Vertical Farming Innovation

[naturebud]

Hi all!

I work for a hydroponics small business that helps rural communities and schools further sustain themselves. We are currently designing a new type of vertical farming system that will significantly reduce the initial capital expense and still give great results and produce. We are getting all the designs finalized and will be going live soon. I made a signup sheet for anyone interested in learning more! Any signup is appreciated!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfW0bqHSFjuX2xLV-z2QsfN_sSfIQm2PSg_AovLCd3Yf7MUpg/viewform?usp=sf_link


Thanks everyone!

 

[Grass And Grain]

Where abouts are you? Have you a website?

 

[Veryfruity]

Me too, website?

 

[naturebud]

Where abouts are you? Have you a website?

VHHydroponics.com

 

[naturebud]

Me too, website?

VHHydroponics.com

 

[Grass And Grain]

I don't really know much about vertical farming, but can it compete on cost with glass house or field grown lettuce/leaves.

One would think that on a large scale that vertical farming was very labour intensive, although more pleasant cutting up off the ground.

I can, however, see how a small system would be great for a restaurant that wants super fresh plant to plate.

I've a friend who works for a multiple food retailer, and his idea was to put vertical farms into store - particularly large supermarkets that want to downscale their store size to cut costs, then use that space for fresh leaves production.

We do vacuum coolers and refrigeration, and I see a problem here. Unless cut and used immediately, imho lettuce and herbs need vac cooling to maintain quality and shelf life. But, the scale/volume of production needs to be there to make it worthwhile investing in a vac cooler. That said, maybe there's a case for micro sized vac coolers.

What do you think to vertical farming @Veryfruity , and out of interest, what do you grow. I guess vertical farming might be useful for continual growing without disease build up (thinking soil borne disease). Non of our customers are into vertical farming yet, but there's certainly a move towards some intensive growing systems, particularly associated with 'cheap' heat and power from AD plants.

 

[Veryfruity]

I’m a very horizontal sort of market gardener, and still work in the soil. I grow some protected crops, toms cucs and aubergines, but I’m mainly fruit; peaches, apricots cherries plums strawberries and table grapes. We sell pyo.
I’m just interested in all sorts of growing, and fancy a bit of vertical in my greenhouse for the house.

Vertical farming just ups the yield per m2, and glass is very expensive.

 

[Fruitbat]

I've done a bit of VF in a former life.
Experiences learnt:
How easy is it to fill & plant with growing media, coir/LECA/substrate?
But more importantly, how easy is it to clean and sterilise between crops?
A new system is great, but once it's had a crop through it, with roots, growing media, algal growth and salt residues from the hydroponic solutions it has to be easy/quick to clean and clean well. You cannot afford to have any biomass carry over between crop cycles forming a pathogen bridge.
Light is the second issue, even distribution of the correct wavelengths and avoiding shading.
FB