Brian McCarthy’s journey with Cork Rooftop Farm is one of innovation, resilience, and vision. What began as a Covid-19 lockdown project on the roof of a 6,000-sq-ft city warehouse has grown into a 60-acre organic farm on the outskirts of Cork.

The farm now stands as a striking example of how sustainable farming can thrive in and around urban spaces.

From city rooftop to sustainable fields

The original idea was simple: to show that fresh, healthy food could be grown right in the middle of a city. By sharing the process on social media, Brian captured public attention at a time when food security and sustainability were high on people’s minds.

Today, the farm produces a wide range of organic vegetables, herbs, and eggs, supplying local shops and restaurants. The principle remains the same – to shorten the food chain and prove that cities can contribute to food production in a clean, sustainable way. With produce travelling only three kilometres into Cork city, the farm delivers fresher food with a lower carbon footprint, while keeping value within the local community.

Sustainable cycles in practice

Circularity underpins Cork Rooftop Farm. Waste is treated not as an end point but as part of a continuous cycle. Compost, for example, begins with crops, passes through the chicken coops, and returns to the fields as organic fertiliser, enriching the soil and improving crop performance. Such systems reduce external inputs, cut waste, and build long-term resilience into farming operations. 

Technology and innovation

Innovation is central to the farm’s success. Among its most notable features is Ireland’s only solar-powered robot seeder and weeder, a precision tool that reduces emissions while saving labour. This technology frees up Brian and his team to focus on new projects and demonstrates how modern tools can support sustainable organic farming.

EU support for organics

The growth of Cork Rooftop Farm has been supported by European funding, reflecting the EU’s strong commitment to organic agriculture. Through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), schemes such as the Organic Farming Scheme and the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) provide vital support. For McCarthy, TAMS funding made it possible to invest in the robot seeder – an innovation that enhances both business efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Looking ahead

Cork Rooftop Farm is more than a successful enterprise; it is a model for how cities and their surrounding farmland can work together to create sustainable food systems. By combining circular practices, cutting-edge technology, and EU support, McCarthy has built a farm that not only supplies organic, local food to Cork but also sparks wider conversations about the future of food production in Ireland.