Image Credit : Growcer
Project Overview
Through a shipping container farmhouse that produces on-site greens, the Growcer Arctic Growing Systems provide a solution to sourcing fresh produce in rural, extreme weather communities in America's far north.
Organisation
Project Context
The project was prompted by the long shipping distances, the high cost of produce and the lack of employment opportunities from the Inuit communities. Even with subsidies from the Canadian government, the cost of shipping long distances and the rates of spoilage on the journey mean that fruits and vegetable are priced notably high. The local container farms can also create new jobs by offering local harvesting positions to community members.
Project Innovation
These insulated farms are built to withstand the world's harshest climates, handling up to -50 degrees celsius and blizzards.
The system has low infrastructure requirements, and only requires power, a water refill every 3-4 weeks, a 9kg propane tank, and an annual material replenishment.
The farm uses high-quality lights that whilst more expensive, can produce triple the yields that a traditional modular farm would harvest. And every system ships with a backup for every critical component that can be swapped out within minutes.
The system arrives with everything needed to start the farm, including 14 months’ worth of growing material, seeds, cleaning solution, and multiple spare parts for every major part of the system. The community plugs it in, connects it to water, and it’s ready.
Farm managers don't require previous farming experience, and Growcer works closely with receiving communities to help develop custom business models and monitor the greenhouses by satellite to help managers troubleshoot any issues.
These Growcer Arctic Growing Systems are now servicing seven communities in the Far North, some for as long as 18 months, and all have already broken even.
Interestingly, produce, which was not traditionally part of the Inuit diet has now become a convenient and affordable option.
Commercial - Systems
Commercial projects recognises that design is the means to create meaningful experiences for users, create value for people and drive profit for businesses.
All systems are designed to serve a purpose – and that purpose is to serve people. Systems design optimises systems performance by systematically focusing on the human component - human capacities, abilities, limitations and aspirations.
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