In a former auto repair shop in the outskirts of Copenhagen, a farm has found its unlikely grounds. Fresh coriander, pea sprouts and edible flowers are grown on the vertical farm and sold to some of the finest restaurants in Denmark.
For almost three years Nabo Farm has been growing in its vertical farm. The name “Nabo Farm” can loosely be translated to “the farm next door”. And during the relatively short time, Nabo Farm has existed the company has managed to get customers such as Aamands and Denmark’s first and only two Michelin starred restaurant Alchemist. All products are grown specifically to order – and delivered by bicycle.
Cucumbers on the fourth floor
It all started with a home-built watering system for a few vegetables grown on Jens Juul Krogshede’s fourth-floor balcony. He was going away on holiday for a few weeks and didn’t want to see all his hard work amount to nothing.
“I had worked in the tech industry for many years and had burned out a bit. That’s when I started growing tomatoes and cucumbers on my balcony. When we had to go away for a few weeks – I build my own watering system in the living room. And that started all of this,” says Jens Juul Krogshede.
“One thing quickly led to another, and I learned about hydroponics, which took me to the next level and I no longer had to carry big bags of soil up to the fifth floor,” he tells.
At about this time Jens Juul Krogshede meets the soon-to-be co-founder of Nabo Farm, Sebastian Dragelykke, who was already working with developing the future of foods at a think tank in Copenhagen. “Together we saw the technology – the opportunity – and went with it,” says Jens Juul Krogshede.
Read more at Food Bio Cluster Denmark