U.F.O.
Urban Farm Organization

Breakthrough Energy Fellows Proposal

Modern Real Estate Services is honored to have been invited to accept a fellows grant.

The Vertical Urban Farm aka UFO Urban Farm Organization transforms the entire cycle of the food industry from growing to consumer. Utilizing existing buildings and transforming them into vertical urban farms provides food in underserved areas that have become food deserts as a result of the great migration in part due to covid. The current distance between grower and consumer with numerous stops has a tremendous environmental impact. Growing food within a 50-mile radius versus the 1000 miles from grower to distributor to grocer to consumer creates a gigantic carbon footprint. Elimination of these steps will have immediate effect as well as significantly in the long term.

The reuse of existing buildings versus the construction of new for these vertical farms is a reduction in carbon footprint in manufacturing and delivering of material is eliminated. The vertical farm is hydroponic and uses only 10% water and without pesticides compared to conventional farming. The reduction of hydroelectricity and the carbon footprint contributing to sustainability and conservation is key. The urban vertical farm is intended to be powered by solar farms on site. Location’s footprint for parking will be reconfigured and provide the onsite placement utilizing NREL.

The vertical farm will have stacks of crops between 12-18” in height, as such the quantity is multiplied by an average of 10 times per square foot. As an example, that I have included in this proposal using a 100k sq ft building with a 30 ft roof 12 stacks can be planted that’s a 1.2million sq ft of surface or 27 acres. Crop rotation time is 6 weeks equaling 8.6 harvests versus 1-2 in conventional growth. These crops are completely organic, and the process can be completed without contamination as many operations can be done via robotics and AI. In my proforma example I do include employees as part of this grant. Providing employment in the community can be an additional objective of the farm to benefit the local society.

UFO benefits the real estate sector...

UFO benefits the real estate sector, the reuse and capital improvements combined with the revenue multiplies the valuation of the real property. In fact, it creates an entire new sector of real estate valuation and brokerage. This reuse also invites numerous grants tax benefits and as vertical tenancy the capital improvements and tenant improvements can be determined as most beneficial. As examples of several vertical farms see Agritecture.com. Using existing and proven technology is a large contributor to the success of UFO by reducing the carbon footprint. Providing nutritious, organic, delicious food to our society while reducing the carbon footprint.

UFO differs from other vertical and hydroponic farms, by reusing the existing properties that are owned versus leased is an additional equity value to the farm. The grocery component will ensure that the underserved in the communities be complete. Community involvement in the food bank and co-op are part of the reduction of the carbon footprint by eliminating duplicity of grocery outlets. Being under one roof will reduce the carbon footprint. The grocery component may also be operated and leased to grocery companies or boutiques in which case the ability to expand and adjust the kind of crop grown as well as additional revenue, a benefit of mixed- use is a consolidation of energy consumption to one property versus many. As it serves a specific community the crops will be customized to the selection and quantity and as such reduce waste by year 2. UFO will have zero waste form inception as the food bank will serve in part for those crops.