Manage Only The Environment That Matters: The Canopy

July 5, 2021

“We offer a completely integrated product and take all of the guesswork out, whether it relates to chillers, controls, air handling units, adjustable nozzles, etc.,” says Emil Breza, co-founder, president and CEO of AgricUltra Advancements.

AgricUltra is a Canadian company that designs and develops turnkey, multi-layer grow platforms that are engineered to optimize inter-canopy control and management. The company also conducts research and development related to UV lighting.

AgricUltra Advancements was officially incorporated in August 2018 and specializes in four keys areas: controlled environment agriculture, computational fluid dynamics analysis (CFD), systems design & engineering and photobiology. While the company designed its systems for medical cannabis production, AgricUltra believes that its system can be applied to any vertical farm and will be trialing berry production at its new research center and unit.

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Decisions rooted in CFD analysis
As Emil explains, computational fluid dynamics modeling allows the company to accurately model airflow in an existing or proposed grow room. AgricUltra can visualize how heat, humidity and temperature interact to create humidity pockets, temperature stratifications or impeded airflow.

“At AgricUltra, we create a very accurate representation of the physical environment (from room level to canopy level) as well as the environmental setpoints (Temp, RH, CFM, heat inputs, etc) and let the software compute the complex interactions that result. Then we can identify problem areas and come up with viable solutions. That’s the power of CFD analysis. It helps you find mistakes that you can’t otherwise see,” says Emil.

Read the complete article at: Vertical Farm Daily

For more information:
Emil Breza, Co-Founder, President and CEO
AgricUltra Advancements
www.agricultra.com
yanna@agricultra.com

HYVE® Indoor Farming Systems To Be Featured On Virginia Farming Show Airing On VPM PBS and RFD-TV

January 9, 2020, Verona, Virginia – DASCOM Americas, a worldwide diversified technology leader and marketer of HYVE® Indoor Farming Systems today announced that HYVE® will be featured on Virginia Farming Television airing regionally on VPM PBS and nationally on RFD-TV.

Virginia Farming is a widely respected agricultural program hosted by Jeff Ishee and Amy Roscher. The program explores innovations, highlights, challenges, and unique stories of interest for the agricultural community in and around the state of Virginia.

According to statistics from 2017, Virginia Farming reaches about 60,000 viewers each month and is distributed throughout 40 counties in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Virginia Farming also airs nationally on RFD-TV. According to the RFD-TV website: “RFD-TV is the flagship network for Rural Media Group. Launched in December of 2000, RFD-TV is the nation’s first 24-hour television network featuring programming focused on the agribusiness, equine and rural lifestyles, along with traditional country music and entertainment.” The independent cable channel is available in more than 52 million households and is distributed by many of the top names in national cable and direct television service channel providers.

HYVE® Indoor Farming Systems are complete contained environment agriculture systems that utilize hydroponics to produce large-scale commercial crops in vertical farming applications. HYVE® Systems are designed to provide commercial growers with a means to grow crops in a pesticide and herbicide-free environment. The systems utilize LED grow lighting, advanced automation, fertigation, and irrigation techniques, and vertical racking to allow farmers to grow healthy, high-yield crops with accelerated grow cycles that provide an exceptional return on investment for the farmers and fresher supplies of vegetables for merchants and consumers. The systems designed by HYVE® hold great promise in helping farmers meet the challenges of feeding a growing world population while mitigating some of the risks that are more typical in conventional farming.

The HYVE® website is www.growhyve.com. Virginia Farming’s website is https://www.pbs.org/show/virginia-farming/ and RFD-TV’s website is https://www.rfdtv.com/.

The segment on HYVE® will air at 8:00 a.m. EST on January 11th with a repeated episode on January 12th at 8:30 a.m. on VPM PBS. The show will air on January 16th at 8:30 a.m. on the RFD-TV network. The episode will also be available shortly after air on the Virginia Farming website.

AEssenseGrows Adds Business Management To Cruise Control Aeroponics

Guardian Cloud Intelligence Visualizes Complete Grow Operations with Cloud-Based Analysis, Accelerating Business Decisions

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 13, 2019 -- AEssenseGrows, an AgTech company specializing in precision automated aeroponic platforms for consistent high-yield plant production, today introduced a new set of business management features that deliver dramatically greater insight to cultivators. The Guardian Cloud Intelligence central management system brings cloud-based data analysis and visualization of complete grow operations to AEssenseGrows’ advanced software platform for automated aeroponic plant growth.

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Adding to “cruise control” grow recipes, the new features help cultivators analyze the costs and revenue of various strain performance—easing the comparison of historic, current grows, and future planning—to determine the most profitable paths in the context of the latest market pricing.

“We’re really excited about the ability to run reports on our grows and cross those with our harvest yields and pricing expectations to determine the big-picture issues we can optimize over time,” said master grower Matthew Willinger, whose operation in Oakland, Calif., uses the AEssenseGrows AEtrium system. “And being able to evaluate the operational cost of a grow-- water, nutrients, labor, electricity--combined with selling prices is a great tool for analyzing the profitability of different grow rooms and strains.”

The AEssenseGrows award-winning AEtrium system delivers sensor-driven cruise-control automation to simplify aeroponics and amplify its inherent benefits. The Guardian Grow Manager central management software executes the exact grow recipe and environmental conditions set by the master cultivator.  Once created, dozens of sensors in every machine report on performance and direct adjustments 24/7 and 365 days per year without hesitation, rest, or fatigue.  Key variables are automatically tuned such as lighting, nutrients, HVAC, and environmental control to maintain the optimal conditions as defined in the master cultivator’s grow recipe.

Guardian Cloud Intelligence now extends the master cultivator’s knowledge with limitless cloud storage and analysis, leading to better decisions at the fingertips of the master cultivator from any convenient location at any time of day. 

Key analysis and features in the Guardian Cloud Intelligence system include:

• Room-level aggregated reporting for unlimited sized rooms. Sensor data can be displayed and reported per harvest by the minute, hour, day, week, quarter or year.

• The availability of unlimited financial data on nutrient usage, water usage, CO2 usage, labor, maintenance, and electrical usage.

• The integration of collected data with the Calendar, enabling all employees and managers to share to-do lists and action items. Users can manage labor operations for their entire facility through an easy to use calendar dashboard. Visually analyze sensor patterns over the days of the calendar. Adjust your work assignments on the fly and have those tie directly back to user assignments.

• Workflow integration and dynamic form extension connect business processes, like reporting and documentation, directly to the operator’s daily activities so it is seamless and easy to follow. Every employee starts their shift with a complete list of their required activities for the day, and this is dynamically updated with changes as required. Completion of the events are all stored and integrated in the analysis in the cloud.

• Market pricing and financial impact reports based on facility metrics and labor integration, produce profitability forecasts based on real-time and projected data.

AEssenseGrows Receives CE Marking For Its Automated Aeroponics Systems

The Markings Confirm That the Company’s AEtrium Grow Systems Meet
the Health, Safety and Environmental Standards Required in Europe

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 13, 2019 -- AEssenseGrows, an AgTech company specializing in precision automated aeroponic platforms for consistent high-yield plant production, announced today that its AEtrium grow systems have received Europe’s CE Marking, ensuring they meet the health, safety and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area.

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The CE Marking covers both the AEssenseGrows AEtrium-2.1 and AEtrium-4 grow platforms. Last year, the company received similar certification from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the largest not-for-profit testing laboratory in the world. And the company’s compact high-intensity AErix LED bloom light last year received an Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL) safety listing, exceeding or surpassing all standards for safety published by UL and other standards bodies.

The AEssenseGrows award-winning AEtrium system delivers sensor-driven cruise-control automation to simplify aeroponics and amplify its inherent benefits.

“The only thing more important to AEssenseGrows than its customers’ success is its customers’ safety,” said Phil Gibson, the company’s vice president of Marketing. “Our team has worked hard to ensure our equipment meets and exceeds all relevant regulatory standards so our customers can focus on winning in the marketplace without having to worry about safety issues”

Also today, AEssenseGrows introduced a new set of business management features that deliver dramatically greater insight to cultivators. The new Guardian Cloud Intelligence central management system brings cloud-based data analysis and visualization of complete grow operations to AEssenseGrows’ advanced software platform for automated aeroponic plant growth.
         

The AEtrium system hardware and software will be on display at the AEssenseGrows booth, C5308, at the MJBizCon show in Las Vegas Dec. 11-13.

More information on the products is available at www.aessensegrows.com.

About AEssenseGrows
AEssenseGrows (pronounced "essence grows"), founded in 2014, is a precision AgTech company based in Sunnyvale, Calif. A recipient of the Red Herring 2019 Top 100 North America award, AEssenseGrows provides accelerated plant growth SmartFarm platforms and software automation delivering pure, zero pesticides, year-round, enriched growth to fresh produce and medicinal plant producers globally. 

With AEssenseGrows, growers can precisely control their production operations at your fingertips from anywhere in the world.  

Getting Off The Grid: Alternative Energies For Hydro Systems

Chris Bond | October 29, 2019

Takeaway: With solar cells dropping in price and battery systems improving all the time, there are considerable benefits to looking at alternative energy sources for your growing needs. Chris Bond provides an overview of what is out there for those curious about unplugging from the grid and taking power into their own hands.

Nearly all the components of a hydroponic system can be partially or fully powered by alternative energies. Any system that runs on electricity or battery power ---such as lighting, pumps, filters, agitators, and timers--- can be altered to run on off-the-grid power sources.

Not all energy sources are practical for all systems, and many may be too cost-prohibitive to implement with complete efficiency.

But for the majority of alternative systems, there is usually a DIY version or an online hack out there that can help you to grow your greens without using petroleum or non-renewable energy sources.

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The systems outlined below are just an overview of the different types of alternative energies available and should not be considered a how-to. Most of the energy systems will generate direct current (DC). An inverter is required to convert the DC into alternating current (AC) to be useful for most of the appliances that a hydroponic system runs on. Another option is to consider converting your components to be compatible with DC.

Solar Energy

The effectiveness of any solar energy collection system for your growroom depends on how much sunlight you receive and how large of a collection system you can install. If you can put solar panels on the south-facing slope of your roof that aren't blocked by any large shade trees, then you will likely have enough power for more than just your hydroponic system.

Many homes, especially older ones, aren't suited for this type of installation. Solar panels can be placed on other buildings or as free-standing units in your yard. Their effectiveness then becomes reliant on factors such as the time of year or amount of cloud cover in your area.

The benefit of adding a solar collection system to your hydroponic set-up is that solar panels and other solar collection devices continue to improve as technology and demand increase. Simple systems can be installed to manually (or automatically) turn to follow the path of the sun.

Other solar collection devices are designed to warm the water by heating the pipes instead of converting sun energy into a current. This system can either expel heat or simply reduce the amount of energy required to heat your water.

Solar has come a long way in the last 20 years and there is an application for almost every scenario. It is also a type of alternative energy that can easily be added onto. You could, for instance, attempt to power just one aspect of your hydro system and keep building from there until the entire hydroponic system runs on stored energy derived from the conversion of solar power into usable current.

Wind Energy

Most people can imagine the way wind energy works as the concept is fairly simple. As the wind blows, a rotor or turbine spins. The energy derived from spinning is converted by a generator into usable power. The number of materials used to create a wind turbine also makes the prospect accessible to many and encourages creativity.

Wind turbines can be made from parts of 55-gallon drums, old satellite dishes, canvas sails, and almost anything that can cup the wind and spin freely. But the difficulty lies in the actual application of harnessing the wind power on a small scale and its practicality. Both of these depend on your location.

If you have an open piece of land that is an acre or more in size, wind power may be practical. If you live in an urban setting, in one of the tallest buildings, and have access to the roof, wind power may be practical. In a typical suburban setting, however, only very small scale energy applications are usually worth your time and investment. In these environments, it may make more sense to try to power only a portion of your hydro system with wind and then store whatever energy it creates into a battery.

Hydro Power

Yes, you can run your hydroponic system on hydropower; that is, if you have access to a source of running water on your property. In a nutshell, a portion of the flowing water gets diverted into a pipe (conveyance) where it is delivered to a pump or waterwheel. This then converts the flow of the water into rotational energy. An alternator or generator then converts the rotational energy into electrical current.

This system could be modified to run on stored water from a reservoir, but most hydro power systems take advantage of the natural flow of a body of water.

The initial investment will vary greatly depending on both the distance from the water source and how many kilowatts (kW) the system will generate. Many farm-based systems can produce up to 100kW, but even a modest 10kW is more than adequate to power a small growing operation.

Geothermal

Using geothermal energy in your hydroponic system is not as common as using solar, wind, or hydro energies, but it is still worth considering. If you are already paying for the energy it takes to heat your growroom, or are in the position of building a new hydroponics system, it pays to employ geothermal heating if you can.

Basically, geothermal heating takes advantage of underground soil or water temperatures. It draws this heat up from the ground into your structure and greatly reduces the amount of supplemental energy need to heat or cool the space around it.

There are many downsides to geothermal. Even though the temperature underground is fairly consistent throughout the country, accessibility is not reliable. Even if you do live in an area where the Earth’s underground warmth can be used, you will be unable to take advantage of this technology if you do not own the building or possess the right to dig beneath it.

However, if it is an option for you, you should consider tapping into this geothermal energy. It has a relatively quick payback period; you should immediately see the cost of heating or cooling your hydroponic space reduces.

Bioenergy

Making your own biofuels to either power some aspect of your operation or to heat the space you are growing in is probably the least likely of all the alternative energies listed here.

It is worth exploring, however, as most people create enough organic waste to power such a system. Grass clippings, food scraps, animal manures, and other organic wastes can be put into a digester to create biogas, which is a renewable alternative to natural gas.

While not practical for most people at the moment, bioenergy may represent a viable way to generate much of the energy needed to run your growing operation—maybe even your entire household—as the technology gets more widely utilized in coming years.

Rain Harvesting

Though not truly an alternative energy, collecting rainwater belongs in a discussion of using alternatives for a hydroponic system. Like the wind turbine, rain harvesting systems can be made from a wide variety of materials—five-gallon buckets, food-grade containers, or any collection tank that can hold water. Multiple small containers can be linked in series so that as one fills, the overflow goes into the next.

Most plants thrive better in rainwater than from city or well water. A hydroponic system can be supplemented, or filled entirely, with rainwater. As with any water source, careful scrutinizing of the pH and EC levels are called for. It is also important to maintain periodic agitation to prevent the development of algae or promote the breeding of insects.

Extra Considerations

No matter the type of alternative energy you consider to power your hydroponic system, there are a few things to keep in mind. Permissions range widely from municipality to municipality and you will need to know what your area’s zoning laws allow for, what requires a permit, and what is forbidden under any circumstances.

If you are considering installing a wind turbine, there are likely building codes to follow. The same goes for the installation of solar panels and collectors. However, many small-scale ventures into alternative energy can be done without affecting your neighbor’s view or without constructing large structures.

If you intend to harness the power of any stream, creek, river, or public body of water, you will need to obtain the appropriate permissions and may need to invest in equipment or components that measure your water usage and prevent backflow into the streams.

If any of these strategies sound appealing, but you lack the requisite building or engineering skills, there are more and more professional companies springing up that specialize in alternative energy installations for almost any application. Some of these strategies may even offer tax incentives. Check with your tax professional before claiming any alternative energy credit first, however, as many such programs are specific around how to qualify.

Written by Chris Bond

Chris Bond’s research interests are with sustainable agriculture, biological pest control, and alternative growing methods. He is a certified permaculture designer and certified nursery technician in Ohio and a certified nursery professional in New York, where he got his start in growing.

Rise Gardens Helps You Grow The Perfect Tomato In Your Living Room

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By Katherine Davis

October 31, 2019

Maintaining a garden in Chicago is difficult. Not only is the region plagued with a short growing season and unpredictable weather, but figuring out how to provide fruits and vegetables with the perfect amount of water, sunlight and nutrients can be confusing.

After becoming frustrated with growing fruits and veggies outdoors, Hank Adams tried his hand at building his own in-home hydroponic system, a device that grows plants in a reservoir of moving water and organic materials.

“It was a really frustrating experience,” Adams said. “It actually took a fair amount of research to figure it out. And what I ended up with was a system that really belonged in my basement.”

The system was “ugly,” he said. “It was nothing I wanted to show off.”

A Rise Gardens system (Photo via Katherine Davis)

But the experience led to Adams launching Rise Gardens, a Chicago startup creating an indoor, IoT-connected hydroponic system that is attractive enough to put in your living room and simple enough for anyone to grow a perfect head of lettuce.

Adams began making prototypes for Rise Gardens in 2017, working out of Chicago startup incubators 1871 and mHub, and began selling the final product in August. Adams is a board member of 1871 and also the former CEO of Sportsvision, a Chicago-based graphics company best known for inventing the yellow first-down marker in football broadcasts.

Rise Garden systems can be bought online or in the startup’s pop-up shop at 20 W. Kinzie St., which opened in early October.

The modular system is made out of hardwood and heavy-gauge, powder-coated steel. It has a built-in water pump, seed sockets and a programmed LED light system that automatically shifts on and off to give plants the perfect amount of light.

Once consumers purchase their hydroponic system, they are encouraged to subscribe to Rise Gardens’ subscription service, which sends them seed pods every month and gives them access to the company’s mobile app that reminds users when to add water or nutrients. The startup sells seeds for a range of vegetables and herbs, including kale, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, basil, and rosemary.

“We’ve made it simple,” Adams said. “If you follow the instructions, it grows really robustly.”

Adams said plants grow 20 percent faster in his system than they could in soil or outdoors, adding that users can expect to grow arugula in 14 days and a head of lettuce in 25 days.

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A Rise Garden system (Photo via Katherine Davis)

Though small, counter-top hydroponic systems are common, Adams says Rise Gardens’ large size allows for users to actually grow a significant amount of fresh food.

Since launching, Adams said he has sold 70 systems and is now working with retailers to sell the device in more locations. The system starts at $549 for one level and goes up to nearly $950 for three.

In his own Rise Gardens system at home, Adams grows lettuce, carrots, beets, tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries. Often times, he says he uses his produce in homemade salads, pastas and pizzas.

“It’s really nutritious and it tastes great,” Adams said. “Compared to a lot stuff that we’re used to getting in grocery stores, you’re surprised by the taste.”

Hank Adams, founder of Rise Gardens, with his hydroponic system (Photo via Rise Gardens)

• TAGS Garden Innovation Gardening Hank Adams Hydroponics Rise Gardens Sportsvision

Scottish Start-Up Looking To Build Dozens of Vertical Farms Across UK

A Scots start-up plans to build dozens of indoor vertical farms across the UK. Edinburgh-based Shockingly Fresh is currently developing five sites countrywide to introduce low cost naturally-lit vertical farms using special hydroponic towers to grow multiple crop cycles of leafy veg such as salads and herbs.

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They believe the increased yields from their farms will help British growers boost crop production and reduce the UK’s reliance on costly off-season imports from the EU. Plus the enclosed environment will mean less pesticides and cleaner crops, they say.  

They’ve already secured rights to one site in Scotland and four in England – covering a total of 50 hectares – with their site in Worcestershire awaiting full planning consent.

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Now they’ve launched an investor seed round to kick start their expansion to more than 40 sites countrywide over the next five years.

Shockingly Fresh has teamed up with technology providers Saturn Bioponics and specialist salad growers ValeFresco to roll out their plans.

Pak choi, lettuce, herbs
Over the last three years, ValeFresco and Birmingham-based Saturn have grown vertical crops of pak choi, lettuce, and herbs for a range of customers – with positive results.

“With pak choi we saw a three to four-fold increase in yields per crop cycle, with a third more cycle per year, giving an overall five-fold increase in annual yield,” says Saturn Bioponics founder and CEO Alex Fisher.

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“The crops are cleaner, the season is longer, there is less disease and pest risk and they are easy to harvest.

“Consumers are well-accustomed to strawberries grown under cover and this is a natural next step,” Fisher adds.

Natural light
Unlike the majority of vertical farms, which use fully enclosed systems with heating and artificial light, Shockingly Fresh is promoting Saturn’s lower input, naturally lit approach which they say achieves most of the results at a fraction of the cost.

“We selected Saturn’s technology because their set-up requires far less up-front capital than a fully-enclosed vertical farm, yet delivers most of the benefits which are already driving the high demand for hydroponically-produced crops” says Garth Bryans, COO at Shockingly Fresh.

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“This makes it much easier to get projects off the ground.

“A fully enclosed farm can achieve a higher annual yield, but when you add in additional lighting and heating costs as well as the high capex, their typical costs per kg are higher than a naturally lit set up can achieve,” Bryans continues.

“We have identified a significant market – particularly around the early and late season ‘shoulder months’ – which is currently filled by imported crops from Europe. We believe our sites will enable British growers to compete on a level field,” Bryans says.

50 hectares across four sites
Shockingly Fresh has already submitted a planning application for a 1.2ha site at Offenham in Worcestershire and has land agreed under heads of terms for a further 50 hectares across four sites countrywide.

They are now actively seeking more sites in the UK – to be funded by new investors – and are also advancing with a major project in Oman.

“Our funding round will enable us to secure and develop more than 40 sites in the UK – and we are keen to speak to brownfield site owners as well as traditional agricultural land holders,” Bryans says.

“The hydroponics market is set for significant expansion in the years ahead, so there is plenty of room for a number of players to grow.

“With our system we can significantly extend the shoulder months and offset the need for early and late season imports – plus we can bring in heating to extend the season further if the market is there,” Bryans concludes.

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For more information:
Shockingly Fresh
www.shockinglyfresh.com

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Saturn Bioponics
www.saturnbioponics.com 

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Publication date: Tue, 08 Oct 2019

Adapter To Fool-Proof Irrigation In Vertical Farming System

Marco Tidona from Aponix talks about new accessories for the Aponix vertical barrels

Aponix’ Vertical Barrel systems have been on the market for a while now, and since their conception, they have offered an alternative to rack systems as a way of making use of three-dimensional growing spaces. Aponix is releasing some new additions to make the system even more easy to use. A new adapter to simplify irrigation with the Barrel, and a new larger and soil-based XL Vertical Barrel. Marco Tidona with Aponix: “We wanted to come with a solution that would make irrigation foolproof, so we built an adapter.”

Water Adapter
Irrigation in the cylinders requires a different approach than growers are used to. “To irrigate with the barrel all you have to do is put liquid on the inside surface at the highest point, gravity will pull it down and the wing system inside will make sure is an even spread,” says Marco. “We have been testing with different kinds of irrigation methods. One simple method is to just attach an inverted sprinkler, but these additions and sprinklers needed to be used with caution, but some users didn’t. Most of the users had irrigation cycles that lasted for too long and so there was too much liquid and they drowned their plants.”

In order to come up with a solution “We wanted to come with a solution that would make irrigation foolproof, so we built an adapter. The adapter can be integrated with all Netafim spraying mechanisms. It allows us to fix the drip stop to the lid of the barrel, and then the grower can define the flowrate using the Netafim equipment.”

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Lego pieces
The Vertical Barrel system is a cylindrical alternative to the typical vertical farming solution of racks. “The Barrel is constructed of individual pieces, each ring consists of 6 pieces that click into each other like Lego pieces,” says Marco, emphasizing the ease of use of the system. “The rings can be stacked on top of each other to create the barrel, this way you can define the height of the barrel yourself. We have several different pieces that are suited for different types of produce so you can configure for different types of plants to optimize the cultivation area. The cultivation area is the outside of the cylinders, and with the variable height and the possibility to chain multiple of these units, the idea is to have an alternative for a rack system in vertical farming.”

So what are the benefits of growing with the cylindrical surface of the Barrel? “When you build racks, you cannot use natural sunlight,” says Marco. “On top of that you also get microclimate issues – plus when you go very high you need these scissor lifts or climbing equipment. The Barrel is an alternative that allows you to grow vertically in a greenhouse and use natural light.”

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Though the system is already quite complete, a lot of additions are being planned in order to get it technologically up to par with other vertical farming solutions. “We are also expanding the system to have plant trellis holders left and right of the grow spaces,” says Marco. “Also we are working on ways to manage the microclimate, there will be an area where you can attach an airhole next to the grow spaces which can finetune the humidity and could also fertigate CO2. These things are necessary to compete with all the high-tech solutions that are already out there.”

Credibility
It can be quite difficult to get your foot in the door with a new product in the horticultural industry. “It took a lot of time to get slight credibility,” says Marco. “I remember the first year I was presenting this new technique at GreenTech, people thought it was just a gadget for your living room – they didn’t take it seriously. They didn’t see it as serious growing equipment, because it wasn’t what they knew – it wasn’t gutters and tables. So I am now trying to get this credibility by integrating and getting a lot of help from Gakon.”

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According to Marco, Gakon are a very important partner for Aponix. “Gakon are helping me to add all these gadgets and functions that they know from the standard equipment they are using for large scale production. We are collecting ideas from them for the practical side, and we are translating them for vertical barrels. Gakon have been a major help for getting taken seriously. They have their partner companies, with whom they discuss our products. One such partner company is Hortilux, for lighting. With the help of Gakon, Hortilux are creating lighting plans for use with our barrels.”

The future
Marco believes that there is still a lot of future potential for the Vertical Barrels, and these new accessories are a step forward. “All the processes that are normally part of larger commercial operations are missing,” he says. “This product has the potential, but I need to find strategic partners who actually have the experience in the market and want to have a future alternative to racks. More and more big players in the industry are understanding the value of my product and inviting me to talk to them.”

Marco continues: “I had an interesting conversation with a company from the UK. They are building this robot that you can put over your raised beds and it functions like an agricultural printer: it irrigates, plants seeds, it takes care of your plants, and it’s fully automatic. This company is thinking about putting one of these robots, but with a circular arm, on top of my barrels. So it’s not using a flat surface like you have in a raised bed, but the round surface coming from the top and circling around. The future is looking exciting, but I am still looking for more people that believe in my product and want to support it in ways that I alone cannot.”

For more information:

Marco Tidona

Aponix

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www.aponix.eu

hello@aponix.eu

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Publication date: Tue, 08 Oct 2019
Author: Brian de Lint
© HortiDaily.com

Indoor Farming Technology Leader, SANANBIO®, Debuts UPLIFT Vertical Farming System

The System Offers Customers A Fully

Automated Indoor Growing Process

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (September 25, 2019) – SANANBIO®, a leading provider in LED horticulture lighting and vertical farm equipment and technology, announces the commercial release of its fully automated vertical farming system, UPLIFT (Unmanned Platform of Lean and Intelligent Farming Technology). Decades of manufacturing and automation experience, combined with successful multi-year vertical farm operations through parent company Sanan Optoelectronics has given SANANBIO the expertise in designing and operating the UPLIFT system to offer its customers a proven, fully automated indoor growing process.

SANANBIO firmly believes that agriculture technology should be based on science paired with input from farmers. Michael Yates, SANANBIO's VP of Sales said, "Advanced knowledge of plant physiology and photobiology are fundamental to success in the vertical farming industry. Through employing one of the world's largest teams focused on advancing vertical farming technology, UPLIFT is the solution born from the efforts of over 100 plant scientists and engineers."

The UPLIFT automated solution is based on SANANBIO's highly successful manual vertical farming grow system being used in farms today, RADIX. "With over 1M square feet of commercial vertical farms currently using RADIX, farmers and investors in more than 10 countries believe in our company's highly engineered grow technology. The proof is in the plants as our customers like to say," said Yates.

SANANBIO designed and installed the first pilot UPLIFT farm in April 2018 at its facility in Xiamen, China. After 18 months of operation and optimization, the UPLIFT system is now available for commercial deployment globally.

UPLIFT offers a full suite of automation for growing vertically. From seeding and germination to transplanting and harvesting, the high-stack, high-cube configuration offers the latest advancements in vertical farming solutions that reduce labor while achieving higher yields. The UPLIFT farming platform also benefits from an industry-standard production and inventory management system facilitating crop management, farm production planning, and crop traceability.

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"Labor costs continue to be a major challenge for vertical farm operators while also maintaining profitability," stated Dr. Charlie Wang, SANANBIO CEO. "The UPLIFT system will help operators significantly reduce labor costs so they can sell more fresh and healthy produce, and therefore receive better returns on their investment. The system also provides an open platform to integrate technology that enables farms with more intelligence and controls allowing for maximized yields and profitability," said Wang.

SANANBIO's engineers and sales teams are prepared to work with leading farmers and investors in the industry who share the same passion to build ground-breaking projects in controlled environment agriculture using this cutting-edge technology.

ABOUT SANANBIO®

SANANBIO® is a trademark carried and backed by Sanan Sino-science Photobiotech, a company invested in by Sanan Optoelectronics, one of the world’s largest LED chip manufacturers. Supported by an elite R&D team comprised of plant scientists, researchers, and engineers; SANANBIO utilizes state-of-the-art technology that enables growers worldwide in the horticulture industry to increase the quality and quantity of their yields. Years of extensive research and real-world deployment and operations allow SANANBIO to offer its customers proven, scalable, efficient and cost-effective solutions in LED horticulture lighting and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) vertical farming grow systems. SANANBIO empowers growers with the technology and knowledge to achieve unprecedented results in farming operations.

To learn more visit: https://sananbious.com/

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No Soil? No Problem. H2Grow Can Cultivate Crops Practically Anywhere

By Dyllan Furness September 23, 2019

Will Hawkins/Digital Trends

This article is part of The Food Fight: a series that explores how the UN World Food Programme is using technology to battle food scarcity and put an end to hunger by 2030.

Check out the rest of the articles here.

A lush, green mat of fresh animal fodder is an unlikely sight in the harsh Sahara Desert, but a project from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is helping crops flourish in unexpected places. Using purpose-built hydroponic systems, Sahrawi refugees in Western Algeria have been able to grow barley grass to feed their livestock, in turn increasing milk production and meat quality. By selling surplus fodder, the refugees have been able to earn additional income and buy goods once beyond their means. Some 150 units have been installed in the past few years, producing nearly 4,500 pounds of fodder per day.

The project is part of H2Grow, an initiative that aims to solve hunger in arid regions and help vulnerable communities become more self-reliant by securing food resources. H2Grow currently sponsors seven projects around the globe, from refugee camps in Chad to desert slums in Peru. With the help of agritech systems, the hope is that desert-dwelling communities may overcome food scarcity and gain resilience against some of the most immediate impacts of climate change.

Leaving dirt in the dust

The secret to H2Grow is hydroponics, a soil-free cultivation technique that uses up to 90% less water than traditional agriculture, according to Nina Schroeder, head of scale-up enablement at the WFP Innovation Accelerator. Better still, hydroponic agriculture doesn’t require lots of land or depend on seasons. As long as you have the right basic ingredients (seeds, water, light, and nutrients), crops can grow year-round.

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Hydroponics is by no means a new concept, but most people are familiar with the technique in urban settings, as a way of growing crops indoors, with an eye toward large-scale cultivation in a limited space. These ventures tend to be high-tech and business-minded.

“What’s different about the way we do hydroponics is we take the technique and adapt it to the challenging conditions we work in

“What’s different about the way we do hydroponics is we take the technique and adapt it to the challenging conditions we work in,” Schroeder said. “We turn it into a localized, affordable, and simplified solution designed for people with no particular background [in agriculture], using only locally available materials.”

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WFP

That poses a challenge for the H2Grow team. What’s local and affordable in Peru might not be local and affordable in Sudan, so WFP works with community partners to pinpoint and understand some of their most urgent problems.

H2Grow uses a common base system for each region and adapts the system from there. The result is a tailor-made hydroponic system that’s customized for the community it’s designed to serve. “There is no one size fits all,” said Schroeder.

Different strokes for different folks

In Chad, residents wanted to grow fodder to feed their livestock. Seeds for fodder such as barley grass contain sufficient nutrients to grow using only water and light. “Users just need to soak the seeds, add them to the hydroponic containers, make sure they receive adequate sunlight, and on day seven, it’s ready for harvest,” Schroeder said.

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World Food Program

In Lima, Peru, however, residents wanted to grow produce, such as leafy greens, which require nutrient solutions to be added during the growing process. With the help of community partners, WFP launched a pilot program in three districts across the capital, reaching more than 200 vulnerable women and their families. The group is now looking into ways to scale-up the system in a bid to provide these residents with business opportunities.

The most high-tech H2Grow units are the Food Computers developed for Syrian refugees in the Azraq refugee camp east of Amman, Jordan. The Food Computer uses sensors to monitor climate, energy, and plant growth inside a specialized grow chamber. Powered by a Raspberry Pi, the system tracks things like temperature, humidity, dissolved oxygen, and mineral consumption to achieve optimum growth potential. WFP was helped by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development in developing the Food Computers.

It takes a village

In each case, H2Grow aims to keep the initial investment below $100,000, while providing a few community partners with the resources needed to motivate neighbors into following in their footsteps.

“We start with champions who are most motivated in the community,” Schroeder said. “They start to cultivate their own fodder, we give them a bit of extra training, and have them go out with that training material in hand to train others in the community.”

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H2Grow systems boast benefits beyond solving food scarcity — they’re designed to ensure financial and physical security as well. During the dry months at the Belail refugee camp in Sudan, women often search for fodder outside the safety of the camp, Schroeder said, which exposes them to risks of theft, violence, and abduction. Through the hydroponic pilot program, WFP hopes to foster food security and, in turn, physical security for the residents.

There are inherent challenges to delivering these solutions. Some of the cultures WFP aims to serve are traditionally pastoral, meaning agricultural production is new and unfamiliar to them. But the hope is that by learning to use these systems, vulnerable communities will be better equipped to withstand existential threats at their doorsteps.

One of those threats is climate change, which is causing conflict around the globe as people fight for access to shrinking water and food sources. Equipped with hydroponic systems, “people wouldn’t have to migrate and ‘share’ the fewer grazing lands that are available,” Schroeder said. “If they can grow crops in harsh conditions and save a lot of resources, this will be a game-changer. Now, the trick is to spread the knowledge and increase access to the tools for more people to start growing.”

New Life CA Selects AEssenseGrows’ Aeroponic System For Its Socially Conscious Cannabis Business

The East Bay Cannabis Producer Selected Complete AEssenseGrows Automated System for Precision Cruise Control of Indoor Sterile Grow Environments

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 12, 2019 -- AEssenseGrows, an AgTech company specializing in precision automated aeroponic platforms for consistent high-yield plant production, announced today that New Life CA, a socially conscious California cannabis company, has purchased the AEssenseGrows AEtrium system for its operations. New Life determined the AEssenseGrows equipment could best deliver the precision and controls needed to grow superior cannabis at its East Bay facility.

“We wanted a cultivation system that was easy to use and provided a great degree of control over and visibility into the grow environment,” said Carlton Williams, founder of New Life. “The cutting-edge AEssenseGrows system meets those requirements with the automation and precision delivered with its revolutionary Guardian Grow Manager software.”

Williams added: “In addition to our own cultivation, New Life is dedicated to fostering opportunities for those in our community considering entering the cannabis industry, and we’ve worked with non-profits to help individuals establish equity requirements and build business plans. I always encourage these budding entrepreneurs to consider an indoor platform like the AEssenseGrows system.”

New Life is a vertically integrated, state-licensed cultivation, distribution and non-store front company based in Oakland, Calif.

The AEssenseGrows AEtrium system delivers cruise-control automation to simplify aeroponics and amplify its inherent benefits. The company's Guardian Grow Manager central management software monitors grow conditions 24/7 and, if needed, automatically adjusts key variables such as lighting, nutrients, and environment to maintain optimal conditions for the grow recipe.

“The AEtrium System can help cultivators achieve breakthrough aeroponic yields and lowest cost of production at the same time,” said Phil Gibson, AEssenseGrows vice president of Marketing. “Whether for large corporation’s or smaller, community-based growers like New Life, we are committed to helping our customers gain a competitive advantage through the integration of plant science and advanced technology.”

About AEssenseGrows
            AEssenseGrows (pronounced "essence grows"), founded in 2014, is a precision AgTech company based in Sunnyvale, CA.  AEssenseGrows provides accelerated plant growth SmartFarm platforms and software automation delivering pure, zero pesticide, year-round, enriched growth to fresh produce and medicinal plant producers globally.  With AEssenseGrows, you can precisely control your production operations at your fingertips from anywhere in the world.  

CubicFarms Is Pleased To Announce The Appointment of Rodrigo Santana as President And Chief Operating Officer

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 25, 2019 / CubicFarm® Systems Corp. (TSXV: CUB) (“CubicFarms” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rodrigo Santana as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

“It is a great pleasure to welcome Rodrigo to our team”, stated Dave Dinesen, CEO of CubicFarm® Systems Corp. “Rodrigo brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Rodrigo’s appointment will enhance our ability to deliver operational excellence and further establish our vertical farming technology as a leader in the controlled environment agriculture space to drive customer and shareholder value.”

Rodrigo has extensive senior leadership experience from both private and publicly traded growth-oriented companies such as Dow Agrosciences, SGS, Commercial Testing & Engineering, and Sacré-Davey Engineering. As the Chief Operating Officer at Sacré-Davey Engineering, he led the company to significant growth, through strategic business and corporate development initiatives, as well as geographical expansion across North America.

Rodrigo has a successful track record in strategic growth planning and execution, financial and operational management, engineering, project management, and operational efficiency. Rodrigo has extensive international management experience in Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.

Rodrigo earned a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Engineering from the Federal University of Lavras, Brazil, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, Chicago, IL. As well, Rodrigo is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

"I am very pleased to join the talented team at CubicFarms. Together, we will further develop our operational capabilities and innovative technology to enhance the Company's growth”, said Rodrigo Santana.

Appointment subject to TMXV approval

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About CubicFarm® Systems Corp.

CubicFarm® Systems Corp. is an Ag-Tech and Vertical Farming company that utilizes patented technology to cultivate high-quality produce. The Company believes that it can provide a benefit to the world by significantly reducing the physical footprint of farming, shipping costs, and associated greenhouse gasses, while significantly decreasing the use of fresh water and eliminating the need for harmful pesticides.

Founded in 2015, the Company’s mission is to provide farmers around the world with an efficient growing system capable of producing predictable yields with superior taste. Using its unique, undulating growing system, the Company addresses the main challenges within the indoor farming industry by significantly reducing the need for physical labour, by reducing energy, and by maximizing yield per cubic foot. The Company has sold and installed systems in Canada and the US and is currently negotiating with a global pipeline of prospective customers. It also operates one wholly-owned facility in Pitt Meadows, BC and sells its produce in British Columbia to retail and wholesale customers under the brand name Thriiv Local Garden™.

CubicFarm® Systems Corp.’s patented growing system provides customers with a turnkey, commercial scale, hydroponic, automated vertical farming operation that can grow predictably and sustainably for 12 months of the year virtually anywhere on earth. CubicFarm® enables its customers to grow locally and to provide their markets with produce that is consistent in colour, size, taste, nutrition and allows for a longer shelf life. CubicFarms is focused on providing its technology to farmers to grow safe, sustainable, secure, fresh produce, nutraceutical ingredients, and animal feed. Further support and value are provided to our clients through our patent pending germination technology and proprietary auto harvesting and processing methods.

CubicFarm® Systems Corp.

https://cubicfarms.com

For further information contact:
Ross Rayment, VP - Corporate Development
ross@cubicfarms.com work: 1-403-616-0312

Cautionary Notice Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain “forward-looking statements” under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking statements are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions (including the receipt of regulatory approvals) that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Accordingly readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: CubicFarm® Systems Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com: 
https://www.accesswire.com/553345/CubicFarmR-Systems-Corp-welcomes-Rodrigo-Santana-as-President-and-Chief-Operating-Officer

Growing Niche-Market Hydroponic Crops: Ginseng, Bay, and Tarragon

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Lynette Morgan | July 19, 2019

Takeaway: A patient hydroponic grower can make some money with high-value niche crops like ginseng, bay, and tarragon. Dr. Lynette Morgan examines the pros and cons of growing each cultivar.

For many, indoor gardening is an exciting hobby, one which often leads to the possibility of setting up a profitable business using new skills and knowledge. While hydroponics is the basis of many successful commercial enterprises, selecting the right crop is essential and, given the high intensity, but limited area of many indoor gardens, niche market crops are usually a good option.

Crops that currently receive the highest returns on local markets include those such as ginseng, bay, tarragon, and saffron, all of which are suited to both hydroponics and indoor cropping. While a high rate of return per pound may look lucrative, growers also need to take into account the difficulty of the crop, yields per square foot, time to harvest, and availability of information on hydroponic cultivation.

Some of the most highly priced, niche crops are relatively low yielding and slow to mature, so growers need to weigh up all these factors before deciding which to grow.

French Tarragon

French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) has long been a staple hydroponic herb and is relatively easy to grow. It is a perennial bushy plant with slender branching stems and smooth olive green, narrow leaves. The flavor of tarragon is strong, sweet, aromatic, and reminiscent of anise and licorice and has been growing in popularity as a culinary flavoring.

While French tarragon does receive considerably higher prices per pound than most other herbs (currently around $16/lb), it is slow to produce good yields and can take up to a year before regular harvests of fresh cut product can be taken and the foliage is light in weight.

French Tarragon, being a long-lived perennial plant, is suited to free draining media bed systems with substrates such as perlite as the plant is intolerant of high moisture levels. A warm, well-lit environment is required to prevent tarragon plants going into dormancy which halts growth and, in an indoor garden, tarragon can be grown year round.

Tarragon has similar nutritional requirements to other slower growing herbs such as rosemary and thyme, with an EC of 1.6-1.8 for mature plants and 1.0-1.2 for young plants, cuttings/root divisions, or plants just coming out of dormancy.

Bay

Bay leaves, sold both fresh and, more commonly, as a dried product, are produced by the Bay tree (Laurus nobilis) a native of the Mediterranean region where it can reach heights over 40 feet. Under hydroponic cultivation for fresh herb production, young trees are regularly trimmed to restrict height. Fresh bay leaves currently receive around $30/lb and are used to flavor a wide range of dishes.

Bay is a slow-growing tree, best suited to being individually planted into containers with a drip irrigation system. Small plants are generally started as cuttings and potted on as they grow in size. The growing point of young plants needs to be removed to encourage branching and stem development for higher yields of individual leaves as the plants grow to a harvestable stage.

Bay trees are fairly hardy and can survive cool conditions, but for maximum growth, they do best in a warm, dry, high-light environment with EC levels maintained in the 2.4 – 2.6 range. While bay is relatively disease free, it is prone to attack by mealy bugs which can either be manually removed for small plantings or sprayed regularly with neem oil.

Read also: 3 Types of High-Value Cash Crops to Grow Hydroponically

Ginseng

American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) is a relatively new crop to hydroponic production and one which has considerable potential to increase both yields and quality of the harvestable product. Dried ginseng root is reported to receive around $500-$600 per lb, however the plant is slow growing and low yielding compared to most other fast turn-around hydroponic crops.

One of the main advantages of ginseng is that it must have a very low light, cool environment and is thus suited to indoor production where these factors can be easily controlled. American ginseng is native to the cool, shady hardwood forests of eastern US and Canada and since the 18th century, has been hunted down and dug from the wild to supply markets, often exported to Asia.

However, the high prices and demand for ginseng combined with its slow rate of growth and reproduction has meant that wild populations are often dug at an early age before flowering and seed production has occurred, thus the plant faces extinction in the wild. Due to the high prices paid for wild ginseng, cultivation of this crop has become more widespread with most systems still being soil based.

Cultivated plants are a long-lived crop, with the roots becoming larger each year until harvest, often in the fourth year — at this stage roots are usually forked and around four inches long and one inch thick. Mature plants are between one to two feet tall and enter into a dormancy phase in autumn when the leaves turn yellow and stems die back.

Propagation of ginseng is somewhat time consuming as the seed requires at least 12 months of after-ripening (stratification at low temperature) before germination will occur. However, for quicker crop establishment, growers can start with one- to two-year-old roots which are precisely spaced to maximize plant density in the growing area. While starting a crop from young roots is more expensive than raising planting stock from seed, it reduces the time to harvest and allows only healthy roots to be selected for planting out.

A potentially profitable option for indoor hydroponic growers with limited space is to not grow ginseng for harvest of the mature product (which then needs to be carefully dried before sale), but to propagate from seed and sell only one- to two—year-old roots to other growers. Ginseng seedlings can be grown at a much higher density than mature plants and respond well to hydroponic nutrition — this allows the production of high-health planting stock which has not been in contact with soil and is well suited to further soilless production.

Starting with stratified seed which is usually for sale in fall, this needs to be sown a half-inch to one-inch deep, with an average germination rate of 70 per cent. Seed beds containing a mix of fine grade perlite and coconut fiber and a high-quality, low-mineral water source are suitable for the germination process

Hydroponic Systems for Ginseng

Hydroponic systems for ginseng have had limited research, however, there is potential to improve yields and growth rates through climate and root environmental control as well as optimal nutrition. Ginseng requires low light levels (heavy shading is used for outdoor crops) with light saturation occurring in both seedlings and mature plants at about 150 micromoles m-2 s-1 (1) which is around 7.5 per cent of full sunlight. Too much light will reduce yields, burn leaves, and lead to plant decline, while excess shade depresses the yield potential. Much of the photo assimilate produced by the ginseng leaves ends up in the thickened root system, however, the yield of the roots can be increased by up to 25 per cent if the flowering stems are removed as they form.

Temperatures for ginseng are similar to those for other cool-season crops, around 68-73°F (20-23°C). Growing mediums for ginseng must be free draining, but at the same time not impede the development of the forked roots — coconut fiber, or mixtures of fiber and perlite under drip irrigation are suitable.

Overly wet substrate conditions should be avoided as these attract fungus gnats, the larvae of which can damage the roots and introduce infection. Some research has also indicated that for high quality root production, ginseng can be grown aeroponically without the requirement for any growing medium. Spraying roots for 30 seconds every 10 minutes in the light period, and for 30 seconds every 30 minutes during the dark has been stated as a suitable frequency. Ginseng can be prone to root rot and physiological disorders, so the use of disease-free root stock is recommended along with high quality water sources and solution disinfection.

There is little information on suitable nutrient ratios or elemental levels for hydroponic ginseng, however, a low EC of 0.5-1.1 has been suggested for solution culture system. A high concentration of potassium has also been stated to result in an increase in ginseng root growth.

Harvesting ginseng roots at the end of the growth period occurs when they have reached a fresh weight of around an ounce. Harvesting needs to be carefully carried out as damaged roots receive lower prices than intact ones. After harvest, substrate grown roots need to be washed then dried in drying rooms with forced air to ensure mold growth does not occur. Once dried, roots can be packed and stored until sold.

Profitable hydroponic crops for indoor growers are worth a little investigation into market prices and cultivation techniques, taking into account yields, growing space, and time to maturity. However, many opportunities and a diverse range of crops exist within niche markets, even if some trial and error may be needed to perfect a new commercial enterprise.

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Written by Lynette Morgan

Dr. Lynette Morgan holds a B. Hort. Tech. degree and a PhD in hydroponic greenhouse production from Massey University, New Zealand. Lynette is a partner with Suntec International Hydroponic Consultants and has authored several hydroponic technical books. Visit suntec.co.nz for more information. Full Bio

Apex Farms Corp. Retains New CFO and Board Member

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ACCESSWIRE July 24, 2019

WILMINGTON, DE / ACCESSWIRE / July 24, 2019 / Apex Farms Corp. (“Apex Farms” or the “Company”), a vertical farming technology company that designs and produces proprietary vertical hydroponic farming systems for both commercial and residential use, is proud to announce that it has retained Melissa Kennedy as its Chief Financial Officer and as a member of its board of directors.

Melissa Kennedy was the controller of a Hotel Sofitel (1994-1997), a sole proprietor working as the bookkeeper for several entities (1997-2010), the campaign controller for a U.S. senator (2001-2010), the treasurer for a political action committee (2003-2011), the business manager for a strategic and political consulting firm (2010-2017) and, most recently, a sole proprietor working as an intermediary accountant for clients reporting to the SEC (2015-2019).

Melissa Kennedy stated ‘I’m very happy to be CFO of Apex Farms Corp. “I’m an electric car-driving , tree hugger” living in the Pacific Northwest so working for a green company is an absolute dream come true. I look forward to putting my accounting and SEC-reporting skills to work in growing the company and to help take the company to the next level.”

Alexander M. Woods-Leo the Founder and CEO of Apex Farms Corp. went on to say “bringing Melissa Kennedy on as CFO and as a member of our board is an important step as we traverse through our next goal of completing becoming publicly traded. Ms. Kennedy’s background and expertise with respect to finances and her experience as a controller will be instrumental to strengthening our internal and disclosure controls and to our future success.”

Initial Public Offering

Apex Farms Corp. is seeking to sell up to 5,000,000 shares of its common stock at an offering price of $0.20 per share for aggregate maximum gross proceeds of one million dollars ($1,000,000). To date, the Company has raised $191,368.80 under its Regulation A+, Tier 2 IPO. The Company is now posting its offering on the StartEngine platform where it will seek to raise up to an additional $808,631.20 over the next 90 days. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for engineering and prototyping, marketing, production and inventory, administrative and corporate expenses, professional fees and compensation and working capital reserves. The offering circular for the offering is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and may be accessed using the following link:

https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?company=Apex+Farms+Corp.&owner=exclude&action=getcompany

and on the Start engine portal https://www.startengine.com/apex-farms-corp

Both accredited and non-accredited investors can invest as little as $500 in the offering by visiting the offering page on the StartEngine website using the following link: https://www.startengine.com/apex-farms-corp

The offering of the Company's common stock is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or how much capital will be raised, if any. The Company cannot predict the timing of its planned quotation on the over-the-counter market.

About Apex Farms Corp.

Apex Farms Corp. designs highly practical vertical growing systems. We have analyzed, challenged, and worked out a system for growing food that can be accessible to everyone at relatively low prices. We see our community as the world at large, standardizing our farming method to create jobs, cultivate healthier eating opportunities, and reducing the carbon footprint.

With global hunger on the rise, many farms face challenges in meeting demand due to the high costs of water, land, energy, and labor. Apex Farms has developed a Vertical Farming System to address this need. Using patented and patent-pending technology, the hydroponic system can grow a wide variety of plants, including vine plants, root plants, flowers, and greens. The planting rows are stacked to reduce overall resource use but are fully accessible for harvesting from the ground - no need for conveyor belts, scaffolding, or complex machinery. Ultimately, the company wants to achieve the highest levels of efficiency and allow clients to fully customize their farm.

For more information about Apex Farms Corp., please visit: www.apexfarming.com

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

The information set forth above includes statements, estimates, projections with respect to our anticipated future performance and other forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "future" or "continue," the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. The forward-looking statements include statements about our ability to successfully commercialize a smaller residential system at a lower price point, our ability to successfully raise capital in our Regulation A offering, our ability to obtain additional patents, our ability to successfully generate revenues, grow our business and execute our business plan. Such forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates and expectations and are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, estimates and projections are based upon various assumptions that we made concerning our anticipated results and industry trends, which may or may not occur. We are not making any representations as to the accuracy of these statements, estimates or projections. Our actual performance may be materially different from the statements, estimates or projections set forth above as a result of various risks applicable to our company as discussed in our Form 1-A Offering Statement that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.

Important Notice the Regarding Regulation A Offering

Apex Farms Corp. is conducting an offering of its securities under Regulation A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. To learn more about this offering or to invest in this offering visit Apex Farms' offering page using this link : https://www.startengine.com/apex-farms-corp . An offering statement regarding Apex Farms' Regulation A offering has been filed with the SEC. The SEC has qualified that offering statement, which means that Apex Farms Corp. may make sales of the securities described by that offering statement. It does not mean that the SEC has approved, passed upon the merits or passed upon the accuracy or completeness of the information in the offering statement. You may obtain a copy of the offering circular that is part of that offering statement through this link: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1729481/000144586619000827/apex_253g1.htm

Investing in an initial public offering like our Regulation A offering is subject to unique risks, tolerance for volatility, and potential loss of your investment, that investors should be aware of prior to making an investment decision. Please carefully review the risk factors contained in the offering circular for this offering.

For more information contact:

Alexander M. Woods-Leo
alex@apexfarming.com
302-307-3668 Ext. #1

SOURCE: Apex Farms Corp.

LettUs Grow Wins National Shell Enterprise Development Award

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The Sustainable Indoor Farming Company Takes

Home A Financial Prize to Help Scale The Company

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23RD JULY 2019

LettUs Grow makes cutting edge technology for greenhouses and vertical farms with the mission to create a more sustainable future for the world’s eating habits.

And their efforts to make ethical eating possible aren’t going unnoticed – LettUs Grow’s Co-founder and Managing Director, Charlie Guy, has been crowned national winner of the Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

This award is more than just a title too – the startup has been gifted with £30,000 to help scale the indoor farming company.

The only way is up

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Charlie is incredibly humbled and grateful for the recognition. He says, “I am truly honoured to have won amongst such an impressive group of finalists. Making it through the competitive process for the national competition is fantastic validation for the potential impact of our technology.

“It’s a testament to the amazing work from our whole team over the past three years, to bring our unique indoor growing products to market. We’re looking forward to working with the best growers from around the world, to realise the full impact of our technology over the coming years!”

LettUs Grow’s incredibly unique aeroponic indoor farming tech enables crops to grow without sunlight or soil – and what’s more is this revolutionary innovation reduces water and fertiliser use by up to 95%, without requiring pesticides or herbicides.

This new system of growing our food has the potential to make an incredible environmental impact on delivering your food from farm to fork as farms can be situated in either rural or urban locations.

The judges were hugely impressed by the breath of positive impact LettUs Grow could have. Ana Avaliani, Head of Enterprise Hub at the Royal Academy of Engineering and judge on this year’s panel says, “Despite working in the increasingly popular sector of vertical farming, Charlie impressed the judges with LettUs Grow’s truly innovative patent-pending technology with a unique farm management software for indoor and vertical farms.

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“I’m excited to watch the business scale and expand into markets outside the UK, deliver on its mission to reduce the waste and carbon footprint of fresh produce and see how Shell’s funding can support this growth.”

A passionate pitch

The finalists took part in a day of pitching to bid for the number one spots. Charlie’s clear enthusiasm for LettUs Grow impressed the judges, as Ana tells us, “Charlie himself has all of the makings of an entrepreneur: his vision for the company – to grow the world’s leading vertical farming business – was evident in every aspect of the presentation, and his passion to feed people in a more sustainable way was clear.”

All the finalists were then invited to attend StartUp Connect, a Shell event for low carbon startups with the ambition to scale up.

Founder of StartUp Britain, Oli Barrett, hosted the afternoon, which connected 100 low carbon entrepreneurs with over 300 senior executives and bright minds with the ability to help get their startup off the ground.

Congratulations to LettUs Grow for the prize and award! Check out LettUs Grow’s website for more information about them, or follow them on Twitter here: @LettUsGrow.

‘We Are Right At The Starting Gate’: Vertical Farming Could Change The Food System

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By Katy Askew 

08-May-2019 

ntelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) talks vertical farming, demand growth and its unique technological proposition.

Population growth and urbanisation are expected to support the expansion of the ancient vertical farming industry.

The future food system will have to feed more people with finite land and water resources. Climate change is likely to exasperate the issue. This is the perfect storm driving interest in vertical farming.

According to forecasts from market research provider Global Market Insights, the vertical farming sector will grow by around 25% to reach a value of €11 billion in the next five years.

Scottish food tech group Intelligent Growth Solutions wants to leverage its unique IP protected processes to be an important part of this story.

Working alongside the James Hutton Institute for crop research, IGS has already opened its first demonstration indoor farm and orders are coming in from around the world.

We spoke with IGS CEO David Farquhar at The Ingredients Show in Birmingham, UK, last month to hear more about what has been described as ‘the world’s most technically advanced indoor farm’.

“We are right at the starting gate”​ for where this technology could take us, he suggested.

Watch the video to learn more

CAN (AB): Large CubicFarm System Comes To Calgary

On June 29, 2019, CubicFarms signed an agreement for a large scale commercial CubicFarm system in the Calgary, AB area and received a deposit from the customer. 

“This agreement and deposit covers the Calgary region where this customer will be the exclusive CubicFarm licensee”, said Dave Dinesen, CEO, CubicFarm Systems Corp. “We are very excited to add another customer to a large Canadian metropolitan area as we continue to build out a national presence. CubicFarms is hopeful that by this winter there will be even more locally grown produce in Alberta from a CubicFarm, in addition to the farm presently operating in the Edmonton area”.

This agreement covers an order for delivery of the largest CubicFarm System to date.

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In other news, CubicFarms also announced that the common shares of the company are scheduled to commence trading on TSX Venture Exchange as a Tier One Issuer on Tuesday July 9th, 2019 under the symbol “CUB”. 

“The public listing of CubicFarm Systems Corp. shares is a significant milestone for our company and for all of our stakeholders,” said Dave Dinesen, CEO, CubicFarms. “We are tremendously grateful for the support we’ve received so far, and we’re equally excited about the potential growth for the company that we see ahead of us.”

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For further information regarding the new listing of Cubic please refer to the Listing Application (Form 2B) dated June 25, 2019 of the company, which is available on SEDAR.

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For more information:
CubicFarms
1-888-280-9076
info@cubicfarms.com
www.cubicfarms.com

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Publication date: 7/15/2019 

We’ve Gone Vegetarian And Vegan But Soon We Could Be Going Vertical In Crop-Shelf Revolution

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by Stevie Gallacher July 15, 2019

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Invergowrie Intelligent Growth Solutions LTD have created a vertical farming indoors in Perthshire.

The world Is heading For A Food Crisis

The global population is set to grow by two billion within the next 20 years, and demand for food is predicted to be 60% higher.

At the same time climate change, the spread of cities and soil degradation will have shrunk the amount of land to grow what we eat.

The solution to global starvation, however, might be found in a shed in Invergowrie.

At the James Hutton Institute in Perth, a company is developing a system of vertical farming.

This is where food is grown in stacks in environmentally-friendly towers.

The revolutionary idea has been hailed as the future of food and is predicted to be one of the early steps on a journey which could end with our crops being grown in city-centre skyscrapers.

That’s the view of David Farquhar, the CEO of Intelligent Growth Solutions, the company developing the new farming technique.

“At the moment we’re growing broccoli seedlings, potato seedlings and strawberry seedlings for local farmers,” he explained.

“We’ve got all the way to growing actual strawberries. We’re growing things like pea shoots, baby kale, baby celery, fennel, coriander, parsley, basil, and every herb you can possibly imagine.

“These are things which would normally be grown in a Mediterranean climate.

“Imagine you’ve taken a field and cut it up into snooker table-size rectangles. You put the rectangles in a box, stack them 10 metres high and put the weather in.

“Then you control that weather via your mobile phone.”

It sounds simple but at Intelligent Growth Solutions the vertical farms, which are around 10 metres high, see cutting-edge techniques being used to grow a variety of crops.

The system attracted £5.4 million worth of investment last month, with one American agri-tech investment company enthusing “nothing else can touch” the Perth initiative.

David hopes to develop pre-packaged farming “towers” which can be installed almost anywhere – from existing farms to modern city centres.

Now everyone from governments to businesses to local farmers is keen to employ his services.

“In Singapore there’s very little arable land,” added David. “In Saudi Arabia, all you’ve got is desert. In the Cayman Islands, it costs £70 for a kilo of basil because it has to be flown in,” added David.

“The amount of miles food has to travel is expensive and bad for the environment.

“Vertical farms could solve these problems.

“Farmers want to grow seedlings for things like potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower more efficiently and cleanly. A lot of seedlings we import are diseased or have pests – we have to throw it away. With our system, we can provide seeds without diseases or pests.”

Food producers are keen to reap the benefits of vertical farming, too. And retailers love the system because it produces fruit and vegetables which have a longer life.

“Because we don’t use chemicals, retailers have suddenly realised that we could salad for them that doesn’t require to be washed,” David explained.

“And what that will do is it will cook between five and seven days extra on to the shelf life.

“We are using no chemicals anywhere in the vertical farm. Everything is grown on an organic basis — although we can’t actually we can’t actually claim it’s organic, because we’re not growing the crops in soil.

“There are no pesticides, no chemicals, nothing. It just grows in peat or it grows in coconut matting.

“That’s the same stuff used if you have a hanging basket in your garden.”

Farming in towers rather than fields may not seem natural but neither is the current state of how we grow the food we eat, according to David.

And he branded those who would rather stick to traditional farming as being stuck in the past. “You will always get Luddites, in any sector,” David added.

“In offices you use computers but there’s always someone who wants to go back to an older system.

“There will always be people yearning for the past but people are going to taste the quality of these crops, and realise it is extremely clean as well as being very, very tasty.

“And then there is the carbon footprint. You can go to the supermarket at any time of the year and pick up a packet of blueberries which have come from Peru, Uruguay or somewhere ridiculous. These have been flown here by jet.

“That is nuts. You can get on your high horse about this type of food, but please stop eating this stuff, or only eat fruit and vegetables when they’re in season – which is what we used to do.

“We’re lacking enough Vitamin C in our diets as it is!

“We keep hearing about how much food is thrown away. Well, if we can solve those kind of problems, then that’s pretty exciting.

“This is never going to replace the farmer growing barley but it might help the ones growing potatoes and broccoli and cauliflowers and soft fruits. It might well help protect these jobs.”

The food produced in vertical farms has also been given the thumbs up by food experts in terms of safety.

“As for the quality? Well, Dundee City Council sent one of their microbiologists to come and run tests on the crops,” said David.

“They said, it’s just about the cleanest if ever seen. And so it’s approved for human consumption. And I’ve actually got a tray of basil in the boot of my car.

“I’m taking it home, my wife is going to make pesto with it tonight. It tastes fantastic.”

Verdeat Is Launching A Kickstarter For Its Hydroponic Garden System For The Home

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By Jennifer Marston

June 26, 2019

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Image via Verdeat.

Poznań, Poland-based company Verdeat announced this week it will launch a Kickstarter campaign in July for its modular vertical farm meant to fit inside apartments, offices, and other non-commercial spaces.

Like other indoor hydroponic grow systems, Verdeat is able to cultivate most plants without the use of soil, though unlike a lot of systems, the 35 cm cylindrical device will still accommodate soil in certain configurations. The modular trays that come with the device can be switched out based on what you’re trying to grow, whether seeds and sprouts, which get planted in a substrate (like coconut fiber), or a potted basil plant you nabbed at the grocery store.

The entire system is controlled by a smartphone app that takes the majority of the guesswork out of the growing process, from knowing how much water to give each type of plant to how to adjust the LEDs to produce the right amount of sun-like light. The user simply fills the grow tray, adds some nutrients, and starts the app, which, according to an email from Verdeat, can run the farm more or less autonomously, only requiring the user to add nutrients every one to three weeks depending on the plants. The company also claims that plants in the Verdeat system grow faster and ripen 40 percent sooner than traditionally grown herbs and vegetables. At the moment, Verdeat’s system can grow the usual selection of herbs and leafy greens found in most vertical farms, as well as strawberries, peppers, blueberries, and other fruits.

Once the Kickstarter campaign launches, backers will be able to choose from a small, medium, or large device, depending on their individual space requirements. Remember earlier this year when The Spoon looked at vertical farms that would fit into closet-sized apartments? Verdeat definitely fits that criteria. It’s also reminiscent of the self-watering, hydroponic farm-in-a-pillar Zooey Deschanel is currently selling via her startup Lettuce Grow, and of Seedo, whose self-contained, airtight farm looks like a mini fridge.

In fact, with the vertical farming market expected to be worth $9.96 billion by 2025, we’ll see many more of these at-home versions of the vertical farm surfacing alongside more industrial-sized, hyper-automated counterparts.

How Verdeat fares amid all this competition will depend largely on some factors the company hasn’t yet released, including the cost of each device unit, how widely available it will be (it’s manufactured in the EU), and how long backers will have to wait before they can actually get their hands on the device and start growing. If they get their hands on it: As we’ve seen with other crowdfunded hardware projects, there is always the possibility that the product might not make it to market as promised. But perhaps manufacturing right there in the EU, will make it easier for Verdeat to keep tabs on the process and avoid those pitfalls.

The Kickstarter campaign will launch at the very beginning of July.

Simple DIY Aquaponic System For Home

Aquaponics is the art of growing plants in a system where fish and plants co-exist.

Mother nature has been doing this for as long as plants and fish have existed, humanshave been doing this since the beginning of farming and cultivation, but only recently has it been brought back into the light with hydroponics. Gaining in popularity, this technique has been proven to have many benefits for crops while being very eco-friendly.

So why should you add aquaponics to your hydroponic garden? Fish and plants have been working together for a very long time, their practically soul mates. Bacteria from plants breaks down the fish waste and feed, then converts it into plant food and nutrient. Organic matter contained in fish feces and feed are also used for the conversion of fish generated ammonia to nitrate.

The plants consuming the dissolved waste nutrients filter the water for the fish. While dedicated bio-filters and settlers can be added as precautionary measures, this system is very self correcting, taking away the need for chemical usage such as fertilizers. Even PH levels are adjusted correctly assuming the fish tank and hydroponic setup is contaminant free.

Quick overview of the benefits

-No nutrients required

-PH balance is adjusted correctly on its own

-water is filtered on its own and recycled

-no chemical usage such as fertilizers and pesticides

-fish can be harvested as a second food source

-crops have a higher turn-around and higher yield

What you will need

This technique isn't just for large commercial agriculture companies, setups small enough to add in your kitchen as a centerpiece or on a teachers desk for educational use can be easily created.

With all the benefits already known, why not add it in to any size of a hydroponic setup. If you already have a hydroponic setup, all you will need to do is add in an aquarium/tank with the proper fish and you have a fully functional aquaponic system

Items required for indoor aquaponics

- Hydroponic system including plant bed, medium and tubes connecting to tank

- Grow light depending on where your hydroponic system is setup

- Aquarium or fish tank

- Water pump

- Power source for pump and grow light

- Ceramisite

- Fish

- Plants

Lets build!

Step 1 - Fill the black bottom tank to the water mark with clean uncontaminated water.

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Step 2 - Find the small transparent tube and connect it to the water pump.

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Step 3 - Connect the water pump to the transparent fish tank.

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Step 4 - Place the buoy through the transparent tank into the black bottom tank.

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Step 5 - Place the transparent tank on the black bottom tank then attach the pumps power

box onto the bottom tanks notch.

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Step 6 - Attach the isolation plug to the solid tube at the top of the fish tank then fill the tank with water up to the isolation plug.

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Step 7 - Stack the top plant tray in alignment with the mountain tube.

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Step 8 - Install the clear syphon tube into the flow adjustment switch.

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Step 9 - Add in your ceramisite until it fills the tray about an inch thick.

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Step 10 - Add in your fish and plants!  

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What fish should you use?

Deciding on what type of fish you should use entirely depends on your setup. Large scale

with the purpose of farming and sustainability should have larger fish to produce more

waste and to carry the benefit of being able to harvest the fish for food. Small scale,

like the setup we just built will require smaller fish. Small also gives you the option

of choosing fish based on your perception of attractiveness. Decorative fish that can be

used in small setups like this are guppies, fancy goldfish, angelfish and swordfish. Some

people have taken is as far as creating environments for turtles, crayfish and even shrimp

What plants should you use?

Most plants will thrive in an aquaponic environment, especially those commonly used for

agricultural purposes. Large scale operations will grow all kinds of vegetables such as

lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, spinach or anything grown on a farm. But since this setup is

small and more so decorative, smaller vegetable and herb plants can be used such as basil,

mint, watercress, chives, parsley, lemon grass, oregano, thyme, succulents and many more.

Get started!

 Although the idea of aquaponics can be daunting and seem complicated, it's not as big

of a task as it seems. Whether it's for a green solution to growing crops naturally or

a hobby that can double as decoration, everyone can find a reason to jump on the wagon.

As you have read above, with minimal equipment and time, you can create your own little

Eco-system that provides you with food, education and a wonderful conversation starter.