We spoke to Chase Emmons, the chief beekeeper at Brooklyn Grange, about the storm's impact on their farm and beehives. Although the rooftop farms survived the storm, Brooklyn Grange Apiary experienced catastrophic destruction. Most of the beehives, bees, and equipment were lost- totaling $10,000 in damage.

"Our strict goal is coming back bigger and stronger than we were this year. We are not going to let this set us back. No matter what we are coming back next year." -- Chase Emmons of Brooklyn Grange

On this episode of Greenhorn Radio, Severine interviews Michael Meier from the Brooklyn Grange Farm in Long Island City, Queens. Michael is a south Florida citrus country native who was introduced to farming as a youngster spending summers at his grandparents' farmstead in the North Carolina Smokies. He moved to New York City in 2005 and quickly became a part of the local food scene there. He spent a few years working in the ad industry and honing urban homesteading techniques to grow food on the side, before taking an apprenticeship position in 2011 at Brooklyn Grange, a one-acre rooftop farm in NYC. As farm manager with Brooklyn Grange this season, Michael is learning what it takes to run a quickly expanding farm business and is working towards a lifetime career in agriculture, whether on city rooftops or in the country like normal folks. Tune in to hear Michael talk about the Grange's role in the urban farming landscape, and how it serves as a model for a for-profit farm that can help feed the city. Hear about some of the factors that make Brooklyn Grange different from a traditional rural agricultural farm. This episode was brought to you by Hearst Ranch.

"The point of our farm isn't to try to provide every last vegetable or leafy green people need in the city, but to help create a business model for a sustainable urban agriculture that works and can generate jobs and revenue... Looking at the environmental benefits and the educational and social impact that we have, it's a constellation of things, but we are a farm and our main priority is producing food... We're hoping that by constantly testing, working, and spurring innovation in this space that we'll help grow an industry." --Michael Meier on Greenhorn Radio

This week on Let's Eat In, our hostess Cathy Erway talks with Chase Emmons of Brooklyn Grange and Tim O'Neal of Borough Bees. Our guests have teamed up to start a 30 hive apiary at the new Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm in the Brooklyn Navy Yards. Tune in to hear how Chase and Tim got their starts in beekeeping, the surprising demand for NYC honey, and the plans for Brooklyn Grange's apiary this season. Learn about bee genetics, and how Chase and Tim plan to breed bees that are adaptable to New York City's weather and conditions. In other words- local New York bees! Thanks to this episode's sponsor, Whole Foods.

"When I started keeping bees, I joined the local beekeeping organization and I was the youngest member by 60 years." -- Tim O'Neal on Let's Eat In

"You want cold winters so bees can make it through the winters. They'll go more dormant, so to speak. If they don't go dormant and they stay a little too active, they go through all their emergency food supplies, which is stored honey." -- Chase Emmons on Let's Eat In