Following the industrial revolution, the farming industry experienced a historical boom of modernization never before experienced. Food was being grown more quickly than ever; machinery made harvesting infinitely more efficient; and large-scale farms were now much more lucrative for the economy and supported by the government than smaller, outdated farming practices. This agricultural revolution brought more jobs, as well as modern factory processes that greatly increase efficiency. With all of the economic positives that come with commercial/industrial agriculture, it is difficult to imagine a better farming practice. However, these "factory farms" also come with downfalls that are detrimental to the environment that we do not see when buying from the supermarket.

To start, commercial feedlots, also known as CAFO's (Confined Animal Feeding Operations), use copious amounts of food, water, and antibiotics to produce the most meat possible, as quick as possible. CAFO's are also notorious for having less than ideal conditions for their animals, consisting of very little roaming space and a diet consisting of primarily corn. With very cramped conditions for the animals, if one contracts an illness, all of them do. This significantly increases the risk of said disease to get into our food. In addition to natural habitat loss, these feedlots negatively affect the environment by releasing concentrated amounts of methane and carbon dioxide, both greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming. Outside of animal pastures, conventional farming is also responsible for harmful environmental effects such as:

• Soil Erosion, as a result of tilling and mono cultures.

• Pesticide and excess fertilizer runoff

• Large-scale habitat loss

• Carbon dioxide emissions from heavy machinery and processing

• And more

With conventional agriculture having so many harmful impacts on the environment, it is obvious we need a large-scale change of methods used within the agricultural community...

Hydroponics is a type of gardening that uses a nutrient rich mixture instead of conventional soil. Nutrients in this mixture include Phosphorus, Nitrogen, and Calcium. Not needing soil means that plants can be propagated indoors, all year long regardless of outside conditions. How does this work? Plants usually use energy to sift through soil to find the water, but in hydroponics, plants have direct contact with the nutrients they are looking for. This leads to the plants growing faster and more abundant. In some hydroponic systems, a growing medium is necessary to allow the plants to have more effective water absorption. One possible type of a growing medium commonly used is coconut coir. Coconut coir is a shredded fibrous product made from coconut husks.

Types of hydroponics system include:

• Wick - plants grow down through a medium where an absorbent "wick" draws the nutrient rich mixture into the plants root system.

• Air gap - plants roots are partially submerged in water while the top half is exposed to air.

• Raft - plants are placed on a floating surface with their roots hanging in the nutrient-rich mixture, while an aquarium like pump supplies oxygen to the water which the plants then pick up via their roots.

• Ebb and Flow - Plants grow through a medium where the nutrient-rich water is pumped every 30 minutes then the excess is drained through the reservoir.

• Top feeder - very similar to the Ebb and Flow, plants grow in a medium but the growing medium allows for oxygen to reach its roots. The nutrient-rich waters is then pumped on top of the medium, allowing the water to penetrate the root system, and then fall into the reservoir.

• Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) - plants are positioned on a floating tilted hanging surface, where the plants roots are partially exposed to air on the top half. The bottom half of the roots are exposed to the nutrient-rich solution where it gets pumped through the trough at the top, and flows down the root system, and then back into the water reservoir.

• Aeroponics - plants are in an enclosed space where they are exposed to air where on a consistent basis the nutrient-rich solution is misted onto the plants roots.

Hydroponics compared to traditional farming saves almost 99% of the water needed for cultivation, while producing 12% more yield per square meter. Hydroponic plants produce greater yields because they are more densely packed together compared to a traditional commercial farm. In a hydroponic system there are a lot of factors that the farmer can change to produce the best yield. The elements that enhance plant growth could be the pH of the water, nutrient content of the water, and the amount of light, which all can be controlled easily. Hydroponics uses less water because the water is constantly being recycled and put back into the reservoir where it can be used again, rather than running off into the environment. Hydroponics allows fresh food to be locally grown all year long. Hydroponics systems also take up less space because this type of farming comes in a variety of designs, including vertical stacking systems. While there are a lot of advantages to hydroponics, there are also some disadvantages. Some disadvantages include the high start up costs required as well as the need for consistent daily monitoring.

Hydroponics can be the future of farming because most of the world's population lives in urban areas. One of the biggest problems for growing food in urban areas is finding nutritious soil. On top of this fresh water supply is at an all time low. Hydroponics farming fixes both of these issues. Blue Mitten Farms in Okemos Michigan is a great example of large scale hydroponics. Their goal is to provide the restaurants and people in their area with fresh year-long lettuce, herbs, and microgreens.