SHIPPING CONTAINER FARMING – INNOVATION & NEXT GEN AGRICULTURE
Bringing Fresh, Local Produce to Urban Areas Through Modified Climate Controlled Containers
Sea Box (an American shipping container manufacturer) in collaboration with Square Roots (an urban farming innovator), and Gordon Food Service (the largest family operated broadline food distribution company in North America) have partnered to bring containerized farming to the city. These state-of-the-art customized shipping containers utilize distributed data networks in climate-controlled modules to provide flexible capability. Cloud-connected and data empowered, teams of urban farmers stay informed with real time data.
The initial commercial installation incorporated 10 highly modified, refrigerated containers and was installed at the Gordon Food Service headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan as part of their “Farm Campus”. At Gordon, researchers study best practices and create unique training programs for urban farmers. Monitoring is integral to this process, CO2 levels are tracked, hydroponics and full spectrum LED lighting systems are optimized. This data collection directly influences taste, texture, and yield. Already, the system has improved the growth time of basil from 50 days to 28 days. It is estimated that this prototype installation will produce approximately 50,000 lbs of herbs and greens annually, year-round, and all without the use of pesticides. A true innovation, the “Transparency Timeline” feature, developed by Square Roots, allows customers to trace a green’s origin and grow methodology.
Containerized agriculture will never replace traditional farming, but it provides a clever solution for a niche. Cost and speed to market are tangible benefits when considering containers as a structural solution for urban farming. Modularization adds tremendous value by allowing any installation to easily scale meeting demand with speed and flexibility. Additionally, containerized farm modules provide ideal controlled environments for optimizing growing conditions. This allows farmers to cultivate plants that would otherwise be exotic to a locale or out of season. Also, the need for pesticides is eliminated and water consumption can be reduced by up to 90% as compared to outdoor farms.
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For modifications big and small – Sea Box Inc. has the experience to attain exceptional results to exacting standards. For more information check out our website – www.seabox.com or contact our expert sales team at 856-303-1101.
For More Information Contact:
Andrew Salerno, Head of Global Marketing
SEA BOX, Inc.
1 SEA BOX Drive
East Riverton, NJ 08077-2022
P: 856-303-1101
E: asalerno@seabox.com
