurateur said. “We’ll have raised beds and also be employing aquaculture and hydroponics within modules that will be created out of recovered shipping containers.”

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“We will even use spent cooking oil to help maintain growing temperature in the units,” he said.

The project will also be seeking a party to oversee the educational component and promote the idea of urban gardening, Kolaj said, noting that the project is close to the heart of his partner, Chef Don Pintabona.

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According to its website, “The Humpty Dumpty Institute forges innovative public-private partnerships to find creative solutions to difficult humanitarian problems.”

The group’s mandate is to “foster dialogue between the United Nations and the U.S. Congress, to support mini-action programs around the world, and to help alleviate both domestic and international hunger.”

Architecture for Humanity “brings people who care about sustainable development together,” according to its website.

“We provide a range of design and construction administration services to partners and clients through a global network of design, development and construction professionals with local expertise and knowledge,” the site says.

According to Kolaj, “The seeds are being germinated,” and he expects to unveil the project later this year.

For more information, visit: www.sharedtablefarm.com; http://architectureforhumanity.org; http://www.thehdi.org; www.valentinosonthegreen.com.

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