It's called Skyscraper Farm and it's founder, former Army Ranger, Nick Starling believes this could not only be the future of urban farming but may transform the entire agricultural industry as a whole. In the same way, the combine made farming more efficient, is this the way our farmers become more profitable?
Nick Starling unveiled Skyscraper Farm to global leaders attending the World Food Prize’s Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa. What he's calling a groundbreaking vertical farming technology is a tall mixed-use building that will combine living spaces, a grocery store and of course, a stackable giant farm. Does this mean you can order a salad from your house that was picked moments before you ordered it? Yes.
Starling is the world’s leading vertical farming economist and was invited to attend the World Food Prize to demonstrate Skyscraper Farm which he points to as being a solution for sustainable agriculture not just for an agriculture state like Iowa, but anywhere around the world. The indoor farms use aeroponics to recycle the water used for the plants, but that's not actually the clever part.
Starling admits that vertical farming isn't new. Many have tried and failed, but where he stands apart is his patented building structure design. The patent-pending design allows maximum light into the building even at lower levels and LEDs as a light supplement when sufficient sunlight is not available.
Overall, the design is said to use up to 99 percent less water than horizontal farm and in theory, could provide larger harvests and more sustainable farming solution for the future. The concept won't be limited to just farms, however.
The structure will include mixed-use condos, offices, premium restaurants and potentially retail as well. The idea of having a premium grocer on the 1st floor of a building that acquires produce from only 30 stories up, is appealing. For a premium price, shoppers could even go up to the vertical farm to pick their own produce. There are several tests that have yet to be overcome, however.
The first test is finding someone to fund the project and to prove it can be financially viable. Skyscraper Farm is currently in the permitting process in Virginia to build the company’s first structure.
Prior to founding Skyscraper Farm, Starling served in our nation's military as an Army Ranger. He has been deployed multiple times and has protected diplomats in Iraq as a contracted counter-assassination specialist for the U.S. Department of State. He also became an activist for military servicemen with post-traumatic stress, introducing legislation on federal and state levels for the advancement of veterans’ rights.
To learn more about Skyscraper Farm, visit their website.
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