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Grōv Technologies Signs Definitive Agreement With Superior Farms
Agtech and indoor farming company, Grōv Technologies, today announced a definitive agreement with California-based Superior Farms for the purchase of 10 Olympus Tower Farms that will produce fresh year-round feed for Superior’s upcoming Sheep Discovery Center™ in Central Utah
July 12, 2021
Vineyard — Agtech and indoor farming company, Grōv Technologies, today announced a definitive agreement with California-based Superior Farms for the purchase of 10 Olympus Tower Farms that will produce fresh year-round feed for Superior’s upcoming Sheep Discovery Center™ in Central Utah. Grōv is part of Superior Farms’ efforts to dramatically improve the sustainability and growth of US lamb production.
The ten Olympus Tower Farms will produce 60,000 pounds of Grōv’s fresh High-Density Nutrient (HDN) Superfeed wheatgrass a day using less than 5 percent of the water needed for field-grown fodder, without the use of pesticides or herbicides.
The Sheep Discovery Center is a new venture of Superior Farms. The goal of the Discovery Center is to showcase how sustainably focused science and technology can help farmers increase their flocks and consistently produce high-quality lamb.
“Our collaboration with Superior showcases how Grōv indoor ag technology can benefit farmers who want to improve production and sustainability, and minimize risk, especially as it relates to drought conditions that plague regions across the world,” says Steve Lindsley, president of Grōv Technologies. “The innovative thinking of Superior Farms is right in line with our efforts to provide feed security for animals and food security for growing populations.”
Leveraging Grōv’s indoor Olympus Tower Farms to grow fresh HDN feed, Superior Farms intends to optimize nutrition and environmental conditions to help support animal health during the lambing cycle. Superior Farms will also implement Grōv’s seasonal lighting technology as part of Superior’s efforts to improve the productivity of their sheep and provide a more consistent lamb supply throughout the year.
“The current Western U.S. megadrought is pushing farmers to ration their natural resources and find innovative ways to give their animals a more sustainable and nutrient-rich environment,” says Rick Stott, CEO of Superior Farms. “Feeding sheep with Grōv HDN opens up new opportunities for sheep farmers and gives them a way to overcome the water issues affecting their flocks.”
During the Covid pandemic, more consumers tried lamb for the first time and continued to purchase it throughout the year. The US lamb industry expects demand to keep rising as the number of new consumers who are more familiar with lamb continues to grow.
For more information about Grōv Technologies please visit www.Grōvtech.com.
About Grōv Technologies, LLC
Grōv Technologies is pioneering next-generation indoor agriculture technology and science to help meet the demand for global food and animal feed security. The company has developed enterprise-scale, automated controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems to grow high-density nutrient animal feed and other crops using significantly less water and resources than traditional farming. These systems utilize patented low-heat LED technology, seed-to-harvest robotics, and data-driven scientifically proven indoor growing protocols. Grōv also operates an LED lighting and power management subsidiary, Stellar Smart Energy Solutions, using proprietary Wave Power Transformation and power management networking technology for commercial and agricultural facilities. Grōv is wholly owned by Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: NUS), which develops and distributes a comprehensive line of premium-quality beauty and wellness solutions through a global network of sales leaders.
About Superior Farms
Superior Farms, the leading purveyor of sustainably raised, ranch-to-table American lamb. Proudly providing the highest quality natural lamb for a variety of recipes from weeknight dinners to Sunday brunch, lunches, and more, Superior Farms offers a range of premium cuts. From the mountains of Utah, the brisk winters of Minnesota, and the shores of California, Superior Farms prides itself on working exclusively with family ranchers who raise lambs with the best care and commitment to quality wellbeing and stable environment. Respecting a nutrient-rich land, maintaining a sustainable footprint, and working with dedicated family ranchers who raise flocks with the highest level of care, all are core values that make Superior Farms the leader in American lamb. From the plant floor to the corner office, Superior Farms is also proud to be 100 percent owned by its dedicated and talented employees. For more information, visit www.superiorfarms.com, order home delivery at www.superior-farms.com, or follow the brand on Instagram (@SuperiorFarms) and Facebook (@SuperiorFarms).
China Introduces Farm Display with Air Purifier
In a shopping mall in Urumqi City, people were attracted by an indoor growing display. While bringing fun to people who are growing, the product can also play a role in purifying the air.
In a shopping mall in Urumqi City, people were attracted by an indoor growing display. "It doesn't only allow you to eat fresh vegetables but it also purifies the air," said the representer.
The indoor farm cabinet is as big as a refrigerator, divided into four layers with LED lights installed on every level. Regardless of the vegetable planting machine occupies less than one square meter, it can grow seven or eight kinds of vegetables at the same time. There's a seedling area for the young plants to grow up, whereas the plants later can be transplanted for the final growing stage. When moved, they can be picked and eaten after 10 days.
The product allows to grow cherry tomatoes, coriander, Chinese cabbage, spinach, and strawberries. While bringing fun to people who are growing, it can also play a role in purifying the air. Especially for families with children, kids can observe the process of seed germination and vegetable growth, and follow the complete growing cycle.
The farm has already formed large-scale planting in the mainlands because of its multi-product growth and quick-growing cycles.
Source: k.sina.com.cn (In Chinese)
Publication date: Wed 9 Jun 2021
Is The Future of Farming Indoors?
The global population is predicted to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and to feed everyone, it’s estimated that global food production will need to increase by up to 70% in the next 30 years
July 14, 2020
Brian Kateman Contributor
I write about sustainable and ethical technology and consumer trends.
The global population is predicted to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 and to feed everyone, it’s estimated that global food production will need to increase by up to 70% in the next 30 years.
There are many challenges to overcome before fears of a worldwide food shortage can be allayed, including rising temperatures and more frequent droughts caused by global warming. These obstacles are making traditional farming methods increasingly inefficient and unpredictable.
Traditional farming has also been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the FAO, border closures, quarantines and disruptions to supply chains are limiting some people's access to food, especially in countries hit hard by the virus or already affected by high levels of food insecurity.
There’s an emerging consensus that the agriculture industry needs to adapt to use less water and chemicals, make crops less vulnerable to changes in the climate, and produce more reliable yields. Part of the answer may lie in the emerging start-ups growing produce in indoor environments, where growing conditions can be better managed.
The indoor farming technology market was valued at $23.75 billion in 2016, and is projected to reach $40.25 billion by 2022. Yields are typically much higher than traditional farming methods. Crops from indoor farming are grown in three dimensions, rather than two – and can be grown all year round, independent of external weather conditions.
Square Roots next-generation farmers growing basil. CRAIG VANDER LENDE
One of Square Roots’ indoor farms, for example, produces the same amount of food as a two- or three-acre farm annually, just from 340 square feet. This yield is achieved by growing plants at 90 degrees, and by using artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure the environment is optimal for each specific plant, including the day and night temperatures and amount of CO2 needed.
“Our indoor farms are living biosystems, constantly adapting to maintain optimal climates for growing specific crops. We’re then able to understand how changes in the climate can impact yield taste and texture,” says Tobias Peggs, Square Roots’ chief executive.
Not only could indoor farming help adapt to a warming planet, but it has the potential to help slow down climate change by being more sustainable – using less water and producing fewer emissions. While estimates vary widely, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture accounted for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2018; it is also highly dependent on, and a pollutant of, water.
Square Roots’ pop-up farms are built in shipping containers in cities, often in parking lots. They serve local communities, which means reduced emissions compared to traditional agriculture, which often involves transporting food much further. For example, it has 10 farms in Brooklyn that serve 100 retail stores all within five miles of the farm.
At the Plenty headquarters in South San Francisco, leafy greens use up one percent of the land and five percent of the water compared to traditional outdoor farms, says Matt Barnard, the start-up’s Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Founder.
AeroFarms’ indoor farm in New Jersey grows greens including baby kale, baby arugula, and baby watercress using 95% less water than conventional agriculture on just one percent of the land required. The crops grow under LED light with no pesticides and a fraction of the fertilizer used on traditional farms.
AeroFarms environmentally-controlled indoor farms can grow all year round independent of climate and ... [+] AEROFARMS
Marketing director Alina Zolotareva says being able to produce have ready-to-eat produce that doesn’t require rinsing helps to reduce water usage.
“This is a transformational innovation for agriculture at large,” she says, “as access to fresh water for growing food is one of the most pressing challenges of our time.”
As well as fewer miles and less water, indoor farming doesn’t require pesticides. This is better for the environment and human health as it eliminates the risk of water contamination due to run-off, and is in line with increasing consumer demand for non-GMO produce.
Plenty eliminates the need for pesticides with LED lights, which are synced with the crop’s growth, Barnard says, to provide the ideal spectrums and exposure and minimize energy usage.
“Our sensor system ensures each plant gets exactly the amount of purified water it needs, and any excess water is recycled through a closed-loop irrigation system resulting in greatly reduced water consumption and zero waste,” he says.
Nanobubbles super-saturates the water with oxygen, making the plant roots healthier. This promotes ... [+]
MOLEAER
Other farms are using nanobubble technology, such as Moleaer, which has allowed more than 100 indoor farms to connect their irrigation systems to generators that provide oxygen via sub-micron gas-containing cavities to the plant’s roots to provide chemical-free water. These nanobubbles result in healthier roots, more resilient plants, and increasing crop yields, says Nick Dyner, CEO of Moleaer.
“Our oxygen transfer efficiency provides the most cost-effective solution to elevate oxygen levels in the water, which in turn promotes beneficial bacteria and root development,” he says.
The company is also working on a new NASA-approved space farming research project, exploring how astronauts on the International Space Station can grow their own food in microgravity using nanobubble technology.
There are concerns that it’s an expensive investment, but Dyner says Moleaer has various systems so it’s accessible to all sizes of indoor farms, high- and low-tech. Some products do, however, require growers to connect an external source of oxygen, which must come from a gas supply company or an onsite oxygen generator, which Moleaer provides.
“In many cases, traditional farmers may have more to gain by using our technology, since the capital investment is significantly less than the most advanced growing technologies available today, which are often out of a typical farmer’s budget,” Dyner says.
“Nanobubble technology is a cost-effective, chemical-free, and scalable solution that allows growers to increase crop yields and shorten cultivation time - which will be much needed to feed our growing population in the future.”
Peggs says Square Roots is also focused on ensuring its technology makes farming an accessible career path for young people who live in urban areas.
“If you’re a new young farmer at Square Roots, our app will guide you through what to do; what’s growing, what state is in it, what do we need to do today based on where things are in the growth cycle. Through our app and our training program we’re able to bring new people into our team, even folks with zero horticulture experience, and get them ready to go in about six weeks.”
Indoor farming is putting the youth back in agriculture. PLENTY
But despite being an emerging option for youth in the city, Barnard predicts most will remain traditional farmers.
“The world still needs the field and will need the field forever. We support the field by growing in addition to the field. Over time, [indoor] farming systems will become more accessible and affordable. Both field and indoor farming will be necessary to support global food demand.”
Viraj Puri, Co-Founder, and CEO of Gotham Greens, a pioneer in urban indoor agriculture that operates over 500,000 square feet greenhouses in 5 U.S. states, echoes this sentiment: “Growing produce indoors certainly has an increasing role to play in the future of sustainable food production. While indoor farming may not represent the future of all fresh produce production, for certain types of crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens, and herbs, it will become more prevalent. Customers are increasingly recognizing the reliability, consistency, and high quality of greenhouse-grown produce that’s grown in close proximity to large population centers using fewer natural resources. Other agricultural commodities like grains or fruits or root vegetables, however, can’t yet be produced.”
However, Dyner predicts that, eventually, the majority of agriculture will move to indoors, in vertical farms— the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers—in urban areas.
“These settings enable traditional farming to shift to controlled growing conditions, using new technology and automation, and reducing the risk of exposure to harsh climate conditions,” he says.
Plenty's goal is to build vertical farms in urban hubs and distribute each farm’s harvest locally ... [+]
PLENTY
Start-ups like Square Roots, Plenty, and AeroFarms currently practice vertical farming, which is a form of indoor farming that relies on artificial lighting such as LEDs instead of drawing on natural sunlight.
Other indoor farming companies like Gotham Greens grow produce in high-tech glass-clad greenhouses that primarily rely on natural sunlight for plant photosynthesis. According to Puri: “vertical farming is a more nascent technology within the indoor farming sector and the costs of running a vertical farm with artificial lighting and air conditioning is currently not as cost-effective as relying on natural sunlight in greenhouses.”
Gotham Greens takes a different approach, relying on natural sunlight rather than the artificial ... [+]
GOTHAM GREENS AND JULIE MCMAHON
“Greenhouse indoor farming technology has been in operation globally for 20 to 30 years and is proven to be commercially viable. That being said, the costs around artificial lighting and other vertical farming technologies have been coming down significantly in the past few years,” he adds.
Nonetheless, indoor farm technology start-ups, broadly speaking, don’t see themselves as disruptive, but as being on the same side of traditional farms, for the wider cause.
“The common enemy is the industrial food system, shipping food from one part of the world to the other, rather than locally produced food,” Peggs says.
Indoor farms don’t work in competition with each other, either; they work collaboratively by forming a network that shares data. For example, AeroFarms is collecting data on a research project with the non-profit Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research to understand the sensory and nutritional characteristics of leafy greens for the benefit of the entire agriculture industry.
However traditional and AI-based indoor farming work together in the future, there’s little doubt that indoor farming is helping to meet the needs of a growing global population and support traditional farming, which is both at the mercy of and exacerbating a warming planet. Only one method will find itself in space – but there’s space for them both.
I am co-founder and president of the Reducetarian Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing consumption of animal products.
Lead Photo: The world’s current agricultural practices are unsustainable, and indoor farming may offer solutions ... [+] PLENTY
VIDEO: SANANBIO Announces the Availability of its Unmanned Vertical Farming System UPLIFT to Global Growers
“Pour your seeds in the seeder and do nothing but expect fresh veggies to be harvested in a matter of days,” said Zhan Zhuo, co-founder, and CEO of SANANBIO. UPLIFT has been under tests in the last two years and proves to be commercially feasible and ready to be established as turnkey projects for worldwide growers
XIAMEN, CHINA, July 16, 2020--SANANBIO, one of the world’s largest indoor farming technology providers announces the availability of its unmanned vertical farming system, a.k.a. UPLIFT, to growers globally.
“Pour your seeds in the seeder and do nothing but expect fresh veggies to be harvested in a matter of days,” said Zhan Zhuo, co-founder, and CEO of SANANBIO. UPLIFT has been under tests in the last two years and proves to be commercially feasible and ready to be established as turnkey projects for worldwide growers. “It can produce 6-8 tons of fresh leafy greens every day on a farm of only 5,000 sqm. By stacking up layers higher than a traditional vertical farm, we can best utilize the space to increase the yields. With the same farm size, UPLIFT’s productivity is 6 times of a 6-layered vertical farm.
The increased yield means a lowered cost, which in turn makes our produce affordable to more people. We’ve also upgraded our water circulation system so that 60% of the water can be absorbed by plants and the remaining 40% recycled. This fact is especially meaningful for the regions of the world that struggle with water shortages and harsh agricultural conditions.” said Zhan.
UPLIFT uses PlantKeeper, a proprietary indoor farming management system, to control and monitor environmental factors so farm operators can be updated with real-time growing conditions throughout the farm. By using simple and proven robotics and conveyor systems, UPLIFT automates seeding, transplanting, harvesting, plant transporting, and system cleaning, reducing labor intensity to its lowest.
“We’re phasing out manpower to make our produces available for more people. So we can say that UPLIFT is unmanned for humanity,” said Zhan.
About SANANBIO
SANANBIO is a joint-venture by Sanan Optoelectronics, one of the world’s largest LED manufacturers, and the Institute of Botany of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China’s leading institute in plant science. Comprised of LED experts and plant scientists, SANANBIO is able to provide simple indoor farming solutions for global growers. The RADIX, a patented vertical hydroponic system, has been widely endorsed by growers in more than twenty countries.
“We’re phasing out manpower to make our produces available for more people. So we can say that UPLIFT is unmanned for humanity,” said Zhan.
To learn more about UPLIFT, please contact SANANBIO at global@sananbio.com or visit its LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/fujiansanansinosciencephotobiotechcoltd.
VIDEO: Vertical Farming: The Only Way Is Up
Just like we've grown accustomed to living in compartments stacked directly on top and beside each other so too are lettuce and herbs
by Jasmine Reimer
Trends - /March 2, 2020
Just like we've grown accustomed to living in compartments stacked directly on top and beside each other so too are lettuce and herbs.
Agriculture is going vertical. Why? Because it saves water, increases efficiency, and provides us with fresh, local produce.
Vertical farming is the practice of producing food on upright surfaces. Instead of farming in a field, vertical farming grows plants stacked in layers, in structures like shipping containers or warehouses.
If this seems like an insignificant shift, unlikely to produce much effect, consider this: by 2050 the world's population is expected to grow by another 2 billion people.
Feeding everyone will be challenging. Vertical farming could be a solution.
What is vertical farming?
Assembled layer by layer under candy-colored lights, vertical farming has become an increasingly popular way for food producers to reduce costs related to space and energy consumption while increasing growth rates and nutrient values.
Of the many companies that are testing out this innovative farming method, Urban Crops uses a conveyor-like system to hold baby plants under LED ultraviolet lights. Their system is automated and relies on technology to program lighting and growing conditions specific to each species. And because they don't heat up, the bulbs can be placed closer to the leaves to encourage optimal light absorption.
In addition to not having to maintain an entire plot of land, Urban Crops boasts that vertical farming yields more crops per square meter than traditional farming or greenhouses. It also grows plants faster and can be used year-round. In theory, vertical farming can be practiced anywhere, which means that water-restricted locations can still harvest produce. Vertical farming uses up to 95% less water than traditional methods.
As Urban Crops' Chief Executive Maartin Vandecruys points out:
“Basically… every day is a summer's day without a cloud in the sky."
CES 2020: LG are launching exciting new indoor gardening technology.
While vertical farming could be the future of large-scale agriculture, companies like Urban Crops are also hoping that non-farming folk like yourself will be interested in investing in DIY versions. Because, while it makes sense to grow salad greens and edible flowers, trying to grow other foods like wheat for bread isn't yet an option: “At 10 cents a kilowatt-hour, the amount of energy it would take to produce wheat would [translate to] something like $11 for a loaf of bread," states, Vandecruys. Nonetheless, vertical farming could mean big changes in the way you think about “local" produce.
Vertical farming helps reduce the amount of questions for the consumer including its provenance, growing conditions and harvest date.
Data is useless unless you put it to work
Around the world, data-driven technologies are being used to keep indoor farming afloat. Detailed, real-time data collected via artificial intelligence, location services and IoT technology is used to analyze and produce better feeding models and optimal configurations, i.e. the concentration and scheduling of light and ratio of nutrients. Most recent is IoT company n.thing's Planty Cube, launched at this year's CES 2020.
Leo Kim, n.thing's CEO, came up with the idea for Planty Cube after creating an IoT-enabled smart pot called “Planty Square."
Planty Cube is a smart hydroponic vertical farm that relies on data from farming logs, which are fed back into a database called the “Cube Cloud" and analyzed with AI to help farmers determine optimal growing conditions. As the user adds more Planty Cubes to the vertical farm, this real-time, cloud-based system makes it easier for the grower to manage the overall farm, even remotely.
But even prior to sowing seeds, technology can help vertical farmers and consumers alike.
Automation, tracking and AI technology also opens up the potential to locate farms in urban, industrial, and even domestic spaces that can produce crops all year round.
This has the possibility to truly change the way cities source food. Most urban supermarkets are supplied from distributors around the world. Local indoor farms could decrease reliance on imports and reduce carbon emissions from transportation.
In the future, I hope to see supermarkets filled with vertical farms of their own.
The ups and downs of growing up
The vertical farming industry is booming. However, there are realities to consider before growing on a professional scale:
What are you growing and for whom?
Before you invest, do some market research. Get a sense of who your customers will be and your price point. Basically, if you can't sell it, you shouldn't grow it.
What is your distribution plan?
How will you physically get your produce to your customers? Find out who your end customers are and keep your farm as close to them as possible. Being local is an integral component to your success but this may present further challenges such as high cost of land, poor soil quality, and resource restrictions.
Will your building meet your needs?
Remember, indoor farming requires substantial amounts of power: lighting, pumps, HVAC, automation equipment, fans, computers etc. Not all buildings are equipped with the type of electricity you require. And if you're serious about getting into the vertical farming industry, you need to plan for future expansions.
Fortunately, vertical farming is being supported by more than just salad-starved individuals like me; location services and tracking technology are helping farmers retain high yields and prepare for the future.