Omaha is taking urban agriculture to new heights with the opening of a aquaponic vertical farm in the heart of downtown. The facility, developed by local startup UrbanHarvest, is housed in a repurposed 15-story office building and is capable of producing the equivalent of 500 acres of traditional farmland.
The farm grows varieties of greens, sweet basil, peppery arugula, crispy kale, microgreens, and more. Servicing just one of the company's restaurant locations would require 300 acres of traditional farmland, or 3,000 acres to service multiple concepts. Gather Urban Farm produces this with far less while reducing its food travel from 2,500 miles to just 2 feet.
UrbanHarvest CEO Mark Thompson explained, "Our goal is to provide fresh, locally grown produce year-round while minimizing our environmental footprint. This facility brings the farm directly to the city, reducing transportation costs and emissions."
Source: The Tech Advocate