The redesigned plaza features a prefabricated vertical farming shipping container, communally known as The Ag Pod, designed by Freight Farms. Through a partnership with ComEd and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the installation of this farm brings a third urban farming strategy to the Plaza, in addition to the raised bed Community Garden and inground growing practices currently on site.

Imagine having a farm that fits neatly in a shipping container, thrives year-round, and requires minimal water. That's the magic of container farms! These controlled environments allow you to grow fresh, local produce anywhere, from the frigid winters in Anchorage, AK to the scorching heat in Houston, TX. But what exactly can you grow in a container farm, and how does the growing system impact your options?

Greenbox Farms' journey began back in 2016 with a vision to revolutionize at-home agriculture. We started by developing hydroponic plant-growing devices that could be controlled via a mobile app, specifically designed for home users. This initial foray into the world of hydroponics was driven by a passion to make sustainable farming accessible and User-friendly.

Working in glasshouses and solar-powered shipping containers, they develop 'recipes' to produce food crops far faster than would be possible outdoors. n the UK, the university's results are attracting interest from the commercial food sector, which wants to install similar shipping containers in distribution centres.

This story is one in a series created in collaboration with the AASA Learning 2025 Alliance to celebrate the work of groundbreaking school districts in the Pittsburgh region. Kidsburgh will share these stories throughout 2024.

Besides being on top of growing plants themselves, Farm Estate is also adopting franchising models across Ghana. "Our scalable container farms offer a modular, climate-controlled solution for year-round local food production." The franchise model comes in two different sizes; a single container farm, and a double one which has the in-house made Farm Management Software and crop recipes integrated.

A new, comprehensive and advanced learning experience in indoor farming is now available for growers. The VINE, an initiative of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), and UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education have opened enrollment for their new Controlled Environment Agriculture Program. Courses begin on July 1.