Building Regional Produce Supply Chains

Many businesses, nonprofits and government agencies are seeking replicable models for regional good systems. This publication focuses on how to make regional distribution a large-volume logistical reality.

Whether the incentive is freshness, economic development, food safety, food resilience, healthy ecosystems, minimization of carbon footprint, or simply the desire for stronger community, the demand for regional food is booming…and the demand is not being met.

In response to this need, FarmsReach hosted a workshop in August of 2010 that brought together representatives from farms, aggregators (and food hubs), distributors, and end-business buyers.  The purpose of the workshop was to outline and discuss barriers in creating efficient regional logistics for local food chains; and in doing so formulate possible solutions.

Read the executive summary (and download full pdf) here.

ETFE – Pillows

These photos show our prototype ETFE pillows. The pneumatic ETFE pillow will be used to encapsulate our BioDomes, adding a number of beneficial characteristics. ETFE, compared to greenhouse glass, is 1% of the weight, transmits more light, and costs 24%-75% less to install. Other characteristics include being able to bear 400 times its own weight, 50-year life span, self-cleaning, and recyclable (http://bit.ly/v96qQ8).

MicroDome Architectural Drawings

The following architectual drawings provide various perspectives of the first ETFE Biodome, which is to be called the MicroDome. It is intended to be sold to small and aspiring commercial growers. Its key benefit is to provide a climate-controlled environment which enables stable year-round crop production through the use of pneumatic ETFE pillows. Its small carbon footprint, when combined with the Vertical Growing Cabinet, will provide a cost-effective growing solution.