If one shipping container makes sense to grow crops, wouldn’t 40 containers together make even more sense. This design is by a company to show what their farm would look like when completed. As you can see, they poured a concrete footer to support the containers first after grading the property.
The containers are positioned strategically so that the doors open to the middle of a hall like area. This common area is neat because it too can be climate controlled and efficient for the farm manager to walk around and check on the crops.
Each container can be self contained and “the lot size” is controlled to a manageable size. Meaning, if a disease breaks out in the container or there is an insect outbreak, the lot of damage is limited to just the crops in that container. The pesticide or treatment can be targeted effectively and hopefully control of the situation can be managed well.
Operations are able to benefit from “scale” and share a packing house. The loading dock can be established to justify bringing an 18 wheeler to transport the produce. There is never enough produce from a harvest from just one shipping container to justify a full truck.
The cost of water supplies and the upfront startup cost of a cistern can be further justified with 40 or 50 forty foot containers growing crops. The solar on top of the 40 containers can now be even more efficient because the array could be flat or even ballasted on top of all of the containers and the common walkway in the middle.
All of the containers can be sprayed with foam for insulation from the elements.
