A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending an event at Brooklyn Grange, a rooftop farm in Long Island City. My understanding is that it is the largest urban rooftop farm in the country, which is pretty impressive to me. It is set up on the roof of the Standard Motor Building (37-18 Northern Boulevard), and is the size of approximately an acre. 1.2 million pounds of soil are on that roof, too!
They grow everything organically up there, which of course resonates with me, as an organic gardener myself. They grow a lot of different kinds of things, especially tomatoes – they grow over 40 different varieties! Greens of all kinds are another popular crop, and I also saw a lot of peppers growing up there. In addition to the vegetable matter, they also keep beehives and chickens. The bees help pollinate the plants, and the chickens hang out, eat the bugs and fertilize the soil (eggs are a happy side benefit).
I attended the event on behalf of We Heart Astoria, and was happy to be there with my fellow WHA writer, Judith.We were invited by a Udi Urman, a press officer from the Consulate General of Israel; the Consulate partnered with Open House New York as well. Additionally, the food was prepared by Israeli chef Einat Admony of Balaboosta, a restaurant in Manhattan. There were also wines from Israel available. Both the food and drink were excellent.
An additional Israel connection has to do with the irrigation system at the farm – it’s designed by a major, world-class Israeli company that is at the forefront of innovative technology in this field. This irrigation system is a major element of the farm and of course the crops wouldn’t exist with out it.
When we got up to the roof (five flights up via elevator, then walk up two more), I was struck by how narrow the farm was; I really imagined it would be much wider and more expansive. However, upon second look – and after a short tour of the farm – I relaxed into the space and it did seem larger. They really do grow a lot up there.
After we stepped out onto the roof, we were offered a glass of wine – a Recanati Sauvignon Blanc from Israel – and looked around, taking in the landscape around us. It’s pretty amazing how there is an actual farm high up above the city. It was also very windy and a bit cooler compared to the warmer, calmer air down at street level.
During the evening we were served a number of delicious things. I especially loved the ceviche and the smoked eggplant bruschetta. The cauliflower with roasted pepper tahini was also very good. But what was really special about it all was that the vegetables and herbs used that night were picked from the farm that day. Everything was extremely fresh.
It all went well with a lovely rosé sangria with peaches, basil, and thyme. This sangria made everyone happy.
Another nice element of the evening was the live music..
Everyone had just a lovely time. And the views and sky that night were gorgeous.
Overall, it was a beautiful night, a perfect way to head toward the end of summer. Brooklyn Grange is an amazing place to be and it’s so cool to be in the middle of a farm in the middle of one of the greatest cities in the world. I felt happy and honored to be there. Many thanks to Udi and the Consulate General of Israel for the invitation.
For more pictures from that night, please head over to my OHNY Brooklyn Grange photo set.
