Peachy the Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 31

GARDENS The New Frontier in Farming A At an altitude of over 6,000 feet, a Jackson Hole winter can last until May, mak- ing the produce-growing season only a few months long. This shortened season creates the need for hundreds of thousands of pounds of food to be trucked into the area each year. Enter Vertical Harvest co-founders Penny McBride and Nona Yehia, who spent more than six years working with industry experts and local community lead- ers to develop a model that creates a sustainable source of locally grown, fresh vegetables…year round. A tall order, and one that the partners delivered on in a three-story high farm. WRITTEN BY Bek Mitchell-Kidd PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY Vertical Harvest FALL 2017 29