Shipping Container Farming: New Age Farming

By DeMario Vitalis

This book is the first book to be written about hydroponic farming inside a shipping container. It is a true story about the first African American to own and operate a hydroponic farming shipping container. Readers get a glimpse in the life of DeMario Vitalis and get to understand the test, trials, and tribulations that he had to overcome to become a Black farmer. As you read this book you will come away with a general understanding of hydroponics and how it is used inside of a shipping container. You will understand the business of farming and the importance of having a marketing plan that you have confidence to communicate. You will get an example of the process to get funding through the USDA and the hurdles that you must overcome from the FSA in order to get your operation funded. Whether you're interested in hydroponics, farming, becoming a small business owner, or just like a good story, well then friend, this is the book for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Oct 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781667805825

Book preview

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Shipping Container Farming

New Age Farming

© 2021, Vitalis DeMario.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 978-1-66780-5-818

eBook ISBN: 978-1-66780-5-825

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: How I Got Here

Chapter 2: Let’s Talk Hydroponics

Chapter 3: Container Farming 101

Chapter 4: Getting Down to Business

Chapter 5: USDA Loans

Conclusion

Endorsements

NAD Case No. 2020E000134

Dedication

Introduction

I do not look like a farmer. Nope, not at all.

That is obvious from the first time most people see me. So, what do I look like?

Well, I’m pretty young compared to the average farmer, who is 57.5 years old, according to the USDA. But it is much more than that. It’s the color of my skin that throws most people off. It makes them do a double-take or adopt the sometimes-unconscious expression of disbelief when a young Black man says, He’s a farmer.

Black people as a whole, are only 13.4% of the United States (US) population. That’s about 44 million of us. I live in Indiana, which is a state of 6.7 million people, of which only 8.8% - 589,000 - are Black. But even those population numbers seem massive when you look at the American farming industry. There are about 3.4 million farmers in the United States today, according to The Washington Post. Only about 45,000 of us are Black. To put that in perspective, it would take the entire city of Chicago to house all of America’s farmers, but all the Black ones could take in a game together at Wrigley Field. One hundred years ago, there were 1 million Black farmers in the US. Around 1910, Black farmers owned between 16-19 million acres of total agricultural land in the US, about 14% of the total. Today, we’ve collectively lost about 90% of that land, with white farmers now accounting for 98% of the total acreage.

But my story isn’t just about my race and the sharp decline of Black farmers in the United States, far from it; that’s a story for another edition! It is a story about the wonderful world of urban hydroponic farming inside of a shipping container and a guide to blending technology and best practices to cultivate farm-fresh foods in this unique environment. This is a story of perseverance, a story of paying it forward, a story of finding a need in a community and rising above the muck of bureaucracy, prejudice, and incompetence to fulfill that need. A reader, you will enjoy a story of the power of going into business for yourself and how rewarding that can be. In short, it’s a story that I’ve been living for the last couple of years and am now thrilled to share with you. It’s also the first book to be written about hydroponic farming inside a shipping container, so congratulations on your new, instant collector’s item!

I hope this book entertains you, educates you, inspires you, and makes you think. Whether you’re interested in hydroponics, farming, becoming a small business owner, or just like a wonderful story, well then friend, this is the book for you. Welcome to the world of New Age Farming. I’m so glad you’re here. Sit back, relax, get yourself a cold drink, and enjoy this story about hydroponic farming inside of a shipping container.

So, what is New Age Provisions Farms? Simply put, we are a hydroponic farming company. We farm without soil. We purchased two hydroponic shipping container farms from Freight Farms Inc., located in Boston, Massachusetts.

Freight Farms operates a business model to custom build containers and upgrade them with hydroponic equipment and the latest technology to make a turnkey business opportunity for entrepreneurs.

Image provided by Freight Farms

Every day, we see some type of shipping container transporting goods up and down the highways and streets of our communities. Freight Farm’s, mission is to create a global infrastructure to revolutionize local access to foods. The company was incorporated in 2013 and since has grown and now has over 300 independent farms operating in 44 U.S. states and 25 countries around the world. New Age Provisions Farms is the first company in the state of Indiana to own and operate a Freight Farms hydroponic shipping container farm. I am the first Black or African Americans to own and operate a Freight Farms Greenery™. This makes us pioneers of the technology and places us in a role of leadership and expertise. We have the opportunity to share the hydroponic equipment technology with community members who otherwise would not be exposed to this type of New Age Farming. This turnkey system is equipped with the latest hydroponic technology

Reviews for Shipping Container Farming

[michael conley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very, very inspirational I plan on reaching out for advice. Michael C. Portland, Maine.