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It doesn't grow many crops, either. I can see it being useful for restricted spaces like balconies or roof top gardens in cities, also because unlike soil garde

by Klwohu 6y ago

It doesn't grow many crops, either. I can see it being useful for restricted spaces like balconies or roof top gardens in cities, also because unlike soil gardening the weight is much less even accounting for the hydroponic growing solution. And of course, the gem of the new "industry," the place in Jackson which is a special case, tucked away up in the mountains where it can be hard to get in and out without delays, but wealthy enough to have practically every luxury brand in the world operating a store or two. To me though the issue with hydroponically grown produce, vertical OR horizontal, is they taste insipid. I'm not sure if anybody's done a study on, say, lycopene in tomatoes grown hydroponically vs. conventionally but I'd guess there's less of everything in the hydros. This is a known problem in the normal supermarkets and people have been complaining about bland veggies for many years. I will admit it's useful and can make money in certain situations. And it's funny as a gag, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En3TYdWfwaw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En3TYdWfwaw

abeppu 6y ago
My understanding was part of the reason we get bland veggies in the supermarket is that selection has been for being able to stay good for a longer period and not be damaged during shipping. If vertical farms have less time between harvesting and actual eating, maybe we can pick tastier varietals?
- klodolph 6y ago
  That may be the reason for bland veggies in the supermarkets, but my personal experience with hydroponics is that they’re noticeable blander than what you get at the supermarket. If your goal is better veggies, it is often possible to source them just by trying different grocery stores. Some grocery stores rely heavily on larger (national) distributors, and other stores reliably provide a decent selection of locally sourced foods.
- Klwohu 6y ago
  What if the taste of the particular strain isn't what causes blandness, but growing it in water with plant food mix instead of soil is? It might be possible to develop choose tastier breeds for hydroponic use but it's likely that even they would taste even better if grown in real soil on a farm, with all the added nutrient intake that sustains. So far the most success has been with fast-growing salad mixes and such, and to me it resembles an offshoot of the fresh sprout industry more than a heavy lifting type of agriculture meant to sustain the billions.

by Klwohu 6y ago

abeppu 6y ago

My understanding was part of the reason we get bland veggies in the supermarket is that selection has been for being able to stay good for a longer period and not be damaged during shipping. If vertical farms have less time between harvesting and actual eating, maybe we can pick tastier varietals?

klodolph 6y ago
That may be the reason for bland veggies in the supermarkets, but my personal experience with hydroponics is that they’re noticeable blander than what you get at the supermarket. If your goal is better veggies, it is often possible to source them just by trying different grocery stores. Some grocery stores rely heavily on larger (national) distributors, and other stores reliably provide a decent selection of locally sourced foods.
Klwohu 6y ago
What if the taste of the particular strain isn't what causes blandness, but growing it in water with plant food mix instead of soil is? It might be possible to develop choose tastier breeds for hydroponic use but it's likely that even they would taste even better if grown in real soil on a farm, with all the added nutrient intake that sustains. So far the most success has been with fast-growing salad mixes and such, and to me it resembles an offshoot of the fresh sprout industry more than a heavy lifting type of agriculture meant to sustain the billions.