Israel’s innovative ag-tech and vertical farming are coming to Russia and Ukraine, making use of urban space by growing fresh and healthy food vertically.
Vertical Field, an Israeli company that develops innovative vertical farming technology, has announced partnerships with major retail chains Magnit in Russia and Varus in Ukraine.
As part of this partnership, Vertical Field will set up vertical farms inside of the retail partner’s large branches. The first of these vertical farms have already opened in October in Dnipro and Krasnodar, and are providing a steady harvest of fresh and healthy greens, which are sold at the retail stores.
Vyacheslav Krasnoyarov, Director for In-House Production at Magnit Retail Chain, explained that “produce will reach the shelf in a matter of minutes, immediately after being harvested from the vertical farm, and customers will clearly see where the greens came from. This technology is environmentally friendly, optimizes processes, and improves product quality.”
Vertical Field’s indoor farm is a mobile unit that grows leafy greens such as lettuce, oaky green lettuce, spinach, and basil. The mobile soil-based platform uses 90% less water and land than is required for growing greenery in a traditional field. LED lights, which can be controlled remotely through an application, are used for intensive growth of greenery and can provide each crop with the precise wavelengths it needs to flourish.
In addition, the module is equipped with sensors that allow real-time monitoring of the plants’ condition. Harvest is produced every two to three days, and takes mere minutes from the moment of harvesting to hitting the shelves. Direct sale of this produce will reduce logistic costs and supply fresh crops regardless of the season.
Menni Bushuev, VP Business Development of Beer Itzhak Energy, said that “we already have portable vertical farms that grow crops on fur walls at various locations throughout the world. In Russia, we are integrating a nursery, as well, where seedlings will be grown for about 10 days before they are transferred to our modular growing pods.”
“Plants are grown vertically in optimally controlled conditions with sensors that monitor, detect, and allocate data-based inputs such as: irrigation, lighting, fertilizer, and climate-control. After approximately three weeks, produce is ready for harvest and sale,” he explained.
“The vertical farm has been designed to comfortably sit right on-site, adjacent to supermarkets, restaurants, institutions, city centers, hotels, educational institutions and more. We have already developed protocols for growing 50 varieties of leafy greens and herbs, 6 varieties of mushrooms, and now the protocol of everyone’s favorite fruit – strawberries – is on the way,” he promised.
Vertical Field is a leading Israeli agro-technology company developing vertical farming systems for smart cities. The company develops proprietary technologies to grow fresh and healthy food with its innovative “vertical fields” that seamlessly fit within the urban sphere.