Therepublic.com - The north wall inside The Roosevelt 2.0 in Ybor City once was a blank canvas of old, exposed bricks covered with a thin veil of white paint.

Now it's a farm.

Dangling like a frozen green waterfall, stems of rainbow char, Genovese basil, cilantro, arugula and Italian parsley hang vertically from what amounts to a living wall, nourished by snaking lines of an irrigation system and panels of artificial lighting.

It's an idea that Dave Smiles of Uriah's Urban Farms says is ripe for Tampa's restaurant scene, which in recent years has seen more chefs starting their own growing operations.

Smiles, who prefers to be called Farmer Dave, developed the growing system to give chefs and restaurant owners a way to close the gap between the farm and the table. The system promises a reduction in the waste of overbuying, a drop in costs, the ability to grow specialized ingredients and use fresher herbs and vegetables. Continue