While this wind is usually plentiful and naturally occurring outdoors, growing without the wind indoors usually means vertical farms are limited to what they can produce, usually growing simple greens like lettuce. ![]() Lack of wind: Many crops require wind to develop strong stalks. Here are a few of the limitations related to indoor vertical farming: Reliance on technology: When a vertical farm loses power for even a day there is a potential for a huge loss of production. There are certain advantages with vertical farming that a grower does not have in traditional farming, but with the good also comes the bad. High stacks of grow beds require special solutions like scissor lifts to access and manage the crops. ft.) spends an average of $8.02 per square foot.Most of this spending is related to powering the artificial lighting required to grow the crops.Don’t forget about labour costs! Vertical farms come with unique ergonomic challenges that are not designed for efficient manual work. ft.) spends an average of $3.45 per square foot on energy while a large vertical farm (bigger than 10,000 sq. According to Pure Greens Container Farms, a small vertical farm (less than 10,000 sq. Ongoing costs: Once you get past the initial upfront costs, you will have a lot of spending to do. Even if you own the space already, such as those who have started small vertical farming at home, there are significant costs related to equipment (lighting, tech, tools, shelves, pumps and pipes) and materials (nutrients, seeds and even fish – in the case of aquaponics). For example, the containing farming solutions offered by Freight Farms cost $139,000 in 2021 (not including shipping). Upfront costs: Vertical farms can be very expensive to build. The biggest barrier to entry into vertical farming is the costs involved. ![]() ![]() However, some of those voices are from experts in their fields who look at the concept from another angle and see it differently.īelow we take a look at the 3 most common arguments presented when it comes vertical farming not living up to the hype. While some look at vertical farming systems as a potential solution to global food shortages, others see them as well-intentioned failures.Īdvocates have made a strong case in favour of indoor vertical farming but what about the other side of the debate? Will the challenges vertical farming companies face prove to be insurmountable?ĭepending on which side of the debate you fall on, you might feel those who question the benefits of vertical farms are jaded skeptics.
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