CORE Electric And FarmBox Foods Partner To Grow Trees For Reforestation
Indoor Tree Farm Facilitates R&D For Colorado Native Species
Blue spruce seedling. Photo courtesy of FarmBox Foods.
July 14, 2024
CORE Electric Cooperative (CORE) and FarmBox Foods, a manufacturer of controlled-climate farms, on Wednesday will unveil the first tree seedlings for a first-of-its-kind program focused on reforestation of wildfire-affected areas of the Front Range.
CORE’s Vertical Hydroponic Farm is housed inside an upcycled, insulated shipping container that FarmBox is using for research and development with the goal of replanting blue spruces and ponderosa pines, both native species in Colorado, in places impacted by wildfires within CORE’s service area.
“CORE’s partnership with FarmBox has given us an innovative way to support Colorado’s natural resources and continue our dedication to environmental stewardship,” said Pam Feuerstein, CORE’s interim CEO. FarmBox Foods began successfully growing tree seedlings and saplings in the controlled-climate container farm in 2021, but the Vertical Hydroponic Farm purchased by CORE is the first to be solely dedicated to tree propagation. FarmBox Foods operates the indoor tree farm at its home base in Sedalia and is conducting research on drought resistance, nutrient dosing, lighting and other growing parameters.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better partner to launch a ground-breaking program like this,” said Rusty Walker, CEO of FarmBox Foods. “CORE is pioneering something that could have a tremendous impact beyond just Colorado, and we have the technology and the team to make it happen.”
CORE is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative providing power to nearly 180,000 services inside a 5,000-square-mile area along Colorado’s Front Range. Headquartered in Sedalia, CORE is headquartered in Sedalia and has district offices are in Bennett, Conifer and Woodland Park.
FarmBox Foods strives to bring food security, safety, and sustainability to communities through its Vertical Hydroponic Farm (VHF) and Gourmet Mushroom Farm (GMF).