In 2016, Newark, N.J. will be home to the world’s largest vertical farm. Investors from Goldman Sachs are financing the project designed by AeroFarms. Utilizing a special technique called “aeroponics,” the farm will be able to grow food year-round, and will provide the surrounding area access to local food sources.
It will also serve as the headquarters for a New York company called AeroFarms, which sprang up about a decade ago in upstate New York. The company uses a method it calls “aeroponics,”a concept coined by a Cornell professor who is now a partner, which leaves the roots of plants bare or dangling in the open so that they can be sprayed with nutrients. The process cuts out soil and sun entirely, relying instead on LEDs and the constant circulation of air and nutrient mist to feed the plants. AeroFarms says the process results in better plants faster, and uses “95 percent less water” than normal farming.
Check out the full profile of the new farm over on Gizmodo.
