farming up

hmmm. this is an intersting concept to me. my younger sister sent it to me. the idea is, that as world populations grow, we are going to need more and more food. in fact we will need a space the size of brazil in 2050 solely to produce food. i feel a strong affinity with those big, rolling, farms in iowa, those extensive orange groves in florida, the blueberry parcels in michigan, and those gorgeous and ultra productive fields of vegetables in california. there is somethign so beautiful and real about taking the soil and water and sun that occur naturally and combining them to produce food. yet, we haev industrialized most of this beyond these natural processes...so the idea of vertical farming doesn't seem as farm removed, technically. the idea is to farm in a building, floors and floors of palnts growing, both hydroponically and aeroponically. there are concerns over the energy used to operate a vertical farm. however, it seems to me that if you have a big surface area there will be lots of room for solar, and the roof could definitely be used for wind capturing. interesting...yet, does this mean my great grandchildren may not know the sensation of driving across iowa, all that food laid out in front of you, growing in golden rows, wave after wave in the sunset?

Could vertical farming be the future? - Innovation - MSNBC.com