by Shane Henson — September 5, 2012—Alterrus Systems Inc., a company involved in the development, manufacturing and integration of proprietary vertical farming systems for global markets, will soon begin building North America’s first VertiCrop urban farming system on the top level of a downtown Vancouver parking lot.
Alterrus’s VertiCrop vertical-farming technology uses hydroponic technology to grow leafy green vegetables and herbs in a greenhouse, without pesticides or herbicides. Its produce will be packaged on site and transported directly to local Vancouver markets the same day as harvest, significantly reducing its carbon footprint—a critical point in comparison to traditional high-emissions food production and delivery, the company says.
“The VertiCrop technology represents a radical shift in sustainable food production,” said Christopher Ng, Alterrus CEO. “Current food-production methods are ineffective in dealing with the challenges of growing populations and decreasing amounts of farmland. VertiCrop’s high-density urban farming is an effective way to grow nutritious food using fewer land and water resources than traditional field-farming methods.”
Alterrus expects the VertiCrop facility to produce more than 150,000 pounds annually. The produce, to be sold under the Local Garden brand, will be available in Vancouver in October.
The facility will be 5,700 square feet, with 4,000 square feet devoted to growing the produce in trays, stacked 12 high and circulating on conveyer belts. The remaining 1,700 square feet will be used for picking and packaging. It will use less than 10 percent of the water required for traditional field agriculture, while producing significantly higher yields compared to field-farmed produce. All of the excess water used will be recycled.
Alterrus’s urban farm will operate year round. Its controlled growing environment shelters its produce from contamination, natural disasters and irregular weather patterns that are challenges for growers of traditional field produce.
