Nimble Farms’ modular, climate-controlled grow units are housed in converted shipping containers. Designed to maximize productivity per square foot, each unit is equipped with energy-efficient LED lights, recirculating water and nutrient systems, and precise environmental controls. The company says this setup optimizes inputs such as fertilizer, water and energy, enabling year-round production of a wide variety of crops, including living lettuces, herbs, microgreens and mushrooms. All Nimble Farms sites are powered 100% by renewable energy sourced from local solar, wind and hydroelectric power.

The company collaborates closely with local supermarkets, farmers’ markets, schools and hospitals across New York State and the broader Northeast region to meet the growing demand for local, perishable produce. 

It may not look like it, but there is a hydroponic farm within this container! We imagine you have many questions about this mysterious box sitting here. To help we have compiled a list of some questions to assist you.

The project involves using a hydroponic container farm on Governor's Island where the team is making a collaborative effort to grow crops and build relationships within the community.

This project is not only about providing fresh produce to New Yorkers, but also engaging the next generation with agriculture.

Shannon O'Malley discovered hydroponics when she relocated from Pennsylvania to Florida, where traditional gardening methods failed her. Frustrated by the harsh climate, she transformed her garage into a hydroponic garden that yielded an abundance of produce, so much that she began sharing with her community. This simple start would grow into Brick Street Farms, a hydroponic farm that generated $2.5 million in revenue in 2024.

What began with 3 shipping containers has evolved into a 20-container operation, equivalent to a 70-acre traditional farm. Brick Street Farms specializes in general hydroponics, growing leafy greens and microgreens, supplying both local consumers and restaurants while maintaining wholesale partnerships with stores. Their controlled environment ensures chemical-free, pest-free produce that meets the highest quality standards.

Nour El-Naboulsi is a Burlington, Vermont farmer — but he doesn’t tend to a field of crops or a clearing of cattle.

As the executive director of Village Hydroponics, El-Naboulsi oversees the operations of a vertical hydroponic farm inside of a recycled shipping container.

Village Hydroponics came out of the success of El-Naboulsi’s other project, a mutual aid food distribution collective called The People’s Farmstand. The initiative supplies fresh, culturally relevant food to underserved communities in the area, bringing together other local farmers to grow and share surplus produce in peak growing seasons.

But El-Naboulsi saw a gap in the availability of fresh produce — especially among New American communities — during Vermont’s harsh winters. He decided to shape up a shipping container for the job.

El-Naboulsi told Vermont Public Radio the project serves a diverse community of Nepali, Somali, Iraqi, Congolese, and Burundi families.

Students at Crivitz Middle School are getting their hands dirty in the science department, learning what it takes to grow their own food -- right inside their classroom.

Thanks to a grant from Provident Health Foundation, the science program received an indoor hydroponic system.

Students at Crivitz Middle School are getting their hands dirty in the science department, learning what it takes to grow their own food -- right inside their classroom. (WLUK)

"They get to see how their food is grown and they are involved in that process. Taking the food and giving it directly to cafeteria where the students see it on display," says science teacher Shane Graves.

Our farm is a 40-foot refrigerated container (which takes up 320 sqft) that has been converted into a hydroponic smart farm. Our container translates to two acres of traditional farmland. What sets us apart is that we are practicing Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), which allows a grower to reduce the incidences of pests or disease, increase overall efficiency, and save resources. We utilize hydroponic growing systems to ensure that the plants receive optimal nutrients and water needed to produce an ample crop.

The entire process of CEA focuses on making the most of space, labor, water, energy, nutrients, and capital to operate while still producing a bountiful harvest.

An engineer from Pune has left his lucrative position to establish a container farming venture utilizing hydroponics, and he now generates an annual income in the crores.

When Shailesh Modak, a software engineer from Pune, secured a position at ECS, he initially felt a sense of relief.  As the only member of his family educated in a vernacular medium, successfully navigating an interview was a significant achievement for him.

Shailesh revealed that after attending 40 campus interviews, he finally landed his first job in 2002 and started with a salary of Rs. 8,000, which brought him a sense of satisfaction.

His job was software implementation in ATMs of international banks for which the company made him travel extensively. He traveled to Cambodia, Vietnam, Uganda, Ghana, Malaysia, and many other countries before deciding he would settle in India.

A Tokyo-based agricultural startup, NEXTAGE, is cultivating high-grade wasabi in Yokohama using advanced technology. The variety, called Mazuma Wasabi, is highly regarded for its well-balanced aroma, spiciness, sweetness, and bitterness.

NEXTAGE has partnered with Macnica, a company specializing in semiconductors and IT equipment, to develop a small plant for wasabi cultivation in Yokohama. 

The system ensures consistent production through data analysis, making it less vulnerable to weather conditions and labor shortages.

Demand for wasabi is rising due to the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine, but supply has struggled to keep pace. This initiative aims to bridge the supply-demand gap while introducing an agricultural method that minimizes dependence on environmental and human factors.

Our global food systems are under siege, with climate change, natural disasters disrupting supply chains, and conflicts affecting agriculture in vulnerable regions. Add to that a booming population—set to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050—and the math becomes startling. Experts predict we'll need 70% more food to sustain humanity.

But, here's the problem – soil quality is deteriorating fast, and we're on track to lose most of the fertile ground we rely on. Traditional farming methods, while vital, seem ill-equipped to meet the challenge alone.

Urban vertical farming has emerged as an innovative solution – by growing crops in stacked layers within highly controlled environments, these systems use less land, water, and pesticides – with shipping containers offering a sustainable, space-efficient answer to the global food crisis.

The Galleri Lite builds on Babylon’s mission to engage and inspire individuals across industries, including senior living, corporate dining, hospitality, and education while fostering a deeper connection to nutritious food. Designed with accessibility in mind, this system offers a more affordable entry point compared to the flagship Galleri system, ensuring fresh, nutrient-rich produce is within reach for more communities. The Galleri Lite offers exceptional ROI potential, particularly for microgreens, as the system’s yield can offset its initial capital expense.

This unique capability positions the Galleri Lite as not only an accessible and affordable entry point but also a self-sustaining investment, making it an attractive solution for organizations seeking both economic and environmental benefits.

A financial consultant with a passion for sustainability and a Lewis University Romeoville alumna with social service and environmental science backgrounds are running a Lockport business – and loving it.Ajay Nagarkatte, a consultant to financial institutions who is an urban farming enthusiast, started Second City Greens in 2021 in Lockport. Frank Voltattorni III joined as farm manager a short time later.

Hydroponic plants grow in special nutrient-rich water instead of soil, Voltattorni said. Second City Greens also uses coconut coir – the natural fiber found on the outer husk of a coconut – as its supporting surface, he said.

Opened by Josh Smith in March 2024, Neon Greens isn’t your typical café or bistro. It takes the idea of farm-to-table a step beyond with an additional, next-door component: a hydroponic vertical farm.

Inside the farm and its attached “Harvest Capsule,” staff tend to crops like oakleaf, mizuna, sweet crisp, kale and more. Seeds are carefully sown before being placed in the plant nursery to grow; next, they’re plugged into a lush, living wall of lettuce, where water gently trickles down, nourishing the roots.

Paul Karpawich, Program Director for Uplift NH, hosted a presentation and discussion about driving environmental education and problem-based learning in school curriculum across New Hampshire.

Paul shared his organization’s success in working with schools and students to launch and sustain food waste diversion and composting projects and offered networking space to replicate similar projects in your own school.

At the heart of Nimble Farms’ operations are modular, climate-controlled grow units housed in converted shipping containers. Designed to maximize productivity per square foot, each unit is equipped with energy-efficient LED lights, recirculating water and nutrient systems, and precise environmental controls.

This setup optimizes inputs such as fertilizer, water, and energy, enabling year-round production of a wide variety of high-quality, pesticide-free, non-GMO crops, including living lettuces, herbs, microgreens, and mushrooms. Emphasizing its commitment to sustainability, all Nimble Farms sites are powered 100% by renewable energy sourced from local solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.

Last November, the Ohio University Student Senate developed initiatives for two vertical gardens. The project, which aims to enhance student engagement and sustainability at Ohio U, was awarded $5,000. 

The Senate worked to create a project that met engagement and sustainability goals but was also financially viable. Former Environmental Affairs Commissioner Caden Hibbs, worked with the company Just Vertical out of Canada, an indoor hydroponic farming company, and pitched their indoor wall gardens to support Ohio U. 

Old shipping containers are now being used to fight against hunger in underserved communities.

Renee Camplese is bringing out vegetables that she says are better for you than organic.

“We have no need to use pesticides, so nothing is ever sprayed on our produce, ever,” said Camplese. 

She said their greens hold more nutrition because of where it came from. The greens are from an indoor farm, 80 Acres Farm, in the
Cincinnati area. 

“We started growing ten years ago in containers, old shipping containers that have been refurbished with lights and all of the piping and things that we needed to grow indoors, so it’s a hydroponic system. Then we have moved on from containers to large-scale production farms,” said Camplese. 

CENTRAL POINT Ore. - Crater High School utilizes a cutting-edge agricultural project that grows food in ways that challenge traditional farming practices and inspire students to think about sustainability in new ways.

The Freight Farm uses a vertical hydroponic method to cultivate crops like lettuce, basil and cilantro — all without soil.

The plants are nourished by nutrient-rich water, with no more than five gallons of water used per week.

The idea for the Freight Farm originated when agricultural science teachers Kristin Kostman and Jim Miller attended a national conference, where they discovered the concept.

“Our students are involved in every step, planting the seeds, monitoring growth, and harvesting the crops,” Kostman said. “It’s a hands-on, immersive experience that teaches them the possibilities of sustainable, urban farming.”

80 Acres Farms began its journey inside a shipping container, as its team experimented with different farming technologies to develop efficient vertical systems. The company’s methodical approach to growth, testing and refining led to a pivotal moment when it launched its first 70,000-square-foot farm in Hamilton, Ohio.

The innovative facility is longer than a football field and includes 10 growing levels stacked on top of each other. The farm’s initial success was followed by further expansion, including the more recent Kentucky facility, which has been in operation since late 2022.

“Our goal from the start was to develop systems that could handle the stresses of population growth, farmland loss and climate change,” says Noah Zelkind, vice president of business intelligence and strategic finance for 80 Acres Farms. “We’ve learned from every farm we built, and now we’re focused on scaling up to bring fresh, healthy food to more people. It’s not just about growing food but about fitting into the community and using what’s already there.”

Living in Canada’s centre has its challenges. We can all attest that temperatures of 30 below can put a damper on many facets of living, including producing and consuming clean, locally grown foods.

What if actively gardening in mid-January was a possibility? What if local households, communities, retailers, and restaurants could grow their own fresh, quality produce, year-round, with affordable hydroponic gardens? Les Verts Living, a Manitoba-owned, innovative agricultural business, in partnership with T&T Seeds, has developed indoor hydroponic systems that do just so.

Owners Rachel Green and her father Kerry have dedicated their lives to agriculture and making nutritious, leafy greens accessible to tables throughout the province.

Though there is still much planning and work to be done, Harper informed the council that the container will be attractive, use relatively little water and will likely be staffed part-time with volunteer opportunities available.

Among the many benefits touted by Harper and the council is the possibility for the setup to be a good educational experience for local school students. Using a shipping container and advanced hydroponic system, Community Mission Link hopes to grow about four acres worth of produce in a much smaller amount of space. This is the first use of Freight Farms by a nonprofit in the area that he knows of.