This video features a company called Square Roots that is converting used containers into micro farms right in the heart of New York City.
In densely, highly populated areas such as Manhattan or Chicago, famers are getting creative with their lack of space.
We’re not talking about farmers in the traditional sense, but rather people who are converting used shipping containers into micro ‘farms’ or hydroponic labs, to grow organic fresh produce.
It’s a pretty cool concept and one that’s a potentially lucrative business proposition. However, some of the claims being made are perhaps a tad optimistic.
Square Roots founder Tobias Peggs says that “Inside this farm (container) is the equivalent of a 2-acre outdoor field.”
According to Bright Agrotech founder and CEO Nate Storey, claims like the one from Tobias Peggs are not accurate.
“Over the past two or three years, we’ve seen many numbers listed for the production ability of container farms,” Storey says. “Most of them have become unrealistic and, in some cases, totally absurd,
“The problem is these unrealistic numbers are adversely affecting the success of aspiring farmers. An acre is about 44,000 square feet. A container farm is 400 square feet, or 1 percent of an acre.
“Just to be clear,” Storey adds, “that means that to produce an acre of food (we’re going with a standard crop, lettuce) in 400 square feet, you’d have to multiply production by about one hundred times as much,
“To produce five acres of food in 400 square feet, you’d have to multiply production by five hundred times.”
We still think it’s a great idea … check out the video and see what you think.