4 ms·

I get the desire to say "it's for weed". You can say the same thing about "its for porn" (VHS, DVD, Bluray, high speed internet, etc)... But I don't think it's

I get the desire to say "it's for weed". You can say the same thing about "its for porn" (VHS, DVD, Bluray, high speed internet, etc)... But I don't think it's the same. There's going to be an inflection point where the cost to transport lettuce from Mexico and California is going to be more than the cost of some vertical farm down the street. There's also this slow drumbeat of "Save the Planet!" and "Oil is da DEBIL Bobby!". Making stuff local and "sustainable" is marketable - even at a premium. There's a reason people go to local farmers markets. I can't say you're not wrong that "it's for the weed, man"... but I think you're limiting yourself if you think that's the ONLY reason - or even the biggest reason.

Dylan16807 9y ago
>There's going to be an inflection point where the cost to transport lettuce from Mexico and California is going to be more than the cost of some vertical farm down the street. How sure are you about that? Buildings are expensive, and you can fuel up trucks with solar arrays.
- rtpg 9y ago
  there was a planet money about getting a t-shirt made, and like... 40% of the cost was for the last couple mile deliveries. No matter how automated 95% of the journey is, the last mile will require someone to be there and do deliveries. In theory local producers have less coordination problems with their consumers.
  - Dylan16807 9y ago
    A grocery store is pre-last-mile. The consumer handles it themselves. Or the store does some kind of delivery, but that's no easier or harder because of producer location.
- ant6n 9y ago
  ...or make rail shipping more efficient
brad0 9y ago
Driverless trucks that run on sustainable energy is not that far away. Closer than this idea being cost effective.
- diyseguy 9y ago
  Trouble is, food that comes from far away tends to be the type that has been bred to look good and last a long time before spoiling but actually tastes like food shaped nothing.

Dylan16807 9y ago

>There's going to be an inflection point where the cost to transport lettuce from Mexico and California is going to be more than the cost of some vertical farm down the street. How sure are you about that? Buildings are expensive, and you can fuel up trucks with solar arrays.

rtpg 9y ago
there was a planet money about getting a t-shirt made, and like... 40% of the cost was for the last couple mile deliveries. No matter how automated 95% of the journey is, the last mile will require someone to be there and do deliveries. In theory local producers have less coordination problems with their consumers.
- Dylan16807 9y ago
  A grocery store is pre-last-mile. The consumer handles it themselves. Or the store does some kind of delivery, but that's no easier or harder because of producer location.
ant6n 9y ago
...or make rail shipping more efficient

brad0 9y ago

Driverless trucks that run on sustainable energy is not that far away. Closer than this idea being cost effective.

diyseguy 9y ago
Trouble is, food that comes from far away tends to be the type that has been bred to look good and last a long time before spoiling but actually tastes like food shaped nothing.