Arlington, Virginia is like a gateway to the city of Washington D.C. Part of the Metro line, but across the Potomac, it’s nevertheless a busy area and not the kind of place you’d expect to be able to get minutes-old, farm-fresh produce.
But Area 2 Farms is growing greens, herbs, and root vegetables in a vertical farm thanks to the dearth of traditional office tenants. With high-rise office space remaining vacant even after the end of the pandemic, landlords are open to ideas.
Jackie Potter and Tyler Baras pitched the idea of an indoor farm and it was obviously a good one because Area 2 is already well-established in the Arlington area such that they offer subscription delivery of fresh veggies to fellow urbanites starting at $40 per week.
Area 2 Farms uses a sophisticated conveyor belt system called Silo to cut down on the more laborious hours of indoor farming. It’s not a hydroponic system—there is soil inside Area 2 Farms which means they can grow root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and radishes.
When executed correctly, vertical farming can produce as much as traditional farming but with a lot less space, and no concern over weather or pests. Obviously as well it can be done in the center of a city, where land is at a premium.
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Ciara O’Brien at Modern Farmer did some research in an article covering Area 2 Farms and found that 20% of office space in the US is unoccupied, and that by 2030, about 300 million square feet across the country’s cities will simply be obsolete because of companies that couldn’t make it out of the government-enforced or voluntary closures of their businesses during COVID, coupled with the fact that many people are more content working remotely.
“Cities are changing every day,” Potter tells Modern Farmer. “There’s a really great economic opportunity as well. Our farms create new green jobs, they beautify spaces and provide fresh food to local communities. That’s something that’s really precious.”
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