Guess Who Leads The Future Of Food? Surprise!

Interesting concept, I'd like to try something similar here but would have to use trash -- and I'm not wanting to experiment with Bisphenol containing plastics leeching into the soil.

Something similar I saw would be the Keyhole garden I read about and am considering trying.

One thing I've learned being with the mountain indigenous people is that you survive seasonally, meaning you have to change your lifestyle to live sustainably. If you want oranges: wait for October/November. If you want certain herbs for cooking: grow them yourself etc.

It can be a hard first step to let go of every day conveniences of a Western society, but I imagine one day that "first step" may turn into something similar to walking the plank into the deep end. No better time than to start now =)

reply to post by tothetenthpower


I was wondering if I could start something like this with a Tower Garden in my back yard, then I saw the initial cost ... $600 per tower + initial seeds & kits. Ouch !
www.towergarden.ca...
Plus $50 for the tonic (includes one gallon of each - A and B - allowing you to make 200 gallons of nutrient solution for your Tower Garden).
www.towergarden.ca...

It would be awesome if I could stop spending 4-5 dollars per pint of strawberries...at the rate my kids eat those things, I need a 2nd and 3rd job.

Time to start saving !

Our deer would love those fancy feeders. I would definitely need to put them in a green house. I suppose I can always eat the deer that eat my garden though. Venison also tastes pretty darn good.

Phage
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

So in my community of just under 300K, one facility would be enough, because the city is generally small and travel isn't any kind of problem for most people.

That's a relatively small community (city). Who feeds New York? Los Angeles? Tokyo? All the developing regions of the world? Or don't they figure into it?
Honest questions here, really. I would like for it to work, I'm not convinced it can.

edit on 2/1/2014 by Phage because: (no reason given)

I don't see why you're been so picky to be honest, the OP has a point of saying it would work on a community level. Unlike America, only one of our cities has a population of over 1 million.

I live in a pretty large city in the UK called Leeds, with a population of around 800k. A couple of these mega hydroponic systems could easily be built, there's plenty of space.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


This is why I have huge respect for the Amish! I consider myself lucky to have grown up in an area with a pretty solid community. I dream of living a life like them--self-sustaining, no ties to luxuries! Simply beautiful!

Bleh... It's a hydroponic setup.

It'd be more of an achievement for them if it were an Aquaponics setup instead.
They can get better results without the use of chemicals and they get fish at the end of it as well.

Though to be honest this setup is really nothing... Look on YouTube for all the different types of Aquaponic setups and what they can provide.

Like one example several years ago which I immediately thought of with this thread title;


1 MILLION pounds of Food on 3 acres

Now THAT, is impressive.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


As an ATS lurking farmer, I felt so strongly to reply to your comment that I created an account on the spot.

To your statement that every 2nd person must be growing edibles(to which I agree whole-heartedly in light of the positive nature that is the experience of fostering such a nurturing relationship of complementarity as with the plants we nourish, and in turn, nourish us): it is through my own observations and experiences working on different organic farms that I have concluded that a single farmer person devoted to properly tending the soil with wholesome compost, can feed 100 people almost exclusively. The more help, the better the ratio, of course.

I love the scope of Omega's vision with their animated video of the automated dome grow-tower, filled with their contraptions, and surrounded by the 360 degree grocery market. It reminds me of R. Buckminster Fuller's anticipatory design philosophy. I never heard of him talking about revolutionizing our food production, but he said that we have all the technology we need to solve all the world's problems at any given time. The availability of wholesomely grown food is vastly threatened by greedy-economics. More and more youngsters are beginning to wake up and be inspired by the realization of this looming problem.

These techniques here are fine examples of but slivers of a single piece of the puzzle. No one single method is a cure all, rather each special scenario that is absolutely each person, neighborhood, town, city, state, region must be thoroughly, comprehensively examined, and the most economical approach to satisfying the basic needs of everyone must be determined and implemented.

I am sure this concept is commonly thrown around a forum such as this, but can you imagine what humanity could achieve if half the money spent on the war industry was used to the benefit of mankind, instead of killing? I don't think that all the money is too much to ask for, either.

Dimithae
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

...if anyone survives the coming breakdown,it will be the Amish...

Of course! They will thrive. I have such a faith that, when the current system fails, people by and large will realize that we are so much better off without the empty promises of politicians and their laws and phony money, because instead of being chained to a job that produces nothing and pays little, we will all be doing what we individually feel compelled will benefit ourselves and those of our immediate communities. I believe we will get there before the failure. We have to.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Sigh.... If people only knew how much Indiana sacrifices in Agriculture to feed America...

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Just logged in to say what beautiful pics those are at the link. Sweet! I think maybe I might use this one...

futuregrowing.files.wordpress.com...

...as a potential desktop (wallpaper) picture for one of my computers.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Just an FYI... Disney corporation has been researching and advancing hydroponic gardening for well over 20 years.

reply to post by Sovaka

They can get better results without the use of chemicals and they get fish at the end of it as well.

Aquaponics is still too expensive. It's impossible to have this kind of setup to feed thousands of people over the long term, as it doesn't scale right currently. Give it another 10 years and then perhaps.

I use 0 chemicals in my growing operation. None of my organics have pesticides ( even the so called organic ones) or artificial or natural growth chemicals. I buy seeds, I plant, I walk away for a while, I tend and I pick.

There's no need to do the million pounds on 3 acres anyway. You need to worry about freshness at that point, packaging, inventory etc.. It becomes a much larger operation when you aren't getting rid of all the food you grow per cycle immediately.

~Tenth

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Would you be willing to show us how your currently set up? Thread perhaps and pics.

I think a fair number of people would be really interested in another ATS member that is actually living this.

Thanks,

RT

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reply to post by Spinx


If you find a suitable system for aquaponics please let me know. I've been searching but haven't found much in terms of built kits and despite having set up several fish tanks with similar layouts I have no desire to try and lay one out myself. Practical aquaponics seems to be the kits I'm leaning towards but they're expensive for what you get.

originally posted by: Dimithae
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

I'm going to hazard a guess and say that if anyone survives the coming breakdown,it will be the Amish for sure.They don't rely on electricity or any fossil fuels to get things done.They have perfected being 'off grid'. For them its a life style.My money is on them all the way.

They won't even notice, save for the zombies ravaging their corn fields.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

I was just talking to a coworker about wanting to set up a garden, but my yard is too small.

This is an excellent alternative to the type of garden that I grew up with. My mom has a major green thumb and I miss being able to walk outside and gather food for dinner.

The produce at the grocery store is not the most fresh, plus who knows what kind of chemicals have been slathered all over the fruits and veggies.

a reply to: Aelanne

Building an aquaponic system yourself is not that difficult and saves you $$$ too. There are many youtube videos done by the most helpful bunch of people and most will answer questions you may have (one below). I'm no expert, but I have constructed a small experimental one in my backyard for about $100, I think. It's been running for a few months. I'm not growing much yet as they say it takes almost a year for the bacterial system to get established. But there are a few tomatoes sprouting now. My main problems are insects, caterpillar, grasshoppers and plant diseases, anything but helpful bees. I must say the fish is thriving and seem happy. I have carps.



Love the vertical and Ferris wheel Omega garden system.
S&F