With the world’s population rapidly expanding and the amount of arable land on the planet not increasing any time soon, the challenges of feeding billions are becoming more pronounced. Vertical farming has emerged as a popular environmentally friendly and space-efficient way to cultivate crops indoors. This approach promotes self-sufficiency, strengthens food resilience, and fosters a sense of community engagement in sustainable agriculture. It’s also a great way for homeowners to grow some of their food and herbs if they don’t have the outdoor space to do so.
Unlike traditional farming, vertical farming allows you to grow crops in a limited space. It’s also a great way to produce food in areas with harsh climate changes.
Beyond community-driven initiatives, vertical farming holds potential for commercial ventures as well. Businesses can capitalize on the advantages of vertical farming, such as higher crop yields, reduced water usage, and the ability to grow crops year-round. By establishing large-scale vertical farms, commercial enterprises can contribute to food production on a significant scale while ensuring a consistent supply of fresh produce for local markets and consumers.
What Is Vertical Farming?
Vertical farming is a food production process where crops are grown above/below each other on vertical layers or surfaces. It’s also known as indoor farming because this type of farming requires a controlled indoor environment. Typically, vertical farming does not require abundant natural light or much soil, if any.
How to Start Vertical Farming
To start vertical farming, you must know the necessary elements to ensure maximum production. Since the plant production is indoors, you must also have controlled temperature, humidity, and lighting. Adding sustainable features to your vertical farming system is crucial to minimizing wasted resources and costs.
Here are four vital components of vertical farming:
1. Physical Structure
Space optimization is a fundamental aspect of vertical farming. Efficient physical layouts are crucial to achieving higher yields per square meter. Various approaches have been devised, including high-stacked shelves with growing chambers and tower structures.
2. Artificial Lighting
In vertical farming, integrating artificial and natural light plays a crucial role. By harnessing both sources effectively, you can create an indoor environment that promotes healthy plant growth.
Grow lights, such as LED, HPS, or fluorescent lights, supplement natural sunlight and provide the necessary light energy for photosynthesis. LEDs are preferred due to their affordability and energy efficiency.
To maximize lighting efficiency, employ specialized technologies like rotating beds or adjustable light fixtures, ensuring that plants receive an optimal amount of light throughout their growth cycles.
3. Growing Medium
Since vertical farming falls under indoor agriculture, it doesn’t require soil. You can use an alternative growing medium for this. The most popular systems are hydroponic, aeroponic, or aquaponic models.
The hydroponic growing medium includes a water-recycled system through water basins. It ensures less water waste while still providing plants with what they need. This medium also supplies other essential nutrients to the plants.
In the Aeroponics system, crops are planted in alternative mediums like coconut husk instead of soil. A controlled environment is required for this system. The plants take necessary nutrients from their roots, saving water and labor.
Aquaponics is a closed-loop food production system that contains fish and plants in water. In this medium, the fish supplies essential nutrients and helpful bacteria to the plants. On the other hand, plants keep the water habitable for the fish. This system allows you to save water and boost productivity.
4. Sustainability Features
Sustainability features make vertical farming much better for the planet, the environment, and everyone living there. Rainwater tanks, wind turbines, multipurpose spaces, and water filters save energy and water. Vertical farming doesn’t rely on seasonal attributes to produce, and it’s an ideal way to save water that goes into farming. Vertical farming consumes 95% less water than traditional farming.
UV water filter systems keep drip lines clog-free. When drip lines are clog-free, water spreads uniformly, increasing production while saving water. UV water filters are non-polluting and cost-effective methods for purifying water of color, pesticides, and organics.
Benefits of Vertical Farming
Vertical farming gives us a chance to prepare for the future. It helps us increase food production without relying on acres of land and limited resources. Its structural nature lets us produce food locally, which reduces our dependence on long-distance transportation of food. Here are the key benefits of vertical farming:
- Efficient space utilization: Vertical farming maximizes crop production per square foot.
- Year-round cultivation: Indoor farming allows for consistent crop growth regardless of external weather conditions.
- Reduced water usage: Vertical farms utilize recirculating water systems, minimizing water waste.
- Decreased dependency on pesticides: Controlled environments reduce the need for chemical pesticides.
- Local food production: Vertical farms can be established in urban areas, reducing transportation costs and carbon footprint.
- Enhanced food security: Vertical farming provides a reliable and accessible source of fresh produce.
- Conservation of land and natural resources: Vertical farms minimize land use and conserve natural habitats.
- Increased crop yield: Optimal growing conditions and controlled environments produce a higher crop yield.
- Potential for sustainable and organic farming practices: Controlled environments facilitate organic cultivation and sustainable farming techniques.
Ready to start or upgrade your vertical farm? Visit Aqua Ultraviolet to discover our Clear-Line UV water treatment purification system and UV Ozone water filters, specialized eco-friendly water filters suitable for vertical farming.
