Shipping container houses are all the rage right now. So why not a shipping container farm?
Freight Farms builds hydroponic farms in repurposed shipping containers. The 325-square-foot boxes include red and blue LED lights to mimic day and night, plus a climate-control system for year-round farming. The units use 90 percent less water than conventional farming, and eliminate the need for pesticides by sealing off the immediate environment. Farmers can control the box’s growth settings using a smartphone app.
Freight Farms was founded in Boston in 2011, and raised $1.2 million late last year. Their $70,000-85,000 units have sold to chefs, restaurants, schools, food community entrepreneurs, and others, writes Amber Cortes.
FULL STORY: Meet the smart farm you can control with a smartphone
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research