NEW YORK -- In a neighborhood where old trumps new and small-scale has by and large squashed mass-produced, it was only a matter of time before rural farming dug its way into urban agriculture.
Feeding off the do-it-yourself invoked movement of artisan food and specialized craft, Brooklyn has been transformed by a culture of young creators who reject the corporate mentality and are re-envisioning what living off the land can really mean. From the Science Barge in New York Harbor by New York Sun Works to Brooklyn community gardens installed by Added Value, the push for locally produced foods and victory garden-style production is taking hold. The next step -- urban rooftop agriculture -- was in need only of the individual to weight the anchor.
Wisconsin native Ben Flanner, constructing and nourishing a 6,000 square foot Brooklyn borough rooftop, might be just that individual.
A native of Brookfield, Flanner moved to New York eight years ago. Flanner opted to forgo the corporate ladder in favor of climbing up to a Brooklyn rooftop and -- collaborating with Goode Green roof installation, Growing Chefs educational programming, Broadway Stages, and Annie Novak of The New York Botanical Garden-- installing New York's first overhead urban agricultural project, Rooftop Farms, 44 W. Eagle St.
Asked how much time he's put into the farm, Flanner pauses, laughing, and then responds, "It's just full time, all-consuming at this point."
Flanner's entire farming education has been "do-it-yourself." From reading books to scouring the Internet for methods of disease and infestation prevention, Flanner's self-motivation and work ethic puts him alongside urban agricultural innovators like Jac Smit and Milwaukee's Will Allen.
"Our concept took time but is really quite simple. We transformed a regular tarred rooftop into a 'green roof' with rain catch and then literally dumped soil," Flanner explains. "We've utilized every space with the exception of a few walkways and room for composting and bee hives."
Scrappy in his modern take on age old methods, it's not uncommon for Flanner to joke about outrageous possibilities and to then fully realize them.
"The farm speaks to a larger concept than just growing produce; I think it reflects a way of life and a return to a slower pace. One neighbor came up here the other day and was really excited, wanting to get involved and dig in the dirt. You could just tell it reminded him of things he did when he was a kid," Flanner says.
Flanner insists on calling his practices farming rather than gardening; adamant that in the end, providing greens, tomatoes, peppers, herbs and roots for a community of people rather than just yourself is crucial to ensuring a sustainable impact. In a community enamored with sustainable development, coherent food policy and organic growth, a rooftop farm was simply the next logical step.
"I started everything from seed and it's maybe a little more risky for us this year because we don't precisely know our yield. Quite a few restaurants and vendors have contracted for and use our produce but we do a small market every Sunday, as well," Flanner explains.
And Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood is just the place to start. Combining an invigorated, artistic creative class and with an unending thirst for sustainable, eco-friendly food production, Greenpoint is littered with startup artisans using edible ingredients as functional media.
"I think the trend is greater here in Brooklyn than Manhattan; we have the right kind of people, idea adopters, if you will. But, really the biggest thing is that the right demographic moved to Brooklyn 10 years ago and really worked to spread the culture," Flanner says.
Farming culture is by no means new to Brooklyn and certainly not to Greenpoint. A vibrant farming community as far back as three centuries ago, when Brooklyn wasn't yet part of New York City, Greenpoint sat isolated yet fertile, feeding the growing populations of Brooklyn and New York for decades.
And just as those farmers traveled by boat to sell produce in nearby Manhattan, Flanner travels by foot to sell produce at markets just down the street.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Maureen Post grew up in Wauwatosa. A lover of international and urban culture, Maureen received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
After living on the east side of Madison for several years, Maureen returned to Milwaukee in 2006.
After a brief stint of travel, Maureen joined OnMilwaukee.com as the city’s oldest intern and has been hooked ever since. Combining her three key infatuations, Milwaukee’s great music, incredible food and inspiring art (and yes, in that order), Maureen’s job just about fits her perfectly.
Residing in Bay View, Maureen vehemently believes the city can become fresh and new with a simple move across town.
