ABOUT VERTICAL FARMING

We know the population is increasing but what is interesting is that the density is concentrating in the urban areas. Currently, 55% of the world's population resides in urban areas and this is expected to increase to 68% by 2050. As we are growing most of our food in open rural farmlands, this adds hundreds if not thousands of food miles to bring it to the densely populated cities. A vertical farm within or close to the city provides a viable alternative to avoid this extensive transportation.

Furthermore, the produce which travels such large distances requires an even larger infrastructure to keep it "fresh" or the idea of fresh. A closer vertical farm reduces the time to consumer keeping the produce fresh.

Indoor farms are built to create the perfect environment for plants, reducing the unpredictability from changing climates. By giving plants exactly what they want, we can make them taste how they should.

Hydroponic and aeroponic growing has received a lot of attention in recent years as the future of farming, since it's been linked with the associated concept of vertical farming.

Vertical farms can take many different shapes and sizes, but they operate the same at their cores. First of all, in vertical farm crops, they aren't grown horizontally (which you may have gleaned from the name), but in a stacked or tower formation. In tower-style vertical farming, plants are grown upward, intertwining into the lattice or supporting structure. In the stacked method, the vertical 'stacks' are basically growing trays, supported by shelves on top of one another.

Vertical farms don't use soil to provide sustenance to the plants. Instead, they rely on hydroponics to deliver nutrients to the plants. In hydroponic growing, water is saturated with a nutrient solution and cycled through the growing trays that hold the plants. Some vertical farms use aeroponics to provide nutrients to the plants. Aeroponics is a form of hydroponics, but rather than using a 'flow' of water, the water is pushed through pressurized nozzles. This creates small droplets that are delivered directly to the plants' roots.

Our controlled environment farm gives us the leverage to produce crops in any season which won't be possible in an open farm. This reduces the need to import such foods from other countries avoiding thousands of food miles.

The idea is to create a more ecological, accessible, and economical approach to mass food production.