Vertical Farming at Berkeley: Prototype 1 Upscaling

Project Lead: Ezenbaatar Batjargal, Ivan Wang

Sponsor: Vertical Farming at Berkeley

Project Theme: Food Justice & Sustainability;

2022 Application Submission

Project Description:

VFB is a non-profit, research-oriented organization with the ambition to establish the first and only vertical farm at UC Berkeley. Their hydroponic prototype is centered around both increasing yield and resource efficiency by employing symbiotic microbe interactions and mechanical automation technology. The project leaders state that the benefits of vertical farming systems include a controlled environment that limits environmental stress, increased crop yield, and no polluting runoff.

Goals of Project:

1. Create a vertical farm prototype.
2. Reduce carbon emissions associated with transporting and storing produce by creating a farming system for urban areas.
3. Conserve up to 95% of water in the prototype through a self-cycling system to reduce water consumption.
4. Distribute produce grown with the prototype to students at a campus pop-up event.