Sacramento’s Dr. Greenhouse Inc. is developing the greenhouse technology necessary for an automated sprouted-grain indoor feed mill to make wheatgrass fodder for 5,000 dairy cows.
The 10,000-square-foot automated indoor feed operation will be used by River Ranch Dairy in Hanford.
“They want to control the supply chain and the quality of their feed,” said Nadia Sabeh, founder and president of Dr. Greenhouse. The Sacramento company designs climate-controlled greenhouses for indoor urban farming, vertical farming and, in this case, automated farming.
River Ranch Farms chose the technology to reduce the amount of water, land, fuel and fertilizer that would be necessary to grow forage in the field, said Jack de Jong, owner of the ranch.
“We’re really proud to be working on this project,” Sabeh said. The ranch is starting from the standpoint of sustainability, rather than production or cost savings, though those variables are being considered.
The indoor feed mill will be integrated as a vertical farm, with growth trays on multiple levels, Sabeh said.
The greenhouse will grow wheatgrass feed hydroponically, which creates challenges of air quality, water quality and humidity in the greenhouse environment, Sabeh said. Dr., Greenhouse designs the systems to heat, cool, light and maintain optimal growing conditions while controlling for disease and mold.
Despite the name of the company, Dr. Greenhouse doesn’t actually build greenhouses. Rather, it provides the mechanical engineering and calculations for prime efficiency of the indoor environment. Dr. Greenhouse also doesn't sell equipment. Instead, it offers clients specifications to build what they need. The plans for the Hanford system are in for permits now, Sabeh said, adding that the greenhouse should begin operation by the end of the year.
This is the first project of its kind in the dairy business, and it is a step toward helping the dairy industry reach its goal of being climate neutral by 2050, Sabeh said.
She founded Dr. Greenhouse in 2017, and the company has done 180 projects around the world. About 60% of them are for fruit and vegetable production or research, as well as microgreen production. The balance has been mushroom production and cannabis grows.
Sabeh is from Sacramento. She got her bachelor's degree in biosystems engineering at the University of California Davis, a master's in HVAC technology at The Pennsylvania State University and a doctorate in biosystems engineering at the University of Arizona.
“I’ve always been working towards my two passions: mechanical engineering and agriculture," she said.
