Growing food in the desert with seawater projects.

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Growing food in the desert with seawater projects.

4 yrs ago

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/cooling-houses-use-saltwater-and-cardboard-to-produce-in-deserts/

How wonderful that scientitists can now grow food in the desert with seawater, check out the article there is even a project in Australia, what a great way to feed the outback people who often lack fruit and veggies.

5 comments

Suze

4 yrs ago

Thanks for the link to this amazing article

The Sundrop Farms project in Australia produces 15% of our tomatoes.

We need projects like this to go to the future.

Incognito

4 yrs ago

That is fantastic Suze, I get excited about this new technology for the benefit of mankind and the environment, win win. Going to look up that farm and see where they are selling their tomatoes, hope it is not all for export.

Nope, not all for export. Try Coles.

Incognito

4 yrs ago

Thanks Reagan, will check them out, I had a look at their website quite interesting what they have been doing, why doesn't the media show this on TV, some good news for a change.

Horace Cope

4 yrs ago

I'm unsure what is actually meant about the use of seawater. Reading the article suggests that the seawater is only used to cool the cardborad covers to allow the growth. It is presumed that freshwater is used to water the plants but where this comes from is unclear.

For those who know anything about irrigated crops such as in the Riverina or Riverland areas there is the problem of overwatering which lifts the water table and bring brackish water to the surface making salt pans which stop further plantings. I would like more information before I can comment further.

Incognito

4 yrs ago

They use a desalination plant powered by solar energy, see the link Sophie put up.

Sophie

4 yrs ago

Beautiful tomatoes and sold exclusively by Coles at the present time. I've been buying them for quite a while.

An interesting article about Sundrop farms...

https://theindexproject.org/stories/sundrop-farms

LAUNCH...At the announcement last week were (left) Minister for Regional Development Geoff Brock, Sundrop Farms CEO Philipp Saumweber, Coles Managing Director John Durkan and Premier Jay Weatherill.

Incognito

4 yrs ago

thanks for the link Sophie, I wll look for the tomatoes next time I go to coles.

RnR

4 yrs ago

Great projects. Wish we could focus more on innovation like this rather than technologies of the past, e.g. pesticide-controlled agriculture and coal-fired power.

Incognito

4 yrs ago

We need to asap, because the old ways are destroying the top soil and is harmful to humans as well. I wish the media would tell us more about these types of projects, so much innovation without Government help.

Suze

4 yrs ago

Yes musicveg

Media needs to step up

Incognito

4 yrs ago

Would be great when all this virus thing passes we start to concentrate on renewing the planet, a great film to watch is 2040 by Damon Gameu and he has the book too. It does talk about how seaweed can clean the oceans and provide food which in turn would provide thousands of jobs. We could do it in Australia if Government funded it or at least helped the companies that are interested in doing it.

Celia

4 yrs ago

In the news yesterday there was a section on the availability of seeds now! There seems to have been a run in Bunnings of seeds due to the lack of salad vegs! LOL

Reminds me of last January when I thought I would grow some fresh lettuce and put them in a hanging basket under the pergola, they were really nice. Must repeat that as our back faces north and gets lots of sun in winter too.

Sophie

4 yrs ago

There is no "lack of salad veg"...wish people would stop this fear mongering.

I bought numerous packs of salad greens from Coles yesterday, which I later gave to older people.

Incognito

4 yrs ago

I am not having any issues, the media just keeps fear mongering, maybe it is there way of advertising for a product, just like those morning shows talking about products and then it sells.

Celia

3 yrs ago

I envy people that can get their vegs growing and end up eating them, I always end up throwing them out because they have been eaten by those wiggly green things!!

Incognito

3 yrs ago

Hi Celia you have revived this topic.

Those wiggly green things are grubs aren't they, need to make a garlic spray or something, go to Yates website lots of infomation there and you can ask them questions. You need healthy soil, things that eat the bugs (which means good bugs and birds to help) and protection in place.

I just repotted some tomato seedlings and lost a few to snails/slugs, now had to put some pellets in to kill them. Very annoying.

Celia

3 yrs ago

Incognito I cannot be bothered. I can purchase what I want close to hand, it is just not work growing for two people these days.

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Growing food in the desert with seawater projects.

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