Engineering & Urban Farming

The Green Side of Entrepreneurship

http://youtu.be/0FDsHRNbjyo

Xavier University & Urban Farming

“Cultivating a Utopia Within the Desert”

The Benefits

People- Access to affordable quality food, Job creation, & healthier communities.

Planet-Reducing vehicle emissions & landfill waste, Reduce carbon footprint.

Profit- Boost to local economies, market expansion for farmers, economic savings on food.

The Case for Urban Farms

Dean, John. "Urban Farming Offers Green Benefits." Earth Times. Web

Agrowtopia Today

S. Genois St.

Euphrosine St.

Agrowtopias Food Local

Fresh

Affordable

Agrowtopias ModelHigh Demand &

High Profit Margin

Abundant Yield

Minimum Space

Business Concept

“A person who sees a problem is a Human Being; a person who finds a solution is a visionary; and the person who goes out and does something about it is an entrepreneur.” - Naveen Jain

*We are human beings, visionaries & entrepreneurs.

Food For Thought

What The Human Being Sees

Top Causes of U.S. Deaths (CDC) Access to Affordable Healthy Food

Heart disease: 596,577 Cancer: 576,691 Chronic lower respiratory

diseases: 142,943 Stroke (cerebrovascular

diseases): 128,932 Accidents (unintentional

injuries)

Source: CDC/National Center for Health Statistics

*(4 out 5 can be linked back to health)

Food Deserts

Genetically modified Foods

Processed Food

Misinformed Consumers

What The Human Being Sees

Aging Population of Farmers Environmental Issues

“Nobody wants to [farm],”... “And it’s not just here — it’s around the entire world. Farming has become a lost art.”- Gleen Beck

Only about 5% of farmers are under 25. (Census of Agriculture 2007)

Soil Quality in Urban Areas *Chalmette murphy oil spill

Air Pollution

Climate Change

What The Visionary SeesPeople are beginning to realize that it is cheaper and more advantageous to prevent disease rather than to cure it. - Henry Lindlahr  

Cure or Dependence? Prevention

Synthetic Medicine

$325.8 billion spent on prescription drugs in 2012 in a time of unaffordable healthcare. (IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics)

For the Profit

 

Natural Medicine

9.7 billion spent on Organic Produce in 2012. (Organic Trade Association survey)

For the People

Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Prescription Drug Spending Drops As Struggling Americans Are Forced To Cut Back On Health Care." Think Progress. Web.

Solutions: Younger Farmers & Innovative Farming Methods.

Farms of the future need: ingenuity, creative new technologies, community support, younger influences, and stronger business models.

Many successful D.I.Y gardens are sweeping agriculture on a small scale and should be considered on a larger scale.

Change the view of urban farms into unique forms of edible art rather than traditional views.

What The Visionary Sees

Engineering Meets

Entrepreneurship

“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”-Theodore Levitt

The Engineering-Entrepreneur

The Engineer… The Entrepreneur…

Have inquisitive minds

Understands state of the art technologies

Strong Analytical Skills

Masters of Machines

Is People Oriented

Great at Negotiating

Planning

Managing Money & Materials

+

What The Entrepreneur Sees…

“Innovation is the specific tool of the entrepreneur. ”-Peter F. Drucker

Innovative Farming Methods

Aquaponic SystemStorage Container FarmsZero CarbonFarming Electroculture

An opportunity to combine the green thumb of urban farmers with the designs and ingenuity of engineers; to identify and solve the urban farming and food supply problems for a healthier future.

What The Entrepreneur Sees…

Aquaponics is a very efficient method of growing food that uses a minimal amount of water and space while utilizing waste. Resulting in an end product of organic fish and vegetables.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHWC2J4xYnM

Vertical Aquaponics

Aquaponics

How Aquaponics Works." Http://aquaponics.com/. 2010-2014 Nelson and Pade, Inc. Web.

Brook, Russell. "How Does Aquaponics Work?" Home Aquaponic Systems. Web.

“Hydroponics is the growing of plants in nutrient-filled water without soil.”6 Hydroponic Systems Ebb & Flow Water Culture Wick (Simplest) Drip Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Aeroponic

Ebb & Flow- Timer pumps and floods the system when turned on; Reservoir automatically drains the nutrient solution when pump is off.

-Method used in zero carbon greenhouses

Nutrient Film Technique- Operates on a continues flowing stream (film) of nutrient solution to the roots of the plants. The roots that reach down into the nutrient solution, are able to wick up moisture to the upper roots, and the upper roots can also still get the air/oxygen that the plants need as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iqOqBCrL5g

Hydroponics

"The Six Types of Hydroponic Systems, Part 1." Hydroponics Online. 9 July 2010. Web. 14 Sept. 2014.

Storage Container Farms

Chin, A. (2013, February 17). Shipping container greenhouse urban farm unit by damien chivialle. Retrieved September 7, 2014, from /

MODULAR HIGH DENSITY FARMING USING SHIPPING CONTAINERS ON THE RISE."Agritecture. AGRITECTURE 2011–2014. Web.

*Great for Hydroponics & Aquaponic systems ANYWHERE!

Storage Container Farms Who’s Doing It?

Urban Container Farms (Flordia) “Alesca Life Technologies”,

(Bejing) Podponics (Georgia) Freight Farms (Boston) Growtrainer ( Dallas)

*Also in the U.K.

Zero Carbon

Farming Combined use of

hydroponics and LED lighting. The ebb & flow

system is used to contain water and

provide nutrients to the produce, while the LED lighting system is used

to provide sufficient lighting & heat.

Zero carbon farming is farming in a way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It is managing land, water, plants and animals to meet the triple challenge of landscape: Restoration, climate change and food security. 

Methods: • Maximum groundcover (no bare earth)• No-till cropping• Compost• Hydroponics & LED Lighting

"What Is Carbon Farming." Carbon Farmers of Australia. Web.

Goal=“Zero Carbon Output”

Australia & U.K.

Electroculture“

“Electroculture is a method of applying atmospheric electricity to the fertilization of plant life”

-Justin Christofleau

Methods • Antennas

• Magnets• Pyramids• Sound• Electric Wires (Copper)• Natural Batteries

Benefits• Accelerate growth rates• Increase yields• Improve Crop Quality• Protect plants from

diseases, insects and frost

Christofleau, Justin. Electroculture. The Society of Scientist & Inventors of France. 1927

White, Dr. G. S. Cosmo-ElectroCulture, Los Angeles, 1929

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSt89OF4PJM

Our Challenge To Engineers

How can engineers and entrepreneurs make urban farming more practical & profitable for the future?

Thanks Questions & Discussion?