This article was taken from the March 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Why truck in fresh produce when supermarkets could grow it on their roofs? That's the premise of New York startup BrightFarms, which plans to build and operate hydroponic greenhouses on supermarket roofs (see concept art in the gallery) and sell the produce to the stores, reducing distribution time and distance to zero. "The price is never more than they would ordinarily pay," says Benjamin Linsley, BrightFarms' vice-president of business development. "And in many instances, less." Each greenhouse will be staffed by ten people and produce an average of 227 tonnes of mixed lettuces, tomatoes and greens. Vents, recirculating hydroponics and micro- nutrient control will ensure optimum yields in the greenhouse; waste heat from the supermarket's refrigeration systems will keep it warm.
BrightFarms began as an offshoot of New York Sun Works, a non-profit founded in 2006 to promote responsible farming. According to the company, its methods will produce 20-30 times the yields of conventional agriculture, using a tenth of the water. Its first supermarket operation opens soon, near or above a McCaffrey's Market in Pennsylvania, and the firm is talking to 12 other US chains. From tiny seeds...
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
