Farming
techniques to reach the 22nd Century and our changing global
environment, and population.
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Hydroponics vs. Traditional Farming: 8
Improvements Made by Hydroponic Systems Traditional farming has remained
mostly unchanged for centuries. Yes, there have been advances in irrigation, genetic engineering of
seeds, and commercial farm equipment. But we still place seeds into the soil,
apply water and sun, and wait for the harvest season. That’s how it’s always been.
But is that the best way to grow
produce on a commercial scale? Today, there are several newer farming
methods that are giving businesses within the food industry more options. Hydroponics systems
(particularly vertical ones) are the farms of the future, allowing to produce great amounts of healthy fruits and vegetables to
sustainably feed a growing population on a large scale. Here are just a few of the ways hydroponic
farming is an improvement over traditional farming methods. 1. Greater Yields First and foremost, a hydroponic system
grows nutrient-dense produce in quantities. In fact, hydroponic vertical
farms can grow about 240
times more than traditional farming methods. Partially, this is because hydroponic
greenhouses allow for more harvests per year. Additionally, because plants
get their nutrients directly from water instead of having to leech them from
soil, hydroponic plants grow faster and larger. Greenhouse
systems can produce 2.7 million meals per year. 2. Less Space Needed Growing more food in less space? It may sound too good to be true, but this
is exactly what vertical
hydroponic growing system can do. Greenhouses can be
designed to fit into about an acre and a half of space. That’s about
the size of a 200 car parking lot. And since there’s no soil requirement, they can
be built almost anywhere.
This means you can build hydroponic farms
downtown in what would otherwise be a food desert. Or add one on to your
company’s R&D department, allowing your research to be conducted on site
easily. The possibilities are endless!
In our rapidly changing world, clean water is becoming more
and more scarce. The World Wildlife Fund finds that about 2.7
billion people are facing water shortages at least one month out of the year,
with more than a billion having no access to clean water at all. Given this
increasingly dire situation, the ability to farm with less water has never been more
important. It may seem counterintuitive, but
hydroponic systems actually use about 99% less water than traditional
farming. This is because there is no water lost to the soil, no water lost to
evaporation, and the water in the system is recycled again and again. This
means that hydroponic greenhouses can be run in even the most severe drought
conditions with little to no disruption. 4. Sustainable Farming Traditional farming contributes greatly to
soil degradation around the world. We are currently losing fertile land at an alarming rate. By
contrast, in our greenhouses, you can regrow the same crops over and over
again without worrying about crop rotation. Since hydroponic systems require no
soil, they’re an
excellent way to stop this problem in its tracks. Our hydroponic greenhouses also seek to
use solar power as much as possible, leading to little or no need for fossil
fuel power sources. So you’ll be growing greens in the greenest way possible! 5. Climate Proof Speaking of changes in the global
environment, our increasingly
unpredictable climate has become a major problem for farmers. We
constantly see crops destroyed by flooding, drought, and other
climate-related problems. Greenhouses contain their own
microclimates, they are immune to early frosts and heatwaves, droughts and
flooding. They can also be built in areas where the climate is typically too
hot or too cold to grow certain types of food. This means year-round local produce in areas where it was
unthinkable before. 6. Seasonally Agnostic Imagine being able to grow 11-13 more
harvests per year than a traditional farm. Just as climate is no challenge
for hydroponic growing systems, seasons hold no sway over hydroponic plants.
So many harvests per year is a reality, rather than a dream. The climates
inside hydroponic farms are carefully monitored and controlled, meaning
summer crops can grow even in the coldest months and harvest season is year round. 7. Outdoor Contamination Proof Traditional farms are subject to
contamination from any number of sources. Birds
drop waste from above. Runoff from nearby animal agriculture can contaminate
the groundwater. Air pollution and water pollution are constant concerns.
Open air farming is increasingly leading to dangerous food-borne illnesses
and their resulting food recalls. Recall-proof produce be kept in carefully monitored greenhouse
conditions, away from contamination risks. 8. Less Food Waste Since hydroponic farming can be managed
within the community it supports, there’s less time wasted in shipping
produce across the country or around the world. Most of our crops reach their
intended market within 48 hours of harvest. This means a longer shelf life
once they hit the store, are purchased, and brought home. Not only that,
because our greenhouses are outdoor contamination proof, there is zero risk
of recalls and food-borne illnesses from typical outdoor threats. All of this
amounts to less food waste and more healthy meals that actually make it to
the table.
Or maybe your R&D department could use a way to grow plants
year-round in laboratory-like conditions? |
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Black
Emergency Managers Association International Washington,
D.C. |
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