Vertical Farming Takes a Big Swing at Berries

Plenty and Driscoll’s launch a major indoor berry farm that could reset expectations for vertical ag

9 Dec 2025

Indoor agriculture is again trying to prove it can be more than a costly curiosity. A new berry venture in Virginia, opened by Plenty and Driscoll’s, claims to be the country’s first large indoor berry farm. The hope is to push vertical farming beyond its leafy-green niche and into a more durable commercial phase.

Inside the site, strawberries grow on stacked towers in a closely controlled climate. The partners say the farm could one day produce millions of pounds of fruit each year. Such claims remain untested, yet the design aims to reduce familiar risks: wild weather, plant disease and fragile supply chains.

The timing is not accidental. Vertical farms have long sought crops with richer margins than lettuce. Berries, with their higher prices and steady demand, offer a useful test of whether advanced growing systems can pair well with crop-specific expertise. Plenty and Driscoll’s present the Virginia project as an early template for future sites.

Retailers are taking note. Interest in pesticide-free and local produce keeps rising. Berries grown near consumers could shorten long transport routes and extend shelf life.

But obstacles remain. Indoor farms consume heavy capital and plenty of energy, both of which strain returns. Critics say these limits will slow any rollout. Supporters counter that better efficiency and wider use of renewable power could make the sums work. Early signals from Virginia look promising, the firms say, though the farm’s performance will need careful tracking as it scales.

For now the partnership stands as a vivid hint of where vertical farming may head next. If the model holds, it could shape investment choices and push the sector toward a more varied and resilient future.