One idea to build a vertical farming project led to an Ag Springboard team. Then a win. Then a company. GreenTowers' co-founders share how they unleashed their creativity and momentum.

GreenTowers started with Dustin Betz's idea to build a vertical farming project. Competing in Ag Springboard 2012 led to the idea to turn a shipping container on its end, load it with a vertical growing system and grow A LOT of food in the footprint of a parking spot.

On this episode of Katie DeFiore's "Entrepreneurial State of Mind" podcast, Betz and co-founder Jared Yarnall-Schane share how they turned an idea into action and then an enterprise.

Listen to Katie's podcast.

Watch Dustin explain how to tell your financial story in an Ag Springboard pitch.

Project by project, Green Towers created customized, living systems, like a vertical growing setup in the window of the Spats Cafe in downtown State College, for fresh-cut micro-herbs. Or, a beehive built into a hexagonal window casing so you can sit inside and watch the bees come and go outside.

Green Towers dissolved in September, 2016 as a Pennsylvania company, but the principals continue to work on their own custom "living design" projects. Betz designs and sells the Beecosystem. You can still reach them through greentowersusa.com