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Urban farmers grow veggies in freight containers
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of USA Today


USA Today, March 21, 2017
Posted: March 5th, 2018
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2017/03/21/urb...

The future of urban agriculture might require farmers to think inside the box. Farmers ... are growing vegetables here in converted freight shipping containers equipped with the latest hydroponics and automated systems equipment. They are provided by a Boston-based firm, Freight Farm. Freight Farms started in 2010 with the goal of bringing viable, space-efficient farming techniques to all climates and skill levels year-round. It recently expanded to Arizona. [Mark] Norton of Picked Fresh Farms isnt what most people would picture as a farmer. The closest anyone has come to farming in his family was his grandfather, who farmed as a child, but that didnt deter Norton. If I can get a better environment, better food, help people with their food, and still help people with their health, thats where it all fits, Norton said. It aligns with my core values. He recently had one of his first successful harvests of lettuce, but hes already looking to the future, with a 10-year goal to expand to 10 containers. In a year, [each] 320-square-foot container can produce the equivalent of a three-acre farm. It also saves water, using ... 95% less than traditional farms. The water is delivered in a nutrient-rich system based on hydroponics, a method to grow plants without soil. Norton prides himself in using no GMOs, no pesticides and no herbicides. The environment is controlled, so theres no reason for it. The container can put out 50 to 100 pounds of lettuce a week.

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