Rooftop garden in Queens. Photo courtesy Your Secret Admiral via FlickrNEW YORK—Urban farming is a growth industry in New York City’s concrete jungle, and with little open land available, agriculturalists and beekeepers have taken to the rooftops to pursue their passion.

Andrew Cote uses the emergency fire ladder to climb up to the roof of his East Village building, where he tends to 250 beehives. Cote, a professor of Japanese literature, doubles up as president of the New York City Beekeepers Association and is happy that the city authorized beekeeping in mid-March after an 11-year ban. The ban forced beekeepers into hiding, fearing a $2,000 fine if caught.

“The city wants to plant one million trees, and the trees need to be pollinated,” Cote said. “Our bees pollinate, and they clean the air. It is a way to connect with nature.”

Bees also produce around 100 pounds of honey per hive per year, he said—honey that he sells at the city’s various farmers markets.