Partnering with Freight Farms

Think of your favorite fruit. Imagine being able to grow that ALL YEAR round, wherever you want, and harvest a fresh, juicy piece of fruit that only requires 10% of the water that other farming methods require.

Sounds like a tough task, right? How is it possible to make it easy to grow tomatoes in the middle of December on the east coast? Or an basket of strawberries in the Sahara Desert?

A Leafy Green Machine™  might be able to help!

Freight Farms is a company that has made it their mission to empower individuals and organizations with the ability to grow fresh,  sustainable produce all year round - in any condition. With the LGM - or, Leafy Green Machine™ - Freight Farms has created a sustainable way to grow anything, anywhere, anytime! They have sold over 160 LGMs in 10 countries and provided their services to over 20 college campuses world wide.

But, what is a Leafy Green Machine™? In simple terms, it’s a portable farm that can grow items in any climate during any season! The farm-in-a-box is an upcycled shipping container outfitted with all the tools, technology, and growing equipment needed to harvest some goodies. The LGM can harvest up to 150 pounds of produce a week, using features like vertical crop columns and an sensory controlled environment. Even better, the LGM requires no previous farming experience and is designed for easy operation. The use of hydroponics allows these farms to use 90% less water than traditional farming methods, while also cutting down the impacts of food transportation.

Why is this relevant?

Rensselaer Dining Services is looking to partner with Freight Farms to purchase an LGM and begin our own local farm.  Freight Farms is able to provide modern universities with an opportunity to integrate sustainable, high quality food production into campus culture. Each LGM is tailored specifically to fit the needs and wants of each campus. Freight Farms has been able to promote sustainability, health, wellness, and transparency to students all across the country, educating students on the farm-to-table benefits and journey.

We even had an opportunity to take students from Rensselaer’s Student Sustainability Task Force and Hospitality Services Advisor Committee on a tour of a working LGM. They loved it and hoped to see it on campus sooon.

Check out what Freight Farms has to offer!