Since humans began farming over 20,000 years ago, we have had to fight the weather, seasons, and pests while creating irrigation systems to ensure the crops have water.
Once company believes they’ve solved humanity’s toughest farming problems by moving the entire operation indoors.
80 Acres Farms is currently building an indoor farm in Hamilton, Ohio, just outside of Cincinnati, that will provide 150,000 square feet of controlled environment agriculture (CEA).
The CEA farm will rely on energy-efficient LED lights for its plants to thrive in a climate-controlled environment. While traditional farmers are tied to the seasons, CEA farming allows crops to grow 365 days a year without interruptions.
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Growing indoors virtually eliminates the need for pesticides, so the food is healthier and producing it doesn’t pollute soil and waterways.
The indoor environment allows crops to be stacked vertically, so more can be produced in a limited space.
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“80 Acres grows products much faster than in the traditional outdoor environment or even in a greenhouse environment,” 80 Acres Farms co-founder, Mike Zelkind, told iGrow.
“We can control all the factors, like CO2 levels, and when and how much to deliberately stress the plant to get the right level of nutrition and flavor," he continued.
CEA farms are also incredibly eco-friendly. “We grow hydroponically, in a closed-loop system, using 95% less water than a conventional farm,” Beca Haders, 80 Acres Farms head of marketing, told CincyChic.
“Plants only take up what they need and the rest is recirculated in the system. To reduce our carbon footprint, we strive to use primary renewable energy sources and travel less miles with our food," Haders continued.
The indoor farm should be completed by the end of 2018 when it will begin growing greens such as herbs and kale for local retailers and distributors.
