The Edge Magazine Vol. 8

HOW IT ALL WORKS Vertical farming can thrive both indoors and outdoors within multiple property types—from industrial facilities to commercial offices. Within commercial spaces, for example, vertical farms can be housed on underutilized rooftops, within parking structures, courtyards or other common areas. Vacant or obsolete industrial properties are good candidates for indoor vertical farming systems, given their large spaces and given that soil and sunlight aren’t required. The Plant in Chicago a good example of a vacant industrial facility in Chicago’s historic Union Stockyard that underwent such a transformation, becoming an innovative development that is now part vertical farm, part food incubator, part research facility and part educational space. Indoor operations: While vertical farming in indoor spaces requires an energy-intensive, controlled environment, it uses water highly efficiently, requires fewer pesticides and reduces the area required to grow the crops relative to conventional agriculture. For example, two and a half acres of recirculating hydroponic greenhouses can potentially replace 25 acres of land while saving 75,000 tons of freshwater each year. Operators can gain additional efficiencies by harvesting rainwater and using treated building grey water in the growing process. For instance, hydroponics systems for lettuce production can reduce water consumption to near net zero, consuming only 3% of the water required for soil-grown lettuce. Additionally, because the operations are enclosed, plants are protected from variable weather patterns and are largely protected from pests, greatly reducing pesticide use. Outdoor operations: Outdoor food production on walls and roofs is less energy intensive than indoor practices, but it does come with some trade-offs. For one, it requires more water. Additionally, crops are more exposed to pests and severe weather.

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