SKY HIGH BLOOMS: Berkeley farmer grows flowers in the sky on amazing rooftop farm

ByCornell Barnard KGO logo
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Berkeley farmer grows flowers in the sky on amazing rooftop farm
An East Bay farmer is helping to Build a better Bay Area by taking her crops of plants and flowers to new heights.

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- An East Bay farmer is helping to Build a better Bay Area by taking her crops of plants and flowers to new heights. Located high on a Berkeley rooftop, where this entrepreneur is looking to give back to her community.

"Right now, I've got a lot of flowers I need to get into the world," said flower farmer Joanna Letz.

Most days, you can find Letz tending nearly a quarter acre of sweet peas, zinnias, and edible chocolate cosmos.

Letz's Bluma Farm isn't Earthbound. It's in the sky. Located on the roof of a six story apartment building in Downtown Berkeley, where she's leasing space.

"It's a nice view it doesn't get old," Letz added.

It could be the first working rooftop farm on the West Coast, all certified organic. Letz sells culinary herbs to restaurants, and flowers to local stores.

She recently downsized from a two acre farm in Sunol, relocating to Berkeley to give back to the town where she grew up.

"Hopefully people will see how wonderful it is to support a local farm and everything we do here," said Letz.

A sophisticated irrigation system keeps the flowers happy. The building was originally designed to support a rooftop farm.

Benjamin Fahrer designed the sustainable farm, he says the Bay Area needs more of them.

"Love to see more rooftop farms, were working with different projects in San Francisco, it's a great habitat for bees, hummingbirds," said Fahrer.

Joanna Letz says competing hasn't been easy. She says roughly 80 percent of flowers sold in California are imported,

But she's digging in.

Lutz says she's always looking for volunteers on her farm. If you'd like more information you can find it here.