At the moment we face a food dilemma in western cultures: a society accustomed to the all-year availability of fresh produce and the rising cost of transport, both environmental and financial. Much of our fresh produce, especially in colder climates like the eastern United States, comes from far off places like southern California and Chile, traveling many freight miles before it reaches the market and finally our tables; but is there a better option for getting fresh cucumbers, peppers and lettuce in the winter?
Enter Freight Farms: a new project that uses old shipping containers to grow fresh produce in cold climates. The project will be using recycled shipping containers, insulating them from the cold and growing a load of vegetables inside using highly efficient hydroponic systems. The containers will be covered with solar panels which will provide much of the needed internal lighting and help decrease the environmental footprint. Further adding efficiency to the design, they will collect the water used for growing produce, directly from the rooftop. The containers can easily be located in compact urban environments or quickly transported to remote locations needing food.
The project, initially seeking a modest $26,000 startup fund through Kickstarter, is being launched in Boston Massachusetts, a place known for cold winters. They are offering some really unique gifts in exchange for your help: from shipping container themed tote bags to refrigerator magnets that grow a small organic garden. Check out their Kickstarter video below, then head to Kickstarter to help see this project become a reality.
Many thanks to our friends at My Ninja Please for the heads up on this tasty subject.
There’s nothing new there, expect the social/community spin.
For the cannabis fans, “here’s one we made earlier”:
http://www.growopltd.com/products/GrowOp-Big-Bud-Portable-Grow-Trailers.html