You might remember my post on green roofs a few weeks ago; for information on other cities that are using green roofs, visit this page.  On a similar note, New York City is taking green roofs to a higher level by using them for farming purposes. This article from the New York Times provides a summary of how even commercial businesses are beginning to use the once barren space for food production.

Back in June, the city sought out private developers to build a farm on a 200,000 square foot warehouse roof, which could become one of the largest rooftop farms in the world. New York’s Economic Development Corporation President Seth Pinsky commented, “With the opportunity to build one of the world’s largest rooftop farms, we will create important new opportunities to connect producers and distributors, greatly enhancing the existing food network and generating new jobs for Bronx residents.”

Urban farming operations in New York have begun to sell vegetables to residents and grocery store chains. Brooklyn Grange is one such company that now has two farms in Queens and Brooklyn where they grow pattypan squash, scallions, and tomatoes. Gotham Greens also has a hydroponic greenhouse in Brooklyn staffed with 20 employees tending to bok choy, basil, and oak leaf lettuce. They’ve become quite successful, selling to Whole Foods and FreshDirect, and plan to open three more greenhouses next year.

There are a few things to consider before starting your own rooftop farm. If roofs are not able to support the weight of soil or a greenhouse, it can be expensive to strengthen them. They must also be easily accessible; not all buildings have stairs or an elevator leading to the roof. Sunlight is necessary for plant growth, so buildings that receive an ample amount of shade might not serve as the best venues.

One of the city’s goals is to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and rooftop farms will do this by limiting the number of trucks that have to transport non-locally grown food. The City Planning Department added new zoning regulations, known as Zone Green, to support green development too. Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden stated that these changes will create, “more places for urban agriculture to take root in a dense, built-up environment.”