Farming in 3,200 Milk Crates For a High-End Restaurant in Manhattan

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  • Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
  • During my trip to NYC, I visited Jonathan Sumner, the Farm Manager at Riverpark Farm, one of the most unusual urban farms I've ever visited.
    He grows in 3,200 individual milk creates on real estate that's probably some of the most expensive in the city. All of the produce goes to Riverpark, a celebrity chef-owned high-end restaurant right on the water, surrounded by the Bellevue Hospital and the UN building.
    In this long tour, we dive deep with Jonathan and learn how he's producing such epic harvests out of what looks to be a challenging growing space - many small crates, crazy wind, and minimal sun.
    IN THIS VIDEO
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    - / riverparknyc
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 599

  • @epicgardening
    @epicgardening  5 років тому +57

    0:00 - Intro
    1:04 - Greenhouse
    3:10 - Surrounding Area and Growing Challenges
    4:03 - Growing Fresh Lima Beans
    6:43 - Why Grow In Milk Crates?
    8:59 - Cover Cropping Milk Crates
    11:51 - Irrigating Milk Crates
    15:11 - Growing Okra and Sorghum
    17:15 - Walking Tour of Beds
    23:46 - Growing Indigo to Dye Cloth
    26:05 - Sun Challenges and Crate Rotation
    33:22 - Outro and Taste Test of Different Produce

    • @northeastslingshot1664
      @northeastslingshot1664 5 років тому

      Thank you!! My next light order comes in 3 weeks. Ill email you in 2. 😀

    • @frankkrist750
      @frankkrist750 4 роки тому

      Epic Gardening 8

    • @johnlombardo7816
      @johnlombardo7816 4 роки тому +1

      Which restaurant? I live and work 50 mi north. I'm interested

    • @johnlombardo7816
      @johnlombardo7816 4 роки тому +1

      Is it called riverpark?

    • @Msvalexvalex
      @Msvalexvalex 4 роки тому +1

      @@johnlombardo7816 I think it's Riverpark. Strawberries and flowers in the food pictures on their website corresponds with this video. 😊

  • @cheryltavares2757
    @cheryltavares2757 3 роки тому +64

    I love how you have become the ambassador of sustainable gardening all over the world. Thank you for introducing all the other techniques and not appear to be competing.

  • @BrendanMcGinley
    @BrendanMcGinley 4 роки тому +52

    I grow in containers in Manhattan and as I'm watching this it keeps answering for every question I have. This is going to be the most time-saving video I watch all year.

    • @Ashas.Garden
      @Ashas.Garden Рік тому +1

      Waiting to see if they discuss air quality issues.

  • @melanieorsted8181
    @melanieorsted8181 4 роки тому +41

    This is facinating! I can't imagine the challenges involved in growing here, but to have the chef and farmer collaborate so closley blows me away. Thank you for this video!

  • @TacticalPoppins
    @TacticalPoppins 4 роки тому +63

    Wow. That is one determined farmer. Looks like a big pain to grow in those crates. Amazing what they are doing. The watering spikes are super cool

    • @mjs5663
      @mjs5663 3 роки тому +2

      And so young. I think of farmers as in their late 50s but both of them look so young with “old” experiences- when did they start gardening/farming to have so much knowledge of the science of the intricacies of gardening/farming. Just insanely spectacular !!! Thank you, thank God for sharing your gifts 🤗

  • @erickpodwill9074
    @erickpodwill9074 5 років тому +150

    You know, I actually disagree in general with the comments about talking too much. I think that you help keep the video focused and moving along, and it’s more interesting to hear a conversation than a monologue in my opinion.
    Great video and really enjoy these various tours.

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +43

      appreciate that. One thing I think a lot of watchers forget is that any of the people I interview have never been on camera before, so sometimes you need some help remembering what to talk about or getting extra information pulled out of them!

    • @lesrussell2
      @lesrussell2 4 роки тому +10

      @@epicgardening I agree, but when you cut them off mid-sentence it is really jarring as a listener. I love the nature of this and love the channel but I almost had to turn it off many times because you kept interrupting the person. I get moving and leading people in the right direction, but when they're in mid-sentence it seems like you're saying the way you say it is better, which negates the purpose of having a guest.

    • @johnyhobo5528
      @johnyhobo5528 3 роки тому +3

      @@lesrussell2 Totally. He just kept cuttting the dude off for no reason. Such an obvious need for protagonism. This guy is too used to being the star of his own show. Worst than cutting the dude off, was not even looking at him at times or turning his head away from the conversation just to check how good he was looking on camera. The little dude was a bit submissive and the op just totally took advantage of it, dominating the scene the whole time. This video had a lot of potential but ended up being a video about how the op was so knowledgeable about every single thing the other dude had to say. His 1 million subscribers made him forget about the fact that ihe's just a dude who grows a bunch of plants in his backyard. It's what we call the small backyard gardener insecurity syndrome. The other dude was just so patient and humble. Respect!

    • @hope4humanity222
      @hope4humanity222 3 роки тому

      This is a HUGE moveable and urban farm! Highly necessary if we want to learn from what he’s doing.

    • @andreaberryman5354
      @andreaberryman5354 3 роки тому +2

      Agree. It's an interview. Supposed to contain tons of talking. Lol

  • @samanthawoodman2428
    @samanthawoodman2428 4 роки тому +67

    I love the fact that he is also growing indigo to dye things for the restaurant alongside the food he is growing for the restaurant!

    • @harriettejensen479
      @harriettejensen479 4 роки тому +7

      There are also a number of vegetable and fruits that produce beautiful dyes.

    • @Chris-ib5ht
      @Chris-ib5ht 4 роки тому +9

      @@harriettejensen479 Tumeric is one of my favorites. Very beautiful colors

    • @versuvia
      @versuvia 3 роки тому +11

      Yes! Very cool! Got me thinking as a textile designer why I'd completely ommitted growing my own dye plants for dying, spinning weaving!!! Indigo was our very first intro to textiles as a young student! So used ot buying my dyes!

  • @NaturesAlwaysRight
    @NaturesAlwaysRight 5 років тому +44

    Wow using the crates is a fascinating idea. I love how he "Rotates" the crops to get the best light and keep the soil healthy, very smart.

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +13

      Dude, it's crazy. He goes to the nth degree with what he's got. Gave me a ton of ideas for my much easier to manage space :)

  • @Afterburner
    @Afterburner 3 роки тому +22

    It would be a good idea to check in with Jonathan to see how things are going for him now that Riverpark is permanently closed... Would be a good episode to catch up with how he is doing.

    • @yy-sf1xq
      @yy-sf1xq Рік тому +3

      is that the name of the restaurant?

    • @johnkelly9451
      @johnkelly9451 9 місяців тому +5

      After Covid plus all of the manditory regulations, plus the currently hard economic times with high food costs and inflation, plus all the problems with crops, wars, here and everywhere, we really need growers. An update would be nice. At the very least, he knows how to grow his own food. Praying all is ok with him. I have a feeling he is going to make it anywhere he is.

  • @lauriebennett5321
    @lauriebennett5321 4 роки тому +29

    Suggestion - maybe a Zoom follow up with Jonathan? How the shut down has effected them? What their current situation is? How they see the next year?

    • @joju24
      @joju24 3 роки тому +2

      great idea, I would love to know this too

    • @TheRoflcopter84
      @TheRoflcopter84 3 роки тому +5

      I doubt he’s doing well. The restaurant is permanently closed per google.

    • @dereksmith7491
      @dereksmith7491 2 роки тому +1

      @@TheRoflcopter84 It re opened!

  • @angelawillis145
    @angelawillis145 4 роки тому +16

    This is amazing! As a Southerner, so cool to see lima beans growing in New York! That is a staple in our house at least 3 times a week.

  • @heatherj3030
    @heatherj3030 4 роки тому +10

    This was super interesting, and what a smart farmer! I use 25 gallon grow bags for my peas and some of my tomatoes plants. I put the grow bags into cement mixing tubs from Homedepot or Lowes (about $7), then I just keep a little bit of water in the bottom of the tubs. It is pretty low maintenance for home gardeners like me.
    I really enjoy your channel and I've learned quite a bit from your videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

  • @dollyperry3020
    @dollyperry3020 5 років тому +29

    This would have made a great series. I'd love to know more in depth about fertilizing and watering the crates!

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +9

      Next time I'm there we will definitely do on!

  • @janiceroberts7363
    @janiceroberts7363 4 роки тому +25

    This is so impressive and educational to additions for a home garden. Thank you for this exceptional video.

  • @KellenChase
    @KellenChase 4 роки тому +30

    This was truly fascinating and interesting to watch. Thank you.

  • @BeesNTrees47
    @BeesNTrees47 3 роки тому +4

    I once made a milk crate strawberry tower, with landscaping fabric. You must water a lot, and like he said its tap with high salinity and the salt builds up and diminishes the microbial life of the soil. I couldn't even get strawberries to do well, because I didn't water enough to keep it cool and moist, the large surface area exposed to the sun caused far more evaporation especially with the black coloration. I think at least in the summer you might benefit tremendously from trying to insulate the side walls of these beds, also if you reduce the airflow through the beds it would need less irrigation. The milk crates and landscaping fabric are almost like grow bags, where even the bottom of the sides are exposed to direct air, the surface area that is evaporating is tremendous compared to the surface area of a flat garden plot inside the ground. If you insulate in the summer and reduce air flow you can water less and there will be less salinity buildup and less rejuvenation maintenance. You could also setup a catch below your beds, they are so porous much water must be lost to run off, if you setup some gutters with a return to a reservoir you can save a lot of water and nutrients.

    • @ruthvillalobos9376
      @ruthvillalobos9376 8 місяців тому

      So water does go through the landscape fabric? I wonder if adding plastic around the fabric might help 🤔

    • @BeesNTrees47
      @BeesNTrees47 8 місяців тому

      @@ruthvillalobos9376 I think that would be helpful for water retention but it may lead to issues with low-oxygen microenvironments where the wrong kinds of bacteria could thrive and cause root rot.

  • @wingsandbeaksbirder2312
    @wingsandbeaksbirder2312 2 роки тому +1

    What an inventive young man! You did the best interview with him. I learned so much that I can apply to my container gardening. Thank you for you pertinent questions and letting that gardener talk to us. So many interviewers are not as patient as you. Fascinating!

  • @nomihoch
    @nomihoch 3 роки тому +10

    loved this wonderful set up! My only question is if you set it up two deep why not fill the bottom layer with soil as well? It would absorb the water from the runoff rain. If rotated up and down in addition to what you do now it would give the soil an extra year to decompose and build new biomass.

  • @lovelyzza3694
    @lovelyzza3694 4 роки тому +8

    Love whenever you visit other gardens! More of this please 💜

  • @luciduous
    @luciduous 4 роки тому +14

    Kevin, I'm hooked, you're doing a great job. Keep up the great work!

  • @PetalsonthePavingSlabs
    @PetalsonthePavingSlabs 5 років тому +26

    Very impressive considering all the shade he's in, good stuff.

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +4

      Couldn't agree more...learned a ton talking to him!

  • @putrid_swamp_juice
    @putrid_swamp_juice 4 роки тому +8

    As you said in the video, mind blowing! I will definitely try get a table next time I'm in NYC, post Covid-19. Roof top gardens are becoming a thing here in Norway to prevent sudden down pour of rain from flooding city streets by retaining rain. I hope we will see some roof top farmers also.

  • @earlshine453
    @earlshine453 5 років тому +5

    Great vid. I grow my veggies on my backyard/parking place covered with concrete pavers, in bags ranging from a cubic foot to 100 gallon. In my greenhouse I use a recycled waterbed bag to prevent leaching. I handwater the bags with dug in 3 inch pots ballasted with pebbles. In addittion to no dig, crop rotation and cover crops, I also harvest rainwater, use in place composting when filling new bags and multi species planting such as sprinkle seeding radishes, carrots and spring onions, or fall planted garlic interseeded with carrots in spring. Greetings from Holland.

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +1

      Greetings! Glad to hear your'e making it work in your space as well. I love the rainwater harvesting you're doing...I wish I could do it in my area...I just need rain...

  • @lorenzoduenas1268
    @lorenzoduenas1268 4 роки тому +4

    Awesome you guys are doing a miracle in the heart of the city, I wish you were there 30 years ago when I lived there 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

  • @patacon54
    @patacon54 4 роки тому +2

    That was great! So informative. Thanks for showing us your green kingdom Jonathan. Congrats!

  • @nubiansoaps
    @nubiansoaps 4 роки тому +1

    OUTSTANDING TOUR. Thank you for making this video. Farmer Johnathon is amazng. Keep up the good work.

  • @Rozzie...Brisbane...Australia
    @Rozzie...Brisbane...Australia 2 роки тому +4

    Hell yeah, another great episode from the produce to the plate & everything in-between, keep it up, not that I don't like watching your garden as well, but this is a great eye opener into the world of other plants that are not widely grown on any other Utube shows...

  • @VagabondAnne
    @VagabondAnne 5 років тому +6

    Discovered your channel with this video, so awesome! Thank you! I just got some saffron crocus bulbs and was going to use milk crates for them so I could move them as needed (I saw somebody's video a while back who did this), and then this came up! Love your channel!

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +1

      You're so welcome, thanks for watching!

  • @justjacqueline2004
    @justjacqueline2004 5 років тому +10

    WOW! A Michelin starred farm.

  • @reidweaver
    @reidweaver 2 роки тому +1

    Oh my gosh I love lima beans and they are so expensive to buy fresh, so they are going in our garden this year. My favorite recipe is cooked in my Instant Pot flavored with a demi glace and pancetta or prosciutto and butter. It is heavenly.

  • @ReneeRichterthisonesforyou99
    @ReneeRichterthisonesforyou99 5 років тому +2

    I'm up to 28 crates this year, but because I have so few I use felt/flannel bags inside the crate. Fun to see such a big operation. My biggest challenge is feeding on a regular basis. We make great compost which works great in our beds but due to leaching I don't feed the crates often enough. That's my goal for 2019. Thanks for the video.

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому

      You're welcome, good luck with your containers!

  • @classicrocklover5615
    @classicrocklover5615 4 роки тому +35

    Couldn't he just install a filter at his water source, to eliminate the harsh city water chemicals?

    • @stathisxanthopoulos1933
      @stathisxanthopoulos1933 3 роки тому +8

      I think you can have an open tank and fill it with water from the city's system and after some hours or day the chlorine will have been evaporated

    • @Bebeembop
      @Bebeembop 3 роки тому +1

      That’s what I do with the water I use for gardening. I attach a filter to the hose.

    • @SnowfeetUS
      @SnowfeetUS 3 роки тому +5

      @@stathisxanthopoulos1933 unless the city water is using chloramines which can last weeks

    • @skeesaurs
      @skeesaurs 3 роки тому +5

      @@Bebeembop it depends on the water in each county. There are a bunch of toxic things that are allowed in small amounts, without my tank that takes 3 hours to fill the water tastes like chlorine and has chromium

    • @tomtrask_YT
      @tomtrask_YT 3 роки тому +3

      Harsh city water chemicals? In NYC? They have the best tap water in America.

  • @ginnycecala1897
    @ginnycecala1897 5 років тому +8

    Thank you for this great video. I would enjoy seeing more like this!

  • @yesmayhem2124
    @yesmayhem2124 3 роки тому +1

    I garden in outer borough of NY in backyard grow bags, storage bins and crate because I want height and portability to move plants around as the sun gets harsh in summer months. Cut gallon water bottle. Make rock bags to fill them of double water permeable weed cloth, lava rock an zip ties. Insert at bottom of container to retain water. for large container I poke holes at retention height, fill with lava rock top layer with weed cloth.

  • @jamellakhanworrell904
    @jamellakhanworrell904 5 років тому +1

    I loved this tour. I lived in that area from 1982-1988 in waterside plaza. My daughter attended the United Nations school and I worked at the Trinidad and Tobago mission to the United Nations. It was wonderful to see this video and it brought back very fond memories of my time in nyc. I wish that farm was there at that time.

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +2

      Wow, so glad you enjoyed. Happy to bring some memories back for you!

  • @misst1586
    @misst1586 4 роки тому

    This is your best video for me. Watched whole thing. When you guys talked about rotating the crops I knew he was going to rotate the crates. Excellent.

  • @barbaracarbone4658
    @barbaracarbone4658 3 роки тому +2

    Extremely impressive. How awesome it would be if more restaurants had their own farms.

  • @forageforage3520
    @forageforage3520 5 років тому +6

    This such an awesome project! I remember watching a video a few years back on this farm..it was cool then and it's totally awesome now!

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому

      SO many improvements over the years!

  • @gailgreig8326
    @gailgreig8326 4 роки тому

    Just Fantastic,thanks for taking us! We learn to do with small areas to grow !,

  • @doh2934
    @doh2934 Рік тому +1

    Recycle the foam that many packages come with. Put the foam in the bottom crates. I might be wrong but I think that would offer some insulation and for sure would keep the cold air from blowing right through. Just an idea.

  • @CASohn
    @CASohn 3 роки тому +2

    It would be interesting to see an "update" type video on where this guy is at now, two years later AND "post" shutdown. Being in the heart of NYC during the "Pandemic" and how it impacted everything.

  • @danielyeroshalmi7492
    @danielyeroshalmi7492 2 роки тому

    as soon as i saw the building in the back I said " heyy that looks like manhattan," and then I remember the thumbnail and realize it makes sense to grow stuff in milk crates.... i pass here every day

  • @MEFROMCHI
    @MEFROMCHI 3 роки тому +6

    Epitome of epic gardening!! Thanks for sharing this farm to table garden. So so sad that the restaurant is permanently closed due to the pandemic. Do you know if the garden is still growing?

    • @khm2128
      @khm2128 2 роки тому +1

      The restaurant isn't closed. A quick search reveals that it's open & has a mask requirement.

  • @pplusbthrust
    @pplusbthrust 4 роки тому +1

    And another bonus for this location is never having to worry about the pesky deer eating everything during the night. 🦌

  • @kevg644
    @kevg644 4 роки тому +3

    Show us how you prep and make the milk crates full of soil from start to finish.

  • @system2thinker659
    @system2thinker659 2 роки тому +3

    It's cool you gave this guy a spot on your channel, I'm sure he really appreciates it. Why not have the shots focused around him and his garden though? In other words, the main focus of each shot seems to be you, the host, it's just a little distracting. If feels like you feel the audience won't like your video or the content as much if you aren't the center of attention. No offense haha, I like your channel just trying to help. Hell, maybe I'm alone in this thinking.

  • @eugeneforster3085
    @eugeneforster3085 2 роки тому

    What's most impressive is how he can concentrate on the plants given that level of constant noise from the city. I couldn't even get through 15 minutes of the video because of it.

  • @MsOceanRiver
    @MsOceanRiver 5 років тому +12

    Thanks for the inspiration. I have a small apt balcony and have been considering growing veggies in stacked milk crates. I can grow greens out the sides of the lower crate, I think?

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +3

      Yup, you could have it work for sure!

    • @miriamrobarts
      @miriamrobarts 3 роки тому +2

      If you haven't seen it already, search for strawberry towers built out of milk crates. I've seen videos where they stack the crates 2 or 3 high & grow strawberries on every side. Once the leaves fill in & cover the crates, the towers look nice.

  • @dmoffatt8354
    @dmoffatt8354 2 роки тому

    @Epic Gardening: After watching this video, I feel as if I completed an university course on urban farming; Jonathan Sumner, the Farm Manager for Riverpark Farm is brilliant - I mean WOW! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 💯

  • @racebiketuner
    @racebiketuner 3 роки тому +1

    Wow Jonathan, I am really impressed! I hope we see more of you on this channel.

  • @harriettejensen479
    @harriettejensen479 4 роки тому +5

    I found this super interesting! I have pretty much run out of space in my back yard to plant veggies, but I have a shady side yard that isn't doing much of anything right now. Between this video and the one you did on growing in shade, I now have perhaps another 20 square feet of growing space. I also learned something about mitigating the chlorine in my tap water and doing what meat eaters call "eating nose to tail" of my veggies. When you have a small space and you want to be produce self-sufficient, being able to eat plants at all phases of growth makes each plant and each square foot of garden more productive. Thanks!

    • @normastone1044
      @normastone1044 2 роки тому +3

      @Harriette Jensen
      There is a UA-camr whose channel is called Plant Abundance. He adds Vitamin C/Citric Acid to his water barrel, about a 1/4 teaspoon, to neutralize chlorine & chloramine in his tap water. It's cheap, easy and actually benefits his crops. Check it out.

  • @marnieeddy2352
    @marnieeddy2352 4 роки тому +1

    Sambuca uses anice and fennels that you were chewing :) great flavor.

  • @versuvia
    @versuvia 3 роки тому +11

    Very cool except. Would love to hear more of what Jonathan would have to say - his growing techniques and experiences and the foody aspects like the flavour and texture profiles and how these boutique plants and their respective parts are used in quisine. His contributions were a little bit dominated and interrupted in this interview but found it very inspiring! Thanks!

    • @rorynesta7766
      @rorynesta7766 2 роки тому +3

      you can tell he didnt like the interruptions lol

  • @mattolsson8816
    @mattolsson8816 5 років тому +1

    Add a lined bed and put the crates inside of the bed, this will cut down on wind drying out the soil. Any water leaching when it rains and when he waters can be collected and drained into a separate sump.

  • @OdinX316
    @OdinX316 5 років тому +2

    Awesome!! I hope this catches on! This is the circle of life!

  • @carriewebb5764
    @carriewebb5764 4 роки тому

    Thanks, for sharing this. It's so helpful to see different methods of growing that people are using.

  • @KimberlyBarkdoll
    @KimberlyBarkdoll 2 роки тому

    This is amazing! Talk about the ultimate square foot gardening! lol I love that he is cover cropping. I am in Florida, so I use cowpeas that even grow broad leaves in the sand. I did that after one year of wood chips dumped from the un-sprayed roadside timmers and ran chickens over it 10 days in each section. They ate all the termites, ticks, and insects that I wouldn't want "migrating" to the house. I cedar chipped all the way around the foundation as well. Works like a champ.

  • @jessicacerchiara7620
    @jessicacerchiara7620 Рік тому

    This is such a gem of an older video

  • @NomadMechanic
    @NomadMechanic 4 місяці тому

    Every great restaurant should have their own garden. I would definitely grow for dedicated restaurants.

  • @leopardwoman38
    @leopardwoman38 2 роки тому

    Thank you for showing us a slice of paradise in the big city.

  • @jc6226
    @jc6226 5 років тому +1

    Thanks for this excellent discussion of these unique techniques, practices, and philosophies which make lots of good green plants to enjoy. Given my interests in systems thinking, permaculture and tiny homes, I nerd out on some technical farming details and really enjoyed this vid.
    Hands down one of best videos I have seen on any topic, but especially about a unique urban farming environment where so many kinds of plants coexist in a largely uncontrollable and artifical environment. I think one point that should be stressed is that the levels of organizational complexity at play in that garden are impressive. I think that the intricacy of data collection and planning for every cubic foot of soil as well as attention to all other details of intertwined systems (soil sun water crop rotation symbiotes and parasites, etc), is key to allow for such levels of efficiency and consistency.
    Not that other farms don't do those things, but honestly it seems that both the depth and breadth of attention to details and systems there is far and beyond many other farms. People make small and urban farms work, but sometimes have only rudimentary attention for long-term thinking or systems minutiae like data collection, sanitation procedures and environmental controls. Videos like this elevate knowledge and discussion in the farming world.
    I am building a tiny, controlled environment hydroponics microfarm that will Kratky 32 lettuce, kale and arugula plants in 64oz glass jars in a 4x8x5 foot tall area for weekly market production. I like considering these odd farming ideas, which one may find far-fetched or absurd, and then hopefully seeing them suceed with good planning, understanding, and lots of hard work. Thanks for sharing this example of making things grow where you wouldnt expect.

    • @jc6226
      @jc6226 5 років тому

      P.S. I also just realized that the catchphrase "Making things grow where you wouldn't expect since 2018" is probably not the best for a new business, or any kind of business.

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому

      So glad you enjoyed this video J C - Love your setup as well, please share the videos when they're up!

    • @Todd_Kobell
      @Todd_Kobell 2 роки тому

      Your writing style has the personality of a wet card box. The jar farm idea…ok lol

  • @rcove2885
    @rcove2885 4 роки тому +3

    I'd love to get the relationship like this with a restaurant!

  • @AraceaeFanatics
    @AraceaeFanatics 3 роки тому +2

    How do you prep a milk crate for growing?

  • @patriciarussell8450
    @patriciarussell8450 4 роки тому

    Love this set up. Great to see more sharing their spaces, ideas & tips, Thank you! More need to follow suit, as yes there are a ton of home gardeners and newbies!

  • @petrawey
    @petrawey 5 років тому +2

    Fantastic! Thanks for sharing this tour, totally fascinating, you guys are urban heroes😁

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому

      You're too kind! Thanks for watching.

  • @normangaddy
    @normangaddy 4 роки тому +2

    Where did You get the dairy crates.

  • @RJack1915
    @RJack1915 Рік тому

    We use a trailer home filter on our chlorinated water hose, lasts through 60,000 gallons. Works great. We buy them at Walmart. I do not know if you have Walmart there. But you can buy online.

  • @marilynmarilynohearn476
    @marilynmarilynohearn476 3 роки тому

    Roses love sun and it makes great jellies and scents , Sunflower cleans the soil and it has a small root ball. The flower of course is amazing. There is sunflowers like teddy bear. I hope you can use this. I love what you're doing. Fennel seeds are great.

  • @MsK-xm7vw
    @MsK-xm7vw 4 роки тому +2

    Love this. Why didn't I think of it; I have a sunny carport, can easily get milk crates for free, and I have an old outdoor curtain that I can use to block any dust from the alley (although we're all seniors where I live and we creep down the alleyway). Thank you so much, you've just doubled my growing space and I'm already planning next years crops. I have two things working against me; I rent and am limited with what I can do, and I live in the Alberta Rocky Mountains with an extremely limited growing season. If he can make it work in NYC, I'm sure I can make it work here. I'd be interested in knowing how he makes his arches for covers and how he uses a trellis system for such small individual boxes?
    Another thought...Bees; is he using hives to provide honey for the restaurant and pollinators for the plants?

  • @MARIATORRES-xv6ys
    @MARIATORRES-xv6ys 4 роки тому

    I enjoyed your tour of the urban garden in NY. In my view, the farmer is a hero to the patrons of the restaurant. I hope the restaurant remained open since the start of the pandemic. I’ll visit this restaurant when I go to Manhattan as soon as a vaccine is on the market.

  • @lizdietrich6801
    @lizdietrich6801 4 роки тому +1

    So interesting and inspiring, thank you, Kevin!!!

  • @tdapple1
    @tdapple1 5 років тому +3

    Beautiful operation! Thank you for sharing.

  • @NetEenWaarheid
    @NetEenWaarheid 3 роки тому +8

    Cool venture - just worried about the highway pollution ie dust from breakpads, gasses etc.

  • @scrapwomblecreatives6944
    @scrapwomblecreatives6944 2 роки тому

    using beans will bring back the soil , in the past it was used in the one year field rotation mustard for re feed of the good stuff. three sister planting also helps and plant herbs to increase the good bugs like lady birds

  • @patriciacole8773
    @patriciacole8773 2 роки тому

    Remember you can use alfalfa pellets for for horses as a side dressing fertilizer for all the plants.

  • @SimSpark1
    @SimSpark1 2 роки тому

    i also use mushroomsoil and worms in my crates for enriching the soil and keep it fluffy..if worms leave you know the soil needs better watering and better soil.. Does he use the scraps from the kitchen as compost? Great that indigo, and you can use it for colouring your handmade plates (clay in combo with egg or grinded seashells ;) you can put in an horizontal roller (like at the airfield or sportsclubs) and put the crates on it and rorate the band..like in a asian restaurant.. so you can automate the amount of sun daily...

  • @somethingsomething404
    @somethingsomething404 3 роки тому +2

    how does this work land wise? in Vancouver bc where i live we have "community gardens" where developers allow people to grow plants for a HUGE tax write off. they pay 0 property taxes on lots worth 10/100s of millions of dollars.
    is that what's happening here?

  • @rhondahicks9691
    @rhondahicks9691 4 роки тому +1

    Adding some water filters will help you greatly!

  • @juliekadams
    @juliekadams Рік тому

    It would be nice to be able to go on a guided tour of the garden like this!

  • @Chantilly871
    @Chantilly871 5 років тому +16

    Amazing and crazy cool, next time I go to the city I'm checking this place out! Question for Jonathan: Have you considered growing gourmet mushrooms on location? Mushrooms are my passion :)

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +5

      I think he's considered but space wise and effort wise it hasn't been worth it so far...but I'm with you CJ - I love them

  • @carolinebarrett4736
    @carolinebarrett4736 4 роки тому

    Wow... that’s so fascinating 🥰🥰 and obviously , the fumes and whatnot from the freeway don’t seem to b affecting the crops 😆 love it 🥰

  • @farmco6897
    @farmco6897 2 роки тому

    Gives all new meaning to square foot gardening....Also Justin Rhodes did an American farm tour...he would probably love to have you...hes in NC..Have fun..so cool!

  • @janetdecardenas3469
    @janetdecardenas3469 2 роки тому

    Thanks for sharing this amazing garden. Please feature more things like this on your channel Eric❤️

  • @kevinhharmony8420
    @kevinhharmony8420 5 років тому +2

    Hey dude, I've never seen any of your videos before. I really liked this one for sure. I was born and raised in New York City. It was nice to see this Manhattan crate farm. :D

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому

      Thanks Kevin, appreciate the kind words!

  • @connierogers6853
    @connierogers6853 3 роки тому +1

    Could you put ice in the cartons to melt and add enough nitrogen to the soil that way? What about adding red worms to the soil for more minerals?

  • @tineejohnston9737
    @tineejohnston9737 4 роки тому

    That moment watching you guys seating and eating fennel’s seeds is epic 😇❤️ lol I’ve been watching all your videos and you guys inspire me to farm my little beach lot in Palawan now that I’m retired 😇💞🇵🇭🇺🇸🤟😎

  • @khm2128
    @khm2128 2 роки тому

    I think the two of you worked this interview out great. The farm manager guy is so laid back. If you return to do a 'series' - maybe make a plan with him on a lay out for it. He looks like a 'planner'. Maybe the two of you could collaborate on a book!!!!! 🙂

  • @tarahaugo6522
    @tarahaugo6522 5 років тому +7

    Great video I’m home gardener I grew that same fennel and examined the same details nice to see you young men so detailed ... great work great project I work everyday in my garden in AZ can Not imagine that much responsibility unbelievable he must. Have helpers ...

  • @SeamusHarper1234
    @SeamusHarper1234 2 роки тому

    In this very specialized use case I'd seriously consider planting in hydroponics. You have do do so much work to keep you potting mix going strong, it would be so much easier with bato buckets / dutch buckets for long standing crops or NFT-lines for leafy greens, which are nearly as modular. Since american tap water is not that good, you might need an osmosis filter, but other than that it should be a lot less effort, especially for leafy greens in NFT-lines.
    This is especially true since you are using micro drip irrigation, which is 50% of the work for bato buckets already done.

  • @NomadMechanic
    @NomadMechanic 4 місяці тому

    That tap water need to be first put into a pond type tank with aeration to evaporate the chemicals before pumping into another tank and treated for nutrients before applying to the garden.

  • @annwithaplan9766
    @annwithaplan9766 5 років тому +1

    I grew my tomatoes in milk crates like those a few years back. Worked out great.

  • @brianmarshall3931
    @brianmarshall3931 5 років тому +3

    Interesting idea... though I would definitely not grow food next to freeway contamination.
    Gotta think of a way to reduce the leaching even more, and maybe a different way to get the beds raised to an ergonomic height - one that does not allow winter air to chill from underneath.

    • @epicgardening
      @epicgardening  5 років тому +1

      Lots of ideas for improvement as well, that's what I love about what he's doing.

    • @tomrobertson3236
      @tomrobertson3236 5 років тому +2

      Research has proven there are no contamination from roads any more . Lead free gas . No more asbestos brakes
      The only problem is dust

    • @brianmarshall3931
      @brianmarshall3931 5 років тому +2

      I don't live in a city... used to, right next to a freeway 20 years ago. It very definitely affected all livestock and plants/trees and honey bees in the vicinity. After observing the effects for two years - in all of the neighboring properties as well - I got out.
      Joel Salatin would have a heart attack if he was forced to grow anything alongside of a freeway. I am of that mindset as well... Cities are just not healthy places to "farm" in my opinion.
      "Research" can "prove" anything - as can statistics. I prefer to believe my own eyes. If my bees are not happy, neither am I...

  • @hairdebi
    @hairdebi 2 роки тому +1

    I would love to see how you lined the crates

    • @leonoraperron4751
      @leonoraperron4751 2 роки тому

      Me too!! "Lined with landscape fabric." That's ALL that was shared. Yes, but how? Are they Grow Bags? Folded? Stitched? Fastened?

  • @lorenemccormick3004
    @lorenemccormick3004 2 роки тому

    Absolutely loved this tour! Thanks Nate and Jonathan!

  • @prettyprincess8187
    @prettyprincess8187 2 роки тому

    He is so determined. It's inspirational. I live in a rental and I've been determined to grow in every free container lol I get it.

  • @dclifton3810
    @dclifton3810 3 роки тому +6

    Kevin, I am curios about how Riverpark Farm is surviving since the restaurant is closed due to COVID. Is he able to tend his farm and send his produce out so it doesn't waste?

    • @William_NS
      @William_NS 3 роки тому

      According to the chef's IG, the restaurant has permanently closed.

  • @dannybarrera7637
    @dannybarrera7637 2 роки тому

    I grow wood sorrel and purple wood sorrel on purpose. It's like the lemon candy of the leafy greens.

  • @TheXanUser
    @TheXanUser 4 роки тому +1

    Why not take out all the rows of crates in the middle and create some large sized beds in the middle? -Use the milk crates as the boarder to make raised beds. Could even stack em two high for more depth.

  • @maiko4130
    @maiko4130 3 роки тому

    Very encouraging video! My little shady garden in Tokyo I thought was an impossible challenge, but now I feel like I want to work more on it and get better results! Thank you for sharing!

  • @anusniffer
    @anusniffer 4 роки тому +1

    It's amazing he can grow this all in melk crates.