But… why?
I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this story. For a variety of reasons (most of them more philosophic than practical) JetBlue has decided to start a farm outside Terminal 5 at New York's JFK Airport.
First of all, the term "farm" is a bit of a misnomer. Looking at the photographs and reading the descriptions, I think "garden" might be more accurate.
The crops were chosen in order to avoid attracting birds to the airport, which might pose a hazard to flights. The airline is growing lavender, kale, and lots of blue potatoes. Of everything that is being grown, the only thing likely to be fed to JetBlue passengers is the blue potatoes, which JetBlue hopes will be used in the TERRA chips that they serve in-flight.
One wonders how excited TERRA is to receive a few hundred pounds of potatoes grown outside an airport. JetBlue protests that it's the same amount of pollution you might find on any average New York city street. I hardly find that a reassuring thought. Lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals often collect in plants grown along roadsides. They aren't generally considered safe to eat.
On the other hand, this is the kind of resourcefulness that people can find inspirational. JetBlue is growing its plants inside plastic milk crates, stacked two deep, arranged in long rows 2 crates wide. It looks like the top crate is full of soil (I presume the crate is lined with plastic to keep it in), and the bottom crate acts as a riser. This is a good way to use up surplus plastic crates, and could be adapted to any rooftop or balcony garden. And with climate change in full swing, it's important to stay nimble where our food supply is concerned.