Farm Sprouts Atop The Bowery Mission

Red Door E-Newsletter - July 2011

 

Hope is blossoming on the roof of The Bowery Mission in the form of a vegetable-producing farm. The rooftop project aims to serve the community’s hungry with a variety of fresh, nutritious vegetables. And it will empower our students with new skills and confidence.
The farm is the vision of Matt Krivich, Director of Operations at The Bowery Mission. He believes “the coming harvest will provide healthy options to the homeless men and women here, and to local hungry people who can’t afford to eat healthy.”
Because we’re producing it all ourselves, costs are lower — so we can provide help to more people. And the community has pitched in too – we received seeds from Whole Foods <Link>, Greensulate <Link> has donated building supplies and Pratt Institute <Link> is working with their students to design a plan to develop the rest of the rooftop.  
Additionally, Krivich notes, “many of the homeless men here take tremendous satisfaction cultivating the farm. It’s rewarding for them to learn to contribute to a steady, sustainable supply of fresh food.”

The Bowery Mission's rooftop farmHope is blossoming on the roof of The Bowery Mission in the form of a vegetable-producing farm. The rooftop project aims to serve the community’s hungry with a variety of fresh, nutritious vegetables. And it will empower our students with new skills and confidence.

The farm is the vision of Matt Krivich, Director of Operations at The Bowery Mission. He believes “the coming harvest will provide healthy options to the homeless men and women here, and to local hungry people who can’t afford to eat healthy.”

Because we’re producing it all ourselves, costs are lower — so we can provide help to more people. And the community has pitched in too – we received seeds from Whole Foods, Greensulate has donated building supplies and Pratt Institute is working with their students to design a plan to develop the rest of the rooftop.  

Additionally, Krivich notes, “many of the homeless men here take tremendous satisfaction cultivating the farm. It’s rewarding for them to learn to contribute to a steady, sustainable supply of fresh food.”

As an added benefit, the farm will actually insulate our roof and ceiling too — reducing summertime energy costs!

Now, Krivich anticipates funding needs of roughly $5,000 to complete the project. Once that goal is reached, the farm will become one more critical tool The Bowery Mission uses to help hungry New Yorkers get the food they need. 

To learn more about volunteering in The Bowery Mission’s rooftop farm, please email Matt Krivich or contact him by phone: 212-674-3456 x 103.