Gotham Greens: America’s First Commercial Rooftop Greenhouse Farm On Whole Foods Store

gotham Greens whole foods

A neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, is now benefiting from a revolutionary partnership in urban agriculture — a 20,000-square-foot rooftop greenhouse built on a Whole Foods supermarket.

The partnering farmers are from a company called Gotham Greens, and together they are growing high-quality, pesticide-free produce year-round for their customers.  Gotham Greens says the new facility is capable of producing 150 tons of produce each year.

Vegetables grown on their rooftop farm include multiple varieties of leafy greens, tomatoes on the vine, cherry tomatoes, and grape tomatoes.  The produce is being sold at the store below and at other Whole Food markets in New York.

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A Sustainable Food System in the Least Likely of Places

Well recognized as the most polluted area in the United States, Gowanus is now producing it’s own fresh produce just footsteps away from store shelves.  By eliminating the need for long distance transportation, the new rooftop farm has reduced waste and energy costs, while ensuring product freshness, quality and nutrition for thousands of people in the area.

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Gotham Greens Hydroponic Greenhouse Technology

The Whole Foods rooftop farm includes cutting-edge irrigation systems that use up to 20 times less water than conventional farming, while producing food in quantities 20-30 times greater per acre than field-based agriculture, with no agricultural run-off.

Newly developed electrical technologies reduce energy inputs needed to keep the greenhouse in operation.
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Whole Foods is now a hub for local schools to educate students about farming, hydroponics and environmental sustainability.
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