Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** ANU (heliponix, LLC) is…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** ANU (heliponix, LLC) is developing a rotary aeroponic® shipping container, based on their existing under-the-counter growing system. The device will hold approximately 3,700 plants, about 23 plants per square foot, 30 times more than conventional agriculture. At the core of the device is the rotary aeroponics technology which includes an enclosed cabinet equipped with a vertical tower, made up of stacked rings, which rotates growing past vertical led arrays, while aeroponic mist provides the roots water and nutrients. The soilless, home compostable seed pods have been designed to be self regulating, requiring minimal effort beyond placing the seed POD in the system and harvesting the mature produce. Container-based controlled environment agriculture provides a climate-smart supplement to conventional agriculture by allowing the grower to place a container closer to the end consumer. This reduces the length of the conventional produce supply chain and the associated emissions, food safety concerns, and food waste. Potential use cases include grocery stores, community or urban gardens, and schools. Furthermore, rotary aeroponic containers can produce food year round in areas not suitable for farming. The goal of this project is to develop a shipping container configuration of the rotary aeroponics technology. This project will provide access to fresh and nutritious produce by bringing food closer to the end consumer and in turn alleviating the stress of food deserts. Environmental goals of this project are to reduce the overall footprint of conventional agriculture including reduced carbon dioxide and methane emissions, decreased food and plastic waste, and improved water and land use efficiency.