The Advantages of Local Food Production

By Dennis Allen

August 5, 2021

My last article focused on creating food security in Brazil with the accompanying benefit of strengthening community. There is a growing movement worldwide, including in our tri-county area, to encourage local farming. This is a rich agricultural region, but most of what is produced is exported, while more than 90 percent of what we consume is imported. 

A similar situation existed in Rosario, Argentina, when the economy collapsed in 2001. A quarter of the work force was unemployed, half the population dropped below the poverty line, and food shortages became common. To address this crisis, the municipal government started its Urban Agriculture Program to create employment and counter hunger. The city partnered with 700 families and made available unused land for farming. Two decades later, the program is still vital and has expanded to the surrounding region. Within the city limits, there are 2,000 acres of gardens and orchards. Gardens are in every corner of the city, including abandoned factories, old dumps, and empty lots. Rosario has just been awarded the World Resource Institute’s coveted Prize for Cities, the global award recognizing transformative urban change.

Cities around the planet are incentivizing local farming, returning to an old pattern linking food production and consumption, and often small scale. There are community farms, rooftop gardens and greenhouses, vertical hydroponic farms, aquaculture ponds, orchards, animal husbandry, front-yard and backyard gardens, beehives, and herb gardens.

Locally grown food is less expensive, in part because there is minimal or no transportation involved. It is fresher and more nutritious, features which diminish the farther away the food is produced. Several studies have documented that small-scale, family farms use less energy and less water. Often, rainwater is harvested to grow these fruits and vegetables, and sometimes wastewater can even be used.

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is working with farmers, researchers, educators, and policy makers to develop a comprehensive food program locally. Our many farmers’ markets and network of family and community gardens provide a strong component for what is envisioned. The underlying principle of CEC’s approach is tackling climate change — reducing carbon emissions, turning food waste into resources, shifting to renewable energy, and building up soils to hold more water, nutrients, and carbon. 

One of the biggest hurdles in our area is the cost of land. Many small farmers are forced to lease fields with an attendant precariousness. Some activists are starting to work toward greater permanence and ownership. Local municipalities and our three counties need to give priority to lands they control for permanent food use, including curb strips, degraded lands, and even parts of parks and school yards.

CEC, with its 50-year history of approaching challenges through theory, policy, and practice, is uniquely positioned to develop partners and alliances to transform our food sector to be more resilient and climate friendly. 

Lead Photo: Localizing Our Food Will Produce Health, Economic, and Climate-Offset Benefits

AeroFarms' David Rosenberg Discusses Growth, Investment, and More

By Melissa De Leon Chavez

July 29, 2021

NEWARK, NJ - From diving into publicly traded waters and launching a rebrand to introducing several new items and opening a research and development (R&D) hub, it’s safe to say that AeroFarms has come farther than CEO and Co-Founder David Rosenberg envisioned since the beginning days of 2004.

David Rosenberg, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AeroFarms

“When I co-founded the company, I thought of this as a supply chain play. I looked at the inefficiencies and thought, if we could enable local food production at scale, we could disintermediate parts of the supply chain and enable local food production and access to fresh food, starting with leafy greens,” David shares with me.

Fast-forward to today, and AeroFarms is consistently breaking ground, physically and conventionally, in the U.S. and overseas.

“Our new AeroFarms AgX project in Abu Dhabi is two-fold. One, we expect to have a strong presence in the Middle East. Two, it aligns with our value proposition where there's not much farmland. There's not as much fresh water and there's relatively low-cost, abundant energy. Additionally, we're using our presence there to really innovate. We're building the world’s largest indoor vertical farming R&D facility of its kind that is going to have a tremendous amount of innovation in it, from genetics to automation exploration,” he tells me. “We're also doing a lot in the U.S. We just opened a building expansion here in Newark where we have our global headquarters. That's another 25,000-square-foot facility for prototyping and R&D, so we have much going on Stateside as well.”

AeroFarms has revealed several advancements, from diving into publicly traded waters and launching a rebrand to introducing several new items and opening a new research and development (R&D) hub

AeroFarms has a diverse, partner-fueled style that can be seen blueprinted in David's own background. Far from a straight line to agriculture, the executive was drawn to the produce industry by a love of problem-solving.

“My last company was a nanotech company in construction, which focused specifically on waterproofing and corrosion inhibition. From that I learned how much water goes to agriculture and thought I could make a difference. I love when there could be technological solutions to existing issues, and it’s a pattern I have found across industries,” David imparts.

With a background as a multi-business serial entrepreneur from Columbia Business School, it’s no wonder that David and his team have an unorthodox approach to indoor ag, employing several outside minds to expand laterally and vertically the possibilities of the industry.

“What surprised me is that fully controlled agriculture enables us to understand and give a plant exactly what it wants, when it wants, and how it wants it. As a consequence, we're competing on taste and texture in unique ways. So, I used to think our competitive advantage was local and fresh when, it turns out, we have unique tastes that allow us to go further and distinguish us from any other grower out there,” the CEO and Co-Founder muses.

AeroFarms most recently expanded its leafy greens product assortment for both baby leafy greens and microgreens as it seeks to redefine indoor-grown fresh produce and all it could impact

It's the result of having a team comprised of skilled farmers, plant geneticists, and R&D scientists that pushed the company into a whole new ring of investing: public trading.

“One of the reasons we're going public is it allows us to continue innovating on the tech side and make continued advancements to reduce capital cost, operating costs, and improve quality. We are investing millions a year in R&D. AeroFarms is involved in some cutting-edge, pioneering work, which attracts a lot of interest in this space. We’re also working with other big companies to accelerate innovation cycles, such as Dell and others—companies you don't typically associate with agriculture. We're partnering with them and developing some breakthrough stuff,” David points out, bringing us back to thinking out of the box and of traditional teams.

Among the areas AeroFarms is looking to further transform includes automation across seeding, harvesting, cleaning, packaging, and beyond, as well as biological development, working to understand what plants need to help realize their full potential.

“There's a strong lens towards technical innovation. I see a lot of players in the industry looking at produce as an execution play, not realizing there's a lot more room to reduce capital and operating costs,” he shares.

It is in that spirit that AeroFarms has continued to launch new products, most recently expanding its leafy greens product assortment for both baby leafy greens and microgreens, as it seeks to redefine not just indoor-grown fresh produce, but all it could impact.

AeroFarms is looking to further transform areas such as automation across seeding, harvesting, cleaning, packaging, and beyond, as well as biological development.

“We're very mission focused,” David concludes of the company’s driven success. “We have a program with past offenders where we've successfully taken people who were previously incarcerated and given them good jobs with a better pathway in life. We also have internal programs where computer literacy and financial literacy training continue to foster growth. Environmentally, we're focused on how to do more with less. How do we continue to grow a plant using less energy, less water, less nutrients, and zero pesticides? I think these commitments and our mission to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity are why we're attracting so many new employees as we seek to build a better future.”

As we continue to eye such movers and shakers throughout fresh produce, continue to follow AndNowUKnow.

Paul Mastronardi of Mastronardi Produce® And Caitlin Tierney of Mastronardi Produce West® Discuss CEA For Upcoming Organic Produce Summit

By Jordan Okumura

July 28, 2021

KINGSVILLE, ON - The dynamic, challenging, and volatile nature of the recent year and a half has revealed quite a few things about fresh produce to me—and one of them is that organics are not only here to stay, but continue to be an area of incredible growth opportunities. Now, with the Organic Produce Summit (OPS) on the horizon, Paul Mastronardi, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mastronardi Produce® and Caitlin Tierney, Business Director, Mastronardi Produce West®, join me to discuss the impact of a growing area of investment in organics—controlled environment agriculture (CEA)—and how it is primed to accelerate fresh produce’s advantages and benefits in organics, conventional, and the greater food industry.

Caitlin Tierney, Business Director of Western Operations, Mastronardi Produce®

“Consumer demand for flavorful fresh produce that is sustainably and locally grown is rising. As our population continues to grow, so too does the need for fresh, nutrient-rich produce. Traditional farming simply cannot keep up with this increasing demand,” Caitlin reflects, adding that to meet supply and reduce dependence on imported goods, CEA in greenhouses offers a more viable solution. “Greenhouses are also ten to twenty times more efficient and use up to ten times less water than conventional field farms.”

Caitlin leads me down the CEA path, sharing how consumers have come to expect a “season-less” pantry, and as a result of high-flavor, year-round varieties like Campari® and Flavor Bombs™, the company is seeing more retailers and foodservice operators move toward greenhouse-grown produce grown with innovative methods.

“By increasing quality, reducing the use of pesticides, growing locally, and bringing year-round supply, we can meet the needs of both consumers and retailers. A great example of this is our greenhouse in Coldwater, Michigan. Here, we use CEA techniques—such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM)—which significantly reduce the need for pesticides and provides local retailers and foodservice operators high-quality, flavorful produce that is grown year-round and is closer to them and their consumers,” Caitlin asserts.

Consumer demand for flavorful fresh produce that is sustainably and locally grown is rising, and SUNSET is helping to respond to that need

Costs also play a major role in how the conversation around CEA has progressed—a big topic that will be at play during OPS' "Growth of CEA: What's Real and What's Hype? - Part 1" panel during the September 15-16 show, where Caitlin will be a panelist. To register for OPS, please click here!

“As we all know, produce has a shelf-life that impacts the entire supply chain. If you are a retailer located on the East Coast, your fresh produce could take up to a week to get to the closest distribution center. Transportation relies on liquid fuels, which are predicted to rise in price faster than the U.S. economic inflation rate,” Caitlin reveals. “Production in CEA facilities relies on electricity and natural gas, and these prices are predicted to remain on par with inflation. With CEA, you will get fresher, more reliable produce that’s not only grown closer to where consumers are buying it, but is also cost-sustainable for the supplier.”

A win-win, in Caitlin’s words.

To get an idea of the difference and the dynamic between greenhouse and CEA, Paul breaks it down for me this way.

Paul Mastronardi, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mastronardi Produce®

“CEA can be produced in several sectors of the agricultural industry: fish, dairy, produce, etc. It’s essentially the production of food while controlling certain aspects of the environment in order to reduce pest or disease, increase efficiencies, become more sustainable, and save costs,” he says.

Using technology and data, food can be produced with quality and flavor.

“Greenhouse farming does all of this with a focus on controlled variables. Variables like temperature, humidity, and sunlight are considered carefully when growing produce in greenhouses,” he adds. “And, while CEA and greenhouse growing are two separate methods of quality food production, CEA is regularly used in greenhouses because it adds significant benefits to crop production, sustainability, and increased quality and flavor.”

Mark your calendars for the Organic Produce Summit’s "Growth of CEA: What's Real and What's Hype? -Part 1" session where Caitlin Tierney will be a panelist.

It is at this point in the conversation that he pauses to bring in the impact of vertical farming as well.

“Vertical farming, which is the process of growing crops in vertically stacked layers, is a relatively novel concept and has some significant headwinds to overcome before commercially viable. It’s currently a very small part of the market with significantly higher pricing, so it won’t replace, but will complement, existing food production with local, sustainably grown food,” Paul expresses.

This leads me to inquire how one would define the differences between vertical farming and greenhouse, and Paul details how a primary difference between vertical farming and greenhouse growing is output costs.

“Fully automated vertical farms rely exclusively on artificial lighting, which results in higher operating costs and capital expenditures. Our greenhouses, on the other hand, provide nutrient-dense produce grown sustainably, year-round without the high costs associated with energy. Why? Because we draw a lot of value from the fact that the production surfaces are mostly illuminated by the sun,” he shares.

And as Paul Mastronardi always says to his team, “there’s something magical about the sun.”

As OPS draws near, mark your calendars, build your schedule, and add Educational Breakout Session: "Growth of CEA: What's Real and What's Hype? -Part 1" for September 15!

Organic Produce Summit

Grodan Plugs Are A Key Factor In The Success of Smart Indoor Gardens

Lynn Radford

Finland-based Plantui produces smart indoor gardens for sale to consumers. The company has doubled its sales volumes over the past year, driven by a number of macrotrends including sustainability, food safety, local sourcing, healthy eating, and home cooking. Besides the innovative LED technology and closed-loop irrigation system, the Grodan plugs in which the edible plants are grown are a key factor in the success of these miniature ‘vertical farms’ in the home.

Biotech company Plantui Oy is aiming to solve some of today’s and tomorrow’s food challenges by enabling consumers to grow edible plants in their own homes. Founded in 2012 in Turku – a major hub for agriculture, manufacturing, and the high-tech inudstry in the southwest of Finland (which, incidentally, has been ranked the happiest country in the world for the third consecutive year) – it has developed a range of indoor ‘smart gardens’ that combine Nordic design and functionality with cutting-edge technology. The plug-and-play devices come with simple instructions, making it easy for consumers to produce fresh, ready-to-pick herbs, lettuces, tomatoes, chilies, and edible flowers for use in home cooking.

“The recent changes in the world such as urbanization and the COVID-19 pandemic have further spurred the grow-your-own food movement. People are looking for safe and sustainable solutions, and hydroponic growing is a good fit with this because it requires no soil and no pesticides,” says Kari Vuorinen, CTO of Plantui. “We’ve put all our knowledge and research related to plant science, nutrients, light, and technology into creating a patented indoor hydroponic growing method, from seed to plant. Our unique artificial lighting solution is based on a special photon stream that replicates the light of Finnish Lapland and optimizes photosynthesis. This results in more green mass and better quality, meaning the plants are much tastier and more nutritious than the ones you can buy in supermarkets.”

Automatically regulated
The device is sold with everything included: horticultural LED lighting, a water bowl with an integrated pump system, seed capsules, and nutrients, which are adjusted by the integrated microcontroller in line with the growth phase algorithm recipe. “After extensively testing relevant light spectra, we’ve programmed the computer in the device to automatically regulate the wavelength and intensity of the light and the water-pumping rhythms as the seeds progress through the germination, seedling and growth phases,” explains Martina Angeleri, head of plant science at Plantui. “So all the customer needs to do is fit the device together, fill the water bowl, insert the capsules, plug the device in and then keep the water and nutrients topped up roughly once a month. At the end of the harvesting period, they simply clean the device – and everything is dishwasher-proof – and then they can buy new capsules and start all over again. This solution supports local year-round growing, irrespective of the season. An indoor garden can produce three to four harvests a year, depending on which types of plants people choose to grow.”

Besides the automated lighting and irrigation system, the substrate is equally important in ensuring that Plantui can deliver on its 100% guarantee of success. “If the seeds don’t germinate you won’t have any plants, so the growing medium has to be failsafe,” says Kari. “That’s why we tested lots of different solutions when we first started out in 2013, including peat, sphagnum moss, coconut fibre and stone wool. Sphagnum moss was very promising in the growth stage but it’s not easy to get hold of. When we tested it against Grodan’s plugs, we found that they were just as good in the growth stage and actually achieved better performance in the germination stage – plus they are readily available in large quantities, so we’d hit the bullseye!” Plantui initially sourced the plugs through the Grodan distributor in Finland, but later started working directly with the company in the Netherlands. “Grodan has played a big part in our success with the plants and the device. For example, the company has tailored the existing plugs specifically to our needs by creating a slightly bigger hole for the seeds in the capsule.”

No risk of contaminants
Grodan’s plugs offer other important benefits in the Plantui Smart Gardens, according to Martina. “Stone wool is a homogeneous inert substance. Unlike with an organic material such as peat, we know for sure that the plugs are clean and pure with no risk of contaminants such as insects, bacteria or fungi. Therefore, we can rely on uniform and reproducible support for plants. This allows us to make things as easy as possible for users, as they don’t need to check the pH before adding the nutrients,” she explains. “Additionally, the density of the stone wool helps to prevent light from penetrating into the root zone, thus protecting the roots and avoiding the formation of algae in the substrate. And last but not least, no organic fibres can leach into the water and clog the active pumping system.”

Sustainability
Sustainability is a top priority for Plantui; its devices are energy-efficient, produce 100%-natural food with no pesticides or other additives, and help to reduce the carbon footprint in terms of food miles and food waste. “Stone wool is a good fit with this because basalt is an inexhaustible resource. Additionally, Grodan is the only company of its kind that is EU-certified for environmental excellence. At the end of the harvesting phase, the stone wool plugs can be separated from the plastic holders and both parts can be recycled, which supports our ‘100% recyclable’ message,” states Kari.

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Path to sales growth
The company is already selling tens of thousands of devices annually, both to high-end department stores across Europe – including in the UK and Italy – and through its own web shop. It is on track to double its sales this year, having received a major boost from an agreement between Plantui and a leading European producer of home appliances which has recently started marketing and distributing Plantui’s products under its own brand. Additionally, promising negotiations are underway with retailers in countries including Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Exciting future
The future not only looks very exciting for Plantui because of the increasing sales of its devices, but also because it has patented its technology and growing method globally. “We ourselves are focusing on consumer products for now, and there may be opportunities to branch out into other channels such as food service. For example, a couple of hotels and restaurants are already using our devices. We’ve even developed a specific lighting programme exclusively for a chef at a one-star Michelin restaurant who now grows his own unique-tasting dill!” exclaims Kari. “But the technology itself is ready for use on a larger scale and we’re now licensing it to other companies. In fact, we’ve recently sold licences to two small-scale vertical farms. We believe that networking is the key to success nowadays, so we are looking to build a good network of partners around the world – including in the USA and China – who can help us to further expand our market, and we are pleased that Grodan forms a part of that,” he concludes.

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Martina Angeleri PhD from Plantui Oy examines a liquorice seedling in a Grodan plug from a Plantui Smart Garden.

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Polygreens Podcast Episode: 31 - Richard Vollebregt - Part 2

 In this episode, Joe and Nick continue interviewing Richard Vollebregt, President & CEO of Cravo Equipment Ltd, a company that develops retractable roof production systems to enhance berry, cherry, cannabis, and vegetable production for growers worldwide.
His background in economics combined with 30+ years of experience designing automated retractable roof greenhouses, knowledge of plant physiology and my worldwide experience in many crop industries allows me to be very effective in designing crop production systems and then creating financial models which benchmarking again conventional greenhouses, tunnels, and open field production.

Latest Episode

Greenhouses Can Grow Lettuce And Generate Solar Power: Study

March 30, 2021

By Matt Shipman

A recent study shows that lettuce can be grown in greenhouses that filter out wavelengths of light used to generate solar power, demonstrating the feasibility of using see-through solar panels in greenhouses to generate electricity.

“We were a little surprised – there was no real reduction in plant growth or health,” says Heike Sederoff, co-corresponding author of the study and a professor of plant biology at North Carolina State University. “It means the idea of integrating transparent solar cells into greenhouses can be done.”

Because plants do not use all of the wavelengths of light for photosynthesis, researchers have explored the idea of creating semi-transparent organic solar cells that primarily absorb wavelengths of light that plants don’t rely on, and incorporating those solar cells into greenhouses. Earlier work from NC State focused on how much energy solar-powered greenhouses could produce. Depending on the design of the greenhouse, and where it is located, solar cells could make many greenhouses energy neutral – or even allow them to generate more power than they use.

But, until now, it wasn’t clear how these semi-transparent solar panels might affect greenhouse crops.

To address the issue, researchers grew crops of red leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in greenhouse chambers for 30 days – from seed to full maturity. The growing conditions, from temperature and water to fertilizer and CO2 concentration, were all constant – except for light.

A control group of lettuces was exposed to the full spectrum of white light. The rest of the lettuces were divided into three experimental groups. Each of those groups was exposed to light through different types of filters that absorbed wavelengths of light equivalent to what different types of semi-transparent solar cells would absorb.

“The total amount of light incident on the filters was the same, but the colour composition of that light was different for each of the experimental groups,” says Harald Ade, co-corresponding author of the study and the Goodnight Innovation Distinguished Professor of Physics at NC State.

“Specifically, we manipulated the ratio of blue light to red light in all three filters to see how it affected plant growth,” Sederoff says.

To determine the effect of removing various wavelengths of light, the researchers assessed a host of plant characteristics. For example, the researchers paid close attention to visible characteristics that are important to growers, grocers, and consumers, such as leaf number, leaf size, and how much the lettuces weighed. But they also assessed markers of plant health and nutritional quality, such as how much CO2 the plants absorbed and the levels of various antioxidants.

“Not only did we find no meaningful difference between the control group and the experimental groups, we also didn’t find any significant difference between the different filters,” says Brendan O’Connor, co-corresponding author of the study and an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State.

“There is also forthcoming work that delves into greater detail about the ways in which harvesting various wavelengths of light affects biological processes for lettuces, tomatoes and other crops,” Sederoff says.

“This is promising for the future of solar-powered greenhouses,” Ade says. “Getting growers to use this technology would be a tough argument if there was a loss of productivity. But now it is a simple economic argument about whether the investment in new greenhouse technology would be offset by energy production and savings.”

“Based on the number of people who have contacted me about solar-powered greenhouses when we’ve published previous work in this space, there is a lot of interest from many growers,” O’Connor says. “I think that interest is only going to grow. We’ve seen enough proof-of-concept prototypes to know this technology is feasible in principle, we just need to see a company take the leap and begin producing to scale.”

About this article:

The paper, “Balancing Crop Production and Energy Harvesting in Organic Solar Powered Greenhouses,” appears in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science. Co-lead authors of the paper are NC State Ph.D. students Melodi Charles and Eshwar Ravishankar. The paper was co-authored by Yuan Xiong, a research assistant at NC State; Reece Henry and Ronald Booth, Ph. D. students at NC State; Jennifer Swift, John Calero and Sam Cho, technicians at NC State; Taesoo Kim, a research scientist at NC State; Yunpeng Qin and Carr Hoi Yi Ho, postdoctoral researchers at NC State; Franky So, Walter and Ida Freeman Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at NC State; Aram Amassian, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at NC State; Carole Saravitz, a research associate professor of plant biology at NC State; Jeromy Rech and Wei You of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Alex H. Balzer and Natalie Stingelin of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

How Vertical Farming Will Shape The Post Pandemic Food Supply Chain

We're building for a future where modular vertical farming solutions are an accessible means of food production in urban areas. By modular vertical farming solution, we are referring to turnkey grow systems from the size of a shipping container down to a household appliance.

Q&A with Alexander Olesen, Co-Founder | Babylon Micro-Farms

Tell us about yourselves and Babylon Micro-Farms.

While still taking full course loads at the University of Virginia, we were actively involved in the Social Entrepreneur Program, a reflection of our values and determination to incubate a socially good company. Our original vision of starting an environmentally responsible company to provide fresh food to refugees living in camps by building hydroponic farms was put to the test when logistical realities of adequate power supply and access to clean water forced them to put that aspect of the business on hold. We became determined to develop a technology-based solution reducing the cost, complexity, and infrastructure requirements to grow fresh food. This technology is the backbone of Babylon’s platform today, the R&D has taken a dedicated effort for over 4 years. Our commitment to building Babylon into a successful company required an unforeseen amount of perseverance and we ran into a few issues along the way. We're now a team of 23 people working tirelessly towards the same goal of creating an integrated platform for modular vertical farming. It's inspiring to work alongside so many talented people and it's so rewarding to see how well our products are being received in the market and we're just getting started.

How have your customers' priorities shifted due to the pandemic?

Our institutional customers, predominantly from the education, healthcare, hospitality, and senior living spaces, have had a completely different set of priorities since the advent of COVID. We have been amazed at their complete commitment to their people - staff, students, patients, residents, and visitors. They were required to do an incredibly hard, fast pivot to safeguard the safety of the people they are responsible for and to and have done an outstanding job. Schools had to close their doors and learn how to operate virtually, hospitals were hit hard and continue to be, and the hospitality industry will take some time to recover. Senior living community residents have been the most vulnerable to the pandemic and the protocols that were put in place almost instantly have saved many lives. We are proud of how our partners responded to the ongoing public health crisis and that in the midst of all the challenges we continued to be able to supply them with fresh food, despite the lockdowns and quarantines. Our remote management system enabled us to make sure at least one thing stayed consistent for our partners during a difficult time for them.   

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How do you feel urban farming, and specifically modular indoor farming, addresses these new problems and priorities?

1. Supply chain resiliency - We provide peace of mind that fresh produce is being grown there on-site.

2. Reduced Food waste - Our customers love harvesting highly-perishable produce as needed and not having to waste anything

3. Improved Nutrition - We have much higher quality produce that is free from pesticides and it's helping our customers improve their diets.

 How has the pandemic shaped the trajectory of indoor farming?

The pandemic has focused a very bright light on the frailty of our food systems and supply chain. The growth of the indoor farming industry has been rapidly escalating as a result, as demonstrated by the enormous sums being raised by companies that are actively involved in addressing the vulnerabilities and trying to ensure a safer, more sustainable, and hopefully a more equitable food system for the future. 

Why is Babylon’s software platform important to the industry? How is it different from what’s out there today? 

We're solving a very different set of problems to most people in this industry. We're building for a future where modular vertical farming solutions are an accessible means of food production in urban areas. By modular vertical farming solution, we are referring to turnkey grow systems typically from the size of a shipping container down to a household appliance. We do not compete with the large industrial growers at all. Most companies in this emerging segment are focused on creating configurations of hydroponic systems to optimize specific markets, aesthetics, or certain crop varieties, etc. There's nothing wrong with that and it's exciting to see all the innovation. However, our firm belief is that there is not a one size fits all solution to this market and that every modular vertical farming solution shares the same scalability challenges. These are the challenges we are trying to address through our remote management platform. The platform enables us to control semi-automated hydroponic systems through the cloud and aggregate the data from all the farms in our fleet. We combine this with an automated inventory fulfillment system that enables us to prepare and ship consumables to our customers while they interact with their farm through a simple app. The software infrastructure we are developing creates a superior user experience for the end consumer and provides data analysis that is critical to scaling support for a distributed network of vertical farms. In this way, we seek to be an enabling platform that can help grow the market for modular vertical farming solutions as an accessible alternative to large scale, capital intensive, commercial growers.

What is Babylon’s vision for the future? 

See above. We envision a world where controlled environment crop cultivation becomes the predominant source of major highly-perishable produce categories, such as, leafy greens, herbs, vine crops, berries, etc.. As the market grows we need modular vertical farming solutions that are accessible and can scale more easily than the large scale, capital intensive, commercial operations that dominate the headlines today. These solutions are not mutually exclusive and we need both in order to reform our food system. New technologies and new business models are making modular vertical farms viable. We're aiming to be the platform that drives this segment forward.

About Alexander Olesen
Alexander Olesen, CEO, and Co-founder of Babylon has embraced and excelled at every opportunity he has encountered, from academic challenges to bootstrapping his second company, Babylon Micro-Farms, at the age of just 21 while still taking a full course load at the University of Virginia. Originally from England, Alexander relocated to attend the University and was actively involved in the Social Entrepreneur Program, a reflection of his values and determination to incubate a socially good company. The original research into the technology that became the basis for Babylon's success was based on research to provide low-cost food systems for refugees. He maintains the vision for the company and is an expert at managing people and bringing on partners and investors.

The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AgriTechTomorrow

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02/04/21

Indoor & Vertical Farming, Processing & Supply Chain | Containers, modular, Urban Farming

More Indoor & Vertical Farming Articles | Stories | News

Forget Politics, Danny Ayalon Wants to Effect Change on The Ground

Having transitioned from politics to agriculture, Danny Ayalon shares how vertical farming, which provides fresh fruits and vegetables all year round, and lab-grown meat can rehabilitate the environment and dramatically reduce household expenditures.

Image from: Yehoshua Yosef

The coronavirus pandemic has drawn attention to humankind's carbon footprint. More than ever before we ask ourselves, how can we become more sustainable? Can we prevent pollution? How can we minimize waste? What about lowering emission levels? Will there be enough food for everyone in the future?

Danny Ayalon, a former ambassador and foreign policy adviser to three prime ministers-turned entrepreneur,  believes that the answer to many of the world's problems lies in modern agriculture. 

Having transitioned from politics to agriculture, he works with Future Crops, an Amsterdam-based company focused on vertical farming – the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers that often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth – and MeaTech, a company that creates lab-grown meat.

"Ever since the coronavirus came into our lives, we realized that man is not in charge of the universe," Ayalon told Israel Hayom. 

"Our control over the forces of nature, of Earth, of our future is more limited than we had thought. And when we are no longer in charge of the world, only three things guarantee our lives here: food, water, and energy security. Food, water, and energy are three resources that can be depleted and therefore literally cast a cloud on our world. 

"Experts have come to a conclusion that one of the most important fields to focus on is agriculture, and indeed we are currently witnessing the most significant agricultural revolution ever since the first agricultural revolution that took place about 10,00 years ago."

Q: Back then, in the first agricultural revolution, there was a need for a lot of land. 

"But today we have technology. The name of the game is to reach maximum output with minimum input in the smallest space possible. This is the holy grail of the new revolution. And that is how technology enters the picture. To grow fruits, vegetables and spices today requires lots of space. The technology we developed at Future Crops allows us to minimize the space, increase production and redefine the food supply chain."

Q: How exactly? 

"We have a nine-story hangar in Amsterdam to grow crops like coriander, basil, dill, and parsley. It has LED lights, and each plant gets exactly the amount of light it needs. We are the plant psychologists, [we] listen to all its needs and do everything to make sure the plant grows in the most optimal way. 

Image from: Future Crops

"If it lacks something, it immediately receives water. Everything is done without a human's touch. We use algorithms and big data in collaboration with world-class researchers from the Weizmann Institute. It is essentially the application of vertical farming, growing various crops in vertically stacked layers,  in enclosed structures, on soil platforms. 

"For example, if it takes a month to grow lettuce in an open field, in a vertical farm, it takes two weeks, half that time. There's also a significant reduction in water consumption, and no pesticides or sprays are used at all. Also, the produce is available in all seasons; it does not depend on the temperature. Whoever likes mangos and strawberries, for example, will be able to enjoy them all year round."

Q: So if produce is grown faster and within a smaller space, is it going to cost less?

"The prices might be a bit higher today because this technology and the various infrastructures require an economic return of the initial investment in them. With time, the process will become more efficient, and the investments will be repaid, so in the end, the prices that the consumer will need to pay will be lower than today. 

"Let me give you a simple example. Do you know how much a kilogram [2.2 pounds] of basil costs in Europe today? €90 ($108). In Israel, the price is €20 ($24). In the [United Arab] Emirates, where almost everything connected to food is imported – the prices go accordingly as well. Once you have more innovative vertical farms, consumers will pay much less."

Q: Should we expect vertical farm skyscrapers to pop up all over? 

"I'm not sure that we will need skyscrapers, as with time the facilities will become smaller. Imagine that in every supermarket there will be a vertical produce stand with all the vegetables and spices, and later also fruits which you pick on the spot, without the need to move the produce from place to place. That is why vertical farming is also called urban farming, meaning there is no need for fields; you can grow [produce] on the rooftop. No resource limits you."

Q: What about the taste? 

"Ours is a fresher and tastier product. I ought to give credit to the Weizmann Institute here. The challenge for them wasn't the quality of the vitamins but the taste, and they managed to achieve a great taste. In the Netherlands, Future Crops already sells parsley, and it tastes outstanding."

Q: Regular parsley lasts for about two weeks in the fridge. What about Future Crops parsley? 

"Our parsley has a two-month shelf life, and it does not oxidize within a week or two."

Q: If every country will be self-reliant in terms of agriculture, do you think it will affect relations between countries? 

"Economies will become self-sufficient eventually, which will ensure security with far fewer conflicts. There is less and less water in the Middle East, which might someday lead to tensions. We hope technology will reduce the tensions between countries, and territory will be less critical. Our world faces crucial challenges. Food and water security have the potential to either divide or bring us together and ensure our long-term existence. 

"By the way, in every developed Western country, like the United States, Australia, and also in Europe, issues of food security, climate, and greenhouse emissions are on the top of the political agenda. We are not talking about it [in Israel,] as security and foreign affairs take the central stage, but Israel does have a lot to offer here."

Q: Do we have the potential to become the Silicon Valley of advanced agriculture? 

"Israel takes tremendous pride in its actions that help save the world. Will we become the Silicon Valley of agriculture? There is no doubt about it. We can already see foreign investors who come here to look for opportunities, including my business partner Lior Maimon, co-founder and CEO of Silver Road Capital, and Steven Levin, one of the leaders of the US food industry. Silver Road Capital is a holdings and financial advisory firm with a broad portfolio of high-tech companies, as well as agricultural and food technologies, and represents international companies and funds in investments in Israel and the world. 

"Future Crops's goal is to raise 35 million shekels on the Israeli stock exchange to invest in enlarging the existing facilities and [set up] other production lines and facilities in Europe and other continents. We cooperate with the Albert Heijn supermarket chain [in the Netherlands] and a leading food chain in France."

Q: Vertical farming is estimated at $3 billion. Google and Amazon have invested hundreds of millions in the field as well. What is their goal? 

"A simple answer would be profit. A longer answer is that they [large corporations] understand that food has the highest demand. People cannot live without food and water, and Google and Amazon understand that potential."

Q: US President Joe Biden took office with the largest team of climate experts ever. That ought to give the field momentum. 

"Green energy and vertical farming will get a considerable boost. Climate change and green energy are well-rooted in the Democratic Party's ideology. 

"It is also possible that large companies entered the agriculture fields precisely because of the Biden administration; they are worried about their future. They are afraid of a certain dismantling, so focusing on secondary fields is part of a security scenario for them."

Q: Biden also wants to address greenhouse emissions, which are the result of the food production industry, mainly meat. Are Amazon and Google's food counterparts - McDonald's and Burger King - looking for meat substitutes?

"Firstly, cultured [lab-grown] meat does not require grazing land, cows do not need to be fed, and so much land can instead be turned into forests that support the environment. This is an optimistic industry that leaves us with a better world. 

"As for the meat alternatives market, there are two major companies in the US that produce plant-based protein, Beyond Meat, and Impossible Foods. 

"Impossible's burgers are already at Burger King, McDonald's has partnered up with Beyond Meat, and last November, it announced that it would create its own plant-based burger. 

"The problem is that pea protein [used in plant-based burgers,] does not have all the amino acids that animal protein contains. Also, they need to add additives to supplement for taste and smell.

"At MeaTech, where I'm a director, we are on our way to producing animal meat, cultured meat, real stakes: we take a cow's own stem cell from which meat can be produced in almost unlimited quantities. We also use 3D digital printing technology. And we also created a thin layer of meat, carpaccio. Needless to say, no cow was harmed in the process."

Image from: MeaTech

Q: Why do you use 3D printers? 

"Because there is no need for a human being's involvement. It is relevant now during the coronavirus pandemic when the food supply chain is disrupted. With such printers, your production can continue without delays, whenever you want. 

Also, it is theoretically possible to provide food for space flights. Astronauts who go out into space will not have to take food with them; rather, they will be able to produce it on the spot.

"People understand that crises like the coronavirus can disrupt the supply chain and are looking for alternatives. A 3D printer allows restaurants, supermarkets, and butcher shops to have meat without relying on the supply chain."

Q: The death rate from obesity is higher than the death rate from hunger. How will cultured meat affect these statistics? 

"It is possible to create meat with much less fat and more protein in each portion and add various nutrients in the future to strengthen the immune system and prevent disease. This, of course, requires a lot of research and approvals. Just like there's talk about customized medicine, so it will be possible to produce food that suits a person's genetic structure and body in the most optimal way."

Q: Will the cost of this meat also be optimal? 

"They will cost more in the beginning compared to regular meat because there are initial costs that have to be repaid. When it becomes a mass production, prices will drop over time."

Q: With your vast experience in politics, what do you think of Israeli politics these days? Do you ever consider a political comeback? 

"No election campaign goes by without someone making me an offer [to return to politics] but I'm not interested. Unfortunately, the Israeli government, and all governments in the Western world, have not been able to run their countries properly in recent years.

"For example, more of the government's national taks are transitioning to the private market or the third sector. We see that associations [are the ones] who take care of the needy, establish settlements in the Negev and in the Galilee, bring immigrants to Israel and provide Israelis with information. All these things should be done by the government.

"The Israeli government lacks vision, ideologies, every matter is personal and is charged with negative sentiments. If I do return one day, it will only happen after we change the government system which will take its power from small [political] parties.

"In my opinion, we need to transition to a regional choice, by district. This will result in higher quality politicians. How so? Because whoever wants to be elected will need to run and convince the people who live in his area and district, and they are the ones who know his activities best. Also, closed primaries should be avoided because they make all kinds of deals possible. That needs to change."

OUR NEW FUTURE: German Firm Says Indoor Vertical Farm in Singapore Will Produce 1.5 Tons of ‘Leafy Greens’ Every Day

stock photo/ @rebecca_lee_creative

KEY POINTS

• Henner Schwarz, CEO of German firm &ever, said that his company’s new indoor vertical farm in Singapore will produce 1.5 tons of “leafy green” produce per day.

• Schwarz said he expects produce from his firm’s new research and development facility in Changi will reach a lot of Singaporeans over time and “make a small contribution to food security in Singapore.”

• &ever already has an operational indoor farm in Kuwait, which has become a testing ground for indoor vertical farming.



The boss of German firm &ever has said that his company’s new indoor vertical farm in Singapore will produce 1.5 tons of “leafy green” produce every day when it is up and running in the fourth quarter of next year.

Henner Schwarz, Chief Executive Officer at &ever, told CNBC on Monday that he expects produce from his firm’s new research and development facility in Changi will reach a lot of Singaporeans over time and “make a small contribution to food security in Singapore.”

The company, which competes with more conventional food producers, sells living plants to customers that can then be harvested at home as and when they’re needed. As a result, it tastes better and fresher, Schwarz said.

Schwarz said Singapore is “not the easiest market for indoor vertical farming” as electricity is fairly expensive and there are “lots of cheap imports.”

However, &ever has been awarded a grant by the Singapore government, which decided to speed up plans to increase locally produced food after seeing how the coronavirus pandemic impacted food supplies.

Singapore’s land scarcity makes conventional farming a real challenge and the country is keen to embrace solutions that don’t have a large footprint.

In terms of price, Schwarz said: “We think that we’re pricing our products similar to existing premium organic produce that you can find on the Singapore market today.”

He added: “The price point for indoor vertical farming products in many markets in the world, for example in the U.S., is very expensive. Our system is really geared towards making a meaningful contribution and we have taken quite some time to get things right, and to have the most energy efficient solution on the market.”

In order to reduce energy consumption at its Singapore site, &ever plans to use a combination of sunlight capture systems and LED lights. It is teaming up with lighting producer Signify to carry out a number of experiments.

Wikimedia | Valcenteu

Kuwait farm

&ever already has an operational indoor farm in Kuwait, which has become a testing ground for indoor vertical farming as it has similar, but different food security issues.

“We launched our farm in Kuwait just when Covid really hit in March,” said Schwarz. “It has been quite difficult to ramp production capacity up. However, the reception in the market has really been great thus far, and the Kuwaiti people really like our produce.”

When it comes to farming, access to fresh water is a problem in many areas of the world. “We need 95% less fresh water than traditional farms,” said Schwarz.

He added: “We expect that over time, as our efficiency becomes better and better, the price points can become lower and lower.”

Sam Shead@SAM_L_SHEAD

PUBLISHED TUE, DEC 22 2020 - 2:11 AM EST | UPDATED TUE, DEC 22 2020 - 2:12 AM EST

Growing Sunflower Shoot Microgreens

Microgreens Facts

February 28, 2020

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We tend to know sunflowers as the beautiful flowers that we see while strolling through a trail, or neighborhood park. Sunflowers, although beautiful, aren’t just ornamental, but they can be used for other purposes too. The use of sunflowers has been around since the time of American Indians. The American Indian tribes would often use it for cooking, snacks and medicinal purposes. Most of us are familiar with snacking on sunflower seeds or the use of the oil through cooking, but did you know that they are also gaining popularity during the first shoot. Did you know that you can actually consume the shoots? There are incredible health benefits that come from consuming sunflower microgreens. The shoots are high in unsaturated fats, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, and other nutrients.

 Here are some facts about sunflower shoots:

1. Sunflower Sprouts contain approximately 25% protein and are a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, and E and minerals including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc.

2. Sunflower Shoots also contain, healthy fats, essential fatty acids, fiber, and phytosterols. Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that daily consumption of foods enriched with at least 0.8 g of plant sterols or stanols lowers serum LDL cholesterol.

3. Both sunflower seeds and their shoots contain high amounts of vitamin E. Vitamin E works synergistically with vitamin C and selenium to reduce blood pressure, increase the elasticity of arteries and prevent heart disease.

4. The sunflower shoot is a natural expectorant for chest congestion: In Ayurvedic medicine, these sprouts are thought to have the ability to encourage clearance of the lungs. Natural expectorants may also be used as a preventative measure against lower respiratory infections to deter the invasion of pathogens.

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Sunflower shoots at first may not look very impressive but when applied to food they tend to steal the show. Sunflower shoots tend to elevate any dish, from throwing a few on a simple salad to a Michelin star restaurant gracefully placing a shoot on top of something extraordinary. Sunflower shoots are graced with a nutty flavor and a crunchy texture.

We love sunflower shoots so we’ll be giving you some tips on how to grow them. Here are some of our tips on how to grow them.

 Cycle: 9-11 days from seed to harvest

Soak:

1. Room temperature water, 8-12 hours

2. 60 minute sanitize can serve as soaking

Key Growing Strategies:

1. Soak seeds in room temperature water

2. Minimized, but optimized light exposure

3. Do not let lodge when covered

4. Water stress leads to hardier shoots - they can recover from severe wilt in a matter of hours

Uncovering:

1. Sunnies should be uncovered when shoots are about 2 inches long or shorter. 

2. A better indicator than shoot length is that they should be uncovered when still perfectly vertical and before the weight of covering trays causes them to lodge 

   light.

3. Minimum 2 days light in summer; 3-4 days better in winter, 4 days optimum, depending on conditions.

4. Double up cover trays to prevent light pockets through drainage holes.

5. Avoid excess or overly intense light as this can cause an undesirable texture.

Watering:

1. Do not water upon uncovering - give at least one-day stress 

2. Water consistently afterward for good growth; wet soil also makes trays easier to clean 

3. Be sure to water trays consistently - back of trays often neglected 

4. Rotate trays 180 degrees every 2 days in winter growing conditions 

5. Excess water in hot conditions creates rapid growth but a flavorless and inferior sprout 

6. Drainage is crucial 

Stressors:

1. Restricting water early in the uncovered stage leads to a redder stem and nuttier flavor 

2. Colder weather stunts growth can also cause reddened stems 

3. Excess heat causes rapid, weak growth

Disease:

1. Susceptible to mold with poor air circulation and warm, wet conditions 

2. Mold susceptibility varies between seed lots 

3. Minor disease can be present in 5-10% of trays with little effect on yield 

4. Disease presence on new seeds is to be expected as they adapt to conditions in the greenhouse; 3-5 weeks may be required for the greenhouse ecosystem to adapt to new seeds

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   These are just some general tips on how to grow sunflower shoot microgreens. We’re in love with Sunflower shoots over here at Nick Greens. If you have any questions feel free to contact us. 

Tags: microgreens sunflower micro shoots microgreen growingtips growingfood growing microgreens

growingindoors growing

Growing Microgreens At Home

Growing Microgreens

February 28, 2019

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Are you interested in growing microgreens at home for the winter
months? Well this blog will help you make the right decisions while
growing healthy nutritional microgreens.

Microgreens are most
commonly harvested from leafy greens such as kale, arugula,
radish greens and herbs. The taste of microgreens depends on the
original vegetable. Microgreens have a very strong and
concentrated taste of the original vegetable. This means that
cilantro microgreens will still taste of cilantro but in a stronger, more
vegetable and condensed format.

Here are your instructions:

1. Get a 10 x 20 tray or container. 10 x 20 trays are the best, but my personal favorite are those clear plastic salad containers with a lid. It’s a little harder to harvest, and you may not get idea air flow, but the lids are nice for keeping the seeds moist while in germination stage.

2. Get growing medium such as bio-strate, burlap or soil. Pre-moisten your growing medium by soaking in a 5 gallon bucket or a big bowl. Keep the medium soaking for 4-8 hours.

3. Place growing medium in the tray and make sure to flatten the medium with your hands.

4. Sprinkle seeds over the top of the medium. Don’t worry about spacing. You’ll be harvesting so soon that a nice little carpet is what you’re going for. For best results use a spice shaker to spread the seeds evenly.

5. Spray your seeds with a spray bottle or water lightly and then spray the inside of your humidity dome. Cover your tray with the humidity dome and place in a dark location. Covering the tray helps keeps in the moisture, and the darkness helps the seeds to germinate.

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 6) Remove cover after seeds sprout. After a few days your seeds should have sprouted. Remove the cover and place in front of a sunny window sill or under an artificial light.

7) Carefully water your microgreens. The best option is to bottom water, which is setting your tray with drainage holes in a sink of water and letting the microgreens soak it up. If you top water, be careful not to flatten the tiny greens.

8) Cut your microgreens with a sharp knife or a pair scissors, most are delicious after they develop their second set of leaves, and are about 2 inches tall.

9) Eat your microgreens! You can eat them on sandwiches, in stir fry, on pizza, in green smoothies, in salads, or as a garnish and ingredient.

These are simple and easy instructions. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out.

Tags: ingredientsmatter growingmicrogreens at home microgreens microgreen how to

Osram Presents New Near-Infrared LED for Smart Farming Application

12/12/18, 10:38 AM | Indoor & Vertical Farming, Monitoring & Growing

Osram, a leader in the optoelectronic industry, today announced its new Oslon Black SFH 4736 near-infrared LED (NIRED). When installed in a smartphone or tablet, the NIRED offers a simple way for farmers to scan fruit, vegetable or grain crops, generating reliable information about the sugar, water and fat content. One of the most important decisions for farmers and vineyard owners is picking the right time to harvest. This not only ensures that the produce has the best possible taste, but also saves precious time and money during the processing and shipment stages. 

Determining ripeness is made possible by near-infrared spectroscopy. This process involves scanning the content of various types of fruit, vegetables and grains - and takes only a few seconds. For example, a farmer would select a random ear of wheat, scan it with a smartphone, and just a few seconds later read the results on the display. 

The NIRED irradiates the sample with a defined spectrum of light. Depending on its precise composition, the sample will reflect only a certain proportion of that light. The spectrometer then processes the information and integrates it into the smartphone or tablet. The reflected light can be considered a kind of "photometric fingerprint." These measurements indicate the existence and quantity of certain nutrients, allowing farmers to take samples and easily monitor the progress of their crops in real time so they can plan the ideal time for harvest. 

"By focusing on making progress for farmers, the new Oslon Black SFH 4736 near-infrared LED takes farming technology to the next frontier," said Karl Leahy, Director of Emitters, Lasers and Sensors at Osram Opto Semiconductors. "Our unique NIRED allows farmers to optimize their crop yield, as well as enhance harvest efficiency while keeping costs down." 

In late 2016, Osram Opto Semiconductors unveiled the SFH 4735 as the worlds first broadband emitter of its kind. The previous model is being used in various applications including in SCiO, one of the first near-infrared micro-spectrometers for the consumer market from Consumer Physics. The SFH 4736, which achieves almost twice the output thanks to its newly integrated lens, is also suitable for use in the professional sector and can provide valuable assistance to farmers. 

ABOUT OSRAM 

OSRAM, based in Munich, is a leading global high-tech company with a history dating back more than 110 years. Primarily focused on semiconductor-based technologies, our products are used in highly diverse applications ranging from virtual reality to autonomous driving and from smartphones to smart and connected lighting solutions in buildings and cities. OSRAM uses the endless possibilities of light to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities. OSRAMs innovations enable people all over the world not only to see better, but also to communicate, travel, work and live better. OSRAM has approximately 27,400 employees worldwide as of end of fiscal 2018 (September 30) and generated revenue of more than €4.1 billion. The company is listed on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Munich (ISIN: DE000LED4000; WKN: LED 400; trading symbol: OSR). Additional information can be found at www.osram.com.

Experience From the Field

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10/30/2018 | by Nick Greens, Horticulturist/Consultant

You’re a solid grower with great ideas, but you may feel like you don’t have enough experience in the field. You may need to be patient and research your ideas, but then again, maybe it’s not that. Maybe your ideas are missing something. There are extra factors with hydroponics that may cause things in the field to fail, here’s our tips for troubleshooting possible problems and finding potential solutions.

Timing

Expert growers have seen some herb seeds take up to a month to germinate but these are extreme cases. Mostly, growers see germinating over a three day period or sometimes up to a week. After a week without germinating we are in uncharted territory. If you don't achieve germination by the middle of the second week then you should reconsider the germination technique being used. You should also consider germinating a new batch so as not to delay your grow over non-viable seeds.

Germination Spraying

If you have a problem with over watering or using too much water at this stage, spraying is a viable and safe way to regulate water. It is far easier to spray a medium to make it moist than to otherwise water a medium to make moist. Get a spray bottle. If you still have a problem with over watering, consider adding perlite to the bottom of your tray next time. This will help absorb excess liquids in almost any growing method.

 Air

Air is something your plants need all the time, even in the germination stage. Stale air results in a change in the ratio of gases that comprise it and the accumulation of new ones. Over watering can be a huge problem from the day you start to germinate your seeds because it locks out air. There is never a need to turn your growing medium into a swamp.

Germination and Darkness

Seeds should be germinated in the dark. If you use humidity domes, make sure the domes have top vents and that you cover properly without forcing the dome on. Even if the seeds are covered with a humidity dome, make sure your tray are in darkness because the seeds still need to be kept away from light. As soon as the seeds open, it is necessary that the tray receives the proper amount of light.

Room Temperature Water

Never use water directly from tap. Always let it reach room temperature. Cold water can shock plant roots because it quickly reduces the environment temperature of the growing medium. The same goes for seed germination, don't stick seeds in cold water and don't moisten seeds with cold water. Even when you feed your plants you should let the water reach room temperature. It’s also important to check your own water supply to determine its quality. In most cases chlorine in water won't cause issues with your plants but if your water isn't very clean or pure then you can't expect your plants to use it well. In either case, boiling water and letting it cool to room temperature can help to generate cleaner water.

dmvA Suspends Greenhouse For Urban Farming Over Steel Rods In Belgium

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September 28, 2018

house tp is located in the working-class area in mechelen, belgium – a local woman with green fingers bought there a little house next to the church and asked dmvA to reconstruct it. due to the specifics of the site and the client’s requirements, the architects have created a levitating greenhouse in the home’s courtyard. 

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the client had the desire to do urban farming, which is not evident in the center of the city. moreover, the plot was fully built and the backside is oriented north, being in the shade of the house most of the time. a green spot behind the house seemed difficult to create due to the lack of sunlight. dmvA, therefore, decided to remove the rear of the building, except for one steel beam.

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the beam inspired the architects to add some extra beams and place a greenhouse on top of them. by hanging the structure up in the air, dmvA found a solution to the lack of illumination that ensured the patio to stay bright and light. as there is less light reaching the ground floor due to the orientation of the house, the bedroom is downstairs, while the living room is upstairs. next to the patio, there is a small living space that can also be used as a bedroom in the future.

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 by removing all interior walls and creating open spaces, the house seems larger than it is, despite its small living area of 80 square meters. the stairs are always placed on a side of the building so that the open spaces would not be disrupted.

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Growing Popcorn Shoots

8/21/2018

CropKing

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Popcorn shoots are a microgreen variety increasing in popularity. As you might have guessed from their name, they grow from the seeds that a lot people use for popcorn. The shoots are useful for ingredients and garnishing dishes, as they are golden yellow and have a unique, super sweet flavor.

After selecting the right seeds to grow at home, we suggest soaking them before planting. Then, using a burlap medium, plant your seeds in a 10 x 20 tray designed for growing microgreens, keep the burlap moist, and cover your shoots with a humidity dome or place in a black garbage bag.

Selecting your Seeds

1. Use your popcorn kernels from the kitchen cabinets. Yes, you can grow them! There are more specialized popcorn seeds that are meant for shoot production, but your standard popcorn seeds will grow shoots too. The seeds meant for movie night will taste just like the popcorn snack you’re used to, with an added sweetness that lingers in your mouth.
2. Purchase seeds specifically for shoot productions. These seeds come in separate colors, although you’re more likely to find that the white and yellow seeds work better than the red variety. Do a fast online search for popcorn seeds or visit a nearby health store to see if they carry them.
3. To help establish the correct amount of seeds to use, spread dry seeds into the bottom of an empty 10 x 20 tray. They should be evenly, but densely, spread. As a rule of thumb, use 2-3 cups for a 10 x 20 tray.

Sprouting the Seeds

1. Soak the seeds for 8-12 hrs. Place the seeds you’ll be germinating in a plastic kitchen container. Fill the container with enough water to rise above the seeds, ¾” to 1”. The seeds will swell as they absorb water, and you’ll want to be sure they stay below the water line. As they soak, keep the seeds out of direct light.

Planting your Seeds

1. Choose a growing medium. Keep in mind that your medium’s job is to hold your shoot in place and provide them with water and nutrients. Soil is a traditional example and may be the easiest to work with for most first time growers. Burlap comes in 10” rolls and can be cut to size of tray. Before placing the burlap mat in the tray PRE-SOAK THEM in a tub of water. This helps them lay flat in the trays, which makes planting a lot easier and helps give the seeds a germination boost. Plan to soak the mats the day before you plant.
2. Spread seeds evenly on top of the wet medium. If you have issues with mold or fungus growing between your shoots, use fewer seeds the next time around and cut back how often you water them.

Growing the Shoots

1. Cover the seeded tray. Use a cover that will be lightweight but impermeable to light. Keep the tray indoors with little or no light and a constant temperature.
2. Water your shoots lightly. Keeping the medium moist will likely require a little amount of watering. Use a spray bottle, and make sure to spray each sprouting shoot each time you water. Once roots set, focus on keeping the medium moist. This no longer requires spraying every shoot. Pour water in from the sides to avoid damaging the young shoots.
3. Harvest your shoots when they’re 2-4 inches tall. Once shoots are dry to touch, simply cut the shoots just above the growing medium’s surface. Store shoots in a sealed container in your refrigerator.

The bright color and popcorn flavor adds to almost any dish. They can also be enjoyed in a salad with grilled sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and Lola rosa lettuce.

Category: microgreens

Tags: microgreens

Growers From Around The World Travel To Eureka, CA To Learn Hydroponic Growing And Business Techniques.

Growers From Around The World Travel To Eureka, CA To Learn Hydroponic Growing And Business Techniques.

“Hands-on learning is the ONLY way to build a hydroponic business.”

Recently, potential and current hydroponic growers converged on Eureka California to engage in the latest AmHydro “Introduction to Commercial Hydroponics” seminar. 

AmHydro holds several 2-day seminars each year in various locations across the US, featuring classroom, lecture, and “hands-on” knowledge provided by successful commercial growers and industry leaders.  In addition to hydroponic growing techniques, attendees also were immersed in classes on building a CEA business, managing operations, and food safety protocols. 

A highly diverse group attended, which included representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Climate Change from the African country of Burkina Faso (traveling over 7,000 miles!), a large-scale grain farmer from Kansas, fruit plantation owners from Jamaica, and the owner of a West Virginia hydroponic farming business.  

After leaving the classroom setting, the group ventured to a nearby commercial hydroponic greenhouse where they participated in seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and biological pest control practices. 

Joe Swartz, VP of Amhydro explains, “the goal here is to provide participants with a well-rounded understanding of building and operating a controlled environment agriculture business.”  He adds, “understanding proper horticultural practices, ag-related business management, and food safety/regulatory issues are all critically important to the success of your operation.  We strive to provide sound, time-tested systems, and procedures based on our successful experience as commercial growers ourselves.”

AmHydro’s next seminar is planned for October 11th and 12th.  

https://amhydro.com/seminar/

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