Food & Farming

---

Traditional farming is hugely governed by the weather as when to plant and when to harvest. Farmers also tend to be very knowledgeable on things weather related and have been for centuries. However, what they experienced in the past is no longer guaranteed today. Last year we saw Wild Fires and drought around the world and this year in North America we have seen enormous winter storms sweep across the country. This is all part of what we call Climate Change. Around the north and south poles, we have Jet Stream (so called as when jet aircraft first met it flying at altitudes of around 30,000 feet and discovered winds of 200 mph. Prior to this passenger aircraft flew at lower altitudes).

There are two of these jet streams called the Polar Vortices spinning around the North and South Poles and normally contain the cold polar air. However due to Climate Change and the warming of the oceans these jet streams have slowed and become erratic causing polar air to drift south and in summer warm equatorial air to drift north. In simple terms this has made the task of farmers more difficult in deciding when to plant and when to harvest. Couple this with the increased violence of storms due to the energy in the warming oceans we have an impossible position in growing food!

However, there is a solution to traditional agriculture that will enable us to grow food year round without fear of weather or other natural disasters. Farmers are by nature traditionalists and will take a lot to convince them that this will solve their problems.

This type of farming does not need soil but water of which 95% can be recycled and the remaining 5% made up by extracting water from the atmosphere. There are 3 types of this farming.

1. Hydroponics

2. Aquaponics

3. Aeroponics

The first grows crops in water. The second grows both crops and fish. The third grows crops on a matting that is sprayed with water. The crops can be grown in natural light or using artificial light employing special LED lamps. Crops can be grown in a continuous basis like a conveyor belt if the farm is big enough. An example a lettuce can grow in 30 days and with staggered planting can be harvested every day.

The farms can be sited anywhere desert or mountain and when using solar, wind energy etc are completely independent.

Virtually any crop can be grown from fruit trees to rice with the correct management system.

These systems make it possible for farmers to synchronise their production with retailers and therefore match supply and demand. There is no need to use pesticides provided access to the growing areas is strictly regulated and hygiene adhered to.