A hydroponic growing apparatus, system, and method is provided. The hydroponic grower includes one or more seed beds each having a length and a width operably supported by a framework. A seed belt is rotatable around each of the one or more seed beds between loading and offloading positions to and from a seed growing position. Seed is discharged onto the seed belt for hydroponically growing a seed atop of the one or more seed beds. Seed growth can be offloaded through the path of a stream of liquid exiting a liquid nozzle for cutting through offloaded seed growth in at least one direction.

A seed pod assembly that has a pod defining an interior region and configured to support contents therein, a grow media positioned at least partially within the interior region, a plant seed positioned at least partially within the interior region, and a lid coupled to the pod to contain the plant seed within the interior region. The pod is sized to be positioned in an opening of a plant growing apparatus to allow water and nutrients to reach the plant seed or be released from within the pod.

A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled conditions, such as lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes a tower shuttle mechanism that provides operational flexibility by decoupling the loading and unloading operations of the grow towers from the vertical farming structure and, therefore, allowing multiple grow towers to be extracted for harvesting in a batch process before loading new grow towers into the vertical farming structure in a separate process.

The present invention is a system and method comprising a vertical farm where the plants are nourished by an aqueous nutrient solution and where all operations of the farm: the circulation of aqueous nutrient solution, replenishment of nutrients and supplements to the solution, as well as the seeding, growing, harvesting and packaging of plants are able to be effected in an automated manner and controlled by the farm controller system. It is possible for the operations of the present invention to be non-automated, semi-automated, or fully-automated, or any combination of non-automated, semi-automated and fully-automated operations, and to be controlled either centrally or locally.

An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow tower mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A hydration assembly is positioned within a root chamber and includes an upper nozzle mounted to a top wall of the root chamber, an inverted tripod mounted to the top wall of the root chamber for supporting a lower fluid conduit, a lower nozzle mounted on the lower fluid conduit proximate a bottom of the root chamber, and a valve assembly for selectively and independently regulating the flow of fluid through the upper nozzle and the lower nozzle.

An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow tower mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A hydration assembly is positioned within a root chamber and includes an upper nozzle mounted to a top wall of the root chamber, an inverted tripod mounted to the top wall of the root chamber for supporting a lower fluid conduit, a lower nozzle mounted on the lower fluid conduit proximate a bottom of the root chamber, and a valve assembly for selectively and independently regulating the flow of fluid through the upper nozzle and the lower nozzle.

An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module rotatably mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A grow module is provided for receiving pods within apertures of the grow module, which includes locking tabs configured for slidably engaging with slots, which are defined in each pod. The grow module and the pods have complementary tapered interfaces that form a seal when the locking tabs are slidably engaged with the slots.

An indoor gardening appliance includes a liner defining a grow chamber and a grow module rotatably mounted within the grow chamber for receiving a plurality of plant pods. A grow module is provided for receiving pods within apertures of the grow module, which includes locking tabs configured for slidably engaging with slots, which are defined in each pod. The grow module and the pods have complementary tapered interfaces that form a seal when the locking tabs are slidably engaged with the slots.

A system, method, and apparatus for increasing nutrient digestibility in plants is disclosed. A grower system for growing plants and crops provides an aerobic environment by controlling a plurality of environmental factors that decrease environmental stresses surrounding the plants or crops. The decrease in environmental stresses increases hydrolytic enzyme activity and releases additional hydrolytic enzymes. The hydrolytic enzymes breakdown a plurality of complex storage molecules of the plant or crop into simple storage molecules, increasing the plant's nutrient digestibility.

Vertical farming/gardening systems and methods of using. The systems include a track defining a path in which a change in elevation occurs, buckets pivotally secured to the track to travel along the path, and a moving mechanism for moving the buckets along the path. A first bucket has a cavity containing either a growing medium capable of supporting plants growing within the cavity or a solar collector for dehydrating plants within the cavity. One or more service stations located along the path of the track perform actions on the growing medium or the plants within the cavity of the first bucket as the first bucket travels along the path. One or more sensors analyze the growing medium or plants within the cavity of the first bucket. A master control unit controls the system including travel of the buckets along the path of the track.