A Future Transformed: Unveiling H.E.S.T.'s Innovative AI for Sustainable Agriculture

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Our product vision.

The outcome of our three years of research and program writing will be free access to our AI design protocols for any horticultural food producer. Perhaps a parable from the future will best unpack our vision.

Consider the following future:

Imagine a future where AI revolutionizes the agriculture industry.

2031: Transforming India's Andaman Islands with AI

In 2031, Iqbal Ahmad is entrusted with the colossal task of transforming the agriculture landscape of India's Andaman Islands. With a budget of 650 million Rupees, he is to create a sustainable year-round vegetable export industry. The indigenous people have chosen garlic, a crop they have years of experience in cultivating, but the annual monsoons pose a severe threat, often decimating their efforts. Iqbal is faced with the challenge of building a highly efficient farm that can withstand the monsoons and yield enough garlic for profitable export.

The challenge.

The Dilemma: Monsoon Proofing, Preconstruction Expenses, and More

From assessing construction costs to selecting the right farming technique, Iqbal’s challenges are immense.

Tasked with the ambitious challenge of creating a sustainable vegetable export industry within a tight budget, Iqbal faces an array of complex decisions. He needs to balance efficiency and productivity with environmental considerations to potentially secure additional funding.

A rumor suggested that USAID might offer an additional 30,000,000 Rupees if the project was environmentally responsible and sustainably green. This bonus amount would nearly cover his estimated pre-construction costs: site design that protected local flora and fauna, road infrastructure for large vehicle access, water supply testing, well sizing, and of course, creating a monsoon-proof facility.

An indoor growing environment emerged as a potential solution, offering a higher return on investment, even with increased initial expenditure. It could provide the benefits of a smaller footprint, layered vertical rack growth, and increased control over growing conditions. However, it also meant that Iqbal faced a mountain of new considerations:

Engineering, site, and building design with monsoon resistance
Material cost and transportation
Space planning
Harvesting, prepping, handling, and packaging design
Waste management
Labor costs for both construction and operation
Choosing between traditional soil farming and hydroponics
Fertigation techniques
Energy sources and options
Water usage and pollution control
Necessary production volumes to meet ROI projections
The type and style of greenhouse, and system choices

This myriad of factors led to the critical question: where could Iqbal find the information he needed to make the best decision? Who could guide him through this complex process?

The vast array of options includes site selection, planning, and pre-construction costs such as the design of a monsoon-proof facility. There are also considerations like traditional soil vs. hydroponics, energy sources, water usage, pollution control, necessary production volumes, and even the type and style of greenhouse to consider. The questions of who to trust, where to shop, and how to evaluate different options add to the complexity of Iqbal's challenge.

Today’s solutions.

Choosing the Path Forward: Exploring Iqbal's Potential Solutions

Navigating the world of indoor farming is a daunting task. In countries like the Netherlands, this industry has been established for decades, tailored specifically for their climate and conditions. If Iqbal chooses to adopt the Dutch model, it would involve importing knowledge, technology, and systems that were designed for a different environment, posing a risk for success in the Andaman Islands. So how should Iqbal proceed? Eight years ago, he would have been limited to four options:

Option 1: Trusting his instincts

Iqbal could simply trust his own knowledge and instincts to make the best possible decision. However, this option relies heavily on his personal understanding of the nuances of farming and the particular challenges posed by the Andaman Islands' conditions. The risk of failure is high due to the possibility of unforeseen obstacles or oversights.

Option 2: Assembling his own team of experts

Another path for Iqbal would be to build a team of experts who could spend roughly 14 months designing and evaluating different farming models. The upside is a customized solution, but the time and financial investment is considerable.

Option 3: Hiring a consulting team

Iqbal could decide to hire an external consulting team to design and compare farming systems. This option could provide professional expertise and potentially a quicker turnaround. However, consulting fees could be 30% higher than doing the work internally, adding significant costs to the project.

Option 4: Engaging the Dutch

Finally, Iqbal could hire the Dutch to apply their proven indoor farming expertise directly to the project. While this could bring world-class knowledge and technology to the Andaman Islands, the solutions may not be as effective in the local conditions as they are in the Netherlands. There's also the risk of relying too much on an outside source that may not fully understand the local needs and conditions.

Fortunately, as we cast our eyes towards the future, Iqbal stumbles upon a fifth option - arguably the best one yet. This involves a team of impartial professionals who are not in competition with anyone else in the market. Their unique proposition lies in recommending a custom-tailored farm design, based on the needs of the customer, irrespective of the manufacturer of the farm equipment. This eliminates any bias, leading to a truly bespoke solution, perfect for the customer's specific profile.

The H.E.S.T. Solution

The H.E.S.T. Solution: AI-Powered Decisions in Minutes

HEST's revolutionary AI-driven tool presents a new way forward

In 2031, Iqbal now has an additional, and arguably the superior choice, at his disposal. This becomes possible thanks to an internet program engineered by H.E.S.T., an innovative American corporation. This technological marvel can unravel the complex decision-making web in a mere 11 minutes at no cost, a stark contrast to the 14 months and 30,000,000 Rupees that would have been required.

Embracing this modern solution, Iqbal turns to H.E.S.T. As he faces his computer screen, he is prompted to enter user information followed by a series of critical questions. These encompass details such as the postal zone or address, the intended crop, the project's budget, local energy source options with their respective costs, desired facility footprint, projected average wage rates for construction and operational labor, as well as an environmental and AHJ restrictions checklist containing around 10 items. With a final click on 'Calculate,' Iqbal's quest for answers comes to an end. The screen refreshes to reveal his tailor-made solution.

Risk Assessment:
The success probability for open farming annually is approximately 30%. Given this high risk, open farming is not recommended.

A Deep Dive into HEST's Sustainable Profit Mechanism

At HEST, we are reshaping the agricultural decision-making process by providing an AI-driven tool that offers valuable insights for free, enabling informed choices for clients. Should users wish to delve deeper, we offer a comprehensive data report drawn from our AI system for a modest one-time fee. This advanced technology utilizes both existing and custom-built databases, collating expansive information from sources like the Thomas Register and ASRAE manuals, among others.

Our unique business model revolves around a tried-and-true method of income generation - affiliate marketing. Although we don't physically sell or stock products, we do create sales opportunities for manufacturers. When we suggest a product or manufacturer based on our data-driven analysis, we facilitate an honest sale. The manufacturers, in turn, agree to give us a small percentage of their sale revenue. This generates a significant, sustainable income stream for us. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement that enables us to continually provide a globally relevant, accurate, and sustainable service.

Join Us on Our Journey to a Sustainable Future

We're always looking for partners who share our vision of a sustainable, efficient, and tech-driven future for agriculture. Whether you're interested in collaboration or investment, we'd love to hear from you.