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+--- Thread: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms (/thread-31151.html)
Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Henlus - 08-06-2025
The Future of Sustainable Agriculture.
Due to sea levels rise and land scarcity, Netherlands is leading the way with an ingenious solution - floating farms.
They're built on water, can withstand floods and adapt to changing sea levels, making them climate-resilient by design.
By harnessing solar power, wind energy, and rainwater harvesting, these floating farms produce fresh food - from dairy to hydroponic vegetables - without occupying precious land. This revolutionary approach offers a sustainable blueprint for farming in an era of climate uncertainty.
Imagine growing crops and raising animals on water. I asked AI if this was fake but it confirms that it is true. Neatherland is doing it.
This is good for areas where land is scarce and very expensive. Using such land for agriculture will not be profitable.
Also, there is no need to try and reclaim land from the sea, which is very expensive and time-consuming.
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Farm-sultan - 08-06-2025
Floating structures require marine-grade materials (think concrete pontoons or polyethylene). What’s the payback period? Small-scale pilots are one thing, but can this compete with reclaimed land or vertical farming in urban areas?
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - FarmLady - 08-06-2025
Even if the farms themselves are "green," large-scale deployment could shade waterways, alter sedimentation, or leach nutrients (if fertilizers are used). Has there been a full lifecycle analysis?
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - MamaGreens - 08-06-2025
This is the kind of innovation we need more of! With climate change making traditional farming harder, solutions like floating farms could be a game-changer.
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Trimex - 08-07-2025
Interesting concept, but how cost-effective is this really? Building and maintaining floating structures can’t be cheap. Does anyone have data on the long-term viability compared to land-based farming?
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Sendrix - 08-07-2025
Love the sustainability angle, but what about marine ecosystems? Could large-scale floating farms disrupt water flow or aquatic life? Hope they’ve done thorough impact studies.
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - John@ - 08-07-2025
[If this takes off, we could see entire floating food hubs—imagine combining vertical farms, aquaculture, and clean energy! Cities like Singapore or Dubai would totally adopt this. This would free up lots of land.
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Kiwi - 08-07-2025
This is genius. Mother Nature floods the land. Humans: Fine, we’ll farm on water then ?
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Manihot - 08-07-2025
How do these floating platforms handle storm surges or strong currents? The Netherlands has calm waters, but what about tropical regions with monsoons? Are they anchored, or do they use dynamic positioning? I’d worry about structural fatigue over time.
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - The Farmer - 08-07-2025
The post mentions renewables, but what’s the actual energy ROI? Solar on water avoids land use, but salt corrosion and humidity could degrade panels faster. Are they using offshore wind turbines, or just small-scale turbines? Would love to see the numbers.
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Farmqueen - 08-07-2025
The Dutch have expertise in water management, but could developing nations like Africa replicate this without huge upfront costs? Maintenance alone (e.g., barnacles on floats, saltwater damage) might make this a niche solution.
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - EcoFarm - 08-07-2025
Critics are missing the upside—AI-driven systems could optimize feed, energy, and waste in real-time. Pair this with desalination tech, and you’ve got a closed-loop system. There is no problem tgat doesn't have solution.
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Henlus - 08-07-2025
(08-07-2025, 02:04 AM)Manihot Wrote: How do these floating platforms handle storm surges or strong currents? The Netherlands has calm waters, but what about tropical regions with monsoons? Are they anchored, or do they use dynamic positioning? I’d worry about structural fatigue over time.
They can't handle strong storms. Only good for calm waters
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Henlus - 08-07-2025
(08-07-2025, 02:19 AM)EcoFarm Wrote: Critics are missing the upside—AI-driven systems could optimize feed, energy, and waste in real-time. Pair this with desalination tech, and you’ve got a closed-loop system. There is no problem tgat doesn't have solution.
True. It may not be perfect. But it is better than farming on lands that cost N100 million per plot of 50 x 100ft
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Henlus - 08-07-2025
(08-07-2025, 02:19 AM)Farmqueen Wrote: The Dutch have expertise in water management, but could developing nations like Africa replicate this without huge upfront costs? Maintenance alone (e.g., barnacles on floats, saltwater damage) might make this a niche solution.
Even individuals can replicate it. But we lack vissionary people in Africa
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Henlus - 08-07-2025
(08-07-2025, 02:04 AM)The Farmer Wrote: The post mentions renewables, but what’s the actual energy ROI? Solar on water avoids land use, but salt corrosion and humidity could degrade panels faster. Are they using offshore wind turbines, or just small-scale turbines? Would love to see the numbers.
Of course they'll use marine grade renewable energy systems.
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Henlus - 08-07-2025
(08-07-2025, 01:04 AM)Sendrix Wrote: Love the sustainability angle, but what about marine ecosystems? Could large-scale floating farms disrupt water flow or aquatic life? Hope they’ve done thorough impact studies.
Yes, large-scale floating farms can harm aquatic ecosystems - but precautionary measures can prevent or minimize damage. Eg avoiding migratory routes, minimizing shaded area and allowing water to flow through
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Henlus - 08-07-2025
(08-07-2025, 12:34 AM)Trimex Wrote: Interesting concept, but how cost-effective is this really? Building and maintaining floating structures can’t be cheap. Does anyone have data on the long-term viability compared to land-based farming?LET'S assume 50 x 100ft land cost 10 to 100 million naira. Would that be enough to build a floating farm of the same area?
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Henlus - 08-07-2025
(08-07-2025, 12:34 AM)Trimex Wrote: Interesting concept, but how cost-effective is this really? Building and maintaining floating structures can’t be cheap. Does anyone have data on the long-term viability compared to land-based farming?LET'S assume 50 x 100ft land cost 10 to 100 million naira. Would that be enough to build a floating farm of the same area?
RE: Ag Wonder: Floating Farms - Henlus - 08-07-2025
(08-06-2025, 11:34 PM)Farm-sultan Wrote: Floating structures require marine-grade materials (think concrete pontoons or polyethylene). What’s the payback period? Small-scale pilots are one thing, but can this compete with reclaimed land or vertical farming in urban areas?
It is cheaper than land reclamation but not vertical farming.