Things are getting downright pastoral at one of the last places New Yorkers might expect: John F. Kennedy International Airport. Not only is the airport developing an animal handling cargo terminal called The Ark, where penguins will have room to mate, horses space to run, and dogs, a bone-shaped pool to play in, but word from DNAinfo says that JetBlue Airways is bringing a farm to space just outside of Terminal 5. The peculiar initiative is part of an effort to beautify JFK. The 24,000 square foot farm will have 3,000 crates of blue potato plants, 2,000 herbs, and a variety of vegetables like beets and arugula.
The idea to bring a farm to the airport isn't a new one; it took the airline three years to get the go-ahead from JFK officials who were worried that the flora would attract unwanted wildlife. But, through a partnership with GrowNYC, JetBlue's sustainability department has settled on a selection of plants that deter birds and animals. "An airport seems like an unexpected place for a farming experiment, but what better way to explore our role in the food cycle than to harvest right in our own back yard at JFK," JetBlue's Head of Sustainability Sophia Mendelsohn said in a statement. The airline's also exploring their role in the food cycle by partnering on the project with chip maker Terra. JetBlue hopes to eventually use some of the potatoes to make the Terra chips served in-flight, and to donate herbs to local pantries. The farm won't be accessible to the public at first, but JetBlue hopes to use it for educational programming in the future.
· Potato Farm Coming to JetBlue Terminal at JFK [DNAinfo]
· JFK's Pet Terminal Will Feature Horse Showers, 'Poo Chute' [Curbed]
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