FAQ

Frequently Asked
Questions

What is Farm-Ed?

Farm-Ed is a pioneering STEM technology platform that integrates AI-powered Grow Chambers with a dynamic curriculum designed to engage students in hands-on learning experiences related to agriculture, technology, and sustainability.
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We're a company that brought together innovative individuals from academia, industry, and business to create a first-of-its-kind product and curriculum that focuses on effective engagement and the scientific method.

Our founders recognize the potential in the minds of tomorrow and aim to grow the next generation of ag innovators.

Farm-Ed believes that an enriching learning environment can spark creativity and radical solutions among young scientists.

How Does Farm-Ed Work with Schools?

Farm-Ed works with schools to identify classrooms that would be interested in learning through hands-on, customized growing experiences.

Each classroom then receives our Education Bundle which includes a Controlled Environment Grow Chamber, Data Dashboard, Course-Aligned Curriculum, and more.

Classroom teachers also receive professional development to ensure they are confident and comfortable guiding learners throughout the program.

Want to become a Farm-Ed classroom? Great! Let's connect!

What is the Farm-Ed Controlled Environment Grow Chamber?

Farm-Ed's grow chamber is the smartest way to engage and cultivate young minds and new ideas. It is a fully-automated chamber equipped with high-output lights, real-time nutrient monitoring, complete environmental control and successful machine-learning/AI working in unison – allowing students and teachers to learn more as they optimize their yields.

The easy-to-use functionality of Farm-Ed's plant grow chamber means even the youngest scientists are just a few steps away from starting their first trials. Plug in the Farm-Ed chamber, start from seed or a live plant, and let the chamber do the rest.

For the more curious minds that prefer to tinker, device settings can be completely customized for up to 99 unique stages of growth!

How Many Plants Can I Grow at Once?

Farm-Ed hardware and software is designed to be multifunctional and modular. For classrooms that want more than one plant but not the responsibility of 20+, accessories like our 6-pod grow deck allows for repetitions with less work.

With Farm-Ed, plants (and students) can grow to their full potential!

How Much Space Do I Need?

The Farm-Ed grow chamber is built to engage students with its beautiful and modern design aesthetic. The device measures 28”x25”x70” and is similar to a refrigerator, but with far more potential.

The Farm-Ed grow chamber features a tinted, one-way-glass door, allowing classes to proudly show off their hard work without disturbing their crop.

Where is the Best Place for Farm-Ed Hardware?

The Farm-Ed grow chamber includes a 6-foot power cord with a 3-prong plug for a normal 110v outlet.

Importantly, the Farm-Ed grow chamber is on caster wheels and fits neatly through a standard 30” doorway. With the grow chamber’s complete environmental controls, the device can go nearly anywhere in the classroom. The grow chamber maintains full functionality between 35- and 90-degrees Fahrenheit.
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We at Farm-Ed recommend easy access to water for bi-weekly water changes. Additional recommendations:

About 1 foot of room to fully open the door and allow the class to engage
Do NOT from place the grow chamber in poorly ventilated areas or closets
Do NOT cover the top of the grow chamber

What’s the Set-Up Process Like?

Farm-Ed offers white-glove delivery service (FedEx Premium Delivery), which covers 90% of the 48 contiguous states. Delivery drivers will place the cabinet where you like, remove all packaging, and wood skid it ships on. The Farm-Ed grow chamber is on casters, allowing easy movement if its job is to travel from class to class (to avoid a mess, be sure to empty a majority of water out of the reservoir before moving).

When a teacher is ready to begin his or her growing journey, the touchscreen control panel at the top of the Farm-Ed grow chamber provides a step-by-step tutorial on first setup, with most users reporting setup taking fewer than 10 minutes. The device will instruct users to add water, nutrients, pick a recipe, and begin their growing experience with Farm-Ed. From the moment the machine recognizes and starts a recipe, Farm-Ed technology takes over and manages everything else your plant needs.

We at Farm-Ed believe the growing experience should be accessible for all classrooms and schools, which is why we provide a welcome kit that includes everything you need to get started.

How is the Farm-Ed Grow Chamber Different from Other Growing Devices?

Accessibility and Capability.

Farm-Ed offers easy-to-use, university-level growth controls to young minds in classrooms. The Farm-Ed grow chamber allows users to get creative and develop their own grow recipe, adjusting environmental factors, nutrient levels and ratios, water quality, and even the amount of light the plant(s) are receiving.

Farm-Ed’s large growing area and utilization of hydroponic irrigation methods gives users more control. Farm-Ed technology integrates 300W of powerful, multi-spectral lights – including state-of-the-art under canopy lighting – giving classrooms the ability to grow or test anything they want.

Does Farm-Ed Use a Lot of Energy?

The Farm-Ed grow chamber uses about as much energy as a small window AC unit, drawing a peak of 500w of power, or about 7kWh per day. In most states, that’s only around $1-2 dollars a day to deeply engage students and delve deep into genetic potential of plants. Farm-Ed is designed for university-level controls and growth without a significant carbon footprint.

What is Farm-Ed’s Grow Chamber Light Output?

The Farm-Ed grow chamber offers a powerful 300 true watts of multispectral light. At the top of the chamber, a 250w LED panel containing full-spectrum white, targeted spectrum red, and UV diodes work together to provide a full daylight appearance and output for the plants.

However, we at Farm-Ed went a step further and bolstered our top-down light with state-of-the-art under canopy light panels for an additional 25w on both the left and right side. These under canopy lights contain a majority visible blue diodes near the surface of the deck intermixed with full spectrum white and near-infrared diodes.

611 umols at the deck (0” from deck)
814 umols at 8.75” (8.75” from grow deck)
1111 umols at 18” (18” from grow deck)
1981 umols at 25” (25” from grow deck)

(Grow deck to top light = 36”)

Is the Farm-Ed Grow Chamber Wi-Fi Enabled? Is Connection Required?

Yes, the Controlled Environment Grow Chamber is Wi-Fi enabled and needs to be connected to the school's network. Our support team can assist or coordinate with your school or district IT personnel to ensure connectivity. The Data Dashboard and system over-the-air firmware and software updates rely on a Wi-Fi connection.

I've never grown hydroponically before. Is it very complicated?

The Farm-Ed grow chamber is not an average hydroponic garden, with a ton of steps and guess work. Instead, we at Farm-Ed created our system for beginners and experts alike.

Unlike conventional gardening, hydroponically grown leafy-greens, herbs, fruits, and vegetables require no soil and grow in a fraction of the time that it would take outdoors. In conventional gardening, classrooms are limited to soil from a bag or generally need to add costly amendment to their outdoor space for it to properly grow what they need for instruction.

With Farm-Ed, growers and curious minds simply need to add water to the reservoir and the nutrients to the cutting-edge auto-doser to begin their hydroponic growing journey.

However, we at Farm-Ed believe that there is always something new to be learned.

Frequently Asked
Questions

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Frequently Asked
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