localgreenchain/docs/vertical-farming

Vertical Farming Integration

Vertical farming is a cornerstone of LocalGreenChain's mission to create demand-driven, seasonal agriculture that reduces the global footprint of human consumption. This section covers everything you need to know about integrating vertical farms into the LocalGreenChain ecosystem.

Why Vertical Farming?

Environmental Benefits

Metric	Traditional Farming	Vertical Farming	Improvement
Water Usage	100%	5-10%	90-95% reduction
Land Required	100%	1-2%	98% reduction
Pesticides	Variable	Zero	100% elimination
Food Miles	1,500+ avg	< 10 miles	99% reduction
Growing Season	Seasonal	Year-round	365 days/year
Yield/sqm/year	3-5 kg	50-100 kg	10-20x increase

Demand-Driven Production

Vertical farms enable true demand-driven agriculture:

Consumer Demand Signal → Planting Decision → Harvest → Delivery
       Day 0                  Day 1            Day 35     Day 35

Traditional: 6-12 months planning horizon
Vertical:    1-6 weeks from signal to delivery

Architecture Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    VERTICAL FARM ECOSYSTEM                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                     │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │                    LOCALGREENCHAIN PLATFORM                  │  │
│  │  ┌───────────┐  ┌───────────┐  ┌───────────┐              │  │
│  │  │  Demand   │  │ Transport │  │ Blockchain │              │  │
│  │  │ Forecaster│  │  Tracker  │  │   Ledger   │              │  │
│  │  └─────┬─────┘  └─────┬─────┘  └─────┬─────┘              │  │
│  └────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼───────────────────────┘  │
│           │              │              │                           │
│           ▼              ▼              ▼                           │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │                 VERTICAL FARM CONTROLLER                     │  │
│  │  ┌───────────┐  ┌───────────┐  ┌───────────┐  ┌──────────┐│  │
│  │  │Environment│  │ Nutrition │  │  Lighting │  │Automation ││  │
│  │  │  Control  │  │  System   │  │  System   │  │  System   ││  │
│  │  └─────┬─────┘  └─────┬─────┘  └─────┬─────┘  └────┬─────┘│  │
│  └────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼─────────────┼────────┘  │
│           │              │              │             │            │
│           ▼              ▼              ▼             ▼            │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │                    GROWING ZONES                             │  │
│  │  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐       │  │
│  │  │ Zone A  │  │ Zone B  │  │ Zone C  │  │ Zone D  │       │  │
│  │  │Lettuce  │  │  Basil  │  │Microgrns│  │Tomatoes │       │  │
│  │  │Day 15/35│  │Day 20/42│  │Day 8/14 │  │Day 45/80│       │  │
│  │  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘       │  │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  │
│                                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Growing Systems

NFT (Nutrient Film Technique)

Best for: Leafy greens, herbs

• Thin film of nutrients flows over roots
• Low water usage
• Fast growth cycles

DWC (Deep Water Culture)

Best for: Lettuce, basil, larger plants

• Roots suspended in aerated nutrient solution
• Simple to maintain
• Excellent oxygenation

Aeroponics

Best for: High-value crops, root vegetables

• Roots misted with nutrients
• Maximum oxygen exposure
• Fastest growth rates

Vertical Towers/ZipGrow

Best for: Microgreens, leafy greens, strawberries

• Space-efficient vertical growing
• Easy harvest access
• Modular expansion

Environmental Control

Temperature Management

interface TemperatureControl {
  // Day/night differential is crucial
  dayTarget: 22; // °C
  nightTarget: 18; // °C

  // Acceptable ranges
  minCritical: 10; // Below this: growth stops
  maxCritical: 35; // Above this: heat stress

  // Control systems
  cooling: ['HVAC', 'evaporative', 'chilled_water'];
  heating: ['heat_pump', 'radiant', 'air_handling'];
}

Humidity Control

• Seedling Stage: 80-90% RH
• Vegetative Stage: 60-70% RH
• Flowering/Fruiting: 50-60% RH
• Pre-Harvest: 40-50% RH (reduces disease risk)

CO2 Enrichment

Ambient CO2:      ~420 ppm
Optimal Growth:   800-1200 ppm
Maximum Benefit:  1500 ppm

Warning: Above 1500 ppm provides diminishing returns
         and increases operational costs

Lighting

Stage	PPFD (µmol/m²/s)	DLI (mol/m²/day)	Hours
Germination	100-150	4-6	16-18
Seedling	150-250	8-12	18
Vegetative	250-400	15-25	16-18
Flowering	400-600	25-40	12-16

Growing Recipes

LocalGreenChain includes pre-configured growing recipes for common crops:

Lettuce (35-day cycle)

Recipe: Butterhead Lettuce - Fast Cycle
Stages:
  - Germination (Day 0-3): 150 PPFD, 80% RH, EC 0.8
  - Seedling (Day 4-10): 200 PPFD, 70% RH, EC 1.2
  - Vegetative (Day 11-28): 300 PPFD, 65% RH, EC 1.6
  - Finishing (Day 29-35): 250 PPFD, 60% RH, EC 1.2
Expected Yield: 180g per head
Yield/sqm/year: 4000g (11+ cycles)

Basil (42-day cycle)

Recipe: Genovese Basil - Aromatic
Stages:
  - Germination (Day 0-5): 100 PPFD, 80% RH, EC 0.6
  - Seedling (Day 6-14): 200 PPFD, 70% RH, EC 1.0
  - Vegetative (Day 15-35): 400 PPFD, 65% RH, EC 1.4
  - Harvest Ready (Day 36-42): 350 PPFD, 60% RH, EC 1.0
Expected Yield: 120g per plant
Yield/sqm/year: 2400g (8+ cycles)

Microgreens (14-day cycle)

Recipe: Microgreens Mix - Quick Turn
Stages:
  - Sowing (Day 0-2): Dark, 90% RH
  - Germination (Day 3-5): 100 PPFD, 80% RH
  - Growth (Day 6-12): 250 PPFD, 65% RH, EC 0.8
  - Harvest (Day 13-14): 200 PPFD, 60% RH
Expected Yield: 200g per tray
Yield/sqm/year: 2000g (26 cycles)

Integration with LocalGreenChain

Demand-Driven Planting

// Example: Demand signal triggers planting
const demandSignal = demandForecaster.generateDemandSignal(
  lat, lon, radiusKm, regionName, season
);

// Find gaps in supply
const gaps = demandSignal.demandItems.filter(item => item.gapKg > 0);

// Start crop batches to fill gaps
for (const gap of gaps) {
  const recipe = findBestRecipe(gap.produceType);
  const batch = verticalFarmController.startCropBatch(
    farmId,
    availableZoneId,
    recipe.id,
    seedBatchId,
    calculatePlantCount(gap.gapKg, recipe.expectedYieldGrams)
  );
}

Blockchain Recording

Every crop batch is recorded on the blockchain:

1. Planting Event: Seed batch origin, recipe used, zone assigned
2. Environment Logs: Daily readings stored for traceability
3. Harvest Event: Actual yield, quality grade, destination
4. Transport: Movement from farm to consumer

Consumer Traceability

Consumers can scan a QR code to see:

• Which vertical farm grew their produce
• The exact growing recipe used
• All environmental conditions during growth
• Seed lineage and generation
• Carbon footprint of production

Best Practices

For Operators

1. Start Small: Begin with easy crops (lettuce, microgreens)
2. Standardize Recipes: Use proven recipes before experimenting
3. Monitor Closely: Environmental data is your best friend
4. Maintain Equipment: Preventive maintenance prevents crop loss
5. Track Everything: Data enables optimization

For Integration

1. Register Farm: Add your facility to LocalGreenChain
2. Configure Zones: Set up growing areas with sensor integration
3. Import Recipes: Use community recipes or create custom ones
4. Connect Demand: Link to regional demand signals
5. Record Everything: Let the blockchain track your success

API Reference

See Vertical Farming API for complete API documentation.

Key Endpoints

POST /api/vertical-farm/register
POST /api/vertical-farm/zone/create
POST /api/vertical-farm/batch/start
PUT  /api/vertical-farm/batch/:id/environment
POST /api/vertical-farm/batch/:id/harvest
GET  /api/vertical-farm/:id/analytics
GET  /api/vertical-farm/recipes

Resource Efficiency

Energy Optimization

• LED Lighting: 2.5-3.0 µmol/J efficacy
• Climate Control: Heat pump systems
• Renewable Integration: Solar/wind compatible
• Off-Peak Operation: Shift energy-intensive tasks

Water Conservation

• Recirculating Systems: 95%+ water reuse
• Condensate Recovery: Capture HVAC moisture
• Rainwater Harvesting: Supplement fresh water
• Quality Monitoring: Prevent nutrient lockout

Scaling Considerations

Small Scale (< 1,000 sqm)

• Single facility management
• Manual/semi-automated
• 5-10 crop varieties
• Local market focus

Medium Scale (1,000-10,000 sqm)

• Multi-zone automation
• Recipe optimization
• 20-30 crop varieties
• Regional distribution

Large Scale (> 10,000 sqm)

• Full automation
• AI-driven optimization
• 50+ crop varieties
• Multi-region supply
• Integration with multiple demand centers

Future Development

• AI Optimization: Machine learning for recipe improvement
• Robotic Harvesting: Fully automated crop handling
• Genetic Tracking: DNA verification of plant lineage
• Carbon Credits: Earn credits for sustainable production
• Community Recipes: Share and rate growing recipes