A "vertical farm" poised to rise in old dairy building in Anchorage

[Blue_In_AK]

I wasn't sure where to post this, so I'll put it here. I think this is such a great idea for Anchorage where all our fresh produce has to be shipped for days during the winter. I hope this guy is very successful.



http://www.adn.com/article/20150315/vertical-farm-poised-rise-inside-old-mat-maid-building

A legal grow operation will soon open inside the old Matanuska Maid building in Anchorage, with an ambitious goal of cultivating 20,000 plants per month.

It’s not what you think.

The cash crop Jason Smith hopes to reap can be found in produce aisles at local grocery stores. A veteran of the second Iraq War who learned to grow vegetables in his Anchorage garage, Smith wants to dramatically improve on the lettuce, spinach and kale commonly found on Alaska shelves.

He plans to build a “vertical farm,” with racks of vegetation stacked to the ceiling of the building -- and fill a statewide niche for fresh, organic greens available year-round.

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[NYC_SKP]

1. Great idea for Alaska, other locations, too.

Also, this could be cross posted in energy/environment.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. Thanks.

I'll do that. It wasn't exactly gardening, which is where I thought about putting it, but it's gardening on a pretty grand scale.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Imagine the carbon footprint of a carrot having to be shipped from California!

This would be grat for other cool climates and for off season production.

[GreatGazoo]

8. Hydroponics became more popular after Wake Island

They are a good option for difficult, perhaps otherwise impossible, farming environments but they are usually energy intensive as practiced. There are outdoor hydroponics but you need California flat desert to do that. Light is a big factor, as is heat. Wake Island had no shortage of light or heat. Alaska is a different challenge.

You may be interested in the work of Lufa Farms -- Montreal hydro that grows on top of a bakery to recapture their heat. And they grow for taste !

[Archae]

3. I wonder if any of it will be GMO's?

[KansDem]

5. I hope it will all be GMOs!

"Grow More Organics"

[Blue_In_AK]

6. It looks like he's trying to go organic,

although if you're referring to hybrids, there probably will be some.

I think it'll just be cool to have locally grown stuff in the winter that doesn't lose its nutrition while being shipped. In the summer, we get a lot of locally grown produce, but in the winter about all that's left from the local growers are potatoes and carrots and some hydroponically grown tomatoes.

[KittyWampus]

7. Sounds great. Interesting article. Thanks