Australia: Feeding the bush from the backyard with vertical farming
“I think COVID really highlighted accessibility to fresh produce issues with supply chains,” Ms McLaughlin said.
By Olivia Calver
ABC Rural
Feb 15, 2022
Excerpt:
Ms McLaughlin plans to use modular grow cubes from Australian AgTech company InvertiGro to grow leafy greens, Asian vegetables and herbs from her home in Narrandera.
The cubes are configured to deliver optimal conditions and inputs for more than 150 different crops, allowing produce to be grown under lights in as little as seven days.
“I like to refer to it as “beyond organic”. There’s no chemicals, all-natural fertilisers, organic seed and minimal water usage,” she said.
“A large cost component in relation to intensive horticulture systems is the power that’s required. We’re going to combat that through the use of solar power.”
Ms McLaughlin said as a former broadacre farmer, the concept of being in control of both the climate and market was attractive.
“We were share farming during the Millennium drought, that threw some real curve balls at us.
“Just the inconsistency and having to depend on Mother Nature, that’s what really turned our thoughts to intensive, controlled systems, where we have some control over the quality of the products, the input costs and the marketing.”
