Who does a container farm serve?

Who does a container farm serve?

We talk about the benefits of container farming a lot - from why it’s good for the environment to how it helps growers. Our DROP & GROW container farm uses aeroponic vertical farming systems to grow crops in less space, with less water, less fertiliser and without soil or pesticides. But if you’re going to set up a container farming business, there’s more to consider than environmental benefits or how well your plants grow.

One question you might have is, “who am I going to sell my produce to?” In this blog we’re going to explore some of the different markets and communities that a container farm could serve.

Restaurants & cafes

A container farm could serve its local restaurants and cafes. Salads are a staple dish or side in almost any eatery, from coffee shops to takeaways. Herbs are another leafy green that will be made use of in almost any food establishment. High-end restaurants in more urban areas might be looking for more niche crops. This might be microgreens such as garlic chives, or even garnishes and edible flowers, like nasturtiums.

Farm shops & grocers

In a more rural setting,  a container farm could sell directly to their local farmers’ markets, shops and green grocers. Herbs and salad mixes are mostly likely to be suitable within these scenarios. 

Community box schemes & delivery schemes

Many areas now have local or community food box schemes, much like the nationwide options such as Riverford or Abel & Cole. A container farm could top up local vegetable box schemes with salad bags and popular herbs such as basil or coriander. This might be a viable secondary market if you’re looking to expand your range of supply and get your name out there.

Pre-made sandwich & salad distributors

The pre-made sandwich and salad industry is huge, selling to supermarkets, local stores, cafes and even places like hospitals. A container farm could supply salad ingredients or even distribute their own mixes with combinations of leafy greens, shoots and microgreens. 

Community engagement projects

One benefit of a container farm is its ability to be transported and deployed into a range of scenarios. A container farm can not only serve communities but become a local hub for growing, learning and encouraging people to get involved. This might be in a school, community centre or as part of a social good or charity programme. 

The benefits of disrupting supply chains 

We see great potential for container farms to decentralise our food networks, diversifying the supply chain and increasing our food security. Having smaller, more regular food production sites across locations in the UK could potentially lessen our dependence on imports. Our food networks run a “just-in-time” system - meaning manufacturing and supply is organised to deliver “just in time” to be put on the shelves for sale. This reduces storage costs, but also means food reserves in the UK are low. By adding more smaller, localised food production facilities in the UK we can add flexibility into our food supply chains and reduce the risk of running out of food. 

A great benefit of a container farm is that, no matter what your market is, there is room for flexibility and you can even choose to add containers to expand your growing space gradually. If you want to find your container farm market, then get in touch with our business development team today!