Vertical farming is an innovative method of growing crops indoors in vertically stacked layers. If you have been thinking about How to start a vertical farming business, then you need to read this short article.
Vertical Farming allows food production in urban environments and makes use of vertical space to maximise crop yields.
The idea of vertical farming was proposed in 1999 by Dickson Despommier, a professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University.
He suggested that by growing food crops in vertically stacked layers in urban high-rises, it would be possible to increase crop yields, combat food insecurity, and promote sustainability.
Since then, vertical farming has slowly been gaining momentum around the world. Although still relatively new, some commercial vertical farms already exist in places like Japan, Singapore, China, and the United States.
As the world’s population continues to grow and cultivable land becomes increasingly scarce, many proponents argue that vertical farming will become an important component in feeding the planet’s growing urban populations in a sustainable manner.
What Is Vertical Farming?
Simply defined, it is the practice of producing food crops in vertically stacked layers in a controlled, indoor environment.
This contrasts with traditional outdoor farming which relies on large, horizontal expanses of land. Vertical farming utilises vertical space to maximise crop production in a limited area.
The key components that make vertical farming possible include:
Indoor farming environment – Crops are grown inside a facility such as warehouses, shipping containers or repurposed buildings. Environmental factors like temperature, humidity, lighting and irrigation can be precisely controlled.
Vertically stacked growing system – Crops are grown on vertically stacked trays, racks, stacks or integrated into tall towers or columns to optimise the use of vertical space.
Soil-free or hydroponic growth – Crops are grown without soil using hydroponic or aeroponic systems. The plant roots are supported using growth media like perlite, clay pellets, coconut fiber etc. and provided with nutrient solutions for nourishment.
Artificial lighting – LED grow lights are used as the primary light source since sunlight is absent in an indoor environment. The lights are optimised to facilitate photosynthesis.
Climate control – Advanced monitoring and control technologies are used to optimise temperature, humidity, irrigation, nutrition and gas composition throughout the vertical farm.
Sustainability features – Vertical farms are designed to be energy efficient and recycle resources. Renewable energy, water recycling and rainwater harvesting are commonly integrated.
With these core technologies and concepts, vertical farms aim to maximise crop yields in a small footprint, reduce resource use, cut waste and provide local sustainably grown produce year-round.
How Much Does it Cost to Start a Vertical Farm?
The cost of starting a vertical farm can vary greatly depending on the size of the farm, location, technology used and other factors.
Here is a breakdown of basic inputs involved in setting up a vertical farm, please note that the list is not exhaustive and may vary depending on various factors.
Facility
- Leasing or purchasing an existing warehouse/building vs. building a custom vertical farm structure
- Retrofitting and reconditioning the facility as needed
- Built-in vertical farming infrastructure like racks and towers
- Climate control systems like HVAC and dehumidifiers
Equipment
- Hydroponics systems like nutrient film technique channels, vertical growing towers
- Grow lights like LEDs optimized for different crops
- Irrigation and nutrient dosing systems
- Monitoring sensors and environmental control systems
- Germination room and seedling starter setup
- Post-harvest storage and processing room
Operating Costs and Overheads
- Utilities like electricity and water
- Labor costs for installation, maintenance and harvesting
- Technical experience like engineers and horticulturalists
- Monitoring and control software platforms
- Administrative, legal, consulting and licensing expenses
- Insurance, property taxes, rent (if leasing)
- Marketing and distribution costs
The technology involved in vertical farming continues to become more affordable.
But significant upfront investment is still required for construction, equipment and labor. Investors or commercial funding can help finance the initial startup costs.
Grants may also be available from state/local governments.
Vertical Farming Techniques
There are different techniques and systems used in vertical farming to support plant growth and maximize productivity:
Hydroponics – This involves growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in water. The roots are supported using inert growing media like perlite, clay pellets, coconut coir etc. Popular techniques include nutrient film technique (NFT), deep water culture, drip systems and ebb and flow.
Aeroponics – Plant roots are suspended in air and misted with a nutrient solution at regular intervals. This maximizes oxygenation at the root zone. Tower systems allow aeroponic growth from floor to ceiling.
Aquaponics – Aquaculture tanks containing fish are integrated with hydroponic units. The fish waste provides organic nutrients for the plants, while the plants naturally filter the water.
Stacking systems – Crops are grown in vertically stacked layers on trays, racks, frames or within tower structures. This multiplying of horizontal growing area aids high density cultivation.
Photovoltaic panels – Solar PV systems are commonly integrated within vertical farms to offset electricity use and make them self-sufficient hubs of clean energy.
LED grow lights – Energy efficient LED lights tailored to different crops provide the ideal light spectrum and intensity for photosynthesis. Lighting is optimized across vertical layers.
Climate control – Monitoring systems and technologies like HVAC, humidifiers and dehumidifiers maintain optimal temperature, humidity and air circulation.
Automation – Automated control systems manage key processes like lighting schedules, irrigation cycles, nutrient dosing and environmental controls to optimize growth.
By employing these techniques in innovative configurations, vertical farms can achieve extremely high yields per square foot, while maximizing resource efficiency.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Farming
Advantages
Greatly increased yields per square footage – Growing crops vertically in stacked layers massively boosts productivity relative to land footprint.
Less water usage – Water is recirculated via misting or hydroponic systems, leading to over 70% less usage than conventional farming.
All-season crop production – Crops can be grown year-round independent of outdoor temperature, drought, pests etc.
No weather-related crop failures – Controlled indoor environment protects crops from drought, floods, pests, etc. that can decimate yields.
Reduced transportation costs – Food miles are reduced by siting vertical farms in cities near consumers.
Less spoilage and waste – Shorter supply chains mean fresher produce with longer shelf-life and less spoilage.
Sustainable practices – Renewable energy, plant-based nutrients, water recycling, etc. are used.
Efficient use of urban spaces – Abandoned buildings and vacant properties in cities can be repurposed.
Job creation – High-tech vertical farms require workers with various skills like engineering, horticulture, construction, monitoring.
Disadvantages
High startup costs – Large initial investment required for facilities, equipment, labor, energy systems etc.
Ongoing energy consumption – Continual lighting, heating, cooling and dehumidification leads to high electricity costs.
Limited variety – Only leafy greens, herbs and few other crops economically viable currently.
Unproven long-term viability – Newer large-scale commercial vertical farms have limited multi-year case studies.
Constraints on expansion – Vertical farming may be constrained by a lack of suitable urban buildings.
Less employment vs. traditional farms – High automation means vertical farms employ far fewer people per acre vs. regular farms.
While vertical farming shows great promise, the above downsides must be addressed for it to viably expand as a serious component of the overall agricultural system.
Challenges of Vertical Farming
As an innovative approach to agriculture with immense potential, vertical farming also comes with some unique challenges that need to be addressed:
Energy demands – The 24/7 artificial lighting, cooling, heating and humidity control required contributes greatly to electricity costs.
Making vertical farms energy-efficient is crucial for profitability.
Steps like integrating renewable energy sources, capturing heat for reuse, installing energy-efficient LED lights and climate control systems can help increase sustainability.
Lighting limitations – Getting adequate light to all crops across multiple vertical layers can be difficult. Shadows and low light zones can impact yields. New lighting technologies and reflectors need to be developed to maximize light utilization.
Vertical logistics – Efficient workflows for sowing, transplanting, moving, harvesting and packaging produce vertically rather than horizontally requires innovation.
Automated vertical conveyor belts, elevators and robots can potentially streamline operations.
Startup costs – Constructing or retrofitting buildings as vertical farms requires major upfront investment. Bringing down these infrastructure costs through cheaper materials or modular farm units is important for wider adoption.
Profitability – Many varieties of fresh produce can’t yet be grown profitably in vertical farms compared to traditional methods. Improving yields and reducing energy and labor costs is key to making more crops economically viable.
Regulations – Building codes, electrical loads, zoning laws etc. may need updating to accommodate large-scale vertical farms in urban areas. Streamlining policies will support growth of this new agricultural sector.
Crop constraints – The biology of various produce like staple grains, cereals and fruits poses challenges to cost-effective vertical cultivation currently. Expanding beyond leafy greens into other crops is an important frontier.
By creatively leveraging emerging technologies and optimizing plant science, economics and engineering, companies in this field can help transform these challenges into opportunities.
The Future of Vertical Farming
Vertical farming has garnered tremendous investor interest and seems poised to expand as a serious component of the global agricultural system. Here are some promising areas of innovation and growth on the horizon:
More commercialisation – The rapid rise of vertical farm startups and expansion of existing operators indicates the commercial potential is being recognised. As profits and business models solidify, larger-scale vertical hubs will proliferate.
Increasing crop variety – Companies will find innovative ways to efficiently cultivate more varieties of vegetables, fruits and greens vertically. This diversification will make vertical produce more mainstream.
Global applications – Vertical farms integrated with renewable energy could provide food security in regions with infertile land or unreliable weather. Companies like AeroFarms are expanding globally.
Automation – From seeding to harvesting, automated systems will greatly reduce labour costs and allow scaling up. Robotics is already being employed for plant handling and processing.
AI integration – Machine learning and AI will allow real-time optimisation of lighting, nutrients, humidity and other variables for improving yields.
Genetic advances – Scientists are developing genetics to maximise vertical farm suitable traits like dwarf sizes, faster growth rates and increased light utilisation.
Expanding spaces – Companies are exploring decentralised vertical farm networks. Converted shipping containers and modular stacked units provide mobility and flexibility.
Environmental benefits – By reducing transportation distances and replenishing withered city environments, vertical farms can help cities become more liveable and sustainable.
Vertical farming provides a glimpse into how tomorrow’s food systems may operate – efficient, automated, decentralised, data-driven and ecologically sound. While still an emerging field, rapid progress is being made towards realising this vision.
