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Green roof Annie Novak has farmed in nine different countries, but never on a farm that required climbing on a flight of stairs. This 6,000-square-foot organic farm is on the roof of a warehouse in Brooklyn. Were already growing our fall squashes, and were saying goodbye to our summer fruits, Novak said. Started in April, it is the nations first commercial working farm built on a green roof. The owners grow and sell more than 30 varieties of fruits and vegetables to local restaurants and residents. Besides the food, green roofs offer big environmental benefits. The soil on this roof can absorb up to two inches of rain, preventing rainwater from picking up pollutants on the ground before it enters storm drains. When it goes out the drain, it hits a very antiquated sewage system that when its overtaxed just pumps everything out into the ocean, Novak said. Lisa Goode, who designed this farm and builds green roofs for homes and office buildings, says they reduce utility bills. This basically acts as an air conditioner for the heat that rises through a building, Goode said. The soil and plants also save owners money by extending the life of roofs. Youre protecting your roof, because youre removing it from UV rays and ice and cold, Goode said. While this rooftop farm in New York is exceptional, it is not unique. There are green roofs sprouting up all over the country. Green roofs on top of both Chicagos city hall and San Franciscos California Academy of Sciences keep the buildings 10 degrees cooler in the summer and that much warmer in winter. A hospital in Green Bay, Wis. and a firehouse in Raleigh, N.C. just installed green roofs. The two-and-a-half acre green roof on the Target Center Arena in Minneapolis will keep a million gallons of storm water from flowing into the Mississippi River every year. And you might be surprised to learn that one of the largest green roofs in America was build Ford tough on top of a truck plant in Dearborn, Mich. Annie Novak ho