Overview
This lecture discusses urban controlled environment agriculture using hydroponic shipping container farms, highlighting their business models, technology, and impact on city food systems.
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)
- CEA focuses on growing crops in urban or peri-urban locations where land is scarce or building space is underused.
- The goal is to maximize food production in limited spaces, often within cities.
Freight Farms & The Leafy Green Machine
- Freight Farms created the Leafy Green Machine: a hydroponic grow system inside repurposed shipping containers.
- Designed to efficiently grow lettuce and leafy greens for restaurants, food services, and schools.
- Each container costs about $80,000 to buy and $1,000 per month to operate (not including rent).
- Operations use as little as 10 gallons of water and 8 kWh energy daily (about 2.5 times an average home).
Business Models and Urban Farming
- Farms like Green Line Growers and Cornertock Farms operate out of repurposed urban spaces, e.g., taxi depots or tow yards.
- Key selling point for restaurants: direct sampling and influence over seed selection.
- Freight Farms provides farmers with training and a basic business plan, allowing even beginners to start urban farms.
- Example: Cornertock Farms produces 4,000 heads of lettuce weekly, generating about $16,000/month, and aims to increase output.
Technology and Knowledge Transfer
- Urban hydroponic farming combines new technology with traditional farming knowledge.
- Automation and user-friendly systems help hobbyists transition to commercial farming.
- Modular, scalable systems enable motivated individuals to operate profitable urban farms.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) — Indoor crop production using technology to optimize conditions.
- Hydroponics — Growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water.
- Freight Farms/Leafy Green Machine — A shipping container-based hydroponic farm system.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the business plan template and training materials from Freight Farms.
- Research local regulations or opportunities for urban farming initiatives.