Frequently Asked Questions
Since indoor vertical farming and hydroponic technology is new to most, our partners tend to have a lot of questions about our process and products.
If you haven’t found the answer you’re looking for, head to our blog for a deeper dive.
Vertical Farming
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Vertical farming is a type of controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Rather than traditional, soil-based farming, vertical farming grows and harvests crops on vertical shelves or towers. At Eden Green Technology, our microclimate technology and vertical hydroponic systems allow us to grow more than 200+ products consisting of leafy greens, cropping fruits and herbs every day of the year. Vertical farmers can grow the same amount of food compared to traditional methods, more consistently, with 99% less land, 98% less water and less than 3% food waste. Learn more about the vertical farming industry here.
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For a commercially viable production model, our vertical greenhouses are 62,500 sq ft (roughly 1.5 acres) and are deployable in urban, suburban, or rural environments.
A 1.5 acre vertical farm can be harvested all year long, resulting in 11-13 harvests a year (that’s 3x more than a traditional farm). Our standard greenhouse can yield 1.8 million pounds of produce (2.7 million servings of nutritious leafy) greens a year.
Learn more about our vertical greenhouses here.
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We pride ourselves on designing modular greenhouses and leveraging our patented vertical vines that recycle water, rely heavily on natural sunlight, utilize 99% less land and 98% less water, and have very little need for any gas-powered machinery to grow, harvest, and ship.
We do not use preservatives and our produce is non-GMO. Since our plants are harvested and in market within 48 hours, their shelf life is longer, waste is minimal, and the risk of recall and food-borne illnesses is zero. We grow exactly what we need, and donate up to 10% of daily harvests to local nonprofit partners.
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Our vertical greenhouse systems and patented microclimate technology is the next wave of vertical farming. We’ve made vertical farming more profitable, more sustainable and easy to scale.
Other Vertical Farms: The majority of vertical farming companies use traditional flat tray technology, and will take 2x-5x more capital investment to operate because of their reliance on 100% LED lighting and automation. We use 90% less light energy to produce the same yield.
Other Greenhouses: Our greenhouse competitors, especially ones that are soil-based rather than hydroponic, have exponentially less yield volumes, slow-to-respond environmental controls, and lack crop flexibility. Our smart greenhouse systems can adjust to temperature changes in moments, rather than hours, and can all be controlled remotely.
Hydroponic Produce
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Due to our 48-hour harvest-to-shelf timeline, your locally-grown produce will not have taken the typical 9-13 days to travel from farm to market. Leafy greens can lose much of their nutritional value from pesticides, preservatives, and time it takes to pack, store, and ship to your local store.
Our hydroponic produce is non-GMO and preservative-free. Our indoor setting protects our greens from the typical pests, and our 48-hour timeline results in more nutritional value and higher quality in flavor and texture, and overall, more delicious produce.
Another benefit is our longer shelf life. These greens stay fresher longer, because our vertical farming model has eliminated the longer travel time and we harvest 11-13 times more than a typical farm. Your customer will never have to eat an entire package of romaine in a few days, or waste spinach that has turned in less than a week after purchase.
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Hydroponic produce is grown differently than organic produce. As of right now, only produce grown in soil can be considered organic. There is a national case being made to open the “USDA Organic” label up to hydroponic produce. Once that has been resolved, we hope to be one of the first hydroponic-based vertical farming companies to label their produce as organic.
In the meantime, we like to say that we’re “better than organic” since our greens do not absorb soil contaminants that might exist in the land or from pests (birds, rodents, bugs, nearby cattle runoff, etc.) because they are grown in a consistent and highly controlled manner which preserves their nutritional value.
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Yes! We are a bit biased, but with the right technology and expert growers, locally grown hydroponic produce is delicious. We've even converted some anti-kale people into kale lovers!
Our technology is able to grow the best tasting produce because of our precise and responsive microclimate technology, along with our greenhouse managers and growers' expertise.
The Basics of Hydroponics
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Yes! Our systems reuse water again and again, meaning that after the initial setup, very little water is needed to keep the system running. Our closed loop systems filter outside water with powerful UV lighting and enrich it with the exact amount of nutrients every 90 seconds. Our water waste per year is less than what two US households waste in a year. Similar to other vertical farming solutions, our hydroponic farms use 98% less water than traditional farming methods.
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Think about a future where nutritious, delicious, and fresh produce is locally accessible and affordable for every person. This vision is actually achievable when you can grow fruits and vegetables to their fullest potential with our vertical farms placed in food deserts.
In countries where extreme weather (like frequent droughts or heavy rainy seasons), lack of water or arable land make traditional farming impossible, our approach to vertical farming gives people the opportunity to farm. Hydroponics is more efficient, sustainable and built to grow the healthiest of produce using 98% less water, 99% less land, and 100% natural sunlight.
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We use Ag-grade soluble salts, all organic and safe to consume.
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Yes, you can grow 200+ different types of leafy greens, herbs, and cropping fruits within one greenhouse. Each standard 1.5 acre greenhouse is split into up to 4 zones, depending on your production needs. Each zone's nutrients, water and air temperature, and humidity can be customized to the type of produce grown within them. That way you could grow tropical plants like basil, that need more humidity, in a zone right next to kale, without compromising on the quality or length of crop cycles.
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We've tested a range of hydroponic media. Some of our favorites include organic coco coir, peat moss, and rockwool.
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Harvest times vary based on the type of plant. In our system, harvests can range from 30-45 days. For example, collard greens will grow in 35-42 days, depending on the varietal, while spinach and arugula can be harvested in 28 days. That’s up to 30% faster than growing them traditionally in soil.
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Our technology can create the perfect environment for 200+ products to out-perform the competition. Plants such as leafy greens like spinach, romaine, or basil, or Asian greens like pak choi or joi choi are best for hydroponics. You can also grow peppers, tomatoes, and snap peas. Click here to view a full list of what we can grow, or ask us for more details!
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We grow mostly leafy greens and herbs. While our technology is capable of growing berries and peppers, we do not grow tubers.
What’s a tuber? A tuber is a plant where the underground part of the stem or rhizome is harvested and eaten. Our plant roots are in water 24/7 and that can cause tubers like onions, potatoes, and garlic to rot. The only proven way to grow potatoes hydroponically is by using aeroponics, which is not part of our growing method.