Story of building Shibuya smart HAVVAponics farm

The beginning:

In the heart of Perak, our partner, Team Keris Berhad, has been doing development projects for over three decades. They’ve crafted projects that now stand as essential elements of the Perak scenery.

Then came April 2022, a month that would mark a new chapter. Team Keris Berhad invited HAVVA for a groundbreaking project in Ipoh, Perak. They envisioned a smart HAVVAponics greenhouse, a greenhouse of sustainability and freshness, added to their development project. Team Keris Berhad’s vision was grand; it wasn’t just about building a farm; it was about creating a hub of education, reducing our carbon footprint, and offering neighbors a place to pick up fresh veggies while learning about modern farming. It was about weaving together community, development, and nature as one.

Discussion: HAVVA x Team Keris Berhad

Excitement filled the air as HAVVA set out for a site visit. Unfortunately, heavy rain forced us to postpone. Yet, discussions with Team Keris Berhad continued. Through several meetings, a challenge emerged. The 2-acre plot identified for the HAVVAponics greenhouse lay beneath high tension power lines. The local authorities had their own rules, and building anything taller than 2.7 meters beneath these electric giants was deemed too risky. The planned HAVVAponics greenhouse would surpass the height limit.

So HAVVA came up with a new approach. We proposed embracing soil-based farming for most of the space, nurturing organic crops straight from the earth. For added efficiency and cost-effectiveness, we suggested focusing on fruiting plants. Such as cucumbers, eggplants, ladyfingers, and more. Which demands less labor and is easier to grow.

Smart HAVVAponics farm:

Within the 2-acre area beneath the high-tension power lines, there was a 10,000 sqft space suitable for the greenhouse. Team Keris Berhad requested HAVVA design and build a 5,000 sqft Shibuya smart HAVVAponics farm on this land. The discussions lasted for 7 months, until November 2022. One day in November, Team Keris Berhad informed HAVVA that we could begin building the greenhouse after their team finish the land preparation job at the end of December 2022. They expected the greenhouse to be completed in January 2023.

This meant HAVVA only had a month to complete the greenhouse, as the Shibuya smart HAVVAponics farm was set to launch on January 22, 2023. Despite the tight schedule, we were determined to take on the challenge. We began all the preparations required for the construction of the greenhouse. However, due to weather conditions and holidays in December, the Team Keris Berhad land preparation team took a week longer than expected to finish the 10,000 sqft concrete flooring.

HAVVA developed a new solution

The official start date for building the greenhouse was January 4, 2023, leaving only around 3 weeks to complete the project before the launch day. On January 10, 2023, HAVVA started setting up all the systems in the greenhouse. Due to time constraints, we came up with a new solution to set up at a quicker pace.

In HAVVA’s greenhouse, we integrated our vertical farming technique, which has many clusters of vertical farming. In previous projects, 1 cluster for vertical farming typically required 2 days to build. We need around 28 days to build 14 clusters in this project. But time wasn’t on our side.

In this high-pressure moment, HAVVA’s spirit of innovation shines through. We developed a solution to build 14 clusters of vertical farming in just 1 week, which was faster and more stable with a higher success rate. This innovative solution proved its worth in this Shibuya project, and HAVVA is proud of the achievement. HAVVA completed the greenhouse construction before the launch day thanks to this inventive approach. It was a testament to our determination and creative problem-solving skills. 

Environmental Impact and Research Breakthrough

The Shibuya HAVVAponics Farm now operates on a cycle of three harvests within two months, a testament to its efficiency and productivity. In an exciting collaboration with the esteemed University of Selangor (UNISEL), HAVVA is leading pioneering research focused on elevating yield production through foliar fertilizer application. This breakthrough promises to revolutionize our farming practices, enabling us to achieve two complete cycles of harvest within a single month.

The core of this innovative approach lies in using leaves and roots from the harvested vegetables. These components serve as the foundation for fermentation bacteria, a natural booster for the growth process of our crops. The integration of foliar fertilizer accelerates production and aligns seamlessly with our commitment to sustainability.

One of the remarkable outcomes of this initiative is the attainment of zero waste. The waste generated within the farm can be repurposed into foliar fertilizer, effectively closing the production loop. This perpetual cycle minimizes waste and underscores our dedication to responsible farming.

Conclusion:

In the next update, HAVVA will discuss implementing new IoT technology in Shibuya Farm and how they can increase the quality of HAVVA vegetables. Stay tuned for our latest updates!

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