The Jacob Javits Center’s Rooftop Farm Movie Highlights
Tried Shiso and got excited about the flavor. It’s a great kind of wide leaf with really beautiful variegation in it, colors, and you can use it to wrap things with and you can use it as an herb as well.
Jim Prevor’s
Perishable Pundit
December 6, 202
Excerpt:
Q: I know this is going outside of the topic for today to converse about the future of different local farming methods, including rooftop farms, greenhouses, and vertical farming… These are very different types of growing options. Do you find that one is preferable over the other or is it more that they work in tandem? Could you talk about the cost and benefits of the rooftop farm? Is it cost effective from a business standpoint and from a profitability standpoint? For instance, does it involve a big initial investment and a certain time frame to reap the rewards…
A: I’d like to pass that one on to Ben. They are in the business of rooftop farming, and he can speak more to that. The goal of our farm is not to be a really profitable farm and look at the margin and all of that. For us, it’s really about the educational component, showing what’s possible at a convention center in the middle of Manhattan. It’s part of our mission to be a model. And it’s there to inspire other people to see what they can do. But I know that Brooklyn Grange has a successful business around this, and he can speak more to that.
Q: Yes, I can attest to that. Could you provide a little more information about the orchard and the greenhouse? The greenhouse also is new and in development, right?
A: It is. It’s going to be operational all year and will be really, really, useful in the winter, because it’s climate controlled. You have a lot of the technology in there that’s going to allow you to do some indoor vertical farming too. Half of it will be dedicated to the hydroponic system, which is basically a soilless method of growing food, where you can have some kind of substrate to grow herbs or greens or what have you. And then you’re using your reservoirs to essentially pump nutrients and water around to grow these things. Going back to your vertical farming point, we are trying to utilize a little bit of the vertical space to improve the yield. So our hydroponic system is actually two tiers.
