Start-up indoor farming technologies are in ascendance at present, very recently we have written about the growth of US based Aerofarms and the expansion of German company ‘inFarm’. Both of these companies are addressing the needs of every day consumers with salad crops grown in warehouses and abandoned industrial buildings, or even in-store alongside checkout. But what about hungry farm animals? Can animal feed be grown using these same vertical farming techniques? From their announcement at CES 2020 this week it seems that Grōv Technologies think the answer is yes.
With their own system called the ‘Grōv Pod’, Grōv Technologies are aiming to revolutionize the $350 billion global animal fee marketplace with vertical farming for beef herds. Like its consumer targeted peers, the Grōv Pod uses 98% less water and much less land (due to the vertical nature of the stacked LED growing shelves). This would certainly help to combat the march of global deforestation. Such approaches to Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) enables year round growing with multiple harvests achieved through exact measurement and management of nutrients, light and temperature.
“Farmers around the world are concerned about feed security and are telling us they want dependable, sustainably produced feed for their animals. We believe our turn-key growing platform will allow for predictable and highly nutritious feed year-round, despite the effects of rapidly changing climates on traditional growing cycles,” said Steve Lindsley, president of Grōv Technologies.
In testing the Grōv Pod produced a daily output of more than 2 tons of wheat or barley grass, equivalent to the annual approximate yield of at least 55 acres of farm land. The system has been designed to require minimal labor and utilizes patented low-heat LED technology, robotic seed-to-harvest systems and scientifically proven growing protocols.
“Today, more than ever, consumers care about food safety, animal welfare and sustainability,” continued Lindsley. “Our science and technology solutions will give farmers the tools to potentially produce healthier animals, healthier foods and, in the end, a healthier planet.”
Grov Technologies, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rhyz, Inc.the strategic investment arm of Nu Skin Enterprises (NSE), Inc. (NYSE:NUS). Rhyz was formed in 2019 as a dynamic family of companies bound by a collective desire to explore and share new areas of growth and opportunity. The company investments include personal care and nutritional product manufacturing and automated controlled environment agriculture technologies acquired by NSE to develop alternative sourcing for ingredients.
Images courtesy of Grōv Technologies
