Greenbox Farming: A New System for Urban Agriculture

Abstract. Recognizing the need of the world for a reliable, scalable, sustainable, and economically feasible approach to continuous food production for increasing urban population, VECNA and University of Connecticut have been leading the effort to develop a robust stackable farming system based on standard pallet dimensions in urban warehouse environments. The overall idea is to grow food crops in standard growth boxes (Greenboxes) with optimum environmental control, manage and operate many greenboxes in urban warehouse environment using computerized robotic facilities, and distribute food products to local network in pre- or postharvest conditions. By taking advantages of the new technological development in LED lighting, environmental sensors and controllers, information technology and internet of things (IoT), and “Amazon”-like indoor robotic facilities, the proposed farming system makes food crop production a true 3-dimensional industrial process in warehouses local to urban population. Major technical considerations of a protocol of the greenbox farming system are described in this presentation.