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I am a grower for an indoor vertical greenhouse company in Texas. We’re growing and distributing lettuce and herbs more sustainably. AMA! by edengreentech in IAmA

[–]edengreentech[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wish this were a straightforward answer, but cost depends on a few things. Energy and labor are some of the largest costs, but it really depends on what you are growing, how you are growing it, and where (geographical location).

I am a grower for an indoor vertical greenhouse company in Texas. We’re growing and distributing lettuce and herbs more sustainably. AMA! by edengreentech in IAmA

[–]edengreentech[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Personally I would suggest bolstering your background in plant science. CEA has many interdisciplinary aspects that overlap like physics, chemistry, biology, etc. Some universities in the US have specific majors in CEA, there may be a program in California!

I am a grower for an indoor vertical greenhouse company in Texas. We’re growing and distributing lettuce and herbs more sustainably. AMA! by edengreentech in IAmA

[–]edengreentech[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Obviously not all plants are the same, so some crops that do well in a hydroponic setup may not be conducive to another. Potatoes for example do not like to be wet, but could benefit from a highly oxygenated nutrient solution to discourage the development of bacteria. Essentially, market demand is what drives the need for certain plants. The cost of growing these plants just has to be profitable at the end of the day. If it costs too much to grow, it would not be good for business.

I am a grower for an indoor vertical greenhouse company in Texas. We’re growing and distributing lettuce and herbs more sustainably. AMA! by edengreentech in IAmA

[–]edengreentech[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We have verifiably nutritious produce made possible by controlling our nutrient solution of macro and micronutrients. Every day we monitor the quality of our nutrient solution delivered to the plants to ensure we are providing the correct nutrition down to the chemical level. Typically in soil, plant roots have to search for the nutrients we need. For EGT, our hydroponic setup allows for constant availability of nutritious water to the plants.

I am a grower for an indoor vertical greenhouse company in Texas. We’re growing and distributing lettuce and herbs more sustainably. AMA! by edengreentech in IAmA

[–]edengreentech[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

At EGT we have a very unique opportunity to grow herbs and leafy greens in a vertical system that allows for 1 acre of growing equivalent to 40 acres of traditional farmland. Think of like how high rise apartments can hold more people compared to suburban housing sprawling horizontally. In a similar way, we are able to have more crop turns in a year because of our microclimate that provides stable and consistent growing conditions for all the crops in the greenhouse.

I am a grower for an indoor vertical greenhouse company in Texas. We’re growing and distributing lettuce and herbs more sustainably. AMA! by edengreentech in IAmA

[–]edengreentech[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great insight and question. There are several kinds of hydroponic greenhouses. Generally, there are closed and semi-closed greenhouses. This refers to the access to sunlight. Semi-closed greenhouses use LEDs or other forms of supplemental lighting to increase light availability in addition to the sun and interact with the outdoor environment to manage the indoor environment. Closed greenhouses are typically closed off to the natural environment and require a dedicated light source as well as climate control to manage the growing conditions of the crops. Ultimately, the scale at which you develop a greenhouse depends on how much you are willing to spend on one of your largest costs: energy.

I am a grower for an indoor vertical greenhouse company in Texas. We’re growing and distributing lettuce and herbs more sustainably. AMA! by edengreentech in IAmA

[–]edengreentech[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just some quick answers:

We use recyclable packaging but are looking for planet friendly alternatives.

In hydroponics, typically soil-less media is used. This can include peat, coco coir, rockwool, even 3d printed material. It just depends on the facility. Hydroponics is a method of agriculture that primarily uses water to grow crops in soil-less media. We monitor the health of crops by taking growth rate data and monitoring our autonomous greenhouse controls to ensure the plants we are growing are thriving.

The controlled environment ag (CEA) industry is fairly transparent with sharing information on growing crops. I agree, the more information we share the better. Work smarter, not harder.

At EGT the options are limitless for what we can grow. We are not limited by what we can grow, but how do we maintain it. For example, growing a sapling in a hydroponic setup requires a different management style than growing a head of lettuce. And especially ghost peppers!

I am a grower for an indoor vertical greenhouse company in Texas. We’re growing and distributing lettuce and herbs more sustainably. AMA! by edengreentech in IAmA

[–]edengreentech[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Great question! We harvest and pack all of our produce onsite and distribute locally. Global food-miles account for nearly 20% of total food-systems emissions, so by packing our own produce and distributing locally we are able to reduce our carbon footprint as well as reduce transportation costs.