From the Daily News:Few train passengers have probably ever paid any mind to the one-story building at 148-02 Archer Ave., currently home to a church.
But the building's rooftop, littered with rusted nails once used to secure railroad ties, could play an important role in the future of food production in the city.
Three young entrepreneurs are preparing to transform it into what is believed will be the city's first commercial-scale hydroponic rooftop farm.
The startup, called Gotham Greens, will feature a 12,000-square-foot greenhouse, slated to begin construction in the fall and yield its first harvest early next year.
It will use a water-based, soil-free method to grow roughly 30 tons of vegetables and fruit each year for sale to local markets and restaurants.
The groundbreaking venture aims to use an untapped urban resource - rooftop space - to meet an emerging demand for locally grown produce.
40 comments:
Wait till the FDNY, DOB, DEP, DOS, DOT & USDA get wind of it. They will be sorry.
Rooftop gardening...an old concept.
In the late 60s early 70s
"Terrestris" built a greenhouse on the rooftop of an old tenement apartment house.
Traveling toward Manhattan on the Queensboro Bridge you can still see the remnants of it to the right as you approach 1st Avenue.
This was used for the sale of ornamental plants and not for food production.
Rooftops were meant to bear a limited amount of weight.
The added pounds per square foot could cause a cave in without shoring up the rafters first to increase their support.
I believe that a gallon of water weighs approximately 8 lbs.
How many hydroponic containers will be needed for this farm in the sky?
Major reconstruction will be required before this project can ever become a reality!
Sounds like another Bloomberg "inspired" half baked idea!
FDNY, DOB, DEP, DOS, DOT & USDA will be fine once they get all the fees to license and inspect. This will make a head of lettuce $50.00.
But who knows I am sure they will find some organic nut in this city to pay it.
Wow some of you are just miserable. I can't believe you are complaining about this great idea.
Wow. Faced with some inspiring entrepreneurship, some of you still have nothing nice to say.
Anonymous said...
Wow some of you are just miserable. I can't believe you are complaining about this great idea.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
==================
Right on!
this is a good use of otherwise unused space.
Hydroponic, eh? Let's hope all they grow is vegetables up there...
What part of
"Rooftops were meant to bear a limited amount of weight.
The added pounds per square foot could cause a cave in without shoring up the rafters first to increase their support."
do you all not understand?
Tho poster is not against the idea but pointing out a very real concern about the potential dangers of adding excess weight to the roof without appropriate planning. This is not a frivilous, killjoy attempt at debasing the idea. Sheesh! Some of you oughta take a chill pill once in a while!
Tho poster is not against the idea but pointing out a very real concern about the potential dangers of adding excess weight to the roof without appropriate planning. This is not a frivilous, killjoy attempt at debasing the idea. Sheesh! Some of you oughta take a chill pill once in a while!
----
Yuppie bike riders.
They could not give a fig if your hospital or firehouse closes, or if your kid doesnt have a school desk.
They are here only to meet mate and move.
So what if your company cannot afford you and use lose your job.
All that matters is a place for THEM to shower.
They are secure that the machine backs them and there is not a damn thing you can do about it - 'Archie and Edith'.
"Sounds like another Bloomberg "inspired" half baked idea!"
Get used to them! The election is still over 5 months out! The concept intrigues me but obviously not realistic without reenforcing roofs which would probably make the costing too high to move forward. Of course, I am sure that some people may try to create small victory gardens but covering an entire roof? As the plants grow, they will become heavier and create an even greater risk for roof collapse. Of course, if the mayor would stop cementing over every inch of space, neighborhoods would be able to cultivate small plots of land. I have witnessed this in Brooklyn and the garden was not only a source of food, it created a sense of community pride that is absent from many neighborhoods.
Funny!
_____
Yuppie bike riders.
They could not give a fig if your hospital or firehouse closes, or if your kid doesnt have a school desk.
That makes no sense whatsoever. Yes people who bike commute do care about closing hospitals, and schools. Why dont you ask people you purport to be your enemy. You mean yuppie SUV drivers maybe?
Rooftop gardens are nothing new in other cities. The water can easily be made to go off properly if set up right. It can cool the building off as mentioned elsewhere.
Anyone think it might JUST be possible that they thought about the problem of rooftop weight and maybe have taken steps to address it? Or are they just a bunch of biker scum who should be gassed by Archie and Edith like so many Canada geese?
Anyone think it might JUST be possible that they thought about the problem of rooftop weight and maybe have taken steps to address it?
---
Come on Ridgewoodian, we are dealing with hacks coming up with solutions - you know - like those stupid subway grates.
The idea is to tear down those old low rise buildings and put up 6 story buildings strong enough to be expanded to 12 story buildings in the future.
So they can handle the weight.
And a previous poster WAS right, if we cover everysquare inch of land, we can justify this by planting on roofs.
F*ing idiots that run this city. They are ruining it.
Our "lucid Ridgewoodian" is back from a trip (LSD?)!
It's just a publicity gimmick.
Put some bell bottoms on that guy and he looks like a throwback to the 1960s..."Mr. Natural" in the flesh.
Now raise some medicinal "Mary Jane" which would be a cost effective crop.
And how much can we expect to pay for a bunch of home grown rooftop genuine NYC hydo/beets?
Anonymous: Our "lucid Ridgewoodian" is back from a trip (LSD?)!
Yes, I suggest that it's JUST POSSIBLE that these guys, who seem to have put a lot of work into this project, who seem relativly clever, who have probably been working with architects and engineers to design greenhouses and other equipment, JUST MIGHT (not saying that they did, just that it's reasonable to think that it's possible) have considered the weight issue and and maybe even have come up with a solution to it - how silly of me! Obviously the only competent citizens of this whole city are the denizens of this blog. You're right, I am dropping copious hits of the brown acid.
Ass.
Okay, bikes are a fiendish conspiracy. So is growing vegetables. Good christ, is there ANYTHING you people are FOR or do you just stand athwart history yelling NO!
We're against growing vegetables? When was this decided? When is the protest?
Ridgewoodian,
no use.
I hear what your saying and I too think that anyone who would take the time plan something like this, would consider the added weight.
Miserable people will nit pick and skew things to find the negative point in everything.
Is life that bad? Nothing may come of it but give it to the guy for atleast trying to do something that could help people out in some way.
cue up the Debbie Downer trumpet
Queens Crapper: We're against growing vegetables? When was this decided? When is the protest?
Personally, I only like to eat things that put up a fight. Perhaps I should have asked if there's anything that's not really a fiendish plot to screw Archie and Edith.
I too think that anyone who would take the time plan something like this, would consider the added weight.
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Yeah, I've NEVER heard of a roof collapsing from the extra weight of snow from a storm. Crappy, you keep up the good work. As long as you are pissing off some of the morons who read this blog, then you are doing your job right! Their twisted logic is so obvious that I enjoy the chuckle that the comments provide. Crapster, you rule!
Who wants to make it interesting? I have more confidence in these hipsters than I do any of you bellyachers and I'm willing to wager that the building doesn't collapse because of their garden - at least not in any reasonable period of time. I'm willing to put up U.S. currency or, better yet, public humiliation. Who's gonna take me up? Let's talk terms.
"at least not in any reasonable period of time"
Always thinking about right now and not the long term...
Anonymous: Always thinking about right now and not the long term...
Well, I'm thinking six months or a year. I mean I don't want to have to wait ten years to collect.
"Ridgewoodian said...
You're right, I am dropping copious hits of the brown acid."
Dude, that's not the only brown thing that you're dropping here!!!
I get it now...
"Ridgewoodian" is a partner (interpret the term "partner" any way you'd like) of this rooftop gardener!
H-m-m-m....do you mean as in "splendor in the grass"?
"Grass"? WTF?
Like "Leaves of Grass"....as in the Walt Whitman or the puffing variety?
Or both?
Geez!
Ha! Ha! Ha!
Yeah, I've NEVER heard of a roof collapsing from the extra weight of snow from a storm. Crappy, you keep up the good work. As long as you are pissing off some of the morons who read this blog, then you are doing your job right! Their twisted logic is so obvious that I enjoy the chuckle that the comments provide. Crapster, you rule!
========
I wouldnt say I'm pissed off. Its annoying when narrow minded people try to attribute any innovation to the evil empire of bloomberg lead bike riding yuppie hipster tweeded illegal aliens (did I miss anything?) and thus deem it stupid and a waste of time. This guy isn't trying to hurt anyone but hey, its outside the box so it must be a waste of time.
your pessimism is sad but its yours so you enjoy that.
"This guy isn't trying to hurt anyone but hey, its outside the box so it must be a waste of time.
your pessimism is sad but its yours so you enjoy that."
When you are able to get your head out of your ass, you would understand that the point of view is not pessimistic but realistic. If the project is successful, which would not be a bad thing, it would encourage others to follow suit. Just think about those that do not plan ahead and cause property damage, injury, or God forbid, death when a roof does collapse because these "urban farmers" did not consider the weight being added to a residential structure that was not designed for this type of activity. Your narrow-minded accusation just demonstrates your desire to get your point across at any cost...without any logic or data to assure the readers here that you know what you are talking about!
To all the doubters and naysayers who question the feasibility of the green roof concept:
Green roofs are real, not theoretical. They already exist in cities everywhere. The weight issue is obviously not a project-killer.
When you are able to get your head out of your ass, you would understand that the point of view is not pessimistic but realistic. If the project is successful, which would not be a bad thing, it would encourage others to follow suit. Just think about those that do not plan ahead and cause property damage, injury, or God forbid, death when a roof does collapse because these "urban farmers" did not consider the weight being added to a residential structure that was not designed for this type of activity. Your narrow-minded accusation just demonstrates your desire to get your point across at any cost...without any logic or data to assure the readers here that you know what you are talking about!
================
this is going nowhere so I'll just be childish and get it over with.
youre a dummy. you smell and you have cooties.
i'm done.
thanks
Shame that we have to turn to roofs because we developed all the green space we had.
this is going nowhere so I'll just be childish and get it over with.
youre a dummy. you smell and you have cooties.
i'm done.
thanks
And thank you for proving my point!!! Obviously, you had nothing intelligent to contribute to the discussion.
Crappy, you keep up the good work. As long as you are pissing off some of the morons who read this blog, then you are doing your job right!
What I'm saying is said...
I wouldnt say I'm pissed off.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Check it out, the moron admitted it!!! Once again, Queens Crap rules!!!
I think it's a GREAT idea. The weight issue is not a real one. Permits for consumer produce would require numerous licenses and approvals from a half dozen agencies, among them structural approval from an architect. If every home's roof had solar panels and/or grass, the building underneath would be better insulated from the cold and heat and energy bills would plummet like an asteroid, soil would absorb rain so there would be less flooding in the streets, and we'd have cleaner air. Everyone who can should do this.
I think it's a GREAT idea. The weight issue is not a real one
I agree that it is a great idea but what proof do you offer to show that the weight issue is not a real one? A neighbor who lives on the top floor of our apartment building sustained a lot of damage to her ceiling when people were working on the section of roof above her apartment unit. She had large cracks and chips over her head and she feels that this could happen again. This damage occured from people walking around. Therefore, before this goes mainstream, and I hope that it can, I would like to see criteria and standards be investigated and put forth and every roof inspected before such a project moves forward. This is the responsible way to create rooftop green spaces. They can have great benefit but not at the whim of well meaning but misguided urban farmers.
And thank you for proving my point!!! Obviously, you had nothing intelligent to contribute to the discussion.
==============
if by that you mean, shut up mr poopie breath, then no, I have absolutely nothing intelligent to add to the conversation.
you have masterfully proved your point and I am forever in your debt for showing me the error in my ways.
What I meant by saying that the weight issue is not a real issue is that there are too many other people who have to approve this type of use modification for the structural integrity to be ignored or brushed under the carpet. Besides which, this is a small starter business so I doubt these guys will be hiring too many people to farm for them. If the roof collapses, they'll not only lose their entire investment, they'll probably be killed. It's in their own interest to make sure they don't screw themselves.
For what its worth now..
http://nymag.com/guides/summer/2009/57477/
Post a Comment