AeroFarms is based in Ithaca, home of Cornell University in upstate New York. Is it a significant competitor to Valcent? Only time will tell. Have a look at the video.
AeroFarms is an aeroponic technology company. Our systems are
vertically stackable, producing 30x the yield per sq. ft. as
conventional growing. They are 100% controlled environments, designed
for indoor growing in old or vacant urban buildings. They grow
pesticide-free, fresh, local and safe leafy greens, herbs and flowers.
This video shows the process on our prototype system in a basement of a
1950s warehouse. See for yourself how simple and easy to operate it is!
www.aerofarms.com
Wal-Mart says that these 18" x 7.5" x 7.5" sub-irrigated (called
"self-watering) planters (SIPs) are "like a spa for your plants."
Giggle, giggle.
Be sure that they are very small plants. Maybe you can grow
some salad greens or herbs in these mini-boxes but they certainly are not in the
category of other vegetable growing SIPs either box or bucket. They are
toys by comparison.
Even so, they are far better than the under-sized drain hole planter boxes I see all over row house Brooklyn neighborhoods. Most of the plants in them look like they have just run a marathon.
Come on Wal-Mart, is this the best you can do? Oh, by the way, even these are available online only.
Sears is not the retail powerhouse of my youth but they are still a widely known brand name to many of us. They were the Wal-Mart of the day back when.
When I spotted an item in one of my alerts that they were selling EarthBoxes it was great news. Then I read that it was online only.
A nursery flat and juice bottle form the soil platform and soil wicks. A water bottle creates the fill tube (lower right).
Click on photos for a larger view on Flickr
The Coffee trees are planted and the capillary action in this easy to make sub-irrigated planter (SIP) is obviously working (note darker soil pattern). The internal wicking, soil platform and fill tube are all made from repurposed plastics. This is the same design as shown here and here.
Note that this planter is for interior use only. This translucent plastic box will not stand up to harsh weather and full sun. It would likely last no more than one growing season outdoors. There is also no overflow drain hole.
The only question now is whether there is enough light from the window and overhead fluorescent shop light to produce flowers and fruit.
This is from a photo set on the UrbainCulteurs.org web site. That is a Biotop planter (SIP type) she is tending.
Why should small children like her have to go anywhere other than their own yard, driveway, deck, patio, rooftop or balcony (maybe even her fire escape) to experience the wonders of growing some of their own food?
There are extremist dirt-huggers who may say differently but it is simply not true. You do not need scarce tillable land to grow fresh vegetables in the city. While our institutions dither, individuals are proving this all across the country.
The documentation is here and it is growing day by day. Stay tuned and join the parade of common sense.
It is likely that few people in the U.S. know that there is a sub-irrigated planter (SIP) system available in Canada called Biotop. It is similar in function to the EarthBox, Tomato Success Kit, Garden Patch Grow Box, EarthTainer and other DIY SIPs (both box and bucket types). The video is in French but you can easily understand how it works even if you don't understand French.
What is clearly understandable is that SIP (and hydroculture) technology works. It is without doubt a viable option in our efforts to provide local food production in the city and help fight obesity in the process.
These systems will produce more fresh vegetables per square foot than dirt gardening while saving water and time in the process. Have no fear of soil contamination either.
This Coffee Tree (probably Coffea arabica) was a 4" pot size plant in October 2006. It is now growing in a recycled food container made into a sub-irrigated (aka "self-watering) planter (SIP). It has a wick made from a clear party cup glued to the bottom (not visible). Note the very healthy and robust root system.
The next step is to replant it into a tote box SIP much like this one. It will grow no different than a tomato plant in a SIP (like an EarthBox) except that it will be indoors by a window and the tote box is clear plastic.
We'll find out if there is enough light in an east facing window to produce flowers and coffee beans. For sure, it will get very accurate irrigation. Adequate light is the only question. I may add auxiliary lighting because I really want to see it produce white flowers and eventually red berries.
Also, I just bought some Kona coffee beans online and will propagate them in recycled soda bottle SIPs. Stay tuned.
This is a prototype sub-irrigated planter (SIP) I made back in 1998. It's an inexpensive food storage container from The Container Store. The green platform is a plastic party plate, the wick is a party cup glued to the plate. The white material in the wicking cup is perlite. That is a clear plastic fill tube sticking up on the right.
The planter worked but I realized that you would damage the plant if you needed to remove it later on. While attractive, the globe shape is not practical.
Fast-forward 10 years and the Grobal from a favorite of designer groupies appears. It's still an impractical design in my opinion. At least the one above is clear and you can see and understand what is going on with the plant, its root system and the soil moisture.
This simple iPhone video speaks volumes. It doesn't need fancy production values. It is a communication from the digital age rather than an archival item from a bygone "victory garden" age seventy years ago in wartime in what was then rural America.
Thanks to the EarthBox sub-irrigated planters (SIPs) this young girl isn't dependent on an expensive garden at her school to explore and enjoy benefits of fresh grown, fresh picked vegetables. She is also learning some good science that is right at her fingertips when the sun rises even before school begins.
Note the paved patio. This could be a row house paved yard anywhere in urban America. All that's needed is a sunny location and the knowledge that it can be done. That's what is in short supply, not the sun.
