I work at a precision ag startup in the Midwest. I can speak from inside the industry: it's an incredibly exciting time.<p>We have more people asking us to build tools than we could ever build, and most of the tools are basic management level. We haven't even scratched the surface of applying algorithms to the loads of data being created. I think over the next few years data + machine learning will make things like pesticide application, irrigation, fertilizer, and planting incredibly more efficient. The cool part is the growers have the tools to apply these algorithms as they're produced (tractors, combines, planters are almost all able to support variable rate applications). All we need is the ability to capture, analyze, and start applying the data.<p>Feel free to ask if you're more interested in what the industry looks like from the inside.
From the article (thanks @timdoor) :<p>"Freight Farms’s repurposed shipping containers, packed with LED lights, sensors and hydroponic systems and producing lettuce and herbs, are appearing in vacant lots and alleys. The sealed containers can yield about 500 full heads of lettuce a week, year-round—even in Minnesota and Canada, where some of the 25 units sold so far by Freight Farms now operate. Co-founder and Chief Executive Brad McNamara said the units sell for $76,000 each and require no pesticides."<p>- locally, a head of lettuce is $1.25 (Tucson, Arizona close to lettuce growing areas)
- 500 a week makes $625 a week, or $32,500 a year in revenue - average $2706.25 per month revenue.
- a 5 year lease with $1 buyout on $76,000 would be $1580.80 a month based on terms I used to sell capital equipment for.<p>$2706.25 - $ 1580.80 = $1125.45 per month, before paying employees, electricity, and cost of location.<p>What does lettuce cost in other areas?
I drink Soylent regularly but I think you'd be insane to make it more than 30% of your daily calories. As Michael Pollan said, we've got decades of research behind baby formula but it is still inferior to breast milk. Soylent also still naively follows FDA daily reference intakes. Not saying that they're totally off the wall, just that they contain many deficiencies as pointed out by the MealSquares team: <a href="http://www.mealsquares.com/nutrition-facts.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.mealsquares.com/nutrition-facts.html</a>
The Dow Jones data they site is way off. We calculated a <i>lower bound</i> of $2.36B from a compilation of 264 financings in 2014. You can access the (free) report here: <a href="http://agfunder.com/reports/agtech-investing-report-2014" rel="nofollow">http://agfunder.com/reports/agtech-investing-report-2014</a><p>AGERPoint was also one of the companies mentioned in the article. Their campaign is also currently listed on our site.