Posted on 02/06/2016 11:50:56 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Indoor agriculture has definitely put down roots in the United States. Vegetable Growers News in 2015 cited a white paper released at the third annual Indoor Ag-Con that outlined 15 existing commercial-scale rooftop greenhouses and vertical farms in the U.S.
Authors of the report, titled Indoor Crop Production: Feeding the Future, conceded that indoor farming will never replace conventional outdoor agriculture. "It will instead augment the food chain to create a diverse, distributed system more resilient to supply shocks and better prepared to meet the demands of a global population."
Indoor agriculture typically entails growing produce with hydroponic and aeroponic technologies in greenhouses, warehouses and containers.
The white paper authors estimated another 30 commercial-scale farms like the ones noted in the report would be established in 2015. "With a total addressable market of over $9 billion--or 17 times the current U.S. market size--indoor agriculture is poised to be the next major enhancement to the American food supply chain."
The 2015 Virginia Urban Agriculture Summit, held last October, included a tour of Petersburg's Harding Street Community Agriculture Center, which features indoor aquaponic and hydroponic growing systems. Summit speakers included the owner of The Farmery, a North Carolina-based operation that features portable hydroponic gardens in shipping containers, and the president of Brooklyn Grange Farm in New York. That operation is the largest rooftop soil farm in the U.S.
The white paper authors noted that at least $32 billion in venture capital-like funds were invested in indoor agriculture in 2014.
"We're on the cusp of witnessing significant increases in agricultural production indoors in the U.S. and here in Virginia," said Tony Banks, commodity marketing specialist forVirginia Farm Bureau Federation. "The local food movement continues to evolve and expand. Greater emphasis is being placed on addressing both food quality and quantity concerns in food deserts. These factors coupled with technology advancements in plant varieties, artificial lighting, automated control systems and other systems are enhancing the economic viability of projects of larger scale. Indoor agriculture makes 12-month production cycles possible, which further helps the economic viability of these facilities."
At the same time, Banks said, "These systems aren't for everyone even if you purchase a turn-key system. There's a lot that producers have to learn in facility operation and crop management that is different from field and greenhouse production. The facilities need community support to be viable, so educating and involving the community is very important to facility success."
It's not just about volume. It's also quality.
Outdoor grown vegetables get bumps and bruises on them that make them less desirable for individual retail sale, e.g., tomatoes sold individually.
Indoor grown vegetables have a much higher percentage being perfect, so there's a lot less loss to the grower.
Cool idea.
But watch environmentalists get ahold of this idea and start demanding policies that all food should be grown indoors for the good of nature or some such. And see food prices skyrocket as a result.
I don’t know about food in general, but indoor agriculture has certainly influenced the pot industry.
Re: “...indoor farming will never replace conventional outdoor agriculture.”
Famous last words.
When someone figures out how to profitably grow individual apples, why will anyone invest in trees and farmland and unpredictable weather?
Israel already has extensive greenhouse agriculture. Their tomatoes and cucumbers are absolutely famous.
In another ten years, they will be growing just the high resin buds - the plants will completely disappear.
Or vice versa. Like internet technology being spurred on by porn.
The power cost is huge but the yields can be incredible and hydroponics is not without its own set of problems.
Just think of the urban agricultural run off. Why the EPA will end up owning 100% of the USA because of the waterlands rules.
$32 billion invested in this in 2014? I find that very hard to believe or even conceive of.
Eat up chumps!
Our local farmers in upstate NY....Indoor ag gives them the ability to bring in two crops of an item.
bump
Correct me if I am wrong but many farmers already do this. it is called Hydroponic growing.
I know it is done mainly with water in that instance, but the food tastes horrible. I will never eat a tomato grown that way - EVER.
I can see many advantages to indoor agriculture, especially in the livestock department. Years ago I believe Kentucky Fried chicken had their operation exposed where they grew most of their chickens from feeding headless chicken bodies with tubes filled with nutrients.
The other day we had boneless pork chops, and the wife said they have perfected raising headless hogs fed by tubes now, and figured out how to get boneless pigs. The pork chops were really good, I could not tell the difference.
This is all good news, because there is no poor animal to suffer come butchering time.
So yes! I’m all for indoor agriculture.
Soylent Pink.
I’d wager dollars to doughnuts one of my heirloom tomatoes grown in my garden would outscore any of the same variety tomato grown in an “indoor” setting.
I’ve purchased heirloom tomatoes grown in this method as a way of sampling new varieties of heirlooms. IMHO, very little difference other than appearance with the grocery store hybrid varieties. They are just as tasteless.
FWIW, my heirlooms out produce my hybrids two to one.
(I grown hybrids, too, as MOST of my heirlooms succumb to the wilt before seasons end)
What does indoor growing anything have I common?
Electricity!
More and more Electrical use! More and more carbon dumped into the atmosphere! The evil! The horror! How can lefties approve of this?
You have to have very cheap energy to do this. Nuclear power + Metal-halide lamp lights + a MASSIVE air conditioner to keep your house moderately cool. You’ll run your AC in the winter too as much heat as good growing lights throw out.
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