![]() For example, state-of-the-art cameras and specialized software allow farmers to determine the health of a particular crop, as well as its nutritional value and the best time to harvest.Įllison and Agus developed Sensei Farms Lāna‘i to provide locally grown produce for the Lāna‘i community and for guests staying at Sensei Lanai, a Four Seasons Resort. The farm is also a technological standout. ![]() Sensei Ag teamed up with some of the greatest minds in plant science to identify the ideal seeds and cultivars for their products, thereby ensuring that every crop grown contains the maximum nutritional content and has the best appearance, taste and texture. And a greenhouse’s hydroponic system can deliver a customized amount of nutrient-enriched water directly to a plant’s roots - using 90 percent less water than conventional farming methods. Growing crops indoors lets farmers maintain the temperature, humidity and the amount of light a plant needs for optimal growth. Apart from nourishing produce, this process also uses nine times less water than traditional growing methods. A pump circulates nutrient-enriched water through channels underneath where it makes direct contact with the plants’ bare roots. “By bringing farming indoors, we are working to grow high-quality produce in the most sustainable and efficient way possible.” A hydroponic system called the nutrient film technique is used to feed the lettuces. “We believe the future of farming begins when you challenge the status quo, and in our case, that is outdoor farming,” Garcia says. Six solar-powered hydroponic greenhouses provide almost three acres of growing space. By many estimates, the farm’s 120,000 square feet of indoor growing space is equivalent to 720,000 square feet (16.5 acres) of open fields, according to Humberto Garcia, engineering and operations director for Sensei Farms Lāna‘i. The reasons for indoor growing are many, including the fact that the greenhouses take up less land and generate a higher yield per square foot. Instead, produce grows inside six sleek, solar-powered hydroponic greenhouses, each measuring 20,000 square feet. There are no rolling green hills, no barns, no livestock, no tractors. Suffice it to say, Sensei Farms Lāna‘i does not resemble a typical farm. Though Sensei Ag operates a number of research farms in California, the one on Lāna‘i is its only commercial farm in the United States. ![]() The farm is operated by Sensei Ag, an agricultural-technology company cofounded by Lāna‘i resident and tech entrepreneur Larry Ellison, and prominent cancer physician Dr. Like many hydroponic farms, Sensei Farms Lāna‘i is not certified as organic by the US Department of Agriculture or the National Organic Standards Board, but all of its produce is non-GMO. Tomato vines thrive in a controlled growing environment that allows farmers to customize conditions such as light, temperature and humidity. But what makes this lettuce even more distinctive is that it’s sustainably grown in a hydroponic greenhouse at Sensei Farms Lāna‘i. The next day I went back for their Lāna‘i Mix, a beautifully curated assortment of baby greens, and was equally satisfied.įresh and flavorful? Yes. It was almost too pretty to eat, but eat it I did, and it tasted just as good as it looked.
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