Infinite Acres, a full-service, global solutions provider to the indoor horticulture and agriculture industries, and Priva, a globally active developer of high-tech solutions for climate control and process automation, are part of the new Countryside, The Future exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, which opened on February 20.
Infinite Acres will grow vining cherry tomatoes in a controlled environment housed in an indoor grow module just outside the museum. Guggenheim patrons and passersby will be able to look through a large window in the grow module to view a crop of fresh tomatoes growing continuously for the next six months under precise conditions and efficient LED lighting.
The grow module will demonstrate how indoor farming can benefit the world through nutritious, pesticide-free, fresh food produced near population centers, with low environmental impact on water and land resources and reduction of carbon emissions associated with long-distance transportation of produce. The Countryside, The Future exhibition will examine political forces, social issues, and environmental factors altering landscapes across the world, including traditional farmlands.
Infinite Acres is a partnership of three companies working together to scale indoor food production through very advanced methods of vertical farming. The tri-venture includes: Netherlands-based Priva Holding BV, a leading provider of technology solutions, services and automation systems to horticultural and other industries; U.S.-based 80 Acres Farms, a leader in technology-assisted indoor growing and a multi-farm operator marketing a wide variety of freshly-harvested vegetables and fruits; and Ocado Group, one of the world’s largest dedicated online grocery retailers, operating its own grocery and general merchandise retail businesses under Ocado.com.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this provocative Guggenheim exhibition, which is aligned with Infinite Acres’ purpose. Our mission is to provide best of breed technology and expertise to grow the highest quality produce near population centers throughout the world,” said Tisha Livingston, chief executive officer of Infinite Acres. “New York residents and visitors will be able to experience how the freshest, tastiest locally-grown tomatoes can be grown year-round indoors on one of the busiest avenues in the world.”
Meiny Prins, CEO of Priva: “The exhibition shows the radical changes in the part of the world identified as ‘countryside’. Currently, this is also where most of our food comes from. Far away from the densely populated cities. In our urbanizing world, this is becoming a problem. Many people don’t know where their food comes from anymore. Let alone that they know what the consequences of our food supply chain are for the environment and our health. If we want to provide the growing world population with sustainably grown, safe and healthy fresh food, we must change our existing situation. Drastically. One of the most important things we can do is integrate the production of fresh produce into metropolitan areas. If cities make food production for their inhabitants a priority within their urban growth planning, we are well on our way! Many new opportunities will arise on an entrepreneurial, economic and social level. Just look at the module outside the museum; healthy, great-tasting tomatoes, grown in the center of New York City.”
For the Guggenheim exhibition, Infinite Acres, 80 Acres Farms and Priva have collaborated on the 700 square foot grow center and all of the state-of-the-art ag-technology within it. While in operation for the next six months outside the Guggenheim Museum, the grow module is expected to harvest 50,000 tomatoes. These hyper-local tomatoes will be donated to e.g. City Harvest, a New York City food rescue organization that safely recovers excess food and distributes it to people in need.
The grow module will feature the most efficient LED lighting, advanced climate controls, and perfected crop recipes demonstrating the capabilities of indoor farming throughout the world.
Infinite Acres is the only full-service solution available today addressing the difficult challenges of season-limiting produce production and the long-distance travel from field to the consumer.
Countryside, The Future will be open to the public through August 14, 2020.
About Infinite Acres
Infinite Acres’ three primary partners – Priva, Ocado Group, and 80 Acres Farms – provide a unique combination of advanced technology and engineering systems, operational mastery, and food and horticultural industries expertise. Infinite Acres will custom-design, build, install, and maintain automated indoor grow centers. Through state-of-the art facilities, it can provide its customers with uniquely developed crop recipes and the right unit economics. In addition, 80 Acres Farms offers the option of facility management for Infinite Acres customers seeking an operating partner responsible for yield guarantees, product packaging, distribution, branding, and marketing. Infinite Acres is headquartered in Delft, Netherlands. For more information, visit www.infinite-acres.com.
About Priva
Priva is a globally active high-tech company that develops hardware, software and services in the field of climate control, process automation, and optimal (re)use of energy and water. Priva’s market covers the fields of horticulture, indoor and city farming, and utility buildings such as offices, retail, hotels and hospitals. Priva has invested in knowledge of both the horticulture and building for several decades. That is why Priva can create the perfect circumstances for growing plants in an indoor facility. With nearly 500 colleagues, 16 local offices in 13 countries, and more than 450 international installation partners, Priva delivers sustainable solutions and services in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.priva.com.
About Countryside, The Future
The exhibition addresses urgent environmental, political, and socioeconomic issues through the lens of architect and urbanist Rem Koolhaas and Samir Bantal, Director of AMO, the think tank of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). A unique research-based exhibition for the Guggenheim Museum, Countryside, The Future will explore radical changes in the rural, remote, and wild territories collectively identified here as “countryside,” or the 98% of the earth’s surface not occupied by cities. It is organized by Troy Conrad Therrien, Curator, Architecture and Digital Initiatives, in collaboration with Koolhaas, Bantal, and AMO, with Ashley Mendelsohn, Assistant Curator, Architecture and Digital Initiatives. For more information on the exhibition, visit www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/countryside.
Contacts:
Guggenheim:
pressoffice@guggenheim.org
Infinite Acres:
Jack Modzelewski
jack@jackknifePR.com
+01 312 259 2792
Priva:
Corporate Communications
communications.HQ@priva.com
+31 174 522 710
