Our Approach to Sustainable Agriculture

There are many ways to farm responsibly and sustainably. Our approach is tailored to our unique geographic location.

Our methods conserve precious natural resources. Our proximity to the market reduces impacts from transportation. We continually strive to make improvements to make our operations even more sustainable.

Land

Gotham Greens’ methods farming yields 20-30 times more product per acre than field production while eliminating any use of arable land. Our approach has no negative impacts on precious soil resources. We essentially use less space to grow more while protecting soil resources and biodiversity. Gotham Greens never uses genetically modified seeds.

Water

At Gotham Greens we understand that water is an invaluable resource. Agriculture is the largest consumer of fresh water on the planet. Re-circulating hydroponics is the most water-efficient form of agriculture in the world. Gotham Greens’ advanced irrigation system uses 20 times less water than conventional agriculture while eliminating all agricultural runoff. Runoff is the one of the leading causes of global water pollution.

Energy

In order to efficiently operate our greenhouse year-round, Gotham Greens has carefully designed its facility to reduce energy demand. The electrical needs of the greenhouse facility will be met, in part, by a 56 kW on-site solar PV system that will annually produce 70,000 kWh of electricity. A sophisticated computer control system ensures that climate control equipment operates efficiently to reduce resource consumption. Gotham Greens has incorporated several advanced thermal design features that will result in substantial reductions in heating demand, reducing fossil fuel use. Our rooftop greenhouse acts similarly to vegetated ‘green roofs’ by helping to mitigate the urban heat island effect while insulating the building below.

Food Miles

Gotham Greens’ proximity to its customers eliminates the need for long-distance, refrigerated food transportation, while improving quality. We sharply reduce transportation fuel consumption and the associated carbon emissions and air pollution.

Integrated Pest Management

Gotham Greens products are free of any harmful chemical pesticides, insecticides or herbicides. We employ integrated pest management solutions, including biological controls such as using beneficial insects to prey on harmful pests.

Community and Workers

Gotham Greens is committed to providing year-round jobs in a safe, healthy and enjoyable working environment. Our staff are local residents from the nearby community. As our production expands, we will offer more of our products in our local community and other areas with limited access to fresh produce. Gotham Greens is proud to support City Harvest - Rescuing Food for New York's Hungry.