FOOD ROOF farm

A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS

We are sad to announce the FOOD ROOF Farm has closed. The building that houses the farm closed and, Urban Harvest STL has worked to repurpose the FOOD ROOF’s growing infrastructure at our network of farms and community gardens.

Learn more about this development and read a letter from our Board of Directors.

Copy of Entire view of the FOOD ROOF Farm featuring farm rows, walkways, greenhouse in foreground of downtown STL building scape.

Copy of Inside greenhouse with tomato and tomatillo plants

Copy of Speckled black and white chicken in front of chicken coop on rooftop farm

Copy of Constructed wooden trellis on FOOD ROOF Farm with tall green plants and the city museum rooftop in background

Copy of Hands washing white daikons in sink - splashing water

Copy of West perspective of farm showcasing trellises, greenhouse, farm rows, shed, and downtown buildings in the background.

Copy of North perspective featuring white hydroponic tower, community hub space with wooden tables and counter space, and farms rows.

Copy of Little girl in pink dress kneeling and inspecting some chard

Copy of Closeup of green tomatoes hanging with farm rows and shed in the background

FOOD ROOF Farm, the first rooftop farm in St. Louis, Missouri, was a model for urban agriculture, sustainable building, stormwater management and community development. Not your typical farm, Urban Harvest STL led the collaboration of architects, landscape architects, green roof experts, horticulturalists, structural engineers, agronomists and urban farmers to create this internationally recognized project.

This exciting 8,500 square foot rooftop was a dynamic example of a green infrastructure, and so much more. For example, the FOOD ROOF farm design was proven to capture up to 17,000 gallons of stormwater per storm event resulting in the reduction and mitigation of stormwater runoff issues in downtown St. Louis.

The farm was also designed to maximize food production while providing a unique community green space and education center, and grew over 200 varieties of edible plants. Other design elements included a shaded and multi-functional community hub space, state of the art greenhouse, chicken house (with a green roof), living wall, and hydroponic towers integrated into a beautiful green space for the enjoyment of the surrounding urban community.

The FOOD ROOF served as a “living laboratory” where urban farmers experimented with various growing techniques – from rooftop soil farming to hydroponics and vertical farming – to test side-by-side which methods work best in St Louis’s microclimate and to inform future rooftop farms in the region.

The FOOD ROOF was also home to a beautiful mural, painted in 2019 by local artists Robert and Liza Fishbone.

““FOOD ROOF in St Louis is one of the best rooftop farms I’ve been to: a great combination of technical, horticultural and social smarts, transforming a bare rooftop into a vibrant community place. I was amazed at what kind, thoughtful people Urban Harvest STL brought together. Add FOOD ROOF to your must-see and support list!””

— Annie Novak, Co-Founder or Eagle Street Rooftop Farm and Author of The Rooftop Growing Guide