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Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

#11

Post by adrianN »

ComputerGuru wrote: post #4
roel_v wrote: post #2

Pretty light on details, even the website of this company itself. The claim of being able to feed 150 people off 2 acres (about 1 hectare, for those of us who like to think in units that make sense) is a pretty wild one. Maybe you could grow potatoes with [150 x 1700 x 365] calories in them in a climate where you can grow year round, but that's surely not what they're insinuating in their marketing pictures.

I would say corn, then potato. But you're right, the startup isn't being all that forthcoming with details and it's likely their claims are (greatly) exaggerated, or perhaps, from a purely "well, technically..." point-of-view. There's an excellent article that champions the calories-per-acre metric by WP: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/in-defense-of-... In the calorie department, corn is king [..] corn…

The very optimistic 150 * 1700 * 365 metric above means that you need 93 Million / 15 Million = ~6.2 acres.

Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

#13

Post by agentgt »

I think I like the farmbot.io idea a little bit better as it seems far more practical. After all I'm not looking to grow all my food but mainly the dirty dozen vegetables/fruits (as well as seasonal ones I like).

One of the main reasons I want to grow food though is some vegetables are not carried by my local grocery stores (I have to go to a farmer market or expensive grocery store). For example many grocery stores do not sell Japanese yams, Yuca, various peppers, or plantains (I suppose plantains would be difficult to grow).

I also would like to do it all inside as well (because I live in New England and have more inside space than outside and various other reasons). Basically a refrigerator size farming appliance that you plugin with plumbing and electricity.

Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

#14

Post by saycheese »

sweettea wrote: post #3
roel_v wrote: post #2

Pretty light on details, even the website of this company itself. The claim of being able to feed 150 people off 2 acres (about 1 hectare, for those of us who like to think in units that make sense) is a pretty wild one. Maybe you could grow potatoes with [150 x 1700 x 365] calories in them in a climate where you can grow year round, but that's surely not what they're insinuating in their marketing pictures.

Jean-Martin Fortier, in Quebec (not known for its balmy climate), successfully runs a 200-family CSA on 1.5 acres, which is an even higher level of intensive cropping than this box proposes. No, not everything can be grown on 2 acres for 150 people, but you can grow all the vegetables needed.

"Rise of the High-Profit Micro Farm" appears to cover the topic in depth:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13310038

Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

#15

Post by dghughes »

>...and even individuals who want to start a farm.

As a person who lives in a farming area this seems like putting a computer and a box of red bull in a box and labeling it "computer programmer kit".

I'm not a farmer but things like crop rotation, regulations, WHIMIS (pesticides/herbicides), dangers such as the PTO on the tractor and other farm dangers all needed training. You see at least once per year some farm hand injured by crushing or falling there are so many dangers.

Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

#16

Post by ericzawo »

I used to work with a company that modified shipping containers for a whole slew of uses, including hydroponic growing of vegetables. Shipping containers present a great solution to food production but sadly many of the companies I've seen attempt to do this sort of thing get bogged down in the details of implementing them to various clients (such as the article's mention of testing in Ethiopia). One company, however, that has seemed to get it all right is http://www.freightfarms.com/ I'm very curious to see where they go. No affiliation, I just know a few happy customers of theirs.

Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

#17

Post by pjc50 »

billpg wrote: post #5

"a test plot [in Ethiopia] for Farm From a Box had to be cancelled, due to ethnic protests there" There's a sentence that asks more questions than it answers.

Not specifically related to the farm. Ethiopia is a very non-free country, as is nearby Eritrea. We just don't hear much about it because journalism is impossible and the government is pro-west.

Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

#18

Post by orasis »

I love the idea, but as a fairly well-off hobby farmer myself, there is no way I would spend that much on this product.

I bought 1 mile of drip tape for $150 off of https://www.berryhilldrip.com

Solar panels are a cheap commodity. There are charge controllers which will only turn on the DC if you're over a certain voltage for the pump.

Again, I love the idea, but its way off on execution at this point.

Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container

#20

Post by orasis »

agentgt wrote: post #13

I think I like the farmbot.io idea a little bit better as it seems far more practical. After all I'm not looking to grow all my food but mainly the dirty dozen vegetables/fruits (as well as seasonal ones I like). One of the main reasons I want to grow food though is some vegetables are not carried by my local grocery stores (I have to go to a farmer market or expensive grocery store). For example many grocery stores…

Unless they put the farmbot on wheels, you're talking about too small of a square footage to generate any interesting yields. You'll spend WAY more time maintaining the bot than you would just planting and mulching.

The farmbot development is important, but won't be commercially viable with the current fixed rail system.

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