VertiCrop Takes Rooftop Farming To The Next Level(s)
A parking garage in downtown Vancouver has recently signed an agreement to install VertiCrop’s vertical greenhouse system on its rooftop, making it the first of its kind. VertiCrop’s system effectively transforms the 6,000 square feet rooftop into 16 acres of productive farmland by incorporating numerous ‘levels’ within the greenhouse. The patented technology can increase normal yields by 20 times and only requires 8% of the water used in conventional field farming.
The system is similar to an assembly line where the 12-foot high stacks of growing trays move along a conveyor to maximize exposure to sunlight and nutrients. The greenhouse is designed to be a closed loop system that produces healthy, leafy green vegetables. This type of technology improves local accessibility to healthy foods, especially in urban environments where the ability to grow such foods is often constrained.