What is Vertical Farming & Hydroponics, and Why It's Important Today

Vertical farming is a method of growing crops indoors in vertically stacked layers instead of spread-out fields. These farms typically use hydroponics (growing plants in nutrient-rich water) or aeroponics (feeding roots with nutrient mist) instead of soil. By growing food in climate-controlled environments, vertical farms give growers full control over light, temperature, and nutrients. This results in faster growth, higher yields, and year-round production.

You might also hear vertical farming referred to as indoor farming or controlled environment agriculture (CEA). These terms highlight its key advantage: consistency. Rain or shine, snowstorm or heatwave, vertical farms produce fresh food every single day.

Key Benefits for Our Food System

Vertical farming is a practical solution to some of today's biggest challenges in food production:

• Better Food Security: Local indoor farms shorten supply chains, reducing reliance on imports and lowering risk when global logistics get disrupted.
• Massive Water Savings: Hydroponic and aeroponic systems can use up to 90–95% less water than traditional farming.
• No Pesticides Required: Many vertical farms grow completely pesticide-free, thanks to controlled conditions.
• Year-Round Freshness: Weather-proof farms ensure fresh, local food is available every season, even in northern and harsh climates.
• Urban Accessibility: Vertical farms can be placed in cities, near grocery stores, or in unconventional spaces (for example, containers or repurposed buildings), cutting down on food miles.

📖 Further Reading: Check out What is Vertical Framing: the Definitive Guide for a more comprehensive understanding of vertical farming.

1. Futurae Farms

Who They Are & What They Do

Futurae Farms is a modern vertical farming company dedicated to bringing fresh, healthy food to urban communities. Based in the U.S., they use a fully automated hydroponic system to grow high-quality leafy greens and herbs year-round.

Their mission is to close the gap between farms and city tables by building farms close to where people live, helping reduce food miles and ensuring fresher produce.

Their Unique Approach

Futurae Farms integrates AI-driven monitoring systems to control temperature, light, and nutrient levels. This automation allows them to deliver consistent crop quality while reducing labor costs, making their farms both efficient and scalable. They also focus on sustainability at every step of the way, using renewable energy sources and recyclable growing mediums.

Why They're One to Watch

• Tech-forward farming: AI and IoT enable precision agriculture and reduce waste.
• Urban focus: Farms are strategically located to serve local communities quickly.
• Sustainability first: Energy-efficient lighting and closed-loop water systems minimize their environmental footprint.

2. Allwell Greens

Who They Are & What They Do

Allwell Greens is a Queens/Long Island City–based indoor vertical farm focused on pesticide-free heritage Asian greens. The farm grows varieties such as bok choy (see their product listings) and supplies retailers in NYC and beyond.

Their Unique Approach

The team runs a hydroponic, pesticide-free operation aimed at bringing fresher Asian greens to mainstream markets. They emphasize product integrity and sustainability, including a waste-reduction program that uses ~98% of each plant and composts the remainder. Distribution includes local partners and regional grocers listed on their "Where to Buy" page.

Why They're One to Watch

• Category leadership: A vertical farm dedicated to heritage Asian greens—an underserved category in indoor ag—now getting traction with larger retailers.
• Urban, pesticide-free supply: Grown in NYC for freshness and short supply chains.
• Sustainability practices: Minimizing waste at harvest and packaging.

3. 80 Acres Farms

Who They Are & What They Do

80 Acres Farms is one of the most recognized names in vertical farming, operating large-scale indoor farms across several U.S. states. As their name suggests, their farms can produce the equivalent of 80 acres of traditional farmland indoors. They deliver fresh produce like leafy greens, tomatoes, herbs, microgreens, and salad kits to grocery stores, aiming for high freshness and local supply.

Their Unique Approach

Their facilities use advanced robotics, machine learning, and fully automated climate control systems. They recycle water and nutrients in closed-loop systems, minimizing waste and avoiding washing produce post-harvest because their systems are highly sanitary. This combination of technology and sustainability helps them grow food year-round without relying heavily on the external climate. Lastly, they also track metrics like gallons of water saved, food loss avoided, and miles of trucking eliminated by localizing the supply chain.

Why They're One to Watch

• Massive production scale: Ideal for meeting large retail and foodservice demands.
• Product diversity: They grow a wide range of leafy greens, herbs, microgreens and offer salad kits that are ready-to-serve.
• Data-driven farming: Their platform collects data from every plant, every day, to optimize performance.
• Sustainability metrics: Their farms have saved millions of gallons of water, reduced food loss, and slashed transportation emissions by sending produce fresher and closer to consumers.

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4. Vertical Harvest

Who They Are & What They Do

Vertical Harvest is a pioneering vertical greenhouse company founded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with a mission to "grow food and futures." Their model addresses two big local challenges: the need for fresh produce in areas with short growing seasons and the need for meaningful employment for people with disabilities. Their flagship greenhouse opened in 2016 and became North America's first vertical greenhouse, producing fresh, local food year-round while employing a workforce where 40% identify with a disability.

Their Unique Approach

Vertical Harvest operates as both a farm and a social enterprise. They grow premium leafy greens and microgreens indoors, using hydroponic systems that optimize water and nutrient use. Beyond farming, they run Grow Well, a customized employment program that designs roles around each employee's strengths. This approach creates a fully integrated workplace and improves employee engagement and retention.

Why They're One to Watch

• Social impact: Nearly half of their workforce are people with disabilities, creating jobs that are both inclusive and empowering.
• National expansion: Their new Maine facility and pipeline of future farms position them as a leader in community-based vertical farming.
• Sustainability focus: Their farms reduce food miles, save water, and contribute to local food security, aligning with the New England Food Vision goal to produce 30% of food locally by 2030.

5. Just Vertical -- Build Your Own Farm with Us!

Who We Are & What We Do

At Just Vertical, we specialize in building custom indoor farms, grow racks, container farms, and full turnkey solutions for organizations that want to take food production into their own hands. Whether you're looking to grow fresh produce in a warehouse, retrofit a shipping container for year-round harvests, or add a hands-on educational tool to your school, we've got you covered. Our team combines years of expertise in agriculture, engineering, and design to create farms that are efficient, easy to operate, and built to last.

Our Unique Approach and Case Evidence

Our solutions include:

• Commercial Grow Racks: Modular and scalable for warehouses, schools, and food banks.
• Container Farms: Our container farms are fully outfitted for year-round production and easy to deploy.
• Custom Farm Design: Tailored solutions for builders, developers, and institutions.
• Consulting, Training, and Support: We help clients succeed from start to harvest.

We have featured real case examples on our blog, including:

• In our Seneca College project, we retrofitted two shipping containers into hydroponic gardens for the Newnham Campus. These containers are equipped for an array of leafy greens and include full HVAC, custom hardware, and complete irrigation systems. The gardens serve both as educational/research platforms and supply fresh produce to the college cafeteria.
• More recently, in our Moldova project with Katalyst Kitchens and GlobalMedic, we installed 20 grow racks with 960 individual plant sites in a former Soviet era building to provide fresh produce through the winter.

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Why We're One to Watch

• Partnership-driven: We collaborate with schools, non-profits, community organizations, and governments to maximize impact.
• Proven adaptability: Our solutions function well in harsh climates, remote locations, and non-traditional farm spaces.
• Focus on education and empowerment: We deliver systems and build capacity with training and knowledge transfer.

FAQs about Vertical Farms

1. What crops are best for vertical farms?
   Leafy greens, herbs, and microgreens thrive thanks to short growth cycles and compact size. Some farms also grow tomatoes, peppers, and berries.
2. How much does a vertical farm cost?
   It depends on scale. Small rack or container setups may cost tens of thousands; large warehouse farms can reach millions. Our ROI Calculator can help estimate payback periods.
3. How long until a vertical farm is profitable?
   Most farms aim for break-even in 2–5 years, faster with premium crops and solid sales channels.
4. Do vertical farms use a lot of energy?
   Yes, mainly for LED lighting and HVAC. Energy-efficient systems and renewable power can significantly reduce costs, see Container Farming in Harsh Climates.
5. Is water use really lower?
   Yes — hydroponic and aeroponic systems use up to 95% less water than traditional farming.
6. Are vertical farms pesticide-free?
   Most are. Controlled environments prevent many pests, eliminating the need for chemicals.
7. Can they work in any climate?
   Yes. Controlled systems make vertical farming viable even in extreme regions.
8. How do vertical farms improve food security?
   They localize food production, shorten supply chains, and ensure year-round availability.

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Conclusion

Vertical farming is no longer a concept for the distant future; it's becoming a realistic, scalable, and vital part of our food system. The companies profiled above, Futurae Farms, Allwell Greens, 80 Acres Farms, Vertical Harvest, and Just Vertical, each bring something unique to the table. Whether through technological innovation, premium product quality, scale, or community empowerment, they are helping define what the future of sustainable agriculture looks like.

At Just Vertical, our mission is to ensure that no individual, organization, or community is excluded from the benefits of Vertical Farming. Whether you want to deploy a container farm in a Northern region, grow racks in an urban space, or develop a custom facility for your institution, we aim to be your partner from planning to harvest.