BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - Although I’ve only been in the industry for a little over three years, I’ve witnessed innovation every step of the way. I recently attended a virtual event by CubicFarms, an ag-tech company providing efficient and localized food supply solutions. Afterward, I was fortunate to speak with its Chief Executive Officer, Dave Dinesen, about the company’s systems and its benefits to both buy and supply.
“The CubicFarms (CF) system grows fresh produce, herbs, plants, and microgreens indoors, anywhere. Our patented Crop Motion Technology™ moves hundreds of plants through the module on a growing path, maximizing cubic space while minimizing the use of natural resources and shortening the supply chain. Our technologies grow more with less—less land, water, energy, and labor, 365 days a year,” Dave shared with me.
As Dave explained, the system is a win-win for growers and buyers.
“Our technologies allow farmers to grow at commercial scale right where they live,” Dave remarked. “The efficiency and sustainability of our system makes both buyers and growers happy. The CubicFarms system uses 95 percent less water. To grow a head of lettuce in one CF system, it takes 2 bottles of water compared to 40 bottles needed for field farming. Our system is 52x more land efficient—the volume you grow in one CF module is the same amount you could grow in a football field.”
The CF system also uses less energy due to the crop motion technology moving plants through the module. As a result, only one set of lights is used at one time.
“We also produce 80 percent less waste with long chain food supply. With our CF system, our produce is living with the root attached, providing 45 percent more nutrients. Farmers can grow at a much higher rate with this 24/7, 365 days a year harvesting. Unaffected by climate, they can then harvest all year long,” Dave stated.
As global supply chain issues continue to dog the industry, I asked Dave how the CubicFarms system provides predictability in a constantly shifting market.
“The controlled environment leaves little room for unpredictability,” he asserted. “Our technologies were invented by farmers out of necessity due to drought conditions, and supply chain bottlenecks. By converting wasteful and unreliable long supply chain agriculture into local chains, our technologies profit and protect people, resources, and economies. Our CubicFarm Systems enable farmers to grow sustainably and efficiently. Combine this with growing public demand for fresh local produce, and the opportunities here are undeniable.”
We’ll continue to keep track of what CubicFarms is up to, so please stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest.
