High-rise horticulture

photo credit: dcgreenworks

      Roofs are good for many reasons: they keep out the weather, they provide support, and now with the growing "green roof" movement they provide a spot for plant growth.
      The United States Environmental Protection Agency is working with cities across the US to promote the implantation of green roofs. Benefits, according to the EPA include reduced energy use, reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, improved human health and comfort, enhanced stormwater management and water quality and improved quality of life.
       The EPA says that green roofs can cool the temperature of the roof to below air temperature, while conventional rooftops can be up to 90 degrees warmer.
       Green roofs can not only be a source of relief from the heat, they can also be a source of food.
       Popupcity.net features five rooftop farms that produce produce in major cities. One of these farms, the Brooklyn Garage Farm, is boasted as the largest rooftop farming operation in the world.

photo credit: brooklyngarage

       Founded in 2010, the farming operation grows over 40,000 pounds of organically-cultivated produce per year, the operation's website states.
      New York is beginning to see possible green, other than the produce. In June of 2012 the city began looking for private developers to build a farm on a 200,000 square-foot roof of a warehouse, Patrick Wall reports.

pictured: a future farm, photo credit: google earth

       This potential operation would bring jobs and fresh produce for the area, Wall's story says. If you live in an area with a green roof you could buy food picked straight from your roof, talk about buying locally!

       What do you think of urban horticulture or green roofs? Do you live an area with one, or work one? If so leave a comment below sharing your experience.
      Got a topic you want to see covered? Leave a comment below and I will add it to a list of stories.
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