Find the best urban farms in Brooklyn

The 5,6-acre (25.000-square-meter) organic urban rooftop farm that grows vegetables and honey for local restaurants, markets, and communitysupported agriculture is located on three rooftops in Brooklyn and Queens. The two farms in Brooklyn are at Navy Yard and Sunset Park. All locations offer guided tours by friendly and knowledgeable staff, workshops on food, farming, wellness, sustainability, business, and beyond, as well as farm dinners by famous chefs, and sunset yoga on the roof.

Gotham Greens’ sustainable greenhouses are sun (and wind) powered and climate controlled for year-round growing. From an observation deck just outside The Cafe at Food Bazaar, you can observe a wall of windows and an expanse of greens that spans 20.000 square feet (6096 square meters). The lettuces and herbs are gathered and delivered to fine restaurants and grocers across town. They offer free tours during which you can learn about their process as well as get a chance to try the product.

This community farm is one of Brooklyn’s largest located on what used to be a concrete baseball field. It is run by Added Value, a nonprofit that trains teens in the logistics of urban agriculture, from planting seeds to making compost and selling the food. Over 15.000 pounds (6800 kilos) of produce are harvested each year, and hundreds of volunteers and host community events are welcomed throughout the growing season. Local restaurants and residents buy the farm’s produce – more than 30 crops in all, including arugula, beets, okra, heirloom tomatoes, chard, beans, garlic and basil, as well as cut flowers.

Sitting on top a converted factory building in the newly renovated Brooklyn Navy Yard, Rooftop Reds serves red wine as well as white and ros  as well. The tables are arranged under row upon row of vines growing in planters, that have been specially devised for rooftop viticulture. With views of Downtown Brooklyn and with Sea Planes circling overhead on approach to land in the East River, it’s a world unto its own. The vines only yield one barrel of wine a year, which explains why the majority of the wines on offer is from the NY Finger Lakes. The rooftop grown wine is available, but it’s a precious commodity and sold by the ounce. The Navy Yard is serviced by all forms of transportation as well as the NYC Ferry but it’s a big 300-acre (1,2-square-kilometer) complex so be prepared for a bit of a walk depending on where you enter. Once there, you’ll step into another world, full of wine, conversation, and pizza ordered from a local delivery and brought right to your table.