Farmer on the Roof What do you picture when you think of New York City? Probably busy streets, tons of people, and towering skyscrapers. Do you picture a farm? New York City may be called the Big Apple, but most people don’t think it’s a great place to grow fruits and vegetables. After all, the city is very crowded. Finding enough ground space for a farm would be nearly impossible. So that’s why Ben Flanner decided to look up.

Ben was working as an engineer in New York City when he got the idea to start a rooftop farm. But there was one big problem. He knew he needed close to an acre to have enough space for a farm. That’s almost the size of a football field! Ben looked for a long time before he finally found an empty roof large enough to support a farm. He named the farm Brooklyn Grange.

What is it like to visit Brooklyn Grange? In some ways, Brooklyn Grange is like a “normal” farm. You can buy carrots, tomatoes, and green vegetables there — or even eggs from the chicken coop. But in other ways, Brooklyn Grange is like no farm you’ve ever seen. For one thing, you need to take an elevator to get there. Instead of seeing rolling farmland and cows in the distance, the view is of skyscrapers. Finally, the farm has some unusual neighbors. Downstairs are studios belonging to the Jim Henson Company, creator of the Muppets. So don't be surprised if you bump into Miss Piggy or Elmo in the hallway!

Why would anyone build a farm in a city? Growing food near the people who eat it has many advantages. Most traditional farms are very far away from the people they serve. The food they grow must be trucked thousands of miles. This takes a lot of gasoline. Food from an urban farm takes less energy to transport and also tastes fresher because it hasn’t been growing old on the road for days. A rooftop farm can absorb pollutants and rainwater, helping to clean the air and prevent floods. Is rooftop farming the future of agriculture? It’s too early to tell. But it definitely gives new meaning to “going green!”