Dorchester Restaurant begins Its Fourth Growing Season on their 5,000 square foot rooftop farm, Others Expected to Follow
Ledge Kitchen and Drinks in Dorchester is set to begin its fourth growing season with Green City Growers. Ledge partnered with GCG and Recover Green Roofs of Somerville, MA to build a 5,000 square foot farm on the roof of their Dorchester restaurant, the largest installation of its kind in the city. It was completed in June 2010 and has been maintained by the farmers at Green City Growers ever since.
Ledge will enjoy the benefits of growing hard to find and otherwise expensive herbs and vegetables on their rooftop, providing the freshest cocktails in Boston. When asked about Ledge’s rooftop farm, General Manager John Comeau pointed out the produce could not get any fresher. “At Ledge, we are committed to providing our guests with the freshest ingredients available. Because we are able to serve produce picked right from our rooftop farm, which is visible from our outside patio area, we are bringing a whole new meaning to ‘local food’.”
Although it is becoming more commonplace for restaurants to advertise the minimal miles it took for their products to reach consumer’s plates, Ledge and a handful of other GCG clients can claim ultimate local bragging rights by measuring in mere feet. Local food, which is defined as produced within a 50-mile radius, is a growing industry in Massachusetts and around the world. Its growth is indicated by the increase in successful winter farmer’s markets offering produce year round, as well as the popular trend in “growing your own”.
Consumers are turning to local food for many reasons, including environmental stewardship, increased nutrition, and food safety. With the increase of popularity in local food comes benefits such as decreased energy for food transportation and storage and investment in the local economy (just to name a few).
Green City Growers is at the forefront of helping small business owners and consumers become more familiar with the many reasons to look for food produced locally. Their growing list of restaurant clients includes B. Good restaurants, Somerville Flatbread, Ula Café, and Ole Grille. The restaurant farms engage not only the staff that helps maintain the farm, but the customers enjoying the fresh vegetables. At Ledge, all rooftop products are indicated on the menu and many guests are getting a taste of the hyperlocal movement for the first time.
Green City Growers isn’t satisfied with introducing what they see as the new normal to just restaurants patrons. In their effort to cover the entire city with edible urban farms, no space is out of the question for growing as long as food can survive there. GCG works with residents, houses of worship, schools, and employee wellness programs to install gardens for as many people as possible. This summer, their work is being extended to a grocery store rooftop, and shoppers will soon be able to purchase the fresh grown produce directly in the store below.
