A lot of us are familiar with the fact that shipping containers for sale are used for transporting and storing dry goods or produce. However, only a few of us know that these versatile units are also used for the production of fresh produce. The use of refrigerated shipping containers is not new to the world. Farmers, distributors, and suppliers of farm produce have been using controlled atmosphere (CA) containers to preserve fresh produce for a longer period of time, transport it to far-flung areas without compromising the quality and freshness of the produce and save the bumper crop from going to waste. Using the same technology and principles, some farmers have taken things a step further and are now using the same controlled atmosphere (CA) shipping containers to grow food.
You can easily convert a 40ft shipping container into a mini farm and can achieve yields of a 5-acre farm with 95% less water, zero herbicides or pesticides and twice as quickly as a traditional farm. Shipping container farms are a reality now, you may soon find one sitting in a parking lot near you. When fitted with the right water, lighting, and nutrient delivery system, these controlled atmosphere (CA) containers can completely change the landscape of urban farming in Singapore and around the world. Let us have a look at some of the reasons why shipping container farms are gaining so much popularity as the future of urban farming:
- Easily Transportable
One of the main advantages of shipping container farms is that they can be easily transported from one place to another. Once the farmer is ready to harvest his or her product, it is easy to load the shipping container on the back of a truck and take it to the nearest market without compromising the quality and freshness of the produce.
- Water Conservation
Another great benefit of using shipping containers to grow food is that farmers save a lot of water. With the precise amount of water and nutrient delivered to each plant as per the requirement, the farmers can use 80-90% less water than the traditional outdoor farms, where the environment isn’t as controlled.
- Compact Footprint
You do not need a lot of space to farm your own vegetables and fruits in a 20ft shipping container. Since shipping container farms require minimal space to set up, you can easily establish your own controlled atmosphere (CA) container farm in your parking lot or behind your restaurant. Growing food closer to where it is going to be consumed not only cuts down the transportation cost; it also ensures that consumers are able to use fresh produce.
- Year-Round Growing
Since shipping container farms are fitted with systems that allow for a controlled environment, the farmers can produce vegetables and fruits in any seasons and atmosphere. Shipping containers for sale in Brisbane can easily reproduce a temperate climate and be suitable for such plants.
- Pesticide-Free Produce
Since shipping container farms offer a highly sterile environment, this minimises the chances of plant diseases and pests, and therefore farmers are able to grow their produce pesticide-free.