Now more than ever, it seems like controlling your own food supply is a smart move. We know what you’re thinking: “How am I going to grow my own food if I don’t have a farm?” It’s a valid question, but it’s been answered by new developments in technology – particularly in the area of hydroponics.
With the right equipment, you can easily grow a surprising amount of food from the comfort of your own home – even if you’re living in a condo or apartment with no garden or balcony. While hydroponics is nothing new, startups like One Kind Block is using this technology in innovative ways.
The goal of One Kind Block is to make food production accessible to a wide range of people – especially city dwellers living in high-rise apartments. Compared to other hydroponic systems, OKB is highly modular. Created with a “Lego-like” system, you can build and stack these blocks to suit your needs. Each block can be disassembled into three separate sections or combined into one. You can also buy more OKBs to fill entire hallways, corridors, and balconies with efficient hydroponic gardens.
The folks behind One Kind Block understand that people take home decor pretty seriously. If you’re going to fill up your entire house with hydroponic systems, you probably want them to look presentable. OKB fits the bill rather nicely, as each block looks modern with a slightly minimalist vibe. You can even use wallpaper or decals to help your OKB fit in with the rest of your house
When you put a One Kind Block in your house, it’s far more than just a decoration. Your OKB is capable of providing more than enough vegetables for your entire family, so long as you have five blocks per person. It basically equates to two large bok choys per day. One Kind Block accomplishes this by using a passive hydroponic system with very little maintenance required. All you need to do is fill the block with water and nutrients, and let nature take its course.
You can also maximize vegetative growth potential by moving your OKBs around throughout the day. Because of the modular and portable nature of these blocks, you can shift them to different walls and make sure your plants are getting as much light as possible.
So how can this type of technology have a positive impact on our society? Having plants in your home has been proved to help reduce stress and anxiety. With so many people working from home right now, plants are a solid choice because they can actually improve your productivity.
We also need to think about how we’re going to feed such a large population in the future. With concerns about the supply chain being overstretched, it will be very helpful for people to grow their own food and reduce the carbon footprint of cities. If everyone who owns an apartment starts to grow their own food on their balconies, the positive impact on our planet could be tremendous.
