Levi’s Stadium project tackles climate change at its root

By Anne Makovec, Molly McCrea

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    SANTA CLARA, California (KPIX) — At Levi’s Stadium — home to the San Francisco 49ers — there is a winning strategy to address a warming planet, nine stories above the gridiron.

On the rooftop, there’s a working organic farm known affectionately as the Faithful Farm. There, all kinds of produce is sustainably grown and served on the premises.

“It’s the crown jewel of Levi’s Stadium,” remarked Executive Vice-President and General Manager of Stadium Operations Francine Melendez Hughes. “We use all of our produce, whether it’s in game fare, whether it’s an event like a concert or private events.”

The farm features nearly 40 rotational crops and herbs.

“This feeds a heck of a lot of people. We grow thousands of pounds of food up here every year,” explained Farmscape co-founder Lara Hermanson. Farmscape is the largest urban farming company in the nation. You might say Hermanson is also the quarterback of the working farm.

“No other football stadium In America has an almost quarter acre organic farm on the rooftop,” said Hermanson.

“We get with the farmers up there. And they ask us, “Hey, what do you want us to grow for you?'” noted Alvin Kabiling, the Senior Executive Chef at Levi’s.

The stadium chefs give the farmers a wish list, which now includes the spicy mizuna sprouting on the roof. They use fresh spices grown on the roof such as rosemary, mint, basil, and sage. The eggplant sandwiches and caprese salads are huge hits, and the hot peppers spice up the salsas and sauces.

One year, a bumper crop of cucumbers was turned into fresh, crisp pickles. The farmers try to keep to a “red-gold” color scheme. It took some time, but they found the most beautiful red and gold edible flowers that often serve as a garnish.

“It doesn’t get much better than fresh produce grown from on top,” said Executive Sous Chef Juan Carlos Vasquez.

“We can brag that we have produce growing on the roof. We’re the only ones that can say that,” added Kabiling with a smile.

Most of the produce is gown in soil that’s only nine inches deep. The crops are drip-irrigated, using recycled water. In the middle of a concrete jungle, the farm is a lifesaver for critical pollinators.

“This farm becomes a stopover point for bees, for butterflies, for hummingbirds and all sorts of migrating birds,” explained Hermanson.

Before Silicon Valley, the Santa Clara Valley was known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight. It was an agricultural paradise, packed with orchards, flowering trees, and plants. The Faithful Farm is a small reminder of the history and importance of greening an area.

Whatever produce they can’t use, the 49ers donate to Second Harvest Food Bank in Silicon Valley.

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