Deep in the heart of Brooklyn there lie towering apartment buildings, factories, warehouses, and… a farm? As of 2012, the Brooklyn Grange, located on the roof of Building no. 3 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, is the world’s largest rooftop farm. It’s got an amazing view of midtown Manhattan, lots of dirt, some pretty kicking fruits and vegetables, and more bees than I’ve seen anywhere else in the city.

Our tour guides, Chris and Kenya, put a lot of emphasis on eating locally grown food, conveniently coming from the growing number of farms in and around New York City. They brought up some interesting points about the hazy origins of a lot of the produce we buy at the supermarket, and how it makes no sense to have food come all the way from, say, Ecuador, when you could get it down the street at a farmer’s market. Plus, organic produce, though it does cost more, is much healthier and less chemical-ridden, as our guides pointed out by handing us all some cucumbers they picked off the plants in front of us. After eating some of it, I couldn’t help but wish there were more farms near my patch of New York to provide me with some local produce.

There are, however, downsides to local organic farming, most of which have to do with its cost. Local organic farming, though highly beneficial to the neighborhood’s ecosystem, is not as cost-effective as it is innovative. The Grange is finding additional ways to boost its revenue by hosting events in a section of the giant roof that still has concrete on it.

The Grange is fairly off the beaten track, about a fifteen-minute walk from the nearest subway stations. It is, however, completely worth a visit, though you’ll want to stop by the ATM for some cash before you go to buy some produce. Farms in the city seem to be the next big thing, and it’s definitely a thing I’m excited for.