Former Shipping Container Maker Uses them to Farm

Arthur Lee, owner of MoVertical Farm, feeds his fish inside a shipping container in Yuen Long, Hong Kong's New Territories Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. (AP)
Arthur Lee, owner of MoVertical Farm, feeds his fish inside a shipping container in Yuen Long, Hong Kong's New Territories Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. (AP)
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Former Shipping Container Maker Uses them to Farm

Arthur Lee, owner of MoVertical Farm, feeds his fish inside a shipping container in Yuen Long, Hong Kong's New Territories Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. (AP)
Arthur Lee, owner of MoVertical Farm, feeds his fish inside a shipping container in Yuen Long, Hong Kong's New Territories Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020. (AP)

After a career making shipping containers that transport freight around the world, Arthur Lee has stayed with them in retirement, using them to raise crops and fish.

Operating on a rented 1,000-square-meter (quarter-acre) patch of wasteland in Hong Kong's rural Yuen Long, Lee's MoVertical Farm utilizes about 30 decommissioned containers, some decades old, to raise red watercress and other local vegetables hydroponically, eliminating the need for soil. A few are also used as ponds for freshwater fish.

The bounty is sold to supermarkets in the crowded city of 7.5 million that is forced to import most of its food.

As one of the world's great trading hubs, Hong Kong is a rich source of the sturdy 40-foot (12-meter) -long boxes.

Lee uses the latest technology to monitor his crops. The controlled environment inside the boxes uses a hydroponic drip system to deliver nutrients, eliminate the need for herbicides and pesticides, and reduce risks from pests, small animals and bad weather. Temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, nutrient mixtures and light can all be monitored and adjusted.

And if Lee loses his lease, he can load his container farm onto trucks and move it elsewhere with minimal disruption.

Shipping container farms have taken off in countries around the world with wildly varying climates, from freezing to tropical, and on scales ranging from single containers to dozens. Many are located in urban areas where fresh produce can easily be delivered to stores or directly to consumers. While vegetables, fruits such as strawberries and freshwater fish are among the most popular, some growers have turned to raising high-protein insects as a food supplement.

Controlled environment agriculture is just one use for shipping containers, both new and old. In poorer nations, they are often used as shops with the added advantage of locking up tightly at closing time. In more affluent nations, they have been turned into tiny homes, painting studios, coffee shops, backyard sheds for hobbyists and even swimming pools. Online, containers can be bought for around $4,000, with basic home conversions going for $30,000 or more.



Greece Battles Wildfires Across Country, Evacuates Villages

A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in the village of Drosopigi, near Athens, Greece, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)
A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in the village of Drosopigi, near Athens, Greece, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)
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Greece Battles Wildfires Across Country, Evacuates Villages

A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in the village of Drosopigi, near Athens, Greece, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)
A firefighting helicopter makes a water drop as a wildfire burns in the village of Drosopigi, near Athens, Greece, July 26, 2025. (Reuters)

Firefighters were battling wildfires near Athens and across Greece on Saturday as the Mediterranean country sweltered under the third heatwave of the summer, with some villages and settlements being evacuated.

Explosions could be heard as huge clouds of smoke covered Drosopigi village 25 km north of Athens, where factories with flammable material are located. Helicopters dropped water and 65 firefighters battled the flames, assisted by 26 vehicles and two aircraft.

Two houses caught fire, according to state ERT television, while residents of nearby village Krioneri were instructed by authorities to leave towards Athens.

Temperatures in Greece were forecast to reach up to 44 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the Greek weather service said.

On the island of Evia, 115 firefighters and 24 vehicles were deployed to put out fires, assisted by six aircraft and seven helicopters, but strong winds were hampering their efforts. Residents of the island's Triada area were told to be ready in case they needed to leave.

The fire on Evia is the latest in a series of bushfires stoked by strong winds and dry conditions this month.

On the island of Kythera, authorities evacuated the villages of Aroniadika, Pitsinades and Aryoi. In the area of Messinia, west of Athens, residents of the Kryoneri and Sellas villages were also told to leave.

These sites were on a list of Greek regions on high alert for wildfires due to record-breaking temperatures and strong winds due on Saturday.

Tourism is a key earner in Greece, and the fires have hit since the start of the peak summer holiday season early in July.

Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area dubbed "a wildfire hotspot" by scientists, with blazes common during hot and dry summers. These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate, prompting calls for a new approach.