Total sustainable food growth in box refrigerator size possible in tenyears

Tomato plant

 “The Food for Cities team hopes Agropolis will encourage a worldwide movement towards sustainable, healthy food production, aimed ultimately at providing a viable solution for world hunger.”

Kurzweil reports what universities are finding possible, and that is folks will be able to grow their own vegetables in an area the size of a refrigerator for total sustainable food growth.  This is a boon for the food supply and for modern ways of living.

For years, folks have been concerned that the agricultural lands have been used for human development, leaving fewer and fewer areas to grow food.  Within the next ten years scientists tell us you will be able to grow your food needs in a box about the size of a refrigerator.

"Aeroponic gardens can save 90% of the water used in a conventional garden, and the growth rate can be 25% higher than in soil gardens because the oxygen levels in air are so much higher than in soil. An additional 40% boost to growth rates can be obtained by growing the plants in enriched CO2 atmospheres. This increased CO2 concentration has the additional benefit of discouraging pest infestations and bacterial contamination."

At Singularity University a team project called “Food for Cities.” is a plan of solutions that can positively affect the lives of a billion people.  It is grown in a box, and that champion of the small size that can help people individually or whole families multiplied over and over could make a significant difference in the food supply.

N.Y. high school, college students create sustainable gardens in HellsKitchen

NEW YORK -  GHN News -Those used to those old

black-and-white movies with thugs threatening the small business owners with
shakedowns have an image of Hells Kitchen that today is being changed
into rooftop gardens.


As a matter of fact, it is in Hell's Kitchen that these new scientific food and gardening breakthroughs are taking place.

Cornell University says that with
more than a million dollars of seed money, an aquaponics greenhouse is
taking root at one of the high schools in Hells Kitchen.  The high
school is partnering with Cornell in this venture.

Officials
at Food and Finance High School and their partners at Cornell
University Cooperative Extension-NYC announced recently that with some
money from the offices of City council speaker Christine Quinn,
Manhattan borough President Scott Stringer and State Sen. Tom Duane the
school was able to get $1.37 million it is putting together a
state-of-the-art facility to move the science curriculum into the 21st
century to help feed the community.

“This
exciting roof project really puts us at the cutting edge of science
technology, education and food production,” says Principal Roger
Turgeon. “For a culinary arts school in an urban area, to be able to
produce food at this scale is a major achievement.”

The
greenhouse will serve as a laboratory for teaching, for producing food
and a hub for the New York City area.  The aquaculture and hydroponics
programs are under a new structure on the northwestern portion of the
West 50th Street Education Campus.

Not only will the facility accent producing food it is also 21st century in its energy from wind, solar and hydro technologies.

Philson Warner is the Cornell University Cooperative Extension
scientist and developer of the aquaponics technology to be used in the
rooftop project. He says,"The technology is unique and the results will
be eye opening to many.  The mutually sustainable hydroponic and
aquaculture systems – forming a high-functioning aquaponic system – will
use minimal energy and in fact may contribute to the city's power
grid,” says Warner. “Students will have first-hand knowledge of how
science is used to produce the cleanest and freshest food possible –
scientific training that will really give them a leg up in getting into
good colleges.”

Cornell
University is involved with the Department of Education in New York
City in these innovative projects.  The high school has about 400
students preparing to work in the food industry.

“Providing
the opportunity for students to connect the production, preparation and
consumption of food is unprecedented,” says Turgeon. “It also enables
us to promote and teach sustainability and healthy eating. Today, it is
not enough to teach culinary arts – students must understand food
systems and be environmentally cognizant.”

Food
produced will be used in the school’s culinary programs, at the
school’s cafeteria, be sold to local restaurants and donated to area
homeless shelters.