If you’ve heard the buzz around vertical farming but have no idea what it is or how it’s different to traditional farming, we’re here to help. We’re huge fans of the practice for many reasons and work closely with a vertical farm here in the UK to grow the basil and the other botanicals that are used in our products. Interested in hearing more? Read on.
- It uses 90% less water than traditional farming
It’s no secret that we need to take better care of our planet and one important way to do this is by reducing the amount of water that we use. Traditional farming methods require an extraordinary amount of water to keep crops growing and healthy during very specific seasons. One of the incredible things about vertical farms is that they use 90% less water than traditional farms because everything is grown in a small, controlled, indoor closed system. While vertical farms do rely on other technology such as LED lighting, this is often generated by solar panels. The long and short of it: vertical farming is arguably the most eco-conscious way to grow crops, which is exactly why we love it.
- Growing times are dramatically reduced
When it comes to traditional farming practices, farmers are totally reliant on the seasons doing exactly what they’re supposed to do. In light of our current climate crisis, however, these seasons are sadly a lot less reliable than they used to be. And even when things are at the exact right temperature or season, crops can take weeks and weeks to grow to their full potential. It’s a long and laborious process that farmers have had to contend with forever. Vertical farming, however, happens inside a closed area which means that it can be human-controlled to ensure that growing times are dramatically reduced. This is a sure-fire way to guarantee that all ingredients are quickly going from the farm, into our products, and onto your face – all year round.
- You can produce much more in a much smaller space
It’s no secret that farms can take up acres and acres of land, the beauty of vertical farms is that more produce can be grown in a much smaller space. Some people are even experimenting with vertical farms in their sheds or homes. It also means that, for the first time ever, farming can happen inside the very centre of cities which in and of itself is totally novel and new. And the name vertical farm literally comes from the fact that produce is stacked vertically on top of eachother, so every inch of space is made use of.
- Fresh produce is grown much closer to where it’s eaten
As with water usage, we all need to be paying much closer attention to the distance our food is having to travel to reach our plates – or skin. The beauty of vertical farming is that many different crops can be grown in the same space, which means that there’s much more available and to choose from. Because of the indoor, controlled environment that vertical farms use, crops can be grown mere miles away from the end product rather than having to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to be made use of.
- No herbicides or pesticides are used, so the quality of product is much higher
With outdoor farms, there’s only so much that can be controlled when it comes to wildlife or other natural elements attacking the crops. This means that herbicides and pesticides are almost always needed to ensure that farmers are yielding the amount of crops they’re supposed to. With vertical farms, there’s never any need for interventions such as these which means that produce has the efficacy and taste that it’s genuinely supposed to, rather than being altered by man-made chemicals.
