Rooftop growing has long been popular in urban areas, as it takes advantage of unused space, open air, and sunlight, and can be used to help buildings go greener.
Chicago boasts rooftop greenhouses both large and small, including Gotham Greens’ original facility, atop a Whole Foods Market in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood, and Uncommon Ground’s farm, in downtown, which was the first certified organic rooftop farm in the nation.
Solar power, whether from a rooftop or traditional ground-based structure, helps reduce energy costs. North Shore Farms in New York state uses solar arrays, geothermal energy, and low-water hydroponics on their herbs and greens, which helped the grower become the first culinary herb farm in the United States to be certified as a sustainable grower.
Developments like this have led to the introduction of even smaller greenhouses, like the ones produced by Babylon Micro-Farms, Inc. of Charlottesville, VA, and other providers. Some of these units are no bigger than a closet and can easily fit in a retailer’s produce department, in shipping containers, or unused warehouse space.
Many are portable and easy to operate. Babylon Micro-Farms uses a proprietary app that Scott Wood, Mid-Atlantic sales director, said is constantly updated for the customer’s ease of use. The touch of a button virtually runs the operation.
Several grocers, including Sobeys, Safeway, and Thrifty Foods in Canada and some Kroger banners in the United States, are installing mini greenhouses in their stores for fresh herbs and microgreens.
Others seeking hyper-local product are turning to companies like Bowery Farming, which uses a high-tech seed-to-store approach. The grower oversees small-batch trays near customers and supplies Whole Foods Markets and other retailers in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as two popular restaurants in New York City.
This is a multi-part feature adapted from the cover story of the May/June 2020 issue of Produce Blueprints.
