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Melissa and Wythe sit down at the Heritage Radio Network studio in Roberta's to chat with Ben Flanner, co-founder and CEO of Brooklyn Grange, to talk about the history and future of rooftop farming.Ben walks us through the decade-long history of Brooklyn Grange, which has led the field in turning rooftops into farms in NYC. We talk about the challenges that face rooftop farmers, the innovations that have led their business model to work, the different kinds of crops grown across the many Grange rooftops, and what the future holds. We also brainstorm about edible meadows, urban food forests, and the general eater's shifting awareness about food and agriculture's links to climate. It's a special conversation, and we hope you'll give it a listen!Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Fields by becoming a member!Fields is Powered by Simplecast.
Sustainable Futures: Designing Green Communities and Buildings
This episode, Sustainable Futures is joined by Ben Flanner to discuss the business of urban agriculture, how the Brooklyn Grange weathered the pandemic, and how a rooftop urban food revolution can help improve our communities and the people who live there.
Spread across three roofs in Brooklyn and Queens, New York, is the world's largest soil rooftop farm. It's called Brooklyn Grange, and is run by Gwen Schantz, Anastasia Cole Plakias, and Ben Flanner, who learned how to turn a passion for farming into a profit. This episode is sponsored by Wine Access. Get 25 dollars off each of your first two Wine Club shipments. Just visit www.wineaccess.com/passion . This episode is also sponsored by Indeed. Try Indeed out with a free 75 dollar credit to boost your job post at www.Indeed.com/economy . The Passion Economy has a newsletter! Go to passioneconomy.com to sign up - for free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From Big Ag and "factory farming" to urban micro farms, Anna Jones explores dramatic differences in the scale of modern agriculture. Looking out across the New York City skyline, Anna hears how food can be produced sustainably, affordably and even abundantly on a rooftop in the heart of one of the world's biggest cities. Urban farmer Ben Flanner swapped an engineering career in Manhattan for growing vegetables on top of an 11th storey building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He believes Millennials are reconnecting with fresh ingredients, grown locally, and rejecting sugary, processed food – much of which contains corn syrup derived from the field corn grown under America's industrial farming model. But on his combine in Iowa, rolling through 4,500 acres at the height of the corn harvest, 28-year-old Brandon Pickard says farms have expanded in order to survive. He believes industrial farming is the consequence of a shrinking farming population and expansion is the natural evolution of a successful business. He's proud of his corn crop and says it's helping to feed the world. And Anna visits an organic farm in New York state which is making agriculture more diverse in terms of the crops they grow and the farmers that grow them. Rise & Root Farm is owned and run by four women – two of them are black and two of them are gay. Producer: Anna Jones (Photo: Brooklyn Grange Farm. Credit: Anna Jones/BBC)
Our Moderator Emily gives hard-hitting stories of food in the news to our panelists and they discuss their attitudes and opinions in our Weekly Baste Segment. This week we discuss oysters, rooftop farming, bees, rose, local delivery struggles and more! Our guests for The Weekly Grill are Ben Flanner of Brooklyn Grange based in Brooklyn and Meg Dowe and Drew Nemetz of Yennicott Oysters out on the North Fork of Long Island. It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate The Main Course O.G. is powered by Simplecast.
What does it take to farm in the middle of New York City? Ben Flanner co-founded Brooklyn Grange with the idea that farming could still happen in major urban centers. So they set out to solve this problem and bring agriculture into the city. They found a few warehouses in Brooklyn and Queens and started farms on their rooftops. This journey was one without a roadmap. No one else could show them the way, but they decided to press forward and pioneer a new way to farm. Their farms are impacting the local community in many ways including reducing rain water runoff, brining organic foods right to the doorsteps of local restaurants and farmers markets, and creating community around innovative solutions. In today's episode we also bring in questions from our listeners. Thanks Rebecca, Jackson, and Phoebe for joining the conversation! Topics we discuss in the interview include: sustainable farming, urban farming, solving complex problems, and much more.Check out Brooklyn Grange at their Website, InstagramToday's episode is sponsored by Mighty Travels, Flocksy, and OpportunityInChina.com.More about Ben and Brooklyn GrangeBen Flanner is a co-founder and CEO of Brooklyn Grange, based in New York City. A pioneering urban farm operation, the business farms rooftops, designs and builds green spaces, and promotes sustainable living and local ecology through food, education, and events. The business includes over 3 acres of intensive green roofs, and sells its produce via restaurants, farmer’s markets, and CSAs. Brooklyn Grange is widely recognized as a world leader in urban agriculture, with an unwavering drive to develop the concept with an exceptional green and community minded business. Ben’s experience gardening began at a young age, alongside his mother in their Wisconsin backyard. After earning his BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Ben moved to New York City, where he began a short career in management consulting, and then financial marketing, notably at E*Trade Financial. But his desire to engage more with community than numbers–and more parts of his body than his brain–drew him to the world of food and farming. Ben has presented to audiences including NYU Stern Business School; Central European University; American Farmland Trust, US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA); Slow Money; Barcelona’s Smart City World Expo; MAHA Agriculture Conference in Malaysia; The American Farm School in Thesaloniki, Greece; numerous Northeastern Horticultural Societies, and has been a guest expert on dozens of panels and university classes. He was included in 2016 by the New York City Food Policy Center’s 40 under 40 working to transform New York City’s Food Policies. Ben is a juror on the International Architizer A+ Awards, and he has taught urban agriculture courses in multiple cities in North America, and a course in the Environmental Studies department at New York University (NYU).When he’s not meeting with soil scientists to develop a better growing mix or tinkering with a fussy irrigation pump, Ben can be found whipping up a batch of his homemade bitters, or lacto-fermenting whatever is in season at his Crown Heights, Brooklyn apartment.
From Wall Street to the sky, Ben Flanner is bringing the country to the city - one New York rooftop at a time. More talk: https://www.rebeltechpr.com/rebeltalk-10-brooklyn-grange-ben-flanner/ Rebellion is the lifeblood of any functioning society. Rebels spark revolutions. We believe present times call for more rebels, not fewer, so we've created RebelTalk, a podcast celebrating rebels across every walk of life. Subscribe now to hear stories from troublemakers who think differently and aren't afraid to bend the rules in the name of change and progress. New episodes fortnightly. www.rebeltechpr.com/rebeltalk
In the concrete jungle of New York City agriculture is sparse but Brooklyn Grange have developed the worlds largest rooftop soil farms which produce over 50,000 lbs of organically cultivated produce per year. Ben Flanner, President and Director of Agriculture, joins me on the show today as we discuss his circuitous route to farming, how two rooftop farms can supply some of New York City's finest restaurants including, The Spotted Pig, Gramercy Tavern, and Roberta's, and how his early years in consulting and financial management have impacted his farming practices.
Ben Flanner raises over two acres of vegetables on two rooftop farms in New York. His Brooklyn Grange provides over 50,000 pounds of produce every year to restaurants, stores, farmers markets, and a 70-member CSA. We talk about the nuts and bolts of establishing a rooftop farming operation, the unique challenges of farming above the eleventh story, tools, distribution strategies, and how Brooklyn Grange has incorporated events hosting and outreach into its operation. The Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously supported by Vermont Compost Company.
This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks gets hyper-local with Ben Flanner of the Brooklyn Grange! The Brooklyn Grange hosts two rooftop farms in Queens and Brooklyn and produces vegetables for local markets. Tune in to hear Ben discuss what he learned from his third growing season at the Grange. How do the physical constraints of rooftop farms dictate how and what urban growers can produce? Later, hear Erin and Ben talk about the future of urban agriculture, and how Bill de Blasio’s election could change the food landscape. What does Ben hope the new administration will offer to the food movement? Tune into this episode of The Farm Report to find out! Thanks to our sponsor, White Oak Pastures. Music has been provided by Sleepies. “Land is always our constraint… Our constant challenge is to grow a super high quality product within the space of a roof.” [10:00] “I think there’s a lack of a community hub in our area and time… we’re hoping to fill a little bit of that void.” [21:15] — Ben Flanner on The Farm Report
Spring is coming sooner than you think; time to start planting! This week on The Farm Report, Erin Fairbanks is talking with President and farmer at the Brooklyn Grange, Ben Flanner. Tune in to hear Ben talk about innovations in farm technology, and how these virtually simple tools can increase productivity for small farmers. Hear about the Grange’s expansion to the Brooklyn Navy Yards, and the need for a long-term lease in urban farm security. Hear about Ben’s educational retreat to Mexico, and find out what Ben looks for when scouring a seed catalog! How was the Grange affected by Hurricane Sandy? Find out on this week’s episode of The Farm Report! This episode has been brought to you by Whole Foods. “One of the challenges of urban farming is that you need some sort of long-term stake on some property.” [10:40] “In terms of inputs, everything we need is right here in the city- think about all of the organic waste in New York City!” [15:00] — Ben Flanner on The Farm Report
This week on Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer chats with Ben Flanner, Anastasia Cole Plakias, Chase Emmons & Michael Meier of Brooklyn Grange, a community oriented commercial organic farm located on New York City rooftops. Hear what the crew has been up to and what plans they have in store for the new rooftop farm at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Learn more about storm water management, beekeeping, seed saving and the educational components of the farm. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market. Photo by Cyrus Dowlatshahi “We’re living in a city who’s sewer system was built well before a period of rapid development. With all these non-porous surfaces that have been added, there’s a lot more water entering the sewer system. Now people are looking for creative ways to manage storm water, such as green roofs, and a farm like ours can store much more storm water than a normal green roof.” –Anastasia Cole Plakias of Brooklyn Grange “In the new farm at the Navy Yard we will have between 20-30 beehives. Part of that project is genetic-oriented. In three years or so we hope to end up with New York City genetics, bees that are adapted to their environment. We want people to purchase bees from us, not just honey.” –Chase Emmons of Brooklyn Grange on Straight, No Chaser
This week on Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer chats with Ben Flanner, Anastasia Cole Plakias, Chase Emmons & Michael Meier of Brooklyn Grange, a community oriented commercial organic farm located on New York City rooftops. Hear what the crew has been up to and what plans they have in store for the new rooftop farm at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Learn more about storm water management, beekeeping, seed saving and the educational components of the farm. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market. Photo by Cyrus Dowlatshahi “We’re living in a city who’s sewer system was built well before a period of rapid development. With all these non-porous surfaces that have been added, there’s a lot more water entering the sewer system. Now people are looking for creative ways to manage storm water, such as green roofs, and a farm like ours can store much more storm water than a normal green roof.” –Anastasia Cole Plakias of Brooklyn Grange “In the new farm at the Navy Yard we will have between 20-30 beehives. Part of that project is genetic-oriented. In three years or so we hope to end up with New York City genetics, bees that are adapted to their environment. We want people to purchase bees from us, not just honey.” –Chase Emmons of Brooklyn Grange on Straight, No Chaser
This week on Let’s Eat In, Cathy Erway welcomes in the new year with a great panel of friends and colleagues. She’s joined by Ben Flanner of Brooklyn Grange, Laena McCarthy and Emma Krautheim of Anarchy in a Jar & Patrick Connolly of Bobo. The group discusses the many challenges that face loyal locavores in winter, the branding of Brooklyn & favorite date meal recipes. Tune in and start 2011 off on the right foot! This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. For more information visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com. Kale, one of the more abundant local winter crops
This week on The Farm Report, Heather & Erin are joined by friend of the station and rooftop farming extraordinaire, Ben Flanner. They discuss the progress of the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm, and touch upon many of the important elements that help bring fresh and delicious produce from a roof to your mouth. This episode was kindly sponsored by the folks at Cain Five Vineyard & Winery.
Ben Flanner from Brooklyn Grange (www.brooklyngrangefarm.com) talks to Heather about their brand new rooftop farm in Long Island City, their fundraiser this Saturday at Roberta’s, and their Kickstarter.com campaign.
This week’s guests are Robert Sietsema & Ben Flanner.
This week on the Farm Report, Adam Horwich & Ben Flanner talk about Urban Gardening in Greenpoint.