Planet Farms, a company established in Milan by Luca Travaglini and Daniele Benatoff, have announced the largest and most advanced vertical farming facility in Italy and Europe to be built in Cavenago. The facility will cover over 9,000 square meters.
The exterior, facades and shape of the magnificent building have been designed by Studio Dordoni Architetti, while the interior has been designed by Mr Citterio from Studio Artec. The new vertical farm will be based on a highly innovative integrated growth process starting with seeds and ending with packaged products.
Planet Farms has developed a state-of-the-art technology that makes it possible to grow vegetables anywhere in the world in pure and controlled environments without using pesticides.
The complex sensor system enables the constant precise monitoring of production activities and the entire process is entirely automated, meaning Planet Farms can deliver pure fresh produce.
The facility will specialize in the production of basil, aromatic herbs and salad. All crops will grow in environments with pure air and water, from traditional seeds and without using pesticides. 97% of water can be saved employing this system.
The new facility is a starting point for Planet Farm's ambitious global development and growth process, as the company aims at turning the region into a vertical farming hub exporting produce all over the world.
Each of its global partners will contribute as follows:
Travaglini S.p.A. will make available its know-how deriving from its extensive experience in the agricultural and food sectors. It will cooperate with Planet Farms for the design and setup of air conditioning systems focused on energy efficiency and cleanrooms to minimize the risk of contamination.
Signify (ex Philips Lighting), which has already worked with Planet Farms for the creation of a research lab in 2018, will supply the Dynamic Philips GreenPower modular LED lighting system. These lights use sensors that react autonomously to the parameters detected.
Repower, an international electricity operator, has recently created the "Repower on board" program specifically for companies and projects not strictly connected to the energy world. It can thus support businesses like Planet Farm that share objectives such as sustainability and innovation.
Wood Beton Spa and Camuna Prefabbricati Srl will supply suitable building technologies for the dry construction of the facility, minimizing the material used and making it modular for sustainability and circular economy purposes.
Sirti will take care of the planning and setup of the technological infrastructure, especially when it comes to electricity systems, IoT and the data center hosting the BigData Analytics and AI. In addition, it will also introduce the Blockchain technology to trace the information relating to all phases of the production process to the benefit of consumers.
255 HEC has been taking care of developing the technologies needed for the functioning of the project: "special" machines and software that control the vertical farm using sensors and innovative technologies. This is done setting up a data network among the various vertical farms. The Industry 4.0, Big Data and Cloud concepts are at the basis of all projects.
Netafim is making available its innovative solutions and a consulting service for a better management of irrigation and nutrition. This has the aim of producing more quantities while using fewer resources.
The objective of the new facility will be to use natural resources in a more efficient way making food production independent from weather and territory conditions to obtain local food of excellent quality and a huge social impact. The aim is also to promote sustainable and eco-friendly practices. This innovative production cycle guarantees operational and energetic efficiency in line with environmental sustainability principles.
In the future, the range might also grow to include flowers, fruits and a selection of vegetables.