Village Farms Marfa Greenhouse, Texas

Village Farms operates some of the largest hydroponic greenhouse operations in the country at two nearby sites: here, at the Marfa Airport, and a few miles further up the road towards Fort Davis. These structures allow growers to grow tomatoes (and some cucumbers and peppers) in carefully managed conditions, without soil, by controlling temperature, irrigation, fertilizer, carbon dioxide levels, humidity, and light. Village Farms, the Canadian company that owns the operations here, has another set of hydroponic greenhouses near Vancouver. These structures are not immune to external conditions. A hail storm in 2012 severely damaged the structures, and closed operations for some time.