Innovating Sustainable Indoor and Urban Agriculture

Bringing high-tech resources, innovative solutions, and hands-on education to support the growth of local food production and strengthen food security in Southern Nevada.

The Urban Center for Advanced Agricultural Technologies (UCAAT) is located in the City of North Las Vegas Urban Core and in an area identified by the USDA as having low income and low food access that is surrounded by the highest food insecurity in Southern Nevada. In addition, the UCAAT is geographically positioned within the Mojave Desert and receives less than five inches of annual rainfall, about 90% less than the national average. This, in combination with poor soil conditions and extreme summer temperatures, make it difficult for traditional agriculture to succeed in the region. As a result, about 99% of the valley’s food resources are transported in from hundreds to thousands of miles away. For these reasons, the UCAAT has been developed to incorporate sustainable methods and emerging technologies to enable fresh produce to thrive close to where it is needed, all while conserving water and natural resources.