Addressing Challenges of Inclement Weather and Population Growth, Indoor Farming Operations Can Provide Sustainable Solutions

Indiana warehouse farming operation offers context for what’s possible, produces variety of goods around the year.

Farmers are very familiar with the impact weather can have on the food they produce each year. From droughts or heavy rain, to freezing temperatures and other extreme weather occurrences, many food production operations are at the mercy of nature’s forces. And results can be catastrophic to food supplies on which so many people depend. But that doesn’t have to be the status quo, especially with innovative projects moving food production forward in various ways.

A vertical farm warehouse operation in Portage, Indiana, showcases one such project, and it benefits from growing and harvesting produce year-round—“taking the weather out of the equation.” But there’s more, as methods and resources used in food production help create better output. “Researchers believe plants respond best to the blue and red colors of the spectrum, so the densely-packed plants are bathed in a pink and purple haze. They’re moistened by recycled water; bolstered by nutrients; and anchored in a special mix of ground Sri Lankan coconut husks.”

Team Gemini takes sustainable food production a step further, enhancing the processes and resources involved in food creation, not to mention implementing it on a substantial scale. With partner companies like Artigianfer, AKVA group, 2G ENERGY, and A3, among others, Team Gemini takes a holistic approach to growing all kinds of vegetables, herbs, medicinal plants, and fish.

Team Gemini’s sustainable agriculture is set up through a combination of aquaponic and aquaculture technologies—no soil media is used, removing the occurrence of any potential pests, and maximizing the production area by incorporating several growing levels. Furthermore, the fish water is particularly nutrient-rich, which is a direct benefit to growing plants. Resource conservation includes water treatment and recycling, and renewable-energy-based electricity and heat are generated from different sources (including food waste, where possible) to power the operation. Mass-automation and monitoring applications are incorporated to maximize quality control and minimize the occurrence of human error that might jeopardize output.

These are just some of the technology highlights incorporated by our team, and the result is that Team Gemini project solutions can create millions of produce every year in ways that are reliable, sustainable, and economical.

To learn more about Team Gemini’s innovative agriculture solutions, visit http://teamgemini.us/sustainable-agricultural-technology/.

To learn more about the project in Indiana, visit http://www.cbsnews.com/news/making-nature-better/.