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Prefab Greenhouse + Ardunio Controls = Automated Agriculture (Video)

Posted by Roblimo on from the they-call-me-mister-green-genes dept.

Sam Bagot and Will Bratton operate Horto Domi (hortodomi.com), an agricultural project they describe as "beyond organic." They're working with small prefab greenhouses, adding sensors and Arduino-actuated controls, and even including an earthworm breeding area in most domes, because earthworms are good for the soil and can increase plant production. If you're the kind of person whose plants always seem to shrivel up and die, this may be a great way to garden. With watering and other functions automated, it looks like all you have to do is set your controls, plant what you want to grow, and wait for the "time to harvest" alarm to go off. Okay, it might not be that simple, but Sam and Will say their gardening method saves a lot of energy and time. It also looks like fun, besides being an easy way to grow your own 100% organic fruits and vegetables.

3 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Reminds me of the ``Biotron'' ads from the '70s by WillAdams · · Score: 5, Interesting

    (no, not for the Micronaut)

    Kind of begs the question --- how would homesteading look w/ 21st century technology? How much land does one need for a self-sufficient existence for a family of 4?

    --
    Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
    1. Re:Reminds me of the ``Biotron'' ads from the '70s by drgould · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Like this.

      The Dervaes family of four produces 6000 lbs of organic food annually on 1/10 of an acre located just 15 minutes from downtown Los Angeles.

  2. TCO? by blackfrancis75 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm sure this kind of scheme would give the owner some warm fuzzy feelings, knowing that they did it themselves, and that in principle they're 'saving the planet' by growing without pesticides...
    But really, you'd have to voluntarily ignore the total financial AND environmental costs.
    How many veggies do you need to grow and eat before you break-even on the cost of the setup?
    How many to grow & eat before the reduced pesticide use makes up for the energy-costs and pollution associated with fabrication, distribution and eventual safe disposal of the hardware?

    I know that's not 'the' point, but it does need to be considered int eh context of the 'cool' factor