Fresh Strawberries All Year Round!

he Strawberry Farming Revolution in the West

Strawberries are among those fruits which have a very short season. During this time, they can be purchased at quite an affordable cost – around $1 per kilogram. However, by the end of summer and into fall, their price sharply rises, reaching a tenfold increase in winter. Naturally, not everyone can afford them, and regular purchase under such circumstances is out of the question for most people.

In European countries, strawberries are imported during winter. Most often, they are brought in from Israel, Greece, or Spain, and it is this imported origin that dictates their high price. This raises a valid question: is it possible to establish strawberry cultivation in our climate to ensure an adequate supply of fresh berries even in winter? Surprisingly, the answer to this question is affirmative!

The Innovative UABERRY Frame Greenhouses

krainians Vladimir Petrenko and his son Alexei are the founders of the startup UABERRY. Vladimir, a former engineer, had worked in the production of frame structures for a long time. Several years ago, he decided to venture into agriculture, particularly strawberry cultivation. He faced the problem of significant crop rejection due to diseases, pests, and unfavorable climatic conditions with traditional ground cultivation, resulting in a loss of a vast quantity of berries.

Studying berry cultivation methods in developed countries, Vladimir decided to create frame structures with canopies where strawberries grow in special troughs at a convenient height for humans. On one meter of such a structure, 20-25 strawberry bushes can be accommodated, and harvesting is effortless as ripe berries simply hang down (unlike traditional cultivation where most berries either lie on the ground or are barely visible among the leaves).

Automating the Process

qually important is that the entire strawberry cultivation process has been automated. Primarily, this refers to irrigation since for maximum yield, it needs to be done in small portions 10-12 times a day. Manual monitoring of such a process is very challenging, so Alexei tackled this issue.

e created a system that provides automatic irrigation at specific intervals. Moreover, this system autonomously manages mixing and adding necessary fertilizers to water based on its acidity levels. The farmer can control all this remotely, which is very convenient, especially if they have multiple farms located far apart. Thus, the entrepreneur saves on human resources and the quantity of consumables (primarily wires and other communications).

Smart Mini-Farm Innovation

he latest development by Vladimir and Alexei is the "Smart Mini Farm." This structure, with a width not exceeding one meter, can be customized in length based on the customer's preferences. Essentially, it is a ready complex for cultivation that takes only a few hours to install and set up. It can be placed virtually anywhere: inside a greenhouse, a garage, on a roof, or even on a spacious balcony. Monitoring the mini-farm's operation is done through a smartphone from any part of the world.

nfortunately, the development by Vladimir and Alexei has not yet gained significant demand in the European market. However, several large companies abroad have shown interest, and currently, the entrepreneurs are seeking resources for serial production through crowdfunding. The estimated cost for this project is around $100,000.

Advantages of their Innovation

he main advantages of cultivating strawberries in such farms include:

• Extending the harvest season until December, ensuring fresh strawberries can be available in local stores even around New Year's, and not just imported berries.
• Higher quality compared to imported strawberries. Berries with minimal sugar content are better preserved and withstand transportation more effectively. In simpler terms, less sweet berries are fresher and tastier. Therefore, locally grown strawberries with a shorter shelf life are inherently fresher and more flavorful.
• Harvesting a large yield from a small area. For example, a standard Smart Mini Farm structure allows growing 132 strawberry bushes on a 6m2 area.
• Remote monitoring, complete automation of irrigation processes, and fertilization of bushes.

The invention by Alexei and Vladimir Petrenko is truly a leap to a qualitatively new level for domestic farming. The only thing left is to break the entrenched stereotype that fresh locally produced strawberries are not available in our climate during winter!

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