Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
and facilitates soil-less culture where nutrients and water can be supplied through
one of the following options: (1)
aeroponics
involves spray of nutrients on roots
growing in air, (2)
hydroponics
involves
floating the roots in a pond of water, (3)
nutrient
-
lm
-
techniques
involves periodic
flooding of roots with nutrients, and (4)
aquaponics
involves combination of raising
fish and plants for recycling nutrients
in wastewater. The basic principle is to eliminate runoff from agricultural ecosys-
tems, reduce adverse impacts on the environment and include skyfarming as an
integral component of urban planning (Despomer
2009
). Nutrients contained in
grey water (urban wastewater) and biosolids (e.g., lawn clippings) can be effec-
tively and ef
s largest indoor
vertical farm (FarmedHere, 8361.3 m
2
or 90,000 ft
2
) is located in a suburb of
Chicago, IL.
2
Another 0.8 ha (2-acre) vertical farm is planned for Milwaukee, WI
and operated by the Growing Power Vertical Farm Company.
3
The 5-storey utility
includes south-facing greenhouses and aquaponics for production of vegetables
year-round. A downtown Tokyo of
ciently recycled through skyfarming. The world
'
ce operates a vertical farm.
4
Singapore, a city-
state with little arable land, operates A-Go-Gro vertical farm, which is 9 m high
(three storeys) for growing leafy vegetables.
5
Another vertical farm, Jack Ng
s City
Farm, has a capacity to produce 1 tonne (1,000 kg) of fresh vegetables every day.
6
Vertical farming is also being used in Middle Eastern countries where scarcity of
water is the principal constraint to traditional farming. Being water and nutrient-
conserving because of the closed loop systems, aeropoinc systems (providing
nutrients to plant roots by a mist) were developed using a reusable cloth medium
rather than soil. The so-called
'
cial
lighting in old or vacant warehouse-type buildings in crumbling downtown lots of
major cities. The controlled lighting system, operating 24/7, has numerous
advantages including rapid growth cycles, no pesticides, complete absence of
contamination and reusable cloth media.
7
The innovative concept of skyfarming is
also being included in modern art. An example of such an artistic vision is
“
'
AreoFarms: Soil-less Solution
'
uses arti
Farming the Land and Sky: Art Meets Cosmology in a Sustainable Environment
”
(Bertol
2006
).
2
For more information, visit
http://www.mnm.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/blogs/
;
3
For more information, visit
http://www.growingpower.org/verticalfarm.html
.
4
For more information, visit http.//gizmodo.com/this-downtown-tokyo-office-tower-contained-a-
vibrant-ver-1140007476.
6
For more information, visit
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013108/singapores-vertical-farms.
html
.
7
For more information, visit
http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/05areofarms_vertical-farming/
.
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