CubicFarm Systems Corp., a leading agricultural technology company, has successfully launched its automated, controlled-environment growing technology at Vertical Acres Farm LLC in Indiana. This marks a significant step in revolutionizing local chain agriculture and providing consistent fresh produce to the region.
Last week, I had the chance to visit one of Indiana's newest climate controlled, vertical farms, Vertical Acres. Vertical Acres, a produce company, invested $3.8 million to acquire 20 CubicFarms machines and one fertigator. With the help of CubicFarms’ patented technology, Vertical Acres will be able to grow and distribute large quantities of fresh produce year-round. Initially, their focus will be on lettuce and microgreen crops, with each module capable of producing over 100,000 heads of lettuce and 12,500 pounds of microgreens annually.
Currently, 1lb of microgreens will run restaurants around $65 in the area. Vertical Acres' goal is to capture some of that market and provide fresh produce to the Chicago and Indianapolis metropolitan area year round.
The image on the left is red leaf lettuce, which takes 6 weeks to fully develop.
The image on the right is various kinds of micro-greens under red light and takes 7 days to fully develop.
Fred Schakel, owner of Vertical Acres along with his daughter and son-in-law Dan Hilardes, expressed his excitement about the project, stating, “Staple crop production has a proud tradition in our region, but our family sees the need and potential to offer additional crops year-round to our local community. Today, it is crucial to seek solutions that minimize water, land, and pesticides for growing greens, and our CubicFarms system reduces our reliance on all three.”
Graph provided by: CubicAcres website
This new technology will allow Vertical Acres to supply fresh, nutritious greens consistently, regardless of the unpredictable weather conditions experienced in Indiana. Schakel emphasized the importance of technology and automation in enabling future generations to farm more efficiently. CubicFarms CEO, John de Jonge, expressed his satisfaction in bringing this project to fruition for Vertical Acres. He highlighted the benefits of CubicFarms’ patented technology, stating, “Our patented technology empowers them to maximize production efficiency per cubic foot while significantly reducing the physical footprint compared to traditional farming operations.”
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