ISU’s New Vertical Farm Makes Most of Small Space
April 30, 2025
Horticulture Professor David Kopsell demonstrates how seedlings will be planted in medium inserted in the vertical towers in the Vertical Farm to grow herbs starting this summer. Graduate student Sarah Stevens looks on from between the tower rows. (Photo by Phyllis Coulter)
When it comes to making the most of small spaces, owners of tiny homes would be impressed with what Illinois State University (ISU) can do with its modified shipping container farm.
In its new 320-square-foot vertical farm, ISU will be able to produce as many herbs annually as it could in 2 to 4 acres in an outdoor field.
It all started in 2019 when a group of ISU students in the Innovative Consulting Community (ICC) approached horticulture professor David Kopsell about growing a garden for their entrepreneurial project. He explained how hard that would be during an academic school year and offered another alternative — a Freight Farm container hydroponic system.
“I had heard about Freight Farm since 2013 when some of my colleagues started talking about them,” said Kopsell. Through much collaboration, that idea germinated and grew to the point it will be ready to start growing leafy greens this summer.”
When visitors arrive at the vertical farm to celebrate its ribbon-cutting at 3 p.m. on May 1, there won’t be any plants yet. But in June, students will plant basil, cilantro and parsley seeds in trays, transplant them in staggered intervals to the growing towers in July and the herbs will be ready to serve in a constant flow to students by ISU Dining Services starting in late August, Kopsell told FarmWeek.
“At first, I wanted to grow a lot of different things. But it makes sense to start with only three herbs that have similar requirements for optimal growth and production,” he said
These herbs are expensive to buy with cilantro costing as much as $15 per pound wholesale, compared to lettuce that costs about $3 per pound. “Herbal crops make it more economically efficient,” Kopsell said.
Sarah Stevens, a graduate student who has helped clean and ready the vertical farm, will do research for her master’s degree here, work in planting and harvest and hopes to continue being part of the project.
“I’ve seen it from talking about the idea, and now it’s months away from producing herbs,” said the fourth-generation farmer who has a market garden and farmers market business at Hanna City.
One of the early hurdles for the project was getting funding with estimates of $70,000 to $120,000 to buy a shipping container farm. Eliminating that cost, Central Illinois Produce in Urbana donated a used unit to ISU.
Further, ISU’s Student Sustainability Fund, which funded other projects like paperless tickets for the Center for the Performing Arts and an outdoor classroom at the Horticulture Center, pledged $50,000.
The ISU team was able to make modifications to the farm’s installation costs, initially estimated as high as $700,000, to bring it in at less than one-third at $200,000.
Other groups pitched in, including Illinois Farm Bureau, which contributed to start-up costs.
“We are always happy to partner and advance the next generation of agriculturists and recruit future IFB members. We liked the creativity of this particular project, which promotes new technologies and practices for production agriculture,” said Evan Hultine, IFB vice president.
The university can justify the investment with the broad impact it will have for horticulture, sustainability, ag business and engineering students. Professors including Maria Boerngen, agribusiness, and Liangcheng Yang, environmental health and sustainability, also plan to use the vertical farm for their students.
The new vertical farm, colorfully decorated with facts about what’s inside, is next to ISU’s Sustainability Office at 305 N. School St. in Normal.
Inside, along the main part of the trailer are two rows of white, vertical tubes where the plants will grow, fed with water and fertilizer through a hydroponic system that uses no natural soil. The seven-foot-tall tubes face LED (light-emitting diode) lighting strips. The light, temperature, humidity and CO2 levels in the farm will be maintained at optimal levels for plants.
Companies, including electric vehicle maker Rivian, which wants to grow food for its own employees, have expressed interest in the project, as have multiple schools.
