The company registered the design of its CLF vertical growing container with the EUIPO ahead of broader commercial expansion. The jury described the container as a modular, decentralised system designed to support local tree cultivation in controlled environments, contributing to environmental awareness and community engagement.

The Altgeld Gardens community on the city’s south side is now home to a farm without acres of dirt.  The growing of produce takes place inside a 500-square-foot hydroponic container, (a transformed shipping container).  The work being performed by the students inside of the hydroponic container is changing the look of traditional farming. 

One of the most significant advantages is probably the most obvious: resource conservation. Traditional agriculture is known to be water-intensive and often relies heavily on fertilizers and pesticides, some of which are in short supply with global supply chains are interrupted.

The project, developed through a partnership between DACC and New Mexico State University, allows crops to be grown in a controlled environment using nutrient-rich water instead of soil. Just as important, it gives students hands-on experience across multiple trades.. 

The Ag Dept. is offering just over $400,000 in total funding this year from the federal Farm Bill.

The USDA also outlined a priority for "urban agriculture" projects: things like rooftop farming, community composts, shipping container farms, and other emerging agricultural practices.

Nimble Farms’ modular, climate-controlled grow units are housed in converted shipping containers. Designed to maximize productivity per square foot, each unit is equipped with energy-efficient LED lights, recirculating water and nutrient systems, and precise environmental controls. The company says this setup optimizes inputs such as fertilizer, water and energy, enabling year-round production of a wide variety of crops, including living lettuces, herbs, microgreens and mushrooms. All Nimble Farms sites are powered 100% by renewable energy sourced from local solar, wind and hydroelectric power.

The company collaborates closely with local supermarkets, farmers’ markets, schools and hospitals across New York State and the broader Northeast region to meet the growing demand for local, perishable produce.