From concept to harvest in 12 weeks: A community-driven indoor farm achieving 7 microgreen varieties and 6 sprout varieties with 40% less waste than traditional hydroponic systems.
| Client | We Are Earth Farms Co-op |
| Location | Brooklyn, New York |
| Facility Type | Community-Based Indoor Urban Farm |
| Solution | Box4Grow Custom Modular Growbox |
| Timeline | 12 Weeks (Concept to Operational) |
| Operational Model | Worker Co-operative |
| Space Constraints | High-Density Urban Environment |
| Cultivation Method | No-Substrate Hydroponic System |
| Target Market | Brooklyn Local Consumers, Restaurants |
When We Are Earth Farms Co-op set out to launch Brooklyn's first community-owned indoor farming operation, they faced a perfect storm of challenges: limited space, constrained capital, and the need for a sustainable, low-waste solution.
Brooklyn real estate ($40-60/sq ft) requires maximizing price per pound.
Economic uncertainty meant they couldn't afford a 12-18 month build time.
Needed to prove market demand for premium microgreens quickly.
Substrate systems create waste and pests. They needed a zero-waste method.
Box4Grow delivered a turn-key modular grow facility designed specifically for We Are Earth's unique constraints. Rather than building from scratch, we deployed a prefabricated Growbox in 12 weeks.
Why It Mattered: Eliminated 12-18 month construction timelines. Generated revenue 15+ months faster.
Why It Mattered: 40% reduction in waste. Lower pest instances and easier automation for lean staffing.
Why It Mattered: Enabled new farmers to manage high-percentage cultivation confidently from Day 1.
Facility evaluation, co-op consultation, equipment specs finalized, permitting.
Factory construction, HVAC integration, electrical pre-install, QC testing.
Transport to Brooklyn, on-site install, water relay adaptation, plumbing connections.
System calibration, staff training, seed trials, and First Harvest.
We Are Earth used their Box4Grow facility as an experimental lab, testing both methods side-by-side. The results were clear.
| Feature | Substrate-Based (Soil/Mats) | No-Substrate (Selected) |
|---|---|---|
| Waste | High disposal requirements | Zero media waste |
| Pests | Harbors larvae & flies | Clean surfaces, minimal pests |
| Labor | Manual saturation monitoring | Easy automation integration |
| Cost | Recurring media costs | One-time system setup |
Varieties Cultivated
7 Microgreens, 6 Sprouts
Waste Reduction
Vs. Substrate Systems
Weeks to Harvest
15 Months Faster
Revenue Start
Immediate Impact
| Financial Metric | Traditional Facility | Box4Grow Solution | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to Revenue | 15-18 Months | 12 Weeks | 15+ Months Faster |
| Construction Costs | Estimated $400k-600k | Fixed Modular Pricing | Predictable Costs |
| Lost Revenue (Yr 1) | $0 (Still Building) | $180k - $240k* | Revenue from Day 90 |
*Based on estimated wholesale pricing and production capacity.
"Box4Grow didn't just deliver a grow facility—they delivered a viable business model. The 12-week deployment was critical for our cash flow, and their engineering team's flexibility when we hit that water port issue showed they're real partners, not just vendors. We're harvesting 13 varieties and already planning our second Growbox."
Pursuing research grants and crowdfunding to deploy additional units. The modular model allows incremental scaling without massive capital outlays.
Developing partnerships with organizations satisfying NYC Small Commercial Agriculture (SCA) criteria to expand distribution.
The proven cultivation processes allow We Are Earth to onboard entrepreneurial staff, growing both capacity and community ownership.
| Climate Control | Precision HVAC with independent temp/humidity zones |
| Lighting System | Full-spectrum LED arrays, programmable photoperiods |
| Irrigation | Automated reservoir-fed system with aeration |
| Water Management | Custom relay from tap to basin to planting system |
| Power Requirements | 208V 3-phase (Adapted to facility existing service) |
| Interior Surfaces | Non-porous, easy-clean materials for pest prevention |
| Monitoring | Digital controls for environmental parameters |
| Footprint | Optimized for high-density urban installation |
| Deployment | 12 weeks from order to operational |
Space doesn't have to limit production. High-value crops like microgreens generate maximum revenue per square foot, making urban real estate viable.
Speed to market = survival. Waiting 18 months kills a business. Box4Grow's 12-week deployment gave We Are Earth 15+ months of extra revenue.
Waste reduction without yield sacrifice. The no-substrate method achieved 40% less waste while maintaining consistent yields.
Whether you're planning a community co-op, commercial microgreens operation, or cannabis cultivation facility, Box4Grow delivers turn-key modular solutions in 12 weeks—not 12-18 months.
