Growing City, Japan Tokyo

                                          

Small-scale hydroponic food production from a new Japanese Subway fast-food restaurant in the Marunouchi Building, across the street from the ever busy Tokyo Station is open. The sandwich shop grows some of their own greens in an enclosed hydroponic production unit, without use of agrochemicals or inorganic solutions.  The organic lettuce is the freshest ingredient that the store can offer, giving new meaning to Subway's "Eat Fresh" motto.

Tokyo Subway restaurant with hydroponic food production

Currently, the hydroponics unit provides only 5% of the lettuce required for daily operations of the restaurant, and the cost of the operation is greater than trucking the lettuce in as normal. But to be fair, the application of new technologies always comes with a cost, and without innovative interventions such as this, that cost would never come down. 

More importantly, there is a high social value here - not only in terms of raising awareness overall, but very specifically in terms of connecting people to their food source in the largest metropolitan area in the entire world (39 million people). Small growing unit, large impact. So yes, this is more of an experiment than a new and more efficient urban food system, but without experimentation, we will never arrive at the new urban food system that many of our cities desperately need. 

There are those who belie the efforts of Subway, with some commenting that lettuce production is boring. However, if we take a look at the company, Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with over 33,000 restaurants in 92 countries, and it is the largest single-brand restaurant chain globally. (If you are now wondering, yes, Subway has more locations worldwide than McDonald's, which has an estimated 31,000 locations.)

Basically, subway likely uses more lettuce than any other single organization in the world. In terms of food production, lettuce has a very quick harvest cycle at approximately four weeks. When compared to the harvest cycles of tomatoes (60-100 days), onions (70-125 days), or peppers (65-95 days), lettuce is a perfect vegetable with which to experiment, especially in the setting of a public Subway restaurant.

Hydroponics Systems from  Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

The science of dissolved oxygen (DO) in a Non-circulating hydroponics method

                                              

1. All plant roots must have oxygen. In a hydroponic environment it is essential to ensure your plant’s roots are supplied with oxygen. Growers must be well versed in the science of dissolved oxygen (called DO).
                        

2. Most crops seem to prefer about 9 PPM DO, some crops like lettuce have demonstrated little to no difference in fresh weight or dry weight when grown in DO levels ranging from 2.1 PPM to 16.8 PPM (Albright et al, 1996). So lettuce is the best crop to grow in hydroponics.

3. Dissolved oxygen levels in tap water are typically between 5-7 parts per million (PPM) at room temperature. Temperature has a powerful effect on how much oxygen can be held by water molecules. The warmer the water is, the less gas it is able to hold. Fully oxygenated water at 68° F will hold about 9 PPM of DO, while the same water at 86° F only holds about 7.5 PPM (over 15% less DO). It should come as no surprise then that the ideal temperature for maximizing root growth in hydroponic systems is 68° Fahrenheit, the temperature at which water naturally holds the 8-9 PPM of DO, which is the very amount of DO necessary to support vigorous plant growth in most crops. Water holds both dissolved solids like fertilizer as well as dissolved gases like CO2 & O2. The higher the PPM (dissolved solids), the less gases water can hold, so be aware that over fertilizing often occurs in conjunction with oxygen eprivation.
                                 

4. There are 2 most cost-effective ways to increase DO in the water: grow air roots and pump air into water. First way is totally free. You just need to help plants to generate air roots as many as they can , so O2 will be delivered by leave to the air roots and transformed into DO in the solution.

5. The other way is to use Air Pumps & Air Stones
Air diffuses into water whenever water comes in contact with air. This commonly occurs when water on the surface of a reservoir touches the air in a grow room or when air bubbles rise through a column of water in a reservoir. Many growers employ the combination of an air pump and air stone to add oxygen to their solution (the mixture of water and nutrients). This is a viable option for many growers which is able to increase DO levels fairly inexpensively. An air pump pumps air through plastic tubing to the bottom of the reservoir, where it is attached to an air stone. The air stone then diffuses the air into small bubbles which rise through the water, increasing the DO level as they rise. This also happens to be a great method for keeping one’s water and nutrients mixed, preventing the nutrients from settling to the bottom of the reservoir.

             
The size of the bubble that an air stone produces makes a significant difference in their ability to add dissolved oxygen to water. If a single large bubble and 8 small bubbles have the same total amount of air inside of them, then the surface area of the smaller bubbles will always be greater. Additionally, smaller bubbles are less buoyant and rise through the water slower, allowing them to diffuse more oxygen into the water.

                                        

Hydroponics Systems from  Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

Reasons Pot is Better Than Alcohol

Reasons Pot is Better Than Alcohol

There’s a list of pot smokers to show the reasons weed wins over booze:
1. Marijuana Curbs Brain Damage Caused by Drinking
Unless you’re seriously in denial about alcohol’s negative effects, you’re probably aware that alcohol is less than good for your brain. Marijuana, however, may actually help prevent alcohol-associated brain damage and treat depression.

2. Marijuana May Help Treat Cancers Caused by Alcohol
Alcohol consumption is carcinogenic, and contributes to head and neck, breast, liver, esophageal and colorectal cancers. In fact, more than 19,500 cancer deaths in 2009 were deemed alcohol-related. Cannabis has been proven to help treat cancer and its symptoms.

3. Violent Behavior vs. Utter Chillness
Whether it’s used as an excuse for or directly causes aggression, alcohol more than any other substance promotes violent behavior. In case you’re unaware, marijuana tends to chill people out.

4. Alcohol Addiction is Extremely Dangerous
Alcoholism is an international problem, and withdrawal can lead to death or permanent brain damage. Cannabis addiction exists, but it is less harmful and generally less severe than addiction to other substances.

5. One Kills People. Guess Which One.
The first four points highlight alcohol’s lethality, but they don’t tell the whole story. Alcohol abuse kills 2.5 million people worldwide each year. The green stuff has led to exactly zero recorded deaths. Ever.

6. Alcohol Prevents Muscle Growth
Alcohol can prevent muscle growth in a variety of ways, from decreasing testosterone levels to interrupting sleep. Weed doesn’t directly affect muscle growth at all.

7. One Has Legitimate Medicinal Uses
Marijuana has a long, long list of physician-approved medical uses and the list is growing. Other than red wine’s ability to lower blood pressure, alcohol does just about nothing positive for a person’s health.

8. Drunk Sex is Sloppy, High Sex is Tingly
Alcohol decreases your ability to perceive stimuli. That can be a good thing when you’ve just faceplanted at a party and want to play it off like nothing. Losing feeling when you’re getting intimate, however, is pretty lame. Enter marijuana, which, as our very own Hypatia Lee can attest increases sensitivity and can improve sex.

9. Long Term Alcohol Abuse Could Kill You
Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to liver failure or other life-threatening conditions. Marijuana’s effects over a lifetime are still not entirely understood, but they do not include any of the potentially lethal ailments caused by alcohol.

10. Drunks Decisions Bad, High Decisions Slow
Alcohol leads to risky decision-making, period. That can be fun sometimes but dangerous at others. Scientist’s have yet to fully grasp marijuana’s effects on decision making, but this study shows that smokers more or less come to the same conclusions as sober peeps. They just take a little bit longer to arrive at those conclusions.


               
Hydroponics Systems from  Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

Shutdown affects food safety? Time to grow your own food.

Time To Grow Your Own Food, It Is Fun!

Now that the entire economy is in a slump, people are responding by tightening up and reducing consumption in general. The cost of everything seems to be higher these days, especially at the grocery store, a trip you can't skip. Maybe you can, or at least slash your bill, by growing your own food.

Growing fruits and vegetables seems overwhelming to most people, but it’s actually much simpler than it sounds. All you need is a few square feet of the great outdoors, or indoors, and a little time. Your grandparents did it, and so can you.

Benefits:
1. Improve your family's health. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the most important things you and your family can do to stay healthy. When they’re growing in your backyard or your kitchen, you won’t be able to resist them, and their vitamin content will be at their highest levels as you bite into them straight from the garden.

2.  Save money on groceries. Your grocery bill will shrink as you begin to stock your pantry with fresh produce from your backyard. A packet of seeds can cost less than a dollar, and if you buy heirloom, non-hybrid species, you can save the seeds from the best producers, dry them, and use them next year.

3. Reduce your environmental impact. Home gardening helps the planet in many ways. If you grow your food organically, without pesticides and herbicides, you’ll spare the earth the burden of unnecessary air and water pollution.

4. Get exercise. Planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting add purposeful physical activity to your day. If you have kids, they can join in, too. If you grow food indoor by hydroponics, you will enjoy fresh O2 every day releasing out by your plants. Gardening is also a way to relax, de-stress, center your mind, and get fresh air and sunshine.

5. Enjoy better-tasting food. Fresh food is the best food! How long has the food on your supermarket shelf been there? How long did it travel from the farm to your table? Comparing the flavor of a homegrown tomato with the taste of a store-bought one is like comparing apples to wallpaper paste. If it tastes better, you’ll be more likely to eat the healthy, fresh produce that you know your body needs. In fact, hydroponics food is more juicy and crispy then soil cultivation. Try it, and you will know what I am talking about.

6. Stop worrying about food safety. With recalls on peanut butter, spinach, tomatoes and more, many people are concerned about food safety in our global food marketplace. When you responsibly grow your own food, you don't have to worry about contamination that may occur at the farm, manufacturing plant, or transportation process. This means that when the whole world is avoiding tomatoes, for example, you don't have to go without—you can trust that your food is safe and healthy to eat.

7. Reduce food waste. Americans throw away about $600 worth of food each year! It's a lot easier to toss a moldy orange that you paid $0.50 for than a perfect red pepper that you patiently watched ripen over the course of several weeks. When it's "yours," you will be less likely to take it for granted and more likely to eat it (or preserve it) before it goes to waste.

                         

8. Reduce food carbon footprint. Eating your own grown food helps in the fight against global warming. Rich Pirog of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture reports that the average fresh food item on our dinner table travels 1,500 miles to get there. Growing your own produced

So, everyone, let’s start to grow some vegetables at home to eliminates the transport required to get food to your table. It also gets you no chemical food since yu won't poison yourself from a kitchen or backyard. And all that fuel-guzzling transportation, your food has zero carbon footprint.

Hydroponics Systems from Taiwan Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net

UN agencies say 1/8 people worldwide going hungry

 UN agencies say 1/8 people worldwide going hungry:

                             
● UN Food Insecurity Report

One in eight people around the world is chronically undernourished, food agencies at the United Nations have said. In their latest report on food insecurity, the UN agencies estimated that 842 million people were suffering chronic hunger in 2011-13, 12% of the world's population. The new figure was lower than the last estimate of 868m in 2010-12 and 1.02bn in 2009.

● AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center, previously known as the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, is an international, nonprofit institute for vegetable research and development. It was "founded in 1971 in Shanhua, southern Taiwan, by the Asian Development Bank, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam."

These countries wished for the AVRDC to become the "facilitator" for the Collaborative Vegetable Research Network for Southeast Asia, which was to work toward completing various projects that the founding nations put forth. Overall, the main goal of this continues to be to "reduce malnutrition and alleviate poverty in developing nations through improving production and consumption of vegetables."

                                    
The use of vegetables as crops that are of high worth is important in the "Millennium Development Goals" of the United Nations Development Program and the AVRDC. The vegetables made by the AVRDC can be used in poorer areas, where they can serve as "an important source of income" and can help fight micronutrient deficiencies.

The Center’s current crop portfolio focuses on four groups of globally important vegetables, according to the AVRDC:
• solanaceous crops: (tomato, sweet pepper, chili pepper, eggplant)
•  bulb alliums (onion, shallot, garlic)
• crucifers (cabbage, Chinese cabbage)
• cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae): (cucumbers, pumpkins)

Indigenous vegetables, particularly those of Asia and Africa are another focus of research at AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center. Indigenous vegetables are domesticated or semi-wild vegetable crops that are grown in particular regions as an integral part of a local food system. Many of them are underutilized crops, particularly in regions where they are not native.

Hydroponics Systems from Taiwan Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net
                  

NASA to grow lettuce in zero-gravity under pink LEDs aboard ISS

NASA to grow lettuce in zero-gravity under pink LEDs aboard ISS

Later this year NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station will be adding a new element to their daily routine — watering the garden.

                                        

NASA hopes to send up a small plot of romaine lettuce that will be grown in zero-gravity under pink LED lights. They believe it could be ready to eat in just 28 days. Of course, the astronauts won’t get to actually eat their experiment — at least not yet.

The Vegetable Production System (VEGGIE) program is going to test the safety and feasibility of growing food for astronauts in a confined environment like the ISS. The lettuce is going to be grown in small kevlar pouches that contain a growth medium. Not quite as traditional as soil, but more efficient. These space planters have been tested on Earth for the last few years with zero gravity in mind. NASA has researched how plants grow in space before, but this project is the first step to actually making edible food in orbit. The lettuce grown in this first batch won’t be cleared for consumption, though. Once it has been harvested, astronauts will freeze it and send the samples back to Earth for testing.
                                    

If all goes well, future space missions could grow a variety of leafy vegetables in orbit. These plants are considered the most efficient for production in space because they don’t require extensive preparation. Just pluck them from the bag, and they’re ready to be eaten. Foods like potatoes may be possible at some point, but they require some preparation before eating. Wheat and rice take longer to grow, and processing these plants into edible foods would require bulky equipment. As such, space bread isn’t going to be on the menu.

                                      

NASA hopes that having a garden up and running on the ISS could help keep astronauts’ spirits up, too. It can be stressful spending every hour in the stark, sterile interior of the ISS for months on end.


Hydroponics Systems from Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net
                                                    
                                      

Forget TVs. Sharp Sees a Future in Strawberry Farming

                                             

Might strawberries save a TV manufacturer?

Japanese technology company Sharp is to diversify its company offering into growing strawberries in the Middle East, by developing controlled environments that carefully tweak temperature, light and humidity. Japanese strawberries are sold for high prices in markets.The company has been working to develop factory scale technology that can cultivate strawberries at a facility in Sharp's Middle East Free Zone Establishment in Dubai, where it's very difficult to grow the fruit.

   
Sharp (6753:JP) made its name building televisions. But the company actually has its origins in mechanical pencils, and its future may rest on its ability to grow Japanese strawberries in the deserts of Dubai.

                         
As a consumer electronics company, Sharp is dying. Its business is increasingly made up of selling electronic components such as LCD displays and solar cells. This part of its business made up 46 percent of revenue in the fiscal year ended in March, up from about a third three years earlier. The relative growth in electronic components isn’t just because Sharp’s sales of consumer products are tanking—although they are. Sales are at record highs in every category of Sharp’s electronic-component business, and making strawberries is another way to continue that growth.
                                

While Sharp didn’t respond to a request to discuss its thinking, it seems clear that the strawberry operation in the Persian Gulf is to peddle more components. The strawberry facility is a hermetically sealed building stocked with Sharp’s own equipment. To control lighting, Sharp is using its LED technology. The company is also using something called Plasmacluster to kill germs, bacteria, mold—the same technology used in consumer products, as shown in this video of a Sharp air purifier reducing mold in bread. There’s additional technology to monitor room temperature and humidity, and Sharp says it will collect data on how well its cultivation techniques work to “achieve stable production of high-quality strawberries.” A big strawberry success for Sharp would be one of the most satisfying pivots in the history of tech.

Hydroponics Systems from Chicfarm LED grower, http://www.chicfarm.net