Beyond Garnish: How Science Helps An Indoor Farm Amp Up Flower Flavor
Chefs are turning to Fresh Impact Farms, located in an unassuming strip mall outside of Washington, D.C., when they want edible flowers, herbs, and greens that do more than just make a pretty plate.
From inside the overly-lit interior of a 1960s strip mall, software programs and science are helping an urban farm fire up the flavor of fennel fronds and control the size of nasturtium leaves. By carefully monitoring each variable and its impact on the way a plant tastes, looks and grows, Fresh Impact Farms is inching closer to its goal: delivering edible flowers and herbs catered to the taste preferences of top-tier chefs.
To that end, nutrient mix, water temperature, light spectrum and countless other variables are regularly tweaked to produce more of the thumb-sized, lily-pad-shaped leaves chefs prize from nasturtium, each packed with a
