According to the 2020 CEA Census Report, women in agriculture are on the rise, representing 43% of the world’s agricultural labor, with around 5% operating within controlled environment agriculture - and Sally Herbert, owner of Altius Farms in downtown Denver, is one of them.
But Herbert wasn’t always a grower. She left corporate America and was thinking about a career change, which later led to the launch of Altius Farms in 2018. Making her farm the first Tower Farm to establish itself downtown was no small feat.
Herbert sat down virtually with us to discuss being a woman within the industry, the impact COVID-19 has had on her farm, as well as what empowers her within her work.
Q. What made you decide to start your own farm?
Herbert: I found myself serving on a board of directors of Veterans to Farmers and met Jeff and Toni Olson, and learned more about Tower Garden. I really felt that the technology was interesting, and knowing we have to change the way we grow our food, I thought maybe I could be a part of that in Denver and beyond.
A lot of our food, especially produce, has so many food miles on it. You know how many times you opened a crappy bag of lettuce, if it's good for a day then you’re lucky. Of course, the nutritional content and flavor degrades. Growing closer to points of consumption in our urban centers is what we really want to do. And it’s what we are doing.
Read the complete article at www.towergarden.com.