DRESDEN, Ont. — Remote and northern communities hungry for leafy greens and other vegetables should consider high volume, indoor production under artificial lighting, says David Martin of Indoor Farms of America.
His business, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is beginning to commercialize its technology after more than two years of research and development. It’s now setting up a distribution network in Canada, and Martin said interest has been expressed worldwide.
The system is suited to everything from 20-foot containers to industrial operations such as those operated at Leamington and Kingsville in Ontario, he said.
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The company focuses on artificial lighting in enclosed spaces, but the system can also be adapted to naturally lit greenhouses.
“In a greenhouse setting we can show how we can increase growing capacity by 10 to 15 times,” he said.
Up to 40 plants per sq. foot can be grown under an eight foot ceiling. The high volumes are made possible through vertical aeroponic sections that hold the plants.
Aeroponic systems are touted as using little water, being virtually waste free and, if properly managed, free of insect pests and disease. They do not use soil or other materials to support plant growth. Instead, plant roots are misted at regular intervals with a solution of liquid nutrients.
Martin said the system is economically viable for the production of greens and thinks other plants, including cherry tomatoes and strawberries are possible.
The estimated payback period for the system is 12 to 18 months.
According to the company’s website, more than 56,000 plants can be contained in a 2,500 sq. foot space and generate $960,000 in gross operational income a year and $550,000 in pre-tax profit.
The system may be especially suited to locations in northern Canada where consumers can pay up to $15 for a head of lettuce.
Greenhouses Canada of Sudbury, Ont. and Westgrow Farms of Stony Plain, Alta., plan to be Canadian distributors.
WestGrow plans to build a demonstration indoor growing facility in the Edmonton area.
