Vertical Farming is Already Here- Organitech
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 06.28.05
Treehugger talked about vertical farming yesterday but Israeli startup Organitech has developed an automated, high density farming module in that universal form, the standard shipping container that is available today. They eliminate costly labour, pesticides and low productivity levels by using patented floating hydroponic trays that transport the vegetables through the system. As the sketch shows, like any container they can be stacked vertically. Currently a single containerized unit can crank out several hundred heads of lettuce per day.
The company suggests a number of advantages:
* Water efficient.
* Environment friendly technology.
* Eliminates weather and climate related risks.
* Ability to locate anywhere, minimizing distribution costs.
* Hydroponic technology, no herbicides or pesticides
* Space efficiency, the integrated machines are stackable
* Labor costs are reduced to near zero.
* Glatt-kosher standard, no insects or worms present.
* Optimum growth conditions resulting in short growing cycle / high productivity.
* Clean, safe and ready-to-eat produce.
* Steady production cost year-round.
Treehugger likes the fact that they are small, modular and moveable. We remain concerned that it is taking an awful lot of lettuce to grow lettuce, and that it needs so much power for its lighting and the mechanics. We were relieved to learn that where there is room to spread out horizontally, a new unit built out of a 40' container with a greenhouse roof can be used to reduce the need for artificial lighting.
Given the number of roofs and parking lots around, who needs to go vertical? ::Organitech thanks tipster Lee
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Combine this with SunLight Direct or the Parans system and we might have something here.
This is absolute nonsense.
Press reports have called this system "organic" but I assume hydroponic probably means they're using inorganic nutrients, inconsistent with legal requirement for "organic" label. I'd still call it "environmentally friendly" IF they put less N and P in the river (per head of lettuce) and use less energy (growing and transporting) than other alternatives. Also, do the farms they put out of business become nature preserves or parking lots?