It's backed by an international team of scientists that see this new phase of agriculture as a way to ease global food demands.

The Plenty Richmond Farm is designed to produce more than four million pounds (1.8M kg) of strawberries grown indoors vertically in 30-ft-tall (9-m) towers, using up less than 40,000 square feet – or less than a single acre. This is a fraction of the land needed in traditional strawberry production, which is also subject to seasonal and environmental factors that limit yield.

The company says the strawberries, from global company Driscoll's, will be on grocery store shelves in early 2025.

"Plenty's farm will boost local agriculture production and drive economic development, all while diversifying against risks and protecting the environment," said Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. "We look forward to supporting their innovative approaches to revolutionizing the industry."

To date, plant-based commercial vertical farming has mostly been limited to the production of lettuce crops, but this latest technological advancement has broadened the scope of what can be grown upwards. With temperature, light and humidity controlled across 12 growing 'rooms,' pollination of plants has also been engineered to be more efficient than bees. Ultimately, the company believes this will result in more uniformity in fruit and result in less waste.

"This farm is a model for the positive impact climate-agnostic agriculture can have, and proof that vertical farming can deliver the crop diversity, scaled and local production needed to future-proof the global food system," said Arama Kukutai, Plenty CEO. "The Plenty Richmond Farm is the culmination of 200 research trials over the past six years to perfect growing strawberries with consistent peak-season flavor indoors year-round. Driscoll's sets an incredibly high bar for the quality of its berries and we're excited to join forces to consistently deliver an ultra-premium Driscoll's strawberry year-round."