But there’s something intriguing about Columbia microbiologist and environmental scientist Dr. Dickson Despommier, other than his name.  For the past six years he’s been working on a notion of indoor farming that works vertically (see Alisa Opar's "The Farmer in the High-Rise" in the April/May 2007 issue of Plenty) rather than lies flat, allowing for the reforestation of current farmland, which in turn should help stabilize weather patterns and climate.

Most of the land that can produce food is already being farmed, and factors like population growth and land lost to rising sea levels will only encroach upon it further.   Growing food indoors in a controlled environment has benefits like a reduced likelihood of pests, which means that the food could be grown without herbicides and pesticides.  As a New York Magazine article that explains the project states, “Cities already have the density and infrastructure needed to support vertical farms, and super-green skyscrapers could supply not just food but energy, creating a truly self-sustaining environment.” 

Little of these grand plans have actually come to fruition, but researchers cite a Florida strawberry farm that was wiped out by Hurricane Andrew as an example of potential productivity.  By reincarnating itself as a hydroponic farm, stacking plants in layers, the farmers now use one acre to grow the same amount of strawberries that used to require thirty.

The vertical farm’s power would come from solar panels and wind spires on the roof.  Its circular (cylindrical) design uses the space most efficiently, allowing maximum light into the center.  The city’s wastewater would be filtered and sterilized, then used for irrigation, and rainwater would also be collected and used to clean pollutants off the bulding’s outside surface.  An electronic crop picker would monitor fruits and vegetables, using color detection to check for ripeness, and an electronic feeder would direct programmed amounts of water and light to crops according to a set schedule.  Crops could grow both up (like corn) and down (like hanging tomatoes), maximizing space. 

There’s no doubt that Despommier is onto something smart, and his Advantages of Vertical Farming List is indeed quite convincing.  Despite my sneaking suspicion that there must be something about an apple grown in fresh air that an apple grown inside can’t possibly replicate, I’ll roundly sound the appeal: could someone please lend the man $200 million dollars for a prototype? 

Nathalie Jordi's appetites keep her bouncing between between County Cork, New York, London and the French Alps.  When not slinging curd or interviewing farmers, she writes for Travel&Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Gastronomica, and her blog at www.autobiogeography.com.  Her dreams of a life spent baking, drinking margaritas, and sitting in the sun are gathering steam during her current stint as a waitress in New York City.