(Dow Fellows Program 2015)

As a part of the Dow Masters/Professional Sustainability Fellow 2015 Cohort, we worked to develop and assist in the success of a new microgreen greenhouse in the basement of The Black Pearl Restaurant called Black Pearl Gardens. Our group’s client was Christy Kaledas, a microgreen grower hired by the Black Pearl to transform their basement space into a greenhouse. All of the crops grown will be served at the Black Pearl restaurant and other local businesses, in hopes to both localize the menu further and promote business by advertising sustainability. Fellows worked on and provided recommendations for many different aspects of the project: social media analysis, project development/operations, logistics recommendation, environmental analysis, analysis of the space, growth plan, and financial feasibility. The following report details what we hope can be used as a case study for future urban farmings.