MISSION

Helping local businesses and urban communities thrive by promoting agricultural equity in food deserts.

16

restaurants served

9.8K+

lbs produce per month

5

total metro farms

01

Breaking the traditional farming paradigm

Seoul, South Korea

Making urban agriculture possible in subway stations

Partnering with Farm8, we addressed the inefficiencies in agricultural commodity chains between rural farms and urban restaurants and cafés in Seoul by establishing an underground, hydroponic metro farm in Gwanghwamun Square using automation and vertical farming technologies to maximize space efficiency. Our pilot initiative successfully produced 1.5K+ pounds of microgreens over 4 months, which reduced delivery times and carbon footprints for local restaurants. By centralizing agricultural technology into 1 efficient space, we can promote food sovereignty and agricultural equity in underserved neighborhoods by prioritizing organic, locally-grown produce over perishable, imported goods.

02

From farm to table

Overview

01

We initiated a pilot project with a select cohort of local restaurants to establish a metro farm under Gwanghwamun Square. This involved installing hydroponic units designed to maximize space efficiency and yield; vertical farming shelves with LED lights; and automated control systems to monitor temperature, humidity, and nutrient levels with and without sensors using Agsight for a variety of microgreens and herbs.

Partnering with Farm8

02

To implement our plans, we established a partnership with Farm8, an indoor vertical farm company that had been operating its Metro Farm out of Seoul, through which we organized weekly harvests and established a delivery system facilitated by local volunteers and participating restaurant staff to maximize freshness and minimize the carbon footprint associated with traditional supply chains.

Establishing a metro farm

03

During the pilot's first 3 months, we collected data on yield and sales metrics. The farm aimed for a production goal of 1,250 pounds of microgreens in this period, and we exceeded expectations at 1,500+ pounds. Feedback from the restaurants saw improved customer satisfaction due to the freshness of the produce, which led to a 55% increase in menu sales featuring locally sourced items.

03

Fresh technology.

In response to the gap in access to produce and agtech among urban communities in Seoul, we equipped our metro farms with vertical aquaponics, climate control technology (including smart sensors and LED lighting), irrigation automation, and synced these systems with Agsight's predictive machine learning algorithms to improve crop health, address nutritional deficiencies, and optimize irrigation schedules.

Agsight works indoors, too.

We installed an LED system that provides light wavelengths personalized to each growth stage, which included smart sensors that monitor crop health indicators, such as chlorophyll levels and growth rates, for real-time adjustments in light intensity and duration. The team connected Agsight with these systems to automate changes in lighting by tracking temperature and humidity levels. This setup not only improved yields due to reduced stress but also minimized the risk of plant diseases.

A digital dashboard displays chlorophyll data for lettuce under purple grow lights on Shelf B1, with a hotspot for lighting analysis.

Irrigation, made easy.

Given the metro farm's limited space, we installed a drip irrigation network that delivers water directly to the roots of each plant. When soil sensors detect moisture levels below 30%, Agsight triggers the drip irrigation system to deliver precise amounts of water, which are calculated based on the crop type and growth stage. This response minimized overwatering and reduced water waste by ~28% compared to previous methods. As a result, we observed a 300-liter reduction in water use and an increase in the growth rate of microgreens and herbs within the first 2 months.

A phone screen displays collected data from shelves B1–B6, including a camera feed of a vertical farm with lettuce and basil plants.

Rich in nutrients, rich in sustainability.

We introduced soilless plant cultivation (hydroponics) by using Agsight to monitor changes in the nutrient profile of the water based on crop-specific data, this reduced the need for chemical fertilizers and inceased yield by ~20% in herbs (leafy greens like basil and arugala) and by ~25% increase in leafy greens (kale and lettuce) within 4 weeks.

A phone screen shows a lettuce overview with a harvest timeline and an electrical conductivity graph.

Ideal lighting conditions in seconds.

We used Agsight's AI scanner to check how evenly light hits crops by flagging dim spots where lower shelves aren't getting enough and suggesting quick fixes like tilting LEDs or increasing brightness. That way, we didn't waste energy on overlit zones or lose growth in shaded ones.

Sync your sensors with Agsight to automate climate control and irrigation

New in 2025

04

Promoting sustainability education

Every week, we welcome students from nearby schools to our metro farm for hands-on half-day “farm academy” visits, where they suit up in clean gear and step into our hydroponic farm — for most, it’s their first time seeing how food is grown without soil.

Cartoon figures carry a large cucumber topped with a tomato, onion, and mushroom.

STEP 1

Farm to table

Students plant seeds in sponges, invesitgate how water and nutrients flow through hydroponics, and harvest lettuce, which they help turn into fresh salads at the on-site café.

Cartoon figures harvest and carry oversized vegetables from a barn to a salad bowl.

STEP 2

Collecting data

After the hands-on tour, students collect real data on the crops they planted by tracking growth, checking pH levels, and measuring humidity with tools we use daily.

A cartoon figure holds up a giant green pea pod.

STEP 3

Into curricula

Teachers have told us it’s one of the most engaging STEM activities their classes have done, and some schools are now working with us to bring these lessons into their science curriculum.

05

Happy plants, happy people.

From restaurant owners to teachers, we're proud of the impact we have made on Seoul residents! We hope to adopt this paradigm into other contexts to promote agriculture in environments where traditional farming is not feasible.

"As a chef running a 40-seat bistro just two blocks from Gwanghwamun, I used to rely on trucked-in greens that wilted within hours — thanks to the metro farm, though, I walk down the street each morning to pick up crisp red leaf lettuce and basil harvested an hour earlier. The flavor is cleaner, the texture holds up better on the plate, and my prep team wastes far less. Since switching, I’ve cut produce costs by 18%, and my customers constantly ask why our salads suddenly taste 'brighter'. I just tell them it’s because the farm is basically in our backyard!" [Translated]

Chef Park Chan-il

Gwanghwamun Ichungjib

"When we started designing the Gwanghwamun metro farm, Agsight became the backbone of our entire system — from day one, it helped us fine-tune our vertical hydroponics layout, automate our irrigation schedules, and adjust LED lighting across shelves to reduce energy use without compromising yield. We saw a ~27% improvement in uniform growth rates across all tiers and reduced manual adjustments by over half in the first two months!"

Yong Park

Farm8