Things are turning greener and more organic for New York's very own John F. Kennedy International Airport as JetBlue Airways introduces a farm outside Terminal 5. The airport announced the move of having the "T5 farm" on Thursday.
The farm is an addition to Ark, the development of an animal handling cargo terminal, where penguins can mate horses can run and dogs have a bone-shaped pool to play in.
The idea is part of the effort to beautify JFK where a 24,000 square foot farm will be planted with at least 3,000 crates of blue potato plants, 2,000 herbs and some variety of vegetables such as beets and arugula.
It took JetBlue Airways three years to get the permission from JFK officials who were worried that the plants may attract unwanted wildlife. However, the airline made sure to select certain plants that deter birds and animals. They added that they intended to produce over 1,000 pounds of blue potatoes with each crop.
"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. "Our customers expect T5 to offer them unique experiences."
The farm is a collaboration among JFK, GrowNYC, the Port of Authority of New York, New Jersey and Terra (Real Vegetable Chips), airline's signature chips brand.
GrowNYC and JetBlue have long been partners since 2012 wherein the airlines has offered a temporary Greenmarket in its terminal and regularly sells the former's products at a T5 store.
The world is turning to brands that take care of the earth. JetBlue is getting ahead by introducing this one of a kind peculiar idea to the market. It will not only make them look more earth-friendly, it will also provide the raw materials for their signature chips.
Have you tried Terra Blues? Do you think it is a bright idea to come up with a farm in the airport?
