I conceived and drafted a piece for New York magazine, titled Sky Farming, about the concept of growing food in urban structures. While the idea had been around for some time on a small scale (such as hydroponics), “vertical farming” as it is now understood was developed by Dickson Despommier, a professor at Columbia University, who went on to write a seminal book and inspire students and practioners alike. Since the piece I wrote for New York magazine was published in October 2007, urban farming has gone from futuristic to realistic, with commercial farms being developed around the world. According …
