The Future of Food and Indoor Farming
The future of food is a field we are cultivating in our everyday actions. Meaning, what we see as ‘the future’ is not too far off. The work that we do now sows the seeds for a healthier tomorrow. Farmshelf was created to help feed the world, support education around food and sustainability, and bring the farm home for everyone.
Our newest Farmshelf model explores what food grown in the home can do to mitigate food insecurity, food waste, and nutrient depletion. Tackling these systemic challenges is critical to creating sustainable, community-minded food systems.
Farmshelf’s automated hydroponic system makes the hard parts of growing plants easy.
With Farmshelf you can…
- Plant Cherry Tomatoes, Leafy Greens, Herbs, Edible Flowers and Microgreens (yum!)
- Deliver water and nutrients automatically to your plants from a built-in water tank, giving your crops exactly what they need to grow
- Explore a controlled environment with custom LED lights (these optimize plant growth!)
- Grow via the Farmshelf App, which acts as your “green thumb in the cloud,” remotely monitoring the plants with cameras and sensors
- Feature our elegant design, which showcases the plants, seamlessly integrating into your space
Using this technology, the future of food is already available to you. The future is here and happening right now.
The Future of Food is Less Waste
When you look at the facts, the United States has a food waste and accessibility crisis on our hands.
Food Waste in the U.S.
- 37 million Americans suffer from food insecurity
- Food waste is one of the largest components of our landfills
- Each year in the U.S., 80 billion pounds of food is thrown away
- The average family of four throws out $1,600 worth of food a year
Research shows that, Almost 90% of Americans throw away perfectly good food because they are confused about the dates on the packaging. Much of the confusion stems from packaging, which interchangeably uses terms such as “use by,” “sell by” and “expires on.”
When we consider the future of farming, eating, and our relationship to food, something has to give. We created Farmshelf technology to help support the future of this process.
The Benefits of Investing in a Farmshelf
- Eliminate long shipping distances (yay!)
- Use 90% less water than traditional farming
- Minimize use of clamshell packaging and plastic
- Harvest only what you need (stop throwing away perfectly delicious produce)
- Minimize grocery store waste
The Future of Food is Fresh
Fresh food has better nutrient preservation and delivery.
Fruits and vegetables lose their optimal nutritional value as soon as they are picked. When picked, vitamins such as C, E, A, and some B vitamins begin to deteriorate and because of this, the overall nutritional value of the food decreases.
Fresh food has a better flavor! Like nutrients, after food is picked, the flavor profile begins to dwindle. To receive an ingredient’s best flavor, it should be eaten within 48 hours of being picked. This just isn’t possible with increased shipping distances, food that sits in grocery stores, and other factors that contribute to delays from farm to fork.
Enjoy produce that tastes like nothing you’ve had before. When the farm is in your home, the flavor is awe-inspiring.
The Future of Food is Education
Our relationship to food is planted at a very young age. Studies have been done that emphasize the importance of food education and awareness in the home. Optics are key, “Children also learn about food by observing the eating behaviors modeled by others. For example, research reveals that children's intake of fruits, vegetables, and milk increased after observing adults consuming the foods.”
When the farm exists within the home, relationships with food are nurtured from a young age. The modeling between adults and children around nutrition, food waste, and how to care for plants can be a cornerstone in the education of being human.
The Future of Food is Local
Farmshelf’s technology makes the intangible tangible; it welcomes the intimate process of growing food in the home. By bringing the farm home, we can connect with food in new ways, create lifelong bonds with plants, and nurture our families and communities with bold and nutritious produce.
Bring the farm into your home and preorder Farmshelf here.