Rooftop Farm: The Model for Urban Agriculture

A multi-acre farm will be built on 100,000 square feet of rooftop space in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park—making it the largest rooftop farm in the world, according to BrightFarms. The company is building the hydroponic greenhouse in partnership with Salmar Properties LLC.

The farm will grow up to one million pounds of local produce per year, including tomatoes, lettuces and herbs–enough to meet the fresh vegetable consumption needs of up to 5,000 New Yorkers, and prevent as much as 1.8 million gallons of storm water from going into local waterways. By eliminating the length and complexity of the produce supply chain, the aim is to grow produce that is more sustainable than produce shipped across the country.

Getting the area zoned for agriculture is no small accomplishment–it can be a big challenge in some cities. ”This partnership and zoning initiative set an example for the nation on how to embrace rooftop urban agriculture,” said Brooklyn Borough president, Marty Markowitz, in a release this April.