World's first commercial vertical farm opens in Singapore. - Polidicks

[quote] [quote] [IMG]http://www.channelnewsasia.com/components/display_image.php?id=515027[/IMG] [/quote] SINGAPORE: Singapore now has its first commercial vertical farm, which means more local options for vegetables. The technique uses aluminium towers that are as tall as nine metres, and vegetables are grown in troughs at multiple levels. The technique utilises space better -- an advantage for land-scarce Singapore. Sky Greens farm first started working on the prototype in 2009, and has opened a 3.65-hectare farm in Lim Chu Kang. It produces three types of vegetables which are currently available only at FairPrice Finest supermarkets. They cost 10 to 20 cents more than vegetables from other sources. Despite the higher prices, the greens have been flying off supermarket shelves. Ms Ivy Lim, a customer, said: "(The price) is not a very big difference, it's just marginal... I think as compared to organic (produce), the price is very attractive." "The response has been very good. Even before the official launch, the vegetables were sold out in the last few days," said Mr Tng Ah Yiam, managing director of group purchasing, merchandising and international trading at FairPrice. "Actually, the store manager called me and said we need more vegetables. So I think it's a good sign that the consumer supports local vegetables." But prices may drop as the farm ramps up supply. The farm currently has 120 vertical towers, and hopes to increase the number to 300 by next year. This will increase its current daily supply of vegetables from 0.5 tonnes to two tonnes by 2013. "The challenge will be to get investors interested. This type of farm needs (relatively) higher capital," said Dr Ngiam Tong Tau, the chairman of Sky Greens. "This is a new system, so people need to be trained (and) we need to attract people to come here to work." The farm's expansion is expected to cost some S$27 million. Currently, about seven per cent of Singapore's vegetables are grown locally. It is hoped with more innovative farming methods, it will help meet the target of 10 per cent in the future. "We are always looking at ways to increase our sources of food supply and if we can produce some in Singapore, then that can go some way to meet local demand," said Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry. Source: [URL]http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1233261/1/.html[/URL] [/quote]

This is possibly the most amazing thing I've heard of all year. This is really big news.

[B]YES[/B] YES YES YES yes yes yes!!! I have been an absolutely [B]HUGE[/B] proponent of hydroponics for such a godamned long time it's [B]AMAZING[/B] to hear news like this!! This is actually what I'm starting my career in and plan on starting my own farm as well. [B]SENSATIONAL [/B] news!

Nice to see some headway made in this type of growing, you can get a really high density with this. I wonder how much aeroponics would help.

Hydroponics are fucking crazy, you can grow anything in any climate in such a perfectly controlled environment. I have a friend with a sweet hydroponics system in the Dominican Republic and he can grow lemons, tomatoes, apples... All sorts of shit you can't usually grow down there. ...weed

[QUOTE=TheDecryptor;38246205]Nice to see some headway made in this type of growing, you can get a really high density with this. I wonder how much aeroponics would help.[/QUOTE] Aeroponics usually will tack on an additional 35% growth from an existing traditional ebb-and-flow hydroponics system, and your traditional ebb-and-flow system has an average efficiency (with the right parameters) of an equivalent 10 hectares of "land" in one hectare of hydroponics systems. That means for every one hectare of hydroponics you have, it is equivalent to ten hectares of arable land! edit: ... and yes hydroponics is great for weed.

I swear to god there'll be some complete bullshit from idiots about this when farms of its type start showing up in the western world.

[QUOTE=Reds;38246249]I swear to god there'll be some complete bullshit from idiots about this when farms of its type start showing up in the western world.[/QUOTE] I really can't think of anything to complain about but I'm sure someone will. People in this country love to complain about everything.

[QUOTE=Reds;38246249]I swear to god there'll be some complete bullshit from idiots about this when farms of its type start showing up in the western world.[/QUOTE] Actually there are some pretty successful hydroponics farms in Florida and a tomato one in Mesa, AZ. What we're really going to have to watch for is corporate farms like Monsanto coming in and quashing startups, which has a huge potential of happening. Monsanto is pretty much satan except in food form, not only do they not care about where your food is coming from, they are the reason subsidies ruined the chance for farmers to sell to larger food markets. As you can tell, I'll be creeping this page alot, I'm Facepunch's local farm-nerd.

[QUOTE=FingerSpazem;38246256]I really can't think of anything to complain about but I'm sure someone will. People in this country love to complain about everything.[/QUOTE] GMO's, it not being as natural, chemically treated, eyesore, fake.. I'm sure some superficial unsupported opinions will inevitably arise from "purists".

[QUOTE=Bradyns;38246281]GMO's, it not being as natural, chemically treated, eyesore, fake.. I'm sure some superficial unsupported opinions will inevitably arise from "purists".[/QUOTE] The only valid one is being an eyesore but it's not like every modern city doesn't accomplish that already. [editline]30th October 2012[/editline] I guess hydroponic systems could be seen as energy hogs, they do require a bit but honestly I have no idea what I'm talking about

I like to imagine that in the future, apartment blocks have this glass corner with these farms inside. Make cities and towns a bit more self-sustainable, save some nature as not much farms are needed to construct.

"It's an eyesore!" So build the thing underground, problem solved. Though the arguments wont matter as they'll be coming from multi-trillion dollar lobbying groups, so this will die either really quickly, or be ignored for another ten years.

Ah, the future. <3

[QUOTE=Reds;38246249]I swear to god there'll be some complete bullshit from idiots about this when farms of its type start showing up in the western world.[/QUOTE] DUDE NOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING STOP PLANTS AREN'T MEANT TO BE GROWING VERTICALLY THAT'S WHAT TREES DO DUDE NO STOP THIS IS AGAINST NATURE STOP

So it's essentially shelves I like it!

Fuck yeah! Why can't I rate this winner more than once?

i was expecting plants growing sideways

[QUOTE=Uncle Bourbon;38246490]i was expecting plants growing sideways[/QUOTE] I was expecting pigs with super strength velcro on their trotters running around on walls like spiders

Expected a wall of grass

[QUOTE=Bradyns;38246281]GMO's, it not being as natural, chemically treated, eyesore, fake.. I'm sure some superficial unsupported opinions will inevitably arise from "purists".[/QUOTE] I'm sure some people would complain about big corporations destroying small farmers or such.

Hydroponics are cool because space.

The idea of building vertically interests me more than expanding out; this is awesome.

[QUOTE=camacazie638;38246938]The idea of building vertically interests me more than expanding out; this is awesome.[/QUOTE]Could seriously help mitigate environmental issues of forests/jungles/other important and endangered habitats being cleared to make space for crop growing.

[QUOTE=Sgt Doom;38246966]Could seriously help mitigate environmental issues of forests/jungles/other important and endangered habitats being cleared to make space for crop growing.[/QUOTE] Replace cultivated land with trees. Sheer brilliance!

[QUOTE=ewitwins;38246265]Actually there are some pretty successful hydroponics farms in Florida and a tomato one in Mesa, AZ. What we're really going to have to watch for is corporate farms like Monsanto coming in and quashing startups, which has a huge potential of happening. Monsanto is pretty much satan except in food form, not only do they not care about where your food is coming from, they are the reason subsidies ruined the chance for farmers to sell to larger food markets. As you can tell, I'll be creeping this page alot, I'm Facepunch's local farm-nerd.[/QUOTE] didn't monsanto make agent orange?

Wow shit for once FP is faster than the local newspaper.

Time to go to space

now to wait for vat-grown artificial meat

It's about time someone built one of these! [B]NOW, for the rest of the world's megacities![/B]