Auburn University converts shipping containers into vertical farms

AUBURN, Ala. (WTVM) - Auburn University’s Agriculture Department converted a shipping container into a vertical farm to grow and produce food to serve to students.

With these stations plants can grow vertically indoors without soil, getting their nutrition from water and light energy from powerful LEDs.

Right now they are growing 18 different types of lettuce but they are planning on growing other types of plants.

“We purchase this little plug that is preliminary made of peatmoss and they motions and we put we put the seed in there ,the seed germinate and inside the container there are lights that help the little seedling start to grow they grow for about two weeks and then we put them in the vertical wall,” said Head of Horticulture, Desmond Layne.

The containers are equipped with their own climate control system which includes air that stays around 70 degrees.

The vertical containers can produce 15 times as much per year then growing outside.

Copyright 2021 WTVM. All rights reserved.