Israeli agritech firm Vertical Field is partnering with retailers in Russia and Ukraine to set up vertical farms at their branches. The first of these farms opened earlier this month in Krasnodar and Dnipro, and already they are starting to provide steady harvests of fresh produce to sell at the retailers. They will soon expand to other branches of the Russian retail chain Magnit and the Ukrainian chain Varus. These vertical, sustainable farms were developed by the Ra'anana-based company owned by Michael Mirilashvili, through the use of geoponic technology, agricultural expertise, and smart design.
The vertical farms are portable, and are around the size of shipping containers, ranging from 20 feet to 40 feet long, and can fit right in a parking lot, allowing supermarkets and groceries to grow and sell their own home-grown produce right outside the door.
“Produce will reach the shelf in a matter of minutes, immediately after being harvested from the vertical farm, and customers will clearly see where the greens came from,” Magnit's in-house production director Vyacheslav Krasnoyarov said in a statement. “This technology is environmentally friendly, optimizes processes, and improves product quality.”
“We already have portable vertical farms that grow crops on 4 walls at various locations throughout the world,” project leader Menni Bushuev said.
“In Russia, we are integrating a nursery, as well, where seedlings will be grown for about 10 days before they are transferred to our modular growing pods. Plants are grown vertically in optimally controlled conditions with sensors that monitor, detect, and allocate data-based inputs such as irrigation, lighting, fertilizer, and climate control. After approximately three weeks, produce is ready for harvest and sale.”
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