Meet Sriram, an entrepreneur, who grows sustainable gardens for a living. He also helps people set up their own.

Did you know that plants can grow without water or that fish play a role as nutritional agents for plants?
Ask Sriram Gopal of Future Farms, Chennai. He has developed and implemented an urban, soil-less, alternative farming system to grow food that is not only healthy and organic, but is also financially rewarding.
“I picked up the concept of urban farming which makes use of agriculture and technology,” says Sriram.
Matter of sustainability
Future Farms stemmed out of a desire to grow fruits and vegetables in an urban environment — at home, in communities, in constrained spaces by saving water, optimising space, and increasing yield without adverse effect on the environment or the consumer.
Hydroponics is the art of growing vegetables without soil. Aquaponics uses the nutrition from fish to sustain and grow plants.
“The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is an example of this type of farming. Water gets rotated using pressure, and it flows through the rocks making the plants grow. Having applied the science, it was only a matter of using the right technology,” he adds.
With a team of engineers, Sriram decided to create a space to cultivate. Thousands of plants can be grown in minimum space. “All one needs to do is add water soluble fertilizer or you could switch to aquaponics, where fish excreta mixes with the bacteria to provide nutrition to the plants,” says Sriram.
“At Future Farms, we make use of indigenous technology. We import only fish food and the water soluble fertilizer,” Sriram adds.
His day begins early. He needs to monitor crop conditions thrice a day besides harvesting and planting. He has developed apps that can monitor the farm and control water pressure even while sitting miles away.
“The advantage of vertical farming is that it gives you scope to grow more despite space constraints. We have start-up kits for beginners and modules to help you grow your own food. We also have open sessions over the weekends to talk about green revolution. It would seem like a packed day, but it’s something I enjoy and it gives me immense satisfaction to know that Future Farms is one among those who have initiated change.”

Source : The Hindu