5 minute read
Pioneering sustainable solutions in indoor farming with sheep wool
Determined to help grow food more sustainably and support the New Zealand wool industry, Jacinta and Greg Penn have embarked on an innovative journey to revolutionise indoor farming.
Jacinta grew up in an urban area, and while growing up she always looked forward to visiting farming friends and family during her school holidays. Now, based in Pukekohe, surrounded by the agricultural landscape, she has witnessed first-hand the challenges faced by crop growers. With housing competing for available land, erratic weather patterns disrupting growth cycles, and persistent labour shortages, the need for resilient and sustainable farming solutions has never been more pressing.
Jacinta, who has her own digital technology company, pursued a Masters in Future Technologies, driven by her passion for innovation and sustainability. During her studies she became particularly interested in vertical farming, a method she recognised for its potential to mitigate the impacts of weather extremes. Vertical farming, with its ability to produce crops in stacked layers within controlled environments, offers a promising alternative to traditional farming methods.
She completed her studies in 2021. At this time she did an agritech STEM pilot project for schools using hydroponic garden kits, with plants growing in plastic foam sponges. She quickly identified a significant gap: the absence of sustainable growing media alternatives.
“At our property we have one small paddock, home to one fat sheep which we shear every six months. We had just left the wool on the ground in the paddock because it’s not worth selling. Then we noticed how long it took to biodegrade.”
Jacinta then commenced a series of experiments, attempting to develop greenhouse growing blocks with wool.
“I spent many hours next to the kitchen sink trying to get it to work. By April 2023 I had a bit of a prototype which I showed to a local grower, and he encouraged me to pursue it.”
The 3D shape she created was an alternative to the current growing medium used in commercial greenhouses and indoor farms, and also aligns with the principles of sustainability growers are striving for. This has been showcased through their commercial trial with a local grower, which has now been going for nine months.
“We have had mixed results from different prototypes but some of them have worked really well. It is very rewarding that growers can see the value in it.”
“My Masters was very focused on the problems of the world and practical solutions. Considering wool prices being very low and the ongoing challenge of creating less waste, this ticked both of those boxes.”
Fleecegrow was formed in 2023 and was fortunate enough to get grants from both Callaghan and Agmardt.
When it came to water, Jacinta said that irrigation was a key component of indoor growing, and was generally done with drip irrigation or fertigation. This holds all the nutrients needed for plant growth.
Wool can hold 30 percent of its weight in water, therefore can hold it available for the plant without the plant being wet or waterlogged. Wool is more than 10 percent nitrogen, which is slowly released as it decomposes. Both of these natural features are hugely beneficial for plant growing.
Like in starting any business, there have been some challenges, Jacinta said.
“My husband Greg is a big part of it all and has been really supportive. Basically, I have the crazy ideas, and he helps me build them. There have been some late nights and early mornings, and we’ve been prepared to make some compromises to get it off the ground as we both see it as too important not to do.”
Jacinta also said they have had great support from Wool Works and Wools of NZ, including a factory visit and several brainstorming phone calls on costing and production.
“New challenges come up all the time, like discovering a rule in Australia that you can’t grow plants in imported wool. But, Wool Impact has helped us work with the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) here in New Zealand and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) in Australia. Together we have figured out a way to work with Australian researchers that are keen to try the prototypes.
She said the current goal is for them to demonstrate how wool can support the growth of healthy plants with lots of fruits and vegetables. “It needs to be an easy decision for growers to make the switch.
“My vision is for us to be a large New Zealand company and help support improving the market for the wool industry.”
They are also working on creating new products, such as a wool fertiliser pellet to be used for slow release nitrogen nutrients and water retention, and a liquid wool fertiliser for an added nitrogen boost for turf.
Fleecegrow have been announced as a finalist in the Fieldays Innovation awards in the prototype category. They have completed a feasibility study with Callaghan Engineering, and once a few more trials are complete they plan to look for funding to build a production line at the end of the year.
Growers keen to trial samples and provide detailed feedback are encouraged to join their waitlist via their website www.fleecegrow.com.
