How one company seeks to support healthy lifestyles in T&T through indoor farming technology

Amid the farming and fishing communities in the district of Moruga lies something unexpected, an approach to agriculture that is not spread across its rich and fertile soil but exists indoors, vertically, occupying a smaller footprint.

David Johnston, Director and co-founder of the company called iFarm Ltd. produces vegetables, herbs and mushrooms indoors by creating microclimates in which the plants can grow and thrive. When asked about iFarms, Johnston explained he likes to start with “why”: why the company was started.

“The essence behind it is that everything we do revolves around having a positive impact on people’s health. Thatranges from team health, in terms of listening to our staff and all our team members what they need to be able to do their tasks better as well as enjoy coming to work and, obviously, customer health in terms of what they want to enhance a healthy lifestyle,” he said.

In 2018, through much research, trial and error, the company started out in a small scale–a 20-foot container and quickly began expanding to meet increasing demands for their produce.Today the company operates two facilities, one located in San Juan and the other located at the eTecK Moruga Agro-processing and Light Industrial Park. Items produced include arugula, cilantro basil, mini romaine lettuce, oyster mushrooms, lion’s mane mushrooms, and different salad mixes containing mustard greens, baby kale, micro greens, specialty lettuces, and herbs.

Johnston says, as creators of their own model for growing their produce, the initial steps to scale the company to meet demand were not easy.

“From our proof of concept 20-foot container space to our first facility in San Juan, which is 4,000 sq. ft., we experienced a lot of challenges. There were many things that we did not think about, which would be necessary in moving from a small space to a much larger one, and especially seeing that we developed the system ourselves. But the good thing is that we were able to overcome the issues and that has made the transition from the San Juan facility to the Moruga space quite a bit simpler,” he said.

According to him, the process also became smoother the second time around with help from a $250,000 grant from the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Referred to as the Grant Fund Facility or GFF, the grant provided much needed funding for the purchase of specialized equipment.

The equipment, which the founders sourced overseas, is critical to the success of the business, which uses vertical Farming and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). The technique eliminates the need for traditional approaches such as razing or clearing forested areas, and other natural habitats for agricultural development and focuses on the cultivation of fresh produce year-round.

The pros of being indoors include protection from harsh weather conditions and pests Johnston noted. “We don’t have to use any sort of pesticides and herbicides to spray on the plants and so our customers know where they get their product from and how it’s grown safely.”

Notwithstanding, iFarm’s expansion in floor space has coincided with sharp increases in production. “From the small container to the San Juan facility, that increase was approximately 40 times increase,” said Johnston. “Since accessing the GFF to purchase new equipment, we have been able to triple our production—in terms of the both spaces. Quantity wise, we increased to about 15,000 pounds of produce a week,” he added.

Looking back on iFarm’s own journey to success, Johnson says it is important to hold on to the vision to get through difficult times.

“If you have an idea or a vision or passion about something, go after it. Set aside time and really commit to it. It’s not going to be easy; it’s not something that comes freely. There’re a lot of challenges along the way so that’s one reason I like to say know why you’re doing what you’re doing so you can always fall back on that if times get hard..”

The company plans to explore ways of exporting its produce regionally in the future and has hopes of expanding further.

For more on the Grant Fund Facility and other programmes from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, click here.

“Spotlight on Success: A Business Testimonial Journey” is a multimedia series produced by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.