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

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

A Manufacturer And A Food Caterer Among New Players Feeding Singapore’s Urban Farming Boom

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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.

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(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.”

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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.

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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)

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.

BrightFarms Recall Expands To Include Baby Spinach

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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)

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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)

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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

BASF Venture Capital Invests In Indian Hydroponics Pioneer UrbanKisaan

July 13, 2021

Hyderabad, India, and Ludwigshafen, Germany – 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 billion 3 . 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 market 4 . 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.

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.

Is Hydroponics The Future of Farming In Bangladesh?

By Tanveer Mohiuddin

July 10, 2021

Hydroponics uses just nutrient-rich water to grow crops

Farmers across the Khulna region have not been able to make good use of the land for the cultivation of crops and vegetables. This is due to the region being flood-prone and the salinity of the soil. “We can neither cultivate crops nor fishes,” says a 45-year-old farmer from Satkhira district in the southwestern part of the country. 

Bangladesh is known to have flat fertile land which is exceptionally good for cultivating crops and vegetables all year round, but with the rise in water levels, the southern regions of the delta are becoming less cultivation friendly. 

Most parts of the region are becoming prone to floods and water-logging due to the Ganga-Brahmaputra River tributaries that flow through the country and often change their course. In addition to that, the saline soil makes it impossible to grow the necessary produce. In order to tackle such a problem, experts have come up with newer farming technologies to help cope with such problems.

Dr A F M Jamal Uddin, a renowned professor of the Department of Horticulture at Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University, has given much hope with  the use of hydroponics for growing crops in places where using soil can be challenging. 

This method is also applicable for promoting urban farming where land is scarce and can sometimes be extremely expensive and unfeasible for cultivation. He mentions the challenges of pursuing this method as Bangladesh is yet very far off from using the method for commercial usage as the setup cost is very high. 

In order to make sure the process gives sufficient dividends with its crop yields; the crops need to be grown inside a greenhouse made out of specialized polythene which helps control the temperature inside. Rain and rough weather can be a huge challenge in this respect as they can damage the setup. 

More durable polythene can be used but that is only made in Israel, and bringing them here in Bangladesh is next to impossible with no diplomatic ties between the two. However, there are many high-value leafy crops that can easily be grown with this technique. 

It’s most fitting for fodder cultivation for livestock farms around the urban areas as the year-round grass can ensure a steady feed for the cattle in places where empty land is difficult to find. Growing cattle feed or even leafy vegetables can easily be done with very little setup costs.  

Floating gardens of Bangladesh

As the drylands become scarce in the region, farmers are forced to use Dhaps, a local name for floating garden agriculture practice better known as hydroponics. Hydroponics is a type of horticulture that involves growing plants and crops without the use of soil. 

This is a method used by farmers for generations. But the technique is far more superior now and can yield crops in a larger quantity than before. Due to salinity, this method of growing farm produce has become ever more necessary as high-value crops can be cultivated all year round without the use of soil.

The Bangladesh government has been trying to promote such farming methods to be more widely used especially in these regions where monsoon rains can easily cause floods. In 2013, the government-sanctioned a project worth $1.6 million to promote floating agriculture, the project covered 12,000 families in eight districts across 50 locations. 

A similar project was also recently started a couple of years back after the success of the initial one. Farmers in these low-lying regions are benefitting tremendously as vegetables such as spinach, eggplant, bitter gourd and even spices like turmeric and ginger can be grown easily. 

“Last month we sold fish worth Tk 9,000 and spinach worth Tk 1,200 in the local market,” says Rani—a farmer who cultivates using the “Aqua-cage culture” method. This process does not require any fertilizers or insecticides, as a result, the vegetables are fully organic and financially more viable as no additional costs are incurred.

Challenges of Hydroponics Farm

According to experts who are trying to develop this method to become more efficient so that it can be used commercially, there are a few challenges that need to be taken care of such as, farmers need to be trained so that they can figure out how much cooling, dehumidification and heating are required to manage the temperature and humidity of the space for growing. This is a challenge that is difficult to overcome as most farmers lack proper literacy.

In order to properly set up a system that local company ACI is currently doing in Gazipur, huge amounts of money need to be invested as the system requires HVAC equipment. An HVAC equipment can include air conditioners, dehumidifiers, circulation fans, ductwork, chillers, boilers, pumps and pipes which all sums up to a huge cost of production, which is impossible for the ordinary Bangladeshi farmers to take on.  

However, more and more people are coming into this method of cultivation, one such example is a Dohar-based Mizanur Rahman, who is a textile businessman and an amateur hydroponic vegetable grower. He has a setup of around 3000 sq ft greenhouse in which he cultivates tomatoes. In order to make the model more commercially viable, more expertise needs to be made available.

In order to tackle climate change and the rise of water levels and salinity of the soil in many regions across Bangladesh, new farming techniques need to be adopted by the farmers, which needs proper knowledge to do properly. With the help of government research and funding, these new methods can enable higher crop yields using up much lesser space. 

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.

View fullsize

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.

View fullsize

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

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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?

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Photo by Lyn Ong from Pexels

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?

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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: 

1. Growing containers

2. Sump tank

3. Pump

Systems used in hydroponics

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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.

1. 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. 

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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. 

1. 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. 

1. 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.

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.

UNITED KINGDOM: The Secret Underground Farm In The Middle of Sheffield With An Important Mission

By Phoebe Fuller

June 20, 2021

Luke Ellis Grows Plants Underground

Using Hydroponics And Artificial Light

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Sheffield has its very own underground farm growing microgreens and veg (Image: coloboque (Pixabay)

Luke Ellis used to be a builder, but now he spends his days underground growing sustainable vegetables.

Mr. Ellis, from Sheffield, has been growing greens beneath the streets of Sheffield's Kelham Island since last December, after developing an interest in sustainable hydroponic growing techniques.

Hydroponics replace the need for a conventional soil and sunlight approach to growing vegetables, using water-based growing techniques instead.

This inventive method of growing means that Mr Ellis can produce a huge amount of leafy greens year-round, without needing to wait for the right season or growing conditions to become available.

Mr. Ellis' business, named 'Leaf + Shoot', now grows a wealth of leafy greens, microgreens, herbs, houseplants, and mushrooms for the people of Sheffield to enjoy - with very little food miles, zero pesticides, and no water waste.

On his business website, Mr. Ellis said: "We are a vertical bioponic farm in the heart of Sheffield, underneath 92 Burton Rd, Kelham in an old spring factory.

"Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, in fact, it's why we started in the first place. Born out of a desire to produce nutrient-dense, tasty produce with minimum food miles and zero water waste.

"We grow 10 x as much food in the same space as traditional farming twice as quickly, year-round. Reducing the need to import seasonal produce and increasing the nutrient density and freshness."

All of Leaf + Shoot's produce is grown with organic principles, which means that there are no pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or other chemicals used.

And the delicious and eco-friendly produce is sold around the city, with many businesses benefitting from Mr. Ellis' innovative underground farm.

And individuals can also purchase the fresh produce as Leaf + Shoot regularly sell their harvested greens at pop-up shops outside their farm on Burton Road, where people can bag freshly harvested salad mixes and house plants.

Have you ever tried Leaf + Shoot greens? Let us know in the comments!

hudders field examiner

Meet The Woman Reconnecting African Communities With Locally-Grown Food

Editor’s note: The following information is derived from an interview Agritecture conducted with Claudia S. Ondo, Owner & General Manager at La Ferme Urbaine Okoume. Visit their website or contact the team to learn more about or to partner with La Ferme Urbaine Okoume.

From College To Agricultural Entrepreneur

After completing her studies in Political Science at the University of Montreal, Claudia S. Ondo was contemplating the next phase of her adventure in order to make a positive impact on global politics, the environment, and on communities.

After spending that summer in Libreville, she was dumbfounded with the discovery that her native country of Gabon was extremely dependent on food imports. She highlights that “local agricultural production covers less than 35% of [the population’s] needs, and food imports are growing by 11% each year.”

Image sourced from La Ferme Urbaine Okoume

Claudia shares that “Gabon is a very small country - small population, only about 2 million inhabitants - but, a rich country in terms of resources. We have lots of wood and oil, so most of the working population is directed to the public and private sectors. The agriculture sector is left out.”

Drawing from her political science education, she saw an opportunity to offer the Gabonese people a sustainable agricultural model that not only “met this need for local fruits and vegetables, but also offered up a solution for youth unemployment and encouraged the Gabonese people to take an interest in agriculture.” 

Whilst small in scale (only 10 meters in diameter), La Ferme Urbaine Okoume’s hydroponic microfarm produces an astonishing 300 lettuces and herbs per week. Claudia comments that the farm produces “mostly lettuces, romaine, and iceberg, alongside parsley, coriander, basil, oregano, and arugula.” 

Alongside this technological approach, the team at La Ferme also wanted to take advantage of Gabon’s rich soil and weather conditions. “We have an experimental garden in which we grow tomatoes, green onions, lettuces, and now zucchinis too.” This garden is experimental because the team is still testing out rotating crops throughout the year, depending on the seasons. 

The team not only prioritizes local production, they also want to deliver organic produce. With a mix of hydroponic and greenhouse set-ups, the farm is also still able to utilize natural sunlight and collect rainwater for the crops. 

Claudia shares that produce brought into Gabon is not supervised, and, as a result, you can’t trust the quality. “We don't know where it comes from. We don't know what has been used. What is the process? How has it been cleaned?” This is a huge reason that customers come to La Ferme Urbaine Okoume. 

The key was to form a stronger relationship between the Gabonese people and urban agriculture. To Claudia, hydroponics seemed to be the perfect combination to achieve these goals, and to build greener cities and communities for future generations.

Image sourced from La Ferme Urbaine Okoume

The team calls it their “little green paradise.” 

So far, the farm has been able to add to the neighborhood a place for relaxation, and positive thinking. “It allows many city dwellers to reconnect with nature, agriculture, and the process of growing a plant. What does a tomato plant look like? What does a seedling look like? How are in-soil crops like carrots, potatoes or onions harvested?”

The construction of this farm is encouraging curiosity. Today, more and more people are contacting La Ferme Urbaine for viewings, schools are desiring workshops, individuals are coming in to learn how to grow their own plants at home, and restaurant owners are delighted to know where their products come from.”

Claudia and the La Ferme Urbaine team are grateful to Agritecture for making their dream a practical reality.

Having studied agribusiness in university, Claudia had tons of practical knowledge on how to transform an idea into a business. But, what she didn’t have was the agricultural knowledge and expertise in hydroponics and urban agriculture.

Image sourced from La Ferme Urbaine Okoume

After being awarded a grant by The World Bank, Claudia knew she needed more agricultural expertise to tackle this vast mission of transforming Gabon. Whilst Claudia initially looked for a local company, after stumbling across Agritecture in a newsletter, she felt an instant connection. She not only found a team with shared values, but also one with international agricultural expertise. This was key to her given the Gabonese context.

With over 6 years of experience in agriculture, specifically between the North American and MENA-GCC region, Agritecture’s Director of Operations, Yara Nagi, shares her experience working with La Ferme Urbaine. “Agritecture guided Claudia on equipment selection, the bill of materials for the farm, and management planning. The model was to grow fresh, local lettuces and herbs that are not available in that same quality to restaurants, hotels, and public markets. Guiding clients on making the best use of their grant money and avoiding costly mistakes fits within our social mission to help young farmers make a positive impact on their community.”

On her experience working with Agritecture, Claudia adds that “as someone who had a political & agribusiness background, but no prior agricultural experience, Agritecture really gave me the assurance and guidance I needed in this new business and adventure.”

Image sourced from La Ferme Urbaine Okoume

Since being hit by the pandemic, the farm still runs 24/7. However, they’ve changed their primary clientele. Today, they serve more restaurants than hotels. Claudia adds that “95% of our customers are restaurants. 5% are just individuals who want fresh products.”

Additionally, the team has come into contact with the Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Foundation run by the First Lady of Gabon, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba. The two teams have come together to scale up urban farming in the region and create more revenue streams for locals. 

Not only this, their partnership empowers women by highlighting how young women in Gabon can run their own businesses. 

Claudia shares that “this field was thought to be exclusively for a certain category of people, so, the fact that it’s a women-led business speaks volumes. We’re often congratulated by our customers when we deliver lettuce in stores or to restaurants, because they’re surprised to see women in farmer outfits. 

Yara shares that what makes this farm and team unique is “the vision of the entrepreneur, Claudia. It is always incredibly inspiring to see women of our generation lead agricultural projects like these, but this project in specific has a vision of shifting the local food system and making produce more accessible. I think there are many more projects like these to come.”

Aspara’s High-Tech At-Home Farm Launches In The U.S.

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by Jennifer Marston

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Hong Kong-based Aspara, which makes high-tech, tabletop-sized farming units for homes, is now shipping devices across the U.S. through retailers like Home Depot, Wayfair, and via its own website.

The Spoon flagged Aspara back in January as a company to watch in the up-and-coming at-home farming space because of the device’s small size, lowish price point, and approach to hydroponics. At the time, the company was selling its system, which can fit easily on a countertop, to customers in Hong Kong and in very, very limited quantities via Amazon to other parts of the world.

This official U.S. launch makes the device available to all U.S. consumers. Speaking on the phone today, Rob Alexander, the Owner of Conducted Sales, the sales agent for Aspara in North American markets, said that Aspara has another eight retailers in the works, though he couldn’t at this point use specific names. 

High-tech, hydroponic farms have historically been the territory of industrial-scale indoor farming companies — the AeroFarms and Plentys of the world. But following this past January’s CES show, both major appliance makers like LG and Miele along with smaller startups began to heavily publicize a new kind of indoor farm, one created for the at-home consumer. These devices are typically quite small and meant to feed a single household, rather than supply a grocery retailer. 

Alexander said Aspara’s homegrown system differs from others on the market in the way it tackles the hydroponic element of farming. It uses what he calls an “ebb and flow” design, where water for the plant roots is constantly replenished from the side unit (see image above), making the water supply easier to refill than many at-home farms. Aspara’s also has sensors that determine nutrient levels in the water, the current level of humidity in the air, and whether a plant is getting too much light. An accompanying app notifies the user when any of these elements need attention.

“It’s trying to give you feedback to create the optimum growing environment,” Alexander said.

Another differentiation: the device is repairable. While that might first sound like a weird selling point (no one wants to buy tech that might break), it actually speaks to how seriously Aspara is pursuing the idea of making its high-tech grow system the kind of kitchen appliance that’s on par with a dishwasher or refrigerator. You don’t throw out a dishwasher the second something goes wrong. In the same way, Aspara users can replace parts like sensors and light canopies, rather than having to go out and buy a whole new farm.

The company’s approach recently won them the Green Product Audience Award. 

Price-wise, Aspara is on the lower end of the at-home farming spectrum.

The device goes for $349 right now at Home Depot online.

Of course these days you can’t have a conversation about at-home food production without bringing COVID-19 up. Since Apsara wasn’t available to North Americans at the height of shelter-in-place mandates, the company wasn’t measuring demand for its product in that region. However, Alexander told me they did see a spike in Hong Kong, where the device has been available for some time. 

My guess is that with the product available Stateside, that demand will surface quickly. Other at-home farming systems have seen huge jumps in demand recently as the pandemic, panic-buying sprees, and other factors have made many consumers question their total reliance on the traditional food supply chain.

Next up, Aspara wants to do a widespread launch in Canada, and also broaden the types of plants its system can grow to include other types of plants, including fruits and vegetables. 

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FOR SALE - Surplus Turnkey Propagation Equipment

We have surplus equipment available that will allow you to plug and play so that you can begin sowing seeds, germ, and nurse your starter plants to transplant into the field, greenhouse, or vertical farm. Great for year-round propagation of plants, vegetables, or cannabis. This is a low-cost way for you to begin growing, all you need is water, electricity, and a room.

$10,000 Seeding Line 

Seeder Seederman GS3-8 ft, Needle Seeder with sowing kit and dibbler for 105 and 72 cell propagation trays. Compressor & hose, and coco coir blocks available

The GS3-HD automatic Needle Seeder was developed with the larger growing operation in mind. The GS3-HD machine is easy to operate it can be mastered in less than a day. The GS3-HD is capable of direct seeding into bedding flats and pots up to 4" square.

- 100 % Pneumatic - Requires 5 cfm / 80 psi compressed air source
- 8ft Machine size 96"L X 36"W X 72"H
- Weight approx 200 lbs
- Aluminum and stainless-steel construction (where possible)
- Dibble bar
- Vibrating seed pan
- Seed collector
- Air blow gun for cleaning
- Oversize air filter
- Adjustable leveling feet
- Adjustable guide rails
- Two sowing kit included – 105 cell and 72 cell
- Can sow up to 60 trays per hour

$7,500 Germ /Nursery Equipment

This equipment will fit in a 15 L x 15 W x 15 T room and can germ up to 1600 plantlets at a time. With climate control system and LED lights, the room can be used as both a germ room and a nursery.

$1,000 2- Towers with 5 levels each, enough for 160 - 1020 propagation trays

Unarco white power coated, tear drop, quick release pallet racking

4 - 12 ft uprights

20 - 8ft beams

20 - wire mesh decks

$500 500-gallon water tank with two pumps (for each tower)

$250 Reverse Osmosis System

$500 1-ton AC unit and Dehumidifier

$250 1 greenhouse, electric heater fan

Finned steel tubular heating element.
Internal manual reset thermal cut-out.
Chord for hard-wire installations.

Base with wall, floor, or ceiling mount.
Temperature control thermostat with 35F to 85F range.
10' air throw, 262 CFM.
5,600/4,200 Watts. 240/208 V. Single phase, 19,000/14,000 maximum BTUs.

$500 Timer with sensor to control T and RH

$3,000 30-GE Horticulture LED grow lights with connectors

Light intensity for typical indoor farming applications

P66 rated and UL wet rated for easy watering and cleaning

Daisy chain end to end making installation easier

8 ft. light bar

Uniform light for even plant growth

Operating Environment: 0°C to +40°C

L90/36000 hours per TM-21

5-year limited warranty

 $1,500 20- plastic grow tubs, with drains, can hold 16 -1020 propagation trays

For more information, please contact:

Robert Colangelo at robert@greensensefarms.com

USA - WISCONSIN: Valor Aquaponic Coming To Hartford Public Market

Daily News Staff

May 26, 2021

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Patrick Hansen is bringing Pewaukee-based Valor Aquaponics to the Hartford Public Market.

Submitted photo

HARTFORD — Valor Aquaponics, out of Pewaukee, is the most recent vendor announced as coming to the new Hartford Public Market this summer.

Valor Aquaponics provides basil, microgreens, and other vegetable products grown on its urban aquaponics farm setup, according to a Facebook post from the Hartford Public Market. According to Valor’s own Facebook page, Valor is certified USDA organic.

“They are a commercial aquaponics farm using non-GMO seeds and rainbow trout and koi to grow all natural vegetables,” according to the Hartford Public Market’s post.

“From organic microgreens to organic basal, Patrick (Hansen) will be bringing in some great options into our refrigerator space. We are really looking forward to offering this product in our market!” it continued.

Aquaponics is a system in which fish and produce are farmed together. The water and waste from the fish is processed to be used as fertilizer for the plants, and the plants in turn filter and oxygenate the water for the fish.

Information on Valor Aquaponics’ website stated that aquaponics systems use 95 percent less water than conventional farming, one-third the energy of other farming systems and because of aquaponics using controlled systems indoors, it does not require pesticides or other harmful chemicals to maintain.

Valor began in 2019 when Patrick Hansen built his first home aquaponics system from seeds and blue tilapia. The business’s indoor farm in Waukesha opened in August of last year.

Ally and Steve Kenitz, husband and wife, are currently working on the space for their new business, the Hartford Public Market at 102 N. Main St. Ally Kenitz said they do not have a hard timeline yet, but they are hoping to have the space completed and open by this August.

Once open, Ally said, the Hartford Public Market will host items from dozens of vendors — they have more than 20 lined up already, and are hoping to have 100 by the time opening day comes.

Vertical Farming: Disrupting Agriculture

A New Agricultural Revolution Could Forever Change The Planet

ROBBY BERMAN

24 May 2021

• Vertical farming leverages cutting-edge technology to grow food in a new and better way.

• One of its many benefits is that it can increase crop yield by 700 percent.

• Vertical farming can help relieve pressure on scarce resources and boost Earth's biodiversity.

One day soon, you could eat bananas grown in downtown Manhattan.

It's a way of growing food that turns traditional agriculture on its head. With the required technologies now rapidly maturing, vertical farming is sprouting across the globe.

While there are still unresolved issues with this marriage of technology and agriculture, its promise may be irresistible. If it gets off the ground — literally — in a major way, it could solve the problem of feeding the Earth's 7.9 billion people. And that's just one of the benefits its proponents promise.

Vertical farms could take over the world | Hard Reset by Freethink www.youtube.com

Agriculture through time

When humankind began planting crops for nutrition about 12,000 years ago, the nature of our hunter-gatherer species fundamentally shifted. For the first time, it's believed, people began staying put.

With agriculture as their central mission, communities formed, with the now-familiar arrangement of residential areas surrounded by land dedicated to growing food. Even today, with modern transportation making the widespread consumption of non-local foods common, this land-allocation model largely survives: population centers surrounded by large areas for growing vegetables and fruit and raising livestock.

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Credit: Genetics4Good / Wikimedia

Challenges facing traditional agriculture

As our population has grown, traditional agriculture has begun facing some big challenges:

• Farmland takes up a lot of space and destroys biodiversity. Our World in Data reports that half of all habitable land is used for agriculture. As Nate Storey of Plenty, Inc., a vertical farming startup, puts it, "It is probably one of the most defining acts of humanity: We literally changed the ecosystem of the entire planet to meet our dietary needs."

• The demand for farmland — both for produce and livestock — has led to a dangerous deforestation in several parts of the world. This also results in biodiversity loss and contributes to an increase in the greenhouse gases that drive climate change.

• Degradation of farmland, such as through soil erosion, poses a threat to agricultural productivity.

• Agriculture consumes copious amounts of water, which exacerbates water shortages. (Obviously, water shortages also reduce agricultural productivity.)

• Fertilizer run-off causes substantial environmental damage, such as algal blooms and fish kills.

• Pesticides can degrade the environment by affecting non-target organisms.

• The effects of climate change are already making agriculture more challenging due to significant shifts in weather, changes to growing seasons, and realignment of water supplies. Our climate is continuing to change in unexpected ways, and the only predictable aspect of what lies ahead is unpredictability.

Vertical farming proponents expect that a re-think of how we grow food can ultimately solve these problems.

What is vertical farming?

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Credit: Freethink Media / Plenty, Inc.

Vertical farming is a form of agriculture that grows plants indoors in floor-to-ceiling, tower-like walls of plant-holding cells. Instead of growing plants in horizontal fields on the ground, as in traditional farming, you can think of vertical farming's "fields" as standing on the edge and extending upward toward the ceiling. The plants need no soil or other aggregate medium in which to grow; their roots are typically held in a cell lining, often composed of coconut fiber.

Vertical flora is grown either aeroponically, in which water and nutrients are delivered to plants via misting, or hydroponically, in which plants are grown in nutrient-rich water. These are incredibly efficient systems, requiring 95% less irrigation than soil-grown plants. With vertical farming, Storey says that 99 percent of the moisture transpired by plants can be recaptured, condensed, and recirculated.

Plants, of course, also need light to grow, and vertical farms use increasingly efficient LED bulbs to keep plants thriving.

Vertical farms can increase crop yields by 700 percent

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Credit: pressmaster / Adobe Stock

If vertical farming takes off the way its supporters believe it should and will, it may solve many of the aforementioned challenges facing agriculture.

Crop yields with vertical farming far exceed what's possible with traditional agriculture. Plenty, Inc.'s Shireen Santosham notes that the highly controlled growing environment of vertical farming has allowed her company to reduce the growing time for some crops to as little as 10 days. Without needing to consider whether or even sunlight, combined with the ability to operate 365 days a year, their system increases the potential annual yield by about 700 percent.

The land requirement for vertical farming is a mere fraction of that for traditional agriculture. Santosham says it can be done in a building the size of a big-box retail store that can be built pretty much anywhere that has adequate utilities, including within major urban centers. The tightly controlled environment of a vertical farm should also eliminate the need for applied pesticides.

Yet another benefit of vertical farming is the return of land currently needed for food production back to the planet. This could help facilitate Earth's recovery from deforestation and return much-needed habitat to threatened or endangered species. Of course, if we ever colonize the moon or Mars, vertical farming will be the go-to option for feeding the colonists.

Several vertical farming company pioneers are already getting their high-quality crops into the hands, and mouths, of consumers. Plenty, Inc. has an eponymous line of greens, and Aerofarms has their FlavorSpectrum line. Both companies claim that their products are exceptionally tasty, a result of their carefully controlled growing environments in which computer-controlled lighting can be optimized to bring out the most desirable qualities of each crop.

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Credit: Alesia Berlezova / Adobe Stock

The history of vertical farming

The idea of vertical farming isn't new, and experts have been questioning its viability since the term was first coined in 1915 by Gilbert Ellis Bailey, who was obviously way ahead of the available technology at the time. The first attempt to grow produce in a constructed environment was a Danish farmhouse factory that was built to grow cress, a peppery green related to mustard, in the 1950s.

The modern concept of a vertical farm arose in the New York classroom of Columbia University's Dickson Despommier in 1999. He presented the idea as a theoretical construct, a mental/mathematical exercise imagining how to farm in an environmentally sound manner. His class began with the notion of a rooftop garden before considering a "high-rise" version that might theoretically be able to grow enough rice to feed two percent of Manhattan's population at the time. The eureka moment was a question Dispommier asked: "If it can't be done using rooftops, why don't we just grow the crops inside the buildings? We already know how to cultivate and water plants indoors."

With the technological advances of the last few decades, vertical farming is now a reality. Our sister site, Freethink, recently paid Plenty, Inc. a visit. (See video above.)

Vertical farming today

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Credit: Nelea Reazanteva / Adobe Stock

Today, growers across the globe are developing vertical farms. While the U.S. has more vertical farms than any other country, the industry is blooming everywhere.

There are currently over 2,000 vertical farms in the U.S. While more than 60 percent of these are owned by small growers, there are a few heavyweights as well. In addition to Wyoming's Plenty, Inc. and Newark's Aerofarms, there's also New York's Bowery Farming. There are also companies such as edengreen, based in Texas, whose mission is to help new entrants construct and operate vertical farms.

Japan comes in second, with about 200 vertical farms currently in operation. The largest vertical farming company there is SPREAD. Across Asia, vertical farms are operating in China, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan. In Europe, vertical growers are in Germany, France, Netherlands, and the U.K. Germany is also home to the Association for Vertical Farming, "the leading global, non-profit organization that enables international exchange and cooperation in order to accelerate the development of the indoor/vertical farming industry."

In the Middle East, whose desert land and scarcity of water present a particularly challenging agricultural environment, vertical farming is taking root, so to speak. The United Arab Emirates' Badia Farms is now producing more than 3,500 kilograms of high-quality produce each day and expects to increase that yield going forward. In Kuwait, NOX Management launched in the summer of 2020 with plans to produce 250 types of greens, with a daily output of 550 kg of salads, herbs, and cresses.

The economics of vertical farming

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Credit: meryll / Adobe Stock

Building and operating a vertical farm is a costly endeavor, requiring a substantial initial investment in state-of-the-art technology, real estate, and construction. AgFunderNews (AFN) estimates that it can cost $15 million to construct a modern vertical farm. Fortunately, investors see the potential in vertical farming, and the industry has attracted more than $1 billion in investments since 2015. That includes $100 million for Aerofarms. Plenty, Inc raised $200 million in 2017 from a fund backed by such respected forward-thinkers as Jeff Bezos and Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt.

AFN is particularly excited by the potential of what they call second-generation vertical farming technology. They cite advances in LED technology — expected to increase energy efficiency by 70 percent by 2030 — and increasingly sophisticated automation that can streamline the operation of vertical farms. AFN anticipates operating cost reduction of 12 percent due to improvements in lighting and another 20 percent from advances in automation.

BusinessWire says that the vertical farming produce market was valued at nearly $240 million in 2019, and they expect it to grow 20 percent annually to over $1 billion by 2027.

A welcome disruption

Vertical farming will be disruptive.

Vertical farming would eliminate the need for the arduous work of harvesting crops by hand from vast tracts of farmland. Current picking jobs, the company says, can be replaced by better-paying, full-time jobs available 365 days a year in better working conditions — and in the variety of geographic locations in which vertical farms can operate.

There are two caveats, however. First, the number of people needed to manage and harvest vertical farm crops will be far fewer than the many farmworkers required for less efficiently planted traditional fields. Second, with automation becoming ever-more capable — and perhaps a key to eventual profitability — one wonders just how many new jobs ultimately will be created.

But the societal benefits far outweigh any costs. As Plenty's Storey muses, "Like most everything in the world, we can only save our species if it makes economic sense." Thankfully, it does make economic sense

Lead photo: Credit: Freethink Media / Plenty, Inc..

What’s A Hydroponic Farm Start Up Cost? Know What To Expect

Is a typical hydroponic farm start-up cost very steep?

Or is it something that’s affordable and easy to manage?

If you are looking into starting with hydroponic farming, you may be quite eager to know the overhead and upfront cost.

So, get to know more about the necessary cost you should include in your budget as you read along. Here are the typical expenses to take note of when starting a hydroponic farm.

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Hydroponic Farm Start Up Cost You Should Know

When determining an average hydroponic farm start up cost, you need to also take into account having a greenhouse. you can buy or even build. The size of your greenhouse impacts the overall cost of your hydroponic farm.

Moreover, the size depends on how many crops you are planning to cultivate and grow.

If you want to build a greenhouse that’s about a few thousand square feet, you can expect to pay about $11,000 USD. But this is the standard size for commercial greenhouses.

The price significantly goes down the smaller your greenhouse gets.

Read more: Is PVC Safe for Hydroponics? Behind the Safety of These Plastics

Materials and Equipment

Next up, let’s talk about the equipment you need. These include your growing tunnels, water solvent, racks, lighting, nutrient reservoirs, UV filtration, and seeds.

For these items, we are looking at a few thousand dollars in addition to the figure we have mentioned earlier for the greenhouse price.

Recurring Expenses

Setting up a hydroponic farm is not all about the upfront cost. There are also recurring bills to think about, which are basically your electric and water expenses. Expect to pay about $500 per month since your farm would need ample light and water to sustain the growth and development of your crops.

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Lettuce plant growing in vegetable hydroponic farm.

Indoor Hydroponic Farm Cost

There are some people who may opt to do indoor hydroponic farming. The cost is also dependent on the size of the farm and any other materials you need.

For instance, a 500 square feet hydroponic farm should cost about $110,000, which is just for the unit and the components such as 192 towers, 15 racks, 2 lighting racks, 48 lighting units, and a 330-gallon reservoir for nutrients, complete with automated nutrient management and UV filtration.

With all of these things in place, you already have a very production hydroponic vertical farm that you can place indoors – measuring 500 square feet.

Hydroponic Systems

There are different tiers for hydroponic systems, which include the low-tech or DIY, which should cost you about $50 up to $200.

But if you opt for mid-tech, you can easily purchase these at suppliers. They come with higher-end lighting technology and even water flow control in some cases. The cost can go from $300 to as much as $1000, and it all depends on the features and size.

As for the high-tech ones, there is complete system control for higher volume production. In this case, we are talking tens of thousands of dollars upfront.

Bringing The Cost Down

Is it possible to bring down the cost of a hydroponic farm?

It is possible but this all depends on the equipment you use. If you opt to create a DIY farm, then it will be cheaper but may be risky if the systems are not working well.

Thus, you should determine your goals, your budget, and what your intentions are for setting up your hydroponic farm. You can also start small, if you are uncertain if you want to go in it full time. Or, you can choose low-tech hydroponic systems at the onset and slowly invest in higher tech systems.

The choice is all up to you, so go ahead and consider these tips, run the numbers in your head, and enjoy the world of hydroponics!

CEA Food Safety Coalition Launches First-Ever Food Safety Standard For Indoor-Grown Produce

The Coalition, founded by industry leaders in greenhouse and indoor farming, developed the food safety addendum to address the unique attributes of CEA-grown leafy greens

WASHINGTON, DC, April 28, 2021 -- The CEA Food Safety Coalition, comprised of leaders in the controlled environment agriculture industry, today announced the first-ever food safety certification program specifically for CEA-grown leafy greens. Effective immediately, members of the Coalition can choose to be assessed for the CEA Leafy Greens Module, and upon successful completion will be allowed to use the CEA food-safe seal on certified product packaging. The Leafy Greens Module is measured against science-based criteria and is an add-on to existing compliance with an underlying Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized food safety standard. To learn more about the certification and auditing process, click here.

Traditional food safety risk profiles include examining the physical hazards and microbial hazards from water use, herbicide, and pesticide use, and impact from animals and animal byproducts, many elements that do not impact CEA growers in the same way, if at all. The CEA Leafy Greens Module enables CEA growers to distinguish produce grown indoors while ensuring the highest standard of quality and compliance is achieved.

“Current food safety standards were written for the field, and many do not address the unique attributes of controlled, indoor environments,” said Marni Karlin, executive director of the Coalition. “This new certification process and the accompanying on-pack seal helps to unify CEA growers while also differentiating them from traditional field agriculture. It also better informs consumers and provides a quick-glance image to know when produce has been grown safely indoors, with a high standard of quality and without some of the hazards of the field, such as potential contamination from animal byproducts.”

Controlled environment agriculture takes a technology-based approach to produce optimal growing conditions inside controlled environments such as greenhouses and indoor vertical farms. Plants are typically grown year-round using hydroponic, aeroponic or aquaponic methods, without the need for pesticides and unaffected by climate or weather. 

The certification program is available to all CEA FSC members for a nominal cost and must be completed on an annual basis. CEA growers can be assessed for multiple sites across four key areas:

• Hazard analysis: use of water, nutrients, growing media, seeds, inputs, site control and other relevant factors

• Water: all contact with the plant and with food contact surfaces. The use of recirculating water will require a continuing hazard analysis. Will also require zone-based environmental monitoring based on company-specific risk assessment.

• Site control / Infrastructure / System Design: all food contact surfaces and adjacent food contact surfaces, including plant containers. Will also assess associated farm physical hazards, including lighting, robotics, sensors, equipment and utensils, etc.

• Pesticide Use / Testing: the use of pesticides or herbicides during the plant life cycle.

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“The CEA industry is rapidly expanding and predicted to support more than 10% of US vegetable and herb production by 2025,” said Rebecca Anderson, technical key account manager for GLOBALG.A.P. North America. “The CEA FSC Leafy Green Module will set a new industry standard for CEA-grown produce while driving consumer awareness of the innovations happening in indoor agriculture today.”

First conceived in 2019 to distinguish CEA-produced greens from field-grown greens that have been at the epicenter of many industry-crippling recalls, the Coalition successfully worked to educate the CDC and FDA about the limited risk of contamination for indoor produced leafy greens, ensuring CEA-produced leafy greens remained on store shelves during later lettuce recalls.

In addition to overseeing development and revisions to the CEA Leafy Greens Module and seal, the Coalition’s mission includes spearheading research development that supports the industry and championing CEA-grown produce as a critical component of safe and secure domestic food supply. Founding members include AeroFarms, Bowery Farming, BrightFarms, Little Leaf Farms, Plenty, Revol Greens, Superior Fresh, and Vertical Field.

About the CEA Food Safety Coalition

The CEA Food Safety Coalition was founded in 2019 to represent the interests of CEA leafy greens growers in developing credible and appropriate food safety standards while educating consumers and regulators alike on the value of controlled environment agriculture. The CEA Food Safety Coalition is headquartered in Washington, DC, and represents companies with facilities and distribution in over 21 states.

Find more information at http://ceafoodsafety.org/. 

Press contact information

Lizi Sprague
ceafoodsafety@songuepr.com

Flushing Hydroponic Systems: Nutrient Imbalance, Waste, And An Alternative Solution

We recommend that hydroponic growers flush their systems every month to every few months, depending on the type of system they’re running. But why? We’re also fans of the recirculating system because it conserves water and nutrients.

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Article from | ZipGrow

04/06/21

Is flushing hydroponic systems wasteful?

We recommend that hydroponic growers flush their systems every month to every few months, depending on the type of system they’re running. But why? We’re also fans of recirculating system because it conserves water and nutrients, so it seems counterintuitive to dump gallons of nutrient solution every few months.

Let’s talk about why this is necessary and how you can practice conservation.

The problem: nutrient imbalance

The main reason for flushing a hydroponic system is a nutrient imbalance. Hydroponic fertilizers are specifically formulated for specific crops (you can buy nutrients for a type of crop, like greens or flowers), but each farmer grows a different combination of crops in different conditions, and the ratios in which plants take up nutrients is usually just a little bit off.

This nutrient imbalance is also affected by metal components if the system has any. Zinc and aluminum ions can cause toxicities if they accumulate over time. While it’s easy to just use plastic tanks and fittings or to coat the metal components in your system with epoxy to reduce leaching, sometimes the presence of metal is unavoidable.

Another reason that growers flush their system is a hygiene practice. Algae and many plant pathogens can survive in the water, and regular cleaning with a mild bleach or peroxide solution or another oxidizing agent is a preventative measure.

Two solutions: flushing and mass balancing

Most hydroponic growers take care of this nutrient balance problem by flushing the system and starting from scratch with nutrients. This is certainly the easiest method. Be sure to check with your local town or municipality to follow the correct disposal procedure.

This practice can have a downside, however, because often the solution dumped from a system when it is being flushed isn’t used elsewhere. This can be wasteful.

The alternative to flushing a hydroponic system is to learn to mass balance. To do this, growers would get their water tested for individual nutrient levels. This usually has to be done through a lab.

Then the grower would adjust each individual nutrient to its proper level.

The reason that many growers choose to flush over mass balancing is that lab tests can be pricey (you’ll probably have to pay at least $50, and sometimes up to $500). Still, this option can be cost-effective, depending on the size of the system and access to lab testing.

Ultimately, how you choose to deal with a nutrient balance is up to you.

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

Indoor & Vertical Farming, Monitoring & Growing Fertilizer, Hydroponics