Farm8

This interview details Farm8, an indoor farming company based in Korea. The interview is with Yong Park, Chief Marketing Officer of Farm8.

Source: Farm8

What is the origin story of Farm8?

Farm8 was founded in 2004 with growing 8 different microgreens. Farm8 in 2023 is the leading fresh vegetable and salad producing company in Korea. In order to develop a steady supply of fresh vegetables, Farm 8 founded PlanTFarm which is a company specialized in Indoor Vertical Farm technologies.

PlanTFarm is the sole owned subsidiary of Farm8 and it develops IVF systems, builds IVF, and operates IVF to produce high quality vegetables. PlanTfarm has built and manages more than 70 IVFs in Korea.

Source: Farm8

What varieties of crops are you most focused on?

We have recipe for more than 100+ different leafy greens, herbs, and eatable flowers. We also grow crops with functional ingredients and Korean strawberry.

Source: Farm8

What are some of the biggest challenges facing Farm8 in the future?

Same with other IVF companies globally, the biggest challenge is growing costs of utilities. In order to overcome this challenge, we have been investing in R&D to develop more efficient LED, environment control systems, etc. We have been also working with companies to develop IVF which utilizes waste energy.

Source: Farm8

What is unique about Farm8 compared to competitors?

Unlike many IVF companies, our focus is to produce high quality produces at reasonable costs. Our focus is not to develop the state-of-the-art IVF. Instead, our goal is to develop optimal IVF systems to produce high quality produce throughout the year and supply them to Farm 8. PlanTFarm is one of the few IVF companies that has proven economics of producing vegetables using IVF systems.

Source: Farm8

How do you measure the impact of your company so far? (Revenue, Employees, Customer Quantity, Production Volume) etc? 

We completed the largest IVF in Korea last year. The outcome of this farm has been very successful. We have achieved 120% of our target. Our vision now is taking this system to overseas markets such as GCC and Central Asia.

Source: Farm8

What role does automation play in your vertical farm? Are there any specific tasks or processes that are automated or not automated?

Our strategy is developing automation where needed rather than focusing on full automation. We are also selective based on the size of the farm and also costs of labor (various by countries).

Source: Farm8

What have you learned that you wish you knew when you joined or started the company?

I thought IVF is for countries with bad environments for growing vegetables and fruits, but after joining the company, I realized it is for all countries. Each county has different reasons to adopt IVF. Some with cold weather, some hot and dry conditions, some with limited land, some need new varieties, etc.

Source: Farm8

How can people connect with you or learn more about Farm8?

If people need information about Farm8 and PlanTFarm, feel free to contact me at yjp@tfarm.co.kr

Source: Farm8

Asia Vertical Farming Companies: The 2023 Report

Download the Free Sample Report

Mark-Horler

"For a target audience that is trying to understand the basics of vertical farming, this is a quality newsletter to subscribe to"

- James Pateras, CEO, Modular Farms Australia

North America Vertical Farming Companies: The 2023 Report

Download The Free Sample Report

Mark-Horler

"The North America Vertical Farming Companies Report 2023 aggregates many sources of public information on many different companies so that you don't have to do the research yourself, it's worth the money and saves a lot of time"

- John Ireland, CEO, NTP Technologies

Europe Vertical Farming Companies: The 2023 Report

Download the Free Sample Report

Helen Andrew Spare Harvest

"As a business development manager supporting the indoor agriculture, CEA, and food tech industries, I can say Urban Vine guides and their insider newsletter provide detailed information often difficult to find online."

- Irena Lundberg, CleanTech Invest Stockholm

Middle East Vertical Farming Companies: The 2023 Report

Download the Free Sample Report

Mark-Horler

"As a marketing professional in the indoor agriculture industry, Urban Vine's newsletters, reports and guides are an excellent resource for keeping up-to-date with news and developments in vertical farming."

- Steven Mitchell, Product Manager, Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) UK

All Indoor Farming Company Interviews

Growing Peace

March 27, 2024

This interview details Growing Peace, an indoor farming company based in the United States. The interview is with Steven Hoffen, Founder of Growing Peace. To learn more about Growing Peace and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview

Harvest London (2024)

March 27, 2024

This interview details Harvest London, an indoor farming company based in the UK. The interview is with the Founder & Chief Agronomist at Harvest London. To learn more about Harvest London and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview

FoodLab

March 27, 2024

This interview details FoodLab, a company based in the United States. The interview is with Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz, Director of FoodLab. To learn more about FoodLab and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview

Center for Food Safety

March 27, 2024

This interview details the Center for Food Safety, a company based in the United States. The interview is with Kristen E. Gibson, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Food Safety. To learn more about the Center for Food Safety and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview

Grønt Fra Laks

March 27, 2024

This interview details Grønt Fra Laks, an indoor farming company based in Norway. The interview is with Marius Johansen, General Manager at Grønt Fra Laks. To learn more about Grønt Fra Laks and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview

Maui Trout Co.

March 27, 2024

This interview details Maui Trout Co., a company based in the United States. The interview is with John Dobovan, CEO of Maui Trout Co. To learn more about Maui Trout Co. and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview

Plantaform

March 27, 2024

This interview details Plantaform, an indoor farming company based in Canada. The interview is with Alberto Aguilar, CEO of Plantaform. To learn more about Plantaform and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview

Arugga

March 27, 2024

This interview details Arugga, an indoor farming technology company based in Israel. The interview is with Eytan Heller, Co-Founder of Arugga. To learn more about Arugga and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview

AdventHealth

March 27, 2024

This interview details AdventHealth, a company based in the United States. The interview is with Christy Miller, Director at AdventHealth. To learn more about AdventHealth and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview

Tal-Kampanjol

March 27, 2024

This interview details Tal-Kampanjol, an aquaponics farm based in Malta. The interview is with Pierre Axiaq, owner and farmer at Tal-Kampanjol. To learn more about Tal-Kampanjol and other indoor farming companies, click on this link!

View Full Interview