Did you know that there is enough flat, rooftop space in New York City to grow vegetables for 15 million people?

We haven't even begun to tap our potential for sustainable agriculture. But that could all change -- with the help of experiemnets going on aboard the Science Barge in New York.

Come see the hi-tech systems they've got going -- hydroponics, fish farming, altenrative energy. It will open your eyes to the possibilities. Who knew "controlled-environment agriculture" could be so cool?

Keeping agriculture sustainable -- which usualy means local -- is not just a rural reality. It is possible for city dwellers, too. And there are good reasons to make it happen. Besides the environmental benefit of reducing reliance on fossil-fuel guzzling transportation, eating local food is a more seasonal and often healthier experience. With concern about food security growing, it might turn out to be safer, too.

The folks in charge of the Science Barge, a new urban farming experiment in New York, are bringing local food production closer than ever. In this video we take a tour of the floating greenhouse facility, which is designed as a demonstration of how urban space, especially rooftop space in big cities like New York, can be used to efficiently produce food.

Self-powered by solar panels, wind turbines, and a biodiesel generator, the Science Barge uses state of the art computer technology and an agricultural technique called hydroponics to grow fruits and veggies using much less water and space than field farming. Watch out, city slickers. Farm country is coming to your neighborhood.

See more cool RiverWired videos on a wide range of Eco-Friendly Topics.