6-Farming on the Moon

Growing food on the Moon presents a complex array of technical, resource, biological, economic, and environmental challenges. This talk explores why lunar farming will eventually be essential and how it might be accomplished. Plants have evolved on Earth for nearly a billion years, and humans have farmed them for about 12,000 years, but cultivating crops on the Moon may prove even harder than sending people there. With some 400,000 species on Earth, a key question is which to try first. This program considers how to choose the right plants for survival, sustainability, and long-term growth in an environment that was never meant to support life. Participants will examine not only the “how” but also the “why” of Moon farming and imagine a future where harvesting food on the lunar surface becomes a reality.