On September 13th, 2022 more than 60 people gathered with Fairfax County to celebrate the grand opening of Beanstalk Farms, a new indoor farm and distribution facility in Herndon.  This innovative, homegrown company will bring 29 new jobs and more than $2 million of new capital investment to a long- vacant warehouse facility in an area Fairfax County has targeted for development. The company produces a variety of pesticide-free leafy greens and specialty herbs using proprietary hydroponic growing technology and robotics developed by the company’s founders and Alexandria natives, brothers Mike and Jack Ross. Jack’s work on this system as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia was recognized by a prestigious Governor’s STEM Catalyst Award in 2018.  Beanstalk is matching its advances in growing technologies with innovations in product delivery.  Initially selling wholesale primarily to grocery stores, the company is increasingly selling on-line and shipping direct to individuals and restaurants. This dual market approach, enabled by the region’s tech-savvy customers, dense markets and supply-chain infrastructure, is enabling the company to deliver incredibly fresh product to a customer’s door at the same price as retail.

Engineers by training who enjoyed early success in aerospace and software engineering, founders Mike and Jack Ross sought to apply their skills to address environmental problems created by the modern food system.  Beanstalk Farms sources seeds from around the world to grow an incredible variety of fresh and flavorful leafy greens.  By being located in the heart of the markets they serve, the company optimizes its varieties and production for flavor, not transport.  Their propriety mix of LED-lights, hydroponic technologies and a soil growing medium allow for year-round production of nutritious, pesticide-free leafy salad mixes, herbs, and microgreens.  

“Jack and I started Beanstalk to build a new food system based on locally grown fresh produce. We’ve come a long way from our time at UVA, and we are honored to be celebrating this achievement with the people who helped us get here,” said Beanstalk Farms Co-Founder and CEO Mike Ross. “With the incredible support of our community leaders and loyal customers, we know we can continue to grow and deliver on our promise to bring fresh, healthy produce to everyone’s door.”

“We have consistently shown Fairfax County is fertile ground for companies looking to grow and flourish. Beanstalk Farms is a prime example of how we are the home for these next-generation opportunities. Jack and Mike Ross are demonstrating how innovation can reimagine farming and contribute to solving real life problems,” noted Fairfax County Board Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay.

In 2021, Beanstalk Farms was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund to help keep this project in the Commonwealth. Fairfax County matched that award with $100,000 in funding from the Fairfax County Economic Opportunity Reserve. Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) worked with Fairfax County and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to secure this project for the Commonwealth.  Funding and services to support the company’s job creation will be provided through VEDP’s Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

“Fairfax County is focused on helping companies like Beanstalk contribute to the innovation ecosystem in the county”, noted Rebecca Moudry, director of Fairfax County’s Department of Economic Initiatives. “We are excited to continue to support their growth and secure their place in redefining urban farming as we know it.”