An Anchorage startup company has found a new use for the refrigerated container vans that once brought perishable items to Alaska, repurposing them to create transportable hydroponic gardens that can produce leafy greens year-round in northern communities.
The co-founders of Vertical Harvest Hydroponics hope the heavily insulated 40-foot units, resembling trailer homes without windows, will help fill a commercial niche in a state where nearly all lettuce, kale and herbs are imported, sometimes arriving at remote locations rotten and weeks old.
“Right now, we cannot grow year-round in Alaska but this gives you the ability to do that 365 days a year,” said Linda Janes, one of the company’s three co-founders.