so many cities face the same challenge of aging infrastructure and rooftop
of aging infrastructure and rooftop
of aging infrastructure and rooftop farming is a terrific way of making use
farming is a terrific way of making use
farming is a terrific way of making use of these industrial buildings and then
of these industrial buildings and then
of these industrial buildings and then of course they really have such a
of course they really have such a
of course they really have such a tremendous environmental benefit to the
tremendous environmental benefit to the
tremendous environmental benefit to the ecosystem at the small scale which it’s
ecosystem at the small scale which it’s
ecosystem at the small scale which it’s practiced in cities around the world you
practiced in cities around the world you
practiced in cities around the world you know it’s a drop in the bucket but if we
know it’s a drop in the bucket but if we
know it’s a drop in the bucket but if we can gain some momentum we can really
can gain some momentum we can really
can gain some momentum we can really create a title shift this is a slight
create a title shift this is a slight
create a title shift this is a slight beautification project I grew up in
beautification project I grew up in
beautification project I grew up in Wisconsin but I didn’t realize my
Wisconsin but I didn’t realize my
Wisconsin but I didn’t realize my passion until I was out in New York City
passion until I was out in New York City
passion until I was out in New York City and then looking around the city and
and then looking around the city and
and then looking around the city and seeing thousands of open flat roofs with
seeing thousands of open flat roofs with
seeing thousands of open flat roofs with full Sun on them with absolutely no
full Sun on them with absolutely no
full Sun on them with absolutely no utilization it was a great opportunity
utilization it was a great opportunity
utilization it was a great opportunity to just dive into it and to pioneer a
to just dive into it and to pioneer a
to just dive into it and to pioneer a movement there’s lunch or breakfast we
movement there’s lunch or breakfast we
movement there’s lunch or breakfast we have two and a half acres of rooftop
have two and a half acres of rooftop
have two and a half acres of rooftop farm space in Brooklyn and Queens our
farm space in Brooklyn and Queens our
farm space in Brooklyn and Queens our core business is vegetables but we’ve
core business is vegetables but we’ve
core business is vegetables but we’ve also started New York City’s first urban
also started New York City’s first urban
also started New York City’s first urban apiary we also have 22 chickens hi girls
they’re not a considerable revenue
they’re not a considerable revenue stream for us but they are very valuable
stream for us but they are very valuable
stream for us but they are very valuable in terms of completing the circle of
in terms of completing the circle of
in terms of completing the circle of life up on the farm we have well over a
life up on the farm we have well over a
life up on the farm we have well over a million pounds of soil in the roof this
million pounds of soil in the roof this
million pounds of soil in the roof this roof took several weeks of pumping up
roof took several weeks of pumping up
roof took several weeks of pumping up the soil with a blower truck essentially
the soil with a blower truck essentially
the soil with a blower truck essentially a hopper with a pressurized tube that
a hopper with a pressurized tube that
a hopper with a pressurized tube that pushes the soil up
pushes the soil up
pushes the soil up it’s a compost from a mushroom
it’s a compost from a mushroom
it’s a compost from a mushroom production in Pennsylvania blended with
production in Pennsylvania blended with
production in Pennsylvania blended with a mixture of several different type of
a mixture of several different type of
a mixture of several different type of stones that are very porous so they
stones that are very porous so they
stones that are very porous so they weigh less than a typical rock and then
weigh less than a typical rock and then
weigh less than a typical rock and then they can allow water to fill into the
they can allow water to fill into the
they can allow water to fill into the pores they can also Harbor microbial
pores they can also Harbor microbial
pores they can also Harbor microbial activity and they also allow for proper
activity and they also allow for proper
activity and they also allow for proper drainage innervation of the soil meaning
drainage innervation of the soil meaning
drainage innervation of the soil meaning that we don’t end up with one big
that we don’t end up with one big
that we don’t end up with one big swimming pool up on the roof if we get a
swimming pool up on the roof if we get a
swimming pool up on the roof if we get a lot of rain ready our rooftop farms each
lot of rain ready our rooftop farms each
lot of rain ready our rooftop farms each manage about a million gallons of
manage about a million gallons of
manage about a million gallons of stormwater per year we also reduce urban
stormwater per year we also reduce urban
stormwater per year we also reduce urban heat island effect we clean the air
heat island effect we clean the air
heat island effect we clean the air around us and decrease the amount of
around us and decrease the amount of
around us and decrease the amount of HVAC of the upper floors of the
HVAC of the upper floors of the
HVAC of the upper floors of the buildings beneath us but probably the
buildings beneath us but probably the
buildings beneath us but probably the most unique benefit of our farm is to
most unique benefit of our farm is to
most unique benefit of our farm is to the community around us so we have the
the community around us so we have the
the community around us so we have the opportunity to link New Yorkers back
opportunity to link New Yorkers back
opportunity to link New Yorkers back into their food production system it’s
into their food production system it’s
into their food production system it’s something from which we’ve become so
something from which we’ve become so
something from which we’ve become so alienated
utilizing even all of our total roofs
utilizing even all of our total roofs would not even produce a significant
would not even produce a significant
would not even produce a significant fraction of the amount of food that New
fraction of the amount of food that New
fraction of the amount of food that New York City needs to eat however that
York City needs to eat however that
York City needs to eat however that definitely does not mean that something
definitely does not mean that something
definitely does not mean that something like this should be happening
I was born and raised here in New York
I was born and raised here in New York City I want to live in a healthier city
City I want to live in a healthier city
City I want to live in a healthier city in a more beautiful city and a more
in a more beautiful city and a more
in a more beautiful city and a more delicious City
”
Be First to Comment