DIY Grow Ops on the Rise

Intertwined in the legalization of cannabis is another
movement that is sweeping across the nation at an equally high rate of speed.
It is the rise of the Do-It-Yourself ‘hacker’ culture that is popping up to
solve the growing problems associated in the cultivation of happy and healthy
plants.

The trend is being incubated in warehouse buildings
throughout the United States where cannabis production is booming. Industrial
factories and facilities are being converted into pristine manufacturers of cannabis;
so much so, that cities like Denver are experiencing the lowest
industrial vacancy rates in their history.

Developers and designers are floating around these areas
creating new types of technology in an effort to produce high quality buds
quickly. These warehouses full of cannabis are ideal environments for
programming high-tech solutions for agricultural-related issues. This is due,
in part, because of the amount of data that must be collected in these
facilities in order to make the right decisions. Those who love large data sets
typically strive to acquire this type of information and are attracted to the
cultivation industry because of this.

Energy, temperature, water, humidity and nutrient levels
must all be recorded. This brings in the need for custom monitoring solutions,
which can cost a pretty penny when purchased at face value off the shelf. In
fact, a company called Digital Grower has a series of mall mounted controllers
that can be used to activate fans inside a building. The only problem is that
their cheapest controller product is $1,190. For a big time cannabis
manufacturer, this may be no problem, but the same doesn’t apply for a
self-starting grow-operation. 

Small budgets lead to better utilizations of resources, and
for a mere $30, an entrepreneur can buy a micro-controller or mini Linux
computer and start developing their own system. Electronic platforms like Arduinos
and Raspberry Pi are typically found in DIY projects because of their
open-source nature which allows the developers to easily search and understand
the inner segments of code needed to run a program. Then, external environment
sensors are hooked up to the main controller boards giving the system the
ability to record a variety of data factors. Once the data has been aggregated,
charts and graphs can be created showing real-time information online through a
tablet or smartphone. If a certain level dips above or below a specific range,
then the grower can swing through and make changes.

All this technology not only sparks a growth in cultivation,
but it also spreads to other areas of agriculture, like growing indoor tomato
or pepper plants. Practically, any type of vegetation can use this kind of
monitoring solution to maintain the proper environment and nutrient levels.

In the future, Do-It-Yourself monitoring solutions that
started in cannabis cultivation will continue to grow into other sectors of
agriculture in the coming years. These systems will record precious temperature
data along with humidity, air flow, water levels as well as nutrient levels,
and will even capture automatic photos of the sprouting process. This, in turn,
will be open-sourced and shared into the growing community of plant loving
people which will influence further innovation for years to come.