We were lucky to catch up with Tova Feinberg recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tova, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Food is magic. It’s the warm smell of grandma’s kitchen that takes you back to childhood. It’s the nervous excitement of cooking dinner for someone special. It’s the laughter around a family table and the quiet joy of a perfect meal. Food brings us together, creates our most precious memories, and shapes our health and happiness. But somewhere along the way, we lost this beautiful connection to our food.

After 14 years in the food industry, I’ve watched our food system break down. The lettuce in our stores has traveled thousands of miles, losing nutrients with every passing day. The herbs are sprayed with chemicals just to survive the long journey. When you bite into a tomato, it’s tasteless – nothing like the ones from your backyard garden. It hurts to see something so fundamental to our health and happiness become so disconnected from nature.

That’s when it hit me – we could revolutionize farming by completely rethinking how fresh food reaches people’s plates. Instead of massive warehouses or long supply chains, we created a simple but powerful model: we only harvest what’s ordered, when it’s ordered. Our modular farms are placed right in the communities they serve, which means produce goes from farm to table in minutes, not days or weeks. No storage, no waste, no compromise on quality – just food that’s alive with flavor and nutrition because it was literally growing moments before it reached you.

The response has been overwhelming. People can taste the difference immediately. When you eat something that was harvested just for you, you rediscover what food is supposed to taste like. Every time I see someone’s face light up trying our produce, I know we’re bringing back a little bit of that food magic. And this is just the beginning – our vision is to expand this model throughout the Midwest, bringing truly fresh, local food back to communities across the heartland.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Tova Feinberg, and I’m an entrepreneur driven by a deep desire to solve problems through food. From an early age, I’ve been passionate about the power of food to bring people together. Throughout my 14 years in the food and beverage industry, I saw both the beauty and heartbreak of our food system. I witnessed the pure joy on people’s faces when they experienced something extraordinary, but I also saw the growing disconnect between people and their food. Watching vibrant ingredients lose their soul during long-distance shipping, seeing chemicals sprayed on produce just to survive the journey – it felt like we were losing something precious, something fundamental to human connection and health.

Growing up, I always found myself drawn to the kitchen. My love for food started at home with my parents, who are physicians by trade but food lovers at heart. As I grew, I realized that food would play a central role in my life. Through food, I found my way of making people happy—by feeding their stomachs and their souls. Starting my own venture isn’t just about fulfilling a personal goal—it’s about making a meaningful difference. I’m deeply committed to offering delicious, sustainable, and healthy produce to the masses.

This deep emotional connection to food drives everything I do at Atidi Farms (formerly known as VertiGreens). When I’m in the farm, surrounded by the vibrant greens reaching toward the light, I feel a profound sense of purpose. Every leaf we grow, every harvest we deliver minutes after picking, is part of a bigger mission to bring back the magic of truly fresh food.

What truly sets us apart is our revolutionary harvest model. While traditional suppliers and even large hydroponic farms harvest produce days before it reaches you, we do something radically different: we only harvest what’s ordered, when it’s ordered. Imagine ordering lettuce and knowing it was literally growing minutes before it reached your kitchen. No warehousing, no long transit times, no compromise on quality – just vibrant, living produce at its peak of freshness and nutrition.

But perhaps what truly distinguishes us is our commitment to consistency and quality. By vertically integrating our growing and distribution, we maintain complete control over every step of the process. There are no middlemen, no long supply chains, no seasonal constraints – just direct relationships and unwavering quality standards.

When you work with Atidi Farms, you’re not just getting produce – you’re getting a partner who understands that every leaf, every harvest, every delivery is part of your culinary story. We’re bringing back the magic of truly fresh food.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The biggest test of my entrepreneurial journey wasn’t about farming techniques or market strategies – it was about trust. What started as a partnership with my best friend evolved into one of the most challenging chapters of my business life. Despite our close friendship, when he resigned as CEO but retained almost half ownership of the company, I learned the hard way that friendship and business require different kinds of protection.

For a year and a half, I felt like I was treading water. Every day brought a new challenge as I worked to keep the dream alive while negotiating terms. I couldn’t pursue growth opportunities or raise funds. The farm that represented so much potential had to operate at minimum capacity – just enough to stay afloat. It was heartbreaking to see our vision stalled, especially knowing how many customers believed in what we were building.

But in those darkest moments, I discovered the true strength of community. Our clients didn’t just stick with us; they became our cheerleaders. Family and friends showed up at the farm, rolling up their sleeves to help however they could. My two incredible farmers stood by my side, believing in our mission even when the future was uncertain. Their unwavering support reminded me why I started this journey in the first place.

Today, with the agreement finally reached just months ago, I’m not just running a business – I’m leading a stronger, more resilient company shaped by the lessons of that challenge. As I work toward making this venture my full-time focus and pursue funding for expansion, I carry these lessons with me: protect your business with strong agreements, trust in your community, and never underestimate the power of believing in your mission, even when times are tough.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

As a founder leading a small but mighty team, I’ve learned that team management is deeply personal, especially in a startup environment. Currently, with our four-member team, I’ve found that maintaining high morale comes down to a few key principles:

Lead by Example: I believe in practicing what I preach. When I show up energized, stay focused on our mission, and maintain my own health and work-life balance, it sets the tone for the entire team. This is especially important as I work toward becoming a full-time founder.

Create Meaningful Connections: In a small team, every interaction matters. I make sure each team member understands how their work directly contributes to the overall mission. When someone sees a chef’s face light up at our fresh produce, they know they played a crucial role in making that happen.

Foster Open Communication: After experiencing the challenges of a difficult partnership early on, I’ve learned the importance of clear, honest communication. I encourage regular check-ins and make sure everyone feels comfortable sharing both challenges and victories.

Celebrate Small Wins: In the startup world, progress can sometimes feel slow. We make it a point to celebrate every milestone, whether it’s a new customer joining our waitlist or a particularly successful harvest.

Support Personal Growth: Just as I’m focused on my own growth and health goals, I encourage my team members to pursue their personal development. When the team grows individually, we all benefit collectively.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vertigreens.io
• Instagram: vertigreens_stl
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tovafeinberg/

Image Credits

I took all of these myself