S/CEA vs. Traditional Agriculture
A CropKing growing system requires lower labor costs, lower investment, and lower risk than traditional farming methods. Yet it offers higher productivity, higher return on investment, and higher net income! Major advantages of S/CEA include: freedom to schedule crops for seasonal demands, uniform, premium product, reduced energy costs, high density cropping, maximum yields, more efficient use of water and fertilizer, and suitability for mechanization and ecologically sound disease and insect control.
A 4 bay CropKing S/CEA tomato package (88' x 128') can cost less than a fully equipped farm tractor-yet provides an income of almost twice that of most small farms in the United States!
| Traditional Field Agriculture | S/CEA |
| Picked green and "gassed" to maturity | Fresh, vine ripened, harvested at the peak of taste and appearance |
| Shipped long distances to market | Grown close to market |
| Seasonal production, when all field growers have product | Grown out of season when demand is highest |
| Subject to weather-related problems; frost, freeze, flood, drought, wind, rain | Controlled environment insures optimum growing climate |
| Soil related problems; weeds, insects, disease | No soil means no soil problems! |
| Chemical means of insect and disease control | Safe, biological means of insect and disease control |
| Poor quality - poor consumer acceptance - low profit | Superior quality - great consumer acceptance - high profit |