Revolutionize the agriculture sector in an eco-sustainable key: this is the mission of the young startup from Brianza, Planet Farms. The refusal of chemical pesticides, the selection of untreated seeds, purified water and controlled environments result in fresh, genuine and tasty products that are friends of man but above all of the planet. There sustainability it is the basic ingredient that is allowing this agricultural reality to be an example of innovation in the whole sector: from production, to processing, to packaging, up to logistics.
In the vertical farm in Cavenago di Brianza the leafy salads ed herbs km0 that Planet Farms has begun distributing in various supermarkets and large-scale retail brands, from Esselunga to U2, from Gorillas to Iper, over an area of 3 square meters (equivalent to one hectare). Among the products: blond lettuce, oriental yummix (based on pakchoi, tatsoi, mizuna and mustard), delicate yummix (based on romaine lettuce, red batavia and oak leaf), spicy yummix (based on mustard, rocket and mizuna) and, finally, basiloh (classic basil). The result is the flavors of the past with the technology of tomorrow.
In traditional agriculture the plough, fertilizers and chemicals are all practices made necessary to protect the crop from climate changes, fungi, parasites and weeds. However, each of these contributes to modifying the ecosystem, to contaminating the product and the environment but also to generating tons of waste. In Planet Farms the plants receive the ideal light thanks to special LED lamps that are turned on during the day and turned off at night to simulate sunrise and sunset, cameras monitor growth, sensors monitor the functioning of the system; the climate is controlled; filtered air, recycled water reduces consumption and avoids dispersion in the environment, no pesticides or herbicides. Multi-level cultivation maximizes yield, reduces soil consumption and the impact of transport.
As far as future projects are concerned, the opening of new production plants outside Italy is expected: "The next one will be in the Como area - he said Travaglini – then one in Romagnano Sesia and others in Italy. Our idea is to produce food for the territories on the outskirts of cities in strategic locations for logistics. We are not a technology that produces an elite but healthy product that contrasts the wear and tear of resources: our salads, for example, do not need to be washed and keep their taste and nutritional properties intact". Furthermore, processed products will arrive – made directly within the plants themselves – and new vegetables, from red fruits to tomatoes up to mini cucumbers.
The vertical farm inside the park will soon be inaugurated three-star restaurant "Da Vittorio" in Brusaporto in the province of Bergamo. The collaboration with the Cerea brothers, Chicco and Bobo, was born during the pandemic. When the Brianza stratup donated its products to the canteen of the Alpini hospital in Bergamo, managed by the Cerea brothers. From that meeting a small vertical farm is about to be born, in eco-sustainable wood, which will produce salads and aromatic herbs to be used in the various preparations. With this partnership, the Da Vittorio restaurant aims to obtain the first green star, the recognition recently introduced by Michelin for restaurants that are committed to reducing waste and using green products.
