Area 2 Farms: Moving the Farm, Not the Food
As cities look for creative ways to repurpose underused real estate, Area 2 Farms is growing a new kind of opportunity—literally. Based in Arlington, Virginia, the company combines automation, soil-based cultivation, and a hyperlocal CSA model to bring fresh produce closer to consumers. Backed by $9 million in new funding, Area 2 is preparing to expand its pilot success into cities nationwide. Indoor Ag-Content caught up with Tyler Baras, Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder, to learn more about their approach, technology, and what’s next.
Congratulations on becoming a dad! Between farming and fatherhood, what’s been the bigger learning curve so far?
Thank you! I’m a new dad, so I am sure there are all sorts of unexpected surprises in store. But my hope, if there is a parallel, is that nurturing a life leads it to flourish.
Your first farm in Arlington has shown how flexible your model can be. What lessons from that pilot are shaping how you’ll design and deploy future locations as you expand into new cities?
Our Arlington, VA location has been an incredible starting point. At every farm I’ve worked at some of the best moments were farm tours for visitors. I knew opening the farm to the public would spark excitement in visitors but seeing that translate into consistent sales has been amazing. Our motto is “move the farm, not the food” and we’ve seen this work to the benefit of not just the farmer, which gets better margins selling direct and eliminates the squeeze from selling to distributors, but for customers they’re getting the freshest product and we can offer crops they’ve probably never seen. Most crops are grown for their suitability to the supply chain, but we just select what tastes great!
One of the biggest lessons in the work we do is the importance of a repeatable design centered around the farmer. Farming is a continuous pursuit, and you have to ask everyday is this repeatable, is it good for farmers, is it good for the community, and does it make sense financially.
Unlike most vertical farms, Area 2 uses soil instead of hydroponics. Why take that approach, and what advantages have you seen in crop quality or variety?
Healthy soil is the foundation, and it’s a major differentiator in the crops we can grow, not just leafy greens. We’re very proud of our ability to grow a wide range of crops. Carrots were one of our first challenges and since we’ve continued to expand our list of non-traditional vertical farm crops with turnips, radishes, onions, leeks, potatoes, kohlrabi, and so much more. We want to be our community’s go-to farmer, not just their salad guy. Being able to grow a differentiated set of basket items has been essential from the beginning.
Your patented Silo system automates light cycles and crop movement. How does this setup boost productivity or efficiency compared to traditional vertical farms?
Over the past 15 plus years in the CEA space, I’d seen several persistent challenges in vertical farming. Profitability, labor, energy, and expense, which are all addressed by our system. We’ve removed the need for an expensive, energy intensive and complicated HVAC system, and removed the elaborate irrigation systems, all by pairing the most common climate problem in a vertical farm with a plant physiology solution. Heat rises. On average most vertical farms operating around 10’ to 20’ tall have about a 10 to 15 degree temperature difference from bottom to top. Plants want a 10 to 15 degree temperature difference between their day and night. We move plants through the naturally occurring stratified temperature zones in the vertical farm so plants experience their dark cooler night at the bottom of the room and their bright warmer day in the middle and top of the room. Instead of attempting to swing the climate of the full room from warmer to cooler everyday to create the ideal conditions for plants, we have a steady state climate in our room and move plants in these naturally occurring microclimates that meet their needs for each part of their day. This movement comes with a ton of extra benefits and cost savings, and farmers can easily access any plants in the system as they travel through the lower levels.
Your CSA-style model connects farmers directly with neighbors. As you expand, how do you keep that same local, community feel?
It starts with the farmers. They are the heart of our community connection. Our goal is to empower more farmers and to support them in being leaders in their communities. We open our farms up to the community, and through tours and events and delivering amazing produce, our farmers build a direct relationship between the community and the farm. Once people can see exactly where their food is coming from and how it’s grown, everything changes.
Do you see opportunities to collaborate with other CEA operators, researchers, or technology providers as you grow your network of farms?
Absolutely. Behind every farmer is a farmer, and we’re collaborating all of the time.
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Good stewardship is foundational in today’s CEA industry, and this award recognizes commercial indoor growing operations that are exemplary in their commitment to environmental and community responsibility. Three finalists who showcase initiatives in resource conservation, recycling, employee development, and community service will be chosen for
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Greenswell Growers is committed to “plants ” How does that philosophy guide your decisions when it comes to technology, sustainability, and operational practices?
Automation is a big part of your How has Greenswell Growers integrated automation into daily operations, and what benefits has it delivered in terms of efficiency, food safety and scalability?
You’ve built a strong identity around local impact and environmental How do your technologies and processes support your sustainability goals — especially when it comes to water use, packaging, and transportation?
In addition to donating greens, we also see it as our responsibility to take the best care of the planet for current and future generations. Our investment in technology and dedication to our process allow us to cut down on water, use less plastic, travel fewer miles, and reduce food waste.
Greenswell Growers is “designed to scale,” with the ability to grow to order year- round. How does your model make that possible, and how does it help you meet customer demand more effectively?
Our model also allows us to grow greens with a naturally extended shelf life. Our process is ship right away to give even more time for stores to sell the product. This additional time makes it easier for the operator to order and meet their customers’ demand. Even beyond the store level, we hear frequently from chefs and customers “it never goes bad!”. Although they may be slightly exaggerating, we love knowing people no longer throwing out greens but instead, enjoying them. Growing the highest quality greens that last longer is a win for everyone involved.
Are there any upcoming plans, innovations or tech enhancements on the horizon for Greenswell Growers that you’re excited about?
The TechSpark initiative is a civic program that aims to foster job creation and economic growth in rural communities, like Southern Virginia. I have been fortunate to lead the TechSpark initiative for the last eight years, continuing to build on our relationships with our amazing partners to help bring programming opportunities to the region for all residents.
Microsoft understands the importance of bringing technology into the agriculture industry to help with efficiency, sustainability, and yields. The agriculture industry has been positively impacted by new technology over the last decade, and we don’t see that trend changing course anytime soon. Our hope is that we can partner with the farmers to deploy transformational technology to help them meet the growing demands of the industry.