Farm.One opened the doors on its first neighborhood farm in Prospect Heights last Thursday.
Located in a 10,000 square foot warehouse space on Bergen Street, the new farm will grow a wide variety of species including many microgreens, herbs, and flowers available for purchase.
“When we started, vertical farming was really new,” Rob Laing, founder of Farm.One told. “Nobody really knew if it was going to actually be a thing.” Still, he isn’t all that surprised by the industry’s growth. “New York has acres of rooftop space, thousands of unused basement spaces. We have a lot of resources here and a lot of smart people. I think it’s inevitable that we have become a hub for urban agriculture,” he said.
In addition to the new farm, there is also an event space with a glass wall, allowing for a full viewing experience of the crops. This space will be used for tasting tours where over 100 unique plants can be sampled, as well as lectures on food and agriculture. There are also talks of a cocktail menu and daytime cafe service. “Obviously it’s more difficult and time-consuming, but it was something we really believed in,” Laing said.
“We are trying to make New York City a place where urban agriculture is really happening and is thriving and is helping people get access to good food,” Laing said. “It’s obviously not just one organization that can do that. It takes a bunch of different voices.”
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