Vegetables grown in the grocery store parking lot

A US grocer chain has begun to grow its own vegetables hydroponically – in a shipping container in the store parking lot

The locavore movement has been gaining pace in recent years, as consumers and businesses seek to create more self-reliant and resilient food networks by eating locally. However, eating locally can be very difficult in big cities. US grocery chain Natural Grocers has come up with one solution using a GardenBox — a shipping container that houses a vertical planting system filled with fresh produce.

The GardenBox is located in the stores’ parking lot and is used to grow food hydroponically. The containers’ 320 square feet are enough to grow more than 4,000 heads of organic lettuce – which normally take an entire acre of land to grow. And all just 82 steps from the store shelves. The plants are harvested and sold with their roots intact, which keeps them fresher for longer.

Springwise