If a $194,197 grant from the National Science Foundation isn't enough to convince you to grow your own food, you're not the only one.
An Indiana company has been awarded $9,993 from the second phase of the NSF's Technology Enhancement for Commercial Partnerships program to develop 100% compostable seedpods, which it plans to use in its "smart gardens" that grow produce daily without pesticides or preservatives, Fast Company reports.
Aeroponics are a type of hydroponics, the technique of growing plants in soil, and the anu system is based on NASA's development of a system that uses thermodynamics to maximize light and energy efficiency, per a press release.
Anu CEO Scott Massey says the grant "marks a significant milestone" in the company's journey "to redefine home gardening and production."
The seedpodswhich the press release describes as "a single consumable that can be composted or replanted in soil"use less water and energy than traditional aeroponics, and produce three times faster and use 90% less water than traditional gardening, allowing monthly harvests year-round without pesticides or preservatives.
The company says traditional aeroponics require skilled labor and expensive equipment, which Massey compares to the time-consuming and expensive process of brewing Read the Entire Article
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