Fresh food from next door sells roof top greenhouse concept

Following our recent report of the world’s first commercial roof-top greenhouse in Montreal, Canada appears to have done it again with another skyline glass house – this time in Vancouver.  And it used an animal fodder greenhouse at England’s Paignton Zoo as its prototype.

The fully automated greenhouse has hundreds of suspended trays rotating regularly to get the light and, at 4 metres high, allows growers to produce about 20 times the food of a similarly sized field.  The $2 million project recently delivered its first crop of salad greens, herbs and spinach. 

Alterrus Systems, the owners who call the system VertiCrop, are hoping to prove that this is a viable way to grow food for future sustainability.

There are many benefits, including the fact that it is just a short bike ride from its customers who include grocers, high-end restaurants and a farm-to-table concept restaurant.  Customers are served by Shift Urban Cargo who deliver by bicycle.

Gabriel Ash’s Robin Parker commented: “It’s great to see businesses, as well as home growers, considering sustainability – we need to think of the future.”

Read more at http://www.vancouversun.com/Vancouver+rooftop+greenhouse+grower+secures+high+market+greens+with+video/7572632/story.html#ixzz2Cu7FyWL6

Author: Robert Smith