New system brings vertical farming closer to nature

Around the world, vertical farms are taking off, offering a way to move farming indoors and increase crop production while decreasing energy expenditure. The most recent agri-tech start-up in this sector is Future Crops, an Israel-Dutch joint venture that grows crops indoors, in a unique soil substrate composition.

The first Future Crops venture is a fully automated 8,000 metre squared  indoor vertical farm in Westland, the Netherlands. The facility is spread over nine stories, and is powered largely by solar energy. A range of leafy greens and herbs are grown in a soil-based substrate using an automated system which precisely tailors the environmental conditions. The system controls dozens of growth parameters, including humidity, temperature, and lighting, to create optimal conditions for each crop.

Springwise