Vertical Farm

What Does Vertical Farm Mean?

A vertical farm grows plants and produce in a vertical orientation, maximizing the use of the location's square footage. Most often this is achieved through the use of growing shelves or towers.

Because vertical farming uses so little space, it is a popular method of controlled environment and urban agriculture.

Maximum Yield Explains Vertical Farm

Vertical farming is a common method of growing produce in an indoor environment with carefully controlled lighting, temperature, and other environmental conditions. Some vertical farms have conditions similar to greenhouses, using natural sunlight and primarily solar heating during the day. In both cases, soilless growing methods such as hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics are often incorporated.

Abandoned buildings and shipping containers are popular locations for vertical farms. Vertical farms are sometimes set up in abandoned mine shafts and underground tunnels which are known as "deep farms".

Lettuce, kale, and other forms of greens are the most common vegetables grown in vertical farms. Some crops like corn or grain just are not practical for this form of agriculture. Unlike traditional farming, vertical farming also allows for crops to be grown year-round. Vertical farming also allows for a wider variety of crops to be grown at once versus conventional farming which often uses monocropping techniques where only one crop is grown year after year.

Vertical farming allows for produce to be grown within cities and urban areas, as a large plot of land is not required. This means produce does not need to travel hundreds of miles to reach grocery store shelves compared to conventional farming. Farmers are also less likely to experience crop loss due to weather, pests, and disease due to environmental controls. In fact, in some cases, vertical farming produced a crop yield 10 times per acre more than traditional agriculture.