Posted on 09/26/2018 10:44:09 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
80 Acres Farms, a Cincinnati-based firm focused on the indoor vertical farming industry, is building the first fully-automated indoor farm in the U.S. in Hamilton, Ohio.
The initial phase, expected to be completed later this year, will feature state-of-the-art grow centers to produce specialty greens that include microgreens, culinary herbs, leafy greens and kale. According to company officials, the company plans three additional phases at the Hamilton site. When completed, the project will comprise over 150,000 square feet of fully-automated indoor farming, also known as controlled environmental agriculture.
The full-phase expansion will allow 80 Acres Farms to provide more product to serve its customers with just-picked, year-round produce. Produce grown at the Hamilton site will supply Whole Foods Markets, Dorothy Lane Markets, Jungle Jims, U.S. Foods, and other retailers and foodservice distributors.
80 Acres Farms currently serves Cincinnati-area customers from its facility in the Cincinnati community where it grows microgreens, culinary herbs, leafy lettuce, kale, vine crops like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
"We already have demonstrated that we can provide to our customers the freshest, best-tasting and nutritious locally-grown produce, while using renewable energy, very little water, and no pesticides," said Mike Zelkind, co-Founder & CEO of 80 Acres Farms. "With the Hamilton facility we will achieve the next-generation of indoor vertical farming using best of breed technology. This project will deliver our proof of concept that indoor farming can be fully-automated, commercially scalable, higher-yielding, and profitable. It will serve as a prototype for our ambitious plans to co-locate similar facilities with commercial customers in other parts of the country.''
Zelkind said the Hamilton site will be automated from seeding to growing to harvesting for highest quality and food safety standards. 80 Acres Farms personnel will manage the Hamilton facility, which will feature robotics, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and around-the-clock monitoring sensors and control systems to optimize every aspect of growing produce indoors.
"The City of Hamilton is very excited about the expansion of 80 Acres in our community," said Joshua Smith, City Manager. "This is a first-in-class company, whose innovations will improve access of fresh foods to areas that need them the most."
Mayor Pat Moeller said, "Hamilton thanks 80 Acres Farms for its investment in our City. 80 Acres' high-tech indoor farm efficiently grows fresh produce that will continue to be sold locally. I have had the opportunity to purchase 80 Acres produce and really enjoyed the fresh, flavorful taste."
80 Acres Farms is headquartered in the Spring Grove community of Cincinnati, where the company was founded in 2015 by Zelkind and Livingston, both veteran food industry executives. It now employs more than 60 people in Cincinnati and other company R&D, engineering and production facilities in three other states.
I can see indoor farming as the future of farming. You only have so much land, but you can have multiple acres per acre by going upwards.
They could get knowledge and training from marijuana growers - they've been doing indoor farming for decades.
Almost any abandoned warehouse, factory or mall is ideal.
no real sunlight? I wonder if it will have same levels of nutrients as naturally/outdoor produced items? I always thought hot house was not best?
Weed vote in Nov already secured, unfortunaely.
Where Squish post man kid?
[ no real sunlight? I wonder if it will have same levels of nutrients as naturally/outdoor produced items? I always thought hot house was not best? ]
they can use tuned LED lighting to only output the wavelengths the plants need, well why not natural light you ask?
Well you can use a solar cells on the top of the farm to power the batteries and lights and take all that multi-wave light for energy and power multiple layers and levels of plants.
And you can keep the plants growing 24/7. Plants adapt easily to that, just ask anyone in Alaska who has a garden.
[ I can see indoor farming as the future of farming. You only have so much land, but you can have multiple acres per acre by going upwards. ]
By controlling what goes into and out of the indoor farm you don;t need pesticide or herbicides...
Ask yourself you ever use roundup or bug spray on an INDOOR PLANT?
[ Almost any abandoned warehouse, factory or mall is ideal. ]
and since you have a very controlled environment, automation of tasks is far easier....
and so goes away the dumb ass democrat talking point that we need “illegals to raise our food” crap.
ANNNNNDDD..... ILLEGALS WON’T BE CRAPPING ON OUR FOOD EITHER!
Mrs. Mad would, if there were spiders involved she would “Raid” the hell out of it.
In addition to our summer and winter estates, he owned a valuable piece of land.
True, it was a small piece. But he carried it with him wherever he went.
"Dmitri Petrovich! I would like to buy your land."
"This land is not for sale.
"Some day, I hope to build on it."
There could be situations requiring pest-control sprays, if the farm were large enough.
Yep.
There isn’t reason they can’t have reflected sunlight, using mirrors.
kale.
mmmmm...
And good practice for the sub-surface space colonies.
That’s an application I hadn’t thought of, and you’re right.
Surprised to see Dorothy Lane Market jump on it.
About the only reason I could see them jumping on it is for “perfect food”.
80 acres in snow country. That’s one heck of a snow load.
Interestingly, because the growing environment is so controlled, crops grow more quickly. Some micro vegetables can be harvested monthly.
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