WEST TOWN — It's an unusual sight, this row of young fig, apple and pear trees growing in an industrial section of West Town.
Stranger still: The trees have taken root in eight inches of soil, on a warehouse rooftop 15 feet off the ground.
Green roofs and urban farms are on an upswing in Chicago. This one, The Roof Crop, is unique and not just for its unexpected location, founders Tracy Boychuk and Molly Meyer said.
Here's the twist in the business model: Acting essentially as tenant farmers, Boychuk and Meyer will install, maintain and harvest the Omni systems at other buildings under lease agreements.
DNAinfo Chicago discussed the rooftop farm business on WGN 720AM during Saturday's Noon Business Lunch with Steve Bertrand. Each week, DNAinfo Chicago joins Steve to discuss neighborhood "Openings and Closings" on the show:
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