FarmRoof, a Hawaii company based out of Waimanalo, has just leased the entire 38,000 sq ft roof top of Auto Mart USA in Kakaako. One of the pioneers of urban agriculture in Hawaii, FarmRoof stated that they will be operating an organic garden and grow kale, arugula and mustard greens to supply the community, retailers and local restaurants. Through a special irrigation system developed by FarmRoof, crops need approximately 90 percent less water than conventional farming. According to FarmRoof, the first crops grown on the Auto Mart site will be ready for harvest in about a month and the public can sign up on its website www.farmroof.com to receive information about where to buy the produce.
Kamehameha Schools, which owns the land under Auto Mart USA, has announced that they would consider adding other rooftop gardens to their properties in the Kakaako Area. Senior asset manager for Kamehameha Schools, Christian O'Conner, stated, "We're working with the community to create a vibrant environment in Kakaako. The concept of farm to table is right on the money for us because of the vast agricultural lands we have. This takes agriculture and integrates it into a vertical format."
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 1-5-2012, www.staradvertiser.com Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor Global Executive Realty, LLC www.myhawaiihomesearch.com www.myhawaiicondo.com www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
