October is National Farm to School Month, a nationwide celebration of how schools, communities, and foodservice leaders are rethinking what “local food” means. It’s about strengthening food systems, empowering students, and creating a healthier, more sustainable future, one seed, one tray, and one lesson at a time.

At Babylon Micro-Farms, we’re proud to help bring this mission to life. Our indoor micro-farms make it possible for schools to grow fresh, nutritious produce on-site, all year long, with no pesticides, no long-distance shipping, and no growing seasons required.

What does it take to make the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.? Phenomenal growth for one. A laser focus on your value proposition also helps.

Richmond, Va.-based vertical farming company Babylon Micro-Farms was founded in 2017 and has achieved 423% in revenue growth, making the 2025 list at No. 1,009.

Babylon Micro-Farms offers turnkey, on-site hydroponic farms that allow businesses and institutions from restaurants and hospitality to health care and schools — and even cruise ships — the ability to grow flavorful and nutritious greens indoors, year-round.

Babylon Micro-Farms, a leader in on-site vertical farming, is proud to announce a series of awards and recent recognitions that highlight the company’s accelerating momentum and global impact across healthcare, hospitality, education, and corporate dining.

Babylon Micro-Farms was ranked #34 on the 2024 FoodTech 500, marking a leap of over 100 places from its 2022 ranking of #135. This globally respected list celebrates the most promising companies at the intersection of food, technology, and sustainability.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) training center in Colorado Springs has significantly upgraded its food and nutrition program through a partnership with Babylon Micro-Farms. What began as a single installation has rapidly expanded to three units, providing athletes with a consistent supply of fresh, hyper-local produce.

This collaboration allows the training center to grow nutrient-dense greens and microgreens on-site, taking the guesswork out of traditional farming. Executive Chef Nick Lachman highlights the immediate impact, with produce going "from the farm" directly to the salad bar, enhancing the visual appeal and flavor of dishes. Red sorrel and microgreens for smoothies, particularly raspberry basil, have been singled out as athlete favorites.

SBU Eats has introduced a new micro-farm at East Side Dining. The “Cultivated Cabinet” brings a fresh and sustainable approach to dining at Stony Brook University.

This innovative initiative provides students with hyper-local produce grown just steps away from where it’s served. By integrating fresh greens and herbs into daily menus, the micro-farm enhances the dining experience while promoting environmental responsibility and food transparency.

Babylon Micro-Farms, the leader for on-site indoor farming with over 300 micro-farms across 40 states and 5 countries, today announced the appointment of Marc Oshima as its new Chief Executive Officer, following an in-depth search process. 

“I am delighted to have been appointed CEO to lead Babylon Micro-Farms and build on the original vision of the founders Alexander Oleson and Graham Smith to simplify on-site indoor farming and provide more access to good food,” commented Marc Oshima. “

A local indoor farming company is growing its inventory with the unveiling of a new product with a lower price tag. 

Scott’s Addition-headquartered Babylon Micro-Farms recently introduced its Galleri Lite Micro-Farm, a new iteration of its flagship Galleri Micro-Farm – an automated indoor vertical farm that the company introduced in late May 2022. 

Although it has the same dimensions, plant space and hardware as the original Galleri product, Galleri Lite has removed some technical complexity of the original and comes with a much lower price tag.

Differences include taking away the remote management features from the original Galleri Micro-Farm, which is used to grow food for consumption and is targeted at universities, corporate cafeterias and senior living facilities that want on-site greens options for their menus.

It’s a farm inside a kitchen.

Carl Lasley harvested basil plants, using scissors to carefully snip the aromatic herb, trimming some and completely harvesting others. The lush, richly green plants were grown in hydroponic trays in a corner of the food serving area at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

Lasley, food and beverage director at the Darden School for the FLIK Hospitality Group, which operates Darden Dining, harvested the basil from an idea that sprouted at the University and has now returned as a realized product.