World’s first large-scale indoor vertical farm dedicated to growing berries has officially opened in Richmond, Virginia. The innovative farm, developed by Plenty Unlimited Inc., is designed to produce over 4 million pounds of strawberries annually in just under 40,000 square feet of space. This ambitious project merges Plenty's cutting-edge technology with Driscoll’s, a leader in premium berries, to cultivate strawberries year-round. The first harvest is expected to hit markets in early 2025.
Unlike traditional farms, Plenty’s vertical farming approach eliminates reliance on unpredictable natural conditions. Its farms utilize 30-foot-tall vertical towers, allowing crops to thrive in a highly controlled environment. The Richmond facility is equipped with proprietary systems that regulate every element, from temperature and humidity to light exposure, all monitored by AI that processes millions of data points daily. This ensures that each crop receives optimal conditions to grow, resulting in consistently high-quality strawberries.
The controlled environment enables uniform growth, optimizing the size, shape, flavor, and texture of the strawberries. The farm enhances pollination efficiency, ensuring uniformity in the fruit produced by replacing traditional pollination methods with an engineered airflow system.
Slated to start distributing strawberries in early 2025, the farm offers the potential of vertical farming in diversifying crop production. Traditional vertical farms typically focus on leafy greens, but Plenty’s modular system has been fine-tuned over the last decade to accommodate a broader variety of crops, including strawberries.
This high-tech facility not only boosts local agricultural output but also offers significant environmental benefits. The farm uses up to 90% less water and 97% less land than conventional farming, making it a sustainable model for future food production. Located within a day’s drive of over 100 million consumers, the farm reduces food miles and minimizes food waste, promoting both sustainability and freshness.
Virginia’s strategic importance in the agricultural sector was a key factor in Plenty’s choice of location. The state's leadership in controlled environment agriculture aligns with the company’s goals to revolutionize food production. As the largest private sector industry in Virginia, agriculture plays a vital role in the local economy, and Plenty's investment will further boost economic growth in the region.
The partnership between Plenty and Driscoll’s also aims to meet growing consumer demand in the Northeast, the largest berry consumption region in the U.S. With this collaboration, both companies are set to redefine how premium strawberries are produced and delivered locally, offering consumers the same high-quality berries they love, now grown closer to home.
