What is the Farmery?

The Farmery is a completely new approach to farming and food retailing, one that looks for symbiosis within the entire system rather the optimization of individual components. It’s a growing and retailing system designed to provide locally grown food in urban neighborhoods. 

Why the Farmery?

Because local food needs a new business model that recognizes its strengths and makes accommodations for its weaknesses.

     From our experience with the Farmery, we’ve recognized how difficult it is for supermarkets to offer locally grown produce, primarily because of the inconsistent supply. When the grocers do make attempts to sell locally grown produce, they have nothing more than a sign to differentiate the locally grown produce from the conventional, nationally grown produce located next to it.

     The Farmery offers a completely new way to shop for food where the story of the farmers and their food is experienced throughout the shopping experience. The entire structure of the Farmery is used to grow food, so customers can be surrounded by the sights, smells, and sounds of their food growing as they are making their purchase decisions. This helps customers understand and appreciate the added value of small-scale, artisanal farming.

     The Farmery solves the issue of inconsistent supply by growing its own food so that it will always have a stable supply of produce for customers. Because of the Farmery’s own crops, the Farmery can accommodate growers of all sizes who may have very small quantities, but very specialized crops.

About the Farmery:

     The Farmery is composed of 4 shipping containers, each outfitted with a gourmet mushroom growing system on the inside and growing panels on the outside walls where herbs, lettuces, greens, strawberries, and other small crops are grown. There are lean-to greenhouses attached to the sides of the shipping containers and a central greenhouse that spans the two stacks of shipping containers. The Farmery is designed to be constructed very cheaply and quickly by using low-cost shipping containers and standard greenhouse components. A market exists on the bottom floor of the central greenhouse and in one of the bottom containers where customers can purchase the crops grown at the Farmery as well as crops from local farmers and producers. The Farmery occupies a total space of 55’ x 55’, making it ideal for urban neighborhoods. The Farmery can be scaled up to meet a higher demand by adding additional levels or lengthening the Farmery.

Our Goal:

Our goal is to reach the $25,000, we can complete the construction of our final 45’ x 8’ x 9.5’ prototype container with 6’ lean-to greenhouses on both sides. We’ll be growing shiitake mushrooms inside the container and aquaponic crops on the outside walls of the container in the lean-to greenhouses. If funded, we’ll begin construction on this final prototype in October, 2012. This final prototype will conclude the prototyping phase of our business and we will begin construction on the initial Farmery in 2013!

Thank You!

Ben Greene and Tyler Nethers

Pledge $5

We'll send you an amazing Banana Pudding Recipe from Ben's own Family Heirloom Recipe Book and a special thank you on our facebook page!
Est. Delivery: Oct 2012

Banana Pudding is the official dessert of the Carolina's so we wanted to send a little taste of North Carolina your way!

Pledge includes:
1 recipe
Thank you on our facebook page

Pledge $10

The chicken comes equipped with an excessive beard and flannel. The cow is sporting raybans, his hair does that swoosh thing to the side and he has an ironic goatee and mustache (which actually took Ben awhile because I didn't know that the only way to make a mustache look natural on a cow is to add a goatee and he really wanted an authentic look) 

Pledge includes:
1 3.5" x 5.5" Magnet
1 recipe
Thank you on our facebook page

Pledge $20

With a $20 pledge we'll be sending a collection of our favorite heirloom seeds from North Carolina. Seeds Include:

Yellow Cabbage Collard Seeds- These seeds are rare except in Eastern NC. (30 Seeds)
Star of David Okra- From Hyde County, North Carolina (10 Seeds)
German Johnson Tomatoes- Common in Farmers Markets in Piedmont North Carolina and Virginia. (15 Seeds)
Old Fashion Mustard Greens- Grown in North Carolina and Virginia (30 Seeds)

Pledge includes:
Heirloom Seed Collection
1 recipe
Thank you on our facebook page

Pledge $24

A Hipster Cow & Chicken T-shirt (designed by Ben), an amazing Banana Pudding Recipe from Ben's own Family Heirloom Recipe Book and a special thank you on our facebook page!
Est. Delivery: Nov 2012

I know what you've been asking yourself: "Where can I find a shirt with a cow and a chicken dressed as a hipster on it?". Well, here's your chance! An urban farming themed T-shirt

Pledge includes:
1 T-shirt
1 Recipe
Thank  you on our Facebook page

Pledge $35

Pledge $50

All of the above rewards!

Pledge includes:
1 Cotton Farmers Market Tote
3.5" x 5.5"Magnet 
Heirloom Seed Collection 
1 Recipe
Thank you on our facebook page  

Est. Delivery: Nov 2012

Pledge $90

Pledge $170

Double the size of your living wall! You'll receive 2 modular living wall planters, designed by Ben and manufactured in America by some of our Amish friends, an amazing Banana Pudding Recipe from Ben's own Family Heirloom Recipe Book and a special thank you on our facebook page!

Pledge includes: 
2- 10" x 20" Living Wall Planters (peat sponge and fabric case)
Fittings enable water to flow from a top planter to the one below it.
Instructions
Wall anchors and screws
1 Recipe
Thank you on our facebook page 

Est. Delivery: Nov 2012

Pledge $325

Create a 6ft. high by 10" wide living wall! You'll receive 4 modular living wall planters, designed by Ben and manufactured in America by some of our Amish friends, an amazing Banana Pudding Recipe from Ben's own Family Heirloom Recipe Book and a special thank you on our facebook page!

Pledge includes:
4- 10" x 20" Living Wall Planters (peat sponge and fabric case)
Fittings enable water to flow from a top planter to the one below it.
Instructions
Wall anchor and screw
1 Recipe
Thank you on our facebook page 

Est. Delivery: Nov 2012

Pledge $1400

Est. Delivery: Nov 2012

Credits:

Russell Hawkins: All Video Media