Vertical Farming!

[Deega]

Hi, today, I had the pleasure of reading on ''Flipboard'' that in New York (New Jersey), a 6500 meter square Vertical Farm will produce 1000 tonnes of vegetables (salad and cabbage) per year. I did a search to see if there was a thread of it, I couldn't see, but there were many posts talking about it in different angles.

Aerofarms (http://aerofarms.com/story/overview/) is already set to produce that amount of vegetables. That will be produced in an existing, modified building that will used the ''aeropony or hydropony'' technology. To grow, plants only need Led lights and ambiant fog (water with the necessary nutrients) on the roots and leaves. As you are aware this technology will lower usage of water drastically. This technology don't use pesticids, and petroleum derivatives. We're talking about biologic production.

The link above give you more information on the technology set to go.

I have read somewhere that a big plant was put up in Singapore!

Other links

http://www.verticalfarm.com/

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/sky-farm-proposed-for-downtown-toronto.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_farming

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/24/vertical-farming-the-next-big-thing-for-food-and-tech.html

http://www.fastcompany.com/3039087/elasticity/vertical-farms-will-be-big-but-for-who

http://www.economist.com/node/17647627

[PurpleLama]

I've built three garden towers, six feet tall and 64 row feet fitting in 9 square feet of ground. Using a little knowledge of companion planting, you can fill those suckers up good (southern Mississippi speak for you can utilise your space totally).

[Deega]

Hey PurpleLama, great of you, thanks to share your experience!

[Meggings]

This article gives an excellent experience of vertical farming:

http://ecowatch.com/2015/09/11/sky-greens-vertical-farm/

Apparently a ton of vegetables are grown every two days.
http://ecowatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/skygreens.png

Here's more from the link:

Sky Greens actually uses good ol’ fashioned rainwater and gravity. Using a water-pulley system, 38 growing troughs rotate around an A-shaped aluminum tower that’s about 9 meters (about 30 feet) tall. The rotating troughs ensure even distribution of natural sunlight for each plant.

Not only that, the same water used to turn the troughs also nourishes the plants. According to the company, “With the plants irrigated and fertilized using a flooding method, there is no need for a sprinkler system thereby eliminating electricity wastage, as well as water wastage due to run-offs.”

Only 0.5 liters of water is required to rotate the 1.7 ton vertical structure,” the company boasts. “The water is contained in a enclosed underground reservoir system and is recycled and reused.” Additionally, only 40W electricity, or the equivalent of one light bulb, is needed to power a single 9 meter tower.

The farm consists of 1,000 vertical towers and produces 800 kilograms of Chinese cabbage, spinach, kai lan and other greens everyday for the bustling Southeast Asian metropolis, according to The Straits Times. The farm has been producing vegetables commercially since 2012.