If you walked by 37-18 on Northern Boulevard in Long Island City, you probably wouldn’t give it a second thought. But what if I told you that up on the roof there is a 40,000 square foot farm?

 
In line with a growing involvement in sustainability, LaGuardia’s 2010-2011 academic year will kick off with a college-wide focus on food and sustainable consumption.

This fall’s Opening Sessions theme will be “Food for Thought: Strategies for Educating a Sustainable Community.” The Common reading will be Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation.

LaGuardia Community College dietetic technician students are doing their part to educate low-income residents in Queens on the importance of good nutrition by conducting food demonstrations and nutrition workshops at three farmers markets in Astoria, Elmhurst and Jamaica. Throughout the summer, some 14 students will show neighborhood shoppers how they can improve their diets by buying fresh fruits and vegetables that have been grown by local farmers.