Vertical Roots, a hydroponic farm in Charleston, looks different compared to a traditional farm. Inside the upcycled shipping containers, individual heads of bright green and red lettuce line the walls as they complete the growing process without touching the outdoors.
Vertical Roots’ goal is to revolutionize the way communities grow, distribute and consume food.
“All the founders of the company have always been very inspired and motivated by feeding the community healthy, nutritious food,” said Jessica Diaz, the sales manager at Vertical Roots.
The school system is no exception to the organization’s mission. At the end of February, Vertical Roots began providing all of Charleston County schools with fresh lettuce from the farm.
“They’ve never been in the position where they could have a local lettuce provider,” said Diaz. “You have to be able to provide that product year-round for it to be an option for the farm to school program.”
In order to provide food to the schools, a farm has to meet the requirements of the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Order Receipt System Catalog from the Department of Agriculture, which includes sufficient quantity and ability to produce a consistent supply.
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