An appliance for personal food growth

The Finca is a self-led concept project whose origin dates back to the early days of quarantine. In an attempt to reduce my dependency on the food supply chain, I was interested in growing my own food. Because I lived in an apartment in an urban city, I was limited in my options, so I began searching for a way to do so. Ultimately, I was unable to find a product that met my criteria, which included the ability to use the product indoors and for it to contain an enclosure. Additionally, I wanted to ensure that I could grow more than just herbs and that the portions would be a significant contribution to my diet.


Responsibilities

This project began with the intention of taking the concept to market and resulted in two working prototypes. To start, I got myself up to speed with all the necessary information and technology needed to design and develop a working prototype. This involved the development of a variety of systems which included an irrigation system, a lighting system and an Arduino based control system to operate the Finca autonomously. I also built a complete bill of materials and sourced all of the necessary components. Fabrication of both prototypes was completed in my personal shop and included the use of proprietary 3D printed components. These 3D printed elements were iterated multiple times to ensure maximum efficiency.

This project also served as an introduction into entrepreneurship in which I built a company, Happy Growth Co., and a product pitch deck. I also partnered with a graphic designer to develop company branding, including logo, color palette and type, as well as an interior designer to develop a 3D rendering, which would depict how the Finca was meant to be incorporated into one’s home.