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will draw on the Biosphere’s collective expertise. On the other hand, indoor farming
“All these people are already there doing offers enormous advantages over traditional
their own research,” Hardej says. “Climate field farming. Infestations and the need for
change, energy, water, food — all these things pesticides are largely negated. Water use is
are connected and centered there. It’s a fantastic much easier to manage. And, thanks to year-
resource for us.” round production, yields can be up to 20
Hardej’s project has come a long way since times greater per area than with traditional
its first incarnation a few years ago in an empty farms.
corner of the UA’s Campus Agricultural Center on Those factors help explain the industry’s
Campbell Avenue. “That was a great platform for phenomenal growth; investments in
training,” he says of the early effort. “But it was agriculture startups such as Civic Farms
very small. reached $4.6 billion in 2015 — a nearly 100
“We came to the conclusion that it would be percent increase over the year before. That
great to have a real-scale commercial farm, where dovetails with local-food revenues, which
you could take the technology, do some R&D, and topped $11.7 billion in 2014 and are expected
apply it at scale to see if it really works or not. If it to surpass $20.2 billion by 2019.
works, you can open your doors and train future The UA’s Biosphere 2, teamed with Civic
operators, growers, executives or whomever to Farms, is taking advantage of the market. “By
run the operation.” itself, the Biosphere is a magnet,” says Hardej.
In the meantime, the demand for locally- “It draws 100,000 or more visitors a year. It
grown foods has made controlled-environment also draws scientists, environmentalists
growing a hot commodity. But there are still and a lot of forward-thinking people. This
challenges. Despite great advances in efficient represents a great opportunity to leverage
lighting, for instance, high energy use remains that track record to promote vertical
an issue. farming.”

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