Empty Office Buildings Are Being Turned Into Vertical Farms

Clara O’Brien, writing in Modern Farmer July 11, 2023 wrote a thought-provoking article about using vacant office space to grow fruits and vegetables. “In Calgary, Alberta (Canada) AgriPlay Ventures transformed part of underutilized office space in Calgary Tower Center into one of Canada’s largest indoor urban farms earlier this year…Currently, AgriPlay Farms is negotiating offers on more than one million square feet of office space in Calgary…office spaces already provide an ideal environment for growing food, since they are already air conditioned, heated and well ventilated. Not many modifications have to be made to the buildings themselves. AgriPlay provides hardware that uses artificial intelligence to convert and install custom, plug-and-play modular growth systems. Its scalable installation model was designed specifically to fit into existing office real estate spaces, and it doesn’t require prior knowledge of farming. When executed correctly, vertical farming can yield as much produce as traditional farming methods in urban areas and smaller space. Additionally, vertical farmers gain the added benefit of consistent, year-round production without the uncertainties of climate or pests, all while utilizing 90 percent less energy and 98 percent less water than a transitional farm.”