An old Navy warehouse in Sunset Park will house a 100,000 square foot greenhouse utilizing hydroponics to produce over a million pounds of produce annually. That's enough for around 5,000 New Yorkers. According to the Times it will be the largest rooftop farm in the country, and perhaps the world.
“Brooklyn was an agricultural powerhouse in the 19th century, and it has now become a local food scene second to none,” the CEO of Bright Farms, the company undertaking the project. “We’re bringing a business model where food is grown and sold right in the community.” The company already owns and runs a smaller greenhouse on Long Island, and ships produce to several grocery stores.
Hydroponic farms have high yields, use less energy than soil, and fit right in your closet and this one will collect around 1.8 million gallons of rainwater in a year. Construction is set to begin in the fall, and the first crop of lettuce, herbs, and tomatoes will be in local grocers next spring.
