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by iancmceachern 1379 days ago
I've spent a lot of time in this space, tried to build a couple startups.

The economics don't really add up for most farming, but do for some. It works for specialized things like the living lettuce already in super markets, sprouts, quick and fresh stuff. Things that take months to reach harvest, and have a lot of waste plant material (we don't eat the entire thing like lettuce) it's wildly uneconomical. It's good from a pest management standpoint as well. Any gains in water efficiency and fuel savings are erased by the energy cost to power the grow lights and climate control. It's great for specific things like lettuce, pot, mushrooms, etc. but for 90% of our food supply like fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. it's just not viable.