333: Brandi DeCarli on Farming From a Box.
Helping farmers think INSIDE the box.
Brandi is the Founding Partner of Farm from a Box, an off-grid farm system that uses modern technology to make farming more efficient, more productive, and more environmentally beneficial, all in one deliverable system. Built from a modified shipping container, it comes equipped with all of the technology needed to start and maintain a two-acre planted farm. It is specifically designed to conserve water, save energy, and help build a healthy soil. Their goal is to revolutionize local food production and enable communities around the world to grow their own nutritious food with clean technology.
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In This Podcast:
Camping with her father in a old VW Van had a much more of an impact on Brandi DeCarli than her father could have realized. Keeping everything you need for your adventure in one van/box is now what she does for new farms. She tells us how Farm From a Box got started as a way to help communities build their own farms with a tailored package of “deliverable infrastructure” in a shipping container. And there is a way that you can be a part of the project right from home.
Listen in and learn about:
- An introduction to why she started Farm From a Box
- More on deliverable infrastructure and what is included
- How the box is tailored to the needs of the area
- Venturing inside the box and what you would find
- Solar panels for off-grid electricity
- Being able to ship internationally
- Working with local products if possible
- Overcoming challenges in Tanzania to accommodate water and soil needs
- New data tracking to help the farmer
- “Karma” – an urban farm in Sacramento that is helping the refugee community
- “The Spirit of Working Together” – the Tanzanian farm’s name translated into English
- The training that comes with the box
- The feedback that is coming from the farmers using the box, and how they are using the suggestions
- Being efficient in the box and using camping experiences to find ideas
- Working with World Food Program to help in other countries
- Funding the projects and the creative ways they are campaigning for funds
- Equity funding and how crowd-safe works HERE
As well as:
- Her advice – Look at the farm as a whole ecosystem, and start with the soil.
How to reach Brandi:
Website: farmfromabox.com
Facebook: Farm From a Box
Email: bdecarli@farmfromabox.com
Equity Funding: republic.co/farm-from-a-box
UrbanFarm.org/FarmFromABox
This episode was sponsored by Health IQ. Visit them at healthiq.com/urbanfarm to support our show and to see if you qualify for lower insurance rates.
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