shipping container construction carnegie mellon

But the interest in this new farming technology is growing rapidly, and entrepreneurs in several American cities are taking a serious look at this innovative farming system. As of early 2015, the United States had only a handful of commercial vertical farms under operation. In vertical farming, growing plants are stacked in layers that may reach several stories tall.Īlthough small, residential vertical gardening (including window farms) has been around for decades, commercial-scale vertical farms have only been seriously examined in the United States for the past few years. This solution, called vertical farming, involves growing crops in controlled indoor environments, with precise light, nutrients, and temperatures. One solution to our need for more space might be found in the abandoned warehouses in our cities, new buildings built on environmentally damaged lands, and even in used shipping containers from ocean transports. But some entrepreneurs and farmers are beginning to look up, not out, for space to grow more food. With worldwide population growth, the demand for both more food and more land to grow food is ever increasing. Prime agricultural land can be scarce and expensive. What Are the Pros and Cons of Vertical Farms? The publication includes a list of the major vertical farms in the United States and lists further resources. It describes the major types of vertical farms and discusses environmental issues with vertical farms.

This publication introduces commercial-scale vertical farming and discusses the recent growth of vertical farms in urban areas. Photo: Freight Farmsīy Jeff Birkby, NCAT Smart Growth Specialist Abstract Interior view of Freight Farms’ shipping-container vertical farm.

Shipping container construction carnegie mellon