Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
Design Firms Eye Efficiency, Speed To Market And Turnkey Design Solutions
Many of these transactions have included product and technology firms, but there is one acquisition, in particular, that is going to have quite a significant impact not only on the cannabis industry but on the larger indoor Controlled Environment Agriculture sector
By Andrea Di Pastena
July 13, 2021
Recently, consolidation within the cannabis industry has been seen through several mergers and acquisitions. Many of these transactions have included product and technology firms, but there is one acquisition, in particular, that is going to have quite a significant impact not only on the cannabis industry but on the larger indoor Controlled Environment Agriculture sector.
urban-gro has agreed to acquire the architecture firm MJ12 Design Studio in a move that makes urban-gro a one-stop company supporting growers with full-building turnkey design solutions including architecture, engineering, and cultivation systems integration. “Our role as an Architecture and Engineering firm truly sets us apart from the rest of the industry,” says Sam Andras, AIA, senior principal and partner at MJ12 Design Studio. “This acquisition has created a company that truly integrates turnkey design solutions under one roof.”
MJ12 Started Early in Cannabis Facility Design
The story of MJ12 Design Studio goes back to the very inception of the cannabis industry. “MJ12 Design Studio’s parent company of 2WR,” Andras recounts. “For 20 years, we had offices in the deep south, and we were working on federal projects. Then, we saw a tremendous opportunity with the legalization of cannabis in Colorado. So, we had to come up with a different brand for our cannabis design services. If you dig back in history, President Harry Truman had a group whose mission was to investigate alien activity. This secret group was called The Majestic 12, and the acronym was MJ12. So, since we were going to be a ‘secret’ architectural firm, MJ12 was the perfect name. From that moment on, we have designed over 100 cultivation facilities, with projects across North America and beyond - including Gibraltar, North Macedonia, and New Zealand.”
Read the rest of the article here
For more information:
urban-gro
720-390-3880
marketing@urban-gro.com
urban-gro.com
“When You Start Growing Upwards, There’s More To Consider Than Verticality”
The Massachusetts-based company manufactures the Agrify Vertical Farming Unit (VFU), a stackable, multi-tiered cultivation chamber designed to increase yields while improving harvest consistency and quality
“Vertical farming technology has really focused on the utilization of the vertical space," says David Kessler, Chief Science Officer at Agrify. "To that end, the environmental management is left to the operator who needs to choose a system and integrate it cohesively; this is a major undertaking. Agrify has a systems-engineered solution to enable vertical growing without needing to figure out all the other obstacles."
The Massachusetts-based company manufactures the Agrify Vertical Farming Unit (VFU), a stackable, multi-tiered cultivation chamber designed to increase yields while improving harvest consistency and quality. Also delivering on improved biosecurity and environmental control over the crop, a single unit has two tiers, and three units can be stacked for six total levels of canopy.
According to David, the transition towards taller vertical farms has made environmental control difficult as the high planting density increases total transpiration and the height of the building results in air temperature stratification. The Agrify VFU is an enclosed cultivation chamber and is monitored and controlled remotely using Agrify’s software. This enclosed climate-controlled design affords operators enhanced environmental management, and is one of the key features distinguishing the Agrify VFU from other vertical racking systems, according to David.
While the VFU was specifically designed for cannabis and hemp production, Agrify first began by producing leafy greens, which David says allowed the company to accrue significant experience in optimizing the environment to increase production.
“When you’re growing leafy greens as opposed to high-value medicinal herbs, the profit margins are quite slim. This form of economics sharpened our swords and forced us to become experts at controlling cultivation environments, with a keen eye towards production costs,” says David.
Smart design for grower safety
Occupational safety is an increasingly important subject in vertical farming, specifically in tall installations relying on manual labor. Scissor lifts are common in the horticultural industry but can be precarious when used in tight spaces at full extension. With vertical farming pushing the boundaries on height, it is important that employees’ safety be prioritized. According to David, Agrify has designed its farming units with employees in mind by incorporating an integrated catwalk into the system’s design and ensuring that its units can be solidly connected.
“When you start growing upwards, moving all of that biomass is cumbersome and can reduce workflow efficiency while increasing risk to employees. Our cultivation chambers are roughly 4’ by 8’ by 9.5’ tall and can be stacked side-by-side with a catwalk in between. This gives employees more safety and flexibility to work standing or sitting,” says David.
Automation in the Agrify VFU
According to David, the Agrify VFU is automated to control irrigation, fertigation, sanitation processes, lighting, humidity control, etc. The VFU control system also allows growers to collect roughly 100 data points per chamber per hour and a minimum of 850,000 data points per year. Features in the software then allow the grower to run daily analyses both within and between chambers. David explains that having enclosed chambers also facilitate this data collection and use as growers can implement different growing conditions in different chambers then compare the resulting outcomes to determine the best production conditions.
Moving forward, Agrify is looking to integrate cameras, artificial intelligence and machine learning into its systems to enable the consistent recreation of precise environmental conditions and proactive crop management.
“We believe that the future will not necessarily be in autonomous production but in computer-aided production. Machine vision will allow 24/7 crop monitoring rather than the typical weekly pest scouting, as an example. With our software, we’re capturing the data as well as providing the tools to analyze it and act on it.
For more information:
David Kessler, CSO
Agrify Corp.
David.kessler@agrify.com
www.agrify.com
23 Apr 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com
WEBINAR: Learning Transfer From The Cannabis Industry To The Vertical Farming Industry
We are thrilled to organize a Webinar focusing on the technical aspects and experience of these experts
MARCH 3, 2021
AT 16:00 Central European Time
ONLINE
Register
Critical Lessons: Learning Transfer from the Cannabis Industry to the Vertical Farming Industry
We are thrilled to organize a Webinar focusing on the technical aspects and experience of these experts:
Our speaker Emil Breza is Co-Founder, President, and CEO of AgricUltra™ Advancements Inc. Bringing together his interdisciplinary technical expertise and many years of product development and innovation he introduced to AgricUltra a PlantFirst™ design approach to create one of the industries most advanced Turn-Key Vertical solutions for Controlled Environment Agriculture applications.
Prior to founding AgricUltra, Emil had years of experience in Process Engineering, the Automotive Industry, Professional consulting, and the Military where he honed his ability to identify the root cause of problems and develop solutions that are outside the box.
Our speaker Buck Young is co-founder and Executive Director at CannTx Life Sciences Inc, a Canadian LP focused on leveraging innovation and science to produce exceptional cannabis products and provide solutions to the industry. He is also the CEO of Saed Technologies Ltd, which develops and licenses technologies related to plant propagation, a Board member of Mary Agrotechnologies, and sits on the management committee for a cannabis botanical drug strategic alliance with Devonian Health Group. He is passionate about translating research findings into commercial outcomes, advancing the adoption of precision agriculture, and understanding nature’s pharmacopeia.
Emil Breza
Buck Young
Dr. Joel Cuello
Please register here, there is only a limited number of tickets available.
Register
TAGS: ADVANTAGES OF VERTICAL FARMING AFRICA AGRITECHNICA AGROSPACE AVF WORKSHOP BRAINSTORM THE ECOSYSTEM DESIGNING THE ECOSYSTEM DLG ECOLOGICALLY ECONOMICALLY EVENT FOOD SAFETY FOOD SECURITY FOOD SYSTEM FOODSYSTEM FOOD TRACEABILITY FRAUNHOFER FRAUNHOFER IME HOW VERTICAL FARMING WORKS HUNGER INFARM INFOGRAPHICS INSPIRATIONAL ITALY MOTIVATION OPPORTUNITIES OPPPORTUNITIES PARTNER EVENT REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT RETAIL ROME RZ SOCIALLY SOUTHAFRICA STORYTELLING SUBMISSION SUMMIT SUPERMARKET SUPPLYCHAIN SUSTAINABILITY THE SIX SESSIONS URBAN AG VERTICAL FARMING WORKSHOP WORKSHOP WARM UP
Emerging Needs In Vertical Farming And Cannabis Cultivation
The development of vertical farming will continue considerably in the coming years, according to Montel Inc.. With the company’s Vertical Farming Systems Montel expects a very high volume of new projects in both food and cannabis. “COVID-19 has only increased the need to grow locally and inside cities”, says Yves Bélanger, VP Sales Vertical Farming Market International
15 January 2021
Jacco Strating
Yves Bélanger of Montel Inc. believes that COVID-19 has only increased the need to grow locally and inside cities. He speaks about why the development of vertical farming will continue considerably in the coming years.
The development of vertical farming will continue considerably in the coming years, according to Montel Inc.. With the company’s Vertical Farming Systems Montel expects a very high volume of new projects in both food and cannabis. “COVID-19 has only increased the need to grow locally and inside cities”, says Yves Bélanger, VP Sales Vertical Farming Market International.
Established in 1924, Montel pioneered high-density mobile storage systems providing cost-efficient storage solutions using less space and established a global network of authorized Montel distributors. Montel's achievements include some of the most prestigious projects in North America and around the world. “Prior to becoming North America's leading manufacturer of mobile systems, we had acquired nearly 40 years' experience in the electrical industry, including extensive involvement in the construction of generating stations and power grids for major world-leading hydroelectricity plants. This explains our expertise and the exceptional quality of our electrical mobile systems”, says Bélanger.
Inventive ways to feed the world
Before the crisis, it was already accepted as a general consensus that we are facing a complex challenge: we will need inventive ways to feed to growing population but the potential and land availability for cultivation has almost reached its maximum capacity. Also rising before the crisis was the global trend of growing locally due to a variety of factors or needs: in regions in which climate is a challenge, in remote areas, where there is water or soil rarity, aiming at lowering the carbon footprint, increasing product short shelf life, cutting down on transportation, etc. “In the long term, we feel that the current crisis will accelerate tremendously and definitely crystallize the need to grow locally and/or inside cities and the need to grow in a controlled cleanroom environment which will result in a higher demand for our product and a growth in our sector”, says Bélanger. “With its mobile carriages, the Greenrak Integrated Vertical Indoor Farming Solution is the ideal response to the current situation allowing both to increase yield while reducing the required surface by eliminating space wasting.
Customers increasingly have groceries delivered directly to their homes seems to be also an underlying trend rising from this crisis and in the long term, this may also play a role in creating a higher demand for our high-density cold storage solutions.”
Montel’s Greenrak and Grow&Roll systems were developed specifically for growing applications. Greenrak mobile system is lightweight, rust-resistant, and simple in design which allows for easy installation, use, and maintenance. Grow&Roll mobile system is the heavy-duty version of Greenrak and can withstand a weight of 3630 kg. Growrak was engineered to free up space between frames at each level providing plenty of clearance for better airflow, ventilation system ducts, lighting fixtures, and enough spacing for oversize trays to pass through between frames.
High yield hydroponic vertical farms
“Given the fact that Montel's Vertical Farming systems have been implemented in numerous indoor high yield hydroponic vertical farms that utilize cleanroom technologies and automation as well as many medical or recreational cannabis facilities around the world, we feel our expertise will benefit this growing sector. We are expecting a very high volume of projects that will require Integrated Vertical Farming Solutions. Our experience and knowledge allows us to rapidly assist the emerging needs in vertical farming and medical or recreational cannabis cultivation. By extension, we also foresee an increasing demand in the Cannabis Dispensaries market for our Light-duty drawer cabinet. We also expect a possible higher demand for our High-Density Cold Storage Solutions for the grocery delivery market and Buy Online, Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) market.”
Tags: Vegetables, Medicinal cannabis
CubicFarm Systems Announces Its First Operational Growing Machine For Hemp and Cannabis
The ZenCube project leverages CubicFarms' patented, undulating-path growing technology to allow hemp and cannabis growers to cultivate significant amounts of product in a smaller footprint by doing so in a completely climate-controlled environment
October 28, 2019
License Agreement with Zenabis to Expand Sales of CubicFarms Systems in New Vertical
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 28, 2019,/ CubicFarm� Systems Corp. (TSXV:CUB) ("CubicFarms" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that ZenCube, its vertical-farming machine for growing hemp and cannabis, is fully operational at a showcase and R&D facility in Langley, Canada.
The ZenCube project leverages CubicFarms' patented, undulating-path growing technology to allow hemp and cannabis growers to cultivate significant amounts of product in a smaller footprint by doing so in a completely climate-controlled environment. The ZenCube helps to address challenges faced by traditional growing methods, by providing a solution that requires less space, labour, water and energy, and is expected to result in a more consistent, higher quality product for farmers and end-users alike.
CubicFarms has developed a pipeline of sales opportunities for its ZenCube-branded growing machines that is expected to be augmented by an exclusive License Agreement signed with Zenabis Ltd. ("Zenabis"), a subsidiary of Zenabis Global, a leading Canadian licensed cannabis cultivator of medical and recreational cannabis, and propagator and cultivator of floral and vegetable products. Under terms of the agreement, Zenabis shall fulfill a minimum sales threshold of 150 ZenCube machines by year 2024 to maintain its exclusive license to operate, sell and sublicense ZenCube machines globally.
The License Agreement supersedes the Joint Venture Agreement between CubicFarms and Zenabis, announced in a Bevo Agro press release dated October 9, 2018. Bevo Agro now is Zenabis Global.
CubicFarms and Zenabis are conducting ongoing R&D on crop growth and quality at the Zenabis-owned-and-licensed Langley facility.
Dave Dinesen, Chief Executive Officer of CubicFarms, commented: "CubicFarms is excited to bring online its first growing machine for the purposes of facilitating yet another vertical in the hemp and cannabis space, and to help farmers grow more produce reliably, 12 months a year, wherever they are on earth. CubicFarms has received numerous enquiries to utilize our technology in this space and we are thrilled to serve this market, in addition to our other verticals, namely fresh produce, animal feed and nutraceuticals."
Leo Benne, Chief Growing Officer of Zenabis, added: "The Zenabis and CubicFarms partnership on the ZenCube project is a culmination of our joint vision of bringing a robust and reliable solution to the global hemp and cannabis market, to ensure we meet consistency and quality in our crop yields."
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. ("CubicFarms") is an ag-tech company commercializing large scale, vertical farming solutions for global industrial markets. Founded in 2015, the Company's mission is to provide industries around the world with efficient growing systems capable of producing predictable crop yields. CubicFarms offers turnkey, commercial scale, hydroponic, automated vertical farm growing systems that can grow predictably and sustainably for 12 months of the year virtually anywhere on earth. CubicFarms enables its customers in the fresh produce, animal feed, nutraceutical, and hemp/cannabis industries to grow locally and to provide their markets with safe, sustainable, secure and fresh ingredients that are consistent in colour, size, taste, nutrition and allows for a longer shelf life. Further support and value is provided to customers through the Company's patent-pending germination technology and proprietary auto harvesting and processing methods.
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 and energy, and 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, British Columbia, and sells its produce in the province to retail and wholesale customers under the brand name Thriiv Local Garden".
Information contact
Kimberly Lim
kimberly@cubicfarms.com
Phone: +1-236-858-6491
www.cubicfarms.com
Cautionary statement on forward-looking information
Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements with respect to the ZenCube is expected to result in a more consistent, higher quality product for farmers and end-users alike; and CubicFarms' sales pipeline is expected to be augmented by the License Agreement. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of CubicFarm Systems Corp., or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict", and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved.
These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the company, the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if the company's expectations regarding future events, performance, or results change.
SOURCE: CubicFarm Systems Corp
Exploring Cannabis Vertical Cultivation
Conceptually, vertical cultivation is not really easy to visualize. Simply put, vertical farming is the practice of growing cannabis in vertically stacked layers. This growing practice could either use conventional soil, hydroponic or aeroponic growing methods. Vertical farms can help produce cannabis in otherwise challenging environments
Conceptually, vertical cultivation is not really easy to visualize. Simply put, vertical farming is the practice of growing cannabis in vertically stacked layers. This growing practice could either use conventional soil, hydroponic or aeroponic growing methods. Vertical farms can help produce cannabis in otherwise challenging environments.
As some growers have come to know, cultivating cannabis indoors can be a costly affair. Real estate costs coupled with energy bills, significant staffing requirements, and a host of different elements needing to come together in precise tandem are required for an indoor grow to be operational. It then becomes crucial to be consistently profitable. And that can only be achieved by increasing plant yields. Maximizing the grow space is one way to reach this goal and that’s what brings us to the many aspects of vertical growing; the practice of producing plants in vertically stacked or inclined surfaces.
Primarily vertical farming can be done in one of two ways.
Stacked Vertical
The most common method of vertical farming is a stacked vertical setup. Here levels of plant racks have LED lights above each rack. Plants are topped and defoliated to keep them short and bud-heavy. This may lead to growers stacking in the flower stage - despite the plants being large and top heavy.
True Vertical
In true vertical growing, plants are grown out of the side of a column, with water and nutrients dripping down from the top.
The LED and the Ramp
Cannabis cultivation is going vertical in a big way and the primary reason for that is the vastly improved performance of indoor LED lighting systems. This is resulting in more and more cannabis growers investing in powerful multi-tier (or ‘vertical farm’) lighting systems. With fully functional LED system in place one can expect reducing production time on both the retail flower market as well as for oil extraction. More associated benefits include decreased energy consumption, reduced ventilation, air conditioning and heating needs, decreased cycle time, doubled production because of increased crop yield and of course, the overall reduction of the cost per pound of the finished product. It is also known to significantly reduce water and fertilizer usage. Most growers swear by it for the consistent, year-round flower quality and chemotype with denser trichome development in buds.
Environmental Conditions Get Complex Quickly
Maintaining optimum temperature, humidity, and air circulation is tough for all cannabis grows. But in vertical growing there are more variables in macro and micro environmental conditions because there are more plants, making absolute control more difficult. For the atmospheric variability, the use of sensors to detect data points like moisture changes is recommended. Generally, commercial growers use a single temperature/humidity sensor to monitor a room - even for grow areas spanning over 20,000 feet. In such cases, it is prudent to recommend air circulation systems that push air right in between the racks above the plants, usually with small ducts that take air from the edges of the room to the center of the racks.
Expensive to Set Up and Maintain
While growing plants vertically provides several fundamental advantages for cultivators, it also stands to reason that the increased yield comes with some added costs. This may include increased energy usage from artificial lighting, the upkeep and maintenance of state-of-the-art climate control systems, extra infrastructure required to facilitate a logistical equilibrium and of course, paying high-skilled technicians to constant upgrade and modify the equipment.
Certain Cultivars Work Better Than Others
The most successful cannabis cultivars for vertical growing are those that are short but have big buds. They will also need to have fewer leaves, so less defoliation is necessary. But if you are a confident defoliator, you can broaden the range and diversity of the cultivars used.
For more information:
Frontier Botanics
Lindsay Gayman BScN, Medical Cannabis Educator
+44 (0) 203 993 8250
info@frontierbotanics.com
frontierbotanics.com
Publication date: Wed 30 Oct 2019
© MMJDaily.com / Contact
Is Vertical Growing The Future of Cannabis?
In the food sector, vertical growing companies like Plenty, Aerofarms, Gotham Greens, and many more, are revolutionizing agriculture. But in the cannabis industry, which practically invented sunless growing, there has been notably less activity
(Daniel Berman for Leafly)
August 2, 2019
Indoor cannabis grows are expensive operations. Given the real estate costs, massive energy bills, and significant staffing requirements, it’s crucial to find a way to increase profits. Maximizing your grow space is one way to do this and that could mean vertical growing—the practice of producing plants in vertically stacked layers or vertically inclined surfaces.
In the food sector, vertical growing companies like Plenty, Aerofarms, Gotham Greens, and many more, are revolutionizing agriculture. But in the cannabis industry, which practically invented sunless growing, there has been notably less activity.
This is partly because high-pressure sodium lights (HPS), one of the most common lights used to grow cannabis for decades, run so hot that plants have to be many feet away to stay unharmed.
How to Top Cannabis Plants for Bigger Yields
But LEDs run at much lower temperatures, so you can install them inches from the plant canopy. Their decreasing price and increasing ability to equal or exceed HPS yields are making LEDs the standard, finally opening the door to vertical growing for cannabis.
“The main catalyst behind cannabis cultivation going vertical is the improved performance of LED lighting,” says Thomas Rogers, LED engineer of Exact Lux. “Cannabis growers are approaching us wanting the most powerful multi-tier or ‘vertical farm’ lighting systems possible.”
Two Types of Vertical Farming
Stacked vertical (left) and true vertical (right) cannabis grows with LEDs. (Sean Walling/Leafly)
Stacked Vertical
The most common method of vertical farming is a stacked vertical setup—levels of plant racks with LED lights above each rack. Plants are topped and defoliated to keep them short and bud-heavy.
Growers even stack in the flower stage, despite plants being large and top-heavy.
True Vertical
With true vertical growing, plants grow out the side of a column, and water and nutrients drip down from the top—see these examples from ZipGrowand Tower Garden.
Within the column, a hybrid method combines nutrient film technique (NFT), where nutrient water is passed directly over the roots, and aeroponics, a soilless grow method where roots hang in the air.
How to Prune Cannabis Plants for Maximum Yields
Pros and Cons of Vertical Growing
So why don’t all cannabis operations grow vertically, especially in this competitive new industry? Here we’ll look at some of the benefits and drawbacks.
Environmental Conditions Get Complex
Maintaining optimum temperature, humidity, and air circulation is tough for all cannabis grows. But in vertical growing there is even more variability in macro and micro environmental conditions because there are more plants, making control more difficult.
Because of this atmospheric variability, Hugh Gaasch, engineer at STEM Cultivation, recommends sensors to detect data points like moisture changes. “Shockingly, the majority of commercial growers I’ve seen to date use a single temperature/humidity sensor to monitor a room, even large spaces, over 20,000 feet.”
Grow Room Humidity Control: 5 Tips for Indoor Growers
In contrast, STEM Cultivation uses one temperature sensor per 100 cubic feet. STEM collects data on: temperature, humidity, air pressure, CO2 levels, lighting levels, lighting power (kW) and energy (kWh), system air circulation rates, localized air circulation, VOC (volatile organic compounds), and HVAC power and energy, to name a few.
Mike Zartarian, from Zartarian Engineering, builds circulation systems for vegetable and cannabis growers. To decrease chances of mold and fungi, he says: “I recommend systems that push air right in between the racks above the plants, usually with small ducts that take air from the edges of the room to the center of the racks.”
Expensive to Set Up and Maintain
Although vertical growing of any kind will increase yield by maximizing space, when you add up the increased energy usage from more artificial lighting, an upgraded climate control system, the extra infrastructure required (ladders, racks, sensors, and more), and paying high-skilled agro-technicians, it is very costly for many.
Zartarian says: “It’s by no means impossible, but the jury is very much out on whether it’s cost effective long-term. If veggie growers prove it to be a dominant technique, I would expect to see more experimentation on the cannabis side.”
How to Train Your Cannabis Plants for Better Yields and Potency
As it is, licensed operators he works with are struggling to meet demand and prefer to stick to more traditional techniques they know will produce.
Dangerous Conditions
Vertically grown cannabis needs a lot of hands-on attention during the flowering cycle as compared to, say, vertical lettuce crops which are more set-and-forget. The height of a plant must be closely controlled, which requires grow technicians to get up on step stools or scaffolding to reach into the plant canopy. These high-tier tasks may not be OSHA-compliant.
Certain Cultivars Work Better Than Others
The most successful cultivars for vertical growing are short, have big buds, and fewer leaves, so less defoliation is necessary. But if you’re a confident defoliator, the diversity of cultivars you can grow will broaden.
Arthur Brownsey, cannabis cultivation consultant at Four Trees, thinks most strains can grow vertically. “If you have a tight production schedule, group like-cultivars together, and plan accordingly, there are no restrictions to what you can grow.”
Factors That Impact Your Cannabis Strain: Part 3, Growing Techniques
Agro-engineer Aja Atwood of Trella sees value in vertical growing, but the limited cultivars it serves made her determined to find another option. “There is a wide variety of strains out there that prefer longer vegetation periods and have a taller growth structure. In order to diversify, you need to train or trellis those taller varieties to stay within the space.”
To allow for vertical growing with a diversity of strains, she and her partner Andres Chamorro invented a grow unit, TrellaGro LST, that trains plants to grow horizontally. Each unit is vertically stackable and equipped with LED lights that follow it as it grows sideways, allowing for taller strains and less energy use.
Stay Tuned
In these early days, vertical growing has yet to revolutionize the industry, and some operations, focused on supplying a high-demand market, are sticking with traditional growing methods.
However, most operations already know the price of cannabis will likely drop as competition grows. In that climate, the future of cannabis could move up, not out.
Christine Giraud, a freelance writer in Boston, has been writing about cannabis for publications like The Boston Globe, Overture Global Magazine, Dig Boston, Civilized, Her(b) Life, and Foottraffik.
Cannabis Sales Could Hit $41B By 2025, Nielsen Predicts
The market for all legalized cannabis, including CBD, is expected to quintuple from $8 billion in 2018 to $41 billion by 2025, according to new data from Nielsen
AUTHOR Jessi Devenyns
July 30, 2019
Dive Brief:
The market for all legalized cannabis, including CBD, is expected to quintuple from $8 billion in 2018 to $41 billion by 2025, according to new data from Nielsen.
Since the Farm Bill legalized hemp last December, Nielsen found interest in alternative forms of ingesting CBD has increased.
In the last four years, the variety of CBD edibles and other products has grown significantly. In 2014, there were only two states where marijuana was legalized and 166 brands of products. By 2018, that number jumped to 2,600 marijuana brands across four legalized states.
Dive Insight:
Despite cannabis remaining illegal at a federal level, the sentiment regarding the substance is changing. Last year, President Trump signed the Farm Bill, which made it legal to cultivate hemp. That move helped consumers and retailers feel more comfortable giving it a try.
Although there are still FDA restrictions on hemp-derived CBD as an additive in food, several retailers are now selling health and beauty products with it, according to Nielsen. A study by A.T. Kearney last year found four in 10 U.S. consumers said they would be willing to try food made with cannabis. This open sentiment has pushed more food and beverage companies to want to introduce cannabis products — a major reason for the high predicted growth rate in the next five years.
Beer companies have already seen success investing in the space. The Nielsen report shows that cannabis-interested adults are 41% more likely to drink beer. Lagunitas Brewing, part of Netherlands-based Heineken, sells its SuperCritical IPA made with aromatic marijuana terpenes in California. Ceria, helmed by former Blue Moon brewmaster Keith Villa, launched THC brew Grainwave in Colorado. Two Roots Brewing unveiled its nonalcoholic "cannabier" in Nevada. Meanwhile, Constellation and Molson Coors are still working on their brews.
Big companies in the food space have been more hesitant. Typically, CPG giants are slow to pick up on trends and introduce popular functional ingredients into their products, and the case is no different in with cannabis.
But companies are starting to promise to put the ingredient in products if the FDA legalizes it. Ben & Jerry’s said it will offer a CBD-infused ice cream to consumers. Bloomberg reported that Coca-Cola was in talks with Aurora Cannabis for a CBD-infused soda, though the soda company demurred and said it doesn't "have any plans at this stage" to enter the market.
Nielsen's numbers account for both marijuana and CBD-infused products. The firm also assumes 75% of the U.S. adult population will have consistent access to legal marijuana by 2025. The full legalization of the ingredient and its $35 billion effect on CPG sales, according to Nielsen, depends on several unknowns. But BDS Analytics is also projecting full U.S. legalization of all forms of cannabis by 2021 — based on public opinion through state legalization issues, federal government sentiment and momentum elsewhere.
Although the FDA held its first public hearing on cannabis and CBD this year, analysts still say it could be years before there is a path for products to get to market. While these big predictions on sales growth could entice more companies to get involved, others might remain cautious and wait before developing products. The increasing confidence and predicted growth from market research firms may inspire companies waiting on the sidelines to get into the market or it may push those companies that are already on the edge to take action.
Lead Photo: (Credit: Jennifer Martin )
Recommended Reading:
Micro Lab Farms New California Cultivation Complex Approved by City of Needles
The unique facility features Gen3 GrowPods, designed to outperform other methods of cultivation, and provide rapid growth in a multi-billion dollar market
July 29, 2019
The unique facility features Gen3 GrowPods, designed to outperform other methods of cultivation, and provide rapid growth in a multi-billion dollar market
CORONA, Calif., July 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Micro Lab Farms, a premier provider of automated indoor micro-farms for rapid production of legal cannabis, announced that it has been granted a Conditional Use Permit for a two phase cultivation facility in the city of Needles, California.
The resolution was passed by the Needles City Council, and allows Micro Lab Farms to develop its California Cannabis Cultivation Complex, which will feature over 100 state-of-the-art GrowPods.
The pods, designed by GP Solutions GWPD, +0.00%, are automated, transportable, scalable micro farms that have been shown to grow cannabis at a faster rate than conventional means of agriculture.
GrowPods allow cultivation to take place year-round, and eliminate pathogens, contaminants, pesticides and chemicals, to produce clean and robust crops. The Pods also provide a sealed environment for excellent isolation of specific strains and clones.
The GrowPods will also utilize GP Solutions proprietary soil mixture, which contains no animal products. This is critical in the cannabis industry because many other soils and additives can contain harmful pathogens and bacteria that have the potential to contaminate crops and cause testing failures.
The California Cannabis Cultivation Complex also provides investment opportunities to experienced growers, entrepreneurs, and qualified individuals seeking to add the cannabis sector to their portfolios. This passive investment allows stakeholders to participate in the rapid growth of the cannabis sector, with mitigated risk.
The Conditional Use Permit allows Micro Lab Farms to develop over 35,000 square feet of cultivation space.
For more information on Micro Lab Farms, or for information on GrowPods, or for details on investing in the California Cannabis Cultivation Complex, contact Micro Lab Farms at: (951) 266-6096, or visit: www.microlabfarms.com
About Micro Lab Farms
Micro Lab Farms has made it possible to rapidly and affordably enter or expand in the legal cannabis industry with its "GrowPod" cultivation systems.
GrowPods are modular, indoor micro-farms that feature a controlled environment, state-of-the-art air and water filtration, proprietary pathogen-free living soils, and automation systems that far outperform other methods of cultivation, and produce clean, robust crops without pathogens, contaminants, pesticides or chemicals.
For information on Micro Lab Farms, call: (951) 266-6096, or visit: www.microlabfarms.com
Connect:
Website: www.microlabfarms.com
Facebook: facebook.com/MicroLabFarms
Twitter: @MicroLabFarms
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/micro-lab-farms-new-california-cultivation-complex-approved-by-city-of-needles-300892124.html
SOURCE Micro Lab Farms
Copyright (C) 2019 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
“LitHouse Uses AmHydro EPIC Nutrient To Capture 4 Cannabis Cup Awards”
LitHouse took 4 awards (including a 1st place in the Sungrown Flower category) at the High Times 2019 NorCal Cannabis Cup on June 1st-2nd
July 9, 2019
AmHydro, industry-leading provider of hydroponic growing systems, crop consulting, grower training, and crop-specific nutrients, is proud to announce the recent Cannabis Cup® victory by grower LitHouse Farm® of Mendocino Coast CA.
LitHouse took 4 awards (including a 1st place in the Sungrown Flower category) at the High Times 2019 NorCal Cannabis Cup on June 1st-2nd . A family run operation since 2002, Lit House has cultivated their crops using the AmHydro EPIC® Cannabis nutrient line. AmHydro EPIC, a 5- stage cannabis nutrient program, is available at https://shop.amhydro.com/collections/epic-nutrients
Congratulations to LitHouse for a job well done!
They will be competing next at the Bay Area Cannabis Cup June 22nd-23rd.
Visit LitHouse at: http://www.lithouse.farm/ and on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/lit_house_farm/?hl=en
US (MA): Hydroponic Growing Graduates Learned With Lettuce, Seek Jobs in Cannabis
"The skills they learn in the (shipping containers) are transferable to the cannabis industry," Morse said.
Ernesto Hernandez Martin graduated Thursday from the Freight Farms Hydroponic Growing apprenticeship program at Holyoke Community College, having learned how to grow lettuce in the controlled environment of two shipping containers. But that’s not all he can grow.
“I’m looking forward to getting a job in the new industries, either in marijuana or in growing vegetables,” Hernandez Martin said while leading a tour of Freight Farms on Race Street in the city’s industrial Flats neighborhood and adjacent to the HCC MGM Culinary Arts Institute.
Neither college officials or Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse were shy Thursday about linking the hydroponic program with the city’s new marijuana industry and its need for skilled labor. They also said the program has the potential to help feed Holyokers who have trouble affording healthy meals.
"The skills they learn in the (shipping containers) are transferable to the cannabis industry," Morse said.
The college has no plans to grow anything but vegetables. The city, though, has embraced the newly legal cannabis industry.
Just this month, seed-to-sale marijuana company Trulieve Cannabis Corp., formerly Life Essence, bought a 150-year-old mill building at 56 Canal St. for $3.2 million with plans to build a 126,000-square-foot growing, processing, testing and retail operation there.
Source: MassLive (Jim Kinney)
Publication date: 7/1/2019
Micro Lab Farms in Needles, CA Helps Individuals Get Started With Modular Farming With Shipping Container Greenhouses
America’s medical cannabis industry is growing at a steady pace, with marijuana sales expected to amount to $50 billion in the upcoming decade
America’s medical cannabis industry is growing at a steady pace, with marijuana sales expected to amount to $50 billion in the upcoming decade. Micro Lab Farms is a California based company that empowers anyone to efficiently launch or expand a high-quality marijuana operation.
Needles, CA - America’s medical cannabis industry is growing at a steady pace, with marijuana sales expected to amount to $50 billion in the upcoming decade. This explosive growth has been driven largely in part due to all the legislative changes around the herb that have taken place recently. Entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the numerous business opportunities can jump into the “green rush” and get started almost immediately with today’s technology. Micro Lab Farms is a California based company that empowers anyone to efficiently launch or expand a high-quality marijuana operation.
Micro Lab Farms is known for their cutting-edge, eco-friendly growing systems which are optimized for productivity and profitability. Entrepreneurs from all backgrounds are looking into container farms from Micro Lab Farms to streamline the start-up process. Micro Lab Farms in California has gained recognition for their turnkey solutions that provide a full-featured environment to grow in any climate and any season.
These plug and grow systems are designed for automation and easy operation, allowing users to begin generating revenue almost immediately. Micro Lab Farms retrofits shipping containers and specifically modifies them to provide a controlled environment that allows for year-round production. A spokesperson for their company said, “Our grow lab is an affordable, scalable, efficient, and automated system. As a full turnkey solution, a grower can be up and running in a short amount of time. The return on investment can be achieved in as little as 6 months.”
Micro Lab Farms has developed ecological grow labs that utilize 90% less water and 80% less fertilizer. Since these are food-grade containers, no pesticides or pollutants are required to harvest high-grade medicinal cannabis. The California company offers soil, soilless, and hydroponic high yield and low impact solutions. Their 20’ and 40' shipping container greenhouses come equipped with an LED expert series lighting system, a rolling table system, a reverse osmosis water purification system, an HVAC system, a steel man door, and both, a dehumidifier and humidifier. Micro Lab Farms can develop a personalized solution to fit each individual’s growing needs, as they can include additional features such as clean rooms, shelving systems, prep stations, additional sensors and controls, as well as flower, clone and drying labs. Their grow labs are modular, stackable, and can be self-contained with solar and natural gas energy solutions.
Each grow lab is a completely secure and monitored environment. They are equipped with a mobile device compatible cloud-based control system, allowing users to seamlessly oversee their product from seed to harvest, through Micro Lab Farms’ remote monitoring and controlling app. The app provides real-time data of all the key components of the farm including the air, water, humidity, nutrients, and plant growth. Giving users clear visibility and maximum control over every aspect of their grow operation and eliminating all surprises.
Micro Lab Farms is located at 3353 Needles Hwy, Needles, CA 92363. For inquiries, contact their team via phone at (951) 266-6096 or via email at info@microlabfarms.com. Visit their website for additional information regarding their services.
How Cannabis Cultivation Has Advanced Farming Technologies
Those same technologies and practices are being brought to other agricultural products in a phenomenon called vertical farming
May 27, 2019
Canada’s newly legal cannabis industry might still be in its infancy but the legacy of illicit growers continues to contribute to greener agricultural practices across the globe.
The once covert operations—meant to keep cannabis cultivation under police radar—can be credited with creating innovative farming techniques that curb agricultural waste and save on natural resources like space and water.
See how cannabis has already helped in making the future a little greener.
Sustainable, environmentally-friendly farming practices may not have been the initial goal, but are among the unintended side effects of cannabis prohibition in this country.
Looking back to the 1970s when cannabis consumption was skyrocketing in Canada, supply simply could not keep up with demand and prices rose accordingly.
The problem was the supply chain. Most cannabis was brought into Canada by tourists, or people posing as them, returning from tropical nations like Jamaica, Mexico or the Bahamas. Law enforcement seized a big chunk of that illicit supply, causing numerous dry periods.
The solution to the problem was for cannabis enthusiasts to grow their own. That was easy for people living in California, but not so much for those in Nova Scotia.
Canadian cannabis consumers, however, persevered.
Growing indoors, they constantly improved their technology to include hydroponics, aeroponics, grow-lights and other devices to promote growth.
Sean Berrigan/Leafly
They selectively bred strains that were not just hardier, more bountiful, and increasingly potent, but used the same care that vintners take with fine wine to ensure traits they desired.
In just more than a generation, Canada went from having virtually no cannabis crop to becoming the No. 8 producer in the world, according to the UN, and a net exporter of what many consider among the world’s best varieties.
How Canada’s West Coast Became World Renowned for Cannabis Cultivation
And now, those same technologies and practices are being brought to other agricultural products in a phenomenon called vertical farming.
Essentially, the legacy concepts pioneered by cannabis growers have been adopted by people and companies growing other produce indoors with outstanding results. Although most of the biggest producers are in Japan, Taiwan and large American cities—where they can take up whole high-rises and warehouses—it’s quickly becoming big business in Canada too.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as much as 20% of the world’s food supply is grown in urban situations. And Allied Market Research predicted in a White Paper that vertical farming will take in nearly six times as much revenue in 2023 as it did in 2016.
It makes perfect sense. More efficient land use, less water used, few if any pesticides, lower fertilizer use, year-round harvests, and availability where people live without refrigeration or trucking are all cost reducers and environment helpers. And because the process is cleaner than traditional farming, yields are huge and even taste can be improved.
Chemical-Free Cannabis: Canadian Growers Turn to Biological Pesticides
“When you do a side-by-side test of the flavour,” said Rob Wing, executive chef for the Eataly gourmet market chain, “the taste isn’t even comparable.”
Leafly spoke with Ricky (not his real name), a veteran Abbotsford grower who started with a single plant in 1985 and 20 years later, was cultivating dozens. “People talk about it like it’s a new idea,” he said. “But we’ve been doing it since forever.”
He explained that cannabis growing was forced inside as much by law enforcement as climate; but acknowledged that by being able to control the farm’s temperature, he could harvest year-round.
Growing Cannabis Indoors vs. Outdoors: 3 Key Differences
Of course, such covert indoor cultivation requires artificial light. “That’s when the cops started looking at everyone’s utility bills,” he told us. Residences that used an inordinate amount of electricity were flagged as potential grow-ops. So, growers like Ricky switched to more efficient LED lights, reducing their electricity use. Business began to boom, and Ricky made cannabis cultivation his full-time job.
To keep up with demand without moving to a bigger, more conspicuous location, he had to become more efficient—and that required serious technology. “I tried hydroponics, but didn’t like all the water usage,” he said. “So, I switched to aeroponics.” That not only increased his output, but allowed him to grow far more potent cannabis.
Sensing legalization over the horizon, Ricky sold his plants and equipment and went into real estate. “I might have made a mistake, though,” he said, after reading some articles about successful urban farmers and noting how similar they are to his old operation. “I just should have switched to tomatoes or something.”
Even now that cannabis cultivation has gone big-scale and corporate, the innovations aren’t stopping. Hamilton’s Green Relief has embarked on an entirely new way to grow cannabis. Called aquaponics, the cannabis plants are grown alongside tanks of tilapia. The fish produce waste that is processed into fertilizer and the plants filter and clean the water for the tilapia.
Introduction to Growing Cannabis With Aquaponics
“Hydroponic cultivators have to drain their tanks every couple of weeks and refill them, starting the process all over again,” said Allan Glanfield, Green Relief’s marketing director. “Ours is closed circuit, from plants to fish to plants again.” The yield, the company says, is ten times as high as traditional methods and requires 90% less water. He likens the process to how lily pads grow in a natural setting.
While Green Relief could turn the tilapia it raises into a revenue stream, Glanfield said that the company donates them to Second Harvest to help feed the needy in the Hamilton area.
Although Green Relief is the only large-scale aquaponics farm in North America, Glanfield said that he is aware of several others in the startup process, and not all for cannabis.
“We’ve worked out the kinks and have an effective system, so it’s no surprise to see others adopt it,” he said. “We don’t feel threatened by them, we just like being reminded that it’s a great idea.”
Green Relief founders Warren and Lyn Bravo are so dedicated to the cause that they are building a smaller version of their farm for their backyard to provide them with fresh vegetables and fish.
Farms are moving indoors not just because they are cleaner, more efficient, and offer better products, but also because of the profit incentive. And it’s not just cannabis.
In many vertical farms, according to a study conducted by Agrilyst, Cornell University, Urban Ag News, foodshed.io, the Association for Vertical Farming, and FarmersWeb, it was determined that similar profits can be made by growing flowers, greens, microgreens, and herbs. And you don’t have to go through an arduous, years-long process to get a license to grow flowers.
So, when your future self is enjoying a big fat salmon steak along with fine fruits and vegetables all grown a few blocks away and harvested fresh that day, raise a glass to the pioneering cannabis growers who made it all possible.
Jerry Langton is a political reporter and author who splits his time between Canada and NYC.
Lead photo: Green Relief
Many Unanswered Questions, Concerns About CBD Products, Says FDA Acting Chief At First Public Hearing
The acting head of the Food and Drug Administration launched the agency’s first hearing on CBD products Friday with a laundry of list of questions about cannabidiol, better known as CBD, which is already being sold in pills, tinctures, skin lotions, sodas and dog food
You can buy CBD in oils, supplements, soda, even dog food. But most of them violates federal food and drug regulations, prompting concerns over safety and deceptive marketing.
A jar of CBD gummy candies at The Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition trade show in New York City. REUTERS/Mike Segar (Mike Segar/Reuters)
By William Wan
May 31, 2019
The acting head of the Food and Drug Administration launched the agency’s first hearing on CBD products Friday with a laundry of list of questions about cannabidiol, better known as CBD, which is already being sold in pills, tinctures, skin lotions, sodas and dog food.
How much of the cannabis extract is safe to consume daily, he asked at the jam-packed, all-day hearing at FDA headquarters in Silver Spring. How will it interact with other drugs? What if a consumer is pregnant? What is CBD’s effect on children? What happens if someone takes it over the course of years?
Acting Commissioner Norman “Ned” Sharpless said answers to most of those questions are still unknown despite the popularity of many CBD products.
“There are important reasons to generally prohibit putting drugs in the food supply,” Sharpless said. And cannabis extracts like CBD “are no exception.”
During the 10 hours of testimony that followed, hemp growers, start-up businesses, academic researchers and consumer advocates argued about how FDA should regulate the already booming CBD industry. Some demanded strict oversight. Others — especially companies with millions at stake — lobbied for looser regulation.
But the common theme among them all: FDA needs to figure out its rules sooner, rather than later.
Even though FDA’s regulations make adding CBD to food and supplements illegal, the CBD industry has exploded in recent years with thousands of unproven products flooding the market. Companies have trumpeted the compound’s alleged health benefits — claiming it can reduce anxiety, pain and insomnia and treat conditions from Parkinson’s disease to cancer. But almost all such claims lack rigorous scientific proof, prompting concern among health officials and scientists about safety and deceptive marketing.
Without clearly defined regulations, no one knows for sure how much CBD is in products available on the market, or how safely the chemical compound is being manufactured and incorporated into them.
“It’s a wild West kind of environment right now,” said Yasmin Hurd, a psychiatry professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, who has researched CBD for almost 10 years. “I’m inundated every day with patients wanting to know how much CBD they should take, which ones to buy. But we don’t know what’s in the stuff now being sold. . . . We’ve had this explosion without guidance to the public or regulation.”
How the FDA will choose to regulate the industry and how long it will need to figure that out remain unclear. Those prospective regulations have become a fierce battleground: More than 400 people and groups applied for a chance to speak at Friday’s hearing, with roughly 120 speaking slots parsed out.
CBD can be derived from the marijuana plant or hemp. Congress in December legalized hemp as part of the Farm Bill, clearing the way for industrial production of the nonintoxicating compound from that plant. But the FDA quickly made it clear to companies that while hemp was legal, CBD extract remained under government regulation. In recent months, the agency has sent warning letters to some companies that it said were “illegally selling CBD products that claimed to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure serious diseases, such as cancer.”
Billions are at stake in how the FDA decides to regulate the compound, with business analysts projecting the industry could grow to be worth as much as $22 billion in the next five years.
Market research firm New Frontier Data estimated that sales of CBD products in the United States more than tripled between 2014 and 2017, to $367 million.
Retailers like CVS and Walgreens have announced plans to sell CBD lotions and creams. Food and beverage companies have eagerly jumped in, too, with burger chain Carl’s Jr. selling CBD-infused burgers.
At Friday’s hearing, hemp growers argued that the CBD market represented thousands of jobs and a booming source of growth for the economy. CBD retailers relayed anecdotal evidence of patients who found relief to longstanding medical problems in their products.
Health advocates spoke equally passionately about the dangers posed by an unfettered CBD market.
So far, the agency has approved only one CBD-based drug, Epidiolex, which treats severe forms of childhood epilepsy.
In a phone interview, Orrin Devinsky, a New York University researcher who helped develop the drug, said the government’s haphazard approach has been frustrating to scientists trying to help suffering patients.
“You have researchers having to struggle through enormous expense and obstacles to study CBD,” he said. “At the same time, you can walk down to your neighborhood bodega and buy a CBD soda off the shelf. The nation and marketplace are in a horribly confused state.”
So far, treating epilepsy is the only application for CBD supported by rigorous scientific data, Devinsky said. Though less rigorous, some promising findings have emerged for CBD’s possible effect on anxiety and inflammation.
“The thing we worry about is someone with cancer forgoing real treatment like chemo and taking CBD instead,” said Devinsky, a neurology professor at NYU.
At Friday’s hearing, scientists and consumer advocates also warned that for the thousands of CBD products being sold, there is little data to guide dosage levels, expiration dates, and manufacturing protocols to make sure they don’t also contain other elements like tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive component in marijuana, which has been found in some CBD products.
Whatever the FDA decides, many in the industry are pressing for it to move quickly.
“I’ve talked to beverage companies and they want to get into this space, but they are not interested in just throwing themselves headlong into an area without science and engagement with regulators,” said Coleen Klasmeier, a former FDA staff lawyer and now partner at law firm Sidley Austin.
“For years now, the agency’s position has been just to throw up their hands and say it’s a confusing issue,” said Daniel Fabricant, a former FDA official overseeing dietary supplements, who is now chief executive of the Natural Products Association representing the supplement industry.
In addition to Friday’s hearing, the FDA has set a deadline of July 2 for written comments on the issue. It also convened a working group led by Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy to explore ways CBD products might be sold legally, the impact of such products on public health, and whether new FDA rules or congressional legislation may be needed.
In a string of tweets on Friday, Abernerthy summed up main points she and FDA officials were hearing over and over at the meeting: “Key questions about product safety need to be addressed. Data are needed to determine safety thresholds for CBD...There are both positive supporters of cannabis-cannabis derived products including CBD and also concerned citizens worried that widely available products can be harmful.”
Vertical Farming For Cannabis Gets Trial Run in Langley
Leo Benne, chief growing officer of Zenabis, with the converted shipping container that will become a testbed for a vertical cannabis farm. (Matthew Claxton/Langley Advance Times)
Grower Zenabis Will Start With Industrial Hemp And May Move to
Commercial Marijuana
Jun. 6, 2019
Zenabis, which merged with longtime Langley greenhouse firm Bevo last year, has received a hemp cultivation license from Health Canada, with growing to take place in Langley, Pitt Meadows, and Aldergrove facilities.
“We expect the seed to come in this week,” said Leo Benne, chief growing officer for Zenabis.
A small portion of that seed will be planted not in one of the greenhouses facilities, but in a converted shipping container, as a test on whether cannabis can be vertically farmed.
Bevo has already helped develop a vertical farming system through CubicFarms, a Pitt Meadows-based spin off.
Vertical farming involves growing large amounts of crops on small amounts of space, indoors, and usually without any soil.
Plants are reared in racks, stacked as high as the building or container can accommodate, and grown either hydroponically or aeroponically.
Energy efficient LED lights allow the plants to grow 24 hours, seven days a week, in any weather.
In theory, the cost of the equipment and intensive rearing is offset by the ability to grow non-stop and to place the growing site much closer to the end-consumer. Rather than trucking lettuce from California or Mexico, it could be grown just a few miles outside of Canadian cities and shipped just a few kilometres.
The hemp vertical farm is just a test at this point, said Benne. A single converted shipping crate has been hauled into one of the Zenabis greenhouses in Langley and will be ready for its test run at about the same time as 20 acres of industrial hemp is planted in the three facilities, from Langley to Pitt Meadows.
While most crops planted in vertical farms are extremely low-growing, allowing for many racks close together, cannabis is usually a tall-growing crop.
Benne said that a combination of the plants chosen and growing practices is expected to keep the plants shorter for the vertical farm project.
If the project goes well, vertical farming facilities could be used for growing commercial marijuana, said Zenabis CEO Andrew Grieve.
The industrial hemp isn’t being grown for commercial marijuana sales. Instead, the hemp will be processed into CBD oil, fibre, or other derivatives. The project is separate from Zenabis’s plans for growing commercial cannabis in Langley.
While Langley’s other large cannabis cultivator has caused controversy in Aldergrove over smell issues, Benne doesn’t believe that will be an issue for Zenabis.
“We’re doing things a lot differently,” he said. “First of all, we’re constructing a closed greenhouse facility. We’re able to keep most of the air inside the greenhouse.”
There are to be no roof vents, which should not only control odour, it helps the growers control humidity and other issues.
“Because we don’t have that exchange of air with the outside, we don’t have a lot of pest issues,” he said.
Air exhaust is to be controlled through carbon filters, and if those aren’t sufficient, biofiltration. That means basically pumping all the air exhaust through a big box full of bark and cedar chips to absorb the smell.
CAN (ON): Video Tour of An Ontario Based Cannabis Operation
James E. Wagner Cultivation Corporation President and CEO Nathan Woodworth gave a tour of the company’s new facility located in Kitchener, Ontario. Woodworth also talks about the company’s GrowthSTORM system and stresses that its high density, low-cost system is the most effective way to control the plant’s growth cycle. GrowthSTORM is a multi-part system that uses aeroponic and hydroponic techniques to optimize yield and plant growth.
“The degree of standardization that we can achieve with this system is proof that we have discovered a way to control the total plant growth cycle,” said Woodworth. “We’ve created a high-density, low-cost growth system which results in a 98 percent success rate after 11 to 14 days.”
Woodworth explained the process behind the system and its advantages. According to Woodworth, the plants are moved into GrowthSTORM baskets once they are fully rooted. The baskets allow the plant to form complex root systems throughout its life. Once the plants have reached full production size, they are moved to a low-density array until the flowering cycle is complete. Woodworth also talked about JWC’s latest innovation, the Dual Droplet system, which distributes a large and a small nutrient droplet. These droplets help KWC optimize the delivery and uptake of nutrients. The cannabis plants are then flat trained, ensuring standardization of yield per square foot and maximizing the quality of the finished product.
JWC’s facility has eight grow rooms that are capable of producing up to 50 kilograms per growth cycle with less than one percent crop loss. The company’s 29 strains, which feature four unique phenotypes, are all being grown using the GrowthSTORM system.
For more information:
JWC
1-888-594-4272
info@jwc.ca
jwc.ca
Publication date: 5/15/2019
Marijuana Prices Have Collapsed, Forcing Growers to Focus on Energy Efficiency
Particularly on the West Coast, prices have imploded as more growers set up shop and 2018 yielded strong harvests. That's good news for a cannabis consumer, but for the industry it means difficulty in turning a profit
Efficiency experts say the biggest opportunities to reduce energy use in the cannabis sector are in the design phase of a new grow operation.
Author: Robert Walton@TeamWetDog
May 1, 2019
As marijuana becomes more mainstream, an increasing number of utilities are seeing growers set up shop in their service territories — at times creating distribution system issues, and in general bringing significant new demand.
With federal legalization now a topic du jour, there is a growing focus on energy efficiency in the cannabis space and how utilities and industry groups can help growers control their demand. Total electricity demand from legal marijuana cultivation in the United States is estimated to rise 162% from 2017 to 2022, according to Research from New Frontier Data, which focuses on analysis of the cannabis industry.
Credit: New Frontier Data
Compared with a typical office building, indoor marijuana growers are about 10 times as energy intensive on a square footage basis, according to Neil Kolwey, industrial program director for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP).
SWEEP recently hosted a webinar to discuss energy efficiency in the cannabis industry, and Kolwey said it is important to keep the sector's energy use in perspective — it is not particularly large in aggregate, but can have significant impacts in specific areas.
Data centers use two to three times the energy of marijuana growers, again on a square-footage basis, he said, and account for about 1.8% of the United States' electricity consumption. Pot growers, including illegal operations, account for just 0.1% right now.
But cultivation centers are energy intensive: a single one could overload a utility transformer, while an industry can add substantially to a city's power demand.
Utility headaches
Growers account for 4% of Denver's electricity consumption. In Xcel Energy's territory, marijuana cultivation can account for close to 2% of demand and as the legal industry ramped up five years ago, it caused headaches for the utility.
"The issue wasn't meeting the demand," Xcel spokesman Mark Stutz told Utility Dive. But in some areas of its territory, "we often found the systems were not adequate for a 24 hour grow operation. ... There were growing pains in the first couple of years after it became legal."
There are now about 500 grow facilities in Xcel's territory, using between 35,000 MWh and 45,000 MWh annually. "Certain pockets [in the city] became warehouse districts for marijuana growing," said Stutz. Built years ago for different types of industry, transformers had to be replaced in order to deliver enough energy.
Energy consumption in Xcel's Colorado territory from the cannabis industry has since leveled off, Stutz said
Credit: Xcel Energy
Nationwide, however, the trend remains upward.
"We're seeing that electricity consumption increases are just continuing as this market continues to escalate," said Derek Smith, executive director at Research Innovation Institute (RII), a non-profit market-transformation group in the cannabis space. "That's the trend we're on unless we do something about it."
There are now more than 30 states with medical marijuana programs, and nine plus the District of Columbia have legal recreational access. Growing interest in cannabis means higher energy demand. But with the product now legal, markets are responding to typical economic forces — meaning energy efficiency may become vital to turning a profit..
Crashing prices and a focus on margins
Particularly on the West Coast, prices have imploded as more growers set up shop and 2018 yielded strong harvests. That's good news for a cannabis consumer, but for the industry it means difficulty in turning a profit.
"In almost every established market that's been around more than a couple of years, right now we recommend getting production costs down to $300/pound or below to stay competitive. That's a steep curve from where it was a year or two ago," said Jacob Policzer, director of science and strategy at The Cannabis Conservancy, a group that provides sustainability certifications to producers.
"Getting costs down will be the biggest factor moving [the industry] towards energy efficiency and sustainable growing practices," Policzer said.
That's important because of growing carbon emissions associated with the cannabis industry's electric demand.
Credit: New Frontier
"Energy consumption and carbon emission levels have become critical issues among stakeholders in the cannabis industry," according to a New Frontier Data report on the sector's energy use. But in trying to make improvements, stakeholders have "been forced to rely on data and analysis based on research published prior to the deployment of medical and adult-use programs."
Cannabis has typically operated in the shadows, and little information on best practices was shared, said Smith. RII is working to correct this. In 2017 the group developed the Cannabis Power Score, which attempts to give growers an idea of where their energy use stands relative to others, while collecting data on industry best practices.
"We are beginning to have enough data to create benchmarks," said Smith, pointing to grams-produced/kWh as a key metric. In turn, this is allowing the group to validate effective technologies and techniques.
"We really see as a vision, that cannabis is an incubator platform for the way agriculture will be done in the future," said Smith, looking to regenerative farming techniques and hyper-efficient, multi-tiered greenhouses.
"A well-designed and operated indoor grow can save up to 40% per gram of flower, compared to a standard indoor grow," said SWEEP's Kowley. Well-designed greenhouses, which have HVAC, dehumidification and lighting systems properly-sized in the design phase, can save 60% to 70%, he said.
In an environment where prices have fallen and supply is plentiful, energy efficiency can make the difference for producers. Energy is about 20% to 40% of an indoor grower's total operating costs, said Kowley. By comparison, a mid-sized brewery might see energy make up 6% to 12% of its costs.
Renewables and cannabis?
It is somewhat counterintuitive to consider a need for renewable energy in the cannabis space — after all, you could just grow outside. But not all climates can support year-round outdoor cultivation, strict local regulations have kept many growers inside, and some consumers say indoor marijuana is simply better.
Adam Bartini, senior program manager at The Energy Trust of Oregon, has worked with a number of growers on efficiency projects, helping provide rebates and incentives. The Energy Trust offers licensed growers free technical services, along with incentives to install energy-efficiency equipment at new and existing facilities.
Bartini, in his presentation during SWEEP's webinar, pointed to Deschutes Growery in Bend, Oregon, where the Energy Trust helped provide more than $400,000 in incentives. Along with LED lighting, the growers also installed a 56.4 kW solar system — though the total project costs topped $1.1 million.
"It is a very big investment, given how energy intensive it is to grow cannabis," Bartini said, "You need a pretty sizeable investment to offset a large percentage of that usage. So it's not gonna be for every grower. It's going to be someone who really has a lot of capital to investment. But it's obviously something we love to see."
Energy financing solutions are beginning to reach cannabis companies, said Smith, though primarily for efficiency projects. The Energy Trust works with cannabis growers the same as any other Oregon customer looking to reduce their demand. And Smith noted that some smaller growers are "creatively organizing" to take advantage of renewable energy tax deductions.
"The financing solutions are coming to pass," said Smith.
Xcel's Stutz said the utility does not offer programs specifically for cannabis growers, but "the marijuana industry can and does take advantage of programs we have," including general lighting — though not growing lamps.
But according to SWEEP's Kowley, the most affordable way for marijuana growers to embrace efficiency is to consider it from the very beginning.
"The best opportunities are in the design phase," said Kowley. "Once a grow is up and running, retrofits are difficult. ... More utilities should offer the kind of design assistance that Energy Trust does."
Follow Robert Walton on Twitter
Village Farms Says Cannabis Planting On Track At Pure Sunfarms
The Canadian vegetable grower owns 50% of
Pure Sunfarms, a 1.03 million square foot cannabis growing space
April 23, 2019
Village Farms International announced that its 50%-owned joint venture for large-scale, low-cost, high-quality cannabis production, Pure Sunfarms, has, on schedule, completed planting of Quadrants 1 and 4 of its 1.1 million square foot Delta 3 greenhouse operation in Delta, BC. As a result, the entire 1.03 million square feet of growing area at the Delta 3 facility (composed of 16 individual grow rooms) is now in production. Pure Sunfarms remains on track to achieve full run rate annual production of 75,000 kilograms at the Delta 3 greenhouse operation by mid-2019.
"With the support of Village Farms' decades of experience developing and ramping up large-scale growing operations, the Pure Sunfarms team continues to execute on plan," said Michael DeGiglio, Chief Executive Officer, Village Farms. "We have great confidence in the team's ability to replicate the success of the Delta 3 cannabis operation with the nearly identical 1.1 million square foot Delta 2 'sister' facility, which will double Pure Sunfarms' annual production to 150,000 kilograms and support its goal to be the high-quality, low-cost producer in Canada."
As previously announced, Pure Sunfarms is targeting to complete its first harvest at the Delta 2 facility by mid-2020 and achieve full run-rate production at the Delta 2 facility in the fourth quarter of 2020. All targeted production timelines for the Delta 2 facility are subject to the timing and receipt of requisite Health Canada licenses.
This Solar-Powered Cannabis Facility Is Biggest In U.S.
Written by Peter McCusker
The first commercial-scale solar-powered cannabis farm is a “green” template for the industry to follow, says the company behind its creation.
Californian cultivator Canndescent spent $3.75 million retrofitting its 11,000-square-foot growing warehouse in Desert Hot Springs. The commercial-scale solar cannabis project uses 734 solar modules, on seven different carport structures, and can now produce enough power to charge an estimated 20% of U.S. smartphones for a day.
Canndescent founder and CEO, Adrian Sedlin, said in a press statement: “We commissioned the solar project because the modern cannabis consumer deserves and demands that we create exceptional products using exceptional practices.”
“As an industry coming of age right now, it’s natural and appropriate for the cannabis industry and Canndescent to lead the business community in addressing some of the world’s pressing challenges,” he continued.
Desert Hot Springs, CA
The state-of-the-art, clean energy system has a capacity of 283 kilowatts and will reduce the facility’s annual carbon emissions by 365 tons. Two-thirds of U.S. commercial cannabis production facilities are indoor operations, while a further 20% are at least partially indoors. Indoor cannabis facilities require large amounts of energy for lighting, heating, air-conditioning, and dehumidification systems, said the press release.
Indoor cannabis greenhouses are said to consume around 1% of US electricity, according to industry experts. Whilst outdoor growers tax local water resources. As the first cannabis company to use renewable power at a large-scale production facility, Canndescent says it has “created a ground-breaking template for sustainability… uniting water efficiency, energy efficiency and pesticide-free growing in an indoor format.”
Canndescent constructed the project in eight weeks after a two-year struggle to win approval and financing. The project consists of custom carport structures since solar could not be installed on the facility roof due to fire codes, reports Solar Power World.
Canndescent’s Chief Compliance Officer Tom DiGiovanni said: “Given the restrictions around cannabis banking and lending and the complexities of energy projects and California civil construction in general, this was extraordinarily difficult to pull off. Nevertheless, we got it done and have established a template for the ‘green industry’ to go greener.”
Canndescent was set up by Harvard Business School graduate Adrian Sedlin and opened the first municipally-permitted facility in California in 2016. Desert Hot Springs, where Canndescent is based, went bankrupt in 2001 and almost did again in 2014. The town then decided to become the first place in California to allow indoor cannabis farming on an industrial scale, and has experienced a renaissance since.
California legalized the sale and use of marijuana for recreational purposes in 2018.
Zuri Humblet, Fospan Worldwide CEO “Growing Cannabis In Large-Scale Operations Demands Knowledge"
Fospan Worldwide is a Dutch-Spanish solution provider for the horticulture and specialized in the medicinal cannabis industry with many years of cannabis experience. Zuri, Fospan CEO, points out that “One of the most crucial issues in starting a horticulture business, is to look for and rely on specialized companies and products that aim at supporting growers in being successful”.
According to him, most of the time, setting up a growing facility reveals itself to be trickier than initially expected. “Growing cannabis, especially in large scale operations, demands knowledge on what is available on the market. In the recent past, a lot of starting growers jumped into the cannabis industry based on experience gained in small-scale operations from the days where cannabis was mainly cultivated for own usage”, explains Zuri.
For Fospan worldwide it has always been important to be a developing company whose mission is to support growers in being successful. “We help growers with their projects in every possible way. From designing complete facilities, advising or providing growing systems, custom-built aquaponic, aeroponic, natural substrates and hydroponics systems and equipment up to providing Magnus light (Fospan’s brand LED) solutions. But also our Optimus specialty substrates, nutrients and exclusive CBD seeds and award winning Sumo seeds are part of our portfolio”, says Zuri.
A regulation for lighting
Differently from traditional horticulture, cannabis greenhouses need a more careful management of lighting and, as a result, of climate control, especially with regards to the compliance with pharmaceutical standards. Zuri mentions “There are many fields in which we support our customers. A good example is the lightning which is needed in a farm. We were recently informed that the Danish agency responsible for licensing medical cannabis producers issued regulations on lamps that are allowed to be used. Apart from requirements like easily cleanable (for active cooling, no fans and for passive cooling, no cooling fins) and made from non-toxic materials, the output must be of high quality to ensure that yields and cannabinoid profiles are consistent. Further it is mentioned that the luminaires and parts must be of high quality so that their light output and spectrum does not decay quickly, dramatically affecting the yields. This also concerns the wavelength distribution of the spectrum which must remain without significant changes throughout the luminaires’ lifespan to ensure consistent yields and cannabinoid expressions”.
On the left: water-cooled ML-365 in a medical cannabis facility. On the right: water-cooled ML-700 in a medical cannabis facility
Zuri continues: “Such a regulation disqualifies HPS lamps from being used in GMP/GACP compliant cannabis production. Their light rapidly loses intensity, creating differences among growth cycles, while constancy is a key requirement. The regulations also mention that there is a product safety risk due to braking of the bulb of the HPS fixture as the entire facility would be compromised as the sodium and mercury inside the bulb would get dispersed all over the canopy”
With an eye for future developments, Zuri states: “I am rather convinced that the rules and regulations developed by the Danish authorities will be guiding for a lot of other countries, in and outside Europe, that are in the process of licensing medical cannabis production and whose government agencies will for sure demand GMP/GACP standards.”
As Fospan is the developer and exclusive provider of Magnus LED lights, Zuri understands some Danish regulations, even on the use of LED technology, which in fact support his advices. Most LED luminaires have deep fins which are used for heat dissipation. While good at removing excess heat, those lamps are very difficult to clean, which is seen as an important issue by the Danish regulator, according to him. “Even with a special set of tools and a high effort to get inside the ridges and remove the dust particles and pathogens from within, it would be hard to be absolutely sure and prove that these have been properly sterilized.”
Multiple solutions available
Zuri explains other consequences of the Danish ruling: “LED luminaires with active cooling such as fans cannot be completely closed as they need to circulate air. This means having a device that is even more difficult to clean than a passively cooled LED i.e. one with deep fins. Furthermore, the quality of spectra inside LED luminaires - while better than HPS - varies significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer. In some brands of LED lights, parts of the spectrum will start to diminish already after 10.000 hours of operation, starting with the blue peak and other shorter wavelengths resulting in taller plants with less cannabinoid accumulation (similar to HPS grown plants). This is dependent on the quality of the LED chips the manufacturer uses. The best quality chips will sustain the same spectrum quality with minimal variation over its entire lifespan”
ML-270 & ML-365 COB LED Lights with farred control | available in air or water-cooled fixtures
Zuri is more than happy that Magnus Lights anticipated on such regulations. “These are examples where our experience and partnerships played a major role” he says. Fospan worldwide developed water-cooled Magnus LED (100.000 light hours = 22 years of flowering) specifically for the medicinal cannabis industry and GMP standards. “For instance, some positive points are that the fixtures are totally closed, made of full aluminum parts and available in different wattage, voltage or type fixtures like linear or COB top-lights. The lights are developed in close collaboration with Parus who is one of the leading horticulture LED manufacturers in the world. To underline the quality and durability of the LED’s manufactured by Parus: in a project for the largest Russian lettuce producer which they installed in 2008 has not occurred a single LED fail or output decay until today”, he explains.
All in one
One of the pressing problems within this industry is the lack of a common knowledge that everyone can resort to. “There are so many products and there is so much information published – which is also an indication of how this industry is blooming. At the same time, it is hard for growers to understand what the best way to do things is, and who and what to rely on”. Zuri reacts to those development saying: “That is why we prefer to be completely honest to our clients, and share our experiences and everything we know about this industry with them – as we have been in this business for over 17 years and love what we are doing”.
Zuri explains that Fospan support its clients with tailor-made solutions and in every step of the process, starting from designing and building the facility to growing the plants. “One of trickiest aspects in cannabis growing facilities is lighting, and especially keeping it equal throughout the facility.” Zuri explains that it is crucial to design a lighting system that takes the complete lay-out of the facility into consideration and calculates the amount of micromoles required. “We distribute Magnus Light solutions and design a light plan specifically for each growing facility.”
Multi-layer solutions
According to him, Magnus Light solutions are a solution for both for the vegetative as well as the flowering state. Additionally, Magnus Light solutions support growers in keeping the growing facility as cool and efficient as possible: “We indeed offer lights with a water-cooling system, thus reducing the heat generated up to 20%” not even to mention that this effects also the lifespan positively.
Bringing the industry together
“Through Fospan Worldwide, we try to help growers in every possible aspect of their cannabis projects. For instance, we can supply them with genetics. Our strain portfolio is very diverse, from high THC/low CBD, to high CBD/low THC. With regards to our specialty substrates Optimus portfolio, we can, if requested, provide a made-to-measure mixture for a client who has already a personal mixture in use”.
Zuri underlines: “Fospan’s job is not finished after a project is completed. We take care of our clients, and we really like to follow up with them, exchange ideas and provide them with new developments. Success is the best advertisement. We have been active in this industry for a substantial amount of time, and therefore we have quite a number of connections. This allows us to support growers also in other types of activities and plans, as we can point them to the right direction, company and/or person. There is still a lot to learn in this industry and market, and we think it is important to support each other.”
For more information:
Fospan Worldwide
fospan.com
Magnus Light
magnuslight.com
Publication date: 4/12/2019
Author: Andrea Di Pastena
© MMJDaily.com