Freight Farms Mobile Shipping Container Greenhouses

People are always going to want fresh wholesome food at a reasonable price. And it’s that simple concept that is at the core of Freight Farms, Mobile Shipping Container Greenhouses.

Each mobile greenhouse is manufactured entirely from a single 40’ x 8’ x 9.5’ shipping container. And they’re outfitted with all the tools necessary for high-volume, consistent harvests. “With innovative climate technology and growing equipment, the perfect environment is achievable 365 days a year, regardless of geographic location.”

The idea for growing produce closer to urban areas isn’t a new one. And we’re not just talking about backyard gardens. Portable, durable greenhouses that can withstand even the harshest of climates is an idea that’s been around for some time. Freight Farms seized upon the idea of recycling used shipping containers and turning them into portable high-output mobile greenhouses. The Boston, Ma based company was founded in 2010 by co-founders Brad McNamara (CEO) and Jon Friedman. In 2011 they raised over $30,000 via a successful Kickstarter campaign, and with additional funding sources launched their first greenhouse, called the Leafy Green Machine in 2012, taking delivery of their first container in October of that year. Renovations, including insulation and installation of the hydroponic growing systems and lighting began in earnest. Here they are taking delivery on their first 40′ container in Worcester, Mass.

The container arrives

Unloading Begins

Slowly sliding the container off

Keeping a sharp eye out

Proud Owners

Let’s open it up!

Victory! Remodeling Time!

Photos courtesy of Freight Farms.

Once the container was dropped off, the process of turning  this 340 square foot Cor-Ten box into a portable pop-up greenhouse began. These containers are strong and durable,  modular and stackable, making them the perfect vehicle for urban greenhouses as they can be moved without too much difficulty and are more scalable than traditional greenhouses. The containers are outfitted with LED lighting, Hydroponic growing “towers” and an automated irrigation system allowing them to grow thousands of plants at any given time.

The growing system is unique and state-of-the-art. The plants are started as seedlings and transferred to the vertical growing towers once sprouted. Throughout the indoor greenhouse are strips of LED lights, hung vertically between the plants to insure even coverage for uniform plant growth. As with most modern hydroponic grow-houses, it uses 90% less water than traditional soil operations and is more efficient as the nutrients go directly to the roots.

In keeping up with current technological advancements, the crops are cloud-connected with a term they call the smartfarm. The urban farmers can manage the Leafy Green Machine via a smartphone app. You can “track air and water quality,  monitor crops anytime through live, in-farm cameras and shop for all your growing supplies. The cloud-connected farm provides access to farm data and makes large scale production easy to control and easy to manage”.

As of 2015 a single fully outfitted and ready to go Freight Farm runs for $76,000 and operating costs typically run about $13,000 per year.

This is the blog for Shipped.com, the online marketplace for buying and selling shipping containers. We connect buyers from and sellers from all over the world, enabling new levels of international commerce for the shipping container industry. Buyers get the lowest possible prices and sellers gain market share.

If this article has motivated you to perhaps create your own shipping container greenhouse, why not Login and try it out. Joining is quick, easy and free. You’ll have your choice of the best shipping containers at the lowest prices. And if you need additional information on turning your shipping container into a greenhouse, contact us and we’ll be happy to point you in the direction of people who, once you’ve purchased your container, can help you remodel and outfit your container and turn it into your own personal Shipping Container Greenhouse!

Freight Farms Mobile Shipping Container Greenhouses

greenhouse breakdown

indoor crops

vertical lighting

The Founders, Brad McNamara and Jon Friedman

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