Chciago Based Vertical Farm Produces Zero Waste

The Environmental Leader highlights the efforts of FarmedHere, a Chicagoland-based vertical farm, to produces zero organic waste by converting all of its organic waste into compost:

The compost is then used in landscaping, horticulture and agriculture at other urban farms across Chicago.

The urban farming company — FarmedHere says it’s the largest vertical farm in the US — partnered with the Resource Center, a nonprofit environmental education organization, to establish the composting program. The Resource Center picks up the waste, turns it into compost and delivers it to other farms in the city.

Jolanta Hardej, CEO and cofounder of FarmedHere, says the composting program is a “closed-loop arrangement,” like the company’s reuse of water in its aquaponic grow systems.

Through a soil-free process that utilizes vertical farming technology, FarmedHere’s sustainable agriculture operation grows USDA certified organic greens in stacked grow beds, up to six high. Instead of soil, water from tanks of hormone-free tilapia delivers nutrients to the plants through either an aquaponic or aeroponic system. These systems are combined with controlled water pressure, humidity and atmospheric pressure to create optimal growing conditions.

FarmedHere sells its locally grown produce to Chicago grocery stores and restaurants. The company’s products include different types of basil, mint, baby arugula, petite green salad mixes and tomatoes.