I grew up surrounded by farmland and lived near rural Tennessee for a time, yet I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea how to start a farm. But if I wanted to experience farming on a small scale, Farm From the Box would be the way to go. The tiny house movement has shown us that shipping containers can be turned into stylish homes, and 2-acre farms capable of feeding 150 people come in shipping containers, too.
The really cool part: you can do it off the grid. [1]
Farm From the Box is the brainchild of Brandi DeCarli and Scott Thompson. The company has partnered with irrigation and solar companies, including noted solar product manufacturer SMA America, to help people who live in undeveloped areas and are struggling with food insecurity. The idea is to help communities to grow and sustain their own crops. Poor access to water and electricity? No problem. [2]
Read: Study Proves Sustainable Farms, Organic Farming Beats Factory Farms
Marko Wittich, SMA executive vice president of sales for the Americas region, said:
“SMA is proud to partner with a company whose goal is to bring independence to communities around the globe by providing the tools they need to sustain themselves, both nutritionally and financially. Farm from a Box isn’t charity; it empowers and strengthens communities with sustainable solutions, powered by renewable energy.” [2]
Farm From a Box comes with a training program that teaches ecological farming practices, technology use, maintenance, and basic business and entrepreneurship. The $25,000-$45,000 farms are also fully customizable. [2]
Read: 4 Ways to Heal and Replenish Damaged Soil and the Food Supply
Said DeCarli:
“Farm From a Box is the ‘Swiss-Army knife’ of sustainable farming.
Based on extensive field research, we found that rural communities often lack the resources and infrastructure needed to access nutritious food. We developed a toolkit that contains all of the core components needed to grow your own food, on a two acre plot of land, without the need for an existing grid.
Imagine the good it can do by growing local, organic food for a school, or helping jump-start food production after a disaster. ‘Farm from a Box’ enables and empowers communities to provide for themselves.” [2]
All Farm From the Box kits are solar-powered and include 3 kW of solar energy capacity – enough to power the water pump and WiFi connectivity that allows farm conditions to be monitored remotely. [3]
There is more than enough energy, so there is no need to be connected to the electric grid.
Sources:
[1] Real Pharmacy
[2] Eco Watch
[3] Smithsonian Magazine