Urban farming has grown in popularity over the last decade with new farms sprouting every few months in New York City. The entire niche industry is now seeing more growth than ever before with new city regulations that allow expanded farm sizes and investor interest in scaling the urban farms into larger businesses. The spur of the urban rooftop farming movement was put forth by early pioneers that saw potential in building healthy and delicious farming alternatives right in the heart of New York.

At the forefront of urban rooftop farming was Broadway Stages' Eagle Street Rooftop Farms located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which started in 2009 with help from expert farmer Annie Novak. Almost a decade old, Rooftop Farms is considered to be NYC's iconic farming destination, ranking first in EcoWatch's list of NYC's urban farming projects.

Local newspaper AM New York stopped by this week to showcase the positive benefits of Broadway Stages and Annie Novak and their partnership in helping grow a niche community that is focused on providing fresh quality foods right in our own city.

"Now there's a positive shift from the community who want to see these spaces," Annie says. Annie reminds everyone that the produce grown at Rooftop Farms, which ranges from kale and spinach to other vegetables, source the quality ingredients served at local restaurants including Anella's, Spritzenhaus, and Marlow & Sons.

While serving restaurants in the Brooklyn area, Rooftop Farms also makes sure to include local residents to share the experience of urban farming. Rooftop Farms invites Brooklynites to come and visit the rooftop on Sundays, participating as urban farmers or as locals who are looking to purchase fresh ingredients. The farm also hosts educational workshops for students to learn about the positive environmental benefits of urban farming and offers a demonstration of how the farm grows its vegetables. Rooftop Farms is perfect for New Yorkers who want to learn about urban farming and eat fresh. Come visit us soon!