ReleaseWire

Crowdfunding Effort to Create Self-Renewing Farms

Self-renewing farms can end hunger says ag scientists, farmers and tech experts behind IndieGoGo Crowdfunding campaign

Posted: Monday, February 10, 2014 at 12:15 PM CST

Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWire) -- 02/10/2014 --Smarter seeds, green technology and new farming methods are the driving force behind the Project to Eradicate Hunger at IndieGogo, http://igg.me/at/dfp2014.

“We have assembled a team of agriculture researchers, top farmers and technology experts to design, build and farm micro-greenhouses that duplicate the climate of places plant to set up farms,” said Herman DeBoard, one of the founders of the project. “We plan to use solar and wind turbines to generate the needed power.”

The needed $46,500 is enough to set up one of these micro-greenhouses which will then launch the Project to End Hunger. The eventual goal is to create 12 such micro-greenhouses.

“The first one will show that what we have in mind is possible. A sort of proof of concept kind of thing,” Mr. DeBoard said. “We know it can be done, but the kind of investors we’re trying to attract want to have something up and running so they can see it works.”

The goal is to develop strains of seeds that can thrive in various climates around the world. Those seeds will then be sent out to places where they can flourish along with an education program for local farmers.

“It’s one thing to develop seeds that can produce a good crop with limited rainfall. It’s a much different thing to teach farmers how to grow those crops and the importance of saving seeds to grow the next grip in the next growing season,” Mr. DeBoard said. “Education is the cornerstone of this project. We’re going to give a hand up that includes the knowledge of how to stay up.”

A particular emphasis will be placed on growing crops in the more arid regions of the world. Simply put, it’s hard to grow enough food in a desert to survive.

“We know people can live in the desert and we know some plants can live there as well. We just need to develop the kinds of plants that can feed a family as well as provide the seed stock for the next crop,” Mr. DeBoard said.

Already allied with a several US universities, the project is attracting attention in many places. For more information about the Project to Eradicate Hunger, please visit http://igg.me/at/dfp2014.