As urban centers spread out, farmlands are drastically reduced. But there is hope. In Waregem, Belgium, agriculture pioneers found a new way to grow fresh produce. Not in a conventional way but in the form of new innovation thru vertical farming. Agriculture pioneers plant their way up in empty buildings, in containers and other spaces available to them.
Maarten Vandecruys, the founder of Urban Crops said, “We are just trying to imitate nature. It’s not as futuristic as it might sound”. Urban Crops is a relatively new Belgian Company dedicated to indoor farming with the help of LED (Light Emitting Diodes). He invented an entirely automated agricultural system in Waregrem, the eastern region of Belgium.
The company established growing horticulture in an environment without the need for natural light. They use red and blue lamps that produce purple light believed to provide ideal growing conditions. The effects are somewhat similar to an avant-garde facade.
Controlled Sterile Environment
The Urban Crops laboratory uses a controlled and very sterile environment in growing their produce.
They built a conveyor belt which circulated containers of germinated plants, planted on special substrate material without the use of soil. These reduce the risk of animal-related diseases and other similar external factors.
The containers are then placed in a closed room with walls equipped with shelves. Under this controlled environment the laboratory designed a hydroponic system. They water the plants using an ideal mix of mineral salts and other essential nutrients needed under the artificial lights.
Furthermore, placing plants in such sterile environment requires no pesticides. They also expect abundant harvests since LED can be placed close to the plants yielding luscious leaves of vegetables.
Just an evolution
City agronomy of vertical farming in a building can expand into a bigger industrial scale according to Vandecruys.
He said, “It’s just an evolution”. He believed it will progress not only in an agro-industrial revolution but into a natural progression from fields to greenhouses; then from greenhouses to vertical farms.
Using his proven system plants grow two or three times faster than normal hence generating abundant harvest. A 50 square-meter space (540 square feet) can develop into 500 square of “fertile land”.
The system utilizes minimal water usage. The company produces at least 220 mature lettuces a day in their 30 square-meter room which only needs 5% of water compared to traditional farming.
Best for crowded and hostile environments
Unfortunately, not all people are enthusiastic about the idea of vertical farming.
Samuel Colasse, a teacher and researcher at the Carah agronomic research center in Hainaut, eastern Belgium, said that the concept urban farming is “currently not very convincing”. He pertains to the location of urban farming in France and Belgium because the distances of the fields and towns “aren’t enormous”.
Nevertheless, he believed that “there are projects which work pretty well,” in extremely crowded places like New York. Also, concepts of vertical farming can be envisioned in hostile circumstances such as military or refugee camps where the idea is “somewhat futuristic”.
Beginner kits available for amateur farmers
The uses of vertical farming are practically limitless, according to Urban Crops. Urban farming can also be applicable for medicinal purposes. Pharmaceutical labs and other drug makers can produce plants with medicinal value. Supermarkets can eventually sell their own fresh produce cutting the transportation cost.
Urban Foods targets top restaurants who would want to experiment with the ingredients they need. Since the company can modify the quality of produce to meet clientele specifications. Urban Crops can alter the light, temperature, and nutrients needed in growing such a specific group of produce. They pride themselves in creating a rocket salad that “explodes” at the back of the throat.
For amateur gardeners who would want to jump on the “green’ bandwagon, they offer individual shelving and lighting set ups to grow-your-own produce.
IKEA, the famous Swedish furniture maker launched their own of assemble-yourself vegetable kits proving more people are into vertical farming.
The post Vertical Farming; Wave of the Future appeared first on Newsline.
No comments:
Post a Comment