Intervale Green Rooftop Farm is a rooftop farm on top of Intervale Green, the nation’s largest multi-family, Energy Star certified building located in the Crotona East section of the Bronx. Since 2010, residents have been farming 1,600 square feet of the building’s green roof to grow fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers for their families and to build a healthy, vibrant community. Intervale Green is home to 128 families, some of which garden their own plots for the full season and others of which participate in the garden on volunteer days, where they weed, plant and harvest food in the community plots for their neighbors and their families. Intervale Green is just one of the green buildings developed by WHEDco, a non-profit working in the Bronx to create affordable, sustainable housing and strong communities that residents can be proud of.
In addition to providing space to grow food, green roofs collect and reduce storm water runoff and improve the air quality in the area, which is greatly needed in Crotona, the neighborhood with the second highest asthma rate in the Bronx. By filtering and diverting water from the City’s sewer system, Intervale Green contributes to cleaner waterways and beaches.