Is this the future of food? Japanese plant factories churn out immaculate vegetables 24 hours a day

I see those square watermelons from time to time, but not too often. A company close to me does heart-shaped cantelopes that are kind of cool looking. The really expensive watermelons though are all black. The skin has almost no trace of green to it. Not sure how they've been bred, but they are incredibly good. And pricey. I usually get one or two given to me each summer from clients. Generally they're about $100 - $150

That's something I should have mentioned. You don't really see produce being given as gifts in the west in quite the same way. If invited for dinner, it's not out of place to pick up some kind of interesting fruit in the same way you might bring a bottle of wine. Most of these things - apples with kanji characters grown into the skin, or square watermelons, etc - will wind up like that.

reply to post by vox2442


Wow, 100-150$, thats something that i cannot relate too. Im used to actually driving through villages and pulling up on the side of the road were a watermelon would reach about 5-10$ depending on the weight. But paying that much for something is just beyond me.

Oh on the side of the fruit as gifts, yes i do the same when visiting friends for dinner, i find it much more pleasurable giving a complete fruit basket and at first it may seem or sound weird but it does tend to be much more appreciated than a bottle of wine, obviously it depends on the occasion.

reply to post by tristar


I do the roadside thing here, too - and the price is about the same. $5-10, depending.

The really expensive ones are the same league as buying a bottle of really good wine or scotch for someone. Frankly, I'd kind of prefer the scotch, myself. It causes problems, because you can't just casually share them, because everyone knows what they cost and figures they're somehow indebted to you for it...

Uhh...isn't this just an indoor "grow facility" similar to an illegal indoor marijuana operation? If you think about it, it's a proven method and can give huge yields year round. Its not even a gamble, it will work. I wonder, when will citys will make high rise buildings just for this type of agriculture...boy I bet that would help employ people in the citys...you know, grow cheap local foods. Why not?



Oh yeah, people like being enslaved instead.

reply to post by LordBaskettIV



True, so why don't people in starving nations use this method since there soil is not able to support grain. I mean you can always import water.

this experiments are good for supermarkets growing their food

who ever tried domestic farm produced natural vegetables, fruit and meat
cannot get used to supermarket crap.

as one said here - Virgin olive oil , eggs, fresh fruit, fresh cheese and cream ...

point of that is eating seasonally - nothing better than fresh tomato grown in garden perfectlly ready every summer. can't buy that in supermarket.

when we put chicken bought in village in oven, you can tell the difference from plastic crap from supermarket.

Looks very interesting, but are they using any GM foods

Eh isn't this hydroponics? Whats the big hooha?
We learned this in school 20 years ago...

For those of you who were asking about the taste of a real egg.

I used to stop on my commute at a roadside produce stand that also sold eggs. It was on the honor system. You took a carton of eggs and left $.80 in the little box. If you buy eggs, you know this is cheap.

The eggs came from free-range chickens fed grain from the farmers field. They were awesome.

The whites taste really creamy and yolks are very strong. The color of the yolk is more bold than you can imagine, but it's not sharp or offensive.

That's about the best I can do to describe it.

Edited for spelling.

[edit on 3-6-2009 by WickettheRabbit]

reply to post by tristar


I have problem with genetically engineered food such as tomatoes. It is hard for me to digest it and get any nutrition effect from it. But I am not a scientist. If there is any one reading this and has the ability to test my findings in a regular lab, I will appreciate to know their findings or if you can give us some direction where such research has already been done.

i definitely think hydroponics and urban agriculture are the future of farming.

reply to post by Donnie Darko


I agree 100% when the cost of energy and the schematics are worked out better we will have amazing vertical farms in out cities providing a secure food source for the residents.

I hear a lot of people complaining about the taste of such foods.

But then again, I bet those people who are starving in the world could give two shakes about the taste.

This is going to be the best thing for the future of the post-modern food supply.

Imagine... no more pesticides, no more e coli from improperly cured manure, no more migrant workers in the fields...


Me likey!

I'm not too interested in veggies being grown like that. It's IMHO just the next step to greenhouses!?!
On a not serious side-note: It's a bad idea to grow that local (i.e. in the cities) it would put all the truckers and delivery drivers (i.e. ME!!!) out of a job!

As for the taste of fruit and veg: Don't the home-grown ones only taste that much better because they're not picked when they are unripe?


The point I was trying to get to:
.... What I am interested in is:
When will they finally do this with meat?
I've been thinking about it for years. It would be fairly simple and you could eat fresh meat without having to have killed an animal. And I'm not sure about this, but you should be able to 'harvest' the meat if and when you need it and not when the animal is 'ripe'.
I think the idea is brilliant for steaks and chicken 'breasts' etc. I know you would have a lot of eco-freaks going mental, but it's got to be a good idea.


Sam

reply to post by Aldolas


I had read something about lab grown meat which does seem to be the future, but i guess there are links out there as the following.

According to researchers, Edible Meat Can be Grown in a Lab on Industrial Scale.

www.nextnature.net...

All the meat, none of the killing. This is a patent on meat grown in a petri-dish!

www.patentlysilly.com...

reply to post by HunkaHunka


Indeed many foods out there are simply without taste, but they do tend to add various chemicals so as they can fool your taste buds in assuming your are eating the selected product. A quick look at potato chips and the flavors will make you understand that anything can taste like anything.

Lets keep in mind that our body does need some form of bacteria in it so as to keep the immune system on an alert mode and ready to attack and defend the body.

reply to post by Desolate Cancer

True, so with all this information available to everyone even via the internet are their people still dying of starvation in africa or other nations. Its just too weird, but i guess you could reply it makes better business not to provide all the answers in one hit.

Originally posted by tristar
reply to post by HunkaHunka

 

Indeed many foods out there are simply without taste, but they do tend to add various chemicals so as they can fool your taste buds in assuming your are eating the selected product. A quick look at potato chips and the flavors will make you understand that anything can taste like anything.

Lets keep in mind that our body does need some form of bacteria in it so as to keep the immune system on an alert mode and ready to attack and defend the body.

One word... Yogurt

Originally posted by HunkaHunka

Originally posted by tristar
reply to post by HunkaHunka

 

Indeed many foods out there are simply without taste, but they do tend to add various chemicals so as they can fool your taste buds in assuming your are eating the selected product. A quick look at potato chips and the flavors will make you understand that anything can taste like anything.

Lets keep in mind that our body does need some form of bacteria in it so as to keep the immune system on an alert mode and ready to attack and defend the body.

One word... Yogurt

Exactly right, you read my mind when i was posting this, but thought not to mention it.

Out of curiosity which item do you feel that has no or close to minimal taste.

I have found that bananas have absolutely no taste what so ever.

reply to post by tristar


Well, bananas taste good, but you have to let them ripen.

What has lost a lot of taste to me are Radishes...

Radishes I grew up with were spicy... many people who didn't eat hot peppers wouldn't eat radishes either.... but today I can't even find spicy radishes anywhere.