A new indoor farm is coming to Central Ohio. It will be an introduction to smart-farm technology to produce more food all year regardless of weather conditions.
The company Square Roots will begin using Hydroponic growing systems in Springfield this year. The farm will be able to produce 2.4 million containers of herbs and leafy greens inside high-tech, computerized, refurbished shipping containers without soil.
Tobias Peggs, Co-founder and CEO of Square Roots, said their partnership with Gordon Foods will allow their locally grown produce to arrive at your table the same day.
鈥淲hat Square Roots is trying to do, what indoor farming is trying to do, is rewire that food system with the aim of feeding every consumer on the planet eventually with locally grown food,鈥� said Tobias, who most recently opened an indoor farm in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Four years ago, square Roots opened its first indoor farm in Brooklyn, New York. Their fresh produce, which includes herbs such as basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, various salad greens and microgreens, is now available in 250 retail stores in the United States and Canada including Meijer and Whole Foods.
鈥淭he idea is to grow all the food all year round very close to the end consumer. If you can do that then you can get food from the farm to the consumer on the same day of harvest, 鈥� said Tobias, who said their indoor agriculture uses 95% less water than conventional farming.
鈥淭he food is very fresh and fragrant and it lasts a long time. All of the nutrients are intact. You can eliminate all of the impacts of these crazy long supply chains. You can guarantee sort of consistent food, 鈥� he said.
Square Roots' first Ohio harvest is expected this summer. The company is bringing 25 new jobs to the area.
