Freight Farms - shipping container hydroponic farming systems

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Freight Farms
Surveys indicate that, given the choice, we consumers choose local over organic and a containerized farm might be just the ticket for some neighborhoods. 

Must see their videos - http://kck.st/syZblG and/or
http://bcove.me/g8mrrd9g

Their Facebook page is more lively than their website -
http://www.facebook.com/freightfarms

From their website freightfarms.com

A local solution for the ne
generation of global food supply.

Freight Farms create access to food in areas of the world where the climate cannot support traditional farming methods. The Freight Farms’ system brings a high volume of fresh, quality and affordable food within reach of everyone along the food supply chain. By enabling high-yield crop production in any climate, Freight Farms offer an immediate foundation to grow a local food economy and sustainable food system.

Accessibility, Affordability, Sustainability

Freight Farms decrease the production costs and environmental impact of fresh produce by locating production much closer to the end consumer. Freight farms use less water than traditional agriculture and eliminate the need for pesticides or herbicides.

Harvest The Benefits

  • No Pesticides, No Herbacides
  • Smaller Footprint, Greater Yields
  • Superior Taste, Quality, Appearance and Uniformity
  • No weeds, No Cultivation, No Soil Borne Diseases or Insects.
  • Less Water and Less Energy Required.
  • Optimum Growth, Year-Round Growing Season, Maximum Plant Nutrition.
The Boston Business Journal http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/startups/2012/11/freight-farms-launches-first-container.html

Boston startup Freight Farms has commercially launched its first shipping container farming systems, which will be growing food in Boston for wholesaler Katsiroubas Brothers Fruit and Produce.

Freight Farms raised $31,000 on Kickstarter last December and took part in this year's MassChallenge accelerator. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/488253196/freight-farms-grow-fresh-food-in-any-environment
The startup plans to begin raising its first funding round next week, and will be seeking $1 million, co-founder Brad McNamara said.

The company has developed a shipping container that can be used to grow veggies year-round in virtually any location, using hydroponics, vertical growing systems, LED lighting and software monitoring to produce the crops.

The system can grow leaf crops, vine crops and herbs at 65 times the yield of traditional agriculture on a per-acre basis, McNamara said.

The efficiency improvement of the systems, along with the advantage of not having to pay for thousands of miles of transportation and shipping for the food, is aimed at appealing to urban food distributors that are looking to gain control of some of their supply, McNamara said.

Freight Farms has delivered two of the 40-foot-long container farming systems to Katsiroubas Brothers, located at 40 Newmarket Square, which has stacked the containers on top of each other, McNamara said.

The systems will be used to grow basil, with the first commercial harvesting set to start in early 2013, he said.

"We've put two containers on the ground in Boston and have letters of intent for hundreds more around the country," he said in an email. "We will be holding off on international orders until we have secured funding and have the resources to ensure quality for our international customers."

Comments

Unknown said…
LED lighting plays an important role in today's hydroponics cultivation. And more people are joining to grow with hydroponics.
February 11, 2013 at 2:55 AM
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