. ♪ >> at aerofarms, we believe this is disruptive technology for the farming industry.we're talking about feeding a planet of 9 billion, we need a new paradigm of how we grow our food. this is it. this is the future. >> inside an old nightclub in newark, new jersey, they are on the verge of an agricultural revolution. >> we can take that seed and grow it. in 16 days, which would otherwise take 30. we have 22 crops during the year. in the field we would have three. we can do that using 95% less water, zero pesticides, herbicides, fungicides. >> they are using a system where plants grow in mist. >> we have a tray that is covered in a cloth. this cloth is our growth media. >> 24 hours to 48 hours later, that enters the vertical farm and moves further into the system as the plants grow bigger. >> the leaves are given a specific spectrum of light at a specific intensity and frequency. we are optimizing oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperatures, ph, relative humidity to create a perfect growing environment for the plant. >> beneath the led lights and leafy greens is a system of no

it is a flawed system with high rates of spoilage and contamination, which is why aerofarms is bringing the city. one of the companies vertical systems is already in use at phillips academy charter school across downtown newark am aware growing leafy greens outside in winter is impossible. >> we are harvesting the plants right now. we are trying not to get a lot of stems. >> we are about enabling local food production at scale. given the high trend toward urbanization, seeing where the nouns are. >> it takes grown locally to a whole new level. >> aerofarms is going through massive expansion. they are currently converting an 80,000 square-foot factory into what will become the world's largest vertical farm. they say it will produce enough baby leafy greens for 80,000 people. it is not cheap though. and that is the big challenge for aerofarms. >> depending on the size of the farm it can be a $20 million or more project when you take into account site prep, working capital, as well as the capital expense of the farm. >> it is a cost that has, so far, cap | me out of the places that they ne