Brooklyn Grange – Sunset Park Rooftop Farm Site Visit

by: Bowen Chang

The Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, exemplifies how industrial urban infrastructure can be reimagined as productive ecological space. Established atop a 3.2-acre warehouse roof without structural reinforcement, the site integrates soil-based farming, composting, and community programming within New York City’s dense built environment. As one of the largest rooftop farms in the United States, it serves both as a model for climate-adaptive reuse and as a living laboratory for urban food systems. This visit focused on the farm’s material and spatial configuration—particularly its soil system, irrigation methods, and labor organization—to understand how design, ecology, and management practices intersect in the creation of resilient urban agricultural spaces.

Site Context:

• Location: Rooftop of an industrial building in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, adjacent to the Sims Municipal Recycling Plant (NW, primarily metal processing) and the Vera Institute of Justice (SW).

• Affiliation: Operated by Brooklyn Grange, reportedly in partnership with United Works.

• Overall Area: Approximately 3.2 acres, of which about half is cultivated farmland.

• Structure: The host building’s roof is structurally sufficient without additional reinforcement, suggesting robust load-bearing capacity typical of older industrial construction.

Soil and Growing Medium:

• Depth: ~10 inches of engineered soil.

• Composition: Blend of mushroom compost and fine gravel, optimized for drainage and low weight.

• Weight: ~85 lb/ft³ (1,360 kg/m³) when saturated — light enough for rooftop conditions.

• Installation: Soil was pumped to the roof from ground vehicles during setup.

• Drainage & Irrigation:

  • Excellent drainage but high evapotranspiration necessitates frequent irrigation.

  • Municipal (tap) water is used rather than recycled or rainwater systems.

Shading and Microclimate:

• Limited shading from rooftop structures or machinery;

• Insufficient protection for workers, indicating thermal exposure and limited comfort infrastructure.

• Exposure supports plant growth but increases water demand and heat stress risk for both plants and laborers.

Cultivation and Operations:

• Farming Practice: Predominantly hand-based, with minimal mechanization.

• Crop Strategy:

  • Historically focused on high-value vegetables;

  • Since the COVID-19 pandemic, shifted toward order-based production (e.g., CSA and local buyers).

• Seasonality:

  • Cover crops planted in winter to retain soil structure and fertility.

  • Active growing concentrated in warmer months.

Labor and Organization:

• Workforce: ~7 workers, primarily part-time and local residents.

• No migrant labor, reflecting both the urban location and the scale of operation.

• Seasonal employment mirrors growing cycles; team members often multi-task (farming, maintenance, education).

Key Observations / Implications:

• The load capacity of industrial roofs can accommodate substantial urban agriculture without structural reinforcement—relevant precedent for adaptive reuse.

• Engineered soil systems offer a workable compromise between drainage, weight, and fertility, but reliance on municipal water suggests room for improvement in circular water systems (e.g., rainwater harvesting).

• The labor-intensive, small-scale model aligns more with community and educational goals than with large-scale food production efficiency.

• Microclimate management (shade, water, heat) remains a major operational and design concern for rooftop farms.