LIC’s Brooklyn Grange actually farms in Brooklyn now

When Brooklyn Grange first opened in Long Island City (food.curated. produced a great video of the farm in its early days), there was understandable confusion going on with the name (no, they weren’t “settling” for Queens, it was a legal issue). They went on to grow a lot of produce, host fancy tasting events, start an urban farmstand in their building, and connect with local restaurants and caterers – including Vesta, Pachanga Patterson, LIC Market, and Astoria Park Catering in Queens – which fill happy bellies throughout western Queens.

Now the folks behind the original Brooklyn Grange have opened a one acre farm on the rooftop of an industrial building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. They plan to grow herbs, greens, tomatoes, and root vegetables from April to November, and nourish the soil the rest of the year with cover crops. They’ll also have 30 hives of bees (which means local honey, so good for you), just like at the original farm. On top of all that, they’ll be able to put to use a lot of rain water (1 million gallons per year), which would normally just go down the storm drains. This is a total bonus for New York City (Mayor Bloomberg loves it), what with its ancient sewers that overflow when there’s too much rainfall.

Brooklyn Yields Cucumbers As NYC Expands Industrial Roof Farms [Bloomberg]
First Look At Brooklyn Grange’s Massive New Roof Farm At Brooklyn Navy Yard [Gothamist]