Brightfarms plans largest hydroponic greenhouse in country in Long Island City


Sample of a Brightfarms hydroponic greenhouse

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The largest rooftop hydroponic greenhouse in the country is close to
coming to Long Island City. Brightfarms, a Manhattan-based firm
that designs, builds and operates high-tech farms, is in the final
stages of negotiating the lease of a 32,000-square-foot space on top of
a building near LaGuardia Community College, the New York Daily News reported.
The company will not only move its headquarters there, but also plans
to invest $1 million to build a 25,000-square-foot rooftop hydroponic
greenhouse, in addition to building 7,000 square feet of office space.
The project will bring 25 jobs to Queens the first year and 30 over the
following two years. The plan is for the construction to take place
this coming March, so that by the end of the spring the farm can
produce 200,000 pounds of fresh produce annually for the local
markets. Hydroponic systems are a method of growing plants using
nutrients in water without soil. Currently, the largest such farm in
North America is is Lufa Farms in Montreal with 30,000 square feet.
[NYDN]