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

By Pamella de Leon

August 10, 2021

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

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

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

Source: Natufia

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

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

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

Natufia botany lab  

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

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

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

UAE’s “Green Sheikh” Visits Green Bronx Machine, Gotham Greens And CS55

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22-July-2021

by Green Bronx Machine

Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz welcomes the "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi to GBM's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center at CS 55 in the South Bronx.

1. Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz welcomes the "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi to GBM's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center at CS 55 in the South Bronx.

2. Green Bronx Machine

   The "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi tours Green Bronx Machine's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center at CS 55 in the South Bronx.

3. Gotham Green Co-Founder and CEO Viraj Puri (r) hosts the "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness SheikhAbdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, along with Green Bronx Machine Founder Stephen Ritz and former GBM student and current Gotham Greens employee Corey Gamble at their Brooklyn-based greenhouse.

4. Senior officials from NYC Department of Education, the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, NYS Senator Gustavo Rivera, and other staff and community from CS 55 greet His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi at Green Bronx Machine's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center.

Newswise — BRONX, NY, July 22, 2021 – Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz and his students welcomed yesterday His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, to their classroom at the National Health and Wellness Learning Center (NHWLC) at CS 55 in the Bronx.

A member of the ruling family of Ajman of the United Arab Emirates and an environmental adviser to the Ajman Government, HRH is a globally acclaimed humanitarian and philanthropist whose work focuses on mindfulness, well-being, spirituality, sustainability, and nutrition, particularly in children and those living in marginalized communities. 

During the visit, HRH, known as the “Green Sheikh,” and Ritz, often called “America’s Favorite Teacher,” had a chance to catch up on all things ag education-related and see what GBM students are growing and learning during the Summer Rising school program that is currently in session.  In fact, GBM’s students hosted a luncheon for HRH, preparing and serving him a vegan meal made from vegetables grown by them right in their NHWLC classroom.  Prior to arriving at CS 55, Ritz accompanied HRH on a tour of Brooklyn-based Gotham Greens, a longtime GBM supporter, and partner. Gotham Greens, a pioneer in sustainable indoor farming with the largest network for hydroponic greenhouses in North America, brings a fresh perspective to how businesses can operate with a triple bottom line.

"The power of friendship between the UAE and USA started many years ago via multiple platforms.  Events like these help that friendship to continue to blossom and grow. Today, we all come together for sustainability, stewardship, and the best interests of all children. Today, we celebrate education and possibilities,” said His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi.  “After many years of working together overseas, to be able to visit my dear friend, Stephen Ritz, and see the work of Green Bronx Machine personally, in his home country and home community is beyond exciting. To see this classroom and to visit Gotham Greens is to truly understand what is possible when people work together with innovation and dedication to change lives. This is what community looks like. This visit helps to share our work, our commitment, and our shared vision for the future and the planet for everyone to see - all around the world. I want to thank the NYC Department of Education, the residents of the Bronx, Stephen's family, colleagues, and the community at Community School 55 and the staff at Gotham Greens for their gracious hospitality. I look forward to continuing our sharing, our learning, and our working together." 

Longtime sustainability allies, the two green leaders met years ago in UAE via government officials with The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) of Dubai.  KHDA is responsible for the growth and quality of private education in Dubai.  The two quickly became friends, sharing their passion for impact work, philanthropy, sustainability, education, and wellness initiatives. 

Stephen continues to work in UAE with ESOL Education.  Based on the model of Green Bronx Machine's National Health, Wellness, and Learning Center, ESOL launched the International Health, Wellness and Learning Center at Fairgreen International School located in the heart of Dubai’s The Sustainable City – the first net-positive city in the world.  Fairgreen International School is considered a Top Twenty School in the UAE and is known for innovation globally. 

“It has been an honor hosting His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, our dear friend, colleague, and fellow believer in the power of the plant to grow successful people, communities and economies,” said Ritz.  “We look forward to our continued work with HRH.  We are always ready to bring the Bronx to the world and make epic happen for millions more across the globe.” 

Over the coming months, HRH and Ritz will embark on a series of joint projects including a series of books for young people about bringing the farm to the desert, as well as building farms throughout the UAE to address food insecurity, agricultural innovation, workforce development, and overall health and wellness. 

“We built our first greenhouse in New York City in 2011 with the mission to reimagine how and where fresh food is grown,” said Viraj Puri, Co-Founder, and CEO of Gotham Greens. “His Highness, Green Bronx Machine, and Gotham Greens all share a passion for environmental advocacy and building a more sustainable future for our planet and for people around the world. We believe business can be a force for good, so we plant roots in the neighborhoods surrounding our greenhouses through long-standing partnerships with community groups and non-profit organizations like Green Bronx Machine, bringing nutritious, local food and STEM education to cities across America. We know that the impact from these programs extends beyond the borders of our neighborhoods and are proud to share learnings from our experience over the past decade.”

About Green Bronx Machine

Founded in 2011 by Global Teaching Prize finalist and life-long educator Stephen Ritz, Green Bronx Machine (GBM) is an impact-driven, for-purpose organization with 501(c)(3) status.  GBM builds healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st Century workforce development. Dedicated to cultivating minds and harvesting hope, its school-based model and propriety curriculum uses urban agriculture aligned to key school performance indicators, to grow healthy students and healthy schools.  Simultaneously, GBM also transforms once fragmented and marginalized communities into neighborhoods that are inclusive and thriving.  For more information, visit www.greenbronxmachine.org.

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BASF Venture Capital Invests In Indian Startup UrbanKisaan

Startup optimizes sustainable agriculture without soil in tropical climates

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hydroponic farming – an efficient way to use limited resources

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

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

About UrbanKisaan

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

About BASF Venture Capital

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

About BASF

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

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

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

Is A Vertical Farm Cost Effective To Build And Operate?

Author: Robert Colangelo.

Founding Farmer at Green Sense Farms Holding, INC.

A common question we’re often asked is a vertical farm cost-effective to build and operate? There is no categorical answer to this complex question, which often requires a detailed feasibility study to resolve.

The answer Starts With The 4 Cs -

Crop, Capacity, Climate, and Capital Budget.

Crop: What is the intended crop and how many varieties will be grown? At this time vertical farms can economically grow leafy greens (lettuces, baby greens, herbs, and microgreens), starter plants, and cannabis. To grow a cultivar well its best to design a farm with individual grow rooms where set points can be optimized to the monocrop. Many customers ask us to build farms that can grow a wide range of crops. We suggest specializing in growing large volumes of a few crops, that you can grow well and build a brand. This will also make production more efficient increasing the profitability.

Capacity: What is the desired output and frequency of harvest? The answer to this question is key to sizing a farm design. Understanding the production schedule and how many crop rotations a farm will hold will assist in laying out the farm. Capacity is also key to calculating the unit production cost. The bigger the farm typically the lower the unit cost.

Climate: One of the advantages of a vertical farm is that it can be built anywhere from the cold-dry climate in the South Pole to the hot- humid climate in Southeast Asia. The more humid the climate the more expensive mechanical equipment will be required to control Temperature and Relative Humidity. A good farm design can take into consideration the outside cool-dry climate and use it to reduce capital and operating expenses. In addition, cooler drier climates tend to have less bugs which will reduce operating costs when it comes to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs.

Capital Budget: A rule of thumb is that if you spend more on capital expense then you will reduce your operating expense. A well-built farm that is designed to optimize crop growth will lower the daily operating cost. To do this it greatly helps to have an anchor customer identified, define the crop (s) that will be grown, the harvest frequency/delivery and how it will be packaged so that these variables all be factored into the farm design.

Many other factors play a role in setting and building a farm. This includes location, automation, and labor. The 4C’s will get you off to a good start and will allow the development of an initial financial proforma so that you can predict the size of the farm, output, and the capital required to build and operate the farm profitably. I have learned that sometimes the best projects are the “ones not done.” Building a farm too big or too small can be a disaster. Starting backwards to first identify and understand the customers’ needs is a good way to begin. With adequate research and planning a vertical farm can be built to operate profitably and be a project worth doing! 

Bowery Farming Secures $300 Million To Continue US Expansion

Bowery Farming has secured $300 million to continue the expansion of its network of indoor farms across the United States. The company has secured more than $472 million in funding to date, bringing its valuation to $2.3 billion. 

The funding will provide resources to accelerate advancements in farm design and the BoweryOS, enabling more and more communities access to a reliable supply of locally-grown produce, year-round.

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Accelerating technologies
“This infusion of new capital from Fidelity, other new investors, and the additional support of our long-term investor partners is an acknowledgment of the critical need for new solutions to our current agricultural system," said Irving Fain, CEO and Founder of Bowery Farming.

"Next to that, it's the enormous economic opportunity that comes with supporting our mission. This funding not only fuels our continued expansion but the ongoing development of our proprietary technology, which sits at the core of our business and our ability to rapidly and efficiently scale towards an increasingly important opportunity in front of us.” 

“Bowery’s approach to indoor farming represents a meaningful disruption to the traditional produce supply chain, and its systems-based approach to engineering and farm design is unparalleled,” said Andy Wheeler, General Partner at GV. “I look forward to continuing to partner with the Bowery team as they build and scale the largest indoor farming network in the U.S. and bring more sustainable produce to consumers.”

Rapid growth
Now in over 850 grocery stores, Bowery has experienced more than 750% growth since January 2020 at brick-and-mortar retailers like Albertsons Companies, Giant Food, Walmart and Whole Foods Market, and more than quadrupled e-commerce sales through e-commerce platforms, including Amazon Fresh.

In January 2021, Injong Rhee (formerly VP at Google and CTO of Samsung Mobile) joined Bowery as Chief Technology Officer to oversee the seamless integration and ongoing development of technology across the growing network.

The Company is currently transforming an industrial site in Bethlehem, PA into its largest, most technologically advanced and sustainable farm yet, expanding its reach further into the Northeast and Pennsylvania region. Bowery will be breaking ground on additional large-scale commercial farms this year, and is actively engaged in identifying new farm locations in the United States with an eye towards global expansion. 

25 May 2021

Upward Farms Opens New Aquaponic Operation In Brooklyn, New York

May 19th, 2021

by Jenna Plasterer     

BROOKLYN, NY - Innovation and sustainability are two facets of the fresh produce industry that are growing like wildflowers, and one company seeing the effects of this expansion is Upward Farms, the aquaponics vertical farming company. The New York-based grower has announced the opening of a cutting-edge new headquarters that will continue to support Upward’s commercial production, research, and development.

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Jason Green, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Founder, Upward Farms“Upward Farms’ new facility successfully scales our vertical farming model. Controlled environments and ecological farming are not at odds but are powerful compliments for the next generation of farming. We’re delivering higher yields, disease resistance, safety, and sustainability in a platform that can be deployed anywhere in the world, regardless of climate,” said Jason Green, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Founder. “The pandemic underscores the importance of shoring up supply chains to be more local for transparency, safety, and efficiency. Localized produce is especially important from a food safety standpoint. As vertical farms scale, we can create a supply chain that’s fundamentally more resilient than shipping produce around the country, if not around the world.”

The new facility is located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York, and utilizes Upward’s next-generation technology to advance the company’s growth. According to a press release, the operation is powered by end-to-end automation and is USDA Certified Organic, making it one of the first Certified Organic vertical farms in the Northeast region of the U.S.

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Upward Farms has announced the opening of a cutting-edge new headquarters that will continue to support the company's commercial production, research, and development

In addition to its state-of-the-art technology, the new headquarters includes a fishery that is Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch “Best Choice” rated, and sustainably farms mercury-free, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free striped bass.

Upward Farms’ ready-to-eat microgreen mixes are currently available in all Brooklyn Whole Foods locations and are anticipated to be available in all New York City Whole Foods stores within the next few months.

The new operation is powered by end-to-end automation and is USDA Certified Organic, making it one of the first Certified Organic vertical farms in the Northeast region of the U.S.

As consumer trends continue to shift toward fresh, organic produce and online purchase of groceries, Upward Farms is offering consistent product availability, quality, and scalability for locally grown greens. The grower is expecting further expand as demand increases and has already raised approximately $150 million to date from investors to spark growth.

For more news regarding vertical farming and other growing practices gaining traction across the industry, stick with AndNowUKnow.

Upward Farms Launches First Organic Vertical Farm In The US Northeast

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MAY 19, 202

BY DAVID EDWARDS

Upward Farms, An Aquaponics Vertical FarmingCompany,

Has Opened Its New Headquarters

In Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York

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The innovative new facility – which is Upward Farms’ first – utilizes the company’s next-generation technology in both commercial production and research and development.

The operation, powered by breakthrough end-to-end automation, is USDA Certified Organic, making Upward Farms the first and only Certified Organic vertical farm in the Northeast region.

It includes a fishery that is Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch “Best Choice” rated, and it sustainably farms mercury-free, antibiotic-free and hormone-free striped bass.

Upward Farms’ ready-to-eat microgreen mixes are currently available in all Brooklyn Whole Foods Market locations and are expected to be available in all New York City Whole Foods Market locations in the coming months.

Jason Green, Upward Farms CEO and co-founder says: “Upward Farms’ new facility successfully scales our vertical farming model. Controlled environments and ecological farming are not at odds, but are powerful compliments for the next generation of farming.

“We’re delivering higher yields, disease resistance, safety, and sustainability in a platform that can be deployed anywhere in the world, regardless of climate.

“The pandemic underscores the importance of shoring up supply chains to be more local for transparency, safety, and efficiency. Localized produce is especially important from a food safety standpoint.

“As vertical farms scale, we can create a supply chain that’s fundamentally more resilient than shipping produce around the country, if not around the world.”

As consumers continue to gravitate toward fresh, organic produce and purchase more groceries online, Upward Farms offers consistent product availability, quality, and scalability for locally grown greens.

According to the Organic Produce Network, US organic produce sales rose by 14 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, outpacing growth in conventional produce and highlighting the increased demand in a post-Covid world for organic fresh produce.

Previously sold under the brand names Seed & Roe and Edenworks, Upward Farms microgreens are a best-selling product in the salad category where sold.

Two Upward Farms’ microgreen blends – Mighty Microgreens Mix and Spicy Microgreens Mix – will soon be at Whole Foods Market stores across New York City.

The Company anticipates further growth to answer demand in the US Northeast and beyond. The Company has raised approximately $150 million to date from investors that include Prime Movers Lab, Tribe Capital, and strategic investors from the food, agriculture, and consumer packaged goods spaces.

Start of A New Series of Tests For Plant Cultivation on The Moon And Mars

MAY 4, 2021

NASA Seeds Germinate in

DLR’s EDEN ISS Greenhouse

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Start of a new series of tests for plant cultivation on the Moon and Mars

Nine weeks of darkness and temperatures down to minus 50 degrees Celsius. Under these harsh conditions of Antarctica, NASA and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have begun a joint series of experiments on vegetable cultivation techniques for use on the Moon and Mars. Until early 2022, NASA guest scientist Jess Bunchek will research how future astronauts could grow lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs, using as little time and energy as possible.

To this end, she will be working at DLR’s EDEN ISS Antarctic greenhouse, where she will put greenhouse technologies and plant varieties to the test. She is also recording any effects the greenhouse and its yield have on the isolated hibernation crew in the perpetual ice. Bunchek is part of the 10-person overwintering crew on Neumayer Station III, operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI).

First harvest – Lettuce, mustard greens, radishes and herbs

“The polar night will soon begin here on the Antarctic Ekström Ice Shelf. With the nine other members of the overwintering crew, it almost feels like we are alone on another planet,” says Bunchek. “In this hostile world it’s fascinating to see the greenery thrive without soil and under artificial light.”  Bunchek is a botanist from the Kennedy Space Center, where she has primarily supported the VEGGIE project on the International Space Station (ISS) She was able to sow the first seeds in recent weeks, following a technical reconditioning of the EDEN ISS platform conducted by her and the DLR team. The first harvest, which included lettuce, mustard greens, radishes, and various herbs, followed a few days ago.

NASA seeds and new nutrient supply system

The EDEN ISS greenhouse uses particularly robust varieties that were selected by the EDEN ISS Project team and from experiments at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and as part of the VEGGIE project on the ISS. The DLR/NASA mission also aims to record and compare the growth and yield of the crop varieties under the conditions of the Antarctic greenhouse. An additional focus will be studying which microbes thrive in the greenhouse alongside the cultivated plants.

NASA will also be testing a plant watering concept in the EDEN Module that can operate in u-gravity settings, like the ISS.  The system contains the water and delivers it to the plants by a passive method.  “This will provide a side-by-side comparison with the aeroponically grown plants of EDEN ISS” says Ray Wheeler, plant physiologist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. In aeroponic irrigation, the roots of the plants without soil are regularly sprayed with a nutrient solution.

Crew time – a precious commodity

Sowing, harvesting, tending, cleaning, maintaining, calibrating, repairing and conducting scientific activities. Bunchek records every second of her activities in the Antarctic greenhouse with a special time-recording eight-sided die, as crew time will be a precious commodity on future missions to the Moon and Mars. “In an initial test run of the greenhouse during the 2018 mission, we found that operations still took too much time,” explains EDEN ISS project leader Daniel Schubert from the DLR Institute of Space Systems in Bremen. “Now we are working on optimizing processes and procedures. We have learned a lot about operating a greenhouse under extreme conditions. We’re applying all this during the current joint DLR/NASA mission.” In addition to the crew’s time, the focus is on their well-being. The overwinterers regularly answer questions about their eating habits or how the plants affect their mood.  “We hope to increase our understanding of having plants and fresh food for crews in remote, isolated settings like Neumayer III and ultimately for space” says Wheeler.

Eight months in isolation

On 19 January, Jess Bunchek reached the Antarctic continent on board the research vessel Polarstern. Since 19 March, the 10-person overwintering crew has been on their own at Neumayer Station III. “EDEN ISS is an asset for the crew in many ways,” says Tim Heitland, Medical Coordinator and Operations Manager at AWI. “I know from my own overwintering experience just how much you can begin to miss fresh produce. It’s not just about the taste, but also the smells, the colors, and the fascinating fact that something can grow in this inhospitable environment. That’s why there are always volunteers in the overwintering teams to help cultivate and harvest the plants.”  The polar night at Neumayer Station III begins on 21 May, and the first rays of sunlight will not reach the station again until 23 July. Researchers for the summer season and new supplies will end the isolation of this year’s overwintering crew around the beginning of November.

The activities at the EDEN ISS Antarctic greenhouse can be followed on social media using the hashtag #MadeInAntarctica. The Antarctic greenhouse has Facebook and Instagram accounts, as well as a flicker image gallery. Jess Bunchek also writes about her personal experiences of the Antarctica mission in the dedicated DLR blog.

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How Do We Build Sustainable Local Food Systems?

Let's Work Together to Build Sustainable,

Local Food Systems With a Global Impact

Food Tank, in partnership with the Danone Institute North America, is hosting a very special virtual event, "One Planet. One Health," to discuss solutions to build more sustainable local food systems on Thursday, May 6, 2021, at 12 p.m. ET.

We’ve curated a terrific lineup of speakers, including luminaries like N. Diane Moss (Project New Village), Dariush Mozaffarian (Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, Tufts University), Jose Oliva (HEAL Food Alliance), A-dae Romero-Briones (Cochiti/Kiowa, First Nations Development Institute), Tambra Raye Stevenson (WANDA), and more.

I’ll be moderating. You can register here.

Also, I strongly urge eligible nonprofits to apply for the Danone Institute North America grant program to help local communities live the "One Planet. One Health" vision.

Danone Institute North America will award a total of up to $160,000 for this initiative. Individual team grants of $30,000 plus a $10,000 incremental award for the team with the strongest communications plan will be awarded for work to be conducted over a two-year period. The call for entries is open now through June 6, 2021. For information and to submit an application, visit Danone Institute North America here.

Danone Institute North America launched the "One Planet. One Health" Initiative grant program in 2019 to support local projects that strengthen food systems, reflecting Danone’s belief that the health of people and the health of the planet are interconnected.

"The pandemic has not only sparked a health crisis but also has emerged as one of the most destructive economic and societal challenges of our time," says Leslie Lytle, President of Danone Institute North America and professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Please let me know if you apply for the grant, and join me for free on May 6 by registering HERE.

All the very best,

Dani

VIDEO: Ottawa Startup Plantaform Hopes To Harvest Profits From Indoor Gardening Technology

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Ottawa biotech startup Plantaform's system, dubbed Rejuvenate, uses a concept called fogponics to grow herbs and leafy vegetables indoors.

A Carleton University business grad says his new startup is planting the seeds of a flourishing global horticulture enterprise with a soil-free system that grows herbs and leafy vegetables in a container small enough to sit on a kitchen countertop. 

Alberto Aguilar launched fledgeling biotech startup Plantaform last spring with longtime friend Kiwa Lang, an industrial designer who attended high school with Aguilar in Dubai and now lives in Australia. 

Lang was looking for sustainable alternatives to traditional horticulture and discovered a concept called fogponics, a technique pioneered by NASA that nourishes plants with nutrient-enriched water vapour rather than soil. He immediately reached out to his old pal, and a truly international startup was born.

“It’s extremely efficient,” Aguilar says of the technology, explaining that it uses 95 per cent less water than traditional soil-based horticulture operations.

Unlike more well-established hydroponics systems, Plantaform’s product – dubbed Rejuvenate – doesn’t submerge plant roots in water. Rather, it circulates a fine mist loaded with nutrients throughout an egg-shaped device roughly 60 centimetres high by 60 centimetres wide.

The high-tech indoor garden can grow up to 15 plants at a time, ranging from herbs such as basil and oregano to leafy greens including lettuce and kale. 

35-day growing cycle

Customers set the proper lighting and nutrient mix on a smartphone app. Aguilar says the system can effectively run itself for up to three weeks before the water supply needs to be replenished, and it takes roughly 35 days to harvest a crop from the time seeds are “planted” in the device.

Plantaform’s own growth path has been a little rockier. 

Backed by about $100,000 in funding from the founders’ family and friends as well as investors in Aguilar’s previous startups, the company stumbled out of the gate early last year.

The initial design for Rejuvenate failed, and it’s taken about half a dozen iterations to get the concept just right. In addition, Aguilar notes ruefully, the firm’s original team “collapsed” after several employees quit last summer because the founders couldn’t afford to pay them full-time salaries. 

Supply-chain disruptions

Meanwhile, the pandemic wreaked havoc with the startup’s supply chain, forcing Aguilar and Co. to abandon foreign suppliers in China and elsewhere and manufacture the bulk of the components for the prototypes in their own homes on 3D printers.

But the plucky grow-op persevered, overhauling its development staff and bringing on veteran Ottawa-based engineer Georges Hamoush as chief operating officer. Plantaform eventually signed a Chinese contractor to manufacture most of the components, which will be assembled locally at Stittsville’s L-D Tool & Die. 

If all goes according to plan, the first units will be shipped to customers this fall – and Aguilar plans to personally deliver as many as he can.

“We’ve made a lot of mistakes, but you know what? We’re not giving up,” says the budding biotech magnate, who grew up in Barcelona, spent some of his teenage years in Dubai and moved to Ottawa in 2014 to finish high school at Lisgar Collegiate before studying international business at Carleton. 

"I’m really trying to put Ottawa on the map."

Alberto Aguilar - CEO and co-founder of biotech startup Plantaform

“We’re confident that if we keep trying, it’ll eventually work out.”

The 24-year-old Aguilar boasts an accomplished entrepreneurial resume. Plantaform is already his third startup, and he earned spots in Invest Ottawa’s pre-accelerator and Ottaw’’s Startup Garage with his previous ventures.

He’s hoping to secure additional seed funding for Plantaform later this year, with an eye to landing a series-A round early in 2022. The company also has its sights set on even bigger markets ​– it’s currently working with the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, a non-profit organization based near Niagara Falls, on a system to grow cannabis using fogponics technology.

The worldly Aguilar says he’s hoping his venture can elevate his adopted hometown on the international biotech stage.

“I’m really trying to put Ottawa on the map,” he says. “We want to go global.”

PODCAST: The Future of Vertical Farming

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Please Click Here to Listen to Podcast

An excerpt from Futurized:

In this conversation, we talk about whether indoor-grown food is equally healthy? How has the space of vertical farming merged? We discuss the demand for organic food, environmental concerns, soil quality depletion, groundwater depletion, and chemical pollution. Eddy explains the main distinctions and concepts, including Greenhouses, Hydroponics, Aeroponics, Aquaponic, Vertical farming, and the various growth vectors, such as a greenhouse, shipping container, skyscraper, or warehouse. We discuss sensors, climate control, LED lighting.

How do you define the vertical farming market? Who are the players? Which disruption forces are most actively influencing the field of vertical farming right now? How does he stay up to date? How does he recommend my listeners (and I) stay up to date? Looking at the next decade, I ask Eddy what he thinks will happen to vertical farming? We discuss high yield local food production in inner cities, near deserts, on islands, on in space, and beyond.

Read more >>

More about Futurized

Futurized - thought leadership on the future

Futurized goes beneath the trends, tracking the underlying forces of disruption in tech, policy, business models, social dynamics, and the environment. Join Trond Arne Undheim, futurist, author, investor, and serial entrepreneur, as he discusses the societal impact of deep tech such as AI, blockchain, IoT, life science, and robotics, interviewing smart people with a soul: founders, authors, executives, and other thought leaders. Futurized—a bi-weekly show, preparing YOU to deal with the next decade's disruption.

Vertical Farmer LettUsGrow Sets Sights on Commercial Greenhouse Market With New Harper Adams Partnership

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Jessica Rawnsley

29 April 2021

EXCLUSIVE: New research project to explore how vertical farming approaches could be applied to the greenhouse sector to boost yields and curb environmental impacts.

Vertical farming technology is poised to branch out into the commercial greenhouse sector, after indoor farming specialist LettUsGrow announced a major new partnership with Harper Adams, the UK's leading specialist agri-food university.

The partnership will enable a long-running trial to span across most of 2021, which will explore the environmental impact and compare growth data from two irrigation systems, aeroponics and hydroponics, in different settings: an aeroponic vertical farm and greenhouse, and a hydroponic greenhouse.

"Our food supply chain needs to be diversified to achieve productivity and stability, which means maximising the benefits of new technologies in different horticultural environments," said Charlie Guy, co-founder and CEO of LettUsGrow. "The advanced greenhouse industry is a huge part of modern food production and is entering an exciting new phase of growth to help meet global production and sustainability targets. We want to help this industry to grow more, sustainably."

According to company figures, vertical farms use 95 per cent less fertiliser and 95 per cent less water than open field farming. LettUsGrow has evolved a system for utilising aeroponics where rather than soak plant roots in water and nutrients, they are suspended and sprayed with mist. The company claims the approach consumes 30 per cent less water than a conventional hydroponic system, while produce grows an average 70 per cent faster. While a wide range of crops can be grown with the tech, the initial focus will be on growing kale and pea shoots.

The company has also developed Ostara, a smart control and farm management software systems, that will be used within the greenhouse and vertical farm trials. Ostara can be used to tailor lighting, irrigation, nutrient doses, and environment to individual crops within the same farm, as well as being used to collect a wide range of data sets, the company said.

To date vertical farms have been hampered by the considerable ongoing costs of generating artificial light. As such a key feature of the trials will be to identify whether an increase in energy use is balanced by an increase in farm productivity.

However, LettUsGrow is optimistic the application of its advanced aeroponics and Ostara technologies can deliver benefits for commercial greenhouses as well as vertical farms.

"Bringing aeroponics into a greenhouse setting is really exciting, as traditionally they run on hydroponics," said Ricardo Lopes, research scientist at LettUsGrow and the project's research lead. "There has been little research into this before so we're starting from scratch. There is huge potential in the opportunity to combine the precision of high-tech greenhouses with optimised aeroponic irrigation - meaning we could offer the plant the exact amount of water it needs, when it needs it, alongside the unique environmental control of greenhouse technology. The prospect of using aeroponics to decrease water usage within greenhouses could be a very important step in making greenhouse production even more sustainable and less energy demanding."

His comments were echoed by Dr Laura Vickers, senior lecturer in plant biology at Harper Adams, who said: "This is a particularly exciting project, greenhouses provide the half-way house between field based production and total controlled environment agriculture. They are excellent systems to apply to urban spaces, such as building rooftops. Quantifying the performance of technologies developed by LettUsGrow in our campus greenhouses, opens up the ability to assess resource efficiency, and evaluate how crop production could work in a variety of landscapes that could bring an array of stakeholders that we just don't see at the moment."

The hope is the partnership could represent a further step forward for a vertical farming sector that advocates maintain could make a huge contribution to efforts to bolster food production as climate impacts escalate. "Indoor farms can be deployed in areas without any fertile land," India Langley, LettUsGrow communications lead, told BusinessGreen. "That could be deserts, cities. There's one currently in the South Pole. As well as providing food, it takes the pressure off land that's already so stretched."

Lead photo: Credit: LettUsGrow

Vertical Farming On The Rise: Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station And 80 Acres Farms Enter Research Agreement

80 Acres Farms enters into a master research agreement with the Experiment Station at The University of Arkansas with scientists to propose collaborative vertical farming research projects aimed to advance the science of vertical farming

NEWS PROVIDED BY 80 Acres Farms

HAMILTON, Ohio, April 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertical farming business 80 Acres Farms has entered into a collaborative research agreement with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station to advance the science of vertical farming.

Scientists with the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will coordinate with 80 Acres Farms researchers to pursue a variety of vertical farming research topics, said Bryan Renk, director of commercialization for the division's Technology Commercialization Office.

Utilizing world-class technology and analytics to offer customers a wide variety of pesticide-free food with a longer shelf-life that exceeds the highest food safety standards.

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"Vertical farming is growing and trending," Renk said. "There are multiple companies forming across the U.S. that are trying to take advantage of that trend."

Jean-François Meullenet, senior associate vice president for agriculture research and director of the experiment station, said the agreement provides a unique opportunity for research.

"We are very excited about this new research partnership with 80 Acres Farms," Meullenet said. "Protected farming is a strategic research direction for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and 80 Acres Farm is a leader in this area."

Renk said that the initial round of proposed and current research includes a project analyzing the chemical components of 80 Acres produce, an exploration into new protocols for vertical farming, and evaluation of novel blackberry variety selections that are suited for the vertical farming environment.

"We have a great multidisciplinary team of faculty that can make great contributions to the development of vertical farming technology," Meullenet said. "I look forward to seeing the impact we can have through this research."

"80 Acres is expanding its vertical farming R&D facility in Springdale, Arkansas to develop the growing recipes for multiple leafy and fruiting produce crops," said Victor Verlage, senior vice president for operations, agronomy, and research and development at 80 Acres Farms. "We are calibrating and aligning all the growing conditions, incorporating several proprietary AgTech capabilities that were not available until recently, to bring hyper-fresh fruits and vegetables loaded with taste and nutrition so our consumers can indulge in healthy diets," he said.

Margaret Worthington, assistant professor of fruit breeding and genetics in the horticulture department for the experiment station and Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, is evaluating blackberry varieties that may perform well in these novel growing conditions.

"We hope to identify blackberry breeding selections that perform well in fully-controlled indoor environments and vertical farms," Worthington said.

"Fruit breeding is a long-term effort," she said. "We need to be forward-thinking and consider how the potential varieties moving through our breeding pipeline are going to fit into new markets and productions systems that are just beginning to develop.

"The Arkansas Fruit Breeding Program has a history of mutually beneficial public-private research collaborations and I am looking forward to working with this new partner," she said.

In addition to collaborating on research, 80 Acres Farms also plans to create internship opportunities for Bumpers college students.

"80 Acres Farms is eager to provide opportunities for the next generation of farmers where they will have access to best-in-class vertical farming technology," said Verlage. "The students will have immersive training right here in Northwest Arkansas, minutes from the university campus."

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at ArkAgResearch.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation's historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

About 80 Acres Farms

80 Acres Farms is a vertical farming leader providing customers with the freshest and most nutritious fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. Utilizing world-class technology and analytics, the Company offers customers a wide variety of pesticide-free food with a longer shelf-life that exceeds the highest food safety standards.

For further information, please contact us at:

Rebecca Haders / rebecca.haders@eafarms.com  / +1 513-910-9089

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80 Acres Farms' Vertical Farming Technology
Utilizing world-class technology and analytics to offer customers a wide variety of pesticide-free food with a longer shelf-life that exceeds the highest food safety standards.

SOURCE 80 Acres Farms

High Tech And Ancient Methods Meet At The Vertical Fields of Nabo Farm

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21 April 2021

In a former auto repair shop in the outskirts of Copenhagen, a farm has found its unlikely grounds. Fresh coriander, pea sprouts, and edible flowers are grown at the vertical farm – and sold to some of the finest restaurants in Denmark.

There is no soil at Nabo Farm. And the Sun never shines on the crops. Layer upon layer of sprouts are growing in the purple fluorescent light. Rocket sprouts, pea sprouts, coriander, red mustard, nasturtium, and dill all thrive at the vertical farm specialized in microgreens – in the outskirts of Copenhagen.

For almost three years Nabo Farm has been a so-called vertical farm. Technology is at the core of the production. LED lights make sure that the plants get the perfect sunny day every day without ever seeing the sun. A hydroponic watering system makes soil superfluous and saves 90 percent of water consumption at the same time. This technology combined makes it possible to grow multiple layers of crops. To create a farm in the middle of the city. And to save valuable farmland for other crops.

The name “Nabo Farm” can loosely be translated to “the farm next door”. And during the relatively short time, Nabo Farm has existed the company has managed to get customers such as Aamands and Denmark’s first and only two Michelin starred restaurant Alchemist. All products are grown specifically to order – and delivered by bicycle.  

Cucumbers on the fourth floor

It all started with a home-built watering system for a few vegetables grown on Jens Juul Krogshede’s fourth-floor balcony. He was going away on holiday for a few weeks and didn’t want to see all his hard work amount to nothing.

“I had worked in the tech industry for many years and had burned out a bit. That’s when I started growing tomatoes and cucumbers on my balcony. When we had to go away for a few weeks – I build my own watering system in the living room. And that started all of this,” says Jens Juul Krogshede.

“One thing quickly led to another, and I learned about hydroponics – how to grow plants without soil. A core element of vertical farming. That took me to the next level – and I no longer had to carry big bags of soil up five flights of stairs,” he tells.

Hydroponics is a technique that dates back to the Hanging Gardens in Babylon, he adds.

At about this time Jens Juul Krogshede meets the soon-to-be co-founder of Nabo Farm, Sebastian Dragelykke, who was already working with developing the future of foods at a think tank in Copenhagen.   

“Together we saw the technology – the opportunity – and went with it,” says Jens Juul Krogshede.

Sustainability is the driving force

From the very beginning, sustainability has been at the core of Nabo Farm. On several levels. The two founders want to be a part of the solution when it comes to feeding the growing population on planet Earth. They want to be a part of the solution to the climate challenges we all face.

“There are more and more people on the planet who eat more and more food. With vertical farming we can create a fundamental change in the way we produce food. A great addition to traditional farming. With vertical farming we can produce food in old basements, inside old factories and on rooftops in the cities without causing further damage to the climate. This is something we have to do. In the long run we might even be able to take out traditional farmland to develop biodiversity,” says Jens Juul Krogshede.

“Nabo Farm helps to solve a different sustainability issue as well. In the food supply chain. The first year we existed we found out that many restaurants in Copenhagen have a demand for fresh coriander during the winter. At this time of the year, coriander must be imported from Spain or The Netherlands. By growing crops our way, we can supply local coriander all year round – and we deliver by bicycle – not by truck.”

Rapidly developing technology

Every day is a perfect summer day inside Nabo Farm thanks to the fluorescent LED lights. The conditions are optimal for the microgreens.

It’s all possible because the LED technology has been going through a rapid development in the last couple of years. Where the lights used to be extremely expensive, the technology is now affordable.

“Not that many years ago, the only products you could grow this way with a profit were of a shadier kind. However, the rentability is still the main challenge for vertical farming, and a lot of vertical farms still struggle to make a profit. There are still many unknowns, and the technology is still developing rapidly,” says Jens Juul Krogshede.

Next step in Copenhagen

Vertical farming is a part of the future of food production. Therefore Food & Bio Cluster Denmark is now establishing a new network for vertical farming. Here the high-tech farmers can meet, share knowledge, hear from industry experts and scholars. Nabo Farm is already a part of that network.

“Denmark is a farming country by tradition. We are great farmers. We also have a great tradition for knowledge and academia. If we can bring the two together, I believe Denmark can be an industry-leading country in vertical farming. That’s why we’ve joined the new network,” says Jens Juul Krogshede.

As for Nabo Farm, the company has just received a new investment that will take the company to the next level and scale the business to turn it into a franchise that can thrive sustainably in other Northern European cities.

How To Be A Hydroponic Farmer: Expert Advice From Agricultural Entrepreneur

“Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned the hard way,” laughs Hassan Sharaff, BE’07, gesturing to, well, everything: the polyethylene greenhouse walls with a soaring aluminum frame, torqued by last year’s derecho winds, and tray after tray of arugula, basil, kale, and lettuce shoots, drinking in diffuse winter sunlight, tropical humidity and ever-flowing water.

“Water is fascinating. We still understand so little about it,” says Sharaff, the owner of HydroHouse Farms, a commercial hydroponics business in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, that supplies leafy greens to many restaurants and businesses in Nashville—including Vanderbilt Campus Dining. He’s a man with many interests. As a boy growing up in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and New York, Sharaff loved car engines, airplanes, and spaceships. At Vanderbilt, he studied mechanical engineering. Then he headed home to New York to start a career in finance—following in his dad’s professional footsteps.

For a decade, Sharaff worked in the finance, nonprofit, and hospitality industries, struggling to find a calling. After college, he’d prioritized making money. But as he got older, his values began to shift. “I wanted to make a positive contribution to society,” he says. “I believed in kindness and philanthropy, things my parents instilled in me.”

A hydroponic farming enterprise ticked all the boxes of what he considered a calling: “Provide a valuable service, work on my feet, make a decent income and be proud of what I’m doing,” he says. Ten years after graduation, Sharaff, who’d never sowed a seed before, built a greenhouse with his dad in his parents’ backyard in suburban New York. He launched a mini hydroponic operation there to experiment with horticulture while he plotted his agribusiness venture. Location was a problem: He needed to plant himself on the fertile ground near a city full of chefs who wanted quality produce, but where real estate prices weren’t sky-high. New York was a non-starter. Portland, Oregon, didn’t feel right.

In early 2016, Sharaff flew to Nashville, his first trip back since college. He found a thriving culinary scene and affordable land east of the city. That September he closed on 17 acres in Mount Juliet, and he launched operations in May 2017. His business has survived hard-won lessons from nature and the marketplace. He shares a few of these here for prospective farmers—or for anyone who dreams of “providing more than you’ve taken” from the world.

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For more information:
Vanderbilt University
www.vanderbilt.edu 

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26 Apr 2021

When We Started Freight Farms In 2010, There Was No Such Thing As An “Ag Tech” industry

We weren’t even sure how to explain what we were trying to do to our own friends and family! But we knew that there was a need for urban agriculture to emerge as a competitive industry in the food landscape. That’s why Freight Farms was born—to build the infrastructure and technology that would allow local food to thrive around the globe.

Less than a decade later, we are proud to be on the forefront of the fast-growing Agriculture Technology industry. Freight Farms has grown into a platform that anyone can use to supply their communities with fresh produce year-round, regardless of background or geographic location. We’ve had the pleasure of launching our container farming system in over 44 states in the US and 24 countries around the globe, creating the largest network of connected farmers.

Freight Farms has a passionate customer base of small businesses, entrepreneurs, traditional farmers, hotels, restaurants, corporate campuses, universities, and non-profits. We’d love to welcome you into our community of Freight Farmers, and our team is ready to help you get started. 

Jon Friedman and Brad McNamara

Freight Farms Co-Founders

Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit June 24-25

 We can’t wait for the virtual Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit! From 65+ global speakers to 1-1 video networking opportunities and live-streamed panel discussions, this is one event you don’t want to miss on June 24-25.

Find Out More

Join iGrow News at the virtual Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit (June 24-25) and connect with global farm operators, retailers, and investors for two days of insights into how CEA and vertical farming can reach greater profitability and scale

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Find Out More

Global farm operators, retailers, investors, and technology providers will host live panel sessions and interactive roundtable debates on new trends and technologies at the virtual Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit (June 24-25):

REGISTER

The virtual Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit will focus on CEA and vertical farming reaching greater profitability and scale in the USA and overseas.

Will You BeJoining The Conversation

On June 24-25?

VIDEO: Tortuga Raises $ 20m To Build Hundreds of Harvesting Robots

23-04-2021

Future Farming

Harvest automation start-up Tortuga completed a $ 20 million Series A funding. The money will be used to build hundreds of robots to deploy in 2022.

Last year Tortuga launched a strawberry harvesting robot. This platform is flexible, according to Tortuga it can be adapted to work on other crops like indoor-grown tomatoes or outdoor table grapes.

Picking robots

“For many years, the story behind harvesting robotics has been a lot of promise but really companies have struggled to deliver on that promise for the customer. That’s because this is one of the hardest problems there is to solve,” Eric Adamson, co-founder of Tortuga AgTech told AgFunder News. “Not only are we doing autonomous robotics but we are also doing picking robotics and we are doing them together in really unstructured environments.”

Robots-as-a-service

The $ 20 million in new capital will be used to build hundreds of robots to deploy in 2022. Some of the funding will also go towards building out the operating model and making sure there are enough employees to operate the robot fleets.

Tortuga currently offers its technology through a robots-as-a-service model, getting paid by the kilo for the produce that its robots pick.

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Additional services

“On top of that, as we provide other services that are close to harvest, like data-driven forecasting and other types of cultivation services, those will also be service-based although they may not be quite so specific to a kilogram. We are charging for some of these additional services on a monthly or per-hectare basis,” Adamson told AFN.

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Hugo Claver

Web editor for Future Farming

How Can 'Aquaponics' Farming Help Create Sustainable Food Systems?

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By Jaxx Artz

APRIL 23, 2021

Aquaponics has the potential to help people who are food insecure take control of the food system

Why Global Citizens Should Care

Millions of people around the world go hungry every year, due to lack of access to healthy food and the effects of climate change on agricultural development. Aquaponics is a sustainable growing method that has the potential to put food production into the hands of the people who experience food insecurity, giving them autonomy in controlling their access to safe and nutritious produce. Join us by taking action to strengthen our food systems and protect the planet here.

Global Citizens everywhere are increasingly recognizing the need for more sustainable career options to increase global food security.

According to a 2020 report from UNICEF on the state of food security and nutrition in the world, almost 690 million people went hungry in 2019, or 8.9% of the world population. This is due, in part, to the high costs associated with eating nutritiously, the lack of access to healthy food, and the effects of climate change devastating agricultural production systems.

As more government leaders commit to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, and more people choose to change their habits (like eating less meat) to reduce their carbon footprint, methods of food production that promote a harmonious relationship between humans and the environment are becoming more common.

One of these methods involves fish.

Aquaponics farming is a method of sustainable agriculture that forms a symbiotic relationship between fish and plants. It involves the use of a fish tank placed below a grow bed for plants, where the main input to the system is fish food.

When the fish produce waste, it is cycled out of the fish tank into the grow bed, where bacteria transform ammonia into nitrates that plants need to grow. The water is then filtered and returned to the fish tank, aiding in the highly optimized, zero-waste process of farming fish and plants together.

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Yemi Amu, founder and director of Oko Farms in Brooklyn, New York, working on the outdoor aquaponics farm. Photo courtesy of Oko Farms.

The practice of aquaponic gardening can be traced back centuries. In central Mexico around 1000 AD, the Aztec people developed a technique known as chinampa to expand their growing efforts to the surface of lakes and ponds, according to the Permaculture Research Institute. By weaving together logs and sticks to create a “floating farm,” the Aztecs used water from the lakes and waste produced by fish to nourish crops.

Aquaponics also has roots in Southeast Asia, where farmers cultivated rice and fish concurrently, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. The practice of raising fish in rice fields became one of the best examples of polyculture farming as a method of sustainability.

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Photo courtesy of Oko Farms.

In recent years, aquaponics has increasingly been chosen as a growing option for urban farmers, or those who practice agriculture in cities and must rely on vertical farming techniques when faced with less land area. Many of these aquaponics farmers choose to produce food for their communities, particularly in areas where economic inequalities threaten household food security.

Around the world, the environmental impacts of climate change are preventing low-income people from accessing sufficient, safe, and nutritious foods. To improve global food systems and decrease food insecurity, it is more important than ever for people to practice sustainable agricultural development.

To learn more about how aquaponics can aid in the production of sustainable food systems, Global Citizen spoke to Yemi Amu, founder, and director of Oko Farms, an aquaponics farm and learning center in Brooklyn, New York.

Global Citizen: Tell me a little about your background and how you became interested in agriculture.

Yemi Amu: My background is in nutrition and behavior modification. I spent a lot of my time at the beginning of my career really using a hands-on approach to guiding people to adopting healthy dietary habits and trying to understand what the barriers are. Things like knowing how to cook ... can be a barrier for people, and knowing what food to buy from the grocery store.

I also happened, at one point, to be working with a formerly homeless population, and for that particular group going out into the world — like leaving the neighborhood, going to the grocery store to shop — it was not practical for them. They are dealing with anxiety, and [going from] being chronically homeless to living in an apartment [is] a huge adjustment that most people don’t understand.

After working with them, I found that they were only eating well when I was preparing the food for them. When I wasn’t involved, they weren’t going on their own to get healthy food. And so after going back and forth with my colleagues, who were social workers, we decided, hey, you know what, the roof of the building where the residents lived would be a great place to grow food because it was intended to be a green roof. We decided, “Why not turn that into a farm?” and really that’s how my farming career started.

So how did your interest in aquaponics specifically come about?

I discovered aquaponics while I was on the roof. I learned how to farm along with the residents and had to learn about seasonal growing, what it’s like to grow in a soil-less environment, and how to grow in raised beds. I’m from Nigeria. I grew up in a city, in Lagos, and so the idea of people farming in a city wasn’t weird. But farming in New York City? It seemed so different, and so learning about aquaponics and how you don’t have to worry about watering plants, I just found it fascinating.

I started visiting farms around the country just to see how aquaponics works in practice and make sense of it. I saw how it could play a really big role in not just feeding people but also raising awareness about alternative agricultural methods. Around 2011, hydroponics [using nutrient-rich water for agriculture instead of soil] was becoming popular, and I thought it was so great to throw aquaponics in the mix. The system can work indoors or outdoors, it saves water, and Oko Farms was built a couple of years later.

Aquaponics is also a throwback to other cultures that have used it in the past. In Peru, in China — so many cultures around the world had these models that were rooted in the idea of raising animals and plants together. It was industrial agriculture that saw people no longer raising animals and plants in tandem, so it’s great that we can bring this centuries-old model back to the urban environment.

For people who experience drought, or live in an urban environment — can aquaponics improve food access, or be used in conjunction with other methods of sustainable agriculture?

I mean, this isn't a one-size-fits-all model. Aquaponics can absolutely be used in conjunction [with other methods of sustainable agriculture]. 

It’s not that there is anything wrong with soil, but we are living in a very complex environment. There are barriers for many communities to access food, like not having space to grow food, and aquaponics systems can be set up to address these barriers and ecological issues.

Aquaponics, in my experience, lends itself better to small-scale production. And I think that we can ultimately guarantee food security for those of us that live in urban areas. It doesn’t require a lot of land, it saves water. Water access is limited for a lot of people around the world, and we use a lot of water in agriculture specifically. Aquaponics can address this problem because it requires very little input of water.

Your work at Oko Farms emphasizes education, specifically around helping people learn to grow their own food, in food sovereignty. Can you speak to why that is important in the production of sustainable food systems?

I haven’t seen our current system support people, empower people, or ensure food security. Giving people the tools to [control their access to food] is important. Our workshop model supports people in building their own aquaponics system, and in an urban environment, it is important for us to have a space to teach the public about food systems.

At Oko, we donate some of the produce we grow, and then we sell some of it at farmers’ markets in the area. Sometimes people come to the farm and buy produce off the farm — they know it’s grown here. Aquaponics has helped us develop that system as we look to feed ourselves sustainably, or just feed ourselves, period.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Kalera Announces The First Harvest For Atlanta Vertical Farming Facility That Will Produce Over 10 Million Heads of Lettuce Per Year

The new facility will supply schools, restaurants, grocery stores, hospitals, retailers, and more with safe, fresh, nutrient-dense, locally-grown greens

April 27, 2021

Source: Kalera

ATLANTA, April 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kalera (Euronext Growth Oslo ticker KAL, Bloomberg: KSLLF), one of the fastest-growing US vertical farming companies in the world and a leader in plant science for producing high-quality produce in controlled environments, today celebrated their first harvest in their Atlanta-area facility. Its largest farm to date — and the largest vertical farm in the Southeastern United States — the facility is 77 thousand square-feet and has the capability of producing over 10 million heads of lettuce per year. Located in Forest Park, GA, the farm was built in just eleven months thanks in large part to the company’s modular building approach and has created dozens of new jobs in the Atlanta area.

“Our new Atlanta facility is open and performing in line with our expectations and we are eager to begin offering our local, fresh, safe, sustainable greens to the Georgia market,” said Daniel Malechuk, CEO of Kalera. “Our customers are telling us that there has never been a better time to ensure supply continuity, locally, than now and we are grateful Kalera can provide this.”

Kalera’s optimized nutrient and light recipes allow them to grow high-quality, pesticide-free, non-GMO produce at accelerated growth cycles. Planting at the Atlanta facility began in early March, and the first harvest began successfully last week. Kalera has so far experienced optimal operating efficiencies in Atlanta, particularly in terms of lighting productivity. All growth systems, environmental equipment, and technology have operated effectively since opening the facility on March 11. Due to strong sales indications in the region from both retail and foodservice customers, Kalera is implementing a faster ramp-up schedule than originally planned.

The facility’s location near the urban center of Atlanta cuts down on travel times for retailers, restaurants, and other customers who want access to the freshest, non-GMO, clean living lettuces and microgreens. Royal Food Service, a leading produce distributor in the state, is one of Kalera’s top partners bringing “pick-to-plate” greens to restaurants, hotels, schools, and other businesses including Ansley Golf Club, The Ritz-Carlton at Reynolds, Lake Oconee, The Georgia World Congress Center, several restaurants and many others. The lettuce is also available on the shelves of Publix Supermarkets.

“As the former Governor of Georgia, I could not be more excited that Kalera’s delicious greens are now available in the Atlanta area,” said Sonny Perdue, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, who joined Kalera’s Board of Directors earlier this year. “Kalera is leading the pack in a booming vertical farming industry. It’s a perfect example of the power of American innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship to develop different, innovative ways to grow and provide food at home and around the globe.”

Kalera currently operates three growing facilities – two in Orlando and one in Atlanta and is building facilities in Houston, Denver, Columbus, Seattle, Minnesota, and Hawaii. Kalera is the only controlled environment agriculture company with coast-to-coast facilities being constructed, offering grocers, restaurants, theme parks, airports, and other businesses nationwide reliable access to locally grown clean, safe, nutritious, price-stable, long-lasting greens. Once all of these farms are operational, the total projected yield is several tens of millions of heads of lettuce per year. Kalera uses a closed-loop irrigation system which enables its plants to grow while consuming 95% less water compared to field farming.

Recently, Kalera also acquired Vindara, a seed company that uses genomics, machine learning, and computational biology along with traditional breeding methods to meet the market need for produce that is non-GMO, nutritious, high-yielding, and delicious. Explicitly intended for the new high-tech indoor growing environments, Vindara seeds offer growers the opportunity to capitalize on significantly higher yield potential, production efficiencies, and product customization — in a fraction of the time through reducing the grow cycle.

ABOUT KALERA
Kalera is a technology-driven vertical farming company with unique growing methods combining optimized nutrients and light recipes, precise environmental controls, and cleanroom standards to produce safe, highly nutritious, pesticide-free, non-GMO vegetables with consistently high quality and longer shelf life year-round. The company’s high-yield, automated, data-driven hydroponic production facilities have been designed for rapid rollout with industry-leading payback times to grow vegetables faster, cleaner, at a lower cost, and with less environmental impact.

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