COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — In the past, people in Denmark would have to import foods like lettuce from southern countries during the long Danish winters.
But now a new vertical indoor farm on the outskirts of Copenhagen will produce 1,000 metric tons of greens a year.
The new Nordic Harvest vertical farm stands 14 layers high in a 7000 square meter facility that's around 4 storeys high.
The Danish company built the farm in partnership with Taiwanese tech provider, YesHealth.
The company says farms covering an area the size of 20 soccer fields could fully supply the country's entire demand for greens.
The facility uses hydroponics, a technology that grows food with fertilizer-filled water and doesn't require the use of soil or pesticides.
Thousands of LED lights simulate sunlight to drive plant growth.
Nanobubble hydroponics technology efficiently oxygenates the roots of the plants.
The system's water is spiked with liquid microbial fertilizers that are made from natural ingredients like soy milk and oyster shells, differing from the common practice of using synthetic mineral fertilizers in hydroponic farming.