Catalyst: Farm.one

Founded in 2016 by CEO Robert Laing, Farm.One uses innovative hydroponic vertical farming technology and LED lighting to grow nearly 600 varieties of pesticide-free rare herbs, edible flowers, spices and microgreens year-round. Delivering to some of the city’s most elite restaurants, with a combined total of 14 Michelin stars (including Daniel, Ai Fiori, Jungsik, and Atera, among others), Farm.one aims to add 10+ new farms in the US over the next 4 years.

Traditionally, to obtain the rarest of edible plants from around the world, restaurants retrieve such specialty ingredients by boat, freight or plane.Not only does that require ample shipment time, but depreciates the crop quality and increases cost. Farm.One enables a fresher, higher-quality product produced with faster, cleaner, and more consistent results.

The produce is grown without soil in an advanced hydroponic system that delivers the exact nutrients each plant needs (while using 90-95% less water than a conventional farm) with temperature and humidity control to create an optimized climate zone year-round. In this regard, all of Farm.One’s produce can be delivered to chefs the same-day, often within less than 30 minutes after a crop is harvested.

Harvesting red thyme / Photo: Sarah Blesner

The company welcomes opportunities to partner with the trade and even collaborated with the Institute for Culinary Education to install a custom made farm at its New York City location in downtown Manhattan.

Farm.One also takes requests from chefs not only for specific greens but even for specific shapes and sizes. “Chefs tell us exactly what they want. It’s grown to order for their recipes. We even know the leaf size the chef wants so we work backward from that,” Laing explains. “We always try to grow new stuff. A year and a half ago we were growing 20 products. Now we’ve grown close to 600.” he notes. And because no pesticides are the used, the environment inside the farm is an ecosystem that is meticulously maintained in order for bacteria and beneficial fungi to thrive.

Reviewing a special order with Executive Chef, Victor Amarilla / Photo: Sarah Blesner

The farm at Institute for Culinary Education / Photo: Farm.one

In addition to supplying rare and fine herbs to the trade, Farm.one offers a variety of ways local consumers can partake of what’s on hand: from a three-hour class on hydroponics, LEDs and indoor farming, to a one-hour sensory tour tasting dozen of herbs, to one-off classes, such as their recent offering of kombucha classes.

Farm.one is a model of sustainable agriculture that brings vertical farming to the forefront, proving its no longer a lofty ideal, but a viable path forward that can be implemented in other US cities and around the world. Visit their website at: www.farm.one.com

Full disclosure: Intelligentsia Group (curator of Intelligentsia Journal) is an investor in Farm.one. We couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishments breaking molds and setting new standards in the culinary world as the Vanguards we believe them to be.

— Christina Spearman

VanguardsChristina SpearmanJuly 3, 2019