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This is one of the profiles in an ongoing series covering next generation
agriculture. We are seeing an increased trend for indoor farming across the United
States and around the world. This is a positive trend given that local farming reduces
adverse CO2 emissions from moving food long distances. If you would like us to review
and profile your company, just let us know! Contact Us.
Company Name: Ozark All Seasons
Here is a great example of microgreen production using greenhouses to eliminate need for fossil fuels.
Here is some of the “About Us” content:
Ozark All Seasons intends to provide Northwest Arkansas chefs and home consumers with year-round production of fresh, nutrient dense, pesticide-free lettuce, salad greens, and microgreens at a level of quality and reliability not available previously. With one eye on quality and the other on the environment, our low carbon footprint operation marks a new era in the local production of high-yielding vegetables that minimizes the use of fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals, maximizes water and fertilizer use efficiency, increases freshness and nutrition, and bolsters the local economy.
Our farm was conceived and developed to be a small part of a world-wide revolution in agricultural production systems. Reliance on the fossil fuel and chemical-dependent systems of large-scale agriculture that produce food that contains abundant energy (calories) but little nutritional value has suppressed small, local farms producing nutrient dense foods that are more expensive to eat. Producing close to the consumer is sometimes difficult though, as land is expensive and of variable quality, water equally so, and winter and summer climate extremes of almost any region dictate indoor growing if local products are to be available year-round. But heating and cooling greenhouses with fossil fuels has become prohibitively expensive in most regions, and even those that are able to pull it off are still dependent on oil prices for economic viability.
Scientists and growers around the world are working to develop green-energy greenhouses that would allow structures with low carbon footprints to be placed close to or in urban centers, eliminating much of the fossil fuel costs associated with transportation and cooling, and providing a fresher, more nutritious product to consumers. Fruits and vegetables produced in greenhouses near urban centers must be highly productive, however, and most soil-based systems cannot produce the yields needed to sustain such production centers. Enter the latest hydroponic systems, which can produce greenhouse yields dozens of times higher than soil systems, while maintaining nutrition, appearance, and taste of the final product.
Here is the link to learn more: http://ozarkallseasons.com/Home.html
To date, the cost of man made lighting has been a barrier for indoor agriculture. A new
generation of LED lighting provides cost effective opportunities for farmers to deliver
local produce. Warehouses and greenhouses are both viable structures for next
generation agriculture. Here is one example of next generation made in USA LED grow light technology to help farmers: Commercial LED Grow Lights
