Affinor now owns "Method and Apparatus for Automated Horticulture and Agriculture"
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
The provinces of Quebec and British Columbia come together with the announcement that Montreal’s Affinor Growers obtained the ownership, development and commercialization rights for the farming technology “Method and Apparatus for Automated Horticulture and Agriculture” from Port Coquitlam’s Vertical Designs Ltd (VDL).
VDL provides safe, high quality agricultural and vertical farming methods and will assign Affinor the patent to produce various products including herbs, spinach and plants like strawberries that require pollination.
Vertical farming can be described as “any building that grows food inside of it which is taller than a single story,” said Dickson Despommier in a video on a website dedicated to vertical farms.
The patent will allow for continuous cultivation from seed to harvest and reduce watering times and levels. It will provide advancements in commercial agriculture with optimized and automated air flow, temperature, and carbon dioxide at every level, letting the plants breath properly.
"This patent creates unique growing conditions and microenvironments for proper tissue development resulting in optimum crops production, quality products and long shelf life,” said Affinor CEO and President Sebastien Plouffe in a release. “The technology increases the traditional yield per square foot from 10 to 15 times and decreases spoilage or scrap for many leafy green products. It eliminates the use of pesticides and other chemical inputs due to a controlled environment.”
As part of the deal, VDL will receive about 5 million shares at 20¢ per share.