Israeli agtech startup Vertical Field is bringing its tech for growing food to Russia and Ukraine. As the company’s name implies, Vertical Field can grow food up to down, like on the side of a building or alongside a cliff. Think of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, only someday it will be the Hanging Gardens of the Empire State Building.
Vertical Field has cut a deal with the local major retail chains Magnit in Russia and Varus in Ukraine for partnering on the distribution of vertically grown goods.
This is not the first such international deal for the company. Earlier this year, Vertical Field signed an agreement with Emirates Smart Solutions & Technologies (ESST) a company that develops innovative agricultural projects in the Persian Gulf, to deploy pilot vertical farms as a first stage to full-scale deployments in the United Arab Emirates.
Established in 2006, Vertical Field says that it wants to transform the urban ecosystem into a space of health, wellness, sustainability, and food security. It develops innovative vertical solutions for the urban ecosystem. The company states that by using “cutting-edge technology and smart monitors, lush greenery and clean agriculture grow in optimum conditions, both indoors and outdoors with minimal maintenance. Our soil-based vertical field makes the most efficient use of urban spaces, providing real results that make our cities greener, healthier, and more sustainable.”
Israel continues to export its agricultural successes to the rest of the world. This all dates back to the times of the pioneers more than a century ago who drained swamps and planted farms in the desert.
In its first decades Israeli experts brought their knowledge to Africa and helped countries their deal with draught and famine.
“Produce will reach the shelf in a matter of minutes, immediately after being harvested from the vertical farm, and customers will clearly see where the greens came from,” Magnit in-house production director Vyacheslav Krasnoyarov said in a statement.
“This technology is environmentally friendly, optimizes processes, and improves product quality.”
Menni Bushuev, vice president of business development of Beer Itzhak Energy, said: “We already have portable vertical farms that grow crops on four walls at various locations throughout the world. In Russia, we are integrating a nursery as well, where seedlings will be grown for about 10 days before they are transferred to our modular growing pods. After approximately three weeks, produce is ready for harvest and sale.
