Despite the recent snowstorm cascading over Central Virginia, one of the warmest, sweetest — and juiciest — seasons looms nearer. With strawberry season just months away, this will be Chesterfield County's first summer as home to "Plenty Richmond Farm" — the world's largest indoor vertical berry farm.
The facility opened this past September. Traditionally, when one imagines a strawberry farm, they might envision vast fields covered in a blanket of sunlight — all set on a standard, agricultural farm. However, Chesterfield County's relatively new farm conjures up an entirely different image.
Even though strawberry season generally lasts between May and mid-June, it's technically a year-round affair at Plenty's Richmond Farm as the facility grows their berries indoors.
It's designed to produce more than 4 million pounds of strawberries each year. While it may sound like this would require a massive space, the facility yields these results in less than 40,000 square feet of space. Farmers do this by growing the fruits vertically on 30-foot-tall towers.
Read more at ABC 8 News