Cincinnati Zoo Pilots Container Farming To Feed Giraffes, Manatees

There's no farmland and no Mother Nature to contend with because from seed to harvest the whole process is happening inside a shipping container.

By: Anna Azallion

Apr 22, 2024

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo is finding a new, more sustainable way to feed its animals.

It used to have to ship lettuce from Western states like California and Arizona, but now it comes from shipping containers in one part of the zoo right to the giraffes.

Zach Burns, the zoo's hydroponics technician, is the man behind this new farming method. He said they've previously had to deal with lettuce recalls and availability issues, so the goal is to become self-reliant.

That's where the container farming pilot program comes in.

There's no farmland and no Mother Nature to contend with because from seed to harvest the whole process is happening inside a shipping container.

The zoo said sustainability is the driving force behind the program.

“Our lettuce that we grow here takes only about 5% of what it would out in mother nature," Burns said.

Plus, the new method cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions.

“Whether there’s not enough rain that year or sun that year, that can really affect farming outside," said the Cincinnati Zoo's Americorp Sustainability Member, Jada Rusching.

With Container Farming, the zoo doesn't have to worry about the crop loss these factors can cause.

“We can grow produce 365 days a year, so we’re not relying on Mother Nature," Burns said.

Everything is controlled by Burns and his team inside the containers. And put all of the factors together, Burns said it saves the zoo money too.

Right now, giraffes and manatees are the main animals enjoying the food grown in the containers, but Burns said if the pilot goes well, he hopes to expand the program.