Rooftop Farming

When in a city, its skyline is often what’s most impressive. Recently, what’s more impressive is that topping those roofs is no longer just pavement. The green roof movement is pushing city slickers to remove the blacktop from their roofs and cover them in green. By growing vegetables, fruits, and other plants on rooftops, the movement aims to decrease storm runoff, create urban heat, and provide natural insulation. In a survey by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, an organization representing companies that create green roofs, it was discovered that green roofs cover 6 million to 10 million square feet, a 35 percent growth since last year. Schools use green roofs to get kids involved, churches utilize their greenery to teach volunteers about growing and cooking their own food, and some green thumbs simply enjoy getting their hands dirty. Whatever the reason, green is definitely the new black.