室內垂直種植初創企業Bowery正在建設自己的第二個室內農場——公司稱它將是世界上技術最領先的室內農場。

這座室內農場位于美國新澤西州的科尼市，比附近的室內農場的產量高30倍，為全食（Whole Food）和覓食者（Foragers）等企業客戶提供100種綠葉蔬菜。

去年5月，總部位于紐約的這家初創公司獲得2000萬美元的A輪融資，來自General Catalyst、GGV、GV（更名前為谷歌風投）等風投公司的這筆資金用于建造新的農場。

Bowery將機器人技術、機器學習技術、預測分析技術運用到農業上，要知道，在各種行業里，農業向來是對新的技術進步和數字化技術比較慢熱的那一個。

Bowery開發出一款具有強大感應器網絡的獨家軟件系統，可以實時獲得數據，從而預先了解農作物的品質、質地、顏色、產量等結果。“這個軟件系統就是農場的大腦，”Bowery公司的CEO兼創始人艾文·費恩說。

借助數據輸入對水流、光照、溫度、適度等因素做出小的調整，就能改變食材的口感和風味——比如說，讓芥菜的香味兒更濃郁一點兒。

“利用我們的系統可以自動實現這些變化，具有無與倫比的精確度和控制度。”費恩說。

費恩稱，與一平方英尺的農田相比，Bowery的產出效率要高100倍還多，一個主要原因是公司一年365天都能種植植物，在這個全面控制的環境中，農業種植完全不受季節影響。而且Bowery不使用任何殺蟲劑和農藥。如果在普通農田里這樣做，勢必使產量大大降低，然而Bowery每年有更多的種植季，植物生長速度比普通農田快一倍，每個生長季的產量也更高，費恩說。

Bowery的模式預計將滿足人們對本地食材日益增長的需求。該農場位于新澤西州，生產的食材將銷往新澤西州，以及臨近的康涅狄格州及紐約州。“我們發現，對于本地出產優質農產品，無論在美國還是其它國家都有很強的需求。”費恩說。

由于農作物的產地與消費地點較近，“減少了我們與消費者之間的中間流程。”由于效率提高了，成本也就降低了，費恩解釋道。

美國國家有機標準委員會最近針對水培方法種植的食材——也就是無土化種植的植物——是否可以被認證為有機植物進行了投票。盡管投票結果為“是”，費恩說Bowery并不卷入這樣的討論，也不把精力放在有機認證上。

“我們種植的是后有機作物，這是更進一步的進化。”費恩解釋說，有機作物并不禁用殺蟲劑，在他的農場卻是不允許使用的。

“垂直農業產出更好的食材，是更好的種植方式，對地球的破壞更小。我們借助垂直農業技術提供最純粹的食物。”費恩說。（財富中文網）

譯者：珠珠?

Indoor vertical farming startup Bowery is in the process of building a second facility which it claims will be the most technologically sophisticated indoor farm in the world.

The operation will be in Kearny, N.J., and grow 30 times more produce than its current indoor farm that’s located nearby, and supply 100 types of leafy greens and herbs for customers like Whole Foods and Foragers.

In May, the New York City-based startup raised a $20 million Series A from investors including General Catalyst, GGV, and GV (formerly Google Ventures), with capital from the round going toward building the new farm.

Bowery is applying robotics, machine learning, and predictive analytics to the agriculture sector, a segment of the economy that has been slow to adopt technology and digital advancements.

The company has developed what is says is a proprietary software system, complete with a robust network of sensors that takes in data in real time to determine outcomes like the quality, texture, color, and yield of its plants. “The software is the brains of the farm,” says Bowery CEO and founder Irving Fain.

Small adjustments—water flow, light intensity, temperature, humidity—can then be made in response to data inputs to impact outcomes like taste and flavor, such as growing a mustard green that’s got a spicier pick.

“These changes get pushed out automatically into our system,” says Fain. “The precision and level of control is unparalleled.”

Fain says that Bowery is more than 100 times more efficient than a square foot of farmland, in large part because the startup can grow 365 days a year independent of season in a completely controlled environment. Bowery doesn’t use any pesticides or agri-chemicals. Normally out in a field that would lead to reduction in yield, but Bowery has more crop cycles per year, grows twice as fast as a field, and has higher yield per crop cycle, says Fain.

The Bowery model is also predicated on a growing demand for local food. Since the farm is located in New Jersey, its produce goes out to the tri-state area. “We see very strong demand nationally and internationally right now for high quality locally produced consistent produce,” Fain says.

Because the produce is grown close to the point of consumption, “not as many players sit between us and the final consumers.” That level of efficiency helps keep costs down, Fain explains.

The National Organic Standards Board recently voted on whether hydroponics—essentially crops not grown in soil—could be certified as organic. While the board voted yes, Fain says that Bowery wasn’t involved in those conversations and isn’t focused on the organic certification.

“We’re growing post-organic produce,” he says. “It’s the next evolution.” Organic, he explains, still allows for pesticides—something his operation does not use

“It’s a better product for us and better way of growing and less destructive to the earth,” says Fain. “We’re using technology to grow the purest food possible.”