Berkshire Produce made a strategic decision to transform an existing greenhouse into a modern hydroponic lettuce production facility. Rather than building from scratch, the focus was on unlocking the full potential of the existing structure through system redesign and targeted automation.
By implementing Deep Flow Technique as the cultivation method and integrating key automation steps, Berkshire successfully revitalized the greenhouse into a high performing hydroponic operation.
The result was clear. Higher output. Improved process stability. Reduced crop loss. And a commercially viable production model.
This project validated that hydroponic lettuce production, when properly engineered, can operate at scale with strong economic performance.
At Berkshire, we demonstrated that hydroponic production can move beyond traditional greenhouse limitations. Automation reduced manual handling in critical stages. Internal logistics were streamlined. Transplanting, plant movement, and process flow became more structured and repeatable.
In addition, Berkshire introduced in house substrate plugs for transplanting. By forming plugs directly from substrate, Berkshire reduced reliance on purchased carriers and lowered recurring input costs. This approach also supports a fully biological production model, aligning cost efficiency with sustainable cultivation.
However, certain steps remained partially manual, such as the loading and unloading of floats. Software integration was present but not yet fully centralized across the entire production chain.
Even so, the results confirmed that a factory based approach to hydroponic production significantly increases reliability and efficiency. Berkshire proved the foundation works.
We call this next step Deep Flow Technique 3.0. It represents a fully integrated production concept where cultivation, automation, internal logistics, and software operate as one cohesive system.
The ambition is clear: automate the complete process from seeding to harvest, including all intermediate handling and plant movement steps. Every action within the production cycle is engineered to reduce manual intervention and increase precision.
This is not about automating individual machines. It is about designing hydroponic production as an industrial system.
From substrate preparation and seeding to transplanting, growing, transport, and harvest handling, each stage is integrated into a continuous automated flow.
Centralized software manages planning, timing, and process coordination, creating transparency and predictability across the entire production system.
Operators supervise the system rather than perform repetitive physical tasks. This reduces labour intensity while improving consistency and scalability.
Stay tuned