Home Publisher's Point of View The Ritz-Carlton, Naples & Its One-Acre Farm in a Box

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples & Its One-Acre Farm in a Box

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I have written a number of times about shipping containers and how they have been used in our industry. Early this year I posted an article about the Days Inn-Sioux Lookout in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, a property made from 120 shipping containers. At least one hotel—the Ritz-Carlton, Naples (Fla.)—is using a shipping container in a different way—to grow crops. I spoke briefly with Gabrielle O’Boyle, Communications Manager at the hotel, and she told me the container sits in a service drive area of the property and is “not guest facing.” I plan to interview George Fistrovich, the Executive Chef at the hotel, to get more details.

What I know at this point is that the on-site Grow House is the first of its kind in a resort setting and has the capacity to grow one acre of produce. Utilizing a hydroponic vertical growing system, The Grow House consumes 90 percent less water than a traditional farm or garden of equal size and 80 percent less fertilizer. Additionally, every aspect of the growing process is controlled—from temperature to water PH and lighting—allowing for a 100 percent pesticide free product. Unlike traditional gardens, the fully controlled environment makes it possible to grow climate sensitive crops year-round such as lettuces which thrive in cool soils or mushrooms which require consistent humidity.
 
Crops currently growing in The Grow House include Bibb and romaine lettuce, cilantro, arugula, spinach, cabbage and assorted micro-greens. These highly flavorful greens may be enjoyed throughout the resort’s restaurants including the Italian-inspired Terrazza.

Complements Local Strategy

In a press release announcing The Grow House, the Executive Chef said, “The addition of the Grow House complements our relationship with local farms and further supports our goal to provide guests with the finest and freshest ingredients.”

The Grow House, also known as a CropBox by its maker, Williamson Greenhouses, can be stacked up to five high. In a year’s time the CropBox can have eight crop cycles as compared to one or two with conventional agriculture or up to six with an evaporative cooled greenhouse. The yield per acre with conventionally grown lettuce: nine tons. With a CropBox: 1,347 tons, according to Williamson Greenhouses. The price varies according to CropBox setup but on its website Williamson says one can expect to pay about $50,000 to get started. Growers are given total control of the growing process and the CropBox can be completely managed from a tablet or smartphone. Using a webcam you can even watch your crops grow from the other side of the planet.

One is able to grow so much within the shipping container space because growing trays are stacked. Williamson, not affiliated with Green Lodging News in any way, is offering up to 150 varieties of herbs, greens and lettuces and has plans to offer a strawberry growing system in the near future. Williamson offers a subscription service to cover ongoing costs—growing media, seeds, nutrients, etc.

Continue to visit Green Lodging News to learn more about this type of growing system and to read my interview with George Fistrovich, Executive Chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples.

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