The unique Kiev farm “Happiness of Health” delivers fresh greens grown in aqueous solution to Ukrainians all year round. This is the first vertical farm in Ukraine where greens grow hydroponically, and the cultivation itself is controlled remotely.

Two years ago, Maxim Kirichko, along with friends, opened a vertical farm for growing green crops. It is worth noting that the young farmers were office workers and had nothing to do with agriculture. The first room, equipped as a farm, was in the basement and was very small.

The current farm is already much larger, but when it was purchased, it was abandoned and required large investments. Up to this point, as Maxim says, friends were not able to “do anything with their hands”. But enthusiasm gave strength, and they put the room in order, laid all the necessary communications, independently built shelving from sewer pipes.

Now on a vertical farm, several types of salads are grown, dill, parsley, spinach, sorrel, green and red basil, tarragon, thyme, cilantro, chard, cabbage kale and microgreen.

Farmers use only dragee seeds produced in Holland. They are planted in an Israeli mineral wool substrate. Maxim Kirichko explains his choice not in favor of the Ukrainian producer of seed material by the fact that domestic seeds have unpredictable germination.

The process of growing on the farm is fully automated. It can be controlled remotely from a smartphone or tablet, even while in another country. It is noteworthy that each rack on the farm has its own color and name.