After visiting and speaking with urban farmers in different cities, you quickly realize how different each operation is. Every farmer is utilizing their space in a unique way, growing something different, and has a different business model. No two urban farms are alike. This is especially evident at the farm at Riverpark in Manhattan.
The farm at Riverpark is nestled between the FDR, a highway that runs along Manhattan’s east side, and the Alexandria Center in Manhattan. The farm is utilized by Tom Colicchio’s restaurant, Riverpark, located just a few feet away from the farm. The farm is a partnership between the restaurant and the Alexandria Center, “Because the farm is not the main revenue stream for either business (Riverpark and Alexandria Real Estate), neither business would suffer a large financial loss if something were to happen to the farm. Not being a landowner nor business owner, not having to grow my living, and not having to find a market for my product all allow me to experiment with more difficult and perhaps less productive crops without taking any financial risk”, Jonathan explains.