GroZilla

11/01/2024

Nice coverage of Restorative Farms' 15-ton 16' x 40' CEA growing machine, GroZilla by NBC 5 thank you, Noelle Walker. And a great narration about GroZilla from Head Grower, Angel Giron.

Built from two shipping containers, GroZilla's innovative hydroponic system allows for controlled environment agriculture, enabling the cultivation of crops without reliance on traditional soil. Hydroponics involves growing plants in nutrient-rich water solutions, providing an efficient and controlled environment for optimal plant growth.

GroZilla integrates with Restorative Farms' mission to address food challenges, educate future urban farmers, create job opportunities, and bring positive change to underserved communities, particularly in South Dallas. GroZilla serves as a testament to Restorative Farms’ commitment to sustainable urban agriculture practices, community impact, health and equity.

A Dallas non-profit is working to fight hunger by growing fresh food and career opportunities in underserved urban communities. NBC 5’s Noelle Walker has the story.

02/09/2023

From the research paper:

"GroZilla is a Controlled Environment Agriculture unit (CEA), driven by hydroponic technology in two shipping containers (48m²). As an innovative, technology-driven method of farming, GroZilla reimagines how food is sourced and distributed. The sector is uniquely positioned to engage with local communities to build sustainable local food distribution systems.
For instance, the indoor hydroponic farm produces over 300 full-sized heads of lettuce/week and other leafy greens in the container. All of the produce feeds into the different local community groups including providing lettuce blends for schools and collaborating with the community action group at Restorative Farms.

It also serves, along with Big Tex Urban Farm’s hydroponic greenhouse (located next to GroZilla) and Restorative Farms, as a teaching platform for aspiring students or professionals of CEA, giving those first steps on CEA to community members. The indoor hydroponic farm has internship programmes in collaboration with CityLab High School.

The educational programme is looking to educate people to learn about the farm’s production systems and the farm reaching out to local schools. The aim is to be able to teach more children about growing their own food. Some of the community groups visiting the vertical farm are interested in learning more about the production systems, and others are interested in putting some of these systems into schools. Interestingly, most of the school groups they are working with want to do something with a vertical hydroponic system such as grow racks or tower gardens (space is limited in the classrooms so they are looking at some type of vertical system.

As GroZilla is not paying monthly rent or energy (space given by the Texas State Fair’s Big Tex Urban Farm), the challenge is to have a viable business model considering energy, employment, size, production capacity. The aim is to combine the vertical unit with Restorative Farms to be able to have a sustainable business running by itself.

For Restorative Farms directors the future of agriculture will be a blend of CEA and evidenced-based field growing, and they are doing it by providing a blend of both approaches while serving as learning platforms. The farms aim to provide job training and profits from their sales (so far they’ve focused on selling to the local community and some restaurants), but they also donate some of their production to community kitchens."

Urban farming is revolutionising the way we think about food production and community development. From urban deserts to bustling cities, these innovative farms are addressing food security, job creation, and social empowerment.

28/12/2022

What make Dallas' Restorative Farms different...?

28/09/2022

Yes...it's Harvest Day at GroZilla... well, every Tuesday is "Harvest Day" at GroZilla. This 16' x 40' 15-ton Restorative Farms growing machine a virtual plant factory producing almost 300 full-sized head of amazing lettuce week in and week out.

It is also an amazing "classroom" to give those first steps to community members into the world of Controlled Environmental Agriculture.

GroZilla manager, Cristian Camacho is doing amazing job and how great it is for him to be supported by such an awesome trio of volunteers !!

Together, we will Grow A Better Dallas.

28/08/2022

We were pleased to introduce GroZilla to folks from Temple Emanu-El Dallas this past week: Julie Weinberg, who is overseeing the food justice project that Temple Emanu-El is developing and gathering research for and Kaitlin Prieur, Director of Learning Environment with United to Learn.

We are always excited to share and exchange learnings... Together, we will Grow A Better Dallas.

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06/05/2022

We are looking forward to working with Restaurant Beatrice to Grow A Better Dallas… using our Hatcher Station Training Farm in S. Dallas and our wholly owned hydroponic container farm, GroZilla at Fair Park.

From the article: “Jenkins tells Eater Dallas that they will be working with Restorative Farms in South Dallas. The farms’ growers are working to turn former agricultural parts of the city’s most impoverished areas into sources of locally-grown produce for the community. The farm aims to provide job training and profits from their sales, but so far they’ve focused on selling to the local community—this will be the first restaurant they open an account with. Restorative Farms will be providing the restaurant with collared, mustard and turnip greens, as well as tomatoes, okra and micro greens, among other things.”

Restaurant Beatrice comes from executive chef Michelle Carpenter of Zen Sushi

08/04/2022

We enjoyed hosting Restaurant Beatrice chefs, Terence Jenkins and Craig Pouncy to Restorative Farms’ 15-ton growing machine, GroZilla today. They were introduced to our research project of growing quinoa for greens, a collaborative project with Lincoln University - Missouri. We look forward to see what re pies Chef Jenkins comes up with for this super-green.

22/03/2022

It’s Harvest Day at GroZilla. And we are so appreciative of interns from The University of Texas at Dallas. They are amazing: hard working, dependable and so smart. They make Harvest Day” so much easier for us. THANK YOU!

18/12/2021

Restorative Farms enjoyed hosting Natalynne Walton , the State Fair of Texas Manager for Community & Advocacy as well as the chief executive and founder of Hopeful Solutions Dallas, a nonprofit “helping single mothers in Dallas by providing the holistic support needed to sustain sobriety, addiction recovery, and self-sufficient living with their children.”

We were honored to donate fresh Asian greens from GroZilla to help feed their community. We look forward to collaborating.

Together, we will .

14/12/2021

Why GroZilla and Restorative Farms' controlled-environment agricultural training is so important....

"Controlled environment agriculture offers a powerful solution to solving food insecurity and climate change. As an innovative, technology-driven method of farming, CEA reimagines how food is sourced and distributed. The sector is uniquely positioned to engage with local communities to build sustainable local food distribution systems,” says Marni Karlin, executive director, CEA Food Safety Coalition."

Despite a global pandemic and a host of supply chain disruptions, companies still keep sustainability top of mind in today’s cold food chains.

14/09/2021

GroZilla , looking outward … thanks to the talents of Teal Suns, painter / muralist and the design talents of Ft. Worth artist, Brad Smith…

28/08/2021

Climate change is undoubtedly having adverse effects on the world, see how hydroponics can contribute to making agriculture sustainable

09/07/2021

So good to reconnect with our good friend, Melisa Baune to tour our nascent S. Dallas agrisystem and explore collaborating with her team of recent Urban Land Institute Center For Leadership graduates, identifying and gauging all those off-the-spreadsheet benefits that a sustainable urban farm like Restorative Farms’ Hatcher Station Training Farm brings to an underserved community in the middle of a Dallas food desert. Working together we know that we can Grow A Better Dallas.

07/07/2021

15/06/2021

GroZilla IS A FREAKIN’ Plant factory!!

It just keeps producing bountiful harvests week after week... This week with amazing fresh super nutritious Asian greens going to the Kosmos Energy LLC pilot CSA and over 140 pounds of various fresh Asian greens and red oak lettuce donated to the Cornerstone Baptist Church community kitchen, GroZilla is playing its part in carrying out our mission:

“To help Grow A Better Dallas…through the development of a sustainable & resilient local professional agricultural economy…"

10/06/2021

You knew something really good was going to happen with that look on Christine Vu’s face.

“... tonight’s dinner: sugar snap peas, butter leaf lettuce, parmesan, lemon, garlic, salt + pepper AND today’s GroZilla greens 💚”

Take some ultra fresh GroZilla harvested pak choi and Rosie choi sum , add in Christine’s culinary talents and you have an elegant and healthy entre.

01/06/2021

Another rockin’ harvest day for GroZilla.... 75+ heads of red oak leaf lettuce and 75+ heads of Kaileen, Chinese kale for the Kosmos Energy LLC CSA. Plus 90 pounds of mixed organic Asian greens donated to the Austin Street Center.

In addition to this production, GroZilla is readying Dallas future urban farmer’s for the future.

Together we will

Many thanks to our partners who have made this possible ...
Green Mountain Energy Company
Frazier Revitalization

01/06/2021

“Best tasting pak choi ever...Sometime food blogger, Lauren Talbot yesterday at GroZilla, The 15-ton Growing Machine at Fair Park.

That “Rosie” pak choi with its bright, reddish-purple leaves is delicious in stir-fries or raw in mixed salads.

28/05/2021

GroZilla is about the future ... readying Dallas’ future urban farmers for controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and that future is huge...

“But how big is consumers’ appetite for leafy greens? No market is truly infinite. But when you look at the aggregate market, it’s a $100 billion market just in the US and a $1 trillion annual market globally”.

Bowery will use the funding to fuel R&D efforts around new crop varieties like cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, root vegetables, and tubers.

26/05/2021

Side note... FUSION : one of Restorative Farms’ produce recipients blended Asian greens (Tokyo Bekana) with TexMex cuisine with amazing results = Thai Tacos

26/05/2021

Our 15-Ton Growing Machine at Fair Park is one of Restorative Farms’ steps into the future. Thanks to the generosity of Green Mountain Energy Company and the unflagging support of the State Fair of Texas, we are preparing some of Dallas’ aspiring urban farmers for the future.

Together, we will Grow A Better Texas

Bowery just raised $300 million from investors, just the latest in a string of further investments into the sector. Is it ready to break out in a big way?

20/05/2021

"I’ve tried the Gunsho and it is DELICIOUS! Thank you!!
I’m so impressed with the taste and quality AND what you are doing to address the food desert! It’s wonderful and amazing!"- a long time Restorative Farms GroBox owner.

This is the sort of feedback you love to get after taking a chance on text-growing new plants. But we love, love, love how our test of 15 different Asian greens has turned out. The plants have flourished in GroZilla's controlled environment..from seeds to harvest in 28 days...the production results have blown us away AND the reviews from taste tests have been raves !

So... Lettuce?! Forget the lettuce...BORING...The taste of lettuce doesn't even begin to compare, not to mention the nutrient content of these Asian greens.

A great example is the type of choi sum we tested, very similar to a popular vegetable known in Hong Kong as Gunsho, this beautiful choi sum, with its tiny edible yellow flowers is "one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world, and it is specifically beneficial for its calcium availability. It is lower in oxalate, a substance that binds up calcium and prevents it from being absorbed, than most other leafy greens. It is also abundant in cancer-fighting polyphenols." Did I mention that it also tastes great?

11/05/2021

We enjoyed giving long time partner, Frazier Revitalization CEO, Dorothy Hopkins and VP, Operations Felisa Conner a tour of GroZilla, and a glimpse into our weekly harvest which as it turned out was another GroZilla record: 16 crates of red oak leaf lettuce and tatsoi (bok choi / Asian spinach) for our Kosmos Energy Ltd. CSA pilot program and another 90+ pound of Chinese cabbage, mizuna, shungiku and other premium Asian greens donated to the Austin Street Center.

Collaboration is the key to progress...and community change.
All of what GroZilla delivers has been made possible by the generous partnership and support from Green Mountain Energy Company's Sun Club.

Together, we will Grow A Better Dallas.

08/05/2021

Not every head of lettuce is alike...not every carrot alike and not every head of choi sum is alike... While they may look alike their nutrient content could be significantly different. There is a nascent but growing movement to start considering and even measuring & package-noting the nutrient content of the produce we now consume. It may be that the carrot of a 50 years ago has the same nutrient content as 5 of today's commercially grown carrots.

Is the pak choi on the supermarket shelf the equivalent of the field grown organic pak choi grown at Restorative Farms Hatcher Station Farm or compared to the pak choi we are growing organically at GroZilla?

Recent studies have analyzed nutrient data over the past 70 years and have found a "startling decline in the vitamin and mineral content in fruits and vegetables. By looking at data from the USDA, one study concluded that since the 1950s there has been a decline in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C in 43 varieties of vegetables and fruits! The study’s author, Dr. Donald Davis estimates that this is a direct result of breeding vegetables for size, growth rates, and pest resistance and not nutrition. Another factor in this nutrient loss is the depleted soils that most of our fruits and vegetables are grown in."

We are curious...and are embarking on an informal study to make some comparisons starting with measuring the Brix (natural sugars content) of liked but differently sourced produce. Stay tuned. We have our assumptions but we have a lot to learn and to test.

Photos: 70D Green Sum choi ( Johnny's Selected Seeds) harvested at GroZilla, Brix test of same vs apple.

04/05/2021

The bounty continues !

GroZilla is truly a “Growing Machine” as the production just keeps ramping up ...combined with last Friday’s harvest we are have over 25 crates of delicious, organic lettuce, Asian cabbage and a dozen unique Asian greens delivered to Restorative Farms’ Hatcher Station Farm for the Kosmos Energy LLC CSA and community distribution, not to mention amazing learning experiences for our future urban farmers.

Thank you, Green Mountain Energy Company fir making this all possible.

02/05/2021

From our “farm” to Adrienne’s table....

“The lettuces are SO beautiful and SO delicious! We enjoyed them in a salad this afternoon and can’t wait to try them in some more dishes. Thanks again for sharing these with us!.”

Made from 5 unique Asian delicious greens :

Koji: Cupped, heavy leaves are beautifully savoyed and borne on long, elegant stems.

Tokyo Bekana: This one-of-a-kind blonde leaf with ruffled texture adds loft and a pop of color to salad mixes. A non-heading Chinese cabbage that has buttery leaves with a crunchy rib and mild flavor.

Green 70D : with edible flowers it is very similar to Gunsho, one of the most popular vegetables in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. The stems are a vibrant bright green, very sweet and tender, and are usually harvested just before, or as the first few buds are opening. The stems regrow for cut-and-come-again harvest. Excellent in stir-fries, steamed, or in soups.

Tokyo Bekana: With it’s one-of-a-kind blonde leaf with ruffled texture it adds loft and a pop of color to salad mixes. A non-heading Chinese cabbage that has buttery leaves with a crunchy rib and mild flavor.

and Red Cloud : Mild flavor, deep color, and a juicy, crunchy texture. Maintains baby-leaf size for extended harvest window. Can also be grown to full size where it pairs with Koji for striking bunches.

01/05/2021

Together we will Grow A Better Dallas

Restorative Farms’ “15-Ton Growing Machine at Fair Park”, GroZilla, is beginning to really deliver. This week we were compelled to harvest early, five of the 15 Asian greens that we are testing. The future looks bright as the organic seed from Johnny's Selected Seeds delivered luscious produce well ahead of our projected schedule.

Here, in the middle of a Dallas food desert, unique and delicious Asian greens are being harvested by future urban farmer, Cristian Camacho, whose work is funded by Socialwyze.

GroZilla’s impact has been made possible by the generous support of Green Mountain Energy Company who continues to give back to the community by supporting our mission of social justice through the power of social agricultural enterprise.

24/04/2021

GroZilla is part of the "FUTURE of Agriculture": Controlled Environment Agriculture.

Students of Color See a Future in Agriculture, but Farming?
That Is a pretty tough Sell...

Which is why Green Mountain Energy Company 's generous support of Restorative Farms' of GroZilla is such a critical component of its nascent S. Dallas agrisystem and the potential to serve social justice through social enterprise.

A nonprofit guiding young people of color to agriculture finds science, research, and outreach, rather than food production, are top career choices.

20/04/2021

Harvest Day at GroZilla: this over a 1,000 heads of organic lettuce and other greens, some of which is aggregated for the Restorative Farms' Kosmos Energy Ltd. CSA but the bulk of which goes to food desert impacted community efforts.

The GroZilla team is getting it down as we continue to dial-in and boost production and elevate quality. Stay tuned, as the team works on growing various kinds of unique Asian greens.