Home Grown Automated Garden

Local food production gains in importance as threats increase for externally grown and transported food. Alternatives for externally grown and transported food production include local farms, community gardens and greenhouses, and personal gardens. Community and personal gardens require skill and care, otherwise yields decline. Urban areas lack sufficient suitable land for traditional gardens. The lack of skill or time limits the number of people who can successfully grow food. Smart farming utilizes technology to assist the farming process, such as sensors, actuators, controllers and internet access to web services. The purpose of our project was to develop and test physical modules of a smart garden concept for a single plot, automated gardening system. A prototype was developed and tested having 1) sensors for soil moisture and temperature, 2) actuators for water pump and electric grow lights, and 3) control computer engine. Testing of the system showed promise. Such a system would empower more people to successfully grow food. If done on a larger scale, such a system would help people in urban areas become less reliant on food imports.