A Canadian startup called GreenForges is creating an innovative way of farming underground. They believe that it will have all the benefits of vertical farming but without some of the drawbacks. In traditional vertical farms, crops are grown in layers inside buildings using artificial lights, closed water systems, and climate control. Although it allows us to grow more plants on less land year-round, it still requires some land and has high energy costs.
GreenForges has developed a system that uses all the standard vertical farming technology, but crops are grown in vertical tunnels or holes bored underground. The crops are pulled to the surface for harvesting when ready.
This new method of farming would free up space above ground for other uses, such as hotels or apartments. It could also cut heating and cooling costs as temperatures are more stable underground.
GreenForges hopes to appeal to hotel or apartment builders, as the benefits of going underground for farming could outweigh the negatives.
However, there are challenges with underground farming, such as soil and groundwater conditions that may make it unsuitable for farming. The upfront cost of drilling holes could also be a limiting factor.
GreenForges has partnered with startup incubator Zone Agtech to build a pilot farm north of Montreal in 2022. The underground farm will stack crops in holes about 3.3 feet wide and 50 feet deep, but GreenForges has models for farms that would go down twice as far. By going underground, farming could become season-agnostic, allowing for energy savings.