Vertical farming isn't new. The concept—growing crops indoors in stacked layers— has actually been around for over a decade, but it's only now becoming more prevalent in the United States as well as a hot new area for big investors.

Goldman Sachs (GS), Prudential Financial (PRU), and RBH Group have partnered with a 10-year-old startup called Aerofarms to build the world's largest vertical farm in Newark, N.J.

"We want to go where the mouths are. Newark allows us to go to New York City and throughout New Jersey. We're focused on the places that have economic trouble too—so we can go in and help out," says David Rosenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of AeroFarms.