Las Vegas is a town known for doing things in a big way. Well now they're giving sustainability the royal treatment. There's a proposal on the table to build the world's first vertical farm. Not just any vertical farm either, but 30 storys of it. This $200 million project would be able to feed 72,000 people for a year and would grow everything from apples to winter squash. Of course, all of the products would be distributed directly to the casinos and hotels, who will be funding the project in the first place. The farm could potentially make up to $25 million a year, plus $15 million in potential tourist revenue. That means that it would eventually recoup the enormous start-up costs, especially with it's projected $6 million per year operating costs.
With our world population growing exponentially, and 60% of that population living in or near urban centers, vertical farms could be the wave of the future. If this experiment proves successful, every city in the world could one day be able to feed its citizens fresh, locally grown produce. Here's hoping that this Vegas happening won't stay there.
[via nextenergynews.com]
1-23-2008 @1:43PM Mary Ann said... I hadn't heard that Vegas was considering this. I'm actually encouraged to learn that somebody's going to give this a try.
Dickson Despommier, the microbiologist and professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University that has developed the idea, has crafted a pretty convincing set of plans. I blogged about it in mid-December. You can read it about at InfoFarm, the National Agricultural Library's blog: http://weblogs.nal.usda.gov/infofarm/archives/plants_and_crops/index.shtml#002844
Lots of good, authoritative links out there, too.
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1-16-2008 @10:40AM 1p5v said... This HAS to lead to moon-farming. Please god, let it be so.
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1-22-2008 @4:17PM Len Pense said... There is a better way for us all than this tower. Check out the website: gardeningrevolution.com
1-16-2008 @12:51PM Richard Ahlquist said... Hmm with the recent studies showing that artificially fertilized food isn't as healthy as those naturally grown this could be a flop.
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1-16-2008 @2:33PM sitruc said... I don't doubt artificially fertilized food isn't as healthy, but does 99.999% of the human population care? Most people don't know nor do they taste the difference. People will eat food because it is food. Make it a novelty and even more will eat it. I'm not saying it is right, I'm just being real.
1-18-2008 @1:10AM Pathis said... On the website (http://www.verticalfarm.com/) it states that they will not use fertilizer, other than compost, or pesticides.
1-18-2008 @12:02PM timdrat said... Plants need nitorgen (N2). How does a plant know the difference where the N2 comes from? I doubt "studies" (by whom?) that purport to show agricultural products fertilized by man-made N2 are less "healthy".
1-16-2008 @12:52PM Eric said... Sustainability comes from water. Vegas does not have a plan as I see it for making this work long term because they keep building more and more housing. Once all these people use all the water it's over and so is this ill thought out vertical farm... which needs WATER!
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1-16-2008 @1:42PM Indiefab said... A great idea, especially if you are trying to reduce shipping costs and the associated pollution.
However, the cost of getting all that extra water in the desert could be prohibitive.
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1-16-2008 @1:55PM Chris said... Hoax
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/gaming/2008/jan/10/vegas-building-rumor-watch-skyscraper-farm/
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1-16-2008 @2:38PM sitruc said... That was interesting. I guess we should expect a vertical farm in Los Angeles.
1-18-2008 @7:50AM chip said... Just great for the wildlife.
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1-18-2008 @7:59AM barry Price said... This is great. Any new technology that is positive such as growing food is a step forward. An experiment like this could lead to more localized food production without the need to ship it and consume oil. It could lead to other world food production. There's alot to be learned here; I hope it happens.
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1-18-2008 @12:50PM wanda said... This is a positive move forward.
1-18-2008 @8:05AM k said... iT WOULD BE GREAT IF THEY GREW ALOT OF THIS HYDROPONICALLY IN FISH WASTE WATER WHICH IS CIRCULATED THOUGHOUT THE SYSTEM AND BACK INTO A GIANT FISH TANK. SOME OF THE PLANT PEICES GO THOUGHT THE SYSTEM AND FEED THE FISH TOO. tHIS WAY THEY COULD ALSO FARM MERCURY FREE FISH FOR US TO EAT AS WELL.
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1-18-2008 @9:08AM misternoodley said... And where is Vegas going to get the water for this farm? Are they going to try to tap into the nearby aquifer again and rob the surrounding land and its ecosystem of water? Anybody remember the Devil's Hole Pupfish and the legal brawl that ensued? I'm not an extremist, but Vegas is built in a location that wasn't design to support its population and it shouldn't even exist. This farm would be a great concept if it were someplace else - right now, it's just another way for Vegas to screw over the surrounding environment.
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1-18-2008 @9:54AM Ken said... Farm could get all of the input water they needed from the LV sewage treatment plants.
1-18-2008 @9:13AM Bernard williams said... why cant the prisons in this country start farming their owan food. it would also teach a trade at the same time,in a good environment. why, why, why.
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1-22-2008 @4:16PM Len Pense said... Bernard, There is an eaiser way for prisons and individuals to do this. Check out the website:
gardeningrevolution.com
1-18-2008 @9:11AM david smith said... if they grow hydroponicly and recyle the water that might drasticly reduce water use,and go organic. ? about lighting, use of solar panals to power grow lights or mabey some kind of mirror system
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