Laser sensors automatically fertilize crops that need it most
We’ve seen RFID tags adapted by Newcastle University in the UK to help farmers keep tabs on their cows, and now CropSpec is a device that uses lasers to detect the growth of crops and apply fertilizer only to the areas where it is required. READ MORE…
Wise Words with Jack Ng
We’ve covered a number of urban farming projects over recent years, and as demand for space grows near cities across the world such schemes have become increasingly crucial. Sky Greens is a low-water and low-energy vertical farm that is intended for urban areas. READ MORE…
Sensor alerts farmers via SMS when a cow is in heat
We recently covered the Kenyan iCow SMS service and now comes word of a like-minded innovation from Switzerland. Focusing this time on cows’ fertility cycles, Anemon is testing sensor technology that alerts farmers via text message when a cow is in heat, enabling them to better time the expensive insemination process. READ MORE…
‘Weed dating’: A twist on speed dating for young, single farmers
Over the last few years we’ve seen a resurgence in interest in agriculture among young, green-minded consumers, but it wasn’t until just recently that we came across an effort to address the romantic ramifications for those who make it their career. Because farming tends to be a hard-working and isolated life with long hours and little time or opportunity for socializing, Weed Dating is a new trend popping up across the United States by which young, single farmers get a chance to meet one another in a speed-dating fashion while working side-by-side in the fields. READ MORE…
Urban farm and market encourages consumers to be involved in the growing process
Selling farm goods directly to the consumer means greater profits for the producer and brings consumers closer to the source of the food they eat. The FARM:shop in London already offers goods farmed on site, and now The Farmery aims to encourage consumers in the US to see how their food is grown as well as take part themselves. READ MORE…
Cow farmers updated on cattle’s wellbeing via SMS
Smartphones may be commonplace among urban businesses, but rural farmers – especially those in poorer countries – may not have easy access to the devices. We’ve already seen India-based Nano Ganesh offer remote water pump control through basic cell phone technology, and now iCow is providing vital information to cow farmers via SMS. READ MORE…
Compact hydroponic unit can grow 10,000 vegetables a year
In recent times, Springwise has come across a number of startups aiming to aid urban crop growth with innovative hydroponic solutions, from the NASA-inspired Green Wheel indoor rotary garden to Efficient City Farming’s rooftop aquaponic farm. Now Japanese homebuilding firm Daiwa House Industry has developed the Agri-Cube, a unit that fits inside a standard parking space and can produce 10,000 vegetables a year. READ MORE…
Floating fish farms offer a more sustainable way to produce seafood
Fish farming in estuaries and protected waters may seem to offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional deep-sea fishing, but it still causes effluent accumulation and interactions with wild stocks that can disrupt the surrounding environment. That’s according to Hawaiian mariculture firm Kampachi Farms, whose Velella Project is now raising fish in open-ocean “Aquapods” with virtually no negative environmental effects. READ MORE…
Software firm focuses on helping small organic farms
There appears to be no end in sight to the urban and small-scale farming ventures popping up around the globe, so we were particularly intrigued to come across Bucky Box. Founded by one of the entrepreneurs behind Ooooby – which we covered back in 2010 – New Zealand-based Bucky Box is a software provider targeting small-scale farms. READ MORE…
In Bulgaria, remote farming service helps support sustainable agriculture
Hot on the heels of our recent story about Abbey Parks’ i-Grow program in the UK comes word of another remote farming offering, this time in Bulgaria. Now gearing up for its official launch, Farmhopping is a network of real working farms through which users can own and manage a part of one using an interactive web platform. READ MORE…
