Farming in the 21st Century

Personal Challenges

• Limited land

• Limited time

• Good soil and fertilizer is expensive

• Difficult at times to keep crops watered

• Hard work

Global Challenges

• 80% of available earth already used for farming

• In 2010 the world population was at 6.9 billion.

• The current rate of growth per year is 80 million.

• Sustainable water and food supply

Future of Agriculture

Future of agriculture may be going soil-less:

• Drip irrigation

• Hydroponics

• Aeroponics

Drip Irrigation

• Water drips slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes and tubing.

• Saves water and fertilizer

Hydroponics

• A method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil

Plants Growing Hydroponically

Aeroponics

• The process of growing plants in an air and mist environment without the use of soil.

• Space experiments prove you don’t need soil & lots of water to grow plants

• Results contributed to rapid growth systems now used on earth

• Future long-term missions into deep space will require crews grow some of their food during flight.

Advantages of Aeroponics

• Ecological – conservation of water and energy

• Urban Growth

• Food Security

• Increased year-round crop production

Dickson Despommier (2010). The Vertical Farm: Feeding the

World in the 21st Century

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=vertical+farming+advantages&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=TOZcOYfGl3QBbM&tbnid=OqA89UxBPmR1cM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.hostasdirect.com/blog/2012/09/&ei=BEIdUdqcLsTg2gWH1oGQBw&bvm=bv.42452523,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNFPG1xDLO3x0vXOXMr8KaUYMBL3BA&ust=1360958329956629

Juice Plus +

The next best thing to fruits and vegetables

What is a Locavore? A person interested in eating food that is

locally produced, not moved long distances to market.

Tower Garden®Vertical Aeroponic Growing System

O’Hare Airport

O’Hare Airport Urban Garden

• World’s first vertical aeroponic garden inside an airport terminal producing local, all-natural, pesticide-free produce

• 928-square feet

• Intersection of Terminal 2 & 3 in the mezzanine level of O’Hare’s Rotunda Bldg

• Food grown is served by restaurants in the airport to customers

Tower Garden

• Made of durable UV-stabilized BPA-free food-grade plastic

• Stands 5 feet tall

• Takes up very little space; all you need is sun

• Grows 20 plants with room to add more

• Crops grow in less time than in soil

Tower Tonic Mineral Blend

• Designed specifically for Tower Garden’s aeroponic technology

• Combine with water to shower over roots

• All-natural, earth based mineral solution

• Provides a pH-balanced blend of natural plant nutrients that stimulates roots

Your Personal Farmers Market

• Grows almost any vegetable, herb or flower and many fruits

• Uses as little as 10% of the water and space of the conventional garden

• Requires no previous garden experience.

Tower Garden is Healthier

• Homegrown vine-ripened fruits and vegetables taste, look and smell better so you eat more

• Children eat more when they are involved in the gardening

• Produce in stores has been shipped in so has lost much of its taste and nutritional value

• No dangerous chemicals needed

Tower Garden is Easier

• Takes less room

• Takes less time and effort

• Uses no soil – no need to till, kneel, pull weeds, get dirty and battle ground pests

• Plants grow faster so you harvest more produce for much less work

Fruits and Vegetables

• Beans: lima, bush, pole, shell, fava, green

• Cucumbers

• Lettuce, all types

• Melons, all types

• Peas, all types

• Eggplant

• Strawberries

• Tomatoes

• Chard

• Broccoli

• Kale

• Squash, all types

• Cauliflower

Flowers – Edible & Decorative

• Marigolds

• Morning glory

• Nasturtium

• Petunia

• Poppy

• Sunflowers

Herbs

• Basil, all types

• Cilantro

• Lavender

• Lemon grass

• Mint, all types

• Oregano

• Parsley, leafy types only

• Rosemary