Vertical farming satisfies demand for local produce

"TechKnow" contributor Kosta Grammatis talks to Alex Thomson, owner and operator of Montecito Urban Farms, a vertical farming operation in Santa Barbara County, Calif. Montecito provides local restaurants with fresh produce and herbs grown in eight-foot vertical Tower Gardens.

"It fits right into their local movement," Thomson says. "They want to buy fresh, wholesome, local foods and they have the ability to pick and choose what produce they want."

Restaurants may be among the bigger customers seeking out Montecito and similar farms for local produce options. But as Thomson explains, the "locavore" movement -- which has been growing in popularity -- also includes individual consumers who have become more mindful of  sustainability and eco-consciousness.

"Those are people who have a deep desire to eat locally, which then cuts down on carbon footprint," he says. "You have the ability to go to the local farm and see what kind of practices they're doing on their farm. There's a lot of things that you have the ability to find out if you're able to just go a couple miles down the road and see where your produce is being grown."

Thomson takes pride in the quality of his product as well as the devotion of his client base. He says, "I have a lot of people tell me they can taste the difference in a salad that's made from our farm and a salad that's just your run-of-the-mill, traveled 1500 miles from who knows what farm."