Yasmin Lall
Jeremy Keser
Baozhu Li
St. John's University
Charles Wankel
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The sustainable, vertical farming solution that Bowery offers contributes to solving three of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-Being and Responsible Consumption and Production. It does so through providing a steady source of organic produce, regardless of the weather or season, and by using energy efficient LED lights and minimal water consumption methods.
Bowery is not the first, nor is it the only company for indoor farming. However, Bowery is focused on innovation and technological advancements. At the farm the crops grow more than twice as fast as they would on a traditional farm and produce more yields. Additionally, the vertical farms use purified water to nourish the plants, rather than soil. By using their specialized operating system, BoweryOS, they are able to determine the exact amount of water required for each crop, leading to the use of 95% less water. The software controls the farm and allows Bowery to analyze a multitude of data points that contribute to plant growth. The technology coupled with the hydroponic farming allows for the ideal product to exist.
In addition to conserving water and tracking growth needs, Bowery grows its produce using technology in the LED space, which has proved to be an extremely efficient and cost effective way to grow commercially viable products. This was only possible after the price of LED lighting came down a significant amount. The LED lighting imitates the light that comes directly from the sun, in full spectrum. The robotics, automation, machine learning, storage and processing of data provides ample ground for future innovations in the way of sustainable, vertical farming as well as, ensuring flavor of the product at its prime.
After speaking with Allie, we learned how Bowery works and the benefits that were associated with the technology used by the company. She stated that she was “happy to help out and answer any questions.” We were eventually lead to an interview with the CEO of Bowery, Irving Fain. Fain states that he was inspired to “Build a brand that consumers believe in.” This became something that he was personally passionate about and he stressed that he wanted to have an impact beyond himself.
In the near future, 70-80% of the population will be living in and around cities – so, Fain asked the question of how to provide fresh and available food for cities with growing populations. Through his research, he, his co-founders, and their team of experts derived a way to produce fresh greens near the city, independent of the season or the weather. In an increasingly urbanized world, Fain believed that Bowery could sustainably and efficiently provide healthy and thriving produce to cities.
Bowery is a tech company that has the future of food in its mission. The innovation and technology used by the Bowery farm has allowed for fresh food to be grown in close proximity to the community that it serves, New York City. This means that produce hits the shelves in store soon after being harvested to ensure freshness and quality.
Through the careful monitoring of all of the processes with in the farm, as well as the capturing of data related to the way in which the produce grows, Bowery is able to precisely determine the readiness of the crop. Additionally, the crops go from seed to store in a much faster timeline than with traditional farming. That is attributed to the constant collection of data that is used to ultimately enhance and mechanize the growing process.
Bowery started up as a small venture and has since become a movement into the future. Then business model is not only scalable, but it also provides an option for sustainability and optimal wellness. The business model drives profits and is hinged upon the advancements in technology and just simply doing good. Bowery is setting a standard for indoor farming.
Throughout the refinements of the farming processes, based on the data, Bowery has been able to produce the highest quality products at market prices – similar to the pricing of other organic brands. Currently Bowery sells six varieties of leafy greens, however, there are more than one hundred variations growing at the farm. Bowery plans to hire more people to continue its innovation in vertical farming. They hope to expand to the tri-state area and then to other cities across the United States following the same vertically integrated business model that they are currently using.
Not only will agricultural production be kept at an increasingly high quality, it will also be able to provide for a growing global population. At the same time, applying technology to agriculture can also help save water, reduce environmental pollution, increase vegetable storage quality and reduce draining land use.
These types of vertical farms that are being developed and used by Bowery are a more sustainable and scalable option for New York City and many other cities around the world in the coming years. Bowery is setting a standard for vertical, indoor farming and providing an example of a successful model that can be replicated globally.
Through eliminating many of the processing energy and transportation energy that is associated with a traditional field farm, Bowery is setting a precedent for a more environmentally friendly and efficient mode of farming. Additionally, the fact that Bowery has noted that its produce and technological processes are one hundred percent chemical free adds to its benefit to society.
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Allie Gillette, Employee
Bowery is the modern farming company on a mission to grow food for a better future by revolutionizing agriculture. By combining the benefits of the best local farms with modern technological advancements, Bowery's indoor farms create the ideal conditions to grow post-organic produce consumers can feel good about eating. Bowery uses vision systems, automation technology, and machine learning to monitor plants and all the variables that drive their growth 24/7, while using zero pesticides and 95% less water than traditional farming.