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Growing Up: The Technologies Making Vertical Farming a Reality

Can Vertical Farming Help Cities Feed Themselves? The United Nations projects that 80% of the world's population - over 7 billion people - will live in urban areas by 2050. As people the world over continue moving from rural to urban areas, agriculture could do the same. What is it? vertical farming Is a type of non-traditional farming that takes advantage of vertical spaces (like skyscrapers), often in abandoned buildings. Unlike in traditional farming, the environment is highly controlled with everything from temperature and humidity to light and water levels being closely monitored at all times. What's The Appeal? Traditional farms feed one person per acre. .and as a result, outdoor farms already occupy around 45% of the U.S.' arable land. FARMING ONLY Vertical farming experts estimate that a 30-story farm could feed 50,000 people a 2,000 calorie per day diet for an entire year. A 50% failure rate. .is about average for crops grown outdoors, thanks to unpredictable weather patterns (Ilike droughts and flooding), plant diseases, and insect infestations. Vertical farming uses a controlled environment to grow crops organically, and the farms rely on LED lighting instead of sunlight. The light wavelengths needed for photosynthesis can be provided by "grow lights' without providing more light than is needed. This means that far less water and light can be used to grow crops on an indoor farm, and growth time for plants can be cut from 12 weeks to 6. LED Lighting -Leafy Greens Cloth Medium 80% of U.S. fresh water.. ...is used by outdoor farms and 50-80% of this water is lost through evaporation or runoff. Vertical farms, through water-recycling methods, use up to 90% less water than traditional farming. How do they do this? Two ways are through aquaponics and aeroponics. Aeroponic farms leave roots exposed and water them through misting. Aquaponic farms raise fish and plants symbiotically, in a system where fish and shellfish recycle hydroponic water, while the animal by-products are broken down by nitrifying bacteria. Agriculture causes 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. .both from farm machinery and transportation. The average American meal is estimated to travel 1,500 miles from farm to table. Vertical farming uses no farm machinery, and because the farms are based in population centers, the distance travelled is far shorter. However, this emissions saving is partially offset, as vertical farming is more electricity-intensive. So, What's Holding Vertical Farming Back? High Start-Up Costs Energy Infrastructure Real estate is the largest single cost for prospective vertical farmers, who are often unable to meet these costs without major investment. Especially in the developing world, the significant electrical needs of a vertical farming operation require a steady and strong electrical infrastructure. Electricity is also a major production cost which has led some operations to declare bankruptcy. Limited Crops Though vertical farms are well suited to growing healthy, leafy greens, their stacked environments are not ideal for bulkier plants, like tomatoes, corn and potatoes, which Americans tend to prefer. However, indoor farmers are currently researching improved recycling methods like "anaerobic digesting", which allows biowaste and gas created during the growing process to be redirected into powering the farms' electric and heating systems. Csi.org/blog| Urban Agriculture Farm ers.usda. cuesa.org/learn | How Far Does Your Food Travel To Get To Your Plate thedailybeast.com/articles | Vertical Indoor Farms Are Growing In The US fastcompany.com | Vertical Farms Will Be Big But For Who? news.nationalgeographic.com | Japan's Largest Indoor Plant Factory verticalfarm.com | The Vertical Essay seametrics.com/blog | Farm Water Infographic blogs1.ollverwyman.com | Rooftop Farming Infrographic farmlandlp.com | One Acre Feeds A Person appvoices.org | Carbon And Climate blogs.el.columbla.edu | Vertical Farms From Vision To Reality www.verticalfarm.com/learn-more www.verticalfarm.com/blog www.ibtimes.com | Indoor Farming: Future Takes Root In Abandoned Buildings, Warehouses, Empty Lots & High Rises huffingtonpost.com | Indoor Farming Could Be The Future Of Food Production v/topics | Farm Practicies Management | Irrigation Water Use Presented by: DICKSON

Growing Up: The Technologies Making Vertical Farming a Reality

shared by t1handy on Apr 19
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breaks down how vertical farms operate, how they can save the environment and give people in big cities fresher produce.

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Dickson Data

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Environment
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