www.greenroomonwheels.com
business OVERVIEW
autumn 2016
The business of mobile farming
mobile farms bring An unexpected renaissance to small farmers . HIGHer Quality, high value crops. anywhere, in any season. From The Guardian September 26, 2016: “With seeds, chemicals, research and lobbying power in the hands of a tiny group of immensely powerful companies, they say, the small farmer will inevitably be blown away, competition could be stifled, and food and farm input prices will rise.”
There was always an ideal of living through agriculture, contributing to the welfare of the community, profiting from your efforts and protecting the land. All at the same time. with the advent of mobile farming, That time is now. We know that mobile farming, indeed indoor farming as a whole, offers an option for people that wish to live with agriculture, just as the traditional options are being taken away.
The Current Scene
Farming has historically been a political, cultural and historic act of empowerment. This power, this essential connection, has been restated in the Slow Food movement, artisan food brands, the 100-mile diet, the efforts for food security, free-range, humanely raised, non-GMO, etc... Re-engineering cities and suburbs into food production areas, having each location a center for specialized high-value crops, is about as an Utopian, empowering and realistically achievable a dream as most people who care about quality-of-life can imagine. We have to be aware of our current situation regarding food and agriculture. Small farmers are at greater risk now then ever before. Consumer, environment and anti-trust groups in the EU, US and Latin America are raising alarm over multi-national mergers that threaten to destroy independent farming.
An alternative
When we take into account that a G.R.O.W. mobile farm can be specially outfitted for all sorts of purposes, from kitchens to leafy green farms to aquaculture, it is easy to visualize a collection of G.R.O.W. mobile farms, side by side, providing medicines, tinctures, proteins, vegetables,
mushrooms, infusions, and events for rural, suburban and urban centers. From setting up shop for medieval medicinal herbs to setting up shop for craft gin or beer botanicals, the small, specialized, culturally rich opportunities for mobile farming are staggering. With mobile farming we can advance culture towards diversity, sustainability, even whimsy without breaking the bank. The question will become “why don’t you grow your own veg?” when talking to a restaurant owner. Most importantly, mobile farming gives individuals and corporations a chance to vote for food safety, food history, food integrity, and food independence. With three companies controlling approximately 70% of the world’s food, seed and pesticide supply, owning a mobile farm is that direct, immediate remaining choice to reconnect to our essential human-nature compact. Support diversity. Support your relationship with Nature. Grow your own. Anytime, Anywhere. We see G.R.O.W. mobile farming as a revolution. A return. A reclaiming. A response to a world that is making food less nutritional, less honest and less healthy. And, it is also a step to-
business OVERVIEW
www.greenroomonwheels.com wards rebuilding community and dignity. It gives communities something to talk about. A reason to interact. And, it gives owner/operators a solid, decent purpose and means to contribute. This is why we are in this business. Mobile farming helps grow better communities and better lives.
WHAT is a mobile farm?
autumn 2016
dependent, stable and 100% controllable owner/operator mobile farms. When outfitted with multi-level hydroponic shelves uses for the HighLight G.R.O.W. mobile farms include propagation or early-start germination chambers for cold seasons, winter grow beds for non-irradiated ginger/garlic/turmeric and year-round multi-tiered wildflower nurseries.
Who is the G.R.O.W. Mobile Farm Owner/Operator?
A Mobile Farm is a mobile hydroponic farm specially outfitted for the production of high-value specialty crops. Standard G.R.O.W. mobile farms are outfitted with LED or T5 fluorescent lights which are engineered to provide specific light waves to either leafy, vegetative plants or flowering plants.
Lo-Light G.R.O.W. mobile farms are best suited for: Herbs & leafy greens include, but are not limited to, non-flowering vegetables, with, principally, culinary value, such as: kale, mustard greens, collard greens, cabbage, romaine, green leaf, arugula and butterhead, dandelion, red clover, plantain, watercress and chickweed. Leafy Greens typically take 35 to 55 days for full size heads, and 21 days for baby size heads of same. Microgreens are culinary plants grown to the first primary leaf stage, and include basil, beet, broccoli, buckwheat, brussel sprouts, cabbage, celery, cilantro, chard, clover, collard green, corn shoots, cress, endive, fennel, leek, lettuce, salad mixes, mustard, parsley, radish, sorrel, sunflower and turnip. Micro-greens typically take 11-14 days before they are ready for market.
Personal Even before we look at the economics of a mobile farm, there are some strong arguments as to why an individual, or family, would wish to own and operate a mobile farm. • • • • • •
Food safety. Non-GMO. Pesticide-Free. Food variety. Heritage. Food freshness. Year-round production. Grown in ideal conditions. Longer shelf life. 150x greater yield than open field gardens or farms
A personal owner/operator may not have enough arable land to cultivate. The winter season may limit cultivation. Water may not be ideal. Pests and wildlife may ravage through the plot.
Low-light G.R.O.W. mobile farms are appropriate for restaurants, hotels, retirement homes, condominiums, military field applications, schools and universities, professional fundraising organizations, NGOs, research facilities, farmers looking for fodder solutions and owner/operator mobile farmers and entrepreneurs.
But, let’s not forget about some very honest, simple reasons to own and operate a mobile farm. A mobile farm provides fun. Education. Challenge. Wonder at seeing new varieties of wildflowers or vegetables growing year round. And, ultimately, the ability to inspire, enliven and share with loved ones.
New owner/operators would be best served by working in close cooperation with restaurants and farmer’s markets for the highest profit on sales. Herbs such as chives, cilantro, oregano, parsley, catnip and, yes, mint, are good producers and fine bedrock plants for the beginner.
Corporate
High-Light G.R.O.W. mobile farms are suited for: High-light mobile farms are built for flowering plants, research, and rhizome plants such as garlic, turmeric and young ginger. Plants are typically in ebb and flow, drip, or aeroponic hydroponic systems. From growing Ginseng to medicinal herbs to Bonsai and miniature fruit trees, High-Light G.R.O.W. mobile farms are outfitted to provide profitable, in-
G.R.O.W. mobile farms are appropriate for restaurants, hotels, retirement homes, condominiums, military field applications, schools and universities, professional fundraising organizations, NGOs, research facilities, and farmers looking for fodder solutions for the exact same reasons as listed throughout this Campaign page. Having food grown on location is a huge market differentiator and a solid way to build community involvement and social media connection.
www.greenroomonwheels.com
business OVERVIEW
autumn 2016
And, as you will see below from sample case studies, the margin of food savings is between ~60-90% off of retail, after costs to operate.
In a 10’ (interior) G.R.O.W. mobile farm, you can produce, annually, any of the following:
Fresher product. Safer Product. More diverse product. Less expensive than wholesale. Year after year.
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Commercial Farmer and Entrepreneur There are a few unique reasons that a farmer may wish to integrate a G.R.O.W. mobile farm into his business, or entrepreneurs may wish to change their lives for the better by working with plants and the community. Top three? 1. 2. 3.
Wide variety of ways to promote and/or develop community connections. The G.R.O.W. mobile farm offers a clear avenue to differentiate yourself from competition by providing a hyper-specialized product. Depending on the crop grown, a G.R.O.W. mobile farm pays for itself in 6-24 months, and requires 10-25 hours of work each week, depending on the crop grown.
What are the Economics of Mobile Farming and How Does a G.R.OW. Owner/Operator Become a Profitable Mobile Farmer?
4,000 lbs of Basil: Sold to Organic Markets @ wholesale for ~$39,000U.S. gross| 88% margin 4,700 lbs of Parsley: Sold to Organic Markets @ wholesale for ~$19,000U.S. gross | 72% margin 3,500 lbs of Oregano: Sold to Organic Markets @ wholesale for ~$60,000U.S. gross | 93% margin 1,170 lbs of Chervil: Sold to Organic Markets @ wholesale for ~$43,000U.S. gross | 90% margin
• • • Or •
4,750 lbs of microgreens: Sold to Organic Markets @ wholesale for ~$88,000U.S. gross | 58% margin
No crop loss. No pesticides. As local as possible. All year round. Every year. Want another option for lo-light? African Violets. The 10’ G.R.O.W. mobile farm can produce approximately 2,400 African Violets a year. At approximately $6 U.S. per plant, or $14,440 a year, you might not be paying off the mortgage any time soon, but with a 40’ G.R.O.W. mobile farm you are looking at a business producing just shy of $60,000 annually. But wait, African Violets can be grown on multiple levels. So multiply that number by three and you have a 40’ long, 8.5’ tall G.R.O.W. mobile farm that produces $180,000 of African Violets a year. Which becomes a very exotic and enriching livelihood rather quickly.
High-Light Economic Models There are any number of reasons to set up a high-light G.R.O.W. mobile farm.
While it would be perfectly reasonable, quite romantic and extremely educational for a family to purchase a 10’ G.R.O.W. trailer for personal use, the G.R.O.W. platform reaches beyond “small is beautiful” to small-is-profitable. All that is required is some knowledge of the market and the growing needs of the chosen crops. Once that is in place, the G.R.O.W. mobile farm lives it that magic space between a life of growing and growing for a living. What do you grow? How much can you grow? How much does the market pay for what you have grown? The answers vary from individual to individual. For the purpose of clarification: High-lights are required for the flowering stage of a plant. Lo-light is sufficient for vegetative growth.
Lo-Light Economic Models Most commercial growers and beginning entrepreneurs will opt for high-turnaround leafy greens or microgreen G.R.O.W. mobile farm operations.
In legal States, Provinces or countries, Cannabis is the #1 cash crop, and there is a great deal of literature available on how to cultivate this crop, assuming you have the correct set-up, which the G.R.O.W. mobile farm certainly provides. Legal wholesale Cannabis in Colorado sells for approximately $2,250 a lb. A 10’G.R.O.W. mobile farm can cultivate 24 plants every 90-day cycle. Scaling up the mobile farm to 40’ would obviously allow for approx 90 plants (after taking into consideration room for operations and reservoir), or approximately $216,000 gross, before costs of operation, a year. Please note, this information is for educational purposes only. G.R.O.W. takes no responsibility for what agriculturalists choose to grow in their G.R.O.W. mobile indoor farm. Please check all local state and government laws before selecting a crop. More traditional uses would be found in multi-tiered set-ups and would include: Wildflowers Heritage garlic Heritage or baby vegetable Baby ginger The economics for each vary greatly based on your location and the size of your G.R.O.W. mobile farm.