Hydroponic farming – soil-less, water-based indoor gardening that uses LED lighting and an irrigation system that delivers nutrients directly to plants – can mean high yields of produce on a small amount of real estate. It uses less water than traditional agriculture and its environmental impact is reduced since everything is grown locally.
The idea appealed to Lisa Merkle, a holistic health coach and yoga teacher, and Cheryl Arnold, who founded a produce distribution company in 2010. They launched their business, Box Greens in fall 2018, and have just announced a partnership with Olivia Wong of Fullei Fresh, where they can set up their container farm and collaborate with a longtime grower.
“To me, it’s a natural evolution for Fullei Fresh,” says Wong. “Now we can offer something else.”
With year-round crop production and consistent output, container farming offers plenty of opportunities, including the obvious – fresh, pesticide-free produce for restaurants, for farmers markets, for consumers. The Box Greens team wants to focus on using the farm as a job creator, teaching tech farm skills to the community. “We want to train people to work on these farms,” says Arnold, a former teacher. Other benefits are educational workshops on site, guided tours and classes. Seasoned chef Dale LoSasso has been tapped as restaurant and hotel consultant. Box Greens is looking to harvest their first crops in February.
Find out more about Box Greens at boxgreens.com
