A new vertical farm will be set up in Ashburton by the end of August, with planting to commence in early September.
Landlogic, the New Zealand supplier, is introducing the Vertical Farm Systems XA Series (VFS), which will be cultivating fast-growing crops, including leafy greens such as loose-leaf lettuce, baby spinach, arugula, mizuna, tatsoi, endive, pak choy, bok choy, beet chard, and herbs such as coriander, parsley, and basil. VFS crop turn-around times are 28 days, regardless of external influences
Landlogic CEO Alan Cottington says, “Our food security is vulnerable when we rely on traditional farming methods or importing leafy greens, which are a basic and healthy food essential.”
Cottington says a VFS machine in Australia is producing around 600kg of greens a week and only takes about three hours per week of human labor to run. The system has an automated packaging machine as well, taking the greens straight from the VFS system into eco-friendly bags or boxes for distribution.
The system is automated with computer-controlled feeding, watering, lighting, and sensors monitoring temperature, pH, EC, and humidity levels. Loading, harvesting, recovery, and re-use of the growing medium and reloading the trays is also automated.
Landlogic is the importer and distributor of Vertical Farm Systems for New Zealand and the Pacific, as well as a sales agent for the rest of the world, except Canada, Scandinavia, the Philippines, and the USA, and Cottington says vertical farming is a big opportunity for Pacific Island countries to combat growing concerns of food security and access to nutritional foods.
For more information:
Landlogic
admin@landlogic.co.nz
www.landlogic.co.nz