A farming complex under development in the West Valley will turn most of what you know about agriculture on its side. In fact, the plants there don’t even grow horizontally, in fields, but vertically, on walls.
Their parent company, One Point One, is striving to sell its technology to entrepreneurs and others who want to pursue cultivation in this manner. In other words, One Point One is in the business of selling farms and farming apparatus, and it has received an undisclosed number of patents for its vertical aeroponics systems and methods.The company name alludes to the roughly 1.1 billion people who don't know from where their next meal is coming.
The privately owned startup hasn't yet generated much revenue, and the Bertrams didn’t disclose many company financial details, though they claim to have attracted $60 million from private investors. High capital costs and the need for relatively inexpensive energy are two impediments facing potential buyers.
The brothers, both of whom played collegiate tennis in California and have science or engineering degrees, also claim their produce has shelf lives at least three times longer than normal. That reflects a shorter time from harvest to direct consumer delivery compared to traditional systems with middlemen involved.
Plants are grown on small mesh pads situated on vertical boards. The arrangement reduces space requirements. One Point One moved its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Avondale and set up a farm there, but the reason has nothing to do with the West Valley’s rich agricultural heritage.