A groundbreaking advancement in sustainable and efficient food production has been achieved with the launch of the “world’s first large-scale indoor vertical berry farm” in Richmond, Virginia. This innovative project is supported by an international team of scientists who view this new agricultural approach as a solution to meet global food demands while addressing environmental challenges.
The Plenty Richmond Farm is engineered to produce over four million pounds (approximately 1.8 million kilograms) of strawberries annually. These berries are cultivated indoors on vertical towers that reach up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall, all within a compact space of less than 40,000 square feet—less than a single acre.
This represents a significant reduction in land use compared to traditional strawberry farming, which is often constrained by seasonal and environmental conditions.
According to the company, Driscoll’s strawberries grown at this facility will be available in grocery stores by early 2025.
“Plenty’s farm will enhance local agricultural output and stimulate economic growth, while mitigating risks and safeguarding the environment,” stated Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. “We are eager to support their pioneering efforts to transform the industry.”
Until now, commercial vertical farming has primarily focused on leafy greens. However, this technological leap expands the range of crops that can be grown vertically. The farm features 12 controlled growing ‘rooms’ where temperature, light, and humidity are meticulously managed.
Additionally, pollination processes have been optimized to surpass the efficiency of natural bee pollination, leading to more consistent fruit quality and reduced waste.
“This farm exemplifies the positive impact of climate-resilient agriculture and demonstrates that vertical farming can achieve the crop diversity, scalability, and localized production necessary to secure the future of the global food system,” said Arama Kukutai, CEO of Plenty. “The Plenty Richmond Farm is the result of 200 research trials conducted over six years to refine the process of growing strawberries with peak-season flavor year-round indoors. Driscoll’s maintains exceptionally high standards for its berries, and we are thrilled to collaborate to deliver premium-quality Driscoll’s strawberries consistently throughout the year.”
This video, released a year ago, highlights the company’s initial efforts in developing the vertical farming model that enables high-yield, year-round food production in minimal space.
The establishment of this pioneering vertical farm marks the culmination of extensive scientific research involving a global team from institutions such as The University of Queensland, Macquarie University, Wageningen University, University of Florida, University of the Basque Country, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, and Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology.
“Vertical farms cultivate crops indoors in stacked layers, ensuring consistent yield and crop quality. However, they require substantial energy for lighting and air circulation,” explained Paul Gauthier, Professor of Protected Cropping at the University of Queensland, Australia. “By creating a dynamic environment that adjusts lights and sensors according to photosynthetic cycles rather than keeping them constantly on, we can utilize cheaper off-peak energy and still harness the benefits of vertical farming.”
“I managed to achieve a yield of 6 kg (13 lb) per strawberry plant when experts claimed the maximum yield in a greenhouse was 2 kg (4.4 lb),” he continued. “By tweaking the environment and pushing the plants to their limits, I tripled the strawberry yield.”
The Richmond farm utilizes 97% less land and up to 90% less water than conventional farming methods, eliminates pesticide use, and reduces pathogenic risks through its controlled environment and shorter supply chain.
“I advocate for treating protected cropping or controlled environment agriculture as a distinct discipline within plant science,” Gauthier added. “To increase food production by up to 70% by 2050, we must adopt new perspectives. Vertical farming offers this opportunity—something we lacked before.”
“By merging our century-long farming expertise and proprietary varieties with Plenty’s state-of-the-art technology, we can provide the same consistent flavor and quality our customers adore—now grown locally,” said Soren Bjorn, CEO of Driscoll’s. “This innovative farm represents a significant stride forward in driving category growth in novel ways for our customers and consumers.”
The research has been published in the journal Frontiers in Science.
Source: The University of Queensland, Plenty, PR Newswire
