Urban Agriculture: Getting Started With Indoor Hydroponics

January 25, 2018 | ProgressTH.org Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil. It allows food to be grown virtually anywhere. It is a technical method that is easy to learn and get into, but takes a bit of time and patience to master. Luckily, it is not as intimidating as it may seem, and as more people begin experimenting with hydroponics, the wealth of information they are sharing online makes it easier than ever to get started.

Why Hydroponics? 

The dense urban sprawl of Bangkok makes it very difficult to grow your own food with traditional means. Safe soil in an open space with adequate sunlight is hard to find. Even on Bangkok's many rooftops where open space exists, bringing soil upstairs and maintaining a garden under the beating sun and amid flocks of marauding birds is a lot harder (we've found out) than it seems.

Hence hydroponics. With hydroponics, you can grow food anywhere. Outdoors, indoors, with or without access to sunlight and without any need for soil. After experimenting with rooftop and balcony gardens with mixed results, hydroponics enabled us to finally grow enough food, indoors for daily consumption.

For now we are growing only salad greens. But hydroponics can be used to grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. It is just a matter of adjusting your grow space, containers, nutrients, and lighting, all of which we will explain below.

Grow Space

Urban Agriculture: DIY Hydroponics Shelf

December 2, 2017 | ProgressTH We have experimented with indoor gardening before. Using 30W and now 50W LED floodlights, and a wide range of grow boxes and grow shelves, the final and most efficient iteration has been our hydroponics shelf.

The original hydroponics shelf (above) used MDF panels covered with aluminium tape and a 5V fan from an old grow box experiment. The red plastic covers were 3D printed, but virtually any sort of opaque plastic can be used as a cover.

The shelf began as a steel STACKO brand heavy duty shelf we attached the MDF panels of an old DIY grow box onto, including a 5V fan for air circulation. We added an aquarium air pump to aerate the AB nutrient solution put into modified 6L plastic water bottles. Foam squares were fitted into 3D printed covers to hold the plants in place.

We managed to grow several salads' worth of greens so far, and there are now many more on the way.

Gene Editing vs. Alternative Technology

November 18, 2017 | ProgressTH Ed Yong in his article, "New Zealand’s War on Rats Could Change the World," helped frame up an ongoing debate over using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) altered through gene-editing technology to eradicate pests. In this particular case, the problem is rats and other invasive predatory mammals that endanger New Zealand's native bird populations.

Yong covers proposals to introduce genes into mammalian populations to hinder their ability to reproduce. These "gene-drives" are unlike other technologies like gene therapy, which replace faulty genes in human patients to correct genetic diseases or enhance an individual's immune system to fight cancer. Unlike gene therapy where the corrected genes are not passed down to an individual's offspring, gene-drives imply that edited genes would be passed down to future generations.

A rat with a compromised reproductive system would pass those genes down to whatever offspring it managed to have. Eventually, the entire species would carry the compromised genes, its numbers would dwindle, and eventually disappear altogether.

New Zealand's invasive mammalian predator problem isn't the first case this technology has been proposed for. Companies around the world are racing to introduce similarly edited genes into mosquito populations.

Wonder Technology vs Alternatives 

Mr. Yong's article, however, did not just sell biotech to readers. An articulate and superior counterargument was presented, warning of a sort of invasive species scenario in reverse where the edited genes would "quickly and relentlessly spread," overwriting an entire population's genome, and once released would be nearly impossible to contain.

3D Printed Scale Model RX-2 Chaipattana Low Speed Surface Aerator

November 13, 2017 | ProgressTH During a recent visit to the park, I noticed several different models of surface aerators working to keep water circulating and from becoming stagnant. One was pulled out of the water for maintenance allowing me to get a closer look. It seemed very simple and the thought of creating a floating platform with 3D printing began to grow.

Upon doing some research, I discovered the differences between the different models here in Thailand, including one of the first in Thailand and the inspiration for the design and distribution of many more around the country.

It was the RX-2 Chaipattana Low Speed Surface Aerator which was designed and built under the direction of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. While it serves the same purpose as other aerators, it does so in a very different way.

A central wheel slowly spins, lifting perforated buckets out of the water and allowing them to slowly drain with a rain-like effect.

The resulting scale model is part a tribute to the late King, part 3D printing experiment, and part kinetic sculpture.

3D Printed RX-2 Chaipattana Low Speed Surface Aerator

October 22, 2017 | ProgressTH Water aeration is important particularly in tropical countries like Thailand. Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and the network of innovation and infrastructure he built up over the course of his life's work played a pivotal role in designing and proliferating water aeration systems across Thailand.

This includes the design, fabrication, and distribution of the Chaipattana Low Speed Surface Aerator also referred to as RX-2.

The system consists of a large wheel with perforated buckets that slowly spins. As it spins, it scoops up water which then drains from the holes in each bucket. It creates a shower effect that helps mix air and water together, thus helping treat otherwise stagnant or slow-moving water.

The RX-2 received a patent and served as inspiration for the development and deployment of many other models. Today, those traveling Thailand can see surface aerators of all kinds treating standing water and canals across the country.  King Bhumibol Adulyadej's efforts have helped transform many otherwise unsuitable bodies of water into valuable resources for agriculture, aquaculture, and recreation.

We decided to design in 3D the RX-2 and specifically a model that could be 3D printed and of course, be functional. The basic platform that holds the wheel could also be used for other purposes, such as mounting sensors or solar panels.

For now, the 3D model is available on SketchUp's 3D Warehouse here.

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Date Fruit Farming in Surin Province,Thailand

June 24, 2017 ProgressTH The Nation has recently posted a video featuring date fruit farming in Surin Province, Thailand.

Date trees are mainly cultivated in North Africa and the Middle East, and depending on the variety, produce a naturally sweet fruit used in a multitude of ways, can be stored long-term, or simply eaten fresh. Because they thrive in relatively dry and hot climates, regions in Thailand that suffer from a lack of water available for rice farming have considered cultivating date trees as one of several alternatives.

Dates have been available for sale in Thailand for some time, usually imported from Morocco, Jordan, Israel, or Iran. As people become more familiar with date fruit and the market grows, growing date trees and harvesting the fruit will become an increasingly viable alternative to rice production in Thailand.

3D Printed IoT Weather Station Prototype in the Wild

December 26, 2016 | ProgressTH 

Recently, we've been working on a 3D printed, WiFi connected (Internet of Things or IoT) weather station for local farms. We have planned to make three V.1 stations; one for our rooftop garden, and two for farms outside of the city.

We've finally deployed the first V.1 station on the rooftop. We'll work out any issues that arise with this one (including issues transmitting data through the concrete roof), and modify the other two in this series. Finishing the first station required a few extra steps since our last update here.

First, we needed to modify the NodeMCU Arduino code to put the system to sleep for 10 minutes in between transmitting data. This extended the 9V 1600mA sealed lead-acid battery's life from 4-5 hours per full charge to 41 hours.

Then we needed to design and 3D print a bracket assembly to hold the solar panel in place atop the station's mast.

The Arudino code is at the end of the article. We've uploaded the 3D design files for the solar panel bracket to Thingiverse and included the SketchUp 2015 file so people can modify the design to fit the panels they have. 

Above is the read out of the rooftop station. It updates every 10 minutes, day and night. See the Arduino code after the break.  

3D Printed IoT Weather Station

December 20, 2016 | ProgressTH 

We've been working on a weather station over the past week or so, ever since we took part in FabCafe Bangkok's FARM HACK 2.0 event. With a team of Thai and Singaporean designers and engineers, a basic data logger emerged to automatically record temperature, humidity, and light level readings from a DHT11 sensor, a basic photoresistor, and coordinated by a WiFi enabled development board called a NodeMCU.

The weather station, designed in SketchUp before being 3D printed and assembled this week. 

The NodeMCU transmits the environmental data from the sensors by WiFi to an online platform called ThingSpeak created specifically for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

There, you can see live graphs (Weather Station 0001) of your sensor data. ThingSpeak also allows you to download all of your data which you can then put into a spreadsheet either offline, or online using Google Sheets to work on it further.

The basic temperature, humidity, and light level readings were just to work out how to gather and send data. After FARM HACK 2.0 was over, we began building a solar powered station that could be placed anywhere, gather and transmit data, and serve as a platform to add in other sensors (wind speed, rainfall, soil moisture, barometric pressure, etc.) and even link the station into automation to control processes like irrigation.

Helping Farmers: Healthier Food, Stronger Communities

No matter who you are or where you live, there is probably something you can do to help.

December 13, 2016 | ProgressTH 

Farming, under even the best of circumstances, is a risky and difficult occupation. And often, farmers live and work under less than ideal circumstances.

Today, in many communities around the world, there is increasing awareness of where our food comes from, how it is produced, and just how important food security and quality is not just for farmers, but everyone. There is also increasing awareness of the plight many farmers are under, particularly cash crop and monoculture farmers in developing nations who are often taken advantage of by middlemen and large corporations.

People are aware of this, but few people are aware of the many things anyone can do to help improve this situation.

Consume More Conscientiously

Something as simple as being more informed and careful when you shop or eat out can make a difference for farmers.

FabCafe Bangkok's FarmHack 2.0

December 13, 2016 | ProgressTH 

FabCafe Bangkok (Facebook) hosted their second FarmHack event last weekend, bringing together engineers, designers, and farmers to leverage the unique talent and technology that makerspaces bring together to solve agricultural problems.

Two teams formed to work on an Internet-connected weather station and a bee counter for measuring the health of beehives.

While being completely new projects, a lot of the knowledge acquired from the first FarmHack in October was applicable. For instance, the weather station, in its final form, will require solar power to operate. The first FarmHack event included a rooftop garden irrigation system that was solar powered and could be easily adapted to power the weather station.

In just two days, working prototypes of both ideas took shape.

The bee-counter team not only produced a working sensor for detecting bees, but also began creating an online application that visualized bee movements in and out of the hive. Employing the Particle Internet of Things (IoT) platform, they were able to send sensor data to the Internet.

The bee-counter team also branched off and created a beehive design that makes collecting honey less disruptive for beehive activity. A lot was learned about what works and what doesn't work, giving team members or future participants a clear starting point to move forward from if they decide to expand on this idea.

Visualizing Sensor Data

December 13, 2016 | ProgressTH

Over the weekend, FabCafe Bangkok (Facebook) hosted a two-day workshop gathering engineers, designers, and farmers for their second FarmHack event. Two teams worked on two projects; a weather station connected to the Internet, and a bee counter for measuring the health of a bee hive.

Our team worked on the weather station. Using the NodeMCU (a development board with a WiFi chip on board) a light sensor and a combination temperature and humidity sensor, we were able to gather and send 3 readings to the Internet using a service called ThingSpeak.

ThingSpeak allows users to gather and use information for a variety of Internet of Things (IoT) projects. In our case, we wanted to collect and visualize the sensor data.

Visualization via ThingSpeak can be embedded into any website with code automatically produced within your ThingSpeak channel.

Urban Agriculture: Rooftop Garden Update

November 27, 2016 | ProgressTH Part of what ProgressTH does is advocacy, the other part is putting ideas into practice. While our rooftop garden is small, it is a proof of concept with the ability to expand both at this particular location, and on other roofs nearby.

Growing Barrels 

Originally, we were using raised beds with ferroconcrete panels. This was labor intensive, time-consuming, and left the soil laying right on the rooftop. Having sourced relatively cheap 200L HDPE blue barrels, we ended up with a light-weight solution that easily allowed us to double our soil volume and keep the soil off the rooftop.

Raitong Organics: Advice for Organic Farmers and Makers

November 4, 2016 | ProgressTH Raitong Organics, based in Sisaket, Thailand, has provided a good example of just how far a single farm can take organic agriculture. Selling to customers both inside Thailand and abroad, Raitong Organics has been active in the organic farming community for years. 

We recently interviewed Bryan Hugill (pictured above, right) of Raitong Organics to find out more on how farmers interested in making the transition from conventional agriculture to organic agriculture could get started. We also wanted to know what he thought about the role makerspaces could play in developing innovations for organic farmers.

We begin by asking about Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS), as this is the easiest certification for farmers to obtain when switching over to organic agriculture, and is the system used by several of the organic farmers we are currently involved in networking with.

How To: Localizing Food Production

October 21, 2016 | ProgressTH We've covered Curtis Stone, a Canadian urban farmer, before. In addition to running a successful urban farm of his own, he also provides advice to people seeking to start their own farms and encourages the creation of localized agricultural networks to support local food production. He also conducts workshops and puts a vast amount of information online to help others learn the technical, business, and ethical aspects of running a small farm.

His talk at Permaculture Voices provides a good introduction and summation of his work to date and provides inspiration and a starting point for others thinking about getting started with their own modern, organic urban farm.

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Solar-Powered Moisture Sensor and Irrigation System

October 19, 2016 | ProgressTH At a recent FARM HACK event at FabCafe Bangkok, our team developed a working prototype for a solar-powered, Arduino-driven, soil moisture sensor and irrigation system.

It has a moisture sensor that triggers a servo-driven valve to open or close. It draws power from a store-bought power bank that we charge with a solar panel running through a 5 volt regulator. The power bank needs to be able to charge a device while also charging. If not, the circuit will turn off your project while it's charging.

The prototype was just to demonstrate the concept but it was far from ready to actually go outside in a rooftop garden. So we designed a weatherproof 3D printed case.

Hackathon Connects Farmers with Designers, Makers, and Engineers

October 17, 2016 | ProgressTH Things like laser cutters, 3D printers, and electronic prototyping tools like Arduino are often in the news and attract a lot of attention. But after seeing demonstrations, art projects, and toys, many people ask themselves, "what next?"

FabCafe Bangkok's FARM HACK helps answer that question by taking the maker, designer, and engineering community out of their respective spaces and placing them together with real-world farmers and the challenges they face to see if an innovation solution can be developed.

Last weekend, four teams matching two farmers up with two designers, engineers, or makers set out to do just this.

The Game Plan 

The event was carefully planned, providing a viable template for other events like it covering not only farming, but many other aspects of life as well. It began by bringing in guest speakers to present how they are already implementing social and technological innovations to improve farming. The purpose of this was to give teams a starting point and some ideas.

At the FARM HACK event, we heard from FarmD Asia, who uses basic ideas of automation to enhance agricultural processes, and in particular, indoor mushroom cultivation. There was a professor from a local agricultural university describing advances in agricultural robotics. And finally, we heard from Heart Core Organic, a very large and successful urban agriculture network in Bangkok that links urban farmers together, organizes farmers' markets, and raises public awareness regarding natural, local food.

Then the teams formed up and began working on their projects. These teams included activists working on egg farming as a means to raise money for hill tribe schools, a team focused on rooftop farming, and a conventional farm looking for a way to automatically plant seeds in starter trays.

The Results

In just two days several prototypes were created. A few years ago, not much more than drawing and maybe static models could have been created in a two-day hackathon. Today, thanks to the personal fabrication technology available at makerspaces like FabCafe, working prototypes are so easy to make, as one team pointed out, most of the time was spent on thinking of a solution, with digital design and fabrication almost an afterthought.

A Great Introduction to Urban Farming

October 12, 2016 | ProgressTH We are going to be participating in an upcoming event at FabCafe Bangkok called Farm Hack where we'll be partnering together with farmers to explore and develop possible solutions to improve both the technical aspects of farming as well as improving direct access to markets.

Until then, we'd like to share an interesting network growing in North America centered around the efforts of urban farmer Curtis Stone. Curtis himself learned on his own the hard way the ups and downs, ins and outs of farming. Today, he runs a highly successful operation as well as conducts online courses and live workshops to pass his knowledge and experience on to other aspiring urban farmers.

His videos are excellent so it's probably best to let Curtis himself explain (below).

3 Gardening Project Ideas for Makers

July 8, 2016 | ProgressTH Gardening may not be the first thing you think about when talking about makers and makerspaces. But there are actually a lot of really good projects out there big and small.

Hackaday, for example, featured this incredible autonomous farming tractor using drone electronics to steer it back and forth from harvester to delivery truck. On the smaller end of the scale, you can find many automated watering systems using a moisture sensors and an Arduino (like this one on Instructables).

We'd like to share with readers 3 that we are currently working on and the progress we've made so far with each. Hopefully it will give you some ideas of how to combine empty space, your empty stomach, and easily accessible technology to fill them both with.

1. Automated Rooftop Garden 

In the city, rooftops are a bit like a great desert. Especially here in Thailand, they are hot, dry, and desolate places few want to go unless the utilities usually tucked away up there break. However, with a little effort, these deserts can be turned into green oases.

Robots to Give Organic Agriculture an Extra Edge

June 4, 2016 | ProgressTH One of the biggest criticisms leveled against organic agriculture is the extra labor needed to weed between rows and the resulting soil erosion that occurs as soil is tilled during the weeding process. Claims that organic agriculture produces smaller yields are also common.

While organic farmers already are addressing these issues in a variety of innovative ways, the dropping cost in automation and robotics is opening many new options as well.

As robotic technology advances from academic experiments in agricultural applications to commercial applications, it is inevitable that whatever disadvantages organic agriculture may currently have, they may be more than made up for through the use of automation.

Imagine the best of both worlds, of organic agriculture that requires no dangerous and expensive chemicals or patented genetic alterations, coupled together with cutting edge technology farmers own that improves yields, soil health,  and reduces labor.

That is the promise agricultural robotics offers.

Low-Cost Automated Agriculture

May 16, 2016 | ProgressTH Automating agriculture sounds like something only a large agricultural firm could do, and something only profitable if done on a monumental scale. But the reality is that technology has advanced so far, and prices have dropped so low, that even in the most remote regions of the planet you can set up and power an automated system.

With a little bit more effort, you can make that automated system a "smart" system by adding sensors that allows automation to react to feedback accordingly.

A good example of just what can be automated these days comes from Phetchaburi province, Thailand. While the infrastructure across the eastern part of the province is excellent, including in agricultural regions where irrigation water is pumped in through an efficient system of canals, in the west along the fringes of Kaeng Krachan National Park, the hilly terrain and sparse population makes building infrastructure more difficult technically and economically. One thing this region is not short of, however, is sunlight.

People that decide to do farming in this area have turned increasingly to solar power to both light up their homes and drive automation in their fields. This includes irrigation systems (water pumps and sprinklers) as well as automated organic fertilizer mixers and sprayers. Low cost solar panels producing as little as 12 watts can power a water pump, timers, and solenoid valves enough to cover small field. And while these systems are affordable, they are built out of a collection of subsystems hacked together by those with the knowledge to do so, but a mystery to traditional farmers.