Robert Harrington – Have you heard of ‘floating farms’ that can harvest sunlight and rainwater to grow 20 tons of vegetables every day – amounting to thousands of tons of vegetables every year?

Floating farms have been getting a big boost of late. With the extremes of drought and deluge occurring more frequently on every continent, floating farms are looking better by the day. Because they are multi-level and multi-purposeful, they possess much more flexibility than land-based farms.

“Inspired by Chinese floating fish farms, these rectangular units measure 200×350 meters and can connect with other modules via walkways. The usage of waterways is a great compliment to the farming industry because it makes farming available in so many more locations. It reduces the need to import food by localizing growth and incorporates rivers and lakes as viable ‘farmland.’

Each unit is comprised of three levels. The bottom floor focuses on aquaculture and water desalination; the first floor on hydroponic crop cultivation; and the roof is adorned with solar panels, skylights and rainwater collectors.

Each module is anticipated to make 8,152 tons of vegetables every year and bring in 1,703 tons of fish. The modules, then, connect into a grid and can scale up into huge farms, producing local food for entire cities.” [1] Continue reading →