Combining state-of-the-art LED technology and automated equipment to grow food in urban areas.

The planet has lost some 40 per cent of its arable land over the past few decades, and we’re rapidly depleting the rest. The farmers at We the Roots grow leafy greens for chefs like O&B’s Anthony Walsh in a hydroponic, automated vertical farm just off the DVP, using less space to cultivate more food year round. They’re boosted by some out-of-this-world technology from the University of Guelph, where researchers are developing plants that can thrive in hostile environments like Mars. The trick is tailored LED light combinations: scientists can tweak the lights’ colour and intensity to alter the nutrients, growth and even flavour profile of arugula, chicory and kale.

Source: Toronto Life, Photo by Derek Shapton