The Plant: A Vertical Farm in Chicago

This repurposed building is home to five vertical farms, a form of urban agriculture that emphasizes locally grown foods cultivated in pristine conditions and without chemical fertilizers. John Edel, founder and director of Bubbly Dynamics LLC, the company that owns The Plant, says, “We call this (The Plant) a vertical farm because we’re growing on multiple levels.”

In addition to the vertical farms, The Plant incubates 19 other food-related businesses, including three breweries, a bakery, a cheese distributor, a coffee roaster, and a chocolatier.

The processes used by the farms at The Plant are environmentally sustainable. Edel explains, “There’s a mix of hydroponics and soil-growers in the building. One of the advantages of growing in a building is that there are no insects.” So, there’s no need to use pesticides or herbicides.

But that’s not the only advantage