SUSTAINABILITY IS THE GOAL.
We take pride in the benefits that our green business brings to our City and community. Sustainability is our goal but it is also a process, and every day we’re working to improve our systems, reduce waste, and increase our impact.
WASTE
We do everything in our power to avoid wasting food, and our farm is much more efficient with food distribution than the agriculture industry as a whole, where as much as 25% of produce ends up in the landfill. We compost all of the organic and food waste from our events, landscaping services, farms and greenhouse operations.
WATER
Our green roofs and other green spaces absorb rainfall, helping to reduce the effects of Combined Sewer Overflow on our city’s many waterways. Our farms are irrigated using highly efficient drip and overhead irrigation systems, which we control using timers and rain sensors, and every year we improve our systems to reduce water use.
Air
Our rooftop farms, and the farms and gardens we build for our clients and partners are all working every day to make the air in New York City cooler and cleaner. By taking in carbon dioxide and breathing out oxygen, our green spaces clean and filter the urban air, combatting climate change and improving public health.
FARMING METHODS
All of our soil-based farming practices adhere to organic principles and guidelines, meaning we only use products for pest management and soil amendment that are OMRI certified. While our hydroponics system is not yet organic, in 2021 we are embarking on a year-long project to transition to organic hydroponics.
ENERGY
Because we are a mainly outdoor business, the sun provides the vast majority of the energy we use to grow our crops and light the way. We burn natural gas to heat our greenhouse and events space in Sunset Park, and we use electricity to fuel our office, events space, coolers and greenhouse systems. Our fleet, which we use to delivery food and bring landscaping materials around New York City, is gasoline-powered, and we are committed to transitioning our entire fleet to electric as part of our 5-year plan.