Expo City invites visitors to delve into the world of farming through its newly unveiled farm, promoting education about agriculture while offering the chance to enjoy farm-fresh produce.
This immersive experience champions sustainability and the farm-to-table concept, allowing guests to witness diverse agricultural techniques up close.
Farming for a Greater Purpose:
Matt Brown, Expo City’s Chief of Sustainability, highlights the farm as part of the organization’s broader commitment to addressing global issues like water scarcity and decarbonization.
The farm embodies the principles of regenerative agriculture and aims to enhance Expo City’s circularity.
Diverse Farming Techniques:
The farm is organized into various segments employing different agricultural methods:
- Outdoor Organic Farming: Cultivating completely organic produce for human consumption and fodder for animals, incorporating diverse varieties like alfalfa, millet, oats, and barley. These crops serve multiple purposes, offering animal feed, ground cover, and soil protection.
- Alternate Farming and Pest Control: Collaborating with Emirates Bio Farm, crops are grown in alternate rows to promote bio-intensive agriculture, fostering natural pest control as companion plants shield each other.
- Biochar Utilization: Biochar, a unique organic substance derived from oxygen-free burning of woody waste, enriches the soil. Biochar aids in retaining moisture and enhancing agricultural productivity.
- Desert and Medicinal Plants: Cultivation of desert plants adapted to arid conditions, requiring minimal water. Additionally, the farm hosts medicinal plants and herbs such as cassia italica and lawsonia inermis.
- Hydroponic Farming: Indoor hydroponic agriculture is a space-efficient farming method using water instead of soil. The vertical hydroponic farm at Expo City produces 15kgs of food annually, utilizing water recirculation to reduce consumption by up to 95%.
- Water Extraction Innovation: Incorporation of Air Joule technology linked to the hydroponic room, capable of extracting water from the air using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF). This technology, powered by solar batteries, enables water extraction from the atmosphere, emphasizing sustainability in water resource management.
This multifaceted farm showcases innovative agricultural practices and underscores Expo City’s commitment to sustainability and education in farming techniques and environmental conservation.
