According to recent studies, one in eight people in the U.S. currently lacks consistent access to food. On top of that, households that have children report “food insecurity” more than households without children. Many companies and organizations are in search for innovative solutions to help solve our country’s hunger problem.

How Portable Farms Help

Portable farms, or sometime called "grow pods", are one of the ways in which the U.S. is trying to tackle food insecurity. Their use has been on the rise over the last couple of years but at this point, you may be asking yourself, “What exactly are portable farms?” Portable farms allow the growth of high-quality crops in a controlled environment, which takes place in a modified shipping container or modular building.

The ability to grow a large number of crops quickly is one of the largest ways portable farms help solve for our food shortage. However, many argue that the main reason the U.S. is facing food insecurity is due to the lack of appropriate food access rather than a food shortage. Fortunately, portable farms also help with this as they allow easy transportation of crops between farmers and consumers. There are many other reasons why more and more people are getting into this new trend.

3 Main Reasons to Use Portable Farms

• 1. Cost Savings

• A major source of cutting costs results from limiting waste with the use of portable farms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that our nation wastes billions of dollars a year in crops that are produced by conventional farming methods. Additionally, energy use is optimized and overhead costs are minimized. One report states that portable farms use 90% less water and 80% less fertilizer when compared to traditional farms. Lastly, as portable farms continue to grow in popularity competition will increase which will drive down the cost of these “shipping container” farms.

• 2. Time Savings and Increased Output

  By growing produce in a controlled environment, crops can be grown at any time of the year. Seasons and location no longer have control over what crops are available. As a result, growing crops in these portable farms leads to higher production yields.
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• 3. High-Quality Products

• Portable farms typically use hydroponic technology which supports the growth of high-quality produce. Advancements in technology allow us to grow plants in soilless environments – clearly a distinct innovation from traditional farming. These methods allow the production of healthier food which eliminates the need for pesticides.

Custom Portable Farms Solutions

There's a lot to be excited about in the portable farms sector, and we at Wilmot Modular are keeping a close eye on how they'll be utilized. 2019 will be full of new developments, so keep a close eye on our blog for info in the future!