AgwaFarm, an innovative system for growing food at home.
Hi ecotrain friends, recently at the bottom of the news feed, unnoticed by many, was the market launch of the AgwaFarm modules, a novel hydroponic growing system for the home that involves many technological advances. Although it will not change the way vegetables are produced and consumed in the near future, it can teach a lot about the proper utilization of resources and open new avenues for the development of sustainable food production systems.
What is the AgwaFarm?
.To say that the AgwaFarm is a hydroponic module is technically correct, although this description falls far short, as the AgwaFarm is a self-contained system, incorporating AI, advanced sensors and years of agronomic studies to create a package the size of a modern refrigerator that can be placed anywhere in the home to produce fresh vegetables, without pesticides and making the most efficient use of water, energy and available space.
How the AgwaFarm works
.The device must connect to electricity and Wifi, this will connect to your smart phone and you will be able to control and monitor it from it. in the internal chamber there are 59 spaces for the pods supplied by the company, just place the pods in the spaces and let the system work. After 3 weeks or more when the results start to show, the agwafarm will send an alert to your phone to let you know that you should harvest your product.
How is this possible?
Thanks to the integration of 3 high resolution cameras, humidity sensors, water levels, Ph, and selective water and fertilizer supply systems for each plant within the module the artificial intelligence of the agwafarm monitors the state of the plants 24 hours a day, all year round, and takes care of them based on the individual needs of each one, if a plant needs more water it is supplied, if a sector has too much light, it regulates the intensity of the UV lamps to give it only the optimal amount of light, if there is a problem with a specific plant that is beyond the capabilities of the virtual agronomist it sends a notice to the owner to correct it and immediately notifies the company of the failure and the data collected so that it can be fixed by the technical service and corrected for future releases.
The seed pods or sprouts are supplied by the company and contain almost all the nutrients and soil type necessary for the development of each specific plant.
What plants can be grown?
10 types of herbs and spices, 9 different types of lettuce, and other green edibles such as chard and purslane among others make up the current catalog of the company, and already opened the production of radishes and is working on ways to produce larger fruits and vegetables such as strawberries or tomatoes. More information here https://www.agwafarm.com/plants
Consumption and costs.
The daily electricity consumption of the agwafarm device is 0.07 Kwh per day, a fraction of that of a modern refrigerator, put in money it gives an average of 25 cents per day, in terms of water the system is also extremely efficient, on average about 10 liters per week [subject obviously to the type of vegetables being grown] and the company encourages the use of tap water or unpolluted natural sources as this contains beneficial minerals and nutrients.
On water use it speaks best that the system should not be connected to any drains, as unused water is marginal, about a cup every couple of weeks.
No pesticides are used as it is a closed module system, and any fertilizer needed is supplied by the company.
The module is priced at $1000, [yes I know, rather expensive considering its production capacity] and must be accompanied by a monthly fee of $30 which would cover the cost of pods with seeds or sprouts, fertilizers if needed, and technical service and customer support always available, the system is covered by a 12 month warranty.
Nature and implications.
Taking a quick look at the numbers and the company's advertising campaign itself we can see that the AgwaFarm system aims to provide those people who have the resources and availability with a method to grow their own vegetables and have a much healthier diet, it is primarily a commercial initiative with the aim of generating profit and is not presented as a solution to the ecological problems caused by large-scale agriculture, nor as a solution to the problem of hunger or global water shortages.
However, what it does do for the environment, [and this is also highlighted in the company's information] it does very well, and is a step forward as a proof of concept, as it integrates cutting-edge technology with academic knowledge to create a food production system with minimal energy consumption, extremely efficient water consumption, that works 24 hours a day, in all types of weather and in any location.
The AgwaFarm also takes one of the main problems generated by agriculture out of the equation, the inefficient use of land, which degrades soils and requires constant deforestation to make more land available, another point is distribution and packaging, vehicles with internal combustion engines, and plastic packages or supermarkets consuming energy and water are all taken out of the equation, making the AgwaFarm production, although small, very clean.
The data collected by the AgwaFarm's sensors, along with its capabilities, is already being studied by different organizations around the world to improve and expand the system.
And it is precisely this, the main contribution of the system...
The achievement of technological integration, making it work in any home and economically profitable opens the door to breakthroughs in food production, demonstrates that AI can manage crops with maximum efficiency, the scale is something that programmers will be able to solve in a short time, putting the ability to produce at least a fraction of their food cleanly in every home is proof of a promising concept, or with the expansion of the initiative and others like it we can imagine how massification will bring down the costs of similar systems, the use of minimal energy, combined with clean energy production systems, and the elimination of packaging, pesticides and supply chains speaks volumes about what such technology could contribute in the future.... there is still a lot of room for improvement, but it is certainly exciting to see the development of new, more environmentally friendly technologies... and I truly expect great things from Agwafarm in the future.
Agwafarm is a medium-sized company based in Israel, but with a very capable and motivated staff.
That sounds awesome. I’m very interested in hydroponics, and have been experimenting with growing in this manner for about ten years. The only difference is that my system uses waste products (soda bottles) and no electricity. Thanks for all the wonderful research and info, and thanks for posting in the EcoTrain. I always look forward to your articles 😊❤️🤔
I like the space-age look of this system. I'm not too keen on the monthly fee of $30 on top of the price and on top of the other costs associated with growing plants (e.g., electricity and water). But I imagine that prices would come down as more people adopt the system. Excellent article!