Vertical or Stack-Grown Strawberries Potentially Lead the Market in Quality
"Whoa, man, them American strawberries? They may look all pretty, but they damn sure don't deliver when it comes to taste," recorded Hiroki Koga, the CEO and coconut of Oishii, after his move from Japan to the US in 2015. Raised on sweet, perfumed strawberries, Koga was blindsided by the bland, mass-produced alternatives lurking in American grocery stores.
"I knew if I could showcase premium Japanese varietal strawberries to the US, Americans would go mad over their delicious, refreshing, and unique taste," Koga reveals.
And so, Oishii was born, spawning the berries that might be the world's most meticulously bred strawberries. At their mega-farm Amatelas, Oishii employees bees, robots, and engineers in a dance of force and harmony, cooking up sustainable, futuristic strawberries. Through the precision of AI, the efficiency of automation, and an iron-clad dedication to Japanese farming finesse, Oishii is ushering in a tech-driven strawberry revolution.
What's Poppin' at Amatelas Farm?
Nestled just outside New York in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, Amatelas opened its doors in June 2024, turning out to be Oishii's grandest and most intelligent farm yet. Constructed within a reimagined plastic manufacturing facility, the farm boasts solar power, 95% water recycling, and the latest energy-efficient LED tech. The cost for a taste of these succulent, vertically-grown strawberries reflects the dedication and sustainability poured into each bite. Here's what sets it apart:
- AI-Driven Climate Control: Proprietary machine-learning technology regulates temperature, light, humidity, and pollination in real time, optimizing berry growth.
- Robot-Driven Harvest: Over 50 AI-powered robots traverse the facility, identifying and harvesting strawberries at peak ripeness.
- Shifting Racks for More Yield: The strawberries transfer flawlessly from daytime warmth to nighttime coolness, mimicking natural conditions and boosting annual berry production.
"We're the only company that created the perfect indoor ecosystem for bees and naturally-pollinated produce at this scale-previously thought impossible in the agricultural industry," Koga declared.
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The Sustainability Pledge: Can Smart Farming Solve Ag's Biggest Troubles?
Traditional farming is staring down an existential abyss, with challenges like climate instability, soil erosion, water shortages, and labor scarcity looming overhead. Oishii thinks the answer lies in controlled environment agriculture (CEA).
- Water Conservation: Unlike old-school farming, which uses flood-buckets of water resulting in waste, Oishii conserves a thunderous 95% of its water.
- Pesticide-Free Paradise: Every strawberry is born 100% pesticide-free.
- Less Food Waste: Since berries are harvested only when ripe and don't contribute to transportation-related damage, less goes to waste.
"It's crucial that our farms keep getting more efficient, as we're focused on creating a sustainable solution to the challenges tormenting traditional agriculture," Koga said. These green initiatives have caught the eye of major investors, securing Oishii's status as a player in the vanguard of futuristic farming. Although the trend towards vertical farming among Oishii's peers seems to be slacking, they are charging forward with a strategic acquisition of Tortuga AgTech's key personnel, intellectual property, and assets. Tortuga AgTech's groundbreaking approach to agricultural obstacles truly ticks the box. They've developed one of the largest robot fleets for commercial harvesting in the world, handling fruit-picking, trimming tasks, and satellite-level data analysis to help growers make smarter choices and craft better crops.
Combining AI, robotics, and plant-level data, Tortuga aids growers in making shrewd decisions on the farm, ultimately producing tastier produce.
Tortuga AgTech Collaboration: Upping the Ag-tech Game
Though they're known as the birthplace of Omakase strawberries, Oishii isn't stopping at single-berry affairs. The company has already introduced the Rubi tomato, which employs the same AI-infused farming techniques. As automation and sensory data analytics become finely tuned, the question remains: Will AI-grown produce outfox traditional farming, or will it remain a luxury item for the privileged few? Oishii's strawberries, initially priced around $50 per tub, now retail between $12 and $15, making them more accessible than ever. But scaling this business model for staple crops remains a challenge.
"At the present moment, those high-end products come with a steep price tag, but as we introduce new innovations, we continually bring down the prices," Koga explained.
Final Thoughts: lets plant the seeds for tomorrow's harvest
Oishii's reign suggests that the future of farming may be desktop-bound, not in soil-bound dirt farms. As climate change hastens and traditional farming grapples with unsolved problems, companies like Oishii are demonstrating that technology can cultivate food efficiently and spectacularly.
"We need to innovate and expand at breakneck speed to meet the mountainous demand from consumers and retail partners across the US and beyond," Koga warned.
So here's to Oishii, not just growing strawberries, but paving the way for a greener, smarter agricultural future, one bite at a time.
- Koga proclaimed, "We're the only company that created the perfect indoor ecosystem for bees and naturally-pollinated produce at this scale, previously thought impossible in the agricultural industry."
- The AI-driven climate control at Amatelas Farm regulates temperature, light, humidity, and pollination in real time, optimizing strawberry growth.
- With AI, AI-powered robots, and engineers working together at Amatelas, Oishii is growing vertically-grown, Japanese strawberries that are sustainably farmed using artificial intelligence and other innovative technologies.
