Sky Farm, a 30-acre vertical farm, was built on a five-story building in the Guoshun Green Building Low Carbon Steel Intelligent Technology Demonstration Industrial Park in Changqing District, Jinan City, Shandong Province. The farm is full of high-quality produce, such as tomatoes and cucumbers. “This is the first facility-type sky farm in China, initiated by Guoshun,” shared Lü Hewu of Shandong Guoshun Construction Group.

Photo: Lv Hewu, Secretary of the Party General Branch of Shandong Guoshun Construction Group Co., Ltd.

He stressed the importance of combining industry and agriculture, stating: “Industry must support agriculture as it has great social importance and is an essential endeavour. The integrated development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries is exemplified by the establishment of the sky farm. It not only uses excess carbon dioxide generated during steel processing, but also marks our first partnership with a Dutch company.”

Regarding the energy consumption of the sky farm, Lü Hewu mentioned, “The current sky farm uses photovoltaic solar energy, which is used for heating and providing warmth during winter. However, in colder climates such as Jinan, additional power sources may be required, requiring the expansion of energy storage facilities. Our goal is to collect excess heat during the summer and use it in the winter to significantly reduce energy usage costs.”

Use idle urban and industrial resources to develop community agriculture according to local conditions

Highlighting the advantages of modern agriculture, Lü Hewu stated, “Modern agriculture offers high efficiency, high yield and high precision, surpassing traditional agriculture. One unit of modern agriculture is equivalent to the production of 30 times that of ordinary agriculture, addressing the problems of low efficiency and limited employment in traditional agriculture.

Lü Hewu also emphasized the benefits of integrating industry and agriculture, saying, “By locating the farm 18 meters above the ground, we reduce the possibility of pest invasion, minimize the use of chemicals, and provide an adequate food supply. healthier. This approach allows us to make use of idle resources in urban and industrial areas and adapt to local conditions, effectively using carbon dioxide produced by industrial activities and reducing carbon emissions during product transportation.”

Looking ahead, Lü Hewu announced expansion plans, stating, “Based on the Sky Farm demonstration project, we aim to build more than 100 'sky farms' in China, considering different environments and production conditions. These urban agricultural production groups are not limited to tomatoes and cucumbers, but can include various crops such as flowers, berries and fruits, depending on local conditions and climate.

In addition, Lü Hewu spoke about the potential of urban agritourism, explaining: “Our sky farm is open to the public and offers visitors, including children and adults, the opportunity to learn and experience modern agriculture. Through this direct and effective way of promoting agricultural development, we aim to improve understanding of the benefits of modern agriculture, reduce prejudices against agriculture, and encourage more young people to pursue careers in this field.”

Concluding the discussion, Lü Hewu highlighted the future prospects of protected agriculture, stating, “The greenhouse horticulture market is promising, and we can explore more aspects such as testing equipment, automation, environmental control systems, and waste recycling after Harvest". committed to addressing challenges such as corrosion in steel structures and improving the durability of greenhouse materials to withstand natural hazards such as hail. We welcome talks with global agricultural equipment manufacturers to advance the modernization of China's agricultural industry."