Sustainability: Then vs. Now
Traditional agricultural practices are fraught with waste—water waste, arable land waste, crop waste, to say nothing of pesticide use. Vertical farming seeks to address those excesses through intelligently designed racking hardware and ancillary technology, such as high-efficiency hydroponic and aeroponic systems, or water reclamation systems.
With these advancements, cultivators can optimize their cultivation spaces, any of which can save energy, conserve water, and preserve the highest number of healthy, processable plants. In no time at all, renewable energy will power every light and electrical system on every vertical farm, the last major milestone needed for vertical indoor farming to outpace traditional outdoor farming.
Spotlight on Paul’s Boutique (Windham, ME)
In the meantime, vertical indoor cannabis farms have led the charge toward peak sustainability in new and exciting ways. In some cases, we here at Montel got firsthand experience, partnering with these companies to engineer and implement vertical grow rack systems capable of making their wildest sustainability dreams come true.
One of our newer cannabis clients, Paul’s Boutique is an unquestioned leader in sustainable vertical farming and an exemplar for how technology and imagination can compound the efficiencies gained through mobile vertical farming systems.
Among the many machines and processes that power sustainability at Paul’s Boutique is its automated condensate reclamation system, where transpired water is collected in tanks, treated for algae bloom, bacterial growth, and heavy metals, then fed back to its plants—about 950 gallons’ worth daily. Paul’s Boutique also utilizes a wastewater evaporator, which prevents nitrogen-rich wastewater from contaminating local water tables by removing about 90 percent of the water and turning what was once a liquid into a more solid sludge that can be disposed of properly.
Paul’s Boutique is also a fully LED facility. From the overheads in the hallways to the grow lights, everything is LED. This commitment to energy efficiency shrinks the company’s carbon footprint. Because grow rooms are climate-controlled spaces, and without any ambient heat from lighting, Paul’s also optimizes its HVAC electrical expenditures.
We partnered with Paul’s Boutique to install our world-famous GREENRAK mechanical-assist vertical farming system. Check out GREENRAK and our catalog of innovative mobile racking today or read more about Paul’s Boutique and its mission of sustainability.
