QSR May 2022

DEPARTMENT CLIMATE RESPONSIBILITY

GrowingUp Is vertical, soilless farming the future of food? B Y R A C H E L P I T T M A N

Similar to hydroponic farming, the aqua ponic grow method used by Balance Farms foregoes soil in favor of growing plants in water. But instead of using formulated nutrient solu tions to feed its plants (as is the practice in hydroponic farming ) , the aquaponic system locates plants in the same water as live f ish, with the f ish providing the crops with a con stant source of nutrients. “Aquaponics is the combination of hydropon ics and aquaculture, meaning that you’re raising f ish in symbiosis with plants,” Karamchan dani says. “The idea is to provide a continuous, organic nutrient source for the plants.” In addition to providing a cost-friendly and environmentally-sustainable alternative to traditional soil growth methods, hydroponic, aquaponic, and other soilless farming tech niques also have the potential to maximize farm space and crop yield. Balance Grill’s pro duce is grown in towers that use vertical space. These towers are housed indoors in a controlled environment, meaning that the temperature and conditions of the grow room are heavily controlled via software and LED grow lights, making pesticides unnecessary and weather

Balance Farms foregoes soil in favor of growing plants in water.

L ike other clean, fast-casual concepts, the menu at Ohio-based, Asian-fusion chain Balance Grille is largely veggie-forward. But rather than sourcing all produce from outside suppliers, the four-unit brand offers fresh, local items courtesy of its own green thumb. Thanks to a nearby 8,600-square-foot, vertical, aquaponics farm owned by the concept, much of the brand’s produce is grown by Balance Grille itself. “The farm is right in [Toledo, Ohio’s] central business district,” says Balance Grille co-founder Prakash Karamchandani. “We went into a strip of retail that was essentially abandoned in the heart of our downtown area. By putting in a farm and a restaurant, we were able to revitalize an entire city block.” Balance Grille’s menu includes bubble teas and veg-heavy snacks, but is anchored by customizable bowls and tacos, all of which rely heavily on produce. Balance Farms is able to help fill the brand’s need for fresh veg. The farm produces a variety of crops within a controlled-environment, aquaponic grow space, allowing the brand to source much of its greens, herbs, and other ingredients from its own farm.

conditions irrelevant. Tower Gardens, an aeroponic grow tower system company owned by Juice Plus, offers a similarly space-eff icient model to brands and consumers alike. Unlike a hydroponic system, which submerges plants in water, the aeroponic Tower Garden product is designed with a reservoir at its base that holds water and a nutri ents mix. Working on a timer that can be automated or manually controlled by its owner, the tower periodically pumps the water and nutrients mix up to the top of the structure and then relies on gravity to allow the mixture to trickle down to the plants embedded throughout the tower. “You’re recycling the water and the nutri ents constantly,” says David Henard, general manager of Global Tower Garden. “The tower uses 90 to 98 percent less water than growing in the soil and it will produce up to a 30 percent greater yield than traditional growing. And it’ll do all of this up to three times faster.” Henard says restaurants have worked with Tower Garden to create mini-farms composed of several towers, some times located inside of a concept. When an operator is interested in replacing some or all of their produce with aeroponically grown

BALANCE GRILLE (3)

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MAY 2022 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com