Vertical rows of bright green heads of lettuce, backlit with white LED lights and trays of rich, black soil with tiny seedlings are not what you would expect to see growing inside a 40-foot metal box. Shipping containers are generally considered to be an eyesore with their drab coloring and industrial appearance. But, these are different. Shiny and custom-wrapped on the outside, clean and glowing on the inside, FarmBox Foods’ shipping container farms are unexpectedly stunning and awe-inspiring.

This Denver metro startup is reimagining the way we think about farming. “We wanted to create a way for communities to take back control of their food system,” says Jason Brown, chief technology officer at FarmBox Foods. “We wanted to give people an alternative to centralized food production.”

Shipping container farms provide a way for communities to grow fresh produce all year without worrying about seasonal climate change. With their hydroponic technology, these farms use significantly less water and soil than traditional farming, making them much more environmentally friendly. But the best part is, communities have access to their own locally grown food.

Leafy greens are just the starting point for FarmBox Foods. The company has recently launched a mushroom container farm that can grow hundreds of pounds of gourmet mushrooms per week, providing communities with a nutrient-rich meat alternative. With innovators like FarmBox Foods leading the way, communities across the globe are now empowered to make healthy, sustainable choices when it comes to their food.

Photos courtesy FarmBox Foods.