Our guest is Alexander Olesen, CEO and founder of Babylon Micro-Farms. The Richmond, Va.-based company has developed a hydroponics-based approach to growing produce in enclosed compact systems — about the size of a large vending machine — that can be managed remotely. The system produces as much produce in 15 square feet of space as 2,000 square feet of traditional farmland. The company describes its product as a “cloud-based vertical farm” that provides expert cultivation advice and cues about when to harvest. The Babylon Micro-Farms system can help grocers, restaurants, and communities to plant, grow, and harvest produce within yards of where it will be purchased or consumed.
Growing and shipping food is the basis of human life in our era, in any era. But today, moving produce from field to table is a carbon-intensive process that also results in extensive food waste — as much as 40% of the original harvest spoils in transit or on store shelves. What if we could grow food near the people who need it, particularly in cities? You can learn more about Babylon Micro-Farms at https://babylonmicrofarms.com/.
For more views on vertical farming, listen to our interviews with Jake Felser of Freight Farms and Eddy Badrina of Eden Green.
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