"No stranger to innovation, Steve Fambro feels at home doing what others say can?t be done. His last company, Aptera Motors, developed one of the most energy-efficient cars in the world. When Steve left Aptera, he found himself waiting in line at his local health food store when he realized his next career move:
As avid foodies who most enjoy dishes that incorporate the delicate textures and vibrant flavors of raw, premium produce, my wife and I were never satisfied with the quality of organic food we found in local stores and farmer?s markets. The taste and presentation just paled in comparison to the produce we grow at home. When store purchased, our favorites such as kale had to be treated first, and could certainly never be used in a salad without being tenderized. Of course, even at fine restaurants, there?s always a concern of contaminants when eating field-grown produce raw, and traditional farming techniques are less and less sustainable, which is important in our eco-conscious family. From a business, engineering and eco perspective, I was curious as to how there might be a better approach to sustainable agriculture?one that would match (or even improve- upon!) the superior quality and taste of high-end products but grown ?perfectly pure? (better-than-organic)?free of pesticides, herbicides and field contaminants. I had found my next project.
I studied everything I could about organic farming and began to see that there were very pressing issues with land and water usage, and that many organic farms relied on friends, family and unpaid volunteers for the grueling labor. I didn?t think these practices were sustainable from either a business or environmental perspective, and I saw opportunities where much needed innovation could occur, particularly in terms of labor and the means by which crops could be grown in three dimensions. From there, I set out to develop a farm that would be as efficient and sustainable as possible as physics would allow, using only a fraction of the water needed for a traditional crop in a field, a fraction of the labor and just a tiny fraction of the land of traditional farming. The result is that our farms use just 3% of the water of traditional farming and about
1/1000th of the land.Backed by a team that?s equally passionate about produce and sustainability, we?ve developed an eco-friendly farm that not only results in premium and perfectly pure produce, but with a method that can be used to introduce healthy, all-natural produce to any population in the world. The Famgro Farms can be built in any landscape, any economy, regardless of the environmental challenges faced by local populations.
We?ve built Famgro Farms from the ground-up based on something really unique, yet so simple ? our farms efficiently feed fresh, pure (better-than-organic!) local produce to anyone, anywhere in the world. First we?re starting in our hometown of Carlsbad, CA. Our premium produce is now available through fine restaurants and distributors all around San Diego. With Famgro Farms, you can see and taste the difference in our products including our Sweet Kale ? fresh, vibrant flavors backed by pure, better-than-organic agriculture that can be applied to any environment!"