Jul 14, 2016
Thanks to global supply chains, we can enjoy fresh and beautiful produce in the dead of winter. But our addiction to year-round produce causes big environmental issues, so our guest Eric Ellestad wants to rethink this paradigm. His company, Local Roots, is manufacturing self-contained high-tech hydroponic farms in shipping containers, which produce the equivalent of 5 acres of produce with 97% less water and half the energy of a traditional farm. His mission it to fix the global food chain, and they are developing a wide array of technologies in the process. But their desire to protect the IP they are developing raises an interesting dilemma, given their desire to scale their impact around the world. Meanwhile, they have just taken on several big customers including SpaceX and they are racing to meet their high expectations. More here: http://makeitinla.org/podcast/ericellestad