III. Impact

##Impact

###Problem Background

Much research suggests that if done correctly, commercial farming is not only an ecologically friendly practice, but also a beneficial part of its surrounding ecosystem. However, farming methods that have been developed in recent years have done immense damage to the environment. Many solutions involve chemicals and the genetic modification of organisms. Neither of these practices are inherently "bad," but it appears the ways in which these solutions have been used have been suggested to be quite unsustainable. Some experimental agricultural solutions have even been considered a health hazard. In 2015, Kauai County, HI had to pass a bill that prohibited chemical experimentation near schools because of the negative health impact noticed in children near these facilities. In addition to the safety concerns, these chemical/GMO solutions seem to have a certain obselecense. It has been seen after scientists have observed many agricultural solutions involving genetic modification or chemical attenuation, that nature seems adapt in order to adjust itself to the new addition to its environment, thus eventually making each solution ineffective.

The Organic Confluences 2016 Summit projects that between 92 and 94 percent of food in the United States has been grown using solutions similar to the ones I have described in the previous paragraph.

###New Ideas

In recent years, many of the problems that I have discussed thus far have been brought to light in the United States, and many people in the US claim to be in support of more a sustainable solution. There are many ideas that have been thrown into the mix, but the primary gist of these states that farming should become more of a local, community level operation as opposed to an industry dominated by large corporations. This localization of farming has manifested itself in community supported agriculture (CSA) and farmer's markets. Based on the experience of many entering these new communities, it is suggested to be extremely difficult to start a CSA or local farm to turn a profit in even the first two or even three harvests because of the steep learning curve of farming and the barriers to enter the market due to the number of large corporations that one must be able to compete with.

###Why AgriTRAK?

AgriTRAK provides those new to farming with the labor reduction and farm metrics they need to be successful in a local farming environment. AgriTRAK's irrigation and lighting actuators can support any small farm indoors or outside, while reducing the cost of labor to the farm owner. In addition to this, AgriTRAK offers owners a user dashboard supporting metrics that aim to help provide farmers with insight as to what their farming environment is experiencing.