Episode 409 – Rooftop Farm

Today, a lot of people are interested in consuming locally grown produce, but in a big city, like New York much of that produce is brought in from outside locations compromising the freshness of the produce.

Luckily, Brooklyn Grange, a small group of forward thinking farmers, found a way to grow high-quality, local produce right in the heart of New York City. With little valuable real estate left, instead of looking for space on the ground, Brooklyn Grange looked to one of the most beautiful views of New York, the skyline rooftops.

Sunflowers at Brooklyn Grange, Rooftop Farm in Queens NYC

Today, we’ll visit two the largest commercial rooftop farms in America. With about 2 acres of space, 6 and 11 floors above ground, these rooftop farms produce 20,000 pounds of produce annually per farm.

Even though “Brooklyn” is in their name, Brooklyn Grange’s flagship is on top of an old auto-parts store in Queens and their (recently added) second location is on top of an old Naval yard building.

Later, in the kitchen, Chef Nathan prepares a delicious salad using watercress and pears.

For More Information:

Brooklyn Grange Farm
Eagle Street Rooftop Farm
Urban Farms
Chef Nathan’s  recipe for Pear Salad with Watercress and Blue Cheese

About GGWTV

Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.
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