Vertical Hydroponic Farming (CEA) controlled environment agriculture refers to cultivating plants within enclosed controlled environments with specific parameters like temperature, climate control, humidity, light, water usage, and nutrients controlled to optimize growth.
CEAPlex™ Modular Vertical Hydroponic Farming Systems
CEAPlex Modular allows for year-round production of locally sourced produce in almost any location or amount of space regardless of external conditions. This means fresh food can be grown without the need for external utility power, water sources, seeds, fertilizers, or sunlight. A complete turnkey facility, hauled in, assembled, and ready to operate. A complete training program for your operations team while your CEAPlex modulars are being built.
Alta-CEA have developed a completely modular growing environment that can provide all the necessary elements to grow leafy greens, vine crops, root crops, strawberries, and mushrooms. Using Indoor, Vertical Farm Hydroponic Systems and Growing Technology, these modulars are designed and engineered to operate almost anywhere. By adding solar power technology combined with a water filtration system and led lighting the entire unit becomes a self-contained growing environment that can operate anywhere from the desert to urban areas.
CEAPlex™ Modular
Self-Contained “Turn-Key”, 2160 sq ft Unit
- Vertical Farm, multi-level grow systems
- Easy To Use Hydroponic System Growing Technology
- Controlled LED lights and HVAC
- Water & Nutrient Tanks with Auto Drip Irrigation
- Germination Room
- Mushroom Grow Room
- Bathroom &Change Room
- Admin Office & Lunchroom
- Cooler, Packaging & Storage Room
- One stop shopping for growing supplies
- Wi-Fi Remote camera & audio for support contact
Vertical Hydroponic Farming Systems – CEA – Technology
A hydroponic growing method of plant production primarily dedicated to leaf greens, herbs, and flowers by means of suspending the plant roots in nutrient-rich, well oxygenated water. Perfect for growing leafy greens, herbs and flowers.
Deep Water Culture (DWC) Hydroponics
There are 5 critical parts of DWC technology:
- Water: Think of this system as if you’re growing in soil and permanently watering your plants.
- Nutrients: we have no soil, so we need to supplement the oxygen-rich water and well-balanced nutrients so our plants can grow.
- Oxygen: roots are submerged in water and not soil (which has gaps and holes where air resides), the water needs to be well oxygenated.
- Water Flow: maintaining optimal plant growth requires oxygen and nutrient rich water flow at the roots using water circulation pumps.
- LED Lights: Indoor CEA requires light. LED (Light Emitting Diode) grow lights are the light technology source for indoor CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture).
Drip Irrigation Hydroponics
A drip system is an active hydroponic grow system that uses a pump to feed the plants with balanced nutrients and water. The drip system uses small emitters and timers to drip the nutrient solution near the plant root. Designed for growing vine crops, root crops, strawberries, onions, flowers, and tree seedlings.
There are 4 critical parts to a drip irrigation system.
- Plants are housed in a container using a substrate (or soil) and a hydroponic solution reservoir that contains the nutrient solution.
- A water pump sends the nutrient solution through a drip manifold, which has several drip lines corresponding to the number of plants in the system.
- Drip irrigation technology requires a grow media (substrate) for use in drip hydroponics for the plants to grow
- LED Lights: LED (Light Emitting Diode) grow lights are used with Drip irrigation
Dutch Bucket Hydroponic Technology
Dutch Bucket growing technology uses one large bucket/reservoir that holds substrate, a bottom draining water (nutrient) reservoir, combined with drip irrigation and drip emitters. Dutch Buckets are used for long term plants that require large area for root development area, like potatoes. Excellent for root crops like potatoes, carrots, radishes, turnips and beets and vine crops like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and grapes.
There are 4 critical parts to Dutch Bucket grows systems:
- Each bucket is for deep long term root plants like potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, & grapes. Also used for carrots & radishes.
- Designed to retain a specific amount of nutrient in the bottom of the bucket.
- Drip system: The drip lines to feed slowly feed the plants. Nutrient & Substrate designed specific for each type of crop.
- Drainpipe: is attached to each bucket, then connected to a main manifold to collect and re-circulate the nutrient.
Mushroom Kit Technology
Growing Mushrooms in a CEA environment is a great addition to a food sustainable complex like the AGG CEAPlex modular. Mushrooms are a healthy addition to any diet. Mushrooms are best grown indoors where the air flow, humidity, temperature, and light conditions can be more readily managed.
There are 4 critical parts to grow oyster mushrooms in the CEAPlex
- The growing technology is supplied in a very simple to use kit.
- All natural ingredients. The kit contains a mushroom culture grown on pure hardwood sawdust and organic Canadian wheat bran.
- One kit (block) can produce mushrooms 3-4 times.
- After the first harvest, the second, third, and fourth harvest will be a bit smaller than the first one.
CEAPlex™ Training & Support
TRAINING:
a 60 -day comprehensive hands-on grower operations and technology training program is available at the Alta-CEA Training Center for your grower techs and management while your modular unit is being built, delivered, and assembled.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT:
24/7 Technical and Advisor support is a available by phone, and internet streaming.
GROWER SUPPLIES:
Customer Service & On-line order processing for all grower supplies including seed, germination trays, substrate, grow rafts, and nutrient.
EQUIPMENT SUPPORT:
Customer Service & On-Line support for grower equipment, parts and warranty.
Alta-CEA, FEEDPlex™ – Hydroponic “Vertical Pasture” Technology
FEEDPlex Hydroponic Vertical Pasture Technology is a “Turnkey” complex designed to support production of animal feed that is lost due to hurricanes, typhoons, severe weather & drought, and pastureland contaminated by sea salt. Humanitarian aid is always the major focus when disaster strikes, and rightfully so, but re-establishment of livestock animals should also be a pre-requisite to help bring back the quality of life.
FEEDPlex is designed to be a quick response to support the local reintroduction of livestock using indoor hydroponic production of animal feed crops.
Use FEEDPlex with:
- Premanufactured turnkey modulars, ready to be assembled by professionals, at the end-user’s location
- Multi-level hydroponic grow beds to maximize feed production using Vertical Hydroponic Farming (CEA), LED light spectrum technology to mimic mother nature, advanced nutrient delivery system, and over bed air flow
- Rotational designed daily harvesting to maximize feed production.
- Daily fresh harvested, high yielding Industrial Hemp or Legume forage, with in-house chopped processing to ensure maximum crude protein levels that are comparable to that of dehydrated or sun-cured alfalfa pellets or cubes.
- Barley or fodder mats with 7 day harvesting cycles.
- Operation staff support using indoor change room, lunchroom, and admin office.
- HVAC controlled indoor environment.
FEEDPlex™ – CEA Vertical Pasture
The Complete Turnkey Self Contained Complex Includes:
(1) 6, 12 ft x 60 ft Modulars, Engineered and Designed For CEA Production
(2) Freight Delivery, assembly, and setup
(3) Total Complex footprint, 5122 sq ft
(4) Operational Staff Change Room, lunchroom, and admin for 8 people
(5) Dedicated area for feed chopper and seed storage
(6) Shipping & Receiving
(7) 3000 sq ft growing area
The Complete Turnkey Self Contained Production Includes:
(1) 42 Grow Modules with 84 Grow Beds
(2) Individual HVAC & Dehumidification in each Modular
(3) Tunable LED’s specific to hemp, legume, and barley grass production
(4) Self Contained water storage
(5) Automatic nutrient delivery system
(6) Germination Room with LED’s & dedicated germination trays
(7) Dedicated Harvesting Areas
(8) Supplied hemp or legume seed, barley seed, & wheat seed
(9) Feed Chopper with Bag Filling Attachment
Technical Information
What is Vertical Hydroponic Farming?
Vertical Hydroponic Farming (CEA) has emerged as an innovative solution to modern agricultural challenges, offering numerous advantages over conventional farms. By growing crops in indoor settings such as greenhouses or urban areas with warehouse-like buildings, CEA utilizes vertical or horizontal racks to maximize space efficiency and can lead to higher crop yields. This method’s ability to precisely regulate factors critical to plant growth such as climate control, humidity, and light facilitates the year-round production of a diverse array of edible, ornamental, and high-value plants, regardless of external weather conditions. Additionally, CEA systems are designed to enhance resource use efficiency by closely monitoring and adjusting the growing conditions supported by advancements in plant science and farming technology, including computer-managed monitors and controls for greenhouses and real-time crop growth monitoring. By integrating these technologies, CEA can produce fresh produce, leafy greens, and healthy plants while consuming up to 95% less water and significantly less land than conventional outdoor farming techniques, thereby addressing food production sustainability and environmental concerns.
Within the sphere of Vertical Hydroponic systems, several techniques stand at the forefront of innovation ensuring optimal growing conditions for a variety of crops. One paramount aspect of CEA is the creation of a fully controlled, sealed-off environment, which is essential for the precise management of factors such as water usage, temperature, humidity levels, ventilation, light, and CO2 concentrations that plants require for growth. This meticulous control is imperative, particularly in the production of high-value and sensitive plants like cannabis which is increasingly grown for medicinal, cosmetic, and health supplement purposes. The sophistication of CEA facilities often includes advanced configurations that not only automate the control of these environmental factors but also optimize the use of space and light. By mimicking the ideal growing conditions, CEA enables a consistent and efficient production cycle which in turn can reduce the need for extensive logistics, water consumption, land usage, and reliance on chemical interventions all while potentially increasing the overall output commensurate to the benefits seen with investments in modern farming machinery.
The innovations in Vertical Hydroponic Farming (CEA) present a stark contrast to traditional farming methods, particularly in the way resources are utilized and the flexibility it offers to producers. One of the most significant differences is the use of water. Traditional farming relies on general watering techniques that can be wasteful, whereas CEA employs precision irrigation systems that deliver the exact amount of water needed directly to the plants’ roots, drastically reducing water consumption. This not only conserves water but also minimizes the runoff of fertilizers and pesticides into the environment. Furthermore, CEA enables growers to produce a consistent quality and quantity of food year-round as these controlled conditions negate the need for preservatives or wax coatings often used in traditional farming to extend the shelf life of produce during transportation. Additionally, the localized nature of CEA circumvents the logistical challenges and environmental costs associated with shipping produce across vast distances. By growing a wider variety of produce closer to the point of consumption, CEA supports a more sustainable and resilient food system. This adaptability and emphasis on local production exemplify how CEA is not only technologically advanced, but also aligns closely with the principles of sustainable agriculture.