[The K-Food Captivating the World]④ Easier Farming with Smart Farms... From Domestic to Overseas Exports

Increasing Exports of Smart Farms
Dreamfarm Develops Container-Type SmartCube
Automatic Temperature and Humidity Control

"We are creating 'SmartCube,' which enables 'anyone to easily become a salaried farmer,' allowing even those with no farming experience to farm easily. Not only is SmartCube being distributed domestically, but recent exports overseas are also increasing." (Park Hyang-jin, CEO of Dream Farm)

On the 11th, we visited the headquarters of Dream Farm, a smart farm company located in Jinju, Gyeongnam. Established in 2012, Dream Farm initially cultivated king oyster mushrooms and young ginseng sprouts and later developed and distributed SmartCube.

Outside Smart Cube located at Dream Farm headquarters.

CEO Park did not start in the smart farm business from the beginning. He was an office worker in advertising and game software development in downtown Jinju but returned to farming in the outskirts of Jinju in 2009 to cultivate king oyster mushrooms. He chose king oyster mushrooms because their cultivation period is about a month, allowing for steady monthly income. Although he farmed king oyster mushrooms for three years, he failed. Park said, "I started king oyster mushroom farming without much knowledge of agriculture, aiming for short-term production, but it was difficult due to challenges like spawn cultivation, so it did not go well. Changing the crop to young ginseng sprouts, which could use existing facilities, was successful, and eventually, demand exceeded what I could handle alone."

From then on, Park began developing SmartCube, pondering "how to farm easily." He explained, "At the time of development, I wanted to create SmartCube that met three conditions: low farming difficulty, monthly income, and low facility costs. Based on my experience cultivating king oyster mushrooms and young ginseng sprouts, I developed SmartCube and started selling it in 2019."

Dream Farm's SmartCube is a container-type facility measuring 26.4㎡ (8 pyeong), costing about 50 million KRW per unit. Park said, "Building a greenhouse on about 300 pyeong costs around 1 billion KRW, but SmartCube reduces costs to about 300 million KRW, one-third of that. One of SmartCube's advantages is that farming can start with relatively low capital."

Inside Smart Cube located at Dream Farm headquarters.

SmartCube measures temperature and humidity with sensors and automatically maintains optimal conditions for each crop through air conditioners and ventilators. It also controls nutrient solution supply and adjusts light intensity via LEDs and shading screens. Depending on the crop size, up to four shelves can be installed inside the cube. Park said, "If open-field farming yields two harvests a year, SmartCube can harvest 12 times, and productivity increases further with up to four-tier cultivation. Automatic control of temperature, humidity, and light significantly reduces labor hours."

SmartCube's ability to control temperature and humidity allows crops to be grown regardless of season. Typically, from June to October, when summer crops are grown, winter crops like European lettuce varieties such as romaine and butterhead, which are vulnerable to heatwaves, are cultivated. Conversely, from November to May, summer crops are grown instead of winter crops. Since these are out-of-season vegetables, they can be sold at higher prices, increasing farmers' income accordingly.

Dream Farm not only supplies SmartCube and seedlings but also takes responsibility for distribution. They handle market development, one of farmers' biggest concerns. Park said, "Having farmed before, I know production is difficult, but market development is an even bigger challenge. To allow farmers to focus easily and comfortably on farming, Dream Farm purchases all crops produced through SmartCube and supplies them to online channels like Coupang and offline stores such as E-Mart, Homeplus, and Lotte Mart."

On the 11th, Park Hyang-jin, CEO of Dream Farm, a smart farm company located in Jinju, Gyeongnam, is explaining about Smart Cube.

Since 2019, Dream Farm has produced and sold about 1,300 SmartCubes and is actively pursuing overseas exports. Last year, they signed a contract to supply SmartCube worth 120 million USD (about 154 billion KRW) to Saudi Arabia. Recently, they secured export contracts for 20 units to Qatar and 100 units to Vietnam, and are preparing supply contracts with Indonesia. Dream Farm expects additional export contracts once cultivation results through SmartCube are confirmed in Qatar, Vietnam, and other markets.

Dream Farm is also promoting the creation of smart farm complexes to expand smart farming. Park said, "To prevent the disappearance of rural areas, especially in provinces, population inflow is essential, and smart farms that allow easier access to farming can be an alternative. To expand the smart farm market, our goal is to lease 80 SmartCube units free of charge in Goseong, Gyeongnam, and create tourism and experience products such as salad cafes and campgrounds, in addition to agricultural production."