Vertical Farms Need New Plant Architecture

Vertical Farms Need New Plant Architecture

Tim Hammerich
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
It’s time for your Farm of the Future Report. I’m Tim Hammerich.

Yesterday we reported on how Unfold is bringing genetics to the vertical farming industry, which will help them expand beyond just leafy greens. Unfold CEO John Purcell says this evolution is essential for vertical farming to fully realize its potential.

Purcell… “I mean, there's a reason Tim, why the glass house growers are growing peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers. They're high quality they're differentiatable at the consumer level. And I'm a firm believer that for vertical to really grow to its full potential, we have to go beyond leafy crops, herbs, et cetera, and make the jump to fruiting crops.”

In order to realize this vision, Unfold is working on genetics for these fruiting crops to fit the architecture needed to grow in a vertical farming system.

Purcell… “We're really working hard to kind of redefine the architecture because we think we're going to be able to come up with architectural types in those fruiting crops that will be amenable to that same kind of systems that are already in place in vertical farming and allow for that rapid cycling, but also do it in architecture that really fits to the way most vertical farms have actually been designed and built.”

Unfold’s solutions are for genetics, but also for digital solutions for vertical growers.

Purcell… “There's been a lot of investment made on the farms, and I think now what's happening is people are turning and saying, 'okay, what are we going to grow?' And that's what Unfold is about is what are the genetic solutions we can provide, but then what are the digital solutions that are going to enable that genetics to perform optimally within their operation?”

Learn more at Unfold.ag.

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