A Commercially-Viable Roof Farm in Brooklyn
Just a century ago, much of North Brooklyn was a sprawling agricultural breadbasket that supplied food to the booming population of New York City. As the city expanded, this bucolic setting gave way to industrial development and farm fields disappeared under blocks of factories and warehouses.
Today, Brooklyn’s modern industrial landscape provides an unmistakable opportunity for growth and cultivation, with hundreds of vacant rooftops that stretch for acres right in the heart of New York City. Rich in solar energy and rainfall, these roofs are ideal urban farm sites with the potential to feed, employ, educate and unite communities throughout North Brooklyn.
Urban farming has been widely practiced nationwide and internationally as a tool for greening neighborhoods and educating populations about food and health, but the creation of a commercially-viable rooftop farm has yet to be realized. Brooklyn Grange aims to build on decades of rooftop farming best practices and establish a one acre farm that operates as a sustainable small business. The farm will sell fresh, organic and affordable food to the local community, contributing to the health and economic development of the neighborhood.
It’s about Food, and It’s about People
At the heart of the farm is a team of savvy, dedicated and hard-working people. The farmers and entrepreneurs responsible for conceiving and creating Brooklyn Grange are experienced urban farmers and small business owners. We are focused on employing the best technology available within a barebones, low-capital framework to get the farm up, running and turning a profit within a short timeframe. It’s a no-frills business with the sole aim of delivering very good food.
Although we function as a privately owned and operated enterprise, Brooklyn Grange is community oriented and open to the public. School groups, families and volunteers are welcome to visit, participate and learn. This is a green space that contributes to the overall health and quality of life of the community, bringing people together through green business and around good food.
Get Involved
Brooklyn Grange will open in the spring of 2010, and is seeking investors and collaborators throughout the fall and winter. If you are interested in getting involved or learning more about the farm, please contact us at brooklyngrangefarm@gmail.com, and visit our support page if you’re interested in supporting our effort.
[...] you’re gluttony and getting sloshed are all for a good cause, as all proceeds go to benefit Brooklyn Grange, a rooftop agricultural haven set for North [...]