The Vertical Farming Podcast is a show about taking agriculture in a new direction. The host of the show is Harry Duran. The concept of vertical farming first came about in 1999. Columbia professor Dickson Despommier and his students devised a new design. It was a skyscraper that could grow enough food for 50,000 people.
While the skyscraper idea never became a reality, the concept of indoor large-scale farming stuck. Plants need little soil to grow using hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA) requires less space than traditional methods. It also protects the crops from blight, pests, and drought. For all these reasons, vertical farming is attractive to innovative thinkers. In this podcast, Duran interviews people who work to make CEA a reality.
Many guests on the podcast are in the business for altruistic reasons. Jessica Gómez de la Rosa works in urban environments like Las Vegas and New York City. Cody Journell wants the new technology to benefit small local farmers. Karla Garcia's emphasis is on education and outreach. Tristan Fischer believes CEA could help address a food crisis.
In other podcast episodes, the guests focus on the mechanics of vertical farming. Joe Swartz has built an empire from hydroponics. Viktor Kulcsar grows saffron using CEA. He talks about challenging assumptions about the technology. Jonah Krochmalnek specializes in growing microgreens. Nick Bateman relies on AI in his vertical farming endeavors.
Duran also likes to discuss the business aspects of CEA on the podcast. Michael Sichenzia advises those who want to create a vertical farming startup. Caleb Wilkins believes that growing livestock feed is the next big thing in CEA. Dr. Isaac Berzin touts the economic potential of growing algae.
The Vertical Farming Podcast may be a great choice for listeners curious about this emerging technology. Food justice activists might get ideas from listening to the episodes. While it still has some challenges, CEA is here to stay.
Episodes