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WEBINAR: July 23, 2020 - 1 PM EDT - Stakeholder Needs Relevant To Indoor Propagation
There are economic and knowledge-based challenges that must be addressed for indoor farms to be viable in the United States despite their potential benefits
Date: July 23, 2020
Time: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. EDT
Presented by: Celina Gómez
Click Here to Register
There are economic and knowledge-based challenges that must be addressed for indoor farms to be viable in the United States despite their potential benefits.
A mixed-methods approach was used to identify the needs of specialty crop growers and stakeholders interested in or currently using indoor environments to grow seedlings, cuttings, and tissue-cultured plants. An online survey evaluated specialty crop growers’ experience with indoor plant propagation and assessed their needs related to improving propagation processes.
A focus group with 19 participants was then conducted to further understand the needs for indoor plant propagation by stakeholders. Our findings suggest that industry stakeholders are largely motivated to adopt indoor propagation environments to reduce crop losses (“shrinkage”), increase productivity per unit of land area, ensure faster germination or rooting, improve plant quality, and profit from anticipated economic benefits.
Research and education priority areas identified by stakeholders included economic costs and benefits (including capital investment and energy costs), improved crop quality, production time, uniformity, reduced shrinkage, and strategies to improve light management indoors.
As suggested by the results of this project, a strategic plan encompassing stakeholder needs must be implemented to maximize the benefits and enable adoption of indoor plant propagation environments. A discussion about ongoing efforts to identify stakeholder perceptions with indoor plant propagation environments will be presented.
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Exploring The Impact And Future of Indoor Ag-Con Las Vegas
A great way to introduce my experiences at Indoor Ag-Con Las Vegas 7 is to highlight important themes highlighted by industry leaders Brad McNamara of Freight Farms, Irving Fain of Bowery, and Viraj PuriI of Gotham Greens
By urbanagnews
June 10, 2019
By guest author Rick Passo
I have been with this Conference from the very start: learning, collaborating, networking and doing my utmost to create global recognition for how Las Vegas can lead the world in food policy, food innovation, food technology and food justice. I am interested especially in food and horticultural therapy for special needs populations including the severely mentally ill and those with traumatic brain disorders, which is my main interest in the controlled environment agriculture sector.
Having experienced every Indoor Ag-Con Conference here in Las Vegas, my perspective is molded by following the progression and growth and diversification of this emergent sector for seven years.
There were multiple, specialized tracks of speakers including GROW EQUIPMENT TRACK, CROP SELECTION TRACK, CUSTOMERS & THE SUPPLY CHAIN, BUSINESS TRACK, and POLICY & SOCIETAL IMPACT. There also were dozens of vendors who represented a wide range of products and controlled environment agriculture vendors and related suppliers, as well as multiple opportunities for networking, learning and exploring.
A great way to introduce my experiences at Indoor Ag-Con Las Vegas 7 is to highlight important themes highlighted by industry leaders Brad McNamara of Freight Farms, Irving Fain of Bowery, and Viraj PuriI of Gotham Greens.
In his keynote, Brad McNamara, CEO and co-founder of Freight Farms, emphasized how the oldest GenZer is 22 years old, is trading wealth for health, is interested in doing good while eating well and is focused on improving sustainability and in promoting local and transparent food systems: which he emphasized is a fundamental shift in the food business. He also detailed an evolving new generation of urban farmers who are motivated, trained and focused to meet these new food standards – requiring a transition in university agriculture programs and training.
He also discussed a growing global network of farms, collaborating and learning from each other regarding subjects like best practices, marketing, what to grow, seed material, light, food safety and nutrients. Additionally, they discuss farmer failures and farm dynamics (such as optimizing air flow problems and optimizing shelf space).
After his keynote, Brad and I discussed how his network rescues and repurposes obsolete growing containers as well as STEM training for the local cooperative extension and local K through 12 school system. These subjects will be discussed in more detail in a separate article.
Irving Fain of Bowery’s keynote focused on innovation profiles and related case studies which he described as being relevant to the future of urban controlled environment agriculture, both in terms of marketing and of science, emphasizing how this emergent sector is just in its infancy and how it can benefit from learning how other global businesses spawned from their innovations. For example, he described how NetFlix evolved from a basic delivery service to a content provider and a value chain itself, propelled in growing by rapidly improving infrastructure and technology. He also highlighted how Uber had only 3 cars when it launched but he described how, through continuous innovation and network expansion, Uber had transformed from a simple concierge limousine service into a comprehensive global transportation and delivery service. Additionally, he discussed the evolution of Amazon via continuous consumer benefits, loyalty via Amazon Prime and via increasingly sophisticated fulfillment centers – and how they cumulatively have led to Amazon’s ascension deeper into the value chain of global customer needs.
Irving Fain in particular emphasized how national grocers demand more local produce than ever before and that a large portion of grocery purchases in the future will be grown indoors.
Unfortunately, due to an unavoidable conflict, I missed the keynote of Viraj Puri of Gotham Greens but I have been privileged to hear him speak previously, including at last year’s Indoor Ag-Con Las Vegas. He is a true industry rockstar and I am especially impressed by his outreach to the broader community and by the generosity of his time and expertise to wonderful institutions such as Stephen Ritz’ Green Bronx Machine. Click here for inspiring information on this innovative corporate-academic partnership
Gotham Greens has built and operates over 170,000 square feet of technologically advanced, urban rooftop greenhouses across 4 facilities in New York City and Chicago.
Below are some other presentations and topics that caught my attention and which I will be exploring and expanding upon in the future. There were so many tracks and so many speakers and so many vendors that I could only scratch the surface of everything that was offered at this Conference. Equally important, and perhaps most important, was the willingness and eagerness of the new Conference owners to receive constructive feedback and suggestions for how to grow this important conference in the future. The worlds of food science, food policy, food marketing, food education, food technology, food logistics, food justice are constantly evolving and growing in new and exciting ways. So too has and will the Indoor Ag-Con Conference – both here in Las Vegas and globally.
BLOCKCHAIN AND LEDGER TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
Speaker: Raja Ramachandran, CEO and Co-Founder, ripe.io
Raja Ramachandran discussed regulatory compliance, traceability, food safety via usage of blockchain and ledger technology for more sustainable and healthier food business – resulting in increased efficiency, trust and social impact via digital records. He discussed how complex supply chains for a manufacturer or consumer products company can integrate internal and external supply chains on one digital ledger. And how dual supply and buyer managements can be networked. He presented how ripe.io creates digital Food Bundles to map the food journey that engenders transparency, trust, and honesty for food producers, distributors, and consumers.
After his presentation, Raja and I discussed how his blockchain and ledger technology might work in the entrepreneurial ecosystem being created here in Las Vegas on behalf of the United States Air Force. I hope to explore this topic in the future.
CO-CREATING THE FUTURE OF INDOOR AG; LESSONS FROM SINGAPORE, TAIWAN & JAPAN
Speaker: Jacob Eisenberg, product manager, OnePointOne Farms
Jake Eisenberg is Product Manager at OnePointOne Farms Santa Clara, California. Prior to joining, Jake spent extended time in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan as a freelance researcher examining the industry and market development among Asian Plant Factories and indoor growing facilities.
Jacob Eisenberg discussed his creation of a toolkit which validates commercial ideas and production models, and lowering barriers of entry for new farms and technology via:
Pilot Matchmakers,
Collective Researchers,
R&D Partners
Tech Matchmakers
Hubs
Local for local Advocates which spread the ideal of competitive cooperation
Jacob writes regularly on this topic at https://medium.com/agri-futures
After his session I discussed with Jacob about important agricultural hubs and connections in the Philippines such as https://agrea.publishpath.com and http://www.gk1world.com/home which are global forces for economic change and nation building via Agriculture. They were related resources for a number of other speakers especially in exploring the future societal impact of indoor agriculture globally
UNLOCKING AGRICULTURE INNOVATION THROUGH UNCOMMON COLLABORATION WITH UC ANR
Speaker: Gabriel Youtsey, Chief Innovation Officer, UC Agriculture & Natural Resources
Gabriel (Gabe) Youtsey serves as the Chief Innovation Officer for UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). He is leading the California VINE initiative, which) brings the power of science to deliver practical solutions in California by addressing major challenges such as fire, water shortages, safe food, urban pests, college readiness and poor nutrition. (“VINE will connect existing clusters of innovation across California and link entrepreneurs with mentors, advisors, collaborators, events, competitions, education and other services to turn good ideas into products and services people can use.”)
Professor Youtsey highlighted on unsustainable current agricultural practices in California area in terms of issues related to workforce, cost compliance, water, land economics, climate change and biodiversity, food safety, consumer preferences and international trade. He emphasized how ag tech is advancing globally in areas like robotic harvesting, robotic weeding, drones, LED lighting, better genetics and evolving business models. He emphasized the need for uncommon collaboration, globally.
I was very impressed by the breath and extent and diversity of the entities which are being coordinated and collaborated by UC ANR but I see the potential for much broader policy discussions especially with entities such as the Resnick School for Food Law & Policy, with the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, and global best practices such as the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.
THE SOCIETAL IMPACT OF INDOOR VERTICAL FARMING
Speaker: Brian Lanes, Industry Consultant
Building on the societal and policy themes on the increasing importance of this sector was the presentation by industry consultant Brian Lanes. His extensive resume is aptly summarized here. Here are some highlights:
“Brian Lanes is an opportunity scout and catalyst with 40+ years of consulting and business development experience. Brian works with early movers, innovative thinkers, and intrepid leaders who seek to devote their resources to tackling some of the core problems facing us today.
Brian co-founded Wintergreen Partners in 1991, developing strategic alliances and a global network of people and their companies to best serve common areas of interest. The primary areas of focus of Wintergreen include food-energy-water; health care-med/tech and areas where social capital influence global change.”
Brian Lanes’ presentation focused on the impact of vertical farming in the Third World, specifically in war-torn Monrovia, Liberia from a “design-thinking” point of view in “repositioning” energy policy and thinking, and building upon his long time experience with the Stanford Plant Lab studies, https://dschool.stanford.edu/classes/feed-lab-food-system-design-innovation
He emphasized that especially in Liberia the key factor was the role of women in culture in response to challenges such as an inconsistent and highly intermittent energy grid, urbanization and job training needs. He also related successes such as scaling his programs to 70 cities across the Sub Saharan Africa. At its core, Brian Lanes stressed that his mission and vision globally is that a Healthy Community is a Human Right, globally.
Personally as a Returned U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, I was encouraged and delighted that Brian Lane stated that an influential advisor for this and Wintergreen Partners’ global team also is a former U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, And after his session, Mr. Lane and I discussed a variety of international collaborators for his important work including some of my links in the Philippines which I already have highlighted like Agrea and Gawad Kalinga. I also mentioned the National Peace Corps Association https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/cpages/home which connects the approximate 230,000 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.
I was very excited to meet with Brian Lane and to learn about how he and his team of visionaries are making the future of food globally one of increasing food justice. And to explore further how I might make some rippling impacts on his collective efforts.
Conclusion
In this overview, I can only give a glimpse of what I experienced and learned and networked and seeded at Indoor Ag-Con Las Vegas 7. And I left out a number of equally compelling and important and impactful encounters and topics and threads that I intend to explore in much greater detail in the near future.
Overall, it was a very rewarding and inspiring and enlightening gathering and it truly proved to be a bridge for a slew of opportunities and collaborations in the future that will impact our World’s Food Future in empowering and important ways, especially in terms of sustainability and food justice.
About the author: Rick Passo is a social activist passionate about moving Las Vegas to the front of the of the global food movement while at the same time fighting for the creation of food hubs, incubators, urban agriculture, ecoTherapy, community gardens, food insecurity and food justice via empowering, training & employing vulnerable populations, especially those with mental and physical disabilities.
Connecting Technology & Business To Create Healthier Urban Food Systems
Mission Statement
The Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit will focus on building and investing in more sustainable, profitable and healthy food systems and the role that vertical and indoor agriculture can have in serving the cities of tomorrow.
The Summit will share best practice from around the world and uncover breakthroughs in energy efficiency, AI, automation, lighting, environmental control and yield improvements are set to transform these systems in the future.
Bringing together a unique mix of operators, food producers, technology developers, plant scientists, food buyers, retailers, financiers, utility operators and city planners, the Summit will explore the innovation, business models and partnerships that are needed to scale this emerging industry.
Key Themes
Nutrition and Food Security in the City: The Role of Indoor Farming in the Future Food System
The Power of Restaurants & Retail in Creating Demand for Healthy, Fresh Produce
Streamlining Access to Capital and Partnerships for Growth
What Success is Asia Having in Taking Indoor Farming to an Industrial Scale?
Food Safety and Labelling: The Collective Benefits of Greater Standardization
From Pilot to Mainstream: A.I., Automation and Systems Design to Transform Horticulture
What will it take for Strawberries to be the Next Big Crop?
Capturing Market Value Through Better Breeding, Genetics and Lighting
Industrial Partnerships to Drive Efficiency and Economic Viability
https://indooragtechnyc.com/
Location
New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
333 Adams Street Brooklyn, New York 11201 USA
Registration
One Summit Pass: Indoor AgTech
Delegate Registration: $1695
Two Summit Pass: Indoor AgTech and Future Food-Tech
Delegate Registration: $2295
https://indooragtechnyc.com/register/
Focused on the role of vertical and indoor farming in local, regional and national food systems, and new opportunities for investment and collaboration - the summit will connect 300 international operators and food producers with technology entrepreneurs and food retailers, financiers and city planners.
We are delighted to share with you the full program for the Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit, taking place in New York on June 19-20.
Download now to discover who's speaking, session topics and how to join.
Focused on the role of vertical and indoor farming in local, regional and national food systems, and new opportunities for investment and collaboration - the summit will connect 300 international operators and food producers with technology entrepreneurs and food retailers, financiers and city planners.
Here's a snapshot of our exciting thought leaders:
Matt Roy, Senior Director, Produce, US FOODS
Sonia Lo, CEO, CROP ONE HOLDINGS
David Rosenberg, CEO & Co-Founder, AEROFARMS
Victor Verlage, Senior Director, Resilient Sourcing, WALMART
"The Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit was my one-stop-shop where business, science and technology converged in the most effective manner. The event was put together impressively well, enabling attendees to interact and build lasting relationships. It’s an A+ from me!"
CEO, ELO LIFE SYSTEMS
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
We look forward to welcoming you to the summit this June.
With thanks to our Partners:
Who is Coming
Platinum Partner:
Gold Partners:
Silver Partners:
Marketing & Media Partners:
Co-located with:
Part of:
Hosted by:
Meet the Disruptors at the Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit in New York
Seven dynamic international agtech start-ups will be taking the spotlight at the Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit in New York, (June 19-20), seeking investment opportunities and corporate connections to scale up innovative solutions including machine learning algorithms, A.I., hydroponics technology and indoor farming production.
The summit’s Technology Showcase session will feature a selection of exciting entrepreneurs as they pitch to an audience of 300 indoor operators, food producers, technology developers, investors and retailers from around the world. The TechHub is a dedicated space for start-ups to showcase their breakthrough solutions up close within the exhibition and networking area.
Featured start-ups include:
La Grangette (France): produces fresh, organic and locally grown food that is better for consumers and the environment. With La Grangette the consumer can grow their own vegetables easily at home throughout the year with its autonomous kitchen garden.
Computomics (Germany): unlocks the diversity of biological life to enable data-driven decisions and accelerate sustainable agricultural development using multi-omics datasets. Computomics helps agricultural biotech, breeding and indoor farming companies to unlock genotype-phenotype relationships.
Root AI (USA): is on a mission to create intelligent robots that help growers build the farms of the future. The start-up has introduced its first agricultural robot, dubbed the Virgo 1, which can pick tomatoes without bruising them and detect ripeness better than humans.
Lettuce Lads (Canada): is increasing access to locally grown, quality food through innovation within hydroponics technology. Lettuce Lads will empower farmers to grow more with less, providing year-round access to local food for everyone. The company will build an operational prototype of their design in the Bow Valley this summer.
Grow Computer (USA): is the first of its kind operating system for any indoor agriculture farm or grow. Through its smart, IoT platform ‘GrowOS’ it gives indoor and hydroponic growers advanced monitoring, controls, data tracking and sharing right from a computer or smartphone.
Babylon (USA): has created automated, scalable hydroponic systems that make it simple and cost-effective to grow premium quality ingredients onsite and on demand.
Sustainable Indoor Growing System - SIGS (USA): is designed to produce large numbers of affordable, higher quality grafted vegetable transplants, with fewer resources such as water, fertilizer and pesticides.
The summit will welcome international indoor farm operators, their supply chain and retail/food service clients from across the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia including 80 Acres Farms, Autogrow, AeroFarms, BrightFarms, Bowery Farming, Driscoll’s, Gotham Greens, Fluence by Osram, Ikea, InFarm, International Space Station National Laboratory, MIT Media Lab, Samsung Electronics LED Business, Shenandoah Growers, S2G Ventures, Smallhold, Temple Court, Wells Fargo, Wendy’s, Whole Foods Market, USDA and US Foods.
Co-located with the Future Food-Tech Summit (June 18-19), the Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit is part of the Rethink Agri-Food Innovation Series hosted by Rethink Events, focused on international networking and deal-making for food and agribusinesses, solution providers, entrepreneurs and investors.
For more information about the event program, speakers and delegate
registration, visit www.indooragtechnyc.com
Indoor Ag-Con Announces Full Conference Schedule For May 22-24, 2019 Las Vegas Edition
Keynote From Bowery’s Irving Fain
Kicks Off Comprehensive Schedule
LAS VEGAS (April 1, 2019) – Indoor Ag-Con, the premier event covering the technology of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic techniques, has announced the full conference schedule for the 7th annual edition, May 22-24, 2019, at Red Rock Resort, Las Vegas, NV. Featuring 50+ sessions, panel discussions and keynotes, the comprehensive line-up spans five tracks: Grow Equipment, Crop Selection, Customers & The Supply Chain, Business, Policy & Societal Impact.
The full conference schedule is available at https://indoor.ag/lasvegas/las-vegas-2019-schedule-sessions/
“We built our conference sessions around the show’s theme, ‘Growing The Future,’” explained Jim Pantaleo, Conference Chairman, Indoor Ag-Con. “From indoor farm success stories to the latest innovations in artificial intelligence, LED lighting and control systems, to the impacts of the farm bill, we’ve gathered a full roster of industry experts to address today’s most pressing topics and issues.”
On opening day, Wednesday, May 22, 2019, Irving Fain, co-founder and CEO of Bowery, the modern farming company growing food for a better future by revolutionizing agriculture, kicks off the conference with a presentation from 9:15 – 9:55 am.
Bowery’s large scale commercial indoor farms combine the benefits of the best local farms with advances made possible by technology to grow food for a better future.
Since launching publicly in early 2017, Bowery has secured over $122.5M in funding, and expanded distribution of 8 product SKUs to retailers like Whole Foods, Foragers, Peapod, and various restaurants and fast-casuals in the Tristate area.
In addition to the keynotes, attendees can chose from an expansive line-up of sessions and panel discussions led by top industry executives and thought leaders from some of the biggest names and up-and-coming innovators in the indoor ag space.
Among them: Suncrest USA, AeroFarms, Signify, Shenandoah Farms, MVP Farms, Fluence Bioengineering, Farmbox Greens, Urban Crop Solutions, Sananbio, Vertial Harvest, TapRoot holdings, Pulse Labs Smallhold, Germains Seed Technology, MVP Farms, Argus Controls, AgEye Technologies, HSG-AME Certified Laboratories and many others.
The hemp and cannabis sectors are also well represented within the 2019 programming, with sessions like Hemp and the Farm Bill, Hemp|Cannabis Genetics Landscape, HVAC and Accounting For Cannabis Grows and others.
Indoor Ag-Con welcomes a number of other features in addition to the comprehensive educational conference, including an exhibition floor filled the vendors showcasing the latest in everything from equipment to climate control systems. Networking opportunities are also an integral part of the event, including receptions on May 22 and 23, continental breakfast and lunch gatherings daily. Other programs include extended networking breaks between conference sessions.
The 2019 edition will also see the hard release of a new white paper from Contain Inc., an alternate finance provider to indoor growers, entitled “ Automation, AI and the Next Generation Of Indoor Agriculture.” Each attendee will receive a copy with their welcome gift bag.
ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON LLC
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has grown into the premier event in indoor agriculture, the practice of growing crops, raising fish and insects in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic techniques.
Its events are tech-focused and crop-agnostic, covering produce, legal cannabis, alternate protein and non-food crops.
It hosts events in Las Vegas, Singapore and the US East coast.
In December 2018, three event industry professionals – Nancy Hallberg, Kris Sieradzki and Brian Sullivan – purchased Indoor Ag-Con LLC from Newbean Capital, so setting the stage for further expansion of the events globally.
More information: https://indoor.ag
AVF Speaker Announcement: Unlocking The Potential of Indoor Farming In Cities of the Future
AVF Speaker Announcement
22-23 May in Oslo, Norway @ Urban Future Global Conference
We are excited to announce the first round of confirmed speakers for our conference entitled: Unlocking the Potential of Indoor Farming in Cities of the Future. Event details here: https://pretix.eu/associationverticalfarming/urban-future-2019/
This conference will be the only part of the wider Urban Future programme to focus on food production in the city.
Our first confirmed speakers are:
Dr. Joel Cuello, Professor of Biosystems Engineering and Director of the Global Initiative for Strategic Agriculture in Dry Lands (GISAD) at The University of Arizona.
Dr. Leo Marcelis, PhD., Head of chair group Horticulture and Product Physiology, Wageningen University
Josef Schmidhuber, Deputy Director, Trade and Markets Division, FAO
The AVF will run two half-day sessions, which will include:
Keynote speeches from industry experts
Roundtable discussions on the industry and society's most pressing topics
Guided workshops to create realistic strategies for the industry's future
We will connect cities and industry to create solutions for food in the city.
Your ticket also includes:
Access to the conference venue on May 22 and May 23
Access to all sessions (except the Mayors Only sessions)
Access to the Green Business Village
Food and beverages at the conference venue
Participation in field trips on May 24
Access to the event app
Access to speakers presentations
Get your Early Bird Ticket now! This is the lowest price you will find anywhere for this event.
We look forward to seeing you in Oslo! Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at re@vertical-farming.net.
Sincerely,
The AVF Team
Fresh Produce Needs Even More SXSW Representation
It’s good that produce industry leaders participating in the Center for Growing Talent’s Executive Leadership Experience were here to hear, first hand, how one panel — in a massive ballroom simulcast online – basically threw Salinas, CA, and the fresh produce industry, under the bus
Panelists (from left) Matt Barnard of Plenty, Daphne Miller, MD, Chef Dominique Crenn and author Mark Bittman talked about localizing food to restore human health at SXSW in Austin.
March 14, 2019
AUSTIN, TX—As someone who has lived in the Austin area full time for nearly two decades, I’ve treated the annual South by Southwest conference with a local’s disdain and avoidance.
The traffic. The crowds. The people.
But I can’t avoid it anymore. Produce must be part of the conversation. I can’t imagine how representatives from the Produce Marketing Association felt the first time they went to the event and listened to what people have to say about our industry.
It’s not that we don’t hear criticism and misinformation about the produce industry – often, from a lot of different viewpoints – but it must be incredibly frustrating to hear it from a conference that’s all about the global discussion of the future of … pretty much everything.
It’s good that produce industry leaders participating in the Center for Growing Talent’s Executive Leadership Experience were here to hear, first hand, how one panel — in a massive ballroom simulcast online – basically threw Salinas, CA, and the fresh produce industry, under the bus.
The session, “Localizing Food to Restore Human Health,” dragged “industrial” agriculture in favor of vertical farms and growing in urban gardens on vacant land.
Matt Barnard, co-founder and CEO of Plenty, a San Francisco-based vertical farming operation, said he talked with “one of the largest growers in the Salinas Valley of California,” about the business:
“He said to me that we can’t imagine a world where demand drives supply. We don’t have the option. We have data from consumers that tells us we shouldn’t even be growing iceberg lettuce, and yet it is the largest cash crop in fruits and vegetables in the United States of America because it’s a tank in the field. It withstands whatever the environment throws at it…it has no flavor, no nutrition and that’s the thing that gives us certainty in an uncertain production environment.”
Barnard said the grower told him the data shows “people like things like radicchio and arugula,” but that growers can’t produce it because it’s too difficult in the field.
The problem with this?
It’s not sure whether the argument is right or wrong – whether iceberg really is the biggest cash crop in the U.S., or whether consumers would rather have radicchio (something I highly doubt, personally), it’s that this guy is telling the whole produce story, on the international stage.
I was glad to see that PMA put together a panel on how we need to do more to increase consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s a start, but there’s so much more opportunity, even beyond what happens here in Austin at SXSW.
We all need to push our way out of our comfortable produce community and join the broader discussions where they are happening.
Tagged analysis, produce marketing association, produce with pamela
Pamela Riemenschneider is the Retail Editor for Blue Book Services.
Association for Vertical Farming (AVF) Announces Partnership With Urban Future Global Conference
AVF brings indoor farming forum to Europe’s largest conference on sustainable cities
After successful annual conferences in Beijing, Amsterdam and Washington, D.C., the AVF is excited to host the 2019 edition at Oslo’s Urban Future Global Conference on May 22-23. The AVF and Urban Future look forward to welcoming entrepreneurs, companies, technologists, growers, city planners, research institutions, governmental bodies and enthusiasts from all over the globe to Oslo, the 2019 European Green Capital.
Adding to Urban Future’s already extensive audience, the AVF will host a gathering of over 200 experts to discuss developments and propose solutions for the future of indoor and vertical farming. The AVF will facilitate keynote speeches, roundtable discussions and workshops over two half-day time slots. This conference-within-a-conference will touch on all of Urban Future’s main thematic areas but will be the only forum to specifically focus on food production.
Entitled “Unlocking the Potential of Indoor Farming in Cities of the Future,” this conference will give citizens and stakeholders alike unparalleled access to the most pressing topics in the indoor farming industry.
Keynote speakers include:
Dr. Joel Cuello, Professor of Biosystems Engineering and Director of the Global Initiative for Strategic Agriculture in Dry Lands (GISAD) at The University of Arizona.
Dr. Leo Marcelis, PhD., Head of Chair Group Horticulture and Product Physiology, Wageningen University
Josef Schmidhuber, Deputy Director, Trade and Markets Division, FAO
Gertjan Meeuws, Co-Founder, Seven Steps to Heaven
More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Workshop Sessions
Establishing High-Tech Urban Food Systems in Cities of the Future
How can cities keep pace with the rapidly-evolving value chain
The next decade will bring rapid change in the technologies and techniques used to grow food in cities. How can businesses and entrepreneurs keep pace with this level of innovation? Join us in guided workshops to learn how to manage this influx of new technologies and apply them successfully to drive down costs, integrate renewable energy, and improve citizens’ access to healthy, sustainably-produced food.
Topics:
A. Can Blockchain technology advance the vertical farming industry? Moderator: Bernhard Hecker
B. Potential of renewable energy sources in the industry and energy efficiency in indoor farms. Moderator: Ramin Ebrahimnejad
C. Indoor/Vertical Farming Designs and Strategies. Moderator: Joel Cuello
Roundtable Discussion
The Science of Food Production in the City
Food and future cities -- growing food where the people live: what, why and how
Moderated panel discussion with public Q&A session.
Food production meets all of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals; accordingly, it also touches on all of Urban Future’s thematic areas. Why then is food production so often left out of city planning? This roundtable discussion will cover the importance of placing food at the centre of city planning, and the best ways to go about doing so. Hear unique industry perspectives on what is working and what needs to change, and then take the opportunity to ask questions in a 20-minute public Q&A session.
Event info and tickets are available here: https://pretix.eu/associationverticalfarming/urban-future-2019/
Student tickets are available at a reduced price of €220. Please contact kb@vertical-farming.net for a voucher code.
Please send any questions or special requests to info@vertical-farming.net
"Vertical Farming Needs A Consumer Label "
Brussels: First Workshop Hosted by FarmTech Society
On February 1st 2019, the FarmTech Society hosted its first workshop in Brussels titled ‘An energy efficient equation for indoor growing’.
FTS is an international non-profit association for the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry. CEO, business developers and consultants, in all 15 participants from the CEA industry (from 7 countries) joined. Besides the main topic on energy equations including a plenary session on building typology and energy environment, it also involved initial discussions regarding consumer labelling and defining the ‘indoor farming’ terminology.
Existing buildings can be a good choice for vertical farms
There is a clear synergy potential in energy management in existing or purpose-built structures. Climate capabilities of a building provide a good starting point for crop selection and business models. Based on a lifecycle analysis, it was shown that existing buildings with smart modifications can provide a cost effective and energy efficient solution for indoor farming in metropolitan areas.
Vertical Farming needs a consumer label
The end consumer perception of labels like eco, bio, or organic is emotional to a large extent. A strong case can be made for the advantages of indoor grown produce, and it makes sense to put an effort into this. After health, nutritional value and obviously price point, factors such as pesticides, energy and water consumption are important. A streamlined communication strategy is needed to avoid adding more labels to a heap of existing labels, perhaps new types of certification standards are required.
What is Controlled Environment Agriculture?
A need was identified to better define the term indoor farming or CEA. Outcome of the general discussion and group sessions was that main aspects to be included, were ‘year-round production’ and (no) ‘daylight use’ are major qualifiers. This is obviously not a final outcome; clear terminology is needed to clarify, on industry level and also for the consumer.
Energy: important to look at the broad picture
On a micro scale the energy and mass balance can be modelled at plant level. Improvements may be found via plant specific grow recipes by phenotyping combined with e.g. AI or machine learning. On a macro level the energy and mass balance describe a “plant factory” or a building type as a whole. Knowledge can be applied from the greenhouse industry, but also from very different applications e.g. data centres and district heating.
Recent development in decentralized micro-grid solutions, particularly as we see this recent development in the US, should be understood better. There appears also interesting potential for integrated uses of thermal waste energy into plant production combined with micro-grid solution of energy storage and buffer systems. A small task group from the workshop is going to focus on this area and report on this topic.
These outcomes for the basis for a few more events – the FTS team is looking forward to address these with current and future members. A solid kick-off, with much more in the pipeline.
For more information:
FarmTech Society
Place du Champs de Mars 5, 1050 Ixelles
+32 487 90 79 54
contact@farmtechsociety.org
farmtechsociety.org
Publication date : 2/15/2019
March 5th thru 7th, 2019 - Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE Learn About Vertical Farming, Greenhouses, Hydroponics And More
March 5th thru 7th, 2019
As an important aspect to increasing food security through the sustainable use of water and land, CEA includes Vertical Farming, Hydroponics, Greenhouses and more.
The CEA Conference will bring together leaders from across the world to discuss best practices, new innovations and increasing food security through entrepreneurship.
Register to visit
Controlled Environment Agriculture Conference
5th March 2019
Ensuring year-round local produce through controlled indoor farming
Damion Schwarzkachel, Consulting Engineer and Architect, Certhon
Food Security Through Entrepreneurship: Pathways towards Agriculture Independence in the GCC
Henry Gordon-Smith, Founder and Managing Director, Agritecture
Introducing the GravityFlow technology: A automated controlled environment plant production system
Per Aage Lysaa, CEO, Intravision Group AS
Digital Transformation challenges in Middle East's Agricultural & Food industry
Sage
Register to visit
AgraME Conference certified by:
Contact us to see how we can help you grow your business in the Middle East & Africa.
+971 4 336 5161 | info@agramiddleeast.com | www.agramiddleeast.com
Jan 15-16, 2019 Indoor Ag Con Asia Just Days Away!
All Registrants Receive IoT, Funding and Startup Positioning Papers
Meet VertiVegies At Indoor Ag-Con Asia
Be sure to stop by VertiVegies’ booth in the Singapore pavilion at Indoor Ag-Con Asia next week. The newest Indoor Ag-Con Asia sponsor, VertiVegies is a Singaporean Indoor Vertical Farming Company that was established with a simple objective – to empower consumers with the choice of eating healthy and safe food. It uses best in class technology to solve concerns around transparency, safety and security of the food your family consumes. Come chat with the team at Indoor Ag-Con Asia!
About VertiVegies ›
Download IoT, Funding and Startup Positioning Papers
For the first time at Indoor Ag-Con Asia, we’re trialing three unconferencing sessions where you can take your ideas and questions to debate and collaborate with fellow Indoor Ag-Con participants.
They cover topics from funding to IoT for indoor farms. We’ve prepared positioning papers for each session, and they are available to our Indoor Ag-Con Asia participants now so they can prep for the event next week.
Not registered yet? Online registration will be available through Monday at 12pm Singapore time, on-site registration from Tuesday morning onwards.
Register For Position Paper Access! ›
Meet One-To-One At Indoor Ag-Con Asia
We’re putting the final touches on our event app for Indoor Ag-Con Asia. Aside from housing plentiful information on our exhibitors, sponsors and speakers, it allows our participants to tee up one-to-one meetings at dedicated networking tables. The app is available only to Indoor Ag-Con Asia participants, there’s still time to join us by registering on our website
Register Today ›
Thank You to Our Sponsors & Allies!
GroSouth 2018 Held on 1st November at Roundstone-Newey Nursery in Chichester Was An Important Day For Intelligent Horticultural Solutions (IHS)
It was their official launch into the fast-growing horticultural market and the first showcase of their new Florence product range. The “Ready to Grow” LED lights were the talk of the show this year. So much so, that the GroSouth judges announced the IHS to be the winner of the Award for Best Innovation 2018. Managing Director of Newey Nurseries Chris Hall presented a glass plaque and a bottle of champagne.
IGS Group Managing Director Richard Williams accepted the award on behalf of the IHS team. Richard said ‘IHS are absolutely delighted to have won the award at the premier Horticultural Show for the South and East of England’.
The IHS stand was lit up with hues of blue and red light, showing off the eight standard versions of the Florence Grow Light, all of which are designed and manufactured in the UK at the IGS Group facilities. Visitors from various Horticultural backgrounds including nurseries, universities, commercial and urban growers, were very interested in the LED lighting being exhibited.
There are currently eight different standard Florence LED recipes to choose from including “Biomass, Seeding, Flowering, and Fruiting” (available with or without supplementary lighting). There are also three different lens options per recipe – narrow, wide and oval to direct the lighting onto the correct areas. These recipes were devised in conjunction with experts from LED manufacturer Osram Opto Semiconductors, who are the market leader in the supply of quality LEDs for the horticultural lighting sector. These lights enable a longer growing season and also increase the speed of growth for plants, when under the correct recipe. LED lighting is now cost-effective, thus making it viable for both the backyard gardeners and the large commercial growers alike. Ideal markets for these grow lights include polytunnels, environmental chambers, propagators, vertical farms and indoor farms, as well as schools, universities and research institutes.
IHS has a full range of customisable PYO (pick your own) LED lighting products so that growers can develop their own LED recipes specific to their application. IHS also have controllers available to make this easier to do.
If you are interested in any of IHS products or would like to discuss your requirements with IHS, please contact Ann Kelleher or the rest of the Horticultural team on 01635 294606 or email on info@i-hled.co.uk
IHS is a LED Light for You (LLFY) Partner, who draws on world leading quality LEDs from Osram Opto Semiconductors and combine them with other quality components, materials and services to provide the LED solution you want.
IHS will be attending Workshop Iberia in Spain, hosted by LLFY on the 26th, 28th, and 30th November. Where LLFY and their partners will provide a vision of the growing market and present the latest developments in LED technologies for the horticultural field.
"Indoor Growers Lacked Important Seed Knowledge, Limiting Their Businesses"
As indoor agriculture matures, many advanced farms are looking to develop seed programs to improve their farm economics and give them an edge over competitors, especially in leafy greens. Given this, former American Seed Trade Association executive and Asia & Pacific Seed Association board member Michelle Klieger of Stratagerm Consulting was asked to join Indoor Ag-Con Asia on January 15-16, 2019 to discuss her views on seeds in indoor systems. Ahead of that, Indoor Ag-Con caught up with her to ask her 5 seed questions.
How did you come to form Stratagem Consulting? What do you do?
I’ve always been interested in wildlife conservation. Many people don’t think of it this way, but the greatest threat to wildlife is agriculture. So, I started working in agriculture to help farmers grow more food on less land. I’ve become increasingly fascinated by the next generation of technology that is transforming agriculture. Many of these changes are helping increase the amount of food farmers grow and reducing the environmental costs associated with producing food.
After engaging with indoor growers, I realized that they lacked important seed knowledge and that not having this information was limiting their businesses. My background as a consultant and working in the seed industry meant that I had the missing puzzle piece and could help growers make the powerful connection between seed selection and their growth potential.
Stratagerm helps indoor growers pick better seeds for their system based on their farm’s technical requirements and their customers’ needs. The goal is to increase profitability by producing more vegetables or growing higher quality vegetables. Once a farmer understands HOW to pick new seeds and integrate them into their farm, we help them better communicate with their seed supplier to reduce business risks, such as a seed shortage.
What are the trends in seed development that are most exciting to you?
Seed companies are increasingly interested in controlled environment agriculture of all kinds and they are starting to invest in this sector. This investment is focused on researching new varieties that will grow well in high tech vertical farms. Also known as plant factories, these farms have LEDs, nutrient baths, and sensors that monitor every aspect of the operation.
Right now, most of the varieties planted in vertical farms were either bred for traditional outdoor agriculture or greenhouses. Outdoor plants need to be ready for droughts, floods, insects, and other adverse conditions. Greenhouses might provide ideal water levels, but they still have insects and diseases inside of them. Surviving these conditions is essential for plants grown outdoors or in greenhouses. But, it is not necessary for your indoor crops. Your plants are grown under controlled and often sterile conditions. Farms like yours need new varieties intended for vertical farms. Ones that will grow quickly and taste amazing, but probably aren’t hearty enough to survive outside.
Which crops do you think we’ll see move indoors next?
I love that indoor growers are being creative with their indoor systems. I’ve seen people try to grow valuable spices like saffron, which is so innovative! Anything is possible for small operations – that’s what I want people to take away from this.
On a larger scale, I think tomatoes are a great option. They are a high-value vegetable. They already grow well in high-tech greenhouses. So farmers have valuable experience growing tomatoes indoors. Plus, they taste amazing the second after they are picked, so the quicker the tomatoes can get from the farm to a dinner plate the better. Indoor growers can sell a better tomato because they grow so close to the consumers who will eat them.
Why has there not been more indoor ag-specific seed development? Do you expect this to change?
There are two reasons that we have not seen more indoor ag-specific seed developments. First, it takes plant breeders seven to ten years to commercialize a new plant variety. As the industry grows and demand for seed increases, more investment has and will be made. But, it will take a while before indoor farmers can purchase these new varieties.
Second, indoor farm growing environments vary dramatically. Successful plant breeding matches the genetics to the environment the plant is growing in. Without standards across the industry, it makes it difficult for plant breeders to know which environments to breed for. Until we know which light, nutrient, and temperature combination will be most popular in the future it’s difficult to pick varieties specifically for indoor agriculture. As farm technology matures and certain practices become the industry standard, we can expect targeted investment by seed companies and plant breeders for these conditions.
How would you recommend a new or small grower in Asia go about setting up their own seed program?
Seeds are a strategic piece of your business and all of the choices you make about seeds should be recorded so you can keep improving your decisions. Before you purchase seeds take time to understand your farm, your customers and your goals. With this preparation work, you will have a more productive conversation with your seed supplier. The supplier will be able to make recommendations or give advice based on the information you shared, instead of recommending a variety that grows well hydroponically.
Remember, your business will ultimately be judged on the vegetables and herbs you sell. If your customers are happy with the produce they will be repeat customers. So, picking seeds that grow into beautiful and tasty vegetables will remain very important to your business.
For more information:
indoor.ag
The Transforming Power of Vertical Farming - Scaling Businesses
NOVEMBER 22, 2018 AT 13:00
NATIONAL EXHIBITION AND CONVENTION CENTER SHANGHAI, CHINA
The AVF will return to Asia for its 4th Vertical Farming conference. Horti China is Asia’s most important agriculture and horticulture trade exhibition, with over 40,000 attendees expected. Taking place during Shanghai’s China Green Week, Horti China divides its showcases between pre- and post-harvest, Horti Fresh and Horti Tech.
The AVF welcomes you to join them at the Exhibition held on 21-23 November 2018 in Shanghai. The exhibition connects China with the worldwide horticulture business of fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers and plants.
As official partners of the event, AVF will be hosting a Vertical Farming forum on the afternoon of the 22nd; their headline of the half day conference is:
“The Transformative Power of Vertical Farming – Scaling Businesses!”
They expect to welcome over 100 experts and stakeholders in the industry to exchange ideas and propose solutions for the future of the vertical farming industry.
This will lead into the second Design Thinking Workshop, on the morning of the 23rd, in which the AVF continues to develop the 5-year Roadmap for Vertical Farming. This event’s topics will include:
Business Models
Finance & Investment
Government Institutions
This is the AVF’s first collaboration with Horti China (VNU/Richland) and they plan to use this international platform to bring greater awareness of vertical farming and plant factory development.
All AVF members will receive a 10% discount on exhibition space. If you would like to partner on this event, contact the AVF about their sponsorship scheme.
Date and Time: November 21-23, 2018
Location: National Exhibition and Convention Centre 168 Yingagang E Rd, Qingpu Shanghai, China
Pre-Registration for Exhibition and workshop:
Exhibition: www.hortichina.cn – DTW: jf@vertical-farming.net
EMAIL US AT INFO@VERTICAL-FARMING.NET
Source:: https://vertical-farming.net/events-page/transforming-power-vertical-farming-scaling-businesses/