Harris County Pushes Vertical Farming Course

Harris County Pushes Vertical Farming Course

By Mihir Zaveri

Published 10:57 am, Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff

Sprouts grow at Moonflower Farms, which uses hydroponics and is Houston's first commercial indoor vertical farm.

Harris County wants to develop a training program on indoor, vertical farming as part of its effort to reduce childhood obesity in north Pasadena.

Commissioners Court this week approved an agreement with the non-profit Association for Vertical Farming to develop a one-semester course that could be taught at an indoor farm in Pasadena. The county has been working with the city of Pasadena to set up the effort.

"The purpose of the training is to teach students and residents about the science and technology of various methods of producing healthy food," county documents state.

The county will pay the association $25,000 for implementing the course.

The industry is extremely small in Texas and the Houston area. But it could be growing.

Internationally, vertical farming has garnered more interest given concerns over population growth, food shortages, a lack of arable land, water supply and climate change. The market is expected to grow worldwide by more than 27 percent annually through 2022, according to Irish firm Research and Markets.

In March, Moonflower Farms became Houston's first commercial indoor farm. The compnay has a 900-square-foot space in south Houston.

County officials said nurturing workforce training in the agriculture technology field could help further understanding of healthy food, in turn reducing childhood obesity in the "food desert" of north Pasadena, according to backup materials provided to Commissioners Court.