A Brief History of Hydroponics
The term “hydroponics” and the practice of growing plants without soil may have started with the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (circa 600 BC). The Aztec’s in sixteenth-century had floating gardens that are another example of hydroponic growing techniques. Work, research and observations from naturalists and scientists of the past (Sir Francis Bacon, John Woodward, Julius von Sachs and Wilhelp Knop) formed a basis for Dr. William Gerike to introduce hydroponics in their modern form. Working at UC Berkeley, Gerike developed a method of growing plants using just water and nutrients, shocking his colleagues by growing 25-foot-tall tomato vines. Since then researchers, scientists, and farmers have refined the process.
Benefits of Hydroponics
Save water: On average, hydroponic systems use 90 percent less water than soil-based farming by efficiently recapturing and recycling water.
Use space wisely: A hydroponic farm can grow 3-10 times the number of crops in the same amount of space as traditional farmland.
Plants are safe: Food is typically vulnerable to extreme weather and pests. Hydroponic systems can be set up indoors, away from harmful elements.
No need for chemicals: Because food grows inside away from pests, there's no need for any harmful herbicides or pesticides.
Why Urban Container Farming
Farm-to-table made easy: Since you can put a hydroponic farm anywhere, it's easy to shorten the distance the food ultimately travels to the plate. This means food is fresher and more nutritious when it gets eaten!
Our container is a complete farming system inside a box
Unlike other indoor growing methods our container is fully assembled as a hydroponic farm. It is a complete hydroponic growing system in a box. Meaning, we perform every farm-related task from seeding to harvesting and packaging right inside the container!
Climate Controlled: Intuitive climate controls automatically respond to air and water sensors inside the farm to ensure an ideal growing environment for ourcrops.
Automated: Inside the farm is a central brain that is programmed to automatically adjust all the components inside the farm so that it's creating the perfect environment allowing us to focus on growing crops.
Remote Monitoring and Control: Our farmhand® mobile application allows us to remotely monitor and control the climate components inside the farm such as the lights, temperature, and humidity, so we know what's going on inside the farm, even when we're not there.