Vertical farming facts for kids

Lettuce grown in indoor vertical farming system

Vertical farming is a cool way to grow plants in stacks, like shelves, instead of spreading them out on a big field. It often uses special indoor systems that control everything plants need to grow, like light, temperature, and water. Instead of soil, these farms use methods like hydroponics (growing in water), aquaponics (using fish waste to feed plants), or aeroponics (misting plant roots with nutrients). You can find these farms in all sorts of places, like old buildings, shipping containers, or even underground tunnels!

The modern idea of vertical farming was first suggested in 1999 by Dickson Despommier, a professor from Columbia University. He and his students imagined a skyscraper farm that could feed 50,000 people. Even though that exact building hasn't been built yet, their idea made vertical farming famous. Today, with new tech like special LED lights, vertical farms can grow over 10 times more food than traditional farms on the same amount of land. You can find vertical farms in many places around the world, like Singapore, Chicago, and Japan.

Why Vertical Farming is Awesome

Vertical farming has many great benefits. It helps us grow more food using less space.

More Food, Less Land

One of the biggest benefits is that vertical farms can grow a lot more food in a smaller area. Because plants are stacked, you can grow crops all year round, no matter the weather outside. This means a small vertical farm can produce as much food as a much larger traditional farm. For some crops, like strawberries, it can even be 30 times more!

Safe from Bad Weather

Crops grown outdoors can be ruined by bad weather like floods, droughts, or storms. But in a vertical farm, plants are safe indoors. This means farmers don't lose crops to unexpected weather, and we have a more steady supply of food. This is super helpful in places like Alaska or northern Canada, where it's too cold for regular farming.

Good for Nature

Since vertical farms use much less land, we don't need to cut down forests or turn wild areas into farms. This helps protect natural biomes and saves homes for wild animals and plants. Also, because they are indoors, vertical farms don't need big farm machines that can harm the soil or pollute the air.

Less Waste and Pollution

Vertical farms use water and nutrients very carefully. They recycle water and nutrients, so almost nothing is wasted. This is important because some resources, like phosphorus for fertilizers, are becoming scarce. Also, since the food is grown closer to where people live, it doesn't need to travel long distances. This means less fuel used for transport and less pollution.

Challenges of Vertical Farming

Even with all its benefits, vertical farming faces some hurdles.

High Starting Costs

Setting up a vertical farm can be very expensive at first. Building the special structures and buying all the high-tech equipment, like LED lights and climate control systems, costs a lot of money. This makes it harder for new vertical farm companies to get started and make a profit.

Lots of Energy Needed

Vertical farms need a lot of energy, especially for the special lights that help plants grow. If this energy comes from burning fossil fuels, it could create more pollution than traditional farms. So, it's important for vertical farms to use renewable electricity sources like solar or wind power. They also need energy to control the temperature, humidity, and water supply inside the farm.

Not for All Crops

Vertical farms are great for growing certain high-value crops like leafy greens, herbs, and some fruits like strawberries. However, they are not yet cost-effective for all types of crops, especially those that need a lot of space or are less valuable, like corn or wheat.

How Vertical Farms Work

Modern vertical farms use different methods and technologies to grow plants efficiently.

Growing in Layers

The most common way is to grow plants in layers, one on top of another. This can be in tall buildings, converted warehouses, or even stacked shipping containers. Stacking allows farms to grow a huge amount of food in a small footprint.

Special Lighting

Plants in vertical farms often get light from special LED lights instead of just the sun. These lights can be tuned to give plants exactly the colors of light they need to grow best, which saves energy. For example, red and blue lights are often used because they are very efficient for plant growth.

Soilless Growing Methods

Hydroponics: This method grows plants in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. The roots are submerged in water, getting all the food they need directly.
Aeroponics: In this method, plant roots hang in the air and are misted with a nutrient solution. This uses even less water than hydroponics.
Aquaponics: This combines raising fish (aquaculture) with hydroponics. Fish waste provides nutrients for the plants, and the plants help filter the water for the fish. It's a win-win!

Smart Technology

Many vertical farms use computers and AI to monitor plants. Sensors track how much water and nutrients each plant needs. Some even use computer vision to check on plants and detect diseases early. This helps farmers grow healthy plants and avoid waste.

History of Vertical Farming

The idea of growing food in tall structures isn't entirely new.

Early Ideas

One of the earliest drawings of a tall building for growing food appeared in Life Magazine in 2009, showing stacked homes with farms. Architects like Le Corbusier and SITE also had ideas for buildings that included plant life. Early examples of "tower hydroponicums" (buildings using hydroponics) were built in places like Armenia and Austria, showing that vertical farms existed in some form decades ago.

Dickson Despommier's Vision

In 1999, Dickson Despommier and his students at Columbia University really brought the idea of modern vertical farming back into the spotlight. He imagined a 30-story farm that could feed thousands of people, growing vegetables on upper floors and even raising chickens and fish on lower floors using plant waste. He believed that all the technology needed to build such a farm already existed.

Growing Popularity

Since then, vertical farming has gained a lot of attention. In 2011, The Plant in Chicago started building a system to turn waste into energy for their farm. In 2013, the Association for Vertical Farming was created in Germany to help connect growers and inventors. Today, we see huge vertical farms opening, like the one in Dubai in 2022, which produces over a million kilograms of leafy greens each year using much less water than traditional farms.

Types of Vertical Farms

Vertical farms can be built in different ways.

Mixed-Use Skyscrapers

Architect Ken Yeang suggested building vertical farms within open-air skyscrapers that also have homes or offices. This idea focuses on growing food for people living in the building or nearby community, rather than for a whole city.

Stackable Shipping Containers

Many companies use recycled shipping containers as small, controlled growing rooms. These containers can be stacked to save space. Companies like Freight Farms create complete "farm-to-table" systems inside these containers, with hydroponics, LED lights, and climate controls. Some even use AI to monitor plants remotely!

Underground Farms

Some people have suggested using abandoned mine shafts for "deep farming." The ground underground has a steady temperature, which is good for plants. Plus, these locations are often close to cities and can use nearby groundwater, saving on water costs.

Technologies and Devices

Vertical farming uses many cool technologies:

Greenhouses
Aeroponics
Farm robots
Aquaponics
Composting
Controlled-environment agriculture
Grow lights
Hydroponics
Precision agriculture
Skyscrapers