Urban Mist Farms

Algae Powered Cars was an idea that we considered pursuing. As we conducted exploratory research we discovered that this had already been done by Josh Tickell, the creator of the Algaeus mobile and of the Veggie Van Organization. On September 25, 2009 the Algeus began it’s journey, “Tickell just finished a 10-day drive from Los Angeles to New York City in his Algaeus. On the trip, the car averaged 147 miles per gallon in the city, where it runs on electricity alone.” (Bonfils, “Just One Thing: Green Your Car’s Fuel”) Because this idea had already been done 4 years ago we decided to no longer pursue it.

 

We identified compostable clothing as a trend of textile industry. We were interested in the creation and usage of bamboo textiles for clothing. Through our research we found that “Bamboo tends to shrink more than all cotton fabrics, therefore special laundering may be required.” (Cozytown Linens, “Advantages and Disadvantages of Bamboo Fabric”) As a result the usage of products made with these materials would have a negative impact on the environment. Water consumption of consumers would increase.

 

A Self-sustainable Treadmill was a potential idea because we thought that it was an innovative product that had not yet been created. We found that this idea had already been created by Woodwary’s in 2009, the EcoMill. “The EcoMill is a manually-powered treadmill that uses zero electricity. The self-sustained machine works by converting your own energy into precious watts, thereby saving a few watts from the grid.” (Dorsey-Straff, “Eco-Friendly Treadmill Uses Zero Electricity”)

 

Although aeroponics technology was created in the 1920s it has evolved and continues to be improved upon. Urban Mist brings it to market in urban settings for easily for businesses or institutions, thus improving community health.

 

We considered the idea of Hydroponic Farming as a potential farm system however we discovered roadblocks during our meeting with our mentor, Cliff Detz. Previously, the target market for this idea was towards villages in sub saharan terrain. This was not realistic because primary foods eaten in these cultures cannot be produced using this type of farming system. In addition water requirements are intensive and would not be able to be supported in these regions.

 

We still wanted to incorporate innovative farming systems for our idea, after conducting more research we discovered aeroponics farming which is an environmentally low impact. We identified the opportunity in producing in urban settings because environmental impact can be reduced through offering food straight from the source. There are no longer transport fees for produce because they are grown onsite, thus leading to cost savings as well. CO2 emissions are reduced due to not needing transport of goods. Our systems are water efficient and closed loop.