Mill Towns to Urban Farming Empires

When people view the rundown mills all they see are failed economic enterprises because they are no longer functional nor do they provide any employment opportunities for the people living in such areas. During the years of operations, the factories attracted significant numbers of people to their location hence leading to the formation of urban centers. Over time, the population in the areas has increased, and there is a heightened demand for food products since the available agricultural produce does not suffice.

With the current level of technology, the abandoned factories can be used to turn mill towns into farming empires to sustain the demand for food. Traditional farming requires extensive tracts of fallow land for agricultural activities to thrive. It clear that urbanization and agriculture are inversely related such that as the towns grow, the level of farming diminishes. Most of the arable land is usually used to construct deferent infrastructure at the expense of farming crops. This nature of the relationships is changing due to the emergence of urban agriculture. Although urban farming is not a new concept, the scale and approach to which it is conducted are entirely different.

When one pictures a farm what he or she is likely to imagine is a farm where farmers are burrowing through the soil and planting rows of seedlings. The plants are occasionally sprayed with pesticide, and the soil pH is checked manually. Additionally, the vegetables require water, sunlight, and fertilizer. With automated firms, things are entirely different. Instead of burrowing through the soil, crops are positioned in trays tacked up to thirty feet above the ground. The vegetables do not flourish on sunlight but are instead they are grown using led light. The farms have fans, which run continuously, and automatic sprinklers are programmed to feed the crops for specific time intervals. All the farming activities are done using machines and robots to maximize productivity with minimum resources. All that remains to the farmers is to move around in rubber gloves, hairnets and coverall suits.

A good example is a recently established lettuce indoor in Newark, a 69,000-square foot greenhouse that has since become the world largest vertical farm. To obtain mass production, workers in robot-controlled plantations use data to monitor and study the pants. The growing trays are designed to collect more than 30,000 data points on variables such as oxygen levels, temperature CO2 levels, and humidity. Such data are then analyzed on a real-time basis using different software to ascertain how future crops will grow. By analyzing such data, the farmers can optimize the algorithms to maximize crop productivity. Once the suitable method and conducive conditions are established the growers repeat each of the methods and states every time they grow the crops thus ensuring the maximum harvest.

The produce from the farms can then be sent to the local metros to meet their need for fresh vegetables and the remaining harvest shipped to stores for contingent events.  Through this approach, the old mill towns can be revived entirely, and their sustainability restored. Cities have several mouths to feed and here is the need to feed people in ways that do not degrade the ecosystem. Compared to traditional farming the automated farms are more productive since their vertical nature saves of space. According to a study by Cornell University, they are also approximately ten times productive than conventional farms. The firms, therefore, present a solution to the dwindling food supplies and provide a lucrative investment opportunity. More importantly, they have significant environmental advantages since they require 50% less fertilizer and 95% less water. This saves on costs and maximized on productivity. The venture is highly lucrative, and principal financiers such as Prudential Financial and Goldman Such are actively involved in financing the investments. Indoor farming is, therefore, the way to reviving the respective towns.

Indoor robot operated farms also have other several advantages. The farms are not dependent on weather, and this is significant since crop production is doable throughout the year. Such trend will result in enough supply of food to the growing population and the reserves necessary for contingencies. Word organizations such as the United Nations Food program have been seeking ways through which they can ensure food security. Such farms can fill the supply gap adequately despite unfavorable climatic changes.

Normal farming activities are difficult to plan since the rains and sunlight may fluctuate. Such factors are out of control of farmers. However, with indoor robot farms, the problems can easily be solved since water and light are provided throughout the year and around the clock.

Indoor robot farms protect crops from pests, a factor that has been a significant challenge for most farmers. Devouring of crops by pest contributes a more substantial percentage to the total crop damage. Converting old mill when turned into indoor robotic farms will protect the vegetables and other plants from strong wind. In indoor farming, only planting is done by humans while the rest of the activities are done automatically. Mechanization of the production process makes the firms labor intensive. Consequently, the farms can easily be sustained regarding the cost of operations. Reduced labor and pesticide expenses in such plantations can be used to offset other new costs such the cost of lighting the farms.

One of the challenges that crop producers face is issues dealing with the use of pesticides. Consumers are currently health conscious, and they prefer products with minimal and if possible no pesticides. Producing vegetables and cereals without using pesticides is difficult when the crops are grown in open-air farms. However, with indoor farming, the pests are kept away thereby preventing the use of pesticides. Additionally, eliminating pesticides saves on cost since it has always been a substantial element of agricultural production. Avoiding the use of pesticides also increases the reputation of enterprise, which is good for marketing purposes.

The old mills are therefore an economic goldmine. Converting them to indoor farms do not only provides food for sustaining the people but also revives the financial standing of the various towns. The collapse of mills has led to reduced economic activity in such cities. Developing the firms will, therefore, promote commerce since the excess produce will be sold to other towns and the revenue generated will be channeled into other commercial activities. The future of agriculture lies with indoor mechanized firms. Investors who are interested in farming should, therefore, find ways to invest in such ventures. It is not only a cost-efficient approach to boosting food production, but it is a strategic move towards the decrease in the size traditional firms accompanied by growing population.