The time has arrived! This fall, we will be launching prototypes in Cincinnati as our inaugural region. We are working with Alloy Development Corp. on some behind the scenes initiatives, so stay tuned for future announcements on details, dates, and community events in the late September and October timeframes.
Here’s what the next couple of months going into the end of the year and into the spring of 2025 will look like.
Our first 20-foot container farm prototype is being designed and built as we speak.
The prototype will be functional, but not large. It is meant to be a showcase of capability and experience rather than a fully maximized farm. Because of that, we aim to give away the produce we grow out of our prototype unit, which will likely consist of microgreens as they have the fastest grow cycles. See below for how sponsors can have produce donated in your name to local schools and food pantries.
Additionally, we are in discussions to license a couple of larger, 40-foot container farming units from a growing partner, which is planned to be placed at a local university to collaborate with their students and programs.
The benefit for the Cincinnati community includes:
Fresh, donated produce (microgreens): We will be distributing fresh microgreens to local community organizations and food banks, ensuring that the produce reaches those in need.
Pop-up markets: We will hold pop-up markets on the space around our container farms to bring the community together. We invite other local producers and small businesses to attend or offer their products through our virtual farmer’s market ordering system.
Educational programming and site visits: In collaboration with the Hamilton County’s LinkedUp program, we will offer educational opportunities, including site visits, workshops, and classes focused on urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition.
But, we need your help! We need support funding through sponsorships and/or grants to sustain our initial operations and farms. Our sponsorship packages include your logo being wrapped on our Cincinnati farms, free access to our programming for your members, and custom programming and co-promotion with your network as desired. Most important is your support for urban farming and the economies we are aiming to build in Cincinnati around it!
If you are interested in sponsoring the Urban Farming Initiative, please contact kevin@urbanfarminginitiative.org to discuss our options further!
Critical Time for Market Validation
There are several quantitative assumptions we aim to prove and understand further through our initial market launch in Cincinnati. They are:
Yields: We expect to harvest up to 200 pounds of microgreens per month from our 20-foot container, with each 40-foot container potentially doubling that yield. This will help us assess the scalability of our operations.
COGS (Cost of Goods Sold): We estimate our COGS including labor, electric, water, materials, seeds, and nutrients to be around $20 - $40 per day, with potential reductions as we optimize our processes and scale up our operations.
Economic Impact: We aim to demonstrate how our container farms can contribute to the local economy by creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and providing fresh produce to underserved communities.
Product/Market Fit: We will evaluate consumer demand for fresh, locally-grown produce and refine our product offerings based on feedback from our community and market data.
Virtual Farmer’s Market Logistics: We will test and refine our logistics platform to ensure smooth operations for our virtual farmer’s market, enabling efficient transactions and delivery of produce from local farms, restaurants, and small businesses to consumers at our on-site pop-up markets. We want to see strong growth in producers who want to sell through our platform as well as buyers using the system to purchase goods from us and others in the community network.
Seeking Real Estate Developers
Are you in residential or commercial real estate, or do you know someone who is? We’d value your feedback on our emerging model for this industry.
Here’s how it works:
We’re looking for the right real estate developer in each of our regions—ideally a residential complex with 200-300+ units or a commercial complex with dozens to hundreds of business tenants.
We partner to bring container farms onto their land as an extra “green” perk. The programs we offer include:
On-demand Fresh Produce: Tenants can order fresh produce directly from the on-site container farm, ensuring they have access to the freshest food possible.
On-site Pop-up Markets: Regular pop-up markets featuring produce from our farm and other local vendors will foster a sense of community and provide convenient access to fresh food.
Edible and Sustainable Landscapes: We can integrate edible plants into the landscaping, allowing tenants to harvest their own food, while also promoting sustainability and environmental stewardship.
On-site education, cooking classes, chef dinners, and more: We offer a variety of programming to engage tenants, including cooking classes, chef-led dinners using farm produce, and educational sessions on topics such as urban farming and healthy eating.
We can arrange a number of ways to execute this partnership, which is tantamount to on-site “farming as a service.” We’re looking for entrepreneurial thinkers who may be willing and interested in trying an innovative service for their tenants. Please send introductions to kevin@urbanfarminginitiative.org. Thanks in advance for your help in sharing our mission with your real estate network and community!
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