One by one, the frizzle sizzles, brush strokes and violas make their way from plastic tubs to greenhouse beds. The tiny flowers rise just an inch or two out of rockwool, peat and oasis foam. They had germinated in a vertical grow room at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center in Danville. Now that they've sprouted, plant science student Jacob Haymore carefully places each one in the greenhouse slots where they will grow for the next several weeks. Soon they'll stand about 8 inches tall, ready to add color to a summer salad.
"Use them to decorate your plate, to make it look fancy," Haymore said. "They add a little bit of flavor, but … they're kind of just there."
It's less about flavor than about growing methods and other testing at the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA for short) Innovation Center. The research facility and agriculture technology training center is a partnership between the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and Virginia Tech.
The CEA Innovation Center conducts experiments and research for the industry while training students for indoor agriculture jobs. That work centers it within Virginia's upstart CEA scene, according to a recent Virginia Tech study. Southwest and Southside Virginia, along with the rest of the state, are "well-positioned for CEA industry attraction and sector growth," according to the study.
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