When you think of an abandoned warehouse, visions of street graffiti, vagrants, and teenage high jinks probably come to mind. So, never did we think an empty, boring building could be transformed into a 90,000-square-foot gardening mecca, complete with the freshest arugula, basil, and even fish to grace your taste buds. Well, FarmedHere did. The company behind the Chicago-based facility has built the largest indoor aquaponic farm in the country, according to Co.Exist.
From the outside, the Bedford Park warehouse is as regular as they come, but peek inside and see floor-to-ceiling shelves covered in crops. And, not only are these goods organically certified by the USDA, but the operation uses less energy and only 3% of the water used in typical agriculture. Seeing that FarmedHere plans to supply millions of pounds of product to local vendors and restaurants, and resides only 15 minutes from downtown Chicago, is this where the future of farming is headed? One thing is for sure: Farm-to-table has never been so easy. (Co.Exist)
Photo: Courtesy of Co.Exist.