Vertical farming has a rich history, dating all the way back to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (605-562 BC), a stunning set of tiered gardens built to remind Queen Amytis of her lush homeland.
Fast forward to the 1990s, when environmental science professor Dickson Despommier proposed a thought experiment asking his graduate students to think of a way to feed the city of Manhattan using the 5 acres of available rooftop space for urban gardening. Although they could not manage it with rooftops alone, they did conceive of a high-rise building that would use the vertical space to create multistory greenhouses that could produce food year-round.
Today, we’ve evolved, and indoor vertical farming is revolutionizing food production with incredible benefits:
🌿 High Yields in Small Spaces – Produce more with less land.
🌞 Year-Round Growth – Controlled environments ensure crops grow regardless of weather.
🌍 Environmental Impact – Reduced emissions from farming equipment, fewer pesticides, and less water usage.
🏙️ Local Production – Growing food in urban centers cuts down on transportation.
While challenges exist, such as the energy required for artificial lights and climate control and the footprint left behind to construct these indoor spaces in the first place. They can be mitigated when considering using renewable energy and repurposing otherwise vacant buildings.
Although Microgreens Ottawa is not a multistory high-rise enterprise, we’re still bringing fresh, healthy greens to the greater Ottawa/Gatineau area through the power of vertical farming! 🌿 Stop by our shop at 1160-A Heron Road to try our delicious, locally grown greens. 🌱
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