KSA-Based Natufia Makes It Easy To Grow Food In Your Home With Its Hydroponic Tech

By Pamella de Leon

August 10, 2021

Can you imagine growing your own salad in your kitchen? This is what KSA-based enterprise Natufia is daring to achieve. Founded in 2015 by Gregory Lu and Nadim Taoubi, Natufia is a multi-awarded research lab specializing in hydroponic kitchen appliances. With its fully integrated and automated indoor smart hydroponic kitchen garden, especially created for restaurant kitchens and households, Natufia enables people to grow an assortment of the freshest plants, vegetables, flowers and herbs all year round right in the heart of their kitchen.

Offering a holistic solution to healthy living, this smart garden nestled in your kitchen provides the optimal combination of water, lighting, nutrients, and even music (as the team’s research found that it helps to stimulate more growth). The fridge-sized appliance is easy to use: seed pods -which can be compared to the size of Nespresso capsules- are placed in the nursery drawer where it will grow for about 10 days, after which, the pod will be moved to grow in another cabinet. After 20-30 days, you are ready to harvest, and every 3-4 months, you just need to refill the nutrients. All other steps are automated as the Natufia smart kitchen garden creates the perfect environment needed to grow plants. It can grow 32 different types of plants, such as basil, lettuces, cilantro, kale, dill, cherry tomatoes, mint, and more, simultaneously, producing 1-2 plants per day. 

Gregory Lu, co-founder and CEO, explains how the startups aims to solve the huge multifaceted problem in the food industry. “The plants that will grow in your kitchen are free of pesticides, preservatives, and because of [its] freshness, they will give you up to 400% more vitamins.” He adds, “Because they are grown right where they are consumed, you will rediscover a wider biodiversity, true original taste of the greens vegetable, whilst they are being accessible anywhere and from the proximity of one’s kitchen." The startup aims to minimize the prevalent environmental impact by reducing food waste, packaging, pollution, and food miles. It also addresses the gaps of food security and traceability awareness, a prevalent issue for the region’s food security sector.  “We are disrupting the way people relate to their food and reinventing the consumer meal journey by allowing communities to take control of their food- produce where it is consumed," Lu says, explaining the startup’s mission. "By using Natufia, we encourage people to change their food habits by consuming a diet rich in vitamins and nutrition-dense vegetables and greens, improving their health and helping our planet.”

Source: Natufia

For Lu, taking on the path to entrepreneurship was inevitable, he says. “I have been an entrepreneur from a young age, so that’s something that’s always been inside of me.” Beginning his career in the property development and investment sector, the entrepreneur accumulated over 25 years of experience in the real estate sector and decided to diversify his businesses by diving into the food industry. Upon buying an olive plantation in Sicily to produce olive and tomato sauce, Lu faced the common issues of needing to use pesticides and fertilizers, which contradicted his views on healthy food and showcased the significance of the organic food industry. “I felt people needed to experience what I experienced in these hills of Sicily- the freshness, the connection of growing your own food and the quality,” adds Lu. “My real estate background also thrusted me into following up the idea. If people could grow food in their own homes, offices, schools, or hotels, all year around having fresh quality food easily accessible, then the world would be a much better place.” Lu is joined by co-founder and COO Nadim Taoubi, whose background includes advising tech companies at Deloitte and LD&A, as well as founding his own Estonia-based e-commerce platform, Ooolala which has been sold to an undisclosed buyer in 2016.

Originally launched in Estonia, the co-founders bootstrapped the concept and built a basic prototype to show to a few European fairs and evaluate initial reception. It kickstarted the first phase of their journey, which was focused on developing the technology: “It took us years to do that, but we accumulated over 20 patents.” This was followed by proof of concept and field-testing phase, wherein the duo invested in R&D and grew its team. “We have sold dozens of our Natufia [product] to the US, Europe and the Middle East to receive feedback and analyze large amounts of data.” As the company grew, the co-founders looked outside Estonia for investment partners. In 2018, the startup was accepted into the Techstars Dubai accelerator program, held in partnership with GINCO Investments. This proved to be an advantageous step, as the startup was able to raise US$1.2 million in a seed funding round, led by Butterfly Ventures, Techstars, and GINCO Investments, as well as several angel investors from US, Europe and the Middle East. The capital was set to pave its expansion plans to Europe and the US. “We spent a lot in Dubai with Techstars and understood that the region is a great market for Natufia,” says Lu. Later on, the CEO met representatives from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) at a conference in London. After months of discussions, KAUST announced it would lead a $3.5 million investment in a Series A funding round, though its venture capital investment arm KAUST Innovation Fund, with Butterfly Ventures also participating in the round. This puts Natufia’s total funding to $4.7 million, with previous investors Butterfly Ventures, Techstars and GINCO Investments, remaining as minority shareholders.

As part of the new capital infusion, the startup is also relocating to Saudi Arabia, basing itself at the KAUST Research and Technology Park (KRTP) to help grow its R&D capabilities. Lu explains, “We felt it would be a huge opportunity being in the heart of the region to develop the market, but also being at KAUST on campus could give us the possibility to keep working on our technology to make it even better and advanced.” Lu commends KAUST’s distinctive infrastructure and tools, which can be greatly beneficial for the startup’s innovative solutions. “I give you an example: for us, it is very important to test the quality of our plants -the vitamins, nutrients, minerals, etc. In Estonia, it was a long and complex process. We had to reserve the test well in advance, transport the plants, which come with a lot of paperwork, expensive fees and long waiting times, before getting the result without being sure it was fully accurate.” He continues, “Today, at KAUST, we simply have to go across the street and get the result the same day. It means our research is more efficient. The other major factor is the community we continuously interact with, exchanging ideas with professors on pertinent topics like sensors, biology, botany, technology and so on- and that’s extremely enriching for new ideas and technology developments. We might even use KAUST technology in our future developments.”

Natufia botany lab  

Besides furthering its R&D development, Lu is also keen to help create job opportunities and align themselves with Saudi’s Vision 2030, which inevitably establish the Kingdom’s status as a top choice for businesses in the Middle East. “And we want to be a part of that,” Lu points out. At the moment, Lu notes that it’s all about the production of the newly upgraded Natufia smart kitchen garden model in Saudi and scaling its distribution locally and internationally. Next up, the team hopes to move towards mass production and develop new Natufia models. Having partnered with KAUST and Jumeirah Group, today, the startup now consists of a team of 12 people and is focused on its prime model, the Natufia smart kitchen garden, retailed at $7,955 and is available worldwide. With distributors in the USA, Europe, Australia and Saudi Arabia, the team have more lined up for next year- a model for those keen on a smaller budget, and another model to cater for commercial settings. On facing hurdles, Lu comments, “I personally work and build companies in different countries and contrary to what people might think, a lot of things are online and work smoothly. The biggest challenge was to get the residency for the core team who were not Saudi native and a bank setup for the company. It takes perseverance and patience.” However, the key benefit that the co-founders found (“and a pleasant surprise”) was the quality of local talent they found to work at Natufia, “The young generation is very well-educated, studied abroad and eager to work in the type of environment that Natufia creates- high tech, fast-moving and with big growth potential.”

As newcomers join the industry, Lu is focused on its USP: “Compared to our competition, we offer automation, quality and design. Our robust technology runs the whole process automatically and its high-end design that can be integrated into any kitchen design." And as for the future, Lu states it’s just the beginning of agritech. “We are just scratching the surface, because in the last 60 years, the industry was only focusing on quantity, price, shelf life and transportability. Since organic products came on the scene, people started to understand the importance of food quality, we opened up a new horizon. Freshness, taste and nutrient value is something that [people] will follow.” He dreams of having Natufia’s product everywhere, “We want to see Natufia in every home, in every school, in every office, hospital, airport. We want people to be able to experience the real taste of greens and vegetables and connect with nature on a daily basis from everywhere they are.”

Lead Photo: Gregory Lu, co-founder and CEO, Natufia

Where Does Our Lettuce Really Come From?

According to www.keepcaliforniafarming.com, more than 90% of the U.S. production of lettuce comes from either California or Arizona. The website also tells us: “The majority of production from April through October occurs in the Salinas Valley of California, while production from November through March occurs in California’s Imperial Valley.”

This shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise to folks who understand that the majority of leafy greens, and indeed most vegetables need a warm climate to thrive and grow. And that’s why California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and states with similar climates are successful in agriculture.

The U.S. is the second-largest user of lettuce after only China (which makes complete sense based on population), but when we look at lettuce consumption and production as an example, we can see why vertical indoor farming can be such a great way to supplement what we eat.

The same website gives us quite a few facts about lettuce that we may never have thought of including that Americans consume on average, 30 pounds of lettuce each per year. That’s because lettuce is healthy, used in a variety of ways, and well, it just plain tastes good to a LOT of consumers both here in America and almost everywhere else. It’s nutritious, low in calories, generally healthy, and has a lot of varieties that can be consumed in a number of salads and other dishes. Americans have also become more accustomed to having choices in both restaurants and supermarkets. The days of relying just on iceberg lettuce are long gone. Today consumers are aware of less mainstream varieties or cultivars and they want to not only experience those cultivars but enjoy them on a routine basis. We have, in a word become “picky” about something as simple as a leafy green lettuce.

So let’s say that 90+% of the U.S. lettuce production is in California and Arizona, but we know that those two states only account for a small percentage of the U.S. population. How does the rest of America get their lettuce? The answer for most folks is by truck. So, the lettuce, like many vegetables in the U.S., is grown in California and shipped across the country - usually by a tractor-trailer. Of course, this has historically been the way to do things, and likely will be for the near term, but that transportation comes with its own set of challenges and increasing costs. For example, we read all the time about shortages of qualified truck drivers, the increasing cost of fuel that we can all see, the increase in salaries due to the worker shortage, and so on. What this means is that supplies to other parts of the country coming from the west coast may be inadequate to meet demand - especially if demand is increasing due to people wanting to eat healthier.

The USDA Specialty Crops Truck Rate Report published August 4, 2021, showed slight shortages of lettuce in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York, and Philadelphia. Keep in mind that this may only be termed as “slight shortage” but also this is a report for August and August is a month when it should be relatively easy to produce large amounts of lettuce - even outside of Arizona and California. So why the shortage? And, if a slight shortage now, what happens at other times of the year when the growing season isn’t exactly peak for other parts of the U.S. outside of California and Arizona?

Of course, the answer is that the “slight shortage” can very easily become more of a real shortage during times when other areas can’t produce lettuce to supplement that which comes out of Arizona and California. Factor in the increased cost of transportation, spoilage that is inevitable when a food source is harvested and then must be transported long distances, and other factors that can be catastrophic in nature and may include droughts, fires, floods, etc. and it becomes a compelling argument that growing indoors more closely to where a product is consumed can be very appealing.

Also, growing vertically in a controlled environment will help to lessen the chances for something to be introduced into the crop that isn’t wanted. Think about the E.coli scares that we have seen in the past several years. While diseases can be introduced into a crop at the seed level and so indoor farming is not 100% a safeguard against something like E.coli, it does help to mitigate many of the factors that might influence such a malady.

Vertical farming then can play a significant role in where our lettuce or other vegetables or plants come from both now and well into the future. By growing products close to the source of consumption, the product is fresher, should theoretically be cheaper over time, and should taste better with much less spoilage. As an added bonus, the lettuce can be grown year-round without herbicides and pesticides so it actually can be a cleaner form of plant than even something termed “organic.”

So, where does our lettuce come from today and where will it come from tomorrow? At HYVE they are helping to construct an infrastructure that hopefully answers that question in a way that will lead to great outcomes for all within the supply chain and also those ultimately eating the lettuce.

Visit www.growhyve.com to learn more about the indoor farming systems being produced. While they are not likely to supplant traditional farming in the short term, the systems are compelling for their advanced automation, accelerated ability to produce crops, and mostly for their ability to make growing local something that can happen anywhere. Again, we ask the question - Where does our lettuce really come from? We should also bookmark that question to ask a few years down the road because the answer may be very different.

2021 Global CEA Census Will Measure The Impact of Sustainability

The 2021 Global CEA Census has launched with a focus on growers’ perspectives on sustainability and how they are measuring specific ESG (environmental, social, and governance) outcomes.  

This year Agritecture Consulting will partner with AgTech leader WayBeyond who has taken over the responsibility of the Census from automation business Autogrow.   

“Our WayBeyond ethos for sustainable crop production technology fits perfectly with this year’s Census. Understanding the impact of CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) on the planet allows us to continue highlighting the growers doing remarkable work to reduce environmental impact while producing quality crops.

There’s clear evidence showing consumers, particularly Gen-Z, are making decisions based on the sustainability factor of not only the food they eat but also the packaging, distribution and producers themselves. This Census will give a clear view of the role CEA can play in creating a more sustainable planet.”

— WAYBEYOND CEO & FOUNDER DARRYN KEILLER

This is the third year the Census has run with increasing participation each year from greenhouse, indoor vertical, and tunnel house growers. Past Census reports have brought forward key information on the state of the industry, tactics being used, and the people behind its many operations. For example, the 2020 report showed that there was plenty of optimism despite the pandemic, with 95% of respondents having an “excellent” or “good” outlook for the 12 months ahead, and only 5% indicating that the business’ future was uncertain.

“We work hard to encourage as many growers to participate as possible and, with a focus on sustainability, we hope to gain an even better uptake this year, especially from large-scale operations.

This is the most comprehensive global survey of CEA operations running, and the published findings will provide valuable insights that may affect policy, financing options, operational practices, and new technology. That is a benefit for all of us in the industry.”

— AGRITECTURE CONSULTING FOUNDER AND CEO HENRY GORDON-SMITH

The 2021 Global Census will run from 7 July 2021 until 20 August 2021.

Take the survey: Global CEA Census

Survey Terms and Conditions can be found here.

Aerospring Gardens Becomes Aerospring Hydroponics

August 9, 2021

Aerospring Gardens, a six-year-old Singapore start-up, has changed its name to Aerospring Hydroponics. The company has seen global interest in growing hydroponic food at home.

Thorben Linneberg, Co-Founder and CEO, says “For many years there wasn’t much knowledge of hydroponics and the benefits that it brings to homes around the world. But that has now changed, and we felt it was a good time for us to position our company squarely in the hydroponics space.”

Aerospring Hydroponics manufactures patented, high-quality, vertical hydroponic systems that make having a productive, useful and versatile home garden easy, no matter where you live. Whether you live in a city, the suburbs or a rural environment, Aerospring believes year-round home gardening is an achievable vision.

What started as a hobby and a desire to grow tomatoes on their apartment balcony in Singapore blossomed into a love of gardening - and for an interest in creating a sustainable food source at home. A densely populated city-state where most people live in high-rise apartments, Singapore sees less than 10% of its food supply grown nationally. The climate and land-scarcity make growing food challenging, which means high prices of imported fresh produce.

Nutrients
“We wanted all the nutrients that come from eating food harvested that day”, says Nadine Linneberg, Co-Founder. “We had concerns about pesticides and where our produce was coming from. We also knew that these concerns were very real for many people - no matter where they live. These factors, and a natural interest in problem-solving, inspired us to develop our own hydroponic system with the aim of growing our own food at home.”

Encouraged by an early design breakthrough, Thorben set about prototyping systems for commercialization. The goal was to design and build a food safe system that was functional and looked chic on any urban city balcony. Twelve months of 3D prototyping followed, which led to the unveiling of a sleek, modular vertical gardening system, which was simple to assemble and easy to maintain. Even better, it fit into the smallest of spaces. Aerospring received its first US patent for the aeroponic system in 2020.

Upon the functional and commercial success of the outdoor systems, Thorben started developing a prototype for an indoor system to cater for those without sufficient outdoor space and sunlight. The Aerospring Indoor system, which was launched in 2018, is a unique 2-in-1 convertible indoor/outdoor system. When the system is combined with the innovative indoor kit, which includes professional-grade grow lights, frame and tent, it allows for year-round growing: grow outdoors during spring and summer and bring the system inside when the weather starts getting colder. Irrigation and lighting schedules are controlled via a mobile app from a smartphone, taking the worry of tending to your plants daily away from your everyday life.

For more information:
Aerospring Hydroponics
www.aerospringhydroponics.com

2021 Virtual Plant Lighting Short Course

Now Open For Registration! 

Working in partnership, GLASE, OptimIA, and LAMP are excited to announce the first annual Plant Lighting Short Course! This 6-week modular short course is designed to provide participants the opportunity to learn about all aspects related to the selection, implementation, and benefits of plant lighting systems.

In each sequential module, attendees will use interactive tools to define their specific lighting requirements, hear from industry experts about available horticultural lighting systems, and learn how to compare different lighting strategies. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to make informed decisions about the best options to meet their lighting needs.

More Info & Registration

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Optimizing Resource Use Efficiency in CEA Systems - July Webinar

New CEA Research Programs in the U.S. - June Webinar

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Crazy Poet Discovers Solution To Vertical Farming Challenges

August 10, 2021

Lawrence Ip

Facilitating Workforce & Leadership Transformation Through Organisational Governance.

Keep Reading & The House Gets Bulldozed!

Dramatic I know (it's just one of those things). Nope, I won't be making myself homeless as I do actually need a roof over my head. What I also need is to get this crazy idea off my chest before I do actually lose my mind.

You see, I was watching a documentary a while back, about future cities, off the back of a few others that were about farming, global warming and the looming food crisis, and they got me thinking about vertical farming, and the issues the industry sector faces - namely scale.

That was the first thing that struck me.

How on earth are we going to be able to make vertical farming a viable solution without disrupting the cities we live in it, why heck, according to Pew Research world population is pitted to hit 10.9 Billion by 2100, with more and more folks migrating to cities. This begged a flurry of questions such as:

• How are we going to feed everyone, and where on earth are we going to put the vertical farms that are supposed to feed them?

• Will they really be able to provide the quantity of fruit and vegetables sustainably?

• How much will they cost to build?

• How much will they cost to run and maintain?

• How do we store, pack and deliver the product?

• What infrastructure does it require to make it work?

• What about the effect on traffic?

• What about the load bearing issues of weight on the structure of the farm, the actual building?

How on earth do we face the challenges facing vertical farming?

Don't get me wrong, I see incredible value in vertical farming and it could prove to be the answer to so many of the challenges we face ahead, because as we all know the way in which we produce the food we consume, and waste, is just not sustainable - not in the slightest. The globe's arable land is fast diminishing, and at the current rate the entire globe will be facing starvation soon after 2060 - it's a travesty just waiting to happen (if you haven't watched it yet I can highly recommend watching), Kiss The Ground, it's the documentary that got me started on the quest for answers.

A few weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night, I had an epiphany.

Prior to going to sleep, I asked myself, what is the single most pressing problem you could solve that would provide the best bang for the buck?

When I woke from that sleep the answer came to me, it came down to answering the last question, which fundamentally is a design question.

Having previously watched a documentary series on super-structures, and thinking about logistics and transportation, it dawned on me that it was not a, how on earth question, but rather a let's go to sea proposition.

I jotted down these two words on the trusty notepad I keep bedside...

"... container ships."

That's right, container ships!

Don't be fooled into thinking that what you see is what you get. What you see on the top deck is just part of the picture, container ships have just as much, if not more storage in their lower decks.

It was like WOW! It makes complete and total sense, well at least to me it does. Let's outline the reasons why container ships could be the perfect vertical farm.

• Container ships are designed to bare the types of load required in the design of a vertical farm.

• You can move container ships around.

• Container ships can have desalination plants built in.

• They are freaking massive.

• They can be even more massive. Fun fact: when the size of a ship is doubled, it increases the surface area by only 25%.

• Transportation logistics is a non-issue.

• No need to reinvent the wheel. It wouldn't take much to repurpose container ships that have been decommissioned.

• Repurposed ships equals no scrap metal.

• Access to the energy required to run them is at hand.

Image Credit: Bernd Dittrich - UnSplash.

That pretty much sums it up, and hey, I'm no expert, but yes, I am a poet, and it really doesn't matter whether I'm certifiable or not, I have at the very least put the idea out there. All I ask of you, is that before you send the men with the straightjacket around, that you consider the idea as a viable solution before discarding it. If anything I hope it provides some inspiration, maybe a spark of some out-of-the-box thinking of your own and I sincerely hope you found the read entertaining too. Thank you for making it this far. I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Do you have a crazy vertical farming solution you'd love to get off your chest? Please feel welcomed and leave your thoughts below. Peace ✌

Image Credit: Bailey Mahon - UnSplash.

#verticalfarmingchallenges #arablelandcrisis #foodcrisis #circulareconomy

Lead photo: Image Credit: Torben - UnSplash.

Published by: Lawrence Ip

Crazy Poet Discovers Solution To Vertical Farming Challenges. hashtag#verticalfarming hashtag#containerships hashtag#crazypoettimes hashtag#sustainability hashtag#agriculture hashtag#environment hashtag#innovation hashtag#climatechange hashtag#circulareconomy hashtag#design hashtag#energy hashtag#arablelandcrisis hashtag#foodcrisis hashtag#kisstheground hashtag#verticalfarmingchallenges

La Sierra University Celebrates First Hydroponics Harvest

By La Sierra University News

July 27, 2021

During La Sierra University’s beginnings in the early 20th century, the school farm, especially its dairy, alfalfa fields, and watermelon patch, was a critical source of income for the institution and its student laborers. In 2021, farming returned to the campus in Riverside, California, United States — on a big rig.

During the 2019-2020 school year, the university’s student Enactus team based in the Zapara School of Business began work on its Freight2Table project through the Boston-based Freight Farms program. The project involves growing varieties of lettuce and leafy green vegetables, herbs, flowers, and roots inside a 40-foot shipping container repurposed and designed with hydroponics technology.

The Freight Farms container arrived on March 30, 2021, hoisted by a crane and set down on a slab of recycled concrete and asphalt. Three months later, the Enactus team harvested its first crops — approximately 540 heads of red leaf lettuce on July 12 and roughly 550 heads on July 19, a first bounty donated to campus and community members. The team also planted baby leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, and butter lettuce in various growth stages. The Enactus team aims to establish produce-supplier agreements with local businesses and organizations and is communicating with markets in Riverside and with the university’s Dining Commons.

Nancy and Hermogenes Guerpo arrive to pick up containers of fresh red leaf lettuce during the Enactus team’s distribution event in the Sierra Vista Chapel parking lot on July 12, 2021. [Photo: La Sierra University]

A crane lifts the Freight Farms shipping container onto a slab at La Sierra University on March 30, 2021. [Photo: Natan Vigna, La Sierra University]

Megan Eisele (left), president of La Sierra’s Enactus team, and Aaron DesJardins, team marketing vice president, plant the first tiny lettuce seeds on May 17, 2021, inside the Freight Farms hydroponics container. [Photo: La Sierra University]

Enactus member Max Proebstle, a health-care management and finance graduate student, describes the transplanting process for red leaf lettuce seedlings shown in vertical growing panels. [Photo: La Sierra University]

Red leaf lettuce continues to mature in vertical panels inside the Freight Farms hydroponics container. [Photo: La Sierra University]

Enactus members left to right, Brandon Ching, Max Proebstle, and Aaron DesJardins conduct the first harvest of red leaf lettuce on July 12, 2021. [Photo: La Sierra University]

La Sierra Enactus team members Natasha Thomas (left) and Andrew Léon package freshly harvested red leaf lettuce on July 12, 2021, for distribution to campus and community. [Photo: La Sierra University]

Packages of Freight2Table lettuce branded with the Enactus team’s “Two-Bit’s Best” product labels. [Photo: La Sierra University]

The growing process involves a reverse osmosis water filtration system purchased and installed inside the container. A timed and regulated supply of electricity and nutrient-infused water along with growing lights for plant photosynthesis forms the basis for how the hydroponic farm operates. University faculty and staff oversee the system processes and container technology. Freight Farms in Boston has real-time virtual access to the container’s systems for providing assistance if needed. For students, the hydroponics farming venture has provided a plethora of learning opportunities, starting with an introduction to hydroponics agriculture.

“While I had heard that term thrown around in the past, I was never really quite sure what it meant, but after having spent so many hours tending to a hydroponic garden, I feel I have a pretty clear picture of how the whole system operates,” Aaron DesJardins, a dual marketing and graphic design major, who this year serves as the Enactus team’s marketing vice president, said. His efforts include designing the farm’s logo and branding as “Two-Bit’s Best,” in reference to the hill overlooking the university campus known as Two-Bit Mountain.

“Another big thing I've learned while working with the Freight2Table project has been the importance of coordination, communication, and team management,” DesJardins said. “There is a much higher likelihood that the crop will not turn out good if it is not managed correctly.” 

Since May, DesJardins and his teammates have dedicated several hours each week working with crops in the container and in team meetings planning produce distribution. Inside the container, they wear masks for health and safety purposes, as well as gloves and protective lab coats, to reduce the risk of contamination to the plants and growing system.

Marvin Payne, associate biochemistry professor and project director for the Title V grant-funded Guided Pathways to Success program, and Richard Rakijian, summer program coordinator and chemistry/biochemistry lab manager, oversee the operations of the hydroponics farm. “Dr. Payne and Richard have been a huge help in being there to help us navigate the freight operations,” DesJardins said. “They have also been a big help in helping us decide which crops to plant and scheduling things such as harvests and transplant dates.”

The new Title V program, Guided Pathways to Success in STEM, incorporates STEM education into a summer curriculum designed to help incoming first-year students become inspired to pursue STEM degrees and succeed in college. Botanist and university biology professor John Perumal will lead activities in germinating seeds for experiments under different conditions and in plant growth and development assessments. The Enactus team has developed partnerships with other campus groups and programs, such as the Hispanic Business Incubator.

The Enactus Freight2Table project will also offer agricultural technology education to elementary students in local school districts.

With Freight2Table, the Enactus team is entering an agricultural technology market that is expected to grow substantially in coming years. Food producers are looking to feed the planet's burgeoning population in more controlled and easily accessible ways in the face of extreme weather and drought, and as individual growers seek alternatives to traditional gardens. Hydroponics agriculture comprised about half of the vertical farming marketing in the U.S. in 2018, according to an industry outlook and forecast through Research and Markets in Dublin, Ireland. It is forecasted to grow 22 percent during the period of 2019 to 2024. The report states that the overall U.S. vertical farming market is projected to reach a value of around US$3 billion by 2024.

Hydroponic agriculture’s water-conserving process is an important consideration in drought-prone regions, including the western U.S. and, in particular, California, where a years-long, historic drought is stoking anxiety over water supplies. Hydroponic farming systems capture and re-use water, and as such, can use as much as 10 times less water than what is used with field crops, according to Powerhouse Hydroponics. 

Currently, Enactus students are volunteering their time to establish and maintain Freight2Table. In the future, the team aims to hire students to manage the container farm as it increases production. The eight-week crop-growing process is labor intensive. During the first week, tiny seeds are planted by hand in small peat pods and then germinated in seedling trays in a top trough. In the second and third weeks, the germinates mature in the seedling trays in a bottom trough. During the fourth week, hundreds of juvenile plants are transplanted to vertical growing panels one at a time and left to grow and mature four to five weeks before harvesting. The moveable vertical growing panels, which occupy most of the shipping container space, provide four sides for growing plants, with each side accommodating between 576 and 990 plants, depending on the variety.

The hydroponics farming project and its results are included in the team’s Enactus annual report and multi-media presentation during annual Enactus competitions. Enactus, a global non-profit organization based in Springfield, Missouri, is focused on economic and educational empowerment through business innovation and collaboration. It has teams at 1,730 campuses in 36 countries. Since joining in 1991, the La Sierra team has won seven Enactus national championships and two world cups. During national competitions in April, which were held virtually, the La Sierra team placed among the top eight teams in the nation and received the Excellence in Project Management Award from the U.S. Enactus organization.

La Sierra Enactus member Max Proebstle will enter his second year of graduate study this fall and served as part of the presentation team this past school year during competitions. He is earning dual MBAs in health-care management and finance and has been involved in the hydroponics farm since October 2020. Going forward, he will work with other students in maintaining a steady flow of crops from the farm and building up its customer base.

“Before this project, I didn’t even know that hydroponics existed. So, everything has been relatively new for me. It’s been quite the experience learning how to grow plants in this way,” Proebstle said. “The hardest part is learning the system and then getting a feel for nutrient and pH levels. Another thing I’ve learned is that more people care about this form of sustainable farming and food production than I would have thought. We’ve gotten such great feedback from donors, sponsors, the school, and the community; it’s really been a blessing.”

Lead Photo: Freight2Table recasts the Adventist school’s century-old tradition of farming.

The original version of this story was posted by La Sierra University.

Nordic Harvest: Danish-Taiwanese Indoor Farming Collaboration

August 1, 2021

by Joakim Persson

Jesper Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer at YesHealth Group in Taiwan, has played an instrumental role in establishing a business partnership with Danish start-up Nordic Harvest and setting up their first Indoor Vertical Farming (IVF) plant in Copenhagen. Jesper has, a side business planning and marketing, developed vertical farm designs and so far helped raise more than USD $100 million for vertical farming projects across the world.

Following ten years of development and establishing Taiwan’s largest and profitable indoor vertical farm, further expansion in Denmark, the Nordics as well as in various countries in Asia is in the works. Their elaborate international expansion plan is based on developing technology, and building and operating such indoor vertical farming systems. Their farming technology is hydroponics-based; where plants grow in a solution of water and nutrients and no soil is used. This addresses climate change and food security challenges through sustainable and environment-friendly agricultural practices.

YesHealth Group is currently the largest vertical farming company in Asia, with its own operations and proprietary technology that underpins their vertical farms such as engineering design, climate control systems, fertilizer and micro-biology, automation design, and data collection and management.

The launch in Denmark represents a crucial milestone and the first step in its elaborate international expansion plan. “We are by far the largest player in Taiwan and our main production unit is the largest farm provider for the major retailers, in addition to hotels,” says Jesper.

Chinese studies the beginning

Jesper got involved through the family business of his Taiwanese wife. So let’s rewind to how it all started with this Dane working for a Taiwanese company exporting to Denmark.

After taking a degree in history at the University of Copenhagen earlier, Jesper realised that being a historian was not the kind of job he wanted. He then thought how he could further his studies with some skills that could allow him to travel. Language! Chinese! So he started Chinese studies, which included language, history, culture, politics, and society.

“That really kick-started my studies overseas and the first stay I had was in Hangzhou, where I first learned the basics of Chinese and got to a level where I could have a very basic conversation. I spent six months there as an integrated part of the Chinese programme at the University of Copenhagen.”

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Then an opportunity to apply for a one-year scholarship worldwide came up and Jesper applied to the University of California is very strong on Chinese studies.

“I did a one-year programme of combined history and Chinese studies. That really took me to the next level of understanding Chinese – learning how to read and write and how to understand more technical conversations.”

“Next, a Taiwanese representative office in Copenhagen contacted my Professor with the offer of some of the best students from Copenhagen to go to Taiwan, paid by the Taiwanese government, to study Chinese. My professor offered that to me and I was granted six months of Chinese studies at Taiwan University – the top university in Taipei. So I took another six months on top of my degree to go there, and I managed to increase my Chinese to an even higher level during my time here,” says the Dane about his new-found home.

“When I was just about to go back to Copenhagen I met my current wife, my girlfriend at the time. I had little time to get to know her before I was going back to Copenhagen, so I told her that I would return after completing my graduation in Copenhagen. And so I did.”

Family job offer

“Once there I first joined a local Taiwanese company that helps large Western manufacturers (American and big customers such as Ericsson in Sweden), with mechanical components, specialising on Wi-Fi devices. My role was sales but just as much a matter of acting as a cross-cultural bridge. During my two years with this company I got very familiar with Taiwanese business and I also experience in how to link a Taiwanese company’s business mindset and way of approaching business with western practice. I was gradually becoming an expert on how to sell something from there to overseas, especially towards the western world,” he explains.

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Indoor Vertical Farming by YesHealth Group in Taiwan

Then, as YesHealth Group was building a larger facility, his Taiwanese father in law took Jesper under his shoulders and offered him to join the company and work on its global expansion.

”So I joined and then spent about a year before we took on the first project, which was in China in 2018. And we succeeded in delivering that project in Shenzen and that remains one of the largest farms ever built up to today. And from 2019 onwards I started developing projects in Europe.”

Danish partnership

First out is Denmark, where in the fourth quarter of 2020 Nordic Harvest began operations of its vertical farm in greater Copenhagen, which will with full production capacity yield more than 3.000 kg every day, making it the most efficient vertical farm in Europe to date.

This Danish start-up that aims to make food production more sustainable has been made possible through a business partnership with YesHealth Group.

“Nordic Harvest ApS is backed by prominent investors and leaders within business, the food industry, and agriculture making Nordic Harvest an ideal partner,” says Jesper.

It has more than 40 private investors, aside some bigger investors and lenders like Vækstfonden, the Danish government’s financing fund for venture capital & private equity; and Danmarks Grønne Investeringsfond, a new, independent investment fund that co-finances investments supporting the transfer to a green society.

As an investor Yeshealth has also contributed capital towards setting up the Danish food business. “And we have a significantly larger stake through our technology transfer; licensing our technologies and proprietary formulas.”

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Setting up sales and distribution, marketing and operating the business is done by Nordic Harvest, while Yeshealth looks after everything relating to technology.

“We are building the next phase in 2021, which will almost triple the capacity to around 1000 tons per year – to be completed and fully operational by early next year.”

The grow area is utilised optimally by placing the plants in floors. By having full control over the plants’environment the best conditions is created for their growth. Therefore, the indoor farm can deliver delicious, tasteful and nutrient-rich herbs and lettuces every day year round – 100% free of pesticides and herbicides.

Nordic Harvest is also one part in a two-pillar idea, by the Danish founder and CEO Anders Riemann, to take away the need for traditional farmland and instead grow vegetables inside cities. Farmland outside the cities should be returned to nature by growing forests, creating lakes etc.

“What we call nature in Denmark consist in farmland everywhere, and that’s not what nature looks like before. It’s all artificial – made by people. We should have untouched forest, which we almost don’t have any more. So the idea is to regenerate and create a better balance in the ecosystem.”

Making it sustainable and viable

The start-up also has further plans to expand into the other Nordic countries over the next years.
Jesper called the Danish launch proof “that it is now possible to commercialise vertical farming produce on a large scale and that this produce will be able to support the traditional farming sector from now on. Vertical farming is no longer just a theoretical concept for the garage.”

Favourable conditions in various markets and countries can vary. “It can be a combination of climate conditions favouring indoor farming, coupled with inexpensive energy or access to green energy. We are not dependent on the weather, so this enables us to supply the whole world locally. We can build a farm even in Greenland or Iceland if we want to and supply locally and take out the need for transportation,” says Jesper.

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Jesper Hansen inspecting YesHealth Group’s Indoor vertical farming produce

“The harsher the climate is outside the better our technology is because it means you cannot grow outside. But it also means the more difficult it is for us to control the temperature inside. And we try purposefully to link our technology with green energy resources. Actually in the case of Denmark, including the wind power, electricity is not inexpensive. But it’s clean, so we don’t have the carbon footprint. The link with green energy sources is a driver and whether or not there is a market for high quality sustainably produced produce,” adds the Dane.

“In Denmark we are the only large-scale vertical farm. So the competition comes from overseas’ producers. We identify which crops that can be, and are grown, in Denmark, and we purposely grow other things. We are trying to take away import to Denmark. Competitors would be from countries like Italy and Spain. But we’re selling at a certain price point – because the cost structure is still relatively high compared to outdoor farming. The challenge is to make it a sustainable and viable business by being able to offer produce that doesn’t cost more than the traditional. So our goal is to bring down the cost so that this kind of quality and healthy produce is available to anyone,” he continues.

This is something they will achieve gradually, partly via technology improvement in terms of driving down cost. LED technology, for instance, becomes better and better and lower in cost. The same goes for software and automation.

“There is also an operational aspect that you get better and better at operating these farms, so using the same input in money and labour we can get more and more out of the farms,” says Jesper. “So there’s a learning curve in terms of being better at that but there’s also technology improvement over time.”

“With all of our technology in-house, YesHealth Group will be able to utilise real-world data from vastly different climates and environments and improve our technology at an even greater speed and efficiency.”

The Taiwanese company is the developer of all the technology that underpins their vertical farms such as engineering design, climate control systems, fertiliser and micro-biology, automation design, and data collection and management.

Bugs and insects on the market

YesHealth Group was actually mainly started to solve the issue with pesticides: “Taiwan is a hot country with lots of bugs and insects in nature. So the farmers have to spray a lot of pesticides on the crops. By bringing farming into a closed environment, relying on LED for light source instead of the sun, we have a whole lot of advantages. For instance, we can skip all the harmful chemicals and pesticides – we don’t need them anymore; they belong to the outside world. We can also use significantly less fertilizer and water to achieve the same result. We hardly use any other water than what goes into the crops, so it’s very resource-efficient. Then, in some areas like for instance Singapore, we have the ability to grow a lot on a very small footprint.”

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Over time the Taiwanese company has developed technology and become experts at running these large farms that are suitable solutions also for export. “And our combination of being both a technology developer and manufacturer, and an operator, gives us a competitive edge towards many of our competitors who focus only on making the equipment; they don’t have live insights from operating these systems. We are one of the few companies that have been operating these farms over a number of years.”

“Almost everything essential to a vertical farm, such as LED lighting, is proprietary; something we developed. The same goes for the automation equipment – everything is made in-house.”

“We have something called ‘Nanobubble oxygene injection system’, which we use to induce oxygen in the water. We have some 50 patents of which some are only here in Taiwan and some are international, but, actually most of our core technologies are what we call trade secrets,” informs Jesper.

In Taiwan, they have a cost competitiveness advantage, but it is by no means any easy market for vertical farming and thus a tough test-bed. “Some of the values – for instance being pesticide-free and sustainable – are things that just don’t resonate. Taiwan is a little bit behind Europe and the U.S in focusing on these kinds of things, so selling the produce is more difficult. The fact that traditional produce from the field is extremely cheap in Taiwan also contributes to that. Hence, the price gap between the traditional produce and our premium produce becomes higher, whereas in Denmark people are used to eating organic, pesticide-free, high-quality produce. There, we don’t have to fight this price gap and change people’s perceptions. We just tap into the mass market, while in Taiwan we’re still a very premium product and a niche.”

“The way we see vertical farming is that it’s never going to replace traditional farming: it’s just going to be a big niche technology that will have applications in areas where you cannot grow, or have a problem with pesticides. And providing year-round pesticide-free, safe and healthy vegetables is part of a larger trend, which is to move away from the need for meat every day to a more plant-based diet. This is the kind of trend we are tapping into.”

Lead photo: Jesper Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer at YesHealth Group in Taiwan

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About Joakim Persson

Freelance business and lifestyle photojournalist

View all posts by Joakim Persson→

Tags: AGRICULTURE, FISHING, FORESTRY / BUSINESS IN ASIA / CHINA / DENMARK / SUSTAINABILITY / TAIWAN

SINGAPORE - VIDEOS: How IoT And Machine Learning Are Automating Agriculture

A New Generation of Farmers Is Tapping The internet of Things And Machine Learning To Operate Self-Sustaining Urban Farms With Minimal Supervision

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By Aaron Tan, TechTarget

21 Jul 2021

A new generation of farmers is turning to technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and machine learning to automate agricultural production, alleviating the need to toil on the land while keeping a watchful eye on their crops.

Joining their ranks is Phoebe Xie, director, and co-founder of Singapore-based agrotechnology startup AbyFarm. Teaming up with technology service provider SPTel, Xie is building a smart hydroponics farm in a greenhouse that uses a plethora of IoT sensors, including video cameras, to keep the farm humming around the clock.

“To run a self-regulating farm at the optimal temperature with optimal water and nutrient supply, and to control the quality and taste of vegetables and fruits, we need IoT sensors,” she said, adding that the farm and its sensors collect and monitor thousands of data points, including humidity and temperature.

With the data and in certain environmental conditions, processes and actions are automatically triggered to protect crops from the elements. For instance, if the temperature or humidity gets too high, fans, water curtains, and roof shades are activated in the greenhouse.

Xie said the smart farm, located at a rooftop carpark in Singapore, is also equipped with sensors that monitor the pH and electrical conductivity levels of water. Among the sensors, which are connected to a Lora low-power wide area network, is a dozer that automatically releases acidic or alkaline nutrients to maintain optimal pH levels. 

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Whereas the farmers of old had to physically inspect their crops, AbyFarm’s agronomists and farmers can do so remotely using video cameras and image recognition technology to identify crops that might be succumbing to disease.

“If the image recognition finds that a plant is likely to be sick, the farmer will be alerted to go onsite to check how the plant is right now,” said Xie, adding that agronomists will also advise farmers on taking corrective actions to prevent disease or restore the health of their crops.

Like any machine learning system, AbyFarm’s algorithms get smarter over time. Each time a crop is affected by disease, data about the occurrence and corrective action is fed into the system, enabling its algorithms to formulate solutions for other farmers with similar crop issues – without consulting an agronomist.

With that, said Xie, even those who are new to the field can use the system to guide them on treating diseased crops, which can be isolated from other crops to prevent cross-infections.

AbyFarm’s automated farming system, which is hosted on SPTel’s private cloud, can also advise farmers on the best time to transplant their crops after germination and harvest them later for sale, said Xie.

Heng Kwee Tong, vice-president for engineering and customer solutions at SPTel, said the company has built up a software-defined platform to help companies like AbyFarm overcome the challenges of deploying applications such as IoT.

“The common struggle that companies like AbyFarm face with building an IoT solution is that it is quite intensive in terms of ICT infrastructure,” said Heng. “You’ve got to find the radio connectivity like Lora, subscribe to a service provider, and connect your sensors to a sensor collector.

“We make it easy by investing in a platform and because we are a service provider with edge hub assets for deploying radio connectivity, all AbyFarm needs to do is to bring their sensors onboard.”

Going forward, Heng said SPTel is looking to support next-generation video analytics capabilities through edge cloud services that can be used to crunch workloads closer to where they reside, reducing latency.

AbyFarm was one of six companies to win contracts from the Singapore Food Agency last year to build urban farms at nine rooftop carparks in public housing estates across Singapore.

The goal is to collectively produce about 1,600 tonnes of vegetables a year in a bid by the city-state – where less than 1% of the land is used for agriculture – to become more self-sufficient in meeting the nutritional needs of its people.

That could well be achievable with technology that makes farming more efficient, scalable, and less labor-intensive than before. “We are willing to train and educate the next generation in agrotechnology because now you don’t need 10 farmers to take care of one farm,” said Xie. “It’s just looking at the dashboard and, with the alerts, doing what is required.”

Investors Eye Growth In Vertical Farms

Source: Streetwise Reports  (7/29/21)

AeroFarms grows leafy greens in vertical farms using data science and technology; its upcoming acquisition by SPAC Spring Valley could grow its equity value.

Vertical farming is taking root. The market share of large-scale farms was estimated at $3.3 billion by Precedence Research in 2020 and is anticipated to increase nearly ten-fold, reaching $31.6 billion by 2030.

One vertical farm enterprise, AeroFarms, plans to go public in a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) business combination in mid-2021. The company got started in 2004 and was cofounded by CEO David Rosenberg along with Chief Marketing Officer Marc Oshima and Chief Science Officer Ed Harwood, PhD. It is a certified B Corporation and public benefit corporation and has earned spots on Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies, Time Inc.'s Best Inventions, INC magazine's 25 Most Disruptive Companies, and a first-place ranking on the FoodTech 500 list.

Click here for more information on SPACs.

A pioneer in the vertical farming space, AeroFarms is on a mission "to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity," with a focus on doing more with less by growing produce using fewer resources, zero pesticides, and less spoilage. "We look for inefficiencies and solve them using data science. We use our proprietary, fully controlled technology platform to better understand plants, optimize farms, improve quality and reduce costs," Rosenberg said.

AeroFarms leafy greens are grown in an approximately 70,000 square-foot facility—a former steel mill—in Newark, New Jersey. Its wide variety of greens are sold throughout the Northeast U.S. at major retailers, including Whole Foods Market, ShopRite, Amazon Fresh, and FreshDirect. In April 2021, AeroFarms broke ground in Danville, Virginia, on a new 136,000 square foot commercial farm that, according to the company, will be the world's largest indoor aeroponic vertical farm of its kind.

According to the company, it has a $1.9 trillion total addressable market and is expanding that through strategic partnerships, such as one with Chile's Hortifrut S.A. Together, the two companies will explore blueberry and cranberry production. "New Jersey is where blueberries were first domesticated in 1910," Rosenberg said. "With Hortifrut, we will be pioneering the next chapter by domesticating blueberries again in New Jersey—this time in a fully controlled environment."

International interest is demonstrated by AeroFarms' inclusion in Abu Dhabi Investment Office's $150 million investment in agricultural technology. AeroFarms' research center in Abu Dhabi will feature an advanced speed-breeding center and laboratories dedicated to R&D in precision phenotyping—studying the observable characteristics of an organism—machine vision and machine learning, robotics, and automation.

AeroFarms is also doing more with less in its entry into the public market. Rather than a time- and resource-consuming IPO, it will go public through a business combination with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. (SV:NASDAQ), a SPAC. Click here for more information on SPACs.

Vertical Farming Attracts Investor Interest

"Our banker at J.P. Morgan introduced us to Spring Valley. A SPAC made sense for us because it gives us an easier platform to tell our story to investors," said Rosenberg. "We share a long-term vision regarding sustainability and align in our concern for environmental issues." In addition, he notes that Spring Valley has a track record of bringing other companies public at a stage similar to AeroFarms.

Spring Valley (NASDAQ:SV), sponsored by Pearl Energy Investments, was formed for the purpose of acquiring a $1+/- billion enterprise value company in the sustainability sector. The total gross proceeds of Spring Valley's own IPO in 2020 were $230 million (23 million units at $10 per unit). J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is acting as the exclusive financial advisor to AeroFarms, while Cowen & Co. is the financial advisor to Spring Valley. It would not be unusual for these firms to initiate coverage on AeroFarms after the completion of the SPAC transaction.

AeroFarms has roughly $75.5 million in cash and will be 65% owned by existing shareholders after the merger. Revenue of $13 million is anticipated in fiscal 2022, jumping to $553 million by fiscal 2026, when EBITDA is expected to reach $193 million. All stockholders will roll 100% of their equity holdings into the new public company, according to Investor Place.

The business combination with Spring Valley is expected to provide up to $357 million in gross proceeds to AeroFarms, composed of Spring Valley's $232 million cash held in trust (assuming no redemptions by its shareholders) and a $125 million fully committed public investment in private equity (PIPE) at $10 per share. This includes investments from leading institutional investors, AeroFarms insiders and Pearl Energy Investments, Spring Valley's sponsor.

The "de-SPACing" is expected in summer 2021, at which point AeroFarms will have an estimated pro forma equity value of $1.2 billion. It will remain listed on Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol ARFM.

Lake Street Capital Markets initiated coverage on AeroFarms on June 15 with a Buy rating and $20 price target. Senior research analyst Ben Klieve wrote, "Representing a leader in next-generation production methods with a significant sustainability benefit, we view AeroFarms as a high conviction Buy opportunity for investors targeting investments redefining food production for decades to come."

The analyst noted that AeroFarms "will enter the public market following a SPAC merger with considerable upside potential from the current level. We see multiple expansion and capacity ramp as alpha drivers."

Venture capital interest in the controlled environment agriculture space—which includes greenhouses or container farms, in addition to vertical farms—has exploded. The Food Institute estimates, using data from PitchBook, that global VC investments in the sector tripled from 2019 to 2020, nearing $2 billion. Investor Place recently named several leading stocks in the space, including Kalera (OTCMKTS:KSLLF), Appharvest (NASDAQ:APPH), Hydrofarm Holdings (NASDAQ:HYFM), Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF), GP Solutions (OTCMKTS:GWPD) and Cubicfarm Systems (OTCMKTS:CUBXF), as well as Spring Valley–AeroFarms.

Cutting Edge Technology

AeroFarms grows plants using aeroponics, where a plant's roots are misted with water, nutrients and oxygen. Instead of dirt or water, the plants are grown on a cloth that can be sanitized and reused. Grown indoors under LED light, the controlled environment stymies pests, eliminating the need for pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Rosenberg says the company can harvest in one acre what would require up to 390 acres outdoors by a farm in New Jersey, using up to 95% less water.

"We are the most vertically integrated tech company in the space," Rosenberg said. "Our proprietary agSTACK technology creates a fully connected and digitally controlled farm that integrates hardware, automation, intelligent controls and sensors, machine vision, supervisory control and data acquisition, and our manufacturing execution system to create a powerful data loop." The company holds 15 patents and has 38 more pending. "The result is clean, nutritious, flavorful produce grown year-round that is ready to eat with no washing needed."

The lure of vertical farming—the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers, typically in a controlled environment—has both economic and environmental benefits. Traditional field agriculture produces significant greenhouse gases, takes up half the U.S. landmass, and accounts for more than half of the country's fresh-water usage. A recent report by EY highlighted some of the economic reasons for the sector's growth, ranging from higher yields per acre to reduced transportation costs for crops grown closer to consumers in cities, to the availability of consistent supply at predictable prices.

A recent report by McAlinden Research Partners contends that efficient vertical farming is poised to surge as an increasingly popular investment as a result of the mounting pressures on traditional agriculture. "A report from Big Think recently found that vertical farms are incredibly efficient when it comes to water usage, requiring 95% less irrigation than soil-grown plants. Nate Storey, co-founder of vertical farming startup Plenty, Inc., has highlighted the efficiency of vertical farming, noting that 99% of moisture transpired by plants can be recaptured and reused in a vertical farming system. . . As climate shifts continue to affect the global agriculture industry, indoor farming provides an efficient and sustainable way to produce more crops with fewer resources," the report stated.

McAlinden noted that AeroFarms is "rapidly expanding its distribution operations in the Northeast, collaborating with Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, and FreshDirect, according to Supermarket News."

"It will likely be several years before vertical farming technologies begin tapping their true potential, but a scaling of the industry is becoming increasingly likely as a counter to climate change and diminishing water availability," McAlinden concluded.

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Disclosure:
1) Diane Fraser compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She and/or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She and/or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. Her company has a financial relationship with the following companies referred to in this article: None.
2) The following companies mentioned in this interview are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.
3) The interview does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services, or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.
4) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees, or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees, or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of AeroFarms, a company mentioned in this article.

Additional Disclosures:

Lake Street Capital Markets, AeroFarms, June 15, 2021.

RESEARCH DISCLOSURES
Lake Street Capital Markets, or its affiliates, intends to seek or expects to receive compensation for investment banking services from the subject issuer in the next three months.
The authoring analysts who are responsible for the preparation of this investment research are eligible for compensation based on the total revenue and general profitability of Lake Street Capital Markets, which includes investment banking revenue.
However, such authoring analyst will not receive compensation that is directly based on or linked to specific investment banking transactions.

ANALYST CERTIFICATION – REGULATION AC
Each authoring analyst of Lake Street Capital Markets whose name appears on the front page of this investment research hereby certifies that (1) the recommendations and opinions expressed in this investment research accurately reflect the authoring analyst's personal, independent, and objective views about any and all of the subject investments or issuers discussed herein; and (2) no part of the authoring analyst’s compensation was, is, or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed by the authoring analysts.

Lake Street Capital Markets may effect transactions as a principal or agent in the securities mentioned herein.

McAlinden Research Partners:
This report has been prepared solely for informational purposes and is not an offer to buy/sell/endorse or a solicitation of an offer to buy/sell/endorse Interests or any other security or instrument or to participate in any trading or investment strategy. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is made or can be given with respect to the sequence, accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information in this Report. Unless otherwise noted, all information is sourced from public data.
McAlinden Research Partners is a division of Catalpa Capital Advisors, LLC (CCA), a Registered Investment Advisor. References to specific securities, asset classes and financial markets discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities. CCA, MRP, employees and direct affiliates of the firm may or may not own any of the securities mentioned in the report at the time of publication.

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The Art Of Growing Plants Without Soil – Aeroponics, And Hydroponic

Jenna Walter

July 12, 2021

The post-apocalyptic scenario depicted in Wall-E shows that the planet earth had turned into a barren wasteland, although the movie shows a seedling growing out of a shoe, a possible solution would have been the use of aeroponics and hydroponics. These processes of growing plants without soil as a medium are mind-boggling for many.

Historically, humans have grown crops in soil and they could not think of growing them in the air or a liquid but the advent of modern science and technology has made it possible.

Hydroponics:

Hydroponics requires an aqueous solvent to grow a plant. The hydroponic system will control the environmental conditions of the plant. These conditions include the temperature and the pH balance. Simultaneously it also maximizes plants’ exposure to nutrients and water.

Hydroponics has a simple philosophy that is to provide the exact things the plant needs to grow. The administration of nutrient solutions is tailored to the needs of the particular plant being grown. The system will let the researchers control the exact amount of sunlight needed and for how long it is needed. These conditions are customized and controlled to accelerate the growth of the plant. The controlling of these factors helps reduce the chances of diseases or stunted plant growth.

On the contrary, plants that are grown in conventional conditions are more susceptible to growth issues. The soil of these plants can have fungus which can spread to the plants. Conventional plantations are also vulnerable to wildlife. Locusts attacks are also common on crops. They are known to consume whole fields in a day.

The hydroponics system can end the uncertainty that comes with growing plants outdoors. The soil only acts as a barrier for the seed while a hydroponic system allows a plant to grow vigorously.

If you are into trying out hydroponics you can buy a hydroponic garden kit. It will help you grow your favorite plants within your home.

Aeroponics:

Aeroponic systems will use the nutrient-laden mist to provide the plant necessary nourishment. It is based on the above-mentioned hydroponics systems in which the roots are submerged in a soilless growing medium.

The aeroponic eliminates the growing medium, the roots are left mid-air hanging from the pieces of foam stuffed into tiny pots. The roots are sprayed with nutrient-rich mist from time to time using specially designed devices that let you control the amount of mist, its pressure, and direction.

The seeds are planted in the foam stuffed tiny pots. On one side of the seed is light and on the other side is the mist. The foam helps to hold the plant as it grows over time.

The Use Of This Technology In Future

In the future use of these technologies will only increase. Climate change and global warming are making it difficult to grow crops using conventional methods. The earth is becoming barren due to aggressive farming practices.

The only solution left would be to use hydroponics and aeroponics. They offer more control over the growth of the plant. They can help increase crop production and they are safer because they do not use pesticides or insecticides.

Inside Natural Grocers' Hydroponic Produce Container

Catherine Douglas Moran

July 7, 2021

Eighty-two steps away from the produce aisle of Natural Grocers store in Lakewood, Colorado, sits a shipping container filled with hydroponic produce. 

Inside, more than 4,000 heads of organic lettuce are grown every month across roughly 320 square feet — just a fraction of the roughly 1 acre worth of land it would take to conventionally grow the same amount, said Michael Boardman, manager of the grow unit, which the grocer calls GardenBox.

"Within this small space, there's a lot of possibilities," Boardman said while giving a recent FaceTime tour of the shipping container.

The GardenBox pilot marks Natural Grocers' first foray into organic hydroponic farming and furthers its commitment to sell 100% organic produce and invest in hyper-local production. Starting Wednesday, July 7, customers can buy the lettuce at the store for $1.99 per head.   

GardenBox grows seven to eight varieties of lettuce, including Hampton, Brentwood, Alkindus, Tropicana, Muir, Marciano and Truchas. Unlike seasonal greens, the lettuce in GardenBox can be grown year-round, meaning it's always in season.

"We're seeing consistency in the product, whether it's snowing 2 feet outside or it's 90 degrees outside," Boardman said. "The box does a really good job of regulating this temperature."

Courtesy of Natural Grocers

From seed to salad

A portion of the container is dedicated to seedlings and can hold 2,400 plants at a time, with roughly 700 to 800 organic seeds planted each week in organic-friendly peat and coconut husk.

Around the three-week mark, the plants get transferred to the three vertical grow walls. The walls are double-sided and on rollers so that the plants can get spread out for equal access to LED lights that mimic sunlight, Boardman said. After about eight weeks after the seeds are planted, most varieties of the lettuce are ready for harvest. 

The feeding, nutrients and water are automated through a computer system inside the box. The system also measures air temperature, humidity, vapor pressure deficit and pH levels. If any issues arise, the system sends Boardman an email. "The computer and box kind of run itself," Boardman said. "It's just us troubleshooting and then coming in planting and harvesting."

Lasting lettuce

The GardenBox lettuce, which is certified organic by Where Food Comes From Organic and has the Clean Hydroponic Produce seal, is sold with roots intact, which Boardman said lengthens its shelf life and provides a better flavor and more nutrients. 

"They taste amazing," Boardman said. "The taste is a really big selling point for me. You get a much stronger flavor out of all of them."

Courtesy of Natural Grocers

In some cases, the lettuce may get sweeter when the roots are kept in the water following the harvest. Fresh living greens also provide a more nutrient-dense product than traditional lettuces that have been shipped to the store, Boardman noted.

After getting harvested, the produce is sold loose on a spinning display with water in the middle of the store's produce department. Shoppers can then bag it with plant-based produce bags. 

Growing more greens

The idea for the hydroponic farm came from the Isely family, which started Natural Grocers in 1955, said Boardman, who joined the project in October.

The trickiest part of the operation has been figuring out the nutrients formula, which includes magnesium, cobalt, copper, manganese, zinc and iron, along with the organic growing process. "It took us several months to really dial in the organic nutrients. There's not a lot of organic hydroponic growers out there," Boardman said. 

Courtesy of Natural Grocers

The first harvest happened in June, though Boardman said experimentation is continuing with different types of lettuce. Not all lettuce is prime for hydroponic farming, but the varieties in the box now, including butter lettuce, red romaine, and green and red oak leaf, are doing well, Boardman said. "I love [the oak leaf lettuce]. It comes out beautiful ... It just really thrives in the box," Boardman said. 

Typically, hydroponic farming produces crops faster and saves more water than traditional farming. As part of the Clean Hydroponic Produce Standards certification, the grocer will be participating in scientific research studies on nutrient density and energy use.

GardenBox plans to eventually grow herbs for Natural Grocers, though for now, the focus is on perfecting its leafy greens, Boardman said.

Natural Grocers aims to bring GardenBox containers to more stores. "Right now, we've got one more store that we're planning on opening up with a box shortly within the next few months. But beyond that, I'm still not sure what the steps will be," Boardman said. 

Lead Photo: The grocer's first foray in the futuristic farming technology, GardenBox, grows 4,000 lettuce heads per month and sits just steps away from a Colorado store's produce department.

Farming During The Dry Age

The period of 2000 to 2018 was the second driest 19-year period in over a thousand years. Let that sink in for a few moments. Global warming drives increased evaporation, causing droughts to become more likely and more severe where they already exist.

The past 10 to 20 years have been some of the driest on record, especially for the west coast of the United States. 70% of the land in the West is already in severe drought, and the National Weather Service estimates that the area is closer to 90%. Water demand is expected to rise by 55% by 2050, so planning how to provide more water with a diminishing supply is not a matter of whether one believes in climate change, it’s a crisis.

These climate events in the west have economic impacts worth noting water shortages during the 2015 droughts in California resulted in almost $2 billion in direct costs. On average, one drought event causes a 0.8% decrease in agricultural GDP, let alone the cost to the population. 

With California responsible for a large portion of the country’s produce and experiencing extremely dry conditions, indoor farming is the only option. CEA (controlled environment agriculture) where environmental factors are manipulated can help keep the west coast's agricultural sector intact.

Greenhouses, whether traditional or vertical uses methods such as drip irrigation that save up to 30-50% of the water it would take to conventionally grow using surface irrigation. Up to half the amount of an outdoor farm. Overall, reports indicate that greenhouses create around a 60% water savings during crop cultivation.

Droughts affect not only the direct air and soil of an open farm, but also the types of pests and pathogens living in them. When a climate drastically changes, the organisms that thrive there adapt much quicker than the plant’s ability to resist them. With the U.S. already using over one billion pounds of pesticides per year, as drier environments invite new pests and pathogens that native crops are ill-equipped to handle on their own either crops will die, or pesticide use will increase.

The agricultural economy along the West Coast and indeed across the U.S. and the world will need to adapt their growing techniques to meet the demand of a growing population and conserve water. Indoor growing saves water during growing cycles and significantly reduces crop loss, pesticide use, and GHG’s.

Droughts along the West Coast are already transforming the farming landscape as we watch farmers plow crops under knowing that there won’t be enough water to sustain them throughout the summer. Crops grown indoors can be both protected and hydrated with indoor technologies that are more secure for feeding people and sustaining the planet.

Hallie Cordingley, Intern

hcordingley@iunu.com

Carl Silverberg, Sr. VP Outreach & Public Affairs

csilverberg@iunu.com

844 746 4868 

BASF Venture Capital Invests In Indian Startup UrbanKisaan

Startup optimizes sustainable agriculture without soil in tropical climates

■   BASF Venture Capital’s first investment in this early stage Indian business strengthens AgTech activities in Asia

Hyderabad, India, and Ludwigshafen, Germany, July 13, 2021 – BASF Venture Capital GmbH (BVC) is investing in the Indian startup UrbanKisaan, which specializes in hydroponic cultivation of various types of vegetables, greens and herbs in tropical urban environments. This is BVC’s first investment in an early stage business focusing on India. Conceptualized in 2017, UrbanKisaan operates several suburban greenhouses and vertical indoor farms in Hyderabad and Bangalore. The company sells the fresh produce, some of which is grown directly in the shops, in its franchise-owned brick-and-mortar stores and via an app and website. Both parties agreed not to disclose financial details of the investment.

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UrbanKisaan has optimized hydroponics technology for use in tropical climates such as India. With only one tenth of the costs, the proprietary technology is significantly more efficient than conventional global standards in hydroponics cultivation. The company is also capitalizing on the trend of online food retailing, which is booming on the subcontinent. “Our approach in hydroponics enables us to produce our food cost-effectively and with relatively little effort,” said Vihari Kanukollu, co-founder and CEO at UrbanKisaan. “Our produce also contributes towards sustainability as it is grown in clean, hygienic farms in and around the city, thus minimizing the total carbon footprint. Use of IoT (Internet-of-Things)-enabled technology for monitoring the farms ensures pesticide-free produce. The growing demand from our customers shows that our idea is well-received,” he added.

UrbanKisaan’s farms are managed through their proprietary technology. Nutrient content, pH levels, atmospheric humidity, CO2 concentration, light concentration and other important parameters are controlled and adapted to the needs of the particular plants with an app.

“UrbanKisaan, as a pioneer in the hydroponics space, has developed a unique growing method and combines this with a compelling business model for sales,” commented Markus Solibieda, Managing Director of BASF Venture Capital GmbH. He added: “AgTech is one of our key investment focus areas worldwide. This includes, in particular, our goal of supporting innovative agricultural and food-related businesses in Asia. We look forward to learning more about hydroponic farming and exploring its potential through a close collaboration between UrbanKisaan and BASF’s agriculture experts.”

With the investment from BASF, UrbanKisaan plans to further expand its market presence in India, deploy its farming technology to work with thousands of farmers, and bring fresh, local, sustainable produce to urban dwellers.

Hydroponic farming – an efficient way to use limited resources

The world’s population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050 1 while the area available for farming and freshwater reserves are becoming increasingly scarce. Hydroponics offers a sustainable way to grow crops without soil and using vertically stacked layers while reducing water usage by about 90 percent 2. Especially in densely populated urban areas, this presents a more efficient way to use limited resources like water, space and manpower. Water that is not absorbed by the plants is captured, purified and fed back into the farm’s water circulation system, minimizing wastage significantly.

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India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, with a production value of about $64 billion3. It is also a large consumer of fruits and vegetables, and while much of this is through unorganized channels (local vegetable markets, hand-pulled carts and neighborhood stores), organized channels (modern trade and online retail) account for a little over 20 percent of the market4. Thus, hydroponics is a fast growing and efficient alternative to traditional supply chains in the organized fresh produce market.

About UrbanKisaan

UrbanKisaan was conceptualized in 2017 in Hyderabad, India. The company began as a farming enterprise but wanted to grow more than just fresh and nutritious food. They wanted to create a sustainable future for farming and feed the world in a way that is good for both people and planet. Today, with its hyper-local urban farms the company is creating a transparent supply chain with a low carbon footprint, leveraging on proprietary growing technology that helps save 90% of water yet grow 30 times more crops compared to traditional farms of similar area. Further information at www.urbankisaan.com.

About BASF Venture Capital

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF Venture Capital GmbH (BVC) also contributes to this corporate purpose. Founded in 2001, BVC has offices in Europe, the U.S., China, India, Brazil, and Israel. BVC’s goal is to generate new growth potential for current and future business areas of BASF by investing in young companies and funds. The focus of investment is on new materials, AgTech, Digitization and new, disruptive business models. Further information at www.basf-vc.com.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

3 Fruits & Vegetables Production value at Current Prices for 2015-16, Horticultural Statistics at a Glance 2018, Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

4 Avalon Consulting - http://www.fruitnet.com/asiafruit/article/178572/india-on-the-move

1200% Increase In Production At ENOGROW In Times of A Pandemic!

July 11, 2021

One step closer to food sovereignty in New Brunswick Canada. 1200% increase in production at ENOGROW in times of a pandemic!

Thanks to an equipment investment upgrade valued at nearly $250,000. ENOGROW, an indoor vertical hydroponic farm, located in Saint-Léolin NB, will see a production increase of leafy vegetables from 7,500 to
nearly 100,000 heads grown per year by the end of 2021. Due to the owners Chantal and Daniel Ratté hard work, perseverance and imagination, this amazing production surge occurs after less than 18 months of operation and in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

Cultivation in a controlled environment takes place inside the former Le Maillon school, a 2280sqm building on 4 acres of land 12 month a year! ENOGROW currently offers their products to grocery stores, restaurants and on-site to the local population. With the above upgrades, along with a new refrigerated truck, the company will expand its customer’s network to Miramichi and Campbellton areas, and soon to southern New Brunswick as well.

Due to climate change, supply issues and the ever-growing demand for fresh local produce, this indoor hydroponic farm takes NB residents one step closer to food sovereignty year long!

This innovative indoor hydroponic farm grows nearly 20 different products year round, including 4 kinds of lettuce, various herbs and microgreens from organic seeds. All of this healthy produce is grown without soil, pesticides, herbicides or chemical residue, using 90% less water in only 10% of the space required by conventional cultivation.

The company is already working on their new goal for 2022, with expectations of 200,000 heads produced, a step closer to the final goal of 750,000 heads annually by 2025. This would create nearly 20 permanent jobs and serve New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland with fresh and local leafy vegetables 12 months per year.

This is quite a challenge for Chantal and Daniel, whose company began their operations in November 2019, less than 3 months before the start of the pandemic. They work almost 80 hours a week. “We never thought
we had the ability to work this hard, especially me at 62 years old, says Dan. Advice to anyone thinking of beginning this kind of agricultural that request a high production volume to be profitable. This is real farm work, and it is year round, Dan explains!

The final commissioning of the new equipment is scheduled for end of July.

Daniel Ratté Pres.
Enogrow Inc.
916 Boul. Saint-Joseph,
Saint-Léolin, NB E8N 2P8
danielr@enogrow.com
Off: 506-604-4400 Cell:506-720-2007 FB: Enogrow

FRANÇAIS

06 Juillet 2021

Plus près de la souveraineté alimentaire au NB. Augmentation de 1200% de la production de légumes à feuilles chez Enogrow en temps de pandémie!

Grace à un investissement en équipements d’une valeur de près de $250,000, la ferme hydroponique verticale intérieure ENOGROW de Saint-Léolin verra sa production de légumes à feuilles passer de 7500
à près de 100,000 têtes cultivées par année d’ici la fin de 2021. C’est grâce au travail acharné, persévérance et imagination, des deux propriétaires Chantal et Daniel Ratté que cette incroyable augmentation de production se produit après moins de 18 mois d'exploitation et au milieu d'une pandémie mondiale.

Dû au changement climatique, problèmes en approvisionnement et ses coûts, ainsi qu’à la forte demande en produits frais local sans cesse grandissante, cette ferme hydroponique intérieure permet aux résidents du NB de franchir un pas de plus vers la souveraineté alimentaire.

La culture sous environnement contrôlée, se fait à l’intérieur de l’ancienne école Le Maillon, un bâtiment de 2280mc sur 4 acres. Ils offrent présentement leurs produits aux marchés d'alimentation, restaurants et sur place pour la population locale. Par cet ajout d’équipement et d’un camion réfrigéré, l’entreprise peux maintenant étendre son réseau de clients vers Miramichi et Campbellton et bientôt le sud du nouveau Brunswick.

La ferme hydroponique intérieure d’avant garde cultive près de 20 produits différents, dont 4 sortes de laitue incluant la romaine, fines herbes et micro-pousses à partir de graine graines organiques, sans terre, insecticides, herbicides ou résidus de produits chimique, en utilisant 90% moins d'eau en utilisant seulement 10% de l’espace requis par la culture conventionnelle et ce 12 mois par année!.

L'entreprise travaille déjà sur leur nouvel objectif pour 2022 qui devrait être près des 200,000 têtes produites en route vers son but final de 750,000 produites annuellement d'ici 2025. Ceci créera près de 20 emploies permanents et pourra servir le Nouveau Brunswick, Ile du Prince Edward, la Nouvelle-Écosse et Terre neuve en légumes à feuilles frais et local.

C’est tout un défi à relever pour Chantal et Daniel dont l’entreprise a démarré ses opérations en novembre 2019, soit moins de 3 moins de mois avant le début de la pandémie. Ils y travaillent près de 80 heures par semaine. ‘’ On ne pensait jamais avoir à travailler autant spécialement moi à 62 ans. C’est un pensez y bien avant, pour ceux et celles qui désirent se lancer dans ce genre d’agriculture qui demande un haut volume pour atteindre la rentabilité. C’est un travail de ferme mais à longueur d’année explique t-il!

La mise en service des nouveaux équipements est prévue fin juillet.

Daniel Ratté Prés.
Enogrow Inc.
916 Boul. Saint-Joseph,
Saint-Léolin, NB E8N 2P8
danielr@enogrow.com
Off: 506-604-4400 Cell:506-720-2007 FB: Enogrow

2021 Global CEA Census Will Measure The Impact of Sustainability

7 July 2021: The 2021 Global CEA Census has launched with a focus on growers’ perspectives on sustainability and how they are measuring specific ESG (environmental, social, and governance) outcomes.  

This year Agritecture Consulting will partner with AgTech leader WayBeyond who has taken over the responsibility of the Census from automation business Autogrow.   

“Our WayBeyond ethos for sustainable crop production technology fits perfectly with this year’s Census. Understanding the impact of CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) on the planet allows us to continue highlighting the growers doing remarkable work to reduce environmental impact while producing quality crops.

There’s clear evidence showing consumers, particularly Gen-Z, are making decisions based on the sustainability factor of not only the food they eat but also the packaging, distribution and producers themselves. This Census will give a clear view of the role CEA can play in creating a more sustainable planet.”

— WAYBEYOND CEO & FOUNDER DARRYN KEILLER

This is the third year the Census has run with increasing participation each year from greenhouse, indoor vertical, and tunnel house growers. Past Census reports have brought forward key information on the state of the industry, tactics being used, and the people behind its many operations. For example, the 2020 report showed that there was plenty of optimism despite the pandemic, with 95% of respondents having an “excellent” or “good” outlook for the 12 months ahead, and only 5% indicating that the business’ future was uncertain.

“We work hard to encourage as many growers to participate as possible and, with a focus on sustainability, we hope to gain an even better uptake this year, especially from large-scale operations.

This is the most comprehensive global survey of CEA operations running, and the published findings will provide valuable insights that may affect policy, financing options, operational practices, and new technology. That is a benefit for all of us in the industry.”

— AGRITECTURE CONSULTING FOUNDER AND CEO HENRY GORDON-SMITH

The 2021 Global Census will run from 7 July 2021 until 20 August 2021.

Take the survey: Global CEA Census

Survey Terms and Conditions can be found here.

Indoor Farming Is In Growth Mode

By Lynn Petrak

July 9, 2021

The future of indoor farming, including vertical farming, has nowhere to go but up. With parallel and perhaps inevitably colliding trends of sustainability, plant-based eating, food safety and labor-saving agricultural practices, produce grown in controlled environments is likely to become much more common in grocery stores.

As a testament to the sunny future of the ag tech niche, the U.S. Department of Agriculture started a new Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production last year. More than $3 million in initial grants were made available through that department in 2020.

Prognosticators have weighed in on a future of food that includes strategically located indoor farms throughout the country. In a report released late last year, Allied Market Research, whose Americas office is in Portland, Ore., projected that the global vertical-farming industry is expected to reach $1.38 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.2% from 2021 to 2027.

Several grocers are already buying into this type of produce supply. Earlier this year, The Kroger Co., based in Cincinnati, began sourcing fresh produce from Hamilton, Ohio-based indoor grower 80 Acres Farms for the retailer’s stores in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. In 2020, Kroger partnered with German startup Infarm to add modular vertical farms to two of its Quality Food Centers in the Seattle area.

Also last year, Publix Super Markets said that it will invest more in hydroponic produce and added a new on-site trailer farm from a local hydroponic grower to its GreenWise Market store in the grocer’s hometown of Lakeland, Fla. Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. has collaborated with South San Francisco, Calif.-based Plenty and with Bowery Farming, based in New York, to provide its shoppers with fresh produce grown indoors. Natural and organic retailer Whole Foods Market, based in Austin, Texas, recently added a mini-farm from New York-based Farm.One to one of its Big Apple stores to provide herbs for prepared pizzas and drinks. In addition to these and other large grocery players, smaller chains and independents have teamed up with various greenhouses and growing operations near their locations.   

Consumers have expressed their opinions about produce grown indoors. According to the 2021 “Power of Produce” report published by Arlington, Va.-based FMI – The Food Industry Association, and conducted by San Antonio-based 210 Analytics, 43% of shoppers don’t have a preference for produce coming from indoor versus outdoor farms. Those most likely to prefer indoor growing include urbanites, consumers with above-average spend per person, members of the Generation Z age demographic, higher-income households, core value-added shoppers, organic produce buyers and men. Those more likely to prefer outdoor-grown produce include consumers in rural areas and conventional produce buyers, the report found.

AeroFarms uses aeroponic methods to grow healthy plants, using up to 95% less water and no pesticides.

Greener Pastures

One of the biggest drivers of the move to produce more food in indoor-farming facilities is sustainability. From an environmental standpoint, indoor-grown produce may be part choice, part necessity, depending on the area and the circumstances.

Necessity is born of conditions wrought by continual weather extremes that are often attributed to a changing climate. Unusual weather patterns resulting in droughts, floods, storm damage and harmful freezes take a toll on traditional farms and on the farmers who grow fresh fruits and vegetables.  

Weather extremes have always happened, but are becoming more frequent. For example, coming off last summer’s devastating derecho event, a drought that began in late 2020 in Iowa and has continued through early summer is stressing that state’s corn and soybean crops. Earlier this year, rare heavy snow, ice and frigid temperatures in Texas hurt winter wheat and some citrus crops.

At the same time, there’s an overall push to produce food in a more sustainable way. More than two-thirds (64%) of American consumers say that they’re willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly products. “There is a trend – not a fad – of consumers who appreciate the benefit of getting produce soon after it’s harvested,” says David Rosenberg, co-founder and CEO of vertical-farming leader AeroFarms, based in Newark, N.J., “and more and more customers are realizing that they want products with no pesticides, because those are not meant for human beings.”

On the business side, sustainability is a central part of many CPGs’ and grocers’ corporate- responsibility platforms as they pledge to reduce their use of resources like water and energy. Many manufacturers and retailers have also revealed goals to cut down on or eliminate the use of pesticides in their products.  

Other Seeds of Change

In addition to the pursuit of sustainable growing practices, other factors are contributing to interest in this method of agriculture. The need to shore up food security in the face of a booming global population and the problem of urban food deserts are notable catalysts. So is consumers’ penchant for eating more fresh plant-based foods, and foods grown in a more sustainable way.

Meanwhile, as evidenced in ubiquitous “Now hiring” signs, it can be tough to find workers to plant, care for and harvest crops. Indoor farms run with several automated controls and tasks are less affected by fluctuations and stresses in the labor market.

The global COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to the acceleration of indoor farming. When some retailers faced supply chain issues and had difficulty sourcing fresh products, they turned to new vendor partners that operated indoor farms with more controlled conditions and inventories. Indoor farms typically can be built faster and are also versatile operations that allow for pivots in the event of changing circumstances.

There are additional practical reasons for sourcing produce from indoor growers. “Right now, retailers want consistency in price, quality and delivery. At its core, we are delivering consistency,” notes Rosenberg, citing other profit-driven benefits such as reduced shrink and spoilage.

Modern indoor farms combine technology and agriculture to provide fresh produce in a more sustainable way.

Indoor-Farm Tour

Generally, plants in indoor-farming facilities are grown in cells stacked for space savings and efficiency. In lieu of the sun, LED lights are used to facilitate growth. 

Watering techniques vary. In hydroponic farms, plant roots are placed in nutrient-rich solutions instead of soil. With aeroponics, exposed roots hang down from the plant and receive nutrients via a system that sprays nutrient-filled water.

Indoor farms take different forms in the United States and around the world. Some indoor farms are massive in size and almost industrial in their setup. Others are smaller and hyperlocal, using locations like repurposed shipping containers or greenhouses. Some farms are constructed vertically to minimize the physical footprint or to use existing buildings, while others are more spread out in their design. Farms are being built in urban areas, often in former manufacturing facilities, warehouses or multilevel stores, and in more rural areas, where they are run by longtime family farm owners who are looking for ways to reinvent their businesses in the wake of competition from big farms.

One thing is for sure: There are more of these types of growing operations. AeroFarms is one grower on the march, with a l36,000-square-foot aeroponics farm under construction in Virginia, set to be finished sometime in 2022.

In June, Vertical Roots, a Charleston, S.C.-based hydroponic container farm that’s part of Amplifed Ag, opened its third indoor farm in Atlanta at a facility run by two large produce suppliers in the Southeast. According to the company, the new farm will eliminate the need for transportation to the distributor and will enable produce to be delivered to local customers the same day that it’s harvested.

In mid-June, Morehead, Ky.-based grower AppHarvest revealed that it’s adding two large indoor farms in the Bluegrass State. With a completion date of the end of 2022, the farms will produce non-GMO leafy greens and fruits for shipment to grocers and restaurants.

Also in 2021, Irvington, N.Y.-based BrightFarms opened its newest indoor farm, in Hendersonville, N.C., a 6-acre greenhouse that will deliver to retailers in nearby areas in that state, as well as in South Carolina and Georgia.

Startup Bowery Farms is opening an R&D hub called “Farm X” that will help expand product development. The facility includes a new sensory lab and innovation center.

In another sign of the health of this sector, there’s major seed money – no pun intended – going toward indoor farming. Berlin-based Infarm, for example, is said to be going public following a reported merger with Kernel Group Holdings Inc., of San Francisco. In May, Bowery Farming revealed a new round of funding to the tune of $300 million that lifted the company’s estimated value to about $2.3 billion. Indoor-farming company Gotham Greens, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., revealed $87 million in new funding in December 2020.

While indoor farms are expanding, crops produced in such facilities are expected to grow, too.  Most ag tech companies currently produce leafy greens and herbs in hundreds of different varieties. Tomatoes are also grown hydroponically in many places. Better technologies and a greater collective knowledge are spurring innovations in other types of crops grown indoors in an eco-friendlier way. AppHarvest, for its part, is growing strawberries in one of its new locations, and vine crops in another.

Implications for the Retail Produce Section

More and different types of indoor farms are transforming agriculture – and the retail produce department.  Since many of these products are packaged on site, supermarket produce sections now feature a greater mix of packaged and bulk items. Offerings like packaged salads and tomatoes also help define and elevate a brand, whether it’s a store brand or a grower brand. 

Coming off a year in which consumers prepared more foods and experimented with new products and varieties, several new products grown in indoor-farming facilities have hit the marketplace. Medford, Minn.-based Revol Greens recently rolled out new varieties of chopped romaine salads made with lettuces grown at its indoor farm in its home state. Revolution Farms, in Caledonia, Mich., is launching four new salad mixes. One of Bowery Farming’s latest products is a new Bowery Crispy Leaf Lettuce, deemed to be a “reinvigorated version” of iceberg lettuce. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg (lettuce).  

Grocers can merchandise indoor-farmed produce in a creative way to distinguish their offerings and connect with shoppers. “We’ve worked in a process of co-creating with retailers,” observes AeroFarms’ Rosenberg. “It is an opportunity to deliver innovation and excitement for an exciting category.”

Lead Photo: Hydroponic farming company Vertical Roots is growing its footprint with a new indoor lettuce farm in the Atlanta area.

"Resilience Is Going To Become A Key Element of Food Security"

July 5, 2021

When it comes to rethinking agriculture to create better products with much less impact 365 days a year on a large scale, Cristián Sjögren and Pablo Bunster, two professionals from the renewable energy sector, left their jobs behind to bring sustainable farming to cities.

A little over two years ago they formed AgroUrbana, a startup dedicated to vertical agriculture, which consists of producing food in vertically stacked layers, in their case using LED lights and hydroponic cultivation, to provide the light and water necessary to harvest vegetables with nutrition. very accurate in spaces with controlled climates. 

In 2020, despite the fact that its creators consider that much more work needs to be done to advance in a country where traditional agriculture prevails, they have managed to expand their distribution channels. “Our investors and clients are excited. We have seen a very positive reception from the markets ”explains Bunster, who points out that last August they began to sell their vegetables in Jumbo, and since last week they have been in the North American multinational Walmart. 

“The new generations read the label in the supermarket more than any other. The sophistication of the consumer is demanding more from the producers, and the way agriculture has been done until today has not been able to cope with these consumption conditions. This is part of the value of bringing vertical agriculture to Chile ”, says Pablo Bunster, who sees in the startup a possible solution by automating food production.

In March 2020, AgroUrbana closed its second round of financing, which was led by the CLIN fund of ChileGlobal Ventures, the Venture Capital area of ​​Fundación Chile. To date, the startup adds USD 1.5 million in financing, in which funds from Venture Capital, Family Offices, and individuals have participated, which has allowed them to reach an advanced stage of the AgroUrbana Series A round for USD $ 4 million, to finance the construction of a much larger scale vertical farm. 

Read the complete article at: Vertical Farm Daily

VIDEO: Signify Expands LED Installation At Walters Gardens With Philips GreenPower LED Toplighting Compact

July 6, 2021 

Eindhoven, the Netherlands – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, is supplying Walters Gardens with the Philips GreenPower LED toplighting compact to expand their existing lighting installation. Walters Gardens is a market leader in the ornamental industry from Zeeland, Michigan, in the United States.

They first trialed Philips GreenPower LED toplighting in 2014 - one of the first growers in North America to install Philips horticulture LED grow lights over ornamental crops, with the aim to jump-start their spring perennial production.  

As a result of the trial’s success, Walter’s Gardens partnered with Signify again, when expanding their lighted growing areas in 2019 - 2020, with the Philips GreenPower toplighting compact.

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“It was a really easy decision to go with the Philips LED toplighting compact”, says Aren Philips, finishing lead grower at Walters Gardens. “The tops are fuller, the roots are more active, we are able to finish our hostas product 1 to 2 weeks ahead of schedule.”

Together with the high efficacy of the toplighting compact, and the easy 1:1 replacement of the HPS, leading to a great ROI, Walters Gardens knew the expansion would pay off.

Learn more about the Philips LED grow lights for floriculture here.   

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For more information:

Global Marcom Manager Horticulture at Signify

Daniela Damoiseaux

Tel: +31 6 31 65 29 69

Email: daniela.damoiseaux@signify.com

www.philips.nl/horti

About Signify

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings, and public spaces. With 2020 sales of EUR 6.5 billion, we have approximately 37,000 employees and are present in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We achieved carbon neutrality in 2020, have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for four consecutive years and were named Industry Leader in 2017, 2018 and 2019. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.