This Indoor Farm Can Bring Fresh Produce to Food Deserts
Considering the fact that agriculture is responsible for 80 percent of US water consumption, what can be done to fundamentally change the way our food gets made? Mattias Lepp says the answer involves making it easier for anyone, even city dwellers, to farm their own food. That’s why Lepp has developed what he calls a Smart Farm, an indoor farming system that requires 95 percent less water than traditional agriculture.
Technology in Africa: The Pioneering Continent
Are small cargo drones the answer to some of Africa’s most pressing problems? A group of European engineers supported by IBM thinks so. Christened “flying donkeys” and now in development, the drones will carry 22 pounds of cargo each over distances of up to 75 miles to supply medicine to remote communities or food to refugees. They are designed to be cheap and rugged enough to deploy across the continent.
India to Get 24/7 Farming TV
Since 1967, Krishi Darshan, or Agriculture Television, a 30 minute show produced by the state-run network has been keeping India’s vast flock of farmers up to date with the farming practices, the potency of seed varieties and ways to enrich soil to get the most out of the ground. Now, Prime Minister Modi’s government has decided to add to the pastoral programming with a round-the-clock operation to create a channel for farmers and rural dwellers – called the Kisan TV (or Farmers’ TV).
How Shipping Containers Are Making Fresh Local Produce a Reality During Bitter Winters
An ambitious attempt to change the way we eat is playing out in a shipping container plopped in a parking lot in Minneapolis. Ryan Sweeney, who owns the container, isn’t your typical farmer. He relies on LED lights, not sunlight. He monitors his crops on his smartphone. He doesn’t used pesticides or soil. But he’s growing basil year round with a healthy profit margin.