Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
A Manufacturer And A Food Caterer Among New Players Feeding Singapore’s Urban Farming Boom
“We want to bring indoor farming into something more precise, where you calculate the least input for the best output. That is precision farming,”
Tang See Kit
@SeeKitCNA
11 Aug 2021
SINGAPORE: In a small room tucked away on the second floor of a precision engineering factory in Tuas, pots of kale and lettuce stacked in vertical racks grow under the glow of pink-purple lights.
These light-emitting diode (LED) lights have been designed to shine at a customized spectrum that will help crops grow better. Smart sensors also keep tabs on temperature and humidity in the room, while a special water treatment system reduces bacteria growth.
In here, the goal is to find the best way to farm vegetables indoors, all with the use of technology.
“You can control everything, even how much nutrients or water is being used for each plant,” said Mr. Nelson Lim, co-founder of I.F.F.I, which stands for Indoor Farm Factory Innovation.
“We want to bring indoor farming into something more precise, where you calculate the least input for the best output. That is precision farming,” he told CNA.
Mr. Lim is also the chief executive of precision engineering firm TranZplus Engineering, which is the parent company of I.F.F.I. TranZplus’ two-story office in Tuas now houses both a manufacturing facility for semiconductor components and a farming showroom.
“A lot of people ask me: ‘Nelson, are you crazy? You’re in engineering, why suddenly do farming?’ Actually, the two are not unrelated. We can put our engineering skills to good use in indoor farming,” Mr. Lim said while demonstrating the farming racks that can be adjusted according to height and size.
Robotics is another expertise that the company has incorporated into its farming solutions to not just improve the yield and quality of crops, but also workflow efficiencies.
For instance, automated machines that can perform seeding, transplanting, potting and harvesting tasks will be put to work at I.F.F.I’s mega indoor farm when ready at the end of this year.
(Left to right) I.F.F.I's general manager Veronica Lee, chief operating officer Kelvin Ng, and co-founder Nelson Lim. (Photo: Tang See Kit)
SEEDING A DIVERSIFICATION
TranZplus’ venture into agriculture was first seeded in 2016 when it became one of the vendors for Panasonic’s indoor farm in Singapore.
“Initially, they just wanted to have a rack. Then we thought why not have racks that can be customized, why not put in an irrigation system and other types of automation?” Mr Lim recalled. “We worked out a prototype and they were impressed.”
The company kept on with research and development after that, while being involved in setting up three other small-scale farms. In 2019, it decided it had gained enough experience to give it a shot.
Mr. Lim said the decision to venture into indoor farming was driven by “strong business potential”, partly on the back of Singapore’s “30 by 30” goal to produce 30 percent of the country's nutritional needs locally by 2030.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated the potential, with global disruptions to the harvesting, shipping, and sale of food making it even more important for the country to have its own resources. Indoor farms can be the solution, he added.
Last September, I.F.F.I. became one of the nine urban farms to secure grants totaling S$39.4 million from the Singapore Food Agency.
Its 38,000 sq ft indoor farm, which remains under development at the JTC Space @ Tuas, will be using a soil-based cultivation method that allows more vegetable varieties to be planted.
When operational, the mega farm will be able to produce 800 to 1,000kg of vegetables, like nai bai and spinach, per day, said Mr Lim.
Another new player on the field is food caterer Kitchen Haus, which co-founded “farm-to-table” concept brand Frux Earth a few months ago.
With its core business facing a slow recovery amid the pandemic, the company has been diversifying actively in search of new opportunities over the past year.
Agriculture is “not unrelated territory”, chief executive Patrick Chan said. “It’s still part of the food ecosystem so when the opportunity came, I agreed instantly.”
It teamed up with home-grown urban farming company Metro Farm for the new venture. With the latter’s expertise, the farms under Frux Earth – three sites spanning 60,000 sq ft – are powered by an aquaponics system that converts fish waste into nutrients for the vegetables.
For instance, its 12,000 sq ft rooftop farm atop an industrial building in Bendemeer has eight fish tanks with red tilapia and jade perch. These fishes were chosen for their hardiness and ability “to produce more waste”, said Metro Farm’s director Chris Toh.
“We have a filter to separate the fish waste, which is then broken down by bacteria. Our system will then keep the nutrients flowing to the vegetables 24/7,” said the farm’s other director Brandon Toh, who added that the system is “self-sustainable” and keeps costs low.
The Bendemeer farm, with its 720 vertical plant towers, can harvest more than 30,000 stalks of vegetables, including purple lettuce and kale, a month. The fish will also be sold once they reach table size.
Mr. Chan said: “This is a breath of fresh air for us and we pivoted because we want to jump on the trend of food sustainability.
“I think Metro Farm sees the value in us having the know-how of food preparing, catering, and retail. And we partner them because it’s not easy to set up a farm and they are the experts.”
Metro Farm’s director Chris Toh (left) and Kitchen Haus' chief executive officer Patrick Chan (right) joined hands to form a new urban farming company Frux Earth. (Photo: Tang See Kit)
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Metro Farm, which started its first farm in Kranji almost nine years ago, noted that the local agriculture sector has become “much more vibrant”.
While the presence of new and bigger players means greater competition, the increased attention has also made it easier for businesses to secure farming sites in land-scarce Singapore, including vacant rooftops on both public and private buildings.
“In the past, we have to explain what is a rooftop farm and what we are doing but now, more landlords are opening up to the idea,” said Mr. Brandon Toh, although he noted that not all rooftops are suitable given the need to take into consideration the additional loads of farming.
Frux Earth has plans to open three more urban farms over the next few months.
Its “farm-to-table” menu is in the works as it ramps up its crop production, while it is also gauging the interest for a weekly vegetable subscription service, said Mr. Chan.
These “culture boxes”, as they are called, will be filled with 1 to 2kg worth of freshly harvested organic vegetables and delivered to the doorsteps of customers every week. For now, it has started supplying a few restaurants located near its farm at the Marina Country Club.
Frux Earth is planning to launch a weekly vegetable box subscription service. (Photo: Frux Earth)
Over at I.F.F.I, the protracted pandemic and its impact on labour and supplies of raw materials have caused some delays at its mega indoor farm which was initially scheduled to open in the middle of this year.
“We are catching up and hopefully we can have everything ready soon,” said Mr. Lim. “Certainly, costs have also gone up with the increase in raw material prices, but we are managing that."
Meanwhile, the company is working on opening an “indoor farm pro-shop”.
“There will be a mini-farm set up for visitors to understand and raise awareness about indoor farming,” said I.F.F.I chief operating officer Kelvin Ng.
“If they like what they see and want to start their home cultivation system, they will also be able to purchase everything they need at the shop. We will even have consultants ready to guide you. It will be a one-stop shop about indoor farming.”
I.F.F.I. also sees opportunities beyond Singapore where they can serve as consultants or designers to those looking to set up indoor farms. For instance, in Russia where crop production is a challenge due to the cold climate.
Its technologies can also be deployed in “bite sizes” even in traditional food-producing countries as solutions to specific problems, such as water pollution.
Mr. Ng said: “There are many opportunities emerging in the space of indoor farming, and we want to be bold and seize them.”
Source: CNA/sk(cy)
Lead Photo: I.F.F.I, an affiliate of precision engineering firm TranZplus Engineering, is looking to open its mega indoor farm in Tuas by the end of this year. (Photo: Tang See Kit)
SCOTLAND: World’s Most Powerful Tidal Turbine Starts To Export Power To The Grid
Manufactured and launched in Dundee earlier in the year before being towed up to Orkney, the O2 is Orbital’s first commercial turbine and represents the culmination of more than 15 years of world-leading product development in the UK
29 July 2021
Orbital Marine Power’s O2, the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, has commenced grid-connected power generation at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. The innovative, floating turbine is anchored in the Fall of Warness where a subsea cable connects the 2MW offshore unit to the local onshore electricity network, so the company in a press release yesterday.
Manufactured and launched in Dundee earlier in the year before being towed up to Orkney, the O2 is Orbital’s first commercial turbine and represents the culmination of more than 15 years of world-leading product development in the UK. The 74m long turbine is expected to operate in the waters off Orkney for the next 15 years with the capacity to meet the annual electricity demand of around 2,000 UK homes with clean, predictable power from the fast-flowing waters. In a further ground-breaking element of the project, the O2 is to provide power to EMEC’s onshore electrolyzer to generate green hydrogen that will be used to demonstrate decarbonization of wider energy requirements.
‘Creating a new, low-carbon industrial sector.’
Orbital CEO, Andrew Scott, said: “Delivering this pioneering renewable energy project safely and successfully is a major milestone for the O2. This project is the trigger to the harnessing of tidal stream resources around the world to play a role in tackling climate change whilst creating a new, low-carbon industrial sector.”
The construction of the O2 turbine was enabled by public lenders through the ethical investment platform, Abundance Investment, as well as being supported by the Scottish Government by the Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund. The O2 project has been supported through funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the FloTEC project and the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg northwest Europe Programme under the ITEG project.
Read the complete press release here.
Read also: Ocean waves and giant magnifying glasses should facilitate energy transition
Spain is going for floating wind turbines and tidal energy on a grand scale
Three Reasons To Attend Women in Agribusiness Summit
For ten years, Women in Agribusiness (WIA) has been at the forefront of advancing women in the food and ag industries by helping them know their business better. Join WIA live in Minneapolis, September 21-23 for the 10th anniversary WIA Summit
For ten years, Women in Agribusiness (WIA) has been at the forefront of advancing women in the food and ag industries by helping them know their business better. Join WIA live in Minneapolis, September 21-23 for the 10th anniversary WIA Summit.
THREE REASONS TO ATTEND
1. Be the most informed person on your team.
With so many changes happening in the industry, how do you nail down what’s most important? The sessions at WIA Summit are led by industry experts and address the most critical topics of today so you can execute business decisions with confidence.
2. It’s all about who you know.
Submerse yourself in a room full of leaders who feel equally as passionate about agribusiness as you do. Grab a glass of champagne and start learning and sharing about the topics that mean the most to you at the WIA networking receptions.
3. Never stop learning.
Life is busy. It’s hard to brainstorm and innovate when business moves fast. The WIA Summit gives you access to leaders and changemakers that provide new perspectives and insights to help you stay innovative.
REGISTER NOW
Save $100 when you register before August 7.
*Virtual registration available
Event safety: The WIA Summit team looks forward to welcoming you safely to Minneapolis in September. We will continue to work with state officials and follow CDC best practices for in-person events.
PODCAST: This Weeks Episode - Season 3 Episode 39
Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, CEO and co-founder of Fifth Season, Austin Webb
Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, CEO and co-founder of Fifth Season, Austin Webb. Fifth Season is a consumer tech company and indoor farming pioneer with Carnegie Mellon University roots that is creating a new era of fresh foods. Its commercial-scale indoor vertical farms use proprietary robotics, AI, and smart operations technology to grow leafy greens and herbs at affordable prices year-round.
Today, Harry and Austin talk about the origin story of Fifth Season, the relationship he has with the city of Braddock, and how Austin initially got involved in vertical farming. Austin expounds on the concepts of smart manufacturing and pest pressure and speaks to the learning curve he’s experienced as a first-time CEO. Finally, Austin speaks to the mission of Fifth Season and what excites him most about his future endeavors.
Listen & Subscribe
BrightFarms Recall Expands To Include Baby Spinach
BrightFarms today initiated a voluntary recall expansion of additional packaged salad greens that are past the expiration date and were produced in its Rochelle, Illinois (Ogle County) greenhouse farm sold in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan due to potential contamination with Salmonella
July 28, 2021
ROCHELLE, Ill., July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — JULY 28, 2021 RECALL EXPANSION: BrightFarms today initiated a voluntary recall expansion of additional packaged salad greens that are past the expiration date and were produced in its Rochelle, Illinois (Ogle County) greenhouse farm sold in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan due to potential contamination with Salmonella.
The recall includes the below salad products packaged in clear, plastic clamshells with “best by” dates through 7/26/2021:
1. BrightFarms Baby Spinach (4 oz. and 8 oz. package)
The affected BrightFarms-branded products were sold by retailers listed in the July 15 recall notice below.
JULY 15, 2021 RECALL:
BrightFarms today initiated a voluntary recall of packaged salad greens produced in its Rochelle, Illinois (Ogle County) greenhouse farm sold in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
The affected BrightFarms-branded products were sold by the following retailers:
1. Illinois: Mariano’s Fresh Markets, Walmart (select stores), Strack Van Till, Sullivan’s Foods, Caputo’s, Jewel-Osco
2. Wisconsin: Pick ‘n Save, Metro Market, Copps, Tadych’s, Walmart (select stores)
3. Iowa: Walmart (select stores)
4. Indiana: Strack Van Till
5. Michigan: Tadych’s
Additional retailers may be affected.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis
The recall includes the below salad products packaged in clear, plastic clamshells with “best by” dates through 7/29/2021:
6. BrightFarms NutrigreensTM (3 oz. package)
7. BrightFarms Butter Crisp TM (4 oz. Package)
8. BrightFarms Harvest Crunch ® (4 oz. package)
9. BrightFarms Mighty Romaine TM (4 oz. and 8 oz. package)
10. BrightFarms 50/50 Spring & Spinach (4 oz. package)
11. BrightFarms Spring Crunch (4 oz. package)
12. BrightFarms Spring Mix (4 oz. and 8 oz. package)
13. BrightFarms Sunny Crunch ® (4 oz. and 8 oz. package)
14. 7/28/21 Update: BrightFarms Baby Spinach (4 oz. and 8 oz. package)
The recall is limited to these specific products grown at the company’s Rochelle, Illinois indoor farm. BrightFarms products from other BrightFarms greenhouses are not affected.
BrightFarms is taking this action out of an abundance of caution after being notified of illnesses among eleven consumers, some of whom purchased or consumed the above products during the month of June.
Affected retailers have been instructed to remove all affected products from store shelves.
BrightFarms is committed to providing wholesome products, and the health and safety of consumers is the company’s number one priority. In addition to today’s voluntary recall, the company has already begun taking steps to enhance their already rigorous food safety protocols, including testing all products produced in its Rochelle facility for exposure to Salmonella prior to distribution.
Consumers who have purchased the affected products should discard them or return them to their place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions are encouraged to call 1-866-857-8745 8 am – 11 pm EDT. Consumers can also email info@brightfarms.com with the subject line: Recall.
Consumers contact:
BrightFarms
info@brightfarms.com
1-866-857-8745
Tagged brightfarms, food safety, outbreak, salad, salmonella, spinach
Two New Hirers For Horticultural Lighting Specialist
Vertically Urban is excited to welcome Jon Potter and Phoebe Sutton to the team. The two recruits have been bought on board to meet the brand's growth objectives and further improve its scientifically based development process
Vertically Urban, the Leeds-based manufacturer of LED solutions, has welcomed two new specialists to its growing team.
Vertically Urban is excited to welcome Jon Potter and Phoebe Sutton to the team. The two recruits have been bought on board to meet the brand's growth objectives and further improve its scientifically based development process.
Jon joins as Business Development Director, with a wealth of LED lighting and controls knowledge gained from his time with Philip's Lighting and the Aurora group.
In his new role, Jon will be helping to grow the Vertically Urban brand working directly with growers, partners, and system integrators to bring horticultural lighting solutions into several application areas.
Phoebe enters the newly-created position of Plant Biologist, bringing a plethora of research experience in plant photobiology. She has a specific interest in integrating her research and expertise into the vertical farming industry.
Currently, Phoebe is completing a Ph.D. in the optimization of LED lighting regimes to increase the phytonutrient content in hydroponically grown herbaceous crops. In the new role, she will be managing the brand's onsite laboratories to ensure the optimum formula for LED grow lights.
Andrew Littler, CEO of Vertically Urban, says:
"We are thrilled to have both Jon and Phoebe on the team. Following our successful Seedrs campaign last year, we set some ambitious growth plans to help us meet the fluctuation in industry demand for sustainable, efficient LED horticultural lighting solutions. We pride ourselves on our standard and bespoke products, which we scientifically fine-tuned to specific crop requirements. With Phoebe in place, we are certain to improve our formulas further, and with Jon growing our customer bases, tapping into new markets, we are sure to hit our targets."
ENDS
About Vertically Urban
Vertically Urban is a specialist horticultural lighting manufacturer based in Leeds. It designs and manufactures its products in the United Kingdom using the highest photon yielding LEDs available. The Leeds-based factory has full manufacturing capabilities. Using its bio-science know-how, they aim to light the farms of the future by providing efficient LED lighting solutions that are easy to install and set up.
"Precision Indoor Propagation For High Quality Transplants" - August 3rd Tuesday 11:00 AM Eastern Time
Indoor Ag Science Cafe is an open discussion forum, planned and organized by the OptimIA project team
August Indoor Ag Science Cafe
August 3rd Tuesday 11:00 AM Eastern Time
Please sign up, thank you!
by
Dr. Ricardo Hernandez
North Carolina State University
Please sign up to receive your Zoom link.
Indoor Ag Science Cafe is an open discussion forum, planned and organized by the OptimIA project team.
OptimIA (Optimizing Indoor Agriculture) is a project funded by the USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative and supported by many of you receiving this email (thank you!).
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VIDEO: Foundation Farms, Corp., Reports A Second Harvest Is Currently Underway
Following an overwhelmingly positive response from customers who purchased the first crop last month, the word is spreading throughout the surrounding communities and this second crop is already sold even before harvesting has been completed
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / July 15, 2021 / Foundation Farms, Corp., ('Foundation Farms') a subsidiary of GME Innotainment, Inc. (OTC PINK:GMEV) today reported that the second harvest is currently underway at the company's E-ROOTS CENTRE located in the Red Deer, Alberta area.
Following an overwhelmingly positive response from customers who purchased the first crop last month, the word is spreading throughout the surrounding communities and this second crop is already sold even before harvesting has been completed. Consumers have been delighted with the "no blemishes" produce and we have had numerous reports that the flavors and palatability of the vegetable greens are, "much better than anything that we have ever purchased at local supermarkets."
In response to the market demand, the company has expanded from an assortment of six basic leafy greens and herbs in the first crop to a total of 14 leafy greens and herbs, two fruits (strawberries and cayenne peppers), and four varieties of edible flowers in this second crop. Management and on-site staff also report the very successful functioning of the E-ROOTS system with minimal labor input.
When asked about these results, Ed Kroeker, CEO of Foundation Farms stated "I am pleased to report that, if anything, we may have under-estimated the expectations we have held until now. There is a lot of attention paid to tangible benefits of vertical farming including environmental sustainability, low water usage, ability to convert urban waste spaces to food production, and reduction of food transportation logistics. Our E-ROOTS CENTRES are demonstrating that we can produce plant-based food products whose culinary qualities supersede anything currently available in conventional food markets. We plan to have the same impact on the plant-based food market as Angus-beef branding has had on the red meat market. This will soon become even more evident as we are getting ready to announce several new joint ventures."
Yves R. Michel, CEO of GMEV further added, "In just a few short months of production at the Red Deer area vertical farm, Foundation Farms is demonstrating an ability to set a new standard of excellence in this industry and the demand for the products supports profitability projections. With product demand this high for smaller population centers, I am excited to see what happens once some of the larger population centers get hold of this technology.
CONTACT:
Yves R. Michel
Chief Executive Officer and Director
208 East 51st St., Suite 170
New York, NY 10022
www.srcorpgroup.com
OTCPink: GMEV
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties and on information available to the Company as of the date hereof. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business, which include the risk factors disclosed in its latest Annual Report on OTCMarkets.com, it’s Regulation A+ Offering Statement, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contained therein. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the Company's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "plans," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," "will" and "would" or similar words. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
SOURCE: GME Innotainment, Inc.
RMA Authorizes Emergency Procedures To Help Drought-Impacted Producers
The USDA’s Risk Management Agency is working with crop insurance companies to streamline and accelerate the adjustment of losses and issuance of indemnity payments to crop insurance policyholders in impacted areas, according to a news release
By TOM KARST
July 13, 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is authorizing emergency procedures to help agricultural producers impacted by extreme drought conditions.
The USDA’s Risk Management Agency is working with crop insurance companies to streamline and accelerate the adjustment of losses and issuance of indemnity payments to crop insurance policyholders in impacted areas, according to a news release.
The agency said the new crop insurance flexibilities are part of USDA’s broader response to help producers impacted by drought, in the West, Northern Great Plains, Caribbean and other areas.
“Crop insurance helps producers weather natural disasters like drought,” RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy said in the release. “We recognize the distress experienced by farmers and ranchers because of drought, and these emergency procedures will authorize insurance companies to expedite the claims process, enabling them to plant a new crop or a cover crop.”
Emergency procedures allow insurance companies to accept delayed notices of loss in certain situations, streamline paperwork, and reduce the number of required representative samples when damage is consistent, according to the release.
Producers should contact their crop insurance agent as soon as they notice damage, the agency said.
The insurance company must have an opportunity to inspect the crop before the producer puts their crop acres to another use. If the company cannot make an accurate appraisal, or the producer disagrees with the appraisal at the time the acreage is to be destroyed or no longer cared for, the insurance company and producer can determine representative sample areas to be left intact and maintained for future appraisal purposes, according to the release. Once an insured crop has been appraised and released, or representative strips have been authorized for later appraisal, the producer may cut the crop for silage, destroy it or take any other action on the land including planting a cover crop, the release said.
Additional information on these emergency procedures is available on RMA’s Crop Insurance and Drought Damaged Crop webpage.
Large-Scale Automated Vertical Farm Near Tokyo by Spread And ENEOS Partnership
Techno Farm Narita is Spread’s first partnership project and the first to be located in Eastern Japan
July 14, 2021, Spread Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Japan; CEO: Shinji Inada, hereinafter “Spread”)’s partner, and a member of ENEOS Group, J Leaf Corporation (HQ: Chiba, Japan; President: Jun Uehara, hereinafter “J Leaf”) started operating the automated vertical farm “Techno Farm Narita” (Chiba, Japan) on 30th of June.
Spread’s Large-Scale Vertical Farming Partnership with ENEOS Group’s J Leaf Starts Operations near Tokyo
Spread owns and operates two vertical farms in Western Japan (Kyoto), the Kameoka Plant and Techno Farm Keihanna. Techno Farm Narita is Spread’s first partnership project, and the first to be located in Eastern Japan. The most significant feature of Techno Farm Narita is the increased efficiency in the use of land. This has been achieved by increasing the number of cultivation racks levels to 28, double that of Techno Farm Keihanna. Techno Farm Narita will produce 30,000 heads of lettuce daily, building on the know-how accumulated through the operation of Techno Farm Keihanna to deliver increasingly sustainable food production.
Unique Features of Techno Farm Narita
Even more efficient land saving through 28-level cultivation rack system (roughly 2 times more efficient than Techno Farm Keihanna)
Located in the Greater Tokyo Area, allowing for local production and consumption
Transforming idle land to efficient and sustainable agriculture ・
The utilization of renewable energy generated from solar panels
Techno Farm Narita also retains other features of Spread’s next-generation food production system, Techno Farm™, including pesticide-free, stable cultivation, integrated automation, specialized LED lighting, and Spread’s proprietary IoT-based cultivation management system, Techno Farm Cloud.
Techno Farm Narita’s Cultivation Room Opening Ceremony
About the Partners
ENEOS Group is one of Japan's leading corporate groups, with revenue in excess of 10 trillion yen. *1
The Group has the largest market share in oil refinery and petrochemicals distribution in Japan and is centered around ENEOS Holdings.
Spread’s vision is to create a sustainable society where future generations can live with peace of mind. On the way to this objective, Spread plans to reach a total production capacity of 100 tons per day domestically by 2030, through the expansion of its Techno Farm™. With the collaboration at Techno Farm Narita as a foundation, both parties are considering further partnership projects. The green business market is expected to continue growing, and Spread strives to become a leading vertical farming company globally.
Spread will continue to pursue further business opportunities through technological innovation both in Japan and overseas. Spread aims to provide solutions for the global problems of climate change and food security and the delivery of a truly sustainable society.
*1 FY2019 results (announced on May 20, 2020)
*2 ENEOS Techno Materials Corporation is a member of ENEOS Group
BASF Venture Capital Invests In Indian Startup UrbanKisaan
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
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.
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.
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
All You Need To Know About Hydroponic System
Hydroponics has existed in various forms for thousands of years, from Babylonian hanging gardens to ancient Mexican Chinampas
By: Harold Camaya
July 12, 2021
Many people use hydroponics to grow plants that use nutrient-rich solutions in water, so there’s no use of soil. Instead, some materials support plant roots, such as peat moss, rock wool, perlite, and clay pellets.
Hydroponics has existed in various forms for thousands of years, from Babylonian hanging gardens to ancient Mexican Chinampas.
Only in the past 70-80 years have we understood the science behind this technique. While we have practiced hydroponics in various forms for centuries, some places have sometimes been more developed than others. For example, people use ac infinity to ventilate their growing space.
In this article, you’ll learn all you need to know about hydroponic systems. We will aim to answer these questions that include:
What is hydroponics?
How do you set up your hydroponic systems?
What systems do people use in hydroponics?
What are the advantages of hydroponics?
What is hydroponics?
Hydroponics refers to any growing of terrestrial plants that delivers nutrients directly to the roots rather than having the roots seek them out by digging in a soil body.
We derive the word hydroponics from the Greek word hydros, which means water, and pon means work. The plant’s roots receive nutrients from water-based nutrient solutions.
How do you set up your hydroponic system?
Photo by Jatuphon Buraphon from Pexels
Depending on what your tastes are, your hydroponic system can be simple or very complex. It is possible to set up several approaches that require little effort and set up some that require a significant investment.
The three elements of hydroponic design include:
Growing containers
Sump tank
Pump
Systems used in hydroponics
Photo by Anna Tarazevich from Pexels
Selecting a hydroponic system involves choosing from six different types. They all revolve around the use of water and nutrients. Each design addresses the core elements but in slightly different ways.
Water culture
Water culture is a simple and inexpensive system. We place plants in a basket above reservoirs filled with nutrient solutions. After hanging in the solution for a while, the roots descend entirely into the soil. They will need regular aeration leading to faster growth to prevent suffocation because of constant submersion.
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
The system comprises a shallow, downward-sloping stream of nutrient solution. This stream contains roots that absorb nutrients from its steady flow. Growing lettuce, herbs, and baby greens in this system are excellent for plants with a short growth cycle.
Aeroponic
By creating an aeroponics system, we expose roots to as much oxygen as possible. Growing chambers without growing medium allow roots to hang upside down in midair, exposing their entire root system. As the roots grow, we mist them periodically with aeroponics misters within this section. It has proven successful commercially propagating seed potatoes, growing tomato plants, growing leaf crops, and growing microgreens using aeroponics techniques.
Ebb and Flow
A water pump runs on a timer in Ebb and Flow, also known as Flood and Drain. Water and nutrients flood and then drain the root system. The overflow tube allows the excess water to drain through. What’s left is a dry pond with soaking roots and an overflow tube to drain water away.
Drip
We use perlite or gravel as a drip system for supplying the roots with nutrients. We then pump water and nutrients into them via tubes from a reservoir. Soaking the growing medium and roots makes the solution drip back into the container and the pool.
Wicking
Plants grow in wicking media, such as vermiculite or perlite. You can find them in a container next to the water and nutrient reservoir. To connect a wicking medium to a solution, we use wicking ropes or strips of felt.
What are the advantages of hydroponics?
Hydroponic gardening offers many benefits. Among the most important are:
Total control over nutrient supply
Because the soil is not a source of minerals or nutrients, it is easy to adjust mineral or nutrient levels based on plant needs.
Climate or season is not a constraint
Regardless of the weather outside, you can grow hydroponically whenever during the year.
Better results and higher yields
If we calibrate the hydroponic system and maintain it well, it can effortlessly produce a higher product quality and quantity than a soil-based system.
Hydroponics offers significant environmental advantages
Not only does hydroponics take up much less space than traditional horticulture, but it also uses much less water. And it allows nutrient solutions to be recycled.
It is possible to grow all plants hydroponically
You can grow vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, etc., that grow on the earth using hydroponics.
Determining Your Best Method
It would be best to have some ground understanding of each system’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as your hydroponic needs, before choosing one of these systems.
For example, wicks and water culture systems are excellent options for home growers who want an easy setup system.
Drip systems and NFT systems may be the right choice if you want to grow various plants. Examine each hydroponic system’s pros and cons to pinpoint the best one.
Conclusion
Growing your fruits and vegetables is a fun way to do so from the comfort of your own home using hydroponics.
The process can become complicated and expensive, but you do not have to make it so if you don’t want to. With all the essential information in this guide, you can better decide for yourself.
Lead photo: Photo by Anna Tarazevich from Pexels
There is No Soil. There Is No Growth Period. Just Add Water and Technology.
Inside, nearly £3 million of beefsteak tomatoes grow on 45-foot-high vines without a teaspoon of soil, and their roots are submerged in nutrient-rich rainwater. Other vines hold thousands of small, juicy snack tomatoes with enough pepper to impress Martha Stewart on the board. AppHarvest, a start-up company that harvests its first crop here in January and plans to open 11 more indoor farms in Appalachia by 2025.
Scott Krantz
July 10, 2021
Morehead, Kentucky — In this beautiful town on the edge of the coal country, a high-tech greenhouse large enough to cover 50 soccer fields glows pink and yellow with 30,600 LEDs and high-pressure sodium lamps.
Inside, nearly £3 million of beefsteak tomatoes grow on 45-foot-high vines without a teaspoon of soil, and their roots are submerged in nutrient-rich rainwater. Other vines hold thousands of small, juicy snack tomatoes with enough pepper to impress Martha Stewart on the board. AppHarvest, a start-up company that harvests its first crop here in January and plans to open 11 more indoor farms in Appalachia by 2025.
In a much more industrial environment near the Hackensack River in Kearny, NJ, trays filled with sweet baby butterhead lettuce and sorrel flavored with lemon and green apple are piled up in a windowless warehouse. This is known as vertical farming. Bowery, The largest vertical farming company in the United States, manipulates light, humidity, temperature and other conditions to grow produce and is funded by investors such as: Justin Timberlake, Natalie Portman, chefs Jose Andre and Tom Colicchio.
“If you taste arugula, it’s sold,” said Koricchio, who has turned to people who claim to grow delicious hydroponic produce for years. “It was very spicy and lively and surprised me.”
The two operations use technological advances such as machine learning algorithms, data analysis, and proprietary software systems to create accurate growing conditions and bring out customized flavors and textures from fruits and vegetables in a new generation of hydroponics. It is part of a cultivation farm. And they can do it almost anywhere.
These farms arrive at crucial moments. The country’s strips have withered due to the heat and drought of climate change, partly supported by certain forms of agriculture. Demand for locally sourced foods is higher than ever, and pandemics have shown that many people are not as resilient as their food supply chains may have been.
However, not everyone is participating. These huge farms grow their produce in nutrient-rich water, rather than in healthy soil, which many believe is central to both deliciousness and nutrition. They can be consumed A huge amount of electricity. Their most ardent opponents say that the claims made to hydroponics are misleading and even dangerous.
“At this point, I think the bad guys are winning,” said a Vermont farmer. Real organic project.. “Hydroponics isn’t growing because it produces healthier foods. It’s growing thanks to money. Anyone who sees this as food for people or the environment is lying. I’m just there. “
The jargon of hydroponics is controlled environmental farming, but business people call it indoor farming. What used to be simply called a farm is now called an onshore farm or field farming.
“We have perfected Mother Nature indoors by combining science and technology with agriculture,” said Daniel Malechuk, CEO of. Carrera, A company that sells whole lettuce in plastic clamshells, leaving the roots intact, at about the same price as other washed lettuce.
In March, the company opened a 77,000-square-foot facility south of Atlanta, capable of producing more than 10 million lettuce annually. Similar indoor farms in Houston, Denver, Seattle, Honolulu St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to Malechuk and other executives, the beauty of this process is not limited by the seasons. You can accurately predict the cost and growth period of your crops and build farms wherever people need fresh produce.
“We can grow in Antarctica,” he said. “We can be on the island. We can be on the moon or on the space station.”
It’s easy to imagine. There are new breeds of young farmers on the farm who wear lab coats instead of overalls and prefer computers to tractors.
Today, more than 2,300 farms growing hydroponic crops in the United States make up just part of the country’s $ 5.2 billion fruit and vegetable market. But investors who are crazy about smart farming are betting big on them.
In 2020, $ 929 million was invested in US indoor farming ventures, more than double the investment in 2019. PitchBook data. The grocery chain and California’s largest berry producer Alliance with vertical farming, also.
“There is no doubt that we are reinventing agriculture, but what we are doing is reinventing the fresh food supply chain,” said Manhattan-based indoor farm in New Jersey. Irving Fain, founder and chief executive officer of Bowery, said. One is under construction in Maryland and the other in Pennsylvania, and two research farms are in New Jersey.
Mr. Fine said his farm is 100 times more productive than traditional farms and uses 95% less water. Other companies claim that one acre can grow as much food as a traditional farm can grow at 390.
Vertical farming can be built next to the city center, so lettuce, for example, doesn’t have to sit in a truck for days when heading from California to the east coast, losing both quality and quality. Nutritional value. Vegetables are grown for flavor, not storage and yield.
The new system was designed to produce pesticide-free sanitary crops in computer-monitored sanitary buildings, forcing a major recall of Romain Lettuce in 2019 and 2020. There is little risk of contamination by bacteria such as E. coli.
Still, many farmers and scientists remain unconvincing. Chapman of the Real Organic Project was engaged in hydroponics at the US Department of Agriculture Taskforce. Five years ago, he led an effort to encourage distributors not to allow hydroponics farmers to certify their produce as organic produce. According to him and others, the very definition of organic farming depends on creating healthy soil. May, Food Safety Center, Environmental groups, led Appeal of Federal Court Decision. It upheld the policy of government agencies.
The nutritional profile of hydroponics continues to improve, but no one yet knows what long-term health implications for fruits and vegetables grown without soil. No matter how many nutrients an indoor farmer puts in water, critics say that an indoor farmer can rival the taste and nutritional value that comes from a combination of sun, healthy soil microbes, and common phytobiology. They can’t and claim they can’t offer environmental benefits-run an organic farm.
“What are the health consequences of the second generation?” Chapman asked. “This is a huge live experiment and we are mice.”
The gap between soil lovers and ag-tech futurists has spread on a much closer scale between two influential brothers, Dan and David Barber, who found and own organic farms. Masu Blue Hill Restaurants in Greenwich Village and Stoneburn, Pocantico Hills, NY
Created by David Barber in 2018 Investment fund To support new food technology companies, including Bowery. But the 2014 book “Third plate: Field notes on the future of food” dedicates the entire section to the soil and believes that truly delicious food can only come from Earth.
“I haven’t bought it,” said Dan Barber about the heat of hydroponics.
It is virtually impossible to try to fortify water with nutrients to mimic what the soil does, he said.
“We know more about the stars and the sky than the soil,” he said. “In fact, we don’t know much about nutrition.”
There are also cultural costs. For centuries, he said, cooking has been developed based on what the land and plants demand. The Mexican diet in the corn and bean-based region was born out of farmers’ awareness that corn grows better in the presence of beans that fix nitrogen in the soil.
“The technological agricultural revolution is changing this equation head-on,” Barber said. It helps efficiency in the name of feeding more people but divorces food from nature.
His brother, David, was also skeptical of hydroponics for a long time. “Most of my career has been that good soil leads to good agriculture, good systems, and ultimately good flavors,” said David Barber.
But the environmental benefits of next-generation hydroponics cannot be ignored, he said. It also does not taste better than previous hydroponic produce. “They combine outdoor and indoor thinking, and science and history to create something special,” he said. “There aren’t many winners in this area, but they will be part of our food system.”
Indoor farmers see competition as a large industrial producer producing fruits and vegetables grown to withstand processing and shipping, rather than small farmers using more natural cultivation techniques. They say the fight is against monoculture, not the farmers who maintain healthy soil and feed the community. Hydroponic farms can help develop new and more diverse plants and reduce the overall use of pesticides.
“All we’re trying to do is be as good as a farmer 100 years ago,” said hydroponic lettuce grower Malechuk.
Kentucky-born founder and CEO of App Harvest, Jonathan Webb, said indoor farming is a bet on national farming.
“American farmers are already out of date,” he said, noting that the United States imports £ 4 billion of tomatoes from Mexico each year. “Our hope is to be able to bring farmers back to US shelves.”
Coriccio also leads the campaign opposed to genetically modified foods and long advocate for smallholders, he said the two farming styles could coexist. “The toolbox needs a lot of tools,” he said.
Uita Michel Kentucky chef App Harvest likes App Harvest because the company creates jobs and grows tomatoes that they are happy to use in restaurants.
But technology will never beat the magic of the soil, she said. “There is no substitute for my summer Kentucky tomatoes.”
There is no soil. There is no growth period. Just add water and technology.
USA - MIAMI, FLORIDA: Three Local Men Hope To See Their Work On ISS
“We have been involved in this program with NASA for years, after conversations about the challenge of growing plants in space,” Lewis said. “Year One was about how to make the best use of limited growing volume on a spacecraft
July 7, 2021
Three South Florida men with diverse backgrounds — and all volunteers at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden — have teamed together in a unique collaboration to design a plant-growing method that they hope will someday be found on the International Space Station (ISS).
It’s all part of the nationwide Growing Beyond Earth Maker Challenge that calls for contestants in three team categories — High School, College and Professional — to submit designs for growing plants in space. Six finalists remain out of the 60 original submissions in year two of the three-year contest.
Jack Hahn, a photographer, heard about the program while working as a volunteer in the Fairchild Imaging Lab, was intrigued and submitted a proposal to grow “veggies in space that do well in microgravity.” His proposal impressed the judges — Dr. Gioia Massa, NASA Plant Research; Trent Smith, NASA Procurement, and Ralph Fritsche, NASA Veggie Project Manager — and he became one of the six finalists in the Professional (non-collegiate) category.
According to Dr. Carl E. Lewis, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden director, each year of the competition is intentionally getting more challenging.
“We have been involved in this program with NASA for years, after conversations about the challenge of growing plants in space,” Lewis said. “Year One was about how to make the best use of limited growing volume on a space craft. This year is about automation. Can you set it and forget it? Next year will be about robotic planting and harvesting. We’re looking forward to seeing what you [contestants] come up with.”
After Hahn was selected for phase two of the competition, the Kendall resident realized he needed more assistance.
“I was very excited to hear that I was a finalist,” said Hahn, husband of Marjorie Hahn, executive and music director of the South Florida Youth Symphony. “But I realized that I needed to put together a team with various skill-sets and talents to go further.”
So, in May, Hahn met with the other two Fairchild volunteers who responded to an email he sent — Coconut Grove’s Nic Brunk, a molecular biologist (and crew coach for the Miami Beach Rowing Club), and Shenandoah’s Allen Diehl, a photographer with a degree in mechanical engineering.
Their goal is to grow high-density vegetables (with a high Vitamin K benefit) in a limited amount of space (a 50 cm cubic growing environment) using an autonomous system that won’t require any further human interaction (after initial seed planting) over a 30-day period.
Together, the three South Florida “scientists” have come up with an eye-catching design (with the limited constraints on size per NASA’s specs) that, well, looks like something from outer space. It has three levels (heights) for the difference phases of growth of the red romaine lettuce most competitors are using.
And, in a bold move they hope will impress the judges — and be used in future growth models in space — the threesome is growing their plants hydroponically.
“Even though you think of ‘weightlessness’ in space, weight is everything, including in the space shuttle bringing supplies to the ISS,” Brunk said. “Soil is weight and messy to deal with, especially in space.”
Diehl said, “Hydroponics is definitely the way to go. It eliminates the soil factor, and you can recycle or repurpose the water.”
Basically, the automation model the threesome has developed works by small computer, which turns the growing lights on/off, and activates fans and pumps. Additional automation to replenish the nutrient solution levels will follow.
But all three agree that the small monetary prize which awaits the winner of the NASA/Fairchild collaboration, which will be announced in July/August of this year, is not the reason for the countless hours of sometimes tedious work.
“This competition will provide NASA with valuable input and data, which will someday enable those on the International Space Station as well as Moon and Mars missions with a means of complimenting their diet while giving them something live and green to look at in a sterile environment,” Hahn said. “It will be great to know that our team had something to do with that.”
Lead photo: Jack Hahn (left) has joined with Nic Brunk (center) and Allen Diehl in the Growing Beyond Earth Maker Challenge to find effective ways to grow plants in space.
Is Vertical Farming Cost Effective?
The technological change caused a shift in farming from conventional to container farms. Currently, farming is turning to vertical farms
The technological change caused a shift in farming from conventional to container farms. Currently, farming is turning to vertical farms.
The more exciting part is that this time round, key economy participants such as Amazon, Google’s Eric Schmidt are pumping money into the trending farming method.
Since it is a new technology, many investors are still unsure about its profitability. They have several questions on vertical farming’s viability. That is to enable them to have a better understanding of the technology.
One of the most typical questions is whether vertical farming is cost-effective. The most straightforward answer is yes. Vertical farming is cost-effective if done on a large scale.
Here, you will find out differences among the core farming technologies in terms of
initial investment,
operating costs,
appreciation, and
profit margins.
You will find it easier to decide whether to continue your current farming methods or switch to vertical farming after reading this article. Find out more below.
What Is Vertical Farming?
Understanding vertical farming requires finding out milestones of farming.
The traditional form of farming is open field farming. Here, the crops grow under direct sunlight, temperature, and humidity. Also, it does not entail artificial fertilizers.
The second milestone of farming is conventional farming, mainly called greenhouse farming. Here, you design appropriate growth conditions for the crops. For example, you introduce artificial seeds, fertilizers and shield the plants from harsh weather conditions such as an extreme cold.
The increasing scarcity of farming lands and demand for more food has caused many farmers to implement container farming. In container farming, you grow crops in soils in vessels instead of letting them grow in the open fields.
The growing technology has resulted in vertical farming. Vertical farming entails packing and growing crops indoors with the help of vertical farming lighting.
Here, you incorporate energy efficiency and customizability of LED lights— to set color, temperature, and humidity conditions for plants to thrive.
Factors that Lead to Changing Farming Criteria
The core reason for farming evolution is market demand and supply. For example, most consumers need tasty and healthy food. The plants’ growth conditions should not hurt consumer health in the long run.
They should be assured of the availability of food whenever and wherever they need it. Most importantly, the supplier should provide competitive prices.
It is on the price that many farmers question the viability of vertical framing, bearing in mind the massive cost of material needed to operate vertical farms.
Here is a summary of recent findings on vertical farming costs.
Cost Determination
Research tells that vertical farming costs three times to implement than conventional farming. The prices inflate when you cater to initial investment and operating costs.
On the other hand, you can produce twice on a vertical farm than on a convention farm. For example, investing in 70000 feet vertical farm is likely to output 1 million kilograms of vegetables annually.
Depending on market location and pricing, you are likely to propel your profit margin when you sell than in the case of conventional farming.
The more exciting part is vertical farming value appreciates twice a year compared to greenhouse farming.
So, Is Vertical Farming Effective in the Long Run?
From the above figures, you can realize that vertical farming is more profitable on a large-scale application. The appreciating value proves that the market demands its products.
The best part is that it is becoming cheaper due to smart lighting technology that becomes less expensive. What do the above findings imply?
Key Takeaways
The best time to invest in vertical farming is now. Chief economic players are channeling a wealth of money into it.
For example, leading investors such as SoftBank Vision Bank, AeroFarms, and BrightFarms recently pumped more than $200 million into vertical farming.
Large-scale investment, crops’ quick turn, and increasing food demand for the growing population make vertical farming cost-effective.
Lead photo: Image by BrightAgrotech from Pixabay
VIDEO: What's In The Bag: Zoomin' Along
We're saying goodbye to gas for good with this all-electric car. With this new mode of transportation, we'll be able to expand our local delivery range and keep our zero-carbon footprint deliveries. We'll continue to deliver by bike, foot, and public transportation
Look Out For The Farm. One Electric Vehicle on NYC Streets!
We're sure you won't miss it. We're saying goodbye to gas for good with this all-electric car. With this new mode of transportation, we'll be able to expand our local delivery range and keep our zero-carbon footprint deliveries. We'll continue to deliver by bike, foot, and public transportation!
Signify Announces New Philips Horticulture LED Partner Hortipar
“We are excited to be a partner of Signify and offer the range of Philips GreenPower LED grow lights to our customers”, said Aad van Ruijven, director at Hortipar
June 28, 2021
Eindhoven, the Netherlands – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, has signed a partnership agreement with Hortipar, an expert in realizing lighting projects for the horticultural sector worldwide. Hortipar is based in ‘s Gravenzande, the Netherlands, and operates mainly in North America, Canada, Eastern Europe, and the Netherlands.
Hortipar will now add Philips GreenPower LED grow lights to their global portfolio. Focussing on quality, flexibility, knowledge, and expertise, Hortipar offers their customers a complete solution for their greenhouse from the beginning till the end of a lighting project. With their independent advisors and team of dedicated experts, Signify is proud to add Hortipar to the global partnership network of Philips Horticulture LED.
“We are excited to be a partner of Signify and offer the range of Philips GreenPower LED grow lights to our customers”, said Aad van Ruijven, director at Hortipar. “Sustainability and innovation are of great value to us and to our network. Our customers expect the highest quality, and that we offer them the full package for their lighting installation, together with high-end advice and project management. The expertise of the team at Signify and their Philips GreenPower LED grow lights fit perfectly within these expectations and in our ambitions for the future.”
“Adding Hortipar to our global network of certified Philips Horticulture LED partners is something we are proud of”, said Udo van Slooten, Business Leader Horticulture at Signify. “According to our estimates, about 30% of the world’s greenhouse surface will be lit by 2025, and LED technology will light more than half of that surface. Therefore, we are continuously pursuing further development of our Horti LED partnerships worldwide, and Hortipar is a valuable addition.”
Signify continues to expand its Horticulture partner network, further demonstrating its commitment to lead the horticulture industry as the innovative LED lighting systems provider for greenhouses and indoor farming.
--- END ---
For further information, please contact:
Global Marcom Manager Horticulture at Signify
Daniela Damoiseaux
Tel: +31 6 31 65 29 69
E-mail: daniela.damoiseaux@signify.com
www.philips.com/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.
VIDEO: Is Hydroponic Produce Organic?
The organic farming standards were created by the USDA in the 1990s when there was increased public awareness of the health and safety of our food. However, at that time, hydroponic farming wasn't as widespread as it is today
Aaron Fields, Eden Green Technology's Head of Horticulture
Photo from Eden Green Technology
The organic farming standards were created by the USDA in the 1990s when there was increased public awareness of the health and safety of our food. However, at that time, hydroponic farming wasn't as widespread as it is today. That leads us to question: is hydroponic produce organic?
Check out this great video from Eden Green Technology, a hydroponic farm based in Texas. Aaron Fields, their Head of Horticulture, explains what organic really means and how hydroponic growing can be sometimes cleaner and safer. (Did you know? I hate to burst the organic bubble, but produce that is grown organically can still have some level of pesticides.)
Polygreens Podcast Episode: 32 - Mark Thomas - Garfield Produce
Mark's background in operations and finance, mixed with his entrepreneurial spirit, makes him a dynamic leader. He always takes the time to get to know both his employees and customers, adding a personal touch to the company
Mark's background in operations and finance, mixed with his entrepreneurial spirit, makes him a dynamic leader. He always takes the time to get to know both his employees and customers, adding a personal touch to the company.
Latest Episode
Why Does Energy Efficiency Matter When Selecting LED Grow Lights?
Learn the 3 things to consider when choosing energy-efficient lighting in your greenhouse or vertical farm.
Before we get started, let’s set some ground rules for this article.
1. I want to believe that everyone wants to do what’s right for the planet as long as they think their business can afford it, so we will not focus on energy efficiency and its impact on sustainability.
2. In this article I will not post the name of suppliers or the price of the lights. The price of the light will definitely impact people’s decisions and will vary widely based on the volume of lights being purchased and the supplier providing it.
3. This article is not about light quality or light spectrum. To look for information on spectrum please read this article: Why I Still Believe in Red/Blue LED Grow Lights
4. This article is written with commercial greenhouse produce growers in mind, but we do include a model which shows high output led grow lights running for long hours per day which could imply a greenhouse cannabis crop.
5. We are fully aware that when you change the amount of energy going into the light as well as the type of electric light (HPS vs LED) one is using, it will have an impact on the climate in the growing/production area. Factors like heat and relative humidity would need to be taken into consideration if one was taking a holistic approach to energy savings on the farm.
6. All lights have different output (measured in PPF.) In this article we are going to make the assumption that a grower is using the same amount of fixtures per acre regardless of output. For simplicity we are also going to assume that the grower is running the lights for the same amount of time. We are fully aware that this will have an impact on the potential yield of the crop.
7. All greenhouses can require a different amount of lights per acre to achieve the target light intensities. I am using an average of the amount of lights per acre. Height of the greenhouse, width of the bays, placement of walkways, crop layout, crop density, as well as many other variables will impact the exact number of lights per acre.
__________
There is a growing amount of discussion around the environmental sustainability of a greenhouse or a vertical farm. Much of this discussion is being driven by two or three big energy hogs inside these production facilities. This includes the grow lights and climate management equipment like heaters and cooling units.
We all know that LED grow lights are more efficient than the older HPS lights that growers have used for decades, but do we know just exactly how to measure that? And do we understand how that will have a direct impact on not only energy savings but the operational cost at the farm? For those growing in a greenhouse, understanding these numbers during dark winter months can have a huge impact on electricity bills.
3 FOCUS POINTS
1. Start by understanding the amount of light you need.
Urban Ag News recommends going to websites like Suntracker or the ESRI DLI maps site. These websites allow anyone to determine the historical DLI monthly averages for their individual locations. For this example I am going to use the area where my grandparents farm is located in southwestern Michigan. As one can see this is an area of the United States that has very dark winters.
2. Work with a trusted advisor or extension specialist to determine the amount of hours your crop needs to grow consistently year round. Remember not all crops have the same light requirements and some crops have very specific photoperiods which can determine the amount of hours one can light their crops. Use all of this information to see when you will need supplemental light and how much light you will need to supplement with.
For this example I am going to use 1 acre of greenhouse tomatoes in a glass greenhouse located in southwestern Michigan.
3. Now let’s calculate how much it’s going to cost you to run the grow lights for the estimated hours you and your advisor determined were needed per year to get the desired yields.
a) To provide a baseline, we started with traditional 1000w HPS lights which are highlighted in yellow.
b) Then we chose six different LED grow light fixtures. Because the light spectrum has an impact on how efficiently the lights run, we chose three broad spectrum fixtures and three that are red and blue only.
c) Since HPS is the baseline, the final column labeled “savings” shows how much the total savings per year one would achieve when replacing traditional HPS with the latest LED grow light technology.
d) We made a few important assumptions in this example. First, the cost per kwh is around the USA national average of $0.09/kwh. Second, the same amount of grow lights would be used even though there would be some relative differences in umols/m2/s measurements for two of the samples. We decided not to change them because that would have an impact on uniformity (the even spread of the light over one’s entire crop) and associated capital cost not addressed in this article.
IMPORTANT NOTES!
It’s important to remember the 7 assumptions made at the beginning of this article and that lights are not equal. This chart only compares ppf (output) and w (watts). We elected to account for the difference in output by changing the amount of hours we estimated you would need to run the lights. Another way to look at this would be to remember the Golden Rule of Light in which 1% increase in light is equal to 1% increase in yield.
Running these simple calculations will show you why you need to look at energy efficient lighting and in general the importance of researching energy efficient equipment in general. What these calculations do not show is the quality of some fixtures over others. Buyers must always be aware of the value of warranties, ease of returns, durability and quality of product plus accuracy of your vendor to create detailed information on the best way to use and install fixtures. We understand that this topic is intimidating for most, but this is a major purchase for your farm. Make sure to take the time to learn the math and do your homework before purchasing.
Diving into these calculations will also highlight how much energy will be required to grow a wide variety of crops consistently with uniformed yields year round in climates with low light. Hopefully in articles to come we can discuss what this means for our environment and how we might develop additional ways to lower that ecological footprint.
For help in calculating the energy efficiency of grow lights you are considering, please email us and we will connect you with professionals capable of helping you make an informed decision.
Chris Higgins is the founder of Urban Ag News, as well as General Manager and co-Owner of Hort Americas, LLC a wholesale supply company focused on all aspects of the horticultural industries. With over 20 years of commercial horticulture industry experience, Chris is dedicated to the horticulture and niche agriculture industries and is inspired by the current opportunities for continued innovation in the field of controlled environment agriculture. Message him here.
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