We have offices located in CA, GA, NV, TX, and DC.
The POD (Produce on Demand) is pre-engineered and assembled temporary or permanent turn-key hydroponic growing facility. A POD can be any size from 2000 sf to multi-acres. Growing environments can be anything from converted warehouses to massive greenhouses depending upon available land, zoning requirements, market demand, and available capital.
Anywhere in the world where water is available! The POD uses soilless agricultural growing methods and advanced environmental controls which comprise a turn-key agricultural system able to deliver consistent, nutritious, flavorful harvest yields regardless of the geographic area or climate.
To establish a 10,000 sf production complex requires a budget of $1.5 million dollars which is broken down into $400-500K in operating capital for the first year of operations and credit lines of $900K-$1.2M. Additionally, the ability to sign for a 7-10-year lease option for the land and capital improvements as identified above for growing systems and associated equipment and supplies.
Annual projected revenue of a POD is $1,250,000. Estimated annual operational costs are $850,000. A 5-year projected Income Statement is created for each market which provides a detailed breakdown of revenue and expense projections.
Yes. Financing is available for the majority of the POD Production Complex through 7-10 year leases and includes all growing systems and equipment. The $400-500K start-up capital requirement can be obtained locally as well as, through various funding platforms, subject to credit worthiness and market demand. Financing may be secured through outside sources and/or with the use of 3rd party personal guarantees. Click here to learn all about it.
A standard single-phase 110/220 volt 60 amp connection. As for the water, no hard-plumbing is necessary — just access to potable water. Various energy sources such as wind and solar can also be incorporated into the overall energy strategy.
Per 2,000 sf, the POD consumes on average 300-400 kWh of energy per day, or around 150,000 kWh annually. Electricity consumption can vary based on the climate that the POD is operating in.
The POD can be equipped with a backup generator for operations located in regions that frequently experience power outages.
Generally, a POD utilizes greenhouse technology where the sun serves as the primary sources for growing. However, the sun is enhanced or even replaced with high-efficiency LED lighting with deep red and blue hues that manufacture artificial sunlight. The lights automatically cycle on and off to simulate periods of day and night for the plants. Both the spectrum of light and day/night periods are optimized for healthy and vigorous plant growth.
When operational, the POD is capable of producing yields at commercial-scale in any climate 365 days a year. Growing hydroponically and vertically inside a POD maximizes space for growing. Depending upon the crop variety, 7-14 growing cycles can be expected annually. Crops are consistent in size, shape and flavor.
All PODs are suitable for organic certification. Even without organic certification, POD crops are Non-GMO, herbicide and pesticide free, and are not harmful to soil structures since we’re a hydroponic closed environment system. Additionally, by providing locally grown produce, the carbon footprint is dramatically reduced by eliminating long-distance delivery methods.
We work with local food distributors, wholesalers, restaurants, food co-ops and the direct to retail market all within a 250 mile radius.
Depending on the crop varieties, seeding, transplanting and harvesting routines, it is estimated that a team of 2-3 full-time and 2-3 part-time workers will be needed to successfully operate the smallest POD and staffing requirements are adjusted according to the size of the Production Complex.
While we wish there was a magic formula for this, honestly there are too many variables that prevent us from making a blanket statement on this. Our team will work with you on an individual basis to determine your unique opportunity. However, generally speaking, positive cash flow in month 7 of the first year.
There are several factors that determine the amount of water a POD uses such as plant variety and the size of the Production Complex. Based on a 2000 sf grow center, we estimate 1,600 gallons per day usage on average per POD. A standard residential volume of 6 to12 gallons per minute provides 8,000 to 16,000 gallons per day which is adequate to operate a POD.
Plant use (2% of pumped irrigation or 80GPH @ 10 hours per day (2 hours on 2 hours off) or 800G per day, which doubles for washing grow towers etc. to reach a total of 1,600G per day. The irrigation system circulates 1,020 GPH per POD; (2 to 2.5 GPH per tower for 1,600 towers with 2% system use/loss = 4,080 GPH/2 = 2,040 GPH per POD) should all towers be watered at the same time.
Currently the waste water system used in a 2000 sf POD Production Complex is primarily Ozone. However, there is an option to add a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system to remove enough Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) buildup to avoid flushing if filtering the Ozonated water is not enough. If the system is flushed 1,440 gallons of irrigation water are affected. If water softeners and RO is used, additional waste streams will be created. Please note that waste water for worker sanitation or toilets are not included in waste water handling.