In its seventh year of operations, Babylon Micro-Farms is branching into K-12 education with the lower-cost STEM Garden, a product designed for schools. "It's part of a growing trend where schools are emphasizing interdisciplinary learning and teaching systems," said Alexander Olesen, CEO and co-founder. "We designed the Galleri to set a new standard in the industry, but it's quite expensive."
He said the company found schools and nonprofits were interested in growing food on-site, but the cost and footprint was too much. The STEM Garden is one-third the size of the Galleri, and its thus a third of the price. It will begin shipping in the fall. Additionally, Babylon has developed curriculum it will be announcing later this summer and has been working with partners to develop teaching modules that will help introduce hydroponics in classrooms.
While Olesen declined to comment on revenue, he confirmed that the company is growing post-revenue. All of Babylon's farming units are manufactured in Richmond. Hundreds are being used throughout the world in applications from senior living to corporate dining. Chefs design signature dishes and grow ingredients on-site for salad bars, creating an integrated experience that Babylon hopes will become a way of life. Proprietary systems allow the farms to be run remotely — though the STEM Garden requires hand watering and does not have remote monitoring.
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