A partnership between Kingsville, Ontario-based DelFrescoPure and CubicFarms will result in LivingCube, an indoor automated vertical growing machine that continuously produces living lettuce, living basil and microgreens all year long.
According to a news release, the LivingCube system has 12 mechanized growing, germination and irrigation machines, each built inside proprietary insulated 40-foot-long stainless steel growing chambers. The growing machines, according to the release, are individually climate controlled to optimize the environment for each crop and also connected to a fully enclosed climatized common work area.
LivingCube is powered by DelFrescoPure’s off-the-grid electrical cogeneration system, according to the release.
“It’s going to be growing right on site at one of our main farms,” said Carl Mastronardi, president of DelFrescoPure. “The reason we went this route is we think that we can do it safer and do it with a higher taste profile.”
Growing the same products in the greenhouse is difficult because in June, July and August it is very difficult to grow lettuce and microgreens in the high heat of a greenhouse, he said.
“By growing in CubicFarms (technology), the containers are operating with heat pumps (and) they are basically the same temperature all year long,” he said.
In addition, the growing environment is completely pesticide free.
Mastronardi said the hope is to bring the LivingCube technology into production by mid- to late March.
DelFrescoPure also has added strawberry acreage this year, expanding from an acre two years ago to 9 acres last year and 17 acres this year, Mastronardi said.
With about 90 total acres of greenhouse vegetable production, Mastronardi said DelFrescoPure also is producing about one acre of Euro beans.
“It will be local for Ontario, because I’m just not growing enough to go stateside,” he said.
The 12-ounce package was tested last year with a U.S. retailer and won strong reviews, he said.
“Our beans look great, taste great, taste sweet and they’re picked fresh,” he said.
