Sustainable Biz - Magazine - Page 22
Energy intensive industries given £12
million boost to cut emissions and costs
P
lenty Unlimited Inc. opened the
world’s first farm to grow indoor,
vertically farmed berries at scale.
Plenty farms are the most technologically
advanced farms in the world – removing
the unpredictability of Mother Nature
and making it possible to grow produce
with peak-season flavour, year-round,
almost anywhere in the world. The Plenty
Richmond Farm is designed to produce
more than 4 million pounds of strawberries
annually in less than 40,000 square feet by
growing vertically on 30-foot-tall towers.
The farm will exclusively grow Driscoll’s
strawberries, combining Plenty’s advanced
technology with global premium berry
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This farm is a model for
the positive impact climateagnostic agriculture can
have, and proof that vertical
farming can deliver the crop
diversity, scaled and local
production needed to futureproof the global food system
S U S TA I N A B L E B I Z M A G A Z I N E
MAY 2025
leader Driscoll’s advanced genetics. The first
strawberries from the farm will be available
in early 2025.“With agriculture serving as
the Commonwealth’s largest private sector
industry, Plenty choosing Virginia for the
world’s first farm to grow indoor, vertically
farmed berries at scale reinforces Virginia’s
leading role in the controlled environment
agriculture industry,” said Governor Glenn
Youngkin. “Plenty’s farm will boost local
agriculture production and drive economic
development, all while diversifying against
risks and protecting the environment.
We look forward to supporting their
innovative approaches to revolutionizing
the industry, and know that Plenty’s