Vertical farming is flourishing thanks to digitalization

Who said the plants we eat must be grown outdoors? All over the world, city populations are increasing in size. At the same time, more and more consumers are demanding clean, locally grown food. Metropolitan agricultural efforts seek to combine these trends with controlled environment agriculture.?

In this issue of Discover Digitalization, we introduce you to 80 Acres Farms – A leader in the area of vertical farming. The company has made supplying fresh food for a growing population its mission. How? With fully automated, indoor vertical farming . As it turns out, controlled environment agriculture is also more sustainable than traditional farming methods.?

Want to learn how sustainable vertical farming helps overcome issues in the food supply chain? Then visit our keynote – live from the Siemens stage at Hannover Messe 2023.

Better for the environment?

Vertical farming leads to healthier and more sustainable food. For one, everything 80 Acres Farms grows is 100% pesticide-free. Compared to traditional agriculture, 300 times more food can be grown per square foot at an 80 Acres Farms site. And with 17 to 20 more growing cycles annually, output is considerably higher. Because produce is grown close to consumers, there are lower carbon emissions associated with travel. Finally, optimized water and land use lead to less agricultural waste.

Of course, what is good can always become better. 80 Acres Farms and Infinite Acres are committed to employing innovative automation and digitalization technologies to make farms safer and more productive. And to do that, they are partnering with some of the biggest and best in technology – including Siemens.

A strategic investment in the future of agriculture?

At the beginning of 2023, we officially announced our collaboration with 80 Acres Farms to industrialize and scale the proprietary Loop system from Infinite Acres. Anchored by an equity investment from Siemens Financial Services (SFS), we are partnering with 80 Acres Farms to apply innovative solutions, such as crop management software and algorithms, environmental controls, robotics, and automation. These are just some of the many concrete technologies we are supplying:?

We are providing smart power distribution equipment and building management technologies within the facilities to help monitor fire and life safety, security, and the power distribution systems themselves – all from a single interface. Moreover, our suite of advanced industrial automation technologies and edge devices will help automate the production line, while edge devices and human-machine interfaces monitor and update the farms’ control systems.?

To take a deeper look into operations, we are collaborating with 80 Acres Farms on a digital twin that simulates the plant growth and the production process. Thus, it will be possible to predict plant growth under diverse conditions and better coordinate growth cycles with shipping schedules.

A better yield of tastier and more nutritious plants?

The collaboration also extends to research and development. For example, Siemens Technology is leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop an app that optimizes software for controlling vertical farms. The goal here is twofold: to avoid adverse conditions within the plants that could impair yields, and to determine which conditions lead to better nutrition and flavor.?

The capital provided to 80 Acres Farms by SFS makes it possible for the eco-friendly company to unlock growth and fund the future infrastructure and technology required to scale. With financial and technological support from Siemens, 80 Acres Farms will have what it needs to expand the number of vertical farms it operates (soon to be seven). And Infinite Acres will be able to bring its Loop system to even more metropolitan areas. City-dwelling consumers: Get ready for nutritious, tasty food grown close to you.?

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