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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
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