Editor, Times-Union: With farm acreage shrinking due partly to urban growth, some farms in the future will be “vertical” farms. Many will have buildings that are over 40 stories tall. There will be buildings for animals, crops and fruits and vegetables. Thanks to genetic manipulation, what is raised or grown will be superior to what is raised or grown now. Windows will allow plenty of sun to enter the structures and high efficiency lighting will supplement the sun. This will be especially important in the vegetation buildings since much of what is grown will be on walls. The big advantage vertical farms will have over regulated farms is that weather and climate won’t disrupt their operations. A rapid-growing grass will be grown on maybe 100 walls pre floor with both sides of the walls being used. When the grass reaches a desired length, cutters will ascend the walls and cut it. The grass will fall into a trough between the walls and be sent down to the processing floor where it will be formed into bales that can be fed to cattle. Cattle farms that have “grass towers” will be able to feed fresh hay to the livestock during the dead of winter. Fertilizer could be produced naturally in a livestock tower from waste. Methane that is produced could be used to fuel generators that will produce electricity for the farm. Windmills, solar systems and geothermal energy will help make many farms energy self-sufficient. With processing areas in the towers, instead of sending living livestock to markets, meat could be trucked to stores ready to be sold to customers for less since farms will be where animals are slaughtered and processed. New types of fruits and vegetables that can grow on walls will be grown and sold. Even fruits like strawberries will be grown on walls. They’ll be easier to pick and might be genetically programmed to grow constantly. It would be nice to eat some freshly picked strawberries during Christmas dinner. The largest vertical farms will have farmers markets to compete with grocery stores and restaurants that serve some of the freshest food available. Vertical farms will make growing season year round. They could make farming more profitable and able to withstand urban expansion in the future. In the future, with more people living in high-rise housing, it will be appropriate for them to eat food that comes from high-rise farms. Rick Badman Warsaw
