When we think of organic farming, we think of pesticide-free land that provides the best produce. But there is one problem. Distance.
When you buy organic foods, you may be purchasing it far from the farm. If you live in a city like New York, farmland is hard to find that can provide year-round greens and vegetables.
Say Hello to the Bowery. The farm of the future. The Bowery is a different kind of farm.
Vertical. Indoors. In a warehouse. Hydroponic. Using 95% less water and a fraction of the land required by traditional farming. Work 24/7 to produce pesticide-free produce, close to where it will be a consumer. Think of this as an indoor garden state.
A Tech Company Thinking about Food
Irving Fain had a vision that indoor farming in a Kearny, NJ warehouse could use computer software, LED lights, robots and a pesticide-free environment using 95% less water. By being near a city, he could reduce transportation cost and environmental impact of nourishing his customers. His farm is 100 times more productive on the same footprint of land than a traditional farm.
Previously working in investment banking at CitiGroup, Fain, 37 was head of marketing at iHeartMedia and also was a co-founder of CrowdTwist, a loyalty marketing firm for brands. Together with David Golden, who was a co-founder at LeapPay and Brian Falther, with a mechanical engineering background from automotive, they thought that vertical farming was the future.
Reinventing The Future of Farming
Just five years ago, this vertical farm concept didn’t have the technology in place to allow it to scale. Today with the sophisticated algorithms of cloud computing, significant improvement in LED lighting and several other advances, farming can change from the ground up.
Still Marketing Fresh
The key to success will be providing a better, fresh product that consumers love. It isn’t enough to make something in a new way – you have to bring more value. Younger consumers care more about where their food comes from and its impact on the environment. With farm to table growing, local matters more today than before. The Bowery sells over 100 types of greens (and purples).
Fain can also subtly adjust and change the flavor and taste profile of greens. Want arugula with more pepperiness? Can you add a little wasabi kick to that bok choy? Mustard greens can be spicier, or butter lettuce made with more bite than butter.
With the growth of the global population and increase in the number of city dwellers, vertical farming is going to lead the way to satisfy the hunger and demand of consumers.
Marketing this difference focuses on a simple message. Taste the difference.
Need to plant some seeds for your marketing efforts? Text me at 919 720 0995 or email me at jeffslater@themarketingsage.com and we can grow your business together. Water and fertilizer sold separately.
Photos courtesy of Bowery Farming
