IF YOU EAT FOOD, you are being lied to every day.

[Major Nikon]

81. There's all sorts of commercial hydroponic operations which are quite cost effective

The amount produced by this method keeps getting bigger every year. They aren't buying nutrients by the pint, but instead are buying the basic nutrients usually in powder or highly condensed liquids and mixing them locally. The difference in a hydroponic operation is those nutrients are going to be used until they are almost if not completely expended compared to traditional agriculture where much if not most of the nutrients wind up getting washed downstream. They can also be tailored to provide the precise nutrients needed at precisely the right time which results in much shorter growing periods and much higher quality. Another advantage is the technology lends itself to extremely dense growing operations often configured vertically which means in a very small space you can grow lots of shit, so they can be located right in the middle of large urban areas which increases efficiency. There's all sorts of other advantages like the reduced need for pesticides, year round growing periods, and elimination of costly equipment for planting, irrigation, and harvesting.