The vertical farm, created by US company AeroFarms, can harvest 900 tons of leafy greens a year without soil, pesticides or sunlight.
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| AeroFarms’ farm, located in a 70,000-square-foot warehouse in Newark, New Jersey, will be the world’s largest vertical farm when it opens this spring, with 250 varieties of herbs and vegetables, Tech Insider reports. The plants sit on trays stacked nearly 30 feet high under LED lights and sensors that monitor their growth. |
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| To protect their crops from contamination, all AeroFarms farmers wear rubber gloves, head covers, and full-body protective gear. Anyone entering the factory must wash their hands, don a head cover, and wipe their shoes on a special mat. |
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| The planting process begins with farmers pouring tiny seeds onto a planting tray covered with fabric and recycled plastic. |
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| The trays are placed under LED bulbs that simulate natural sunlight. The light is emitted at an intensity and spectrum appropriate for each type of plant. |
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| To humans, LED lights appear white, but in reality, plants grow under a combination of red and blue light, Oshima said. |
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| Small fans rotate in the middle of each row, providing oxygen to the plants. The trays are also periodically sprayed with nutrients. |
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| Sensors on the trays collect data at 30,000 points to monitor plant growth. The data is analyzed by scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, allowing farmers to constantly improve their planting methods. |
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| If the kale doesn't sprout at a certain light spectrum or oxygen concentration, farmers will adjust conditions for the next crop. |
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| Farmers can make leafy greens taste spicy or sweet by changing the algorithms that control growing conditions. |
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| Each year, AeroFarms harvests 30 crops and produces 900 tons of leafy greens, while a typical outdoor farm in New York can only produce up to three lettuce crops if the weather is good. |
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| AeroFarms uses 95% less water and 50% less fertilizer than traditional vegetable farms. All crops are grown without pesticides, because they are protected from pests while growing in the warehouse. |
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| Vertical farms in warehouses promise to provide huge amounts of fresh greens to local residents and can be easily transported to neighboring cities. |
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| AeroFarms provides fresh vegetables year-round to New York and New Jersey at prices as cheap as organic lettuce. See also: Giant floating farm grows vegetables with seawater |
According to VNE
