Vertical farms present an efficient, cost-effective and sustainable means of producing food in the face of growing worldwide population. A see-through, mobile vertical farm project called Isabel is aiming to take this message on the road.
Conceived by Ryan Hooks, Isabel is designed to accelerate the "vertical farming revolution" by showing people that this approach can see crops grown twice as fast and using 95 percent less water than traditional agriculture, as well as without the use of pesticides.
The Isabel vertical farm will sit atop a trailer towed by a VW Camper van. Hooks plans to use the skeleton from an Airstream travel trailer fitted with plexiglass panels so that people well be able to see in.
Inside, vertical stacks will be used to grow crops including kale, tomatoes and cucumber, in controlled conditions. Once ripe, the crops produced will be used to produce salads for passersby with a view to engaging them about the growing process and its benefits. The trailer will also feature a special light setup so it can be host DJs by night.
Once complete, the plan is to set off for a variety of events and destinations to educate people about vertical farming.
The first stop planned for Isabel is the Burning Man festival. Hooks' reasoning is that hot and windy conditions will give him a chance to demonstrate that vertical farms can be deployed in tough environments.
An Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign is underway to being the Isabel project to fruition.
