The combination of climate change effects together with urban population expansion demands immediate development of food production systems which are sustainable and space-efficient. Vertical farming leads agricultural progress through its capacity to generate significant amounts of pesticide-free food inside controlled environments, which maximises urban area through vertical stacking.

The agricultural future is being reshaped by vertical farming markets which combine advanced hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic systems with sustainable practices and smart technologies.

In a quiet corner of rural Moldova, inside the concrete walls of a former Soviet barn, a new kind of food revolution is quietly taking root—literally. Thanks to an innovative partnership between Canadian ag-tech company Just Vertical and humanitarian organisation GlobalMedic, a fully functional indoor hydroponic farm is now providing hundreds of pounds of fresh produce each month to Ukrainian refugees and local Moldovan families facing ongoing food insecurity.

The farm, capable of growing more than 1,000 plants simultaneously, was completed in just eight months and is already making a meaningful difference in a region under strain. As war continues across the border in Ukraine.

Babylon Micro-Farms, a leader in on-site vertical farming, is proud to announce a series of awards and recent recognitions that highlight the company’s accelerating momentum and global impact across healthcare, hospitality, education, and corporate dining.

Babylon Micro-Farms was ranked #34 on the 2024 FoodTech 500, marking a leap of over 100 places from its 2022 ranking of #135. This globally respected list celebrates the most promising companies at the intersection of food, technology, and sustainability.

Update: We've won the bid to acquire Freight Farms' assets.

A few months ago, one of our top competitors filed for bankruptcy, and the Growcer team sprang into action to help their community of farmers keep growing.

One of the options we explored was throwing our hat into the ring to purchase substantially all of the company's assets (such as an inventory of complete farms, spare parts, software, all intellectual property, and subscriptions etc.). We rallied a group of key partners, and I'm thrilled to say that we were able to make it happen.

At Winona Senior High School in Minnesota, sophomore Miriam Jackson manages six hydroponic Flex Farms that grow up to 200 pounds of lettuce each month. These fresh greens are served in school lunches for over 800 students, making school meals more nutritious and local.

Developed by Wisconsin-based Fork Farms, Flex Farms are indoor hydroponic systems designed for small spaces like schools. Jackson handles seed germination, water monitoring, and pH balancing for the crops, mostly leafy greens like iceberg lettuce. While harvest days require extra help, she manages most tasks independently, spending nearly 15 hours a week on the project.

Nature’s Miracle Holding announced it will purchase five electric vehicle trucks from ZO Motors North America to launch its mobile vertical farm project. The company plans to complete this purchase, financed through California’s electric vehicle rebate program, by Q2 2025. Nature’s Miracle will convert these EV trucks into mobile vertical farms for growing microgreens and herbs. It expects to receive up to 100 trucks by the end of 2025.

Bringing nature into a classroom is one of the missions for an organization called New York Sun Works.

CBS News New York's Erica Lunsford visited a school in the Bronx and shows us how students are learning in a unique way.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) training center in Colorado Springs has significantly upgraded its food and nutrition program through a partnership with Babylon Micro-Farms. What began as a single installation has rapidly expanded to three units, providing athletes with a consistent supply of fresh, hyper-local produce.

This collaboration allows the training center to grow nutrient-dense greens and microgreens on-site, taking the guesswork out of traditional farming. Executive Chef Nick Lachman highlights the immediate impact, with produce going "from the farm" directly to the salad bar, enhancing the visual appeal and flavor of dishes. Red sorrel and microgreens for smoothies, particularly raspberry basil, have been singled out as athlete favorites.

With sleeves rolled up and gloves on, young students at Redford Union Schools are growing leafy greens that show up later in the lunchroom as kids learn science, responsibility and even some healthy habits along the way.

Thanks to a new hydroponics program launched this year at both Hilbert and Beech elementary, the district's elementary STEAM classes are growing lettuce without soil – just water, light, curiosity and lots of smiles.

The project began in January with sixth graders planting the first crop of romaine lettuce. Since then, students in first through sixth grade have gotten involved in everything from monitoring the hydroponic system to harvesting.

The high school biology curriculum has changed significantly from what Charles Cooper said he was taught roughly 15 years ago. 

“It was pretty much plants, matter and fossils,” Cooper, who is on the verge of finishing the Mastery Charter School’s teaching residency program, told TAPinto Camden. “We never even expanded or talked about growing, farming, or anything of that sort.“

Cooper said a new classroom within Mastery High School of Camden that includes a hydroponics lab, propagation racks for breeding specimens and vertical hydroponic farms for growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid will be his workspace in the 2025-26 school year and will expand on the ‘that sort.’

What’s happening inside a lab at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville offers a resilient alternative to food supply issues, while educating students at the same time. The hydroponics lab, located in Glenview Commons, is a shining example of how new measures can be implemented to meet the need for sustainable, local food production. The student-run facility which opened in 2019, serves as a living classroom where they can explore innovative farming methods and contribute to the future of agriculture.

Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ), a nonprofit working to combat food insecurity through youth-led urban farming, celebrated the launch of a new hydroponic farm at M.S. 053 in Far Rockaway on April 24, expanding its Far Rockaway Farm Hub and giving hundreds of students hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture and STEM education.

The 1,040-square-foot indoor farm is designed to produce more than 5,600 pounds of pesticide-free produce each year. More than 500 students will benefit from the fresh food grown on-site, with over 100 students annually participating directly in hands-on learning about sustainable agriculture, food justice, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

A Kent farm shop has turned to technology to sell local produce out of hours.

The Old Tractor Shed Farm Shop in Brookland has installed three vending machines which continue to offer a range of products when the main business is closed.

Visitors can pay for milk, pickles, meats, fruit juices and fresh vegetables sourced from suppliers on The Romney Marsh by tapping their bank cards and smart phones.

Co-owner Deborah Ovenden said: "This enables us to extend our hours to offer local produce to a wide range of people such as dog walkers and cyclists early in the morning when the shop is not open.

"There's not many shops in the area so it's also useful for people in the evening coming home from work."

Fresh research from The University of Queensland (UQ) could help apartment dwellers enjoy a backyard garden in their own flat and a year-round harvest of fruit and vegetables.

UQ School of Architecture, Design and Planning PhD student Thi Thanh Nhan An is bridging the gap between architecture and agriculture with prototype garden systems that integrate urban farming and apartment design.

Her prototype gardens are a greenhouse, a semi-greenhouse and a vertically integrated indoor farm designed to fit inside a city apartment or on a balcony.

Crucially, An’s project is already bearing fruit.

“I cannot forget the moment when I opened the door and smelt the basil and saw the colour of the purple radish or the green lettuce under the light,” said An, describing an early foray into her prototype greenhouse.

“Hopefully everyone in the city can have their own farming space in their living space in the future.”

Modoc High School AG students have officially completed their first harvest using a hydroponic tower installed in Mrs. Bickford’s (DeMoss) classroom. The tower was funded through a “Grants for Growing” project she applied for last fall.

“Luckily, they were awarded the grant to purchase the tower and supplies so that they could expose students to hydroponic systems and grow their own food beyond the Ag Dept. Greenhouse.”

At the start of the spring semester, horticulture students planted green leaf and romaine lettuce seeds into rockwool flats. “Being this was the first attempt with the tower, they only planted one tray of seeds so that they could understand how the tower and process fully works.” In photos, Josh Minto is seen watering the seeds, and Eliza Peña reads the seed packages to understand their growing requirements.

The students harvested nearly 50 pounds of fresh lettuce, grown inside the school using the Flex Farm hydroponic system from Fork Farms.  Winona Area Public Schools says this is the first set-up of its kind in the state and allows Winona students to grow close to 200 pounds of fresh lettuce each month for the school's salad bar in the cafeteria.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in nutrient-rich water instead of soil and Winona Area Public Schools says it provides numerous benefits for student engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills by combining hands-on experimentation in real-world farming scenarios.  FFA Officer & Farm Manager, Miriam Jackson, and school's nutrition staff have been maintaining these Flex Farms learning valuable lifelong skills as they test pH levels, manage nutrient levels, and examine crop cycle management.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction recently embarked on an exciting journey with its new Fork Farms Flex Farm hydroponic grow tower. On January 13, 2025, the first lettuce seeds were planted, which were ready for transplanting into the tower by February 3. Throughout February, the seedlings grew into mature lettuce, and by March 3, the first harvest was ready! The freshly grown lettuce was served at the WI DPI School Nutrition Team’s monthly meeting and potluck—where it received rave reviews.

The hydroponic adventure didn’t stop there! The lettuce regenerated throughout March and on March 31, the Flex Farm was showcased at the Wisconsin State Capitol for a special Farm to School event. Visitors were invited to explore the grow tower and take home free lettuce and bean seed packets, branded with the Wisconsin Farm to School logo.

The 6,762-passenger MSC World EuropaⓇ currently docked in Doha, Qatar is introducing a new restaurant concept, branded the Chef’s Garden Kitchen,  which is a Babylon Micro-FarmsⓇ powered hydroponic garden at sea with herbs, greens and garnishes grown onboard. 

Michelin-starred chef, TV personality and author Niklas Ekstedt has collaborated with MSC Cruises to design the menu for the specialty restaurant Chef’s Garden Kitchen, focussing on the natural ingredients and a farm-to-ocean ethos. Born in Sweden, the son of a produce seller, Niklas Ekstedt began his strong connection with nature and the Earth’s flavours at a young age. This new restaurant will feature the first-at-sea hydroponic micro-farm in the world and guests will be treated to a uniquely immersive experience with the master chef preparing Ekstedt’s extraordinary creations in an open kitchen against a backdrop of panoramic sea views.