TMCnet News
United States : CITYBLOOMS and PLANTRONICS team up to create an urban farm run on technology [TendersInfo (India)](TendersInfo (India) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) A Santa Cruz entrepreneur is putting his own spin on the farm-to-table movement, partnering with tech leader Plantronics to put up a computer-run micro farm the size of a studio apartment to grow lettuce and specialty greens for the company cafe. "They're a very progressive company," said Nick Halmos, founder of Cityblooms. "This is a beta site." Halmos, 35, calls himself "farmer-in-chief," installed the growing modules in March. Since July, when he obtained food safety certification, he has produced fresh greens for the cafeteria, at a rate of 400 pounds a month. Steve Carroll, Plantronics' brand marketing specialist and someone who eats salad every day, said he has noticed the difference. "The greens are a lot fresher," he said. "There's more variety, things like pea shoots, which we hadn't seen before," added Dolores Nelson, senior director of facilities and workplace services, asking Halmos. "I've heard rumors you're ready to start spinach." Halmos said he will start spinach and fall crops such as kale once the temperature drops. Halmos opened up one of the growing modules, which looks like a miniature greenhouse. Rows of perfectly formed plants get water and nourishment in a hydroponic system where the amounts are programmed by a proprietary software program and powered by Plantronics' solar system. Agriculture is a labor-intensive but with this technology, less working staff is needed. Another benefit is, reducing food waste, estimated by researchers to be 40% of the food supply due to production and consumer inefficiencies, to less than 5%. (c) 2014 Euclid Infotech Pvt. Ltd. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |