An indoor hydroponic farm is coming soon to downtown Columbia after plans for the business received unanimous approval from the city’s zoning board.
Urban Fresh Farms expects to open its first location March 19 in a vacant warehouse at 1315 Calhoun St. Plans for the facility include an indoor farm, mostly to grow lettuce, and a retail storefront where customers can buy fresh produce or pick out their own live lettuce to harvest later at home.
Hydroponic farming involves growing crops without soil. Instead, nutrients vital to the plants are infused into water that is pumped through pipes directly to the plants’ roots.
“The reason plants grow roots is to dig down and find the nutrients in the soil,” said Scott Harriford, who started Urban Fresh Farms with his father, Chip Harriford. “With this, everything is provided, and in turn, the plant can focus on (growing) the leaves, which will give you a faster crop harvest.”
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