Plans to construct a state-of-the-art circular "GigaFarm" in Cobleskill, New York State, have been announced by Empire State Greenhouses (ESG) in partnership with Edinburgh-based vertical farming technology provider, Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS).
The 36,000m2 carbon-negative facility will produce three million kilos of fresh produce in 100 vertical farming Growth Towers every year, with an additional 700,000 kilos grown in the on-site greenhouses.
Taking a circular approach to crop production, the vertical farming Growth Towers, provided by IGS, will be integrated into a network of on-site facilities including renewable energy generation and Food-Energy-Waste (FEW) systems, eliminating a third of the cost of food deriving from energy.
When fully operational, the 100-tower GigaFarm farm will be capable of producing more than a billion plants each year. As many as 50 different crop types will be grown in the next-generation Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) facility, with the vertical farm ensuring that consumers receive high-quality, fresh produce with minimal food miles, year-round.
Andrew Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer of Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), commented: "IGS is delighted to partner with ESG on this groundbreaking project. From the outset, both our organizations have shared a holistic vision of vertical farming—one that unites cutting-edge technology with robust, renewable energy systems."
For more information:
Empire State Greenhouses
empirestategreenhouses.com/