Brooklyn Grange

Brooklyn Grange
Name	Brooklyn Grange
Type	For-profit
Founded	2010
Founder	Ben Flanner; Anastasia Cole Plakias
Headquarters	New York City
Industry	Urban agriculture; Rooftop farming; Horticulture
Products	Vegetables; Honey; Eggs; Composting; Farm education

Brooklyn Grange is a commercial rooftop farming enterprise operating in New York City that develops and manages large-scale urban farms on rooftops, integrates green infrastructure, and provides agricultural services and educational programming. Founded in 2010 by entrepreneurs and urban agriculture advocates, the organization has become a visible model of rooftop agriculture in metropolitan settings, collaborating with municipal agencies, cultural institutions, and private developers. Its activities intersect with urban planning initiatives, sustainability programs, and community food systems in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.

History

The enterprise was founded in 2010 amid rising interest in urban agriculture, ecological design, and local food movements linked to actors such as Slow Food USA, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, The New York Times, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's PlaNYC, and nonprofit networks like GrowNYC. Early partnerships involved property owners and architectural firms influenced by projects such as The High Line, Brooklyn Navy Yard, DUMBO Industrial Trust, and municipal efforts including New York City Department of Environmental Protection stormwater initiatives. Founders previously collaborated with community groups in neighborhoods served by institutions including Williamsburg Houses, Long Island City, and cultural partners like Brooklyn Museum. Over time, expansions aligned with broader trends shaped by legislation such as New York City Local Law 88 of 2009 and programs from NYC Department of Buildings and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Operations and Locations

Operations span multiple rooftops and facilities in boroughs including Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Major sites have included rooftops atop industrial buildings near Gowanus, facilities in Long Island City, and installations at mixed-use developments comparable to projects in DUMBO and the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The organization works with commercial landlords, municipal agencies like NYCEDC, and institutional partners such as Google campus projects and cultural venues similar to Museum of Modern Art collaborations. Logistics integrate urban supply chains connecting to farmers markets run by Greenmarket, wholesale channels serving restaurants like those in Union Square Hospitality Group and institutional foodservice providers in healthcare systems including NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

Farming Practices and Technology

Farming methods combine intensive raised-bed horticulture, lightweight engineered soils, and apiculture with techniques employed by organizations such as Ceres Community Project and research programs at Columbia University's urban ecology labs. Practices incorporate composting systems influenced by protocols used by Lower East Side Ecology Center, integrated pest management approaches from Cornell University Cooperative Extension, and crop rotation strategies used in farm networks like Community Supported Agriculture models. Technology deployments include remote irrigation controls, soil moisture sensors similar to products developed by firms like HydroPoint, and lightweight structural engineering standards consistent with guidelines from American Society of Civil Engineers and green roof consultants associated with Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

Products and Services

Products include market vegetables, culinary herbs, wholesale produce supplying restaurants and institutions, rooftop honey produced with apiary techniques used by groups such as New York City Beekeepers Association, and value-added items marketed in collaboration with local retailers like those in Chelsea Market and food cooperatives such as Park Slope Food Coop. Services encompass farm installation, rooftop farm management, consultancy for green infrastructure projects, event hosting akin to programming at Brooklyn Public Library branches, and educational workshops tailored for students from institutions like New York University and public school partnerships with New York City Department of Education.

Community Engagement and Education

Educational programming targets urban residents, school groups, and professionals, with curricula influenced by outreach practices from NYC Parks youth programs and community organizations such as City Harvest and Food Bank For New York City. Community events include farm tours, seasonal festivals, volunteer days, and apprenticeships comparable to models at Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture and workforce development initiatives linked to Hospitality Training Program partners. Collaborations extend to cultural institutions like Brooklyn Academy of Music for public programs and to public health actors including New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for nutrition education.

Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Rooftop farms contribute to stormwater retention strategies championed by initiatives like PlaNYC and infrastructure projects funded through entities such as NYCEDC and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Green roof systems reduce urban heat island effects studied by researchers at Columbia University and City University of New York, and support urban biodiversity including pollinators monitored by The Wildlife Conservation Society and Xerces Society methodologies. Soil carbon sequestration, localized food miles reduction, and waste diversion via composting align with sustainability goals promoted by Mayor Bill de Blasio's sustainability agenda and regional plans like the Northeast Regional Climate Center guidance.

Awards and Recognition

The organization and its founders have been recognized by media outlets such as The New York Times, industry groups including Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, urban design awards from institutions like AIA New York and sustainability acknowledgments from environmental nonprofits similar to Sierra Club chapters. Individual founders and projects have received profiles and citations in publications and programs associated with Fast Company, National Geographic, and urban innovation forums including TEDx events.

Category:Rooftop farms Category:Urban agriculture