A vertical farm can be an effective and efficient method for growing plants in a controlled environment. It allows for a much higher yield than a regular farm, and it can also be extremely energy efficient. In addition, a vertical farm can be very low maintenance, since the crops are grown in a single location, and the only work that must be done is to tend to the soil. This is an attractive feature for many farmers.
Techno Farm Keihanna
Techno Farm Keihanna is the largest automated vertical farm in the world. It has a total production capacity of 30,000 heads of lettuce per day. The facility uses IoT/AI technologies.
The farm’s AI technology relies on almost all robotic arms for harvesting and irrigation. The LED lights used at the plant are custom-designed to optimize the energy consumption. The purple lights assist the plants in completing photosynthesis.
Techno Farm Keihanna recycles over 90 percent of the water that is used in cultivation. Each head of lettuce consumes 110 milliliters of water. This water is then condensed and reused.
The Techno Farm Keihanna facility is located in the Kansai Science City. The facility will be built with specialized research and development facilities. Spread will work with a partner company to develop new technologies for the facility.
AeroFarms
AeroFarms is an indoor vertical farm that will produce food year-round. It uses cutting-edge technology, including targeted water and LED lights to increase photosynthesis efficiency. This technology enables AeroFarms to produce delicious, safe greens in locations without pesticides.
AeroFarms has won awards for its innovation, including the TIME and Fast Company Best Inventions of the Year. The company’s mission is to raise the bar on agricultural innovation.
AeroFarms focuses on sustainability, and has a mission to create jobs and make a positive impact on communities. The company is also working to address climate change and alleviate food deserts.
AeroFarms plans to invest in 16 more farms with capital, and is focused on expanding its footprint. It currently has one farm in New Jersey and is building a commercial facility in Abu Dhabi.
With its advanced technology and automated systems, the Danville farm will be able to produce three times more than a traditional field farm. It will also use ninety-five percent less water. The farm will be digitally controlled and use zero pesticides.
AeroFarms will be a part of the Danville community, and will hire 100 people from the area. The operation will be attended by state and federal elected officials.
AeroFarms has a number of strategic partnerships in place. These include a multi-year partnership with Nokia Bell Labs, which will combine their expertise to provide next-level imaging insights. They will also expand their capabilities in machine learning and cutting-edge networking.
The company is also a member of Precision Indoor Plants, a joint venture with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. PIP is developing speed breeding technology, and other genetic adaptations for indoor growing.
Spread
As a leader in the vertical farming industry, Spread’s goal is to achieve profitability. Spread is currently operating two vertical farms, one in Kyoto and the other in Narita. They aim to expand their business through a partnership model.
Spread has recently announced plans for a third facility, a larger vertical farm in the Kansai Science City. This facility will be fed by robots and have a sealed room to protect vegetables from pests and diseases.
The company is also working on alternative meats. They are currently supplying lettuce under the Vegetus brand in over 2,200 supermarkets in Japan. These products are available for about 20 to 30 percent more than the price of conventional varieties.
Their Kameoka Plant has successfully cracked the hardest challenge in commercial vertical farming. The plant is expected to achieve profitability within six years.
Spread is a vertical farming startup that’s based in Kyoto, Japan. The company combines traditional Kyoto farming practices with the latest technology. It’s aiming to become the world’s leader in the vertical farming industry.
In the 15 years that Spread has been operating, it’s sold 90 million packs of lettuce. Each head of lettuce costs Y=198, or 20-30 percent more than the price of conventional varieties.
During this time, it has also introduced a bee-pollinating system that uses LED lights. The company also rolled out its Techno Farm Cloud, a cultivation management system based on AI and IoT technologies.
As the Japanese vertical farming market matures, Spread is looking to diversify its offerings. For instance, the company recently signed a contract with a food producer in the UAE. And it’s planning to build a large automated leaf-vegetable factory in Kansai Science City.
Spread is currently working on producing pesticide-free strawberries. This technology has won the company an Edison Award.
Also, the company is launching research on alternative meats. It’s looking to increase its production of sustainable vegetables to 100 tons per day by 2030.
The company is focusing on the global market, and is looking to expand its business through partnerships. Currently, the company has two farms in Western Japan. One of these facilities is in Kameoka, a city in Kyoto.
The other is in Chiba, a city in Eastern Japan. This facility is 1.5 times the size of the one in Kameoka.
It will be able to produce 30,000 heads of lettuce daily, and has the ability to recycle water. The facility will utilize custom-designed light-emitting diodes and robots.
Intelligent Growth Solutions
Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) is a Scottish agritech firm that develops and provides vertical farm technology. The company’s goal is to help farmers grow produce at a lower cost and in less time. It uses a patented system for delivering sustainable high-yield crops.
IGS is based in Edinburgh, U.K. and has been building farms for customers on four continents. Their products include indoor, automated, and hydroponic farms.
The company’s technology is based on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensors. It’s aimed at helping growers reduce costs and waste, while also boosting nutritional security.
As well as growing leafy greens, IGS produces potatoes, broccoli, and chiles. They use a low-code, auto-remediation workflow that increases efficiency by up to 40 percent. This technology has been deployed by several existing customers, including Eden Towers in Australia and Vertegrow in the United States.
IGS’s patented technology includes an IoT-enabled system with dynamic LEDs that can adjust to the needs of the plant, as well as software that allows growers to track their crops.
IGS is planning to begin construction on a vertical farm in the early part of 2023. At the moment, the company has eight farms deployed in the United Kingdom, France, and Abu Dhabi. There are plans to expand the company’s operations, and they expect to build 70 vertical farms by the year 2022.
The company’s vertical farming towers simulate a variety of micro climates. Growing in these spaces reduces the carbon footprint of food production.
With the help of their technology, growers can produce fresh, healthy produce without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals. In addition, they can cut down on water consumption by up to 95%.
StackGrow by iFarm
The next generation of vertical farming is about to hit the market. This innovation uses artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise everything from the farm’s water and lighting to its yield.
Vertical farms use less land and are climate-controlled, meaning that they can produce year-round. They also reduce food waste and food miles. They can grow more food in less space and have better crop density.
Agri-tech investment is growing. Companies like Agricola Moderna and Plenty are making headway into the market. Others, such as iFarm, have developed proprietary technology that can enhance the productivity of indoor farms.
The StackGrow technology of iFarm is already in use at several commercial projects. It is designed to automate all farm operations and reduce labor costs.
It combines automated irrigation, lighting, conveyors and water monitoring. StackGrow systems use up to 30% less energy and require fewer workers than the previous generation of vertical farms.
This innovative system is a component of the company’s Growtune platform. With the interface, farmers can monitor soil nutrients, record harvests, and even send notifications to their customers.
StackGrow’s AI-driven software helps optimize everything from the water and lighting to the yield. It also creates game-changing improvements in resource savings.
According to the OMRON-IGS press release, the company has worked with Wageningen University and Signify to create an automated vertical farming solution. In 2021, the two companies presented it at COP26 in Glasgow.
The concept of vertical farming is one of the most promising solutions to global hunger. It has the potential to increase the yield of crops, decrease the amount of land needed, and reduce the average food miles.
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