If you live in Scotland and someone mentions farming, the chances are the images that spring to mind will be green fields, cows, sheep and tractors.
I’m no expert and I’m a city-dweller through and through but I know that’s the image that’s been propagated for centuries.
But as technology advances, it seems even farming – one of the most traditional industries in the world – is taking a futuristic turn.
Scotland’s first ever ‘vertical’ farm has been set up in a two-storey building close to the James Hutton Institute in Dundee.
The ‘vertical’ description relates to the potential for growing produce many storeys high in controlled conditions which stimulate growth.
Basil is now being grown in the Dundee farm – and in just 20 days per crop.
As farmers working within the ‘vertical’ sector have so much more control over the environment and can create the ideal conditions for growth, it follows there will be a much higher success rate in terms of what’s produced.
Highly controlled light, humidity, temperature, CO2 and irrigation levels mean crops are given the best possible chance in an environment which completely bypasses the restrictions placed by seasons.
And being able to grow crops in buildings in city centres and not having to rely on finding arable land means there’s the potential to drastically reduce food miles.
The aim is to create a method of growing that’s precise, time-efficient and waste-free.
So, on the face of it, it all seems like a great idea.
It does cost a lot of money to set up the farms and to artificially stimulate ideal conditions. And then there’s the cost of the heat and energy used in the process.
But if a much higher quality of product is produced, in much less time, does this balance out?
I’m sure there will be farming purists out there who will disagree on the ethics of growing produce in unnatural conditions.
Food is at the heart of Scotland’s economy and there’s a lot of passion around it. People like to know where their food comes from and the journey from farm to fork. If that trek involves detail on the individuals involved in creating these products, then even better.
Some might argue that ‘vertical’ farming takes this personalisation away. But if the products are of great quality, does it really matter?
I think this is a fantastic development and I’m very proud that Scotland is at the forefront of this innovative step forward in the farming industry.
But I think there are a lot of things to consider before we get too carried away.
We need to think about sustainability. If it’s going to cost a lot to set the farms up, we need to be sure there’s going to be a healthy return on investment.
I think it’s also important that these advances don’t have a negative impact on existing, very successful farming and agriculture businesses. There’s plenty of scope for ‘vertical’ farming and traditional farming methods to complement each other.
The vertical approach is not the first furrow to be ploughed in the field of futuristic farming.
Dutch property development company Beladon has designed a multi-level, hi-tech home which will house 40 cows – and will float along the river, feeding into agricultural activities as it travels.
Planning is still in progress but if it does get the green light, I think it will really get other people in the industry mooo-ving.
Subterranean farming is already up and running in London and there’s some real underground excitement about that.
It’s clear that we’re scaling new heights (and depths!) in farming technology. Even if you’re a farming traditionalist, I’m sure it will be interesting to see what evolves.
Being in the doghouse is usually a bad thing – but for US beer fans it’s quite the opposite.
The DogHouse is the name of BrewDog’s new hotel in the US, at its brewery in Ohio.
BrewDog has always been a company to do things out of the ordinary and this hotel is no exception, with beer taps in rooms which overlook the brewery.
The craft beer hotel is the result of a $300k crowdfunding initiative.
That might sound like a lot of dosh, but actually it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the bigger picture for BrewDog.
Its revenue has just rocketed by 55 per cent to a whopping £80 million according to its latest trading update.
Not half bad for a company that started out with small scale production at an industrial estate in Fraserburgh.
And it’s not the only company making waves in Scottish brewing, even if it is by far the biggest. There are a host of others out there turning heads.
St Andrews Brewing Co recently launched its very own crowdfunding initiative which surpassed expectations, smashing it at 160 per cent of its target.
Then there’s Isle of Skye Brewing which sprang up after a jokey conversation in a pub about the lack of good beer – and has since enjoyed decades of success and scores of awards.
Meanwhile relative newcomer Fierce Beer in Aberdeen has scooped awards and secured international partnership deals despite being little more than two years old.
I could name so many more. I think it’s fair to say whisky is no longer the only amber nectar Scotland seems to be pretty good at.
Laugh
Many of you will have tried out the odd creative chat-up line but nobody can top the guy from Alloa who claimed he was a “penguin erector.”
He hit headlines after a girl he met in the pub tweeted about his alleged job, picking up penguins who fell over after watching planes fly over Edinburgh Zoo.
It caused such a social media frenzy that the zoo actually issued a statement confirming the job didn’t exist.
A second social media storm followed as thousands of people realised their dream job was a work of fiction.
I guess it shows you the power of marketing campaigns though – chat-up guy clearly had the 1980s TV ad slogan “P-p-p-pick up a penguin” in the back of his mind!
Weep
Step aside, munchy box – there’s a new rival on the market called the CRUNCH box.
For healthy eaters who aren’t in the know, a munchy box is a pizza box packed with fast food.
A typical box would contain kebab meat, chips, onion rings and sauces, and Chinese restaurant versions also sprang up with a feast of salt and chilli treats. A Bellshill sweet shop sells one rammed with boiled sweets and tablet and a Glasgow ice cream parlour even makes a dessert version.
So it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that a chippy has also got in on the action. The Crunch Box from Greenock’s East West Spice has double portions of chips, pizza crunches, fish, sausages, hamburgers, onion rings, chicken nuggets and fritters coated in batter.
It has an eye-watering 7,000 calories a box, but somehow I doubt even that will put some people off.
