Each of the ‘container farms’ will be able to produce up to five tons of leafy greens and veg each year with minimal carbon footprint, the firms claim.
Urban farming companies Vertical Future and Crate to Plate are together gearing up to rollout a fleet of indoor container farms in London, with each capable of producing zero carbon fresh salad and vegetables for swift delivery across the capital city, the firms announced yesterday. Crate to Plate, an urban farming start-up, plans to use the ‘container farms’ designed by Vertical Future – a technology company focused on controlled environment agriculture (CEA) – across several new sites in London’s Bermondsey and Stratford.
By using the container farms, Crate to Plate said it would be able to produce up to five tonnes of fresh produce – including lettuce, kale and rocket – a year, and then deliver it to customers within 24 hours with a zero carbon footprint, all without any use of pesticides or toxic chemicals. The firm counts Ollie Dabbous, chef patron of Michelin-starred restaurant HIDE, as well as independent grocers such as The Notting Hill Fish Shop and Artichoke in Hampstead among its customers.
“Our Container Labs create the optimal growth environment for growing fresh produce and can be deployed close to point of consumption, using minimal space,” said Jamie Burrows, Vertical Future’s CEO. “Using zero chemicals and growing crops in a controlled environment enables our partners to meet demand all year-round, as opposed to regular food production systems which are reliant on seasonal limitations.”
By shifting towards using Vertical Future’s ‘Container Labs’, Crate to Plate’s founder Sebastien Sainsbury said the firm would be able to scale up its systems across the UK, while offering more efficient growing capabilities to improve both output and product quality.