From the title I was hoping to see a farm in a box (shipping container converted to a microfarm/greenhouse with solar panels or something).
Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
221–230 of 266 posts
Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
#222There really are different 'cliques' on HN, depending on which subject is posted. And this one seems to be the 'not so positive' clique. If framework is bench marked, or if people create a great CSS suite and animations, you get (mostly) constructive criticism. A company is actually doing something about bigger issues which could positively affect the lives of many people in a sustainable way ... and we get this. I'm…
>A company is actually doing something about bigger issues which could positively affect the lives of many people in a sustainable way ... and we get this.
Except, they're not, and some basic knowledge means their claims don't pass the sniff test. Hence the nalegativity, which seems warranted.
Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
#223Earlier quoted context omitted.
Non-profit doesn't mean the company can't make a profit on what it sells or even pay employees a fair salary. It does mean that profits go back into the company, rather than having profits siphoned off by investors and shareholders. Non-profit is pro-reinvestment and therefore pro-scaleup.
> It does mean that profits go back into the company, rather than having profits siphoned off by investors and shareholders. Why is money going back into the company "good", but investors get the negative connotation of "siphoning" money? What is with the disdain for the people who own the company making money from it?
> Why is money going back into the company "good", but investors get the negative connotation of "siphoning" money?
Because that is exactly what's happening?
If the company produces just enough to break even, the money is distributed fairly.
But if more money is earnt, this entire surplus goes to the investors (or, in recent years, also to management).
This means that while the wages of the workers stagnate with increasing productivity, the profits of the investors go up. The worker is producing an additional vakue, but all of that goes to the capitalist.
— paraphrased from Das Kapital, by Karl Marx.
Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
#224$60,000 seems like a lot of amount for starving and underdeveloped areas. I went to their funding page and read more about what's inside the "box" https://republic.co/farm-from-a-box 1: micro-drip irrigation system 2: 3kW solar power 3: Pumping System 4: IOT setup 5: Energy management 6: Basic farm tools As of 2016, average cost of solar power is approximately $3.00 per watt so ~ $9K. I have installed a decent sized…
For fun, I was looking at cheap (compared to San Francisco) land with no infrastructure in Wyoming. 1 acre of land, $10K USD. Drilling a water well that might work, $5K to $30K.
The soil here (in much of the state) is fairly good, but the growing season is pathetically short. Assuming you're on the plains and get a full day of sun. (If not, it's even shorter). But, on the plains, then you've got more wind than you want to deal with.
So - why Wyoming? Why don't you go some place with milder weather that isn't a desert like Kansas or Arkansas?
Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
#225> All of those things affect the ultimate price of the box, and that’s why we have a range from about $50,000 to $60,000. If you were to a la carte all the different components that we put into this kit, it would end up costing you more than what we’re charging. I seriously doubt that. $50k for what appears to basically be 2 acres of irrigation equipment and a solar-powered raspberry pi is absurd. It also looks like…
As I've said in other threads re high-tech farming ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13063841 ), most of these websites and startups and schemes are completely inane. I'd bet that this one is in that category too.
I was about to post another submission[1] regarding DIY farm tools that someone had commented on saying they thought it was another case of it being crap, but were pleasantly surprised that it had some good ideas, and in making sure it wasn't already mentioned came upon your comment. Turns out, you're the comment in the other submission saying it was actually not bad, so I suspect you'll appreciate this link. :)
Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
#226It's gotten more expensive since I first read about this back in 2015.
http://www.ecowatch.com/solar-powered-farm-from-a-box-everyt...
So in two years, they're still just at a single prototype installation? This almost sounds like it's just a back end for the founder's other ambitions, whatever they might be. A quick search of the name shows her as a speaker at some women's forums, (with the typical theme of "empowering others" and other social buzzwords) SXSW, and pics of her at Burning Man.
I think the concept is nice, but totally unaffordable for the third world nations that they say they want to serve. It's also not that people in the middle east/etc don't know how to farm. They often times just lack modern farming equipment. Not sure if a 'farm in a box' solution is what they actually need.
Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
#227Water.
Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
#228Since the jury is in, this is bad idea / vaporware I do find it interesting it's currently at 380 points on HN.
I' like to think it was up voted as an example of a bad idea, but I suspect not.
Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
#229$60,000 seems like a lot of amount for starving and underdeveloped areas. I went to their funding page and read more about what's inside the "box" https://republic.co/farm-from-a-box 1: micro-drip irrigation system 2: 3kW solar power 3: Pumping System 4: IOT setup 5: Energy management 6: Basic farm tools As of 2016, average cost of solar power is approximately $3.00 per watt so ~ $9K. I have installed a decent sized…
For fun, I was looking at cheap (compared to San Francisco) land with no infrastructure in Wyoming. 1 acre of land, $10K USD. Drilling a water well that might work, $5K to $30K.
I can find you some property in Maine that is closer to 2K/acre as long as you're okay being off grid. Well drilling would only be $3-5K depending on the site, and you might even get lucky and have a natural spring on the property somewhere.
We got a whole lotta land up here, and most of it is stuck in the post-lumber slump.
Re: Startup Puts Everything You Need for a Two-Acre Farm in a Shipping Container
#230$60,000 seems like a lot of amount for starving and underdeveloped areas. I went to their funding page and read more about what's inside the "box" https://republic.co/farm-from-a-box 1: micro-drip irrigation system 2: 3kW solar power 3: Pumping System 4: IOT setup 5: Energy management 6: Basic farm tools As of 2016, average cost of solar power is approximately $3.00 per watt so ~ $9K. I have installed a decent sized…
$60,000 is way more expensive than the 2 acre land it serves in most parts of India
... or USA :)