Summary 41 The Lego Farm - Prospects for modular food production Wijngaart, A. van der (Van der Wijngaart’s Engineering Services) and J. van Kasteren (ed.) InnovationNetwork Report No 10.2.234, Utrecht, The Netherlands, September 2010. Modules constitute the cornerstone of the industrial society: in the past century they paved the way for mass production and mass trans port, and today they enable mass individualization. The advantages of modular thinking have only penetrated to the agricultural and horti cultural sectors up to a certain point. Modular units, as used to construct e.g. stables and greenhouses, are typically produced in series to standard measurements. This means they can be set up in different configurations, just like lego blocks. They also permit easy step-bystep expansion as units can be added and stacked as required. Dismantlement is equally straightforward. And thanks to the fact that the greenhouses and stables have the same dimensions, it is also possi ble to make configurations combining the two sectors and thus create closed cycles (CO2, minerals, heating, water). Modern production technology has greatly advanced since Ford pioneered the first-ever mass produced cars. So unlike with the T-Ford, not all modules need to be ‘black’. In fact, the modules can be virtually customized to order while still offering substantial savings, both on investment costs and operating costs. The stable modules, with their own manure separation and air condi tioning installations, are better for animal welfare than the traditional stables because they are designed ‘from the inside out’. The climate is such that the stable fits the animals like a second skin. Moreover, the Pagina 46
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