Thursday, December 6, 2007

Aerogarden dreams



I have been obsessing about Aerogarden. This is the automated hydroponic appliance for growing fresh herbs or salad greens in the privacy of your own home---fast.

Can I wait till Christmas? I saw one at Bed Bath & Beyond, they had some fake plants sticking out of them and they looked kind of cute. From what I understand they are very bright. Maybe I can park one next to my desk so I can read with the light. I saw where someone is rigging red and blue LEDs to replace the OEM lamps.

I love greens but they always get slimy pretty quick. And there's the whole pigshit e. coli contamination issue that emerged last year. Aerogarden would be an end run around all that. It says it's organic too.

It's also pretty expensive at around $150 but the company, Aerogrow, has invested literally millions in it. I hope it works out for them.

If I don't at least get one for xmas I will probably break open the piggybank. I can see people buying multiples, to keep all the various Aerogrow crops in rotation. My main concern is the cost of the energy it uses; how does it compare to the cost of cultivating, harvesting, bleaching, shipping, and refrigerating the grocery store alternative?

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