Vertical Farming Podcast - Conversations with CEOs, Founders & Leaders in AgTech & CEA

S8E99: Gabriel Zarafonitis / FarmAnywhere - The Challenges and Philosophy Behind a Thriving Vertical Farm Solution


Listen Later

Join us on an exciting journey into the world of vertical farming with Gabriel Zarafonitis, the President and Founder of FarmAnywhere. As a self-taught entrepreneur, Gabriel shares his passion for sustainable agriculture and the challenges he faced in building an ultra-high-tech farming solution. He emphasizes the importance of striking a balance between technology and farming expertise, while also highlighting the significance of quality control and exceptional customer support. Delve into the fascinating realm of container farming and gain valuable insights on educating beginner growers, understanding the marketing aspect, and staying up-to-date with cutting-edge innovations in controllers and irrigation systems. This podcast is a must-listen for urban farming enthusiasts and those eager to learn more about the future of sustainable agriculture.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

CEA Summit East - https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-east-2025/

Indoor AgCon - https://indoor.ag/

Key Takeaways
  • Discover how Gabriel Zarafonitis went from a self-taught entrepreneur to the President and Founder of FarmAnywhere
  • Uncover the driving forces behind Gabriel’s success and his journey into vertical farming
  • Explore the exciting offerings of FarmAnywhere, including container farms, mushroom farms, and leafy green farms
  • Learn about the challenges and philosophy behind creating a user-friendly and reliable tech solution for farmers
  • Gain insights into the importance of education, training, and support for beginner growers in container farming
  • Understand the significance of community engagement and marketing in the success of vertical farming ventures
  • Explore the latest innovations in controllers and irrigation systems
  • Discover the shift towards simpler controllers and quick deployment in the industry, with popular choices for sensor arrays and LED lights
  • Uncover FarmAnywhere's emphasis on quality control and testing to ensure customer satisfaction
  • Dive into the practical and collaborative approach of FarmAnywhere, making urban farming accessible to all while supporting farmers and ensuring a steady supply of fresh, locally- grown produce.

Tweetable Quotes“Well, I think for sure environment played a big role just because it was a need, right? It was a need to create revenue, it was a need to move. I was a bit daydreaming and inventing things, playing with Legos as well. So it wasn't really my thing. But always being self taught. That was like the drive and then I guess the entrepreneurial spirit.”“Well, if you just scroll on LinkedIn and if you follow a lot of people in the vertical farming space, you'll hear all the time, new startups save 99% on your water consumption compared to traditional farming. So that's what they expect. Right. And those numbers are really paperwork because how are you going to measure that, really? I'd like to see your study on how you measure 99% less water than that. So a lot of it is also setting expectations on it's not plug and play.”“There is no need to act like competition, like big corporate entities, right? I think that we should collaborate together, work on our strength. Everyone has strength and I think we should stop trying to do everything and do one thing really, really good and then collaborate together.”Resources Mentioned

Gabriel's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-z-99930251/

Gabriel's Website - https://farmanywhere.ag/

Gabriel's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/farm_anywhere

Gabriel's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/farmanywhere/

Gabriel's Email - [email protected]

Connect With Us

VFP LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticalfarmingpodcast

VFP Twitter - https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPod

VFP Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/

VFP Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/VerticalFarmPod

Subscribe to our newsletters!

AgTech Digest - https://agtechdigest.com

The Indoor Farmer - https://www.indoorverticalfarm.com/

Horti-Gen Insights - https://www.hortigeninsights.com/

Sponsor Links

Cultivatd’s Website – https://cultivatd.com/

Cultivatd’s Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/cultivatdco/

Cultivatd’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/cultivatd

Cultivatd’s Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/cultivatd/

🎙️🎙️🎙️

Podcast Production and Marketing by FullCast

Mentioned in this episode:

AgTech Companies

https://agtechcompanies.com

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Vertical Farming Podcast - Conversations with CEOs, Founders & Leaders in AgTech & CEABy Harry Duran

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

36 ratings


More shows like Vertical Farming Podcast - Conversations with CEOs, Founders & Leaders in AgTech & CEA

View all
The Last Word with Matt Cooper by Today FM

The Last Word with Matt Cooper

64 Listeners

The Side Hustle Show by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation | YAP Media

The Side Hustle Show

1,580 Listeners

The GaryVee Audio Experience by Gary Vaynerchuk

The GaryVee Audio Experience

16,789 Listeners

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish by Shane Parrish

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

2,643 Listeners

Future of Agriculture by Tim Hammerich

Future of Agriculture

257 Listeners

Founders by David Senra

Founders

1,906 Listeners

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy by Colossus | Investing & Business Podcasts

Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

2,316 Listeners

Pod Save the World by Crooked Media

Pod Save the World

24,673 Listeners

DISGRACELAND by Double Elvis Productions

DISGRACELAND

12,876 Listeners

The Business of Agriculture Podcast by Damian Mason

The Business of Agriculture Podcast

118 Listeners

Growers Daily by Farmer Jesse

Growers Daily

397 Listeners

My First Million by Hubspot Media

My First Million

2,620 Listeners

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway by Vox Media Podcast Network

The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

5,312 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

9,095 Listeners

The News Agents by Global

The News Agents

981 Listeners