Grain Farming Goes Indoors
7th April 2023
Infarm, a Germany-based vertical farming company, announced its harvest in November. Spokesperson Pádraic Flood credits Infarm’s success with its focus on optimizing the growth environment and crop cycle time.
The experiment showcases what’s possible not just for growers looking to move their cereal crop indoors, but for global food security in general. Growing these staple crops indoors, in regions previously unable to support them, could benefit millions of people.
However, there are challenges when shifting from produce to grain.
If vertical farming is ever going to be anything other than a hobby, it needs to be able to grow the staple grains–wheat. rice, maize, barley, and rye–in a cost-effective manner.
Anything else is just recreational.