Caroline Croft Estay, Co-Founder & Chief Potential Officer of Vertical Harvest, shares her story of how she helped create the first hydroponic vertical greenhouse in North America. Join us for a stimulating conversation on how a Care Farm in Jackson Wyoming is redefining farming and providing upwardly mobile career opportunities for community members with developmental disabilities.
About Vertical Harvest
Vertical Harvest energizes local food systems via hydroponic, vertical, controlled environmental agriculture (CEA) to deliver healthier food and futures. We work with communities to develop underutilized space in urban, underserved neighborhoods, grow “up” on a fraction of the land required by traditional agriculture, while using 85% less water to deliver our produce at peak flavor and nutrition, year-round. We prioritize both our social impact and profitability, by leveraging a mix of public/private partnerships and operating with a customized, inclusive employment model currently focused on individuals with physical and/or intellectual disabilities. Additionally, we ensure each farm innovates at the intersection of climate, food accessibility and economic inclusivity to leverage food as a medium for change. Our goal is to develop a network of farms that serve locally, support regionally and scale nationally to bring food production closer to home and keep local dollars in-community longer. Caroline Croft Estay Bio An expert in behavioral health and workforce management, Caroline crafted and implemented Vertical Harvest’s innovative “Grow Well” employee model. Her role as a unique “grower of people” is to develop new approaches and modalities for fun, individualized and meaningful employment based on employee feedback. She is passionate about providing underserved communities and differently-able individuals with the education, support and development to thrive at work.