With more peoplemoving to citiesthan ever before , many are looking to urban farming as thefuture of sustainable agriculture . But develop crops in the city is n’t as simple as dumping soil on a rooftop and planting some seeds . If Farmer were to use real dirt in their rooftop gardens , they ’d likely terminate up with beat plants , news leak , dirt compaction , and in extreme cases , cap collapse .
That ’s why alternatively of crap , rooftop farmers cultivate their crops in something called “ grow media . ” This futurist - sounding grunge substitute is cautiously engineered to mime the properties of natural shite and improve them as well . It ’s made from a portmanteau of mineral and organic matter , which could include rice hulls , ground coconut palm husks , pumice stone , or sand .
Annie Novak , co - founder and farmer of Brooklyn’sEagle Street Rooftop Farm , tellAtlas Obscurathat compost blend can depart greatly . The grow media she uses at her rooftop farm is made from mushrooms , peat moss , and extra components likeperlite(a mineral made by air - puffing volcanic crank ) and vermiculite ( a mineral particulate ) .
In order for growing media to be suitable for rooftop gardening , it must first pass a rigorous solidification of regulations . In improver to not containing any organic soil , all produce media must be unfertile , stable , and open of in good order continue and drain water while providing enough air for the plants to breathing place . Nutrients , salinity content , and pH levels must all equip specific criteria , and most importantly , the develop media necessitate to be heavy enough to resist wind and pee while not so lumbering that it compromises the structure of the roof .
Today there are only six rooftop farms in New York City , but there ’s plenty of potential for the city ’s future . In just New York City alone , there are some 1 million buildings with a total of38,256 acresof cap space . That ’s a lot of rooftop wait to be filled with fake dirt .
[ h / t : Atlas Obscura ]
