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Hunger is a problem faced by many families right here in Ohio.
We believe we can help tackle this complex challenge together as a community. That’s why we’re partnering with several local businesses to pilot an indoor farm. The first farm, located in Columbus, Ohio, will benefit the families served by the Mid-Ohio Food Collective.
in Columbus are food insecure and are more likely to experience chronic disease.
in Franklin County experience food insecurity.
in the world is already in use.
By repurposing a freight container, this indoor farm will provide access to fresh, local food year-round. Additional benefits include:
The pilot farm will be located at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, 3960 Brookham Dr. Grove City Ohio 43213.
Tours and other site visits can be arranged by contacting Mid-Ohio Farm at midohiofarm@midohiofoodbank.org.
The unit is the size of a standard freight shipping container – approximately 40' long by 8' wide and 9' tall.
Improving community health is a core focus of the farm, so growing nourishing foods is key. We'll first grow kale, often called a superfood, because of its high nutritional value. Kale is also a complex plant, so it can potentially provide more information for agricultural research on the differences between produce grown indoors and outdoors. This will allow the farm to stabilize operation and be evaluated in all four seasons to better understand the impact of operations and climate.
After the pilot program, the farm will likely diversify its crop production. The indoor farm is capable of growing several hundred different crop varieties.
The indoor farm is expected to require 16 to 20 hours of labor per week. Project managers will validate the actual labor required for crop care during the pilot program.
The farm will utilize Mid-Ohio Food Collective employees and community volunteers. Volunteers may register at MOFC's central data hub for engagement here.
The time to produce harvest varies depending on crop, farm design, farm goals, etc. In general, plants grown indoors will develop about two times faster than conventional farming techniques. For example, a full head of lettuce grown outdoors typically requires 26 weeks to reach maturity, but indoors it only requires 9 to 10 weeks.
Once the farm is operational and the team has been trained, it should begin producing kale in roughly ten weeks. Indoor farms can yield crops year-round if desired.
Produce grown at the indoor agricultural farm will be distributed through the Mid-Ohio Food Collective (MOFC) network. Once constructed in late 2021, Mid-Ohio’s onsite, indoor farmer's market will be the primary distribution point for food grown onsite.
Mid-Ohio Food Collective customers will access produce grown at the Indoor Agricultural Farm. Eligibility is based on income which can be found here.
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