Off Grid Vertical Hydroponic Farming Using Solar Energy
Problem statement
Imagine stepping onto the land your ancestors farmed, maintained, and cultivated for centuries, now filled with vast stretches of withered crops. The surrounding community urges you to help sustain their families and provide fresh food, but you feel powerless. They are forced to rely on over-processed foods lacking essential nutrients. Caribbean nations are experiencing drastic temperature increases that have diminished crop yields and are expected to lead to more pests, erosion, and declining crop quality and failures. The Cayman Islands have seen an 11% reduction in rainfall, accompanied by recent hurricanes that destroyed 90-95% of crops [1]. In Grenada, over the last four decades the population has grown by 44%, agricultural area has decreased 40% and farms have decreased 68% [2]. These regions are inundated with losses due to storms, heat waves, flooding, droughts, erosion of land, changing weather patterns, and the various impacts of climate change. Current attempts to solve this urgent issue lack size, efficiency, corrosion resistance, simplicity, and adequate environmental controls. We aim to provide our client with a cost-effective, simple, sustainable, and long-lasting alternative to harvest nutrient dense fresh food as sustenance for the communities. We will utilize modular systems, affordable materials and manufacturing methods, and off-grid technology to design a forward-looking solution that can sustain underdeveloped nations. Ultimately, our solution will enhance the health, food security, and food-sovereignty of communities in the Caribbean.
Team members
Jack Ludwikoski – facilitator
Tessa Luzney – communicator
Mason Troyanek – accountant
Hunter Bania – admin
Client
Kevin Boyle
Fork Farms