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Area 2 Farms looks nothing like a traditional farm. Inside a large warehouse on South Oxford Street in Arlington, plants travel through stacked growing systems designed to recreate the changing conditions of a 24-hour day.
Each structure contains eight rows of trays that slowly rotate through the tiers, moving to a new level every three hours. Oren and Tyler patented the system when they established the farm in 2021.
The bottom two rows remain dark. At Level 3, plants encounter cooler, early-morning conditions, receive their first light and are irrigated with municipal water mixed with a pre-emergent fertilizer made mostly from molasses.
Before irrigation, the plants are weighed. Sensors determine whether 30 to 60 seconds of watering is enough, according to farmer and community outreach worker Merissa Bale.
Levels 4 and 5 provide normal light. As the trays continue upward, the light intensity stays constant while the temperature increases by 10 to 15 degrees closer to the warehouse ceiling.
One row carries an unexpected passenger: a Buzz Lightyear figure clinging to its edge. After workers noticed him making the trip upward, they named the other rows after “Toy Story” characters. Harvest time can now be announced with phrases such as, “It’s time to harvest Buzz.”
Labels on lettuce containers help the farmers track their schedules. Bale pointed to stickers marked with a 2, indicating that the plants would be ready during the second week of summer while the farm was in the 13th week of spring.
Area 2 operates as a community-supported agriculture program, or CSA. Customers pay in advance for produce subscriptions available in four-week, 10-week or yearlong packages. Weekly deliveries include an herb, lettuce, a microgreen and a root vegetable.
The farm serves about 225 subscribers and is nearing capacity, farmer Jackie Stanton said.
Among the customer favorites is purple shamrock, an edible plant whose stem carries much of its flavor. Bale likes crushing it over ice cream, though she said wasabi arugula and rainbow chard also compete for the title of her favorite crop.
Stanton uses muddled purple shamrock to make lemonade with lemon juice and honey. Her top choice, however, is the farm’s hakurei turnip, which she described as sweet and crunchy with a slight kick.
At any given time, the farm grows about 180 plant varieties. One week’s harvest included rainbow chard mix, pea shoots, chives, cucumbers and garlic scapes, accompanied by recipes such as potato salad with pea shoots.
A research area at the front of the warehouse holds some of the more unusual crops. One is the Brazilian buzz button, also known as the toothache plant because chewing it can trigger salivation and temporarily numb the mouth.
The operation also gives students hands-on experience. Horticulture major Connor Stevenson, returning for his third summer internship, said he has learned more at Area 2 than in some of his college classes. While trimming dill, he estimated that he could cut an entire tray in five to 10 minutes.
Once crops are harvested, workers sift the soil to remove larger particles. The remaining material is composted, packed into large bags and reused.
That soil also supports the Highlands Urban Garden at Virginia Highlands Park. Renee, a local Area 2 customer and the garden’s leader, said the two organizations developed a farm-to-farm relationship after discussing ways to improve the raised beds.
The garden began using Area 2’s leftover soil in November. With help from volunteers, it delivered more than 60 pounds of fresh produce to local food pantries in May.
Stanton said the warehouse farm is intended to reconnect neighbors with food grown nearby, improving freshness, flavor and variety by reducing the distance between harvest and the customer.
With the Arlington operation nearing its limit, Area 2 plans to open a second farm in Fairfax by the end of summer. The Arlington farm also offers public tours for school groups, community organizations and individuals on designated Sundays from 1 to 2 p.m.