Steven M. Grazier

May 30, 2023

• Next Door Harvest vertical freight farm opened May 1 at 4945 Navarre Road SW in Perry Township.

• Farm owner Paul Smith raises lettuce, herbs, carrots, radishes and more at the indoor site.

• Vertical farming refers to raising crops within a controlled environment, typically with the absence of regular soil and natural sunlight.

PERRY TWP. – Many farmers battle weather woes, weeds, and pests much of the year. Not so much for Paul Smith.

Smith opened the doors May 1 to his new business, Next Door Harvest, an indoor vertical freight farm at 4945 Navarre Road SW. The site once was a dairy that operated in the late 1940s.

Vertical farming refers to raising crops within a controlled environment, typically with the absence of regular soil and natural sunlight, involving established horticultural techniques.

"I've always had a passion for fresh, healthy foods," Smith, 46, said about his new full-time profession. "I picked up a countertop (farming) unit a couple of years ago. It was something to do at the height of the (COVID-19) pandemic to not go crazy."

Smith, a Geauga County native who's lived in Stark County for about 13 years, said his vertical freight farm is one of only a handful in Northeast Ohio and believes it's the only such site in Stark.

He grows non-bio-engineered crops within a refrigerated, or hydroponic, freight trailer. His operation works by using a laptop computer to maintain temperatures, supply water and administer LED energy necessary to grow the vegetables.

Overall, Next Door Harvest can produce about 2 acres of crops year-round inside its 320-square-foot greenhouse-like facility, Smith said.

"I use less than 5 gallons of water per day. It's a new way to bring healthy farming back to the community," he said.

Smith said high-quality lettuce and beets, as well as leafy greens, herbs and radishes, are available for purchase at the farm. Produce is grown for fresh delivery or pick up year-round in Stark County and neighboring communities.

"When you can sell fruits and vegetables still in their root systems, it's really healthy," Smith said.

Advantage challenges to vertical freight farming

Vertical freight farming has multiple economic and time-saving advantages, Smith said. Some are not being dependent on specific rainfall and sunshine amounts, as well as not being reliant on weed and insect or pest repellents.

There's no need for heavy equipment such as tractors, tillers and irrigation systems.

The main challenge, Smith said, is customer awareness and altering shopping trends.

"It's hard for people to change their purchasing (or grocery buying) habits," he said.

As for pricing, Smith said, his produce is comparable to most local markets or grocery stores.

A single head of lettuce runs $2.50, while four radish plants go for $5. Weekly selections that include five heads of lettuce and other veggies cost $15 each.

Other vegetables available at Next Door Harvest include kale, basil, chard, parsley, carrots, radishes and red oakleaf lettuce.

Orders are available at the farm's website, which is https://ndhfarm.com.

Tuscarawas Township farmer sticking with traditional methods

Farmer Blake Brenner, who operates Bingo Farm in western Stark County, said he has not specifically heard of vertical farming, but acknowledged that new techniques in the industry seem to pop up more frequently.

"There's always a new niche, and there's organic," Brenner said. "If you're going to feed the world (in large masses), though, it's probably not going to be that way."

Brenner, a traditional dryland farmer, raises beans, corn and hay on about 1,300 acres, mainly in Tuscarawas Township. He is not opposed to new farming methods, and said anyone who works in crop production should go the route they choose.

"There are old practices and new," Brenner said. "What's best for you is what you use."

Reach Steven at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE