Ready For The Green Revolution? Agrilution Brings The Herb Garden Into The House With The "Plantcube"
December 20, 2020
The “Plantcube” from Agrilution promises always spring in the kitchen - a fully automated grow cabinet that enables vertical farming even on a small scale. AD spoke with Maximilian Lössl, Co-Founder and CEO, about the first experiments in his parents' cellar, the new features of the 2nd generation “Plantcube” - and about why the basil must never run out in his personal mini-farm.
With your high-tech herb garden in the design closet, you create a closed ecosystem in which it is always spring. What does such a mini vertical farm bring us at home?
As the closed ecosystem mimics the perfect spring conditions every day, herbs, salads and micro-greens grow with a density of up to 30 percent higher nutrients; without any transport routes, cooling chains or plastic waste. The harvest also lands directly on the plate and thus retains the secondary plant substances, vitamins, and minerals that are so important. Thanks to the special light frequency, the controlled climate, and the hydroponic irrigation, optimal ripening conditions exist throughout the year - and without pesticides or seasonal dependencies! Technology and nature go hand in hand.
In 2013, Maximilian Lössl (right) and Philipp Wagner founded “Agrilution” together. (Photo: Agrilution)
You started with the farm-to-table experiments in your parents' basement. How did the idea come about?
The initial spark, the enthusiasm for vertical farming, came from a book by Dr. Dickson Despommier. On the recommendation of the author, I actually went to Den Bosch in the Netherlands to study. But the theory wasn't enough for me, I became impatient and wanted to act. So I took the concept of vertical farming further; the idea of a "mini vertical farm" for your own home was born. Philipp Wagner then came in for the technical implementation. Our friendship goes back to school days, when we played basketball together in a club. We started the experiments in my parents' garage and founded Agrilution together in 2013.
Which salads and herbs exactly grow in the “Plantcube”?
Our portfolio currently includes over 30 different plants - from common kitchen herbs to tatsoi, leaf salads, and mixtures for pesto or stir fry to more unusual microgreens such as bronze fennel and blood sorrel. The selection is based on the needs of the market, but we also want to offer something extraordinary that is not available in the supermarket or organic market. In addition, the speed of growth is decisive so that our customers don't have to wait too long. The harvest time is generally between one and four weeks.
And what needs is the device designed for?
Assuming daily consumption, the capacity ranges from a single person to a small family - depending on how they are planted and planned. Our app provides insight into growth, information about harvesting or maintenance and also enables online orders for new seedbars that carry the seeds.
The target group includes residents of metropolitan areas who still want to harvest fresh, healthy produce. (Photo: The Subdivision)
Doesn't that mean losing some of the feelings of looking after your plants in the field, in the garden or on the balcony?
We do not see ourselves as competition to people who garden on a large scale and want to grow their own plants. We tend to address big city dwellers who do not have a balcony or garden in metropolitan areas, are seasonally restricted due to their location or who simply lack the green thumb. Of course, we are currently focusing on vegetarians, vegans, and flexitarians, but also culinary connoisseurs who are looking for that special aroma. And technology-savvy early adopters who want to equip their smart homes well!
You recently launched the second edition of the “Plantcube”. What exactly has been changed, improved here?
What is new about the optimized “Plantcube”, in addition to its elegant black design, is the revised drawer system, which can now be equipped with nine seed bars on two levels. This offers a much greater variety for the planting, and the new, portion-appropriate seedbars are even more geared towards daily needs, the daily harvest. We have also expanded our plant portfolio and divided it into three categories so that our customers can get a particularly quick overview: Dailies, Essentials, and Chefs. In addition, the substrate of the seed bars is now 100 percent biodegradable thanks to the use of natural materials.
In the living room, the “Plantcube” can also be set to quiet and dark for up to two hours. (Photo: The Subdivision)
There is also a so-called "cinema mode". What can we imagine by that?
The cinema mode is also one of the most recent adjustments - it was created through valuable customer feedback and enables the greenhouse to be set to quiet and dark for up to two hours. Some users position the “Plantcube” as a design statement directly in the living room. Its light can be perceived as annoying when watching a film, for example, which is why we added this option.
Surely you live with a “Plantcube” yourself. What do you like to harvest from there and why?
The “Plantcube” in our private apartment is always well planted. We eat our greens every day. Since I love Asian cuisine, there is always fresh coriander for salads or as a topping for avocado bread. Our regular range also includes Tatsoi and Wasabina leaf mustard - nice and spicy! And don't forget basil! My girlfriend is Italian.
Good harvest! The greens from the new “Chefs Line” from “Agrilution” are beautiful (and) delicious. (Photo: Agrilution)
Are there any cooking recipes specially made with plants from the Plantcube?
We are constantly developing recipes with the greens from the “Plantcube”. Our website provides inspiration, as does the app. We also regularly cook together in our office, which is currently only possible to a limited extent. Otherwise, recommendable creations are always created. We also cooperate with KptnCook and chefs who use the “Plantcube” themselves. My favorite dish is “Asian Pak Choi Stir Fry”, which I modify according to my mood.
How does the lockdown affect interest in your Plantcubes? Fresh green from your own four walls sounds like a tempting option right now!
The paragraph has actually made a leap; because you always have something fresh and healthy in the house, and probably because it is becoming very clear to all of us for the first time that local cultivation cannot always meet the demand for natural products and that we sometimes find ourselves in front of empty vegetable shelves. And otherwise, a more conscious, healthier life is moving more and more into focus.
Over 30 different types of plants can be grown in the “Plantcube”. (Photo: The Subdivision)