GreenForges, a Canadian hydroponic-based vertical farming startup, has introduced its novel underground vertical farming solution that uses controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technology.

The solution involves drilling holes of various depths (diameter ranging from 40–90 inches) and mechanically lowering the vertical farming equipment underground. Crops are lifted for harvest and for any maintenance purpose. The company, with the support of Zone Agtech, a Quebec-based innovation hub that supports companies with agricultural technologies, will launch its first pilot program to build its 15-meter deep underground farming system in Montreal in Q2 2022. It also plans for farm models that would go as deep as 30 meters.

In addition, the company claims that the temperature underground stabilizes at a certain depth regardless of the temperature outside. This also helps in reducing the energy requirements for controlling the crop climate. The company estimates a 30%–40% increase in energy efficiency for its farming system compared to upright vertical farming.

GreenForges currently focuses on producing indoor crops such as leafy greens, berries, and herbs aiming to gradually expand into producing traditional crops like wheat and corn. The company aims to harvest around 2,400 pounds of lettuce each month (about 14,000 pounds a year) in a 100 ft farm.

Founded in 2019, GreenForges took two years of R&D to launch its vertical farming solution underground. The company aims to cater its solutions to high-rise builders and apartment buildings, where they can supply fresh produce to guests and tenants, being different from existing vertical farm players such as Plenty and Aerofarms, which target grocery stores.