Vertically Urban, a horticultural lighting expert, and LettUs Grow, an aeroponic farming innovator, are working together to enhance the research capabilities of an award-winning vertical farm called “Grow it York”. The facility, housed in one of LettUs Grow’s container farms, is part of a research program named “FixOurFood” led by Professor Katherine Denby from the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products at the University of York. The goal is to research and develop vertical farming techniques to create positive change within food systems and benefit health, the environment, and the economy. The teams from both companies have been working on retrofitting the Grow it York farm, which now includes tunable spectrum Horti-Blade grow lights and an enhanced version of Ostara farm management software. The collaboration aims to inform the development and deployment of LED lighting in vertical farms to create positive change within food systems.
Horticultural lighting experts, Vertically Urban and aeroponic farming innovator, LettUs Grow are collaborating to enhance the research capabilities of a vertical farm in York, known as “Grow it York”. The facility is part of an outdoor community space called SPARK and is home to a research team headed by Professor Katherine Denby from the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products at the University of York. The facility is housed in one of LettUs Grow’s state-of-the-art container farms. Born out of the broader “FixOurFood” program to investigate the role that vertical farming can play in creating positive change within our food systems, benefiting our health, environment, and economy. The FixOurFood program is a research collaboration between several academic institutions that aims to transform local food networks and develop regenerative systems that will create a fairer and more sustainable future for food production, retail, and consumption.
Over recent months, teams from Vertically Urban and LettUs Grow have been working tirelessly to retrofit the Grow it York farm. The facility now features a full complement of tunable spectrum Horti-Blade grow lights alongside an enhanced Ostara farm management software. This joint investment, funded by Vertically Urban and LettUs Grow, will greatly increase the scope of research that can be conducted by the facility, boosting the potential overall impact of the program. The mutually beneficial partnership will see the ongoing free exchange of expertise and data. The overarching aim is to inform the development and deployment of LED lighting in vertical farms to create positive changes within food systems, benefiting health, the environment, and the economy.
The CEO of Vertically Urban, Andrew Littler, mentioned, “The University of York is a world-renowned research institution right on our doorstep, so I’m truly excited about the opportunities that this relationship brings.” He went on to say that he couldn’t think of a better partner than LettUs Grow. He looks forward to seeing the relationship blossom as they continue to work together. The Chief Technical Officer of LettUs Grow, Ben Crowther, added, “Grow it York was one of our first container farms, with this upgrade, the research it generates has the chance to truly impact the vertical farming industry.” He also noted that the Horti-blade lights have incredible efficiency and form factor, helping them to achieve their goal of producing powerful, impact-driven products for their customers.
Image provided by Vertically Urban & LettUs Grow
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