Meet our Founder

Christina Timi Igono is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eight Orbit Urban Farms (EOUF) LLC. Christina found EOUF in October 2020 while working on her Ph.D. degree program at the University of Nevada Reno, as well as working as the Chief Science Officer for Advanced Carbonate Technologies LLC. The inspiration for EOUF came to her while working on a greenhouse rice study, where she tested the effects of calcium oxide ore on rice growth, soil fertility, soil biochemistry, and soil microbiology in a controlled environment. The research project was a tremendous success.

Christina was born in Lagos Nigeria. She was offered an athletic scholarship in 2006 at Alabama A&M University where she played Division I and II college soccer for four years. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences in 2010. She started her graduate studies in 2011 and earned her master’s degree in Plants and Soil Science in 2014. Ms. Igono is an award-winning Ph.D. candidate and research scientist at the University of Nevada, Reno with over 16 years of research experience in soil biogeochemistry, soil microbiology, soil fertility, soil greenhouse gas fluxes, and agricultural and environmental sustainability. In 2020, Ms. Igono became the Chief Science Officer and Research Consultant for Advanced Carbonate Technologies LLC, a limestone mining company in northern Nevada and California. Her contract ended in the Fall of 2022.

Her experience in agricultural, soil, and environmental research granted her the opportunity of working in different ecosystems which includes studies conducted in greenhouses, silvopasture agroforestry, grasslands, humid farmlands, pasturelands, semi-arid rangelands, and semi-arid agricultural rice farmlands, in northern and southern Alabama, northern Nevada, and California respectively. Her research studies are focused on soil physical and chemical properties, soil microbial organisms, crop and plant growth, soil greenhouse gas emissions, and their interactions.

To see more on Christina’s research work, expertise, media coverage, and latest news,
please visit her personal website

Mission

Our mission is to use cutting-edge innovative engineering technologies for year-round plant and crop production, using the combination of sunlight energy and renewable energy like solar energy to power greenhouses, and ensure zero greenhouse gas emissions across Africa. Other aspects of Eight Orbit Urban Farms’ mission include but are not limited to

  • Research & Studies

    Continuous research and studies in crop, plant, and soil biogeochemistry, engineering, and biotechnology in our vertical farm facilities and research laboratories.

  • Crop Production

    Increase crop production and eliminate crop, fertilizer, and water wastage prevalent in traditional farming by using limited land space, 95% less water, and efficient resource usage through our cutting-edge customized technologies.

  • Eliminate Contamination

    Eliminating air and water pollution, and crop and water contamination that occur because of the use of pesticides and herbicides. Thereby, eliminating food, water, and airborne diseases that are common challenges in Africa.

  • Next Generation

    Enriching, empowering, and educating the next generations of African farmers and scientists through the creation of thousands of jobs, vocational training, internship, and scholarships to youths annually.