178: Why Modular Vertical Farming Holds the Key to Scalable Food Security with Fischer Farm's Tristan Fischer

Ever wondered how to scale your vertical farm without breaking the bank—or your nerves?

In this episode of the Vertical Farming Podcast, I sit down with Tristan Fischer, CEO of Fisher Farms, one of the pioneers in modular farming technology. Tristan brings over 25 years of experience in clean energy and large-scale renewables, translating that expertise into creating more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective vertical farming solutions. Having navigated the challenges of building some of the largest vertical farms in the UK, Tristan is passionate about making vertical farming both accessible and sustainable—and he’s got the battle-tested insights to prove it.

We dive deep into Fisher Farms’ journey from traditional R&D setups to their cutting-edge modular approach, using shipping containers like building blocks for truly scalable farms. Tristan shares candid stories about the risks and surprises of massive farm construction, and how clever modular design is transforming the economics and flexibility of indoor agriculture, enabling global expansion—even in places like Abu Dhabi, where energy costs are astonishingly low.

Beyond technology, we explore Fisher Farms’ culture of innovation, their relentless focus on driving down costs, and why Tristan believes vertical farming should move from premium niche to practical staple for feeding the world. You’ll hear how the team’s values—kindness, respect, factfulness, and robustness—help foster big ideas and quick pivots, and how these principles drive Fisher Farms to be the lowest-cost vertical farm in the world.

If you’re ready to rethink what’s possible with vertical farming and discover how modularity might be the answer to your growth headaches, don’t miss this episode! Click play and join us as we explore the future of feeding the world—without wrecking the planet.

Ready to stop dreaming and start building a profitable, impactful vertical farm that transcends tired food system models? Click to listen and get inspired by Mary’s story, strategy, and actionable insights!

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Key Takeaways

00:00 Fisher Farms Expansion and Modular Approach

06:01 Overcoming Scaling Challenges at Farm Two

12:01 Fisher Farms Ethos and Focus on Cost Reduction

18:31 Advancements in Lighting and Efficiency

23:40 Competing with Glasshouses and New Market Opportunities

29:54 Modular Growth in the UAE and Global Impact

35:03 Plug and Play Modular Flexibility

40:02 Fisher Farms Technology Certification and Branding

46:08 Building an Innovative, Kind, and Robust Company Culture

52:42 Closing Reflections and Future Outlook

Tweetable Quotes

"If you have a thousand things which need to get right, I think we probably planned for about 900 of them and got them right, and then once Farm 2 got running, 50 of them were relatively quick to fix, but there were a few items which actually ended up being very, very difficult. Sometimes you had a problem hiding behind another problem."

"Our view is that if we focus on really driving down cost, cost, cost, cost, then we don’t have to worry about becoming a premium brand—but it gets us in the direction where we want to be, which is: how do you actually feed the world without trashing the planet at the same time?"

"What we want is my terrible idea and a genuinely bad idea, and your crazy, insane idea and somebody else’s drug-addled idea or sleep-addled idea—whatever it is—and they’re all actually genuinely bad ideas independently, but by putting those ideas together, layering those...