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Farming Without Soil
Farming Without Soil
Meena R. Prashant
January 11, 2018
Vijay Yelmalle teaches agriculturists – both urban and rural – how to apply technology to practice eco-friendly farming and increase yield
Mumbai: Vijay Yelmalle had a steady career spanning 14 years in the chemical industry in Singapore. But there was something that kept tugging at him back home. “Whenever I read about farmer suicides, it depressed me. I wanted to do something for them, especially farmers from my home State, Maharashtra,” says Mr. Yelmalle.
In 2012, he ended his lucrative career and returned to India to establish the Center for Research in Alternative Farming Technologies (CRAFT). Mr. Yelmalle spent the first two years doing extensive research in technologies like hydroponics and aquaponics, which involve farming without soil. “These technologies make farming sustainable. The main reason for farmer suicide is unsustainable conventional farming,” says Mr. Yelmalle.
He began by growing vegetables on his terrace in Mumbai and giving them to his family and friends. After the success of this initiative, he began CRAFT in 2014 with four employees and a personal investment of ₹30 lakh.
Breaking through
The beginning was challenging. “I began CRAFT to become a leading service provider in alternative farming technologies. Despite being one of the leading companies in the field, business was not good, as not many people knew about these methods,” he says.
Mr. Yelmalle had to devote a good deal of time educating people and destroying misconceptions: most of their knowledge came from YouTube videos, and they would come to him asking how to produce 200-400 tonnes of vegetables in one acre, with no idea of the cost it entailed. Many others were not aware of the volatility of the agricultural produce market, while some thought hydroponics or aquaponics were forms of magic, and required no technical skills.
Today, CRAFT has a pan-India customer base. “We have sent supplies and do-it-yourself kits to hundreds of people which cost anywhere between 2,000 and 40,000. Till date, we have trained almost 1,500 people in hydroponics, aquaponics, urban farming, commercial aspects of the technologies etc,” says Mr. Yelmalle.
CRAFT helps its customers set up farms and provides consultation and training at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. Mr. Yelmalle stays in touch with his clients on WhatsApp to help with problems they face.
In addition, CRAFT has developed two sustainable business models. One is focused on the health of urban dwellers. This model is about growing vegetables in urban spaces and supplying fresh, nutritious produce to subscribers from nearby areas at market prices. The other model, called ‘Rural Integrated and Digitalised Economical Aquaponics’ relates to the economic sustainability of marginal farmers using aquaponics. Mr. Yelmalle is also looking at establishing an institute to bring in
more educated people into this sector. The government, he says, needs to subsidise protected cultivation to allow more farmers to adopt this technology. He plans to collaborate with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development to impart these skills to farmers.
Sustainable farming
Traditional soil-based farming has many problems. Farmland is getting increasingly fragmented [as families expand, successive generations own less land per person]. Land is also getting infertile due to the heavy use of fertilizers, and climate change is having its own adverse effets. Soilless farming, on the other hand, uses just 10% of water as compared to the traditional method, says Mr. Yelmalle. There is no drainage of water or fertilizers into the ground, and all the nutrients are re-circulated within the system. Mr. Yelmalle says soilless farming gives a higher yield as all the parameters such as pH nutrient concentration and water temperature are controlled within the required levels. The produce in soilless farming is also more uniform.
As for the costs involved, he says, “Hydroponics [providing crops synthetic nutrients in the right quantity and combination for the highest yield] is very technical and scientific and requires a very high investment. It is more suitable for urban areas and rich farmers who can afford to employ skilled manpower. Aquaponics, where fish and vegetables are grown together, is a more organic method; after the initial training, a farmer can work it out on his own. The cost of inputs could be reduced drastically with innovation.” A kitchen garden made with recycled material works out to a few thousand rupees, while the cost of a commercial farm runs into a few lakhs.
Further, these technologies require minimal use of nutrients and no pesticides, thereby reducing input costs and giving pesticide-free produce, which has a premium in the market in terms of pricing as well as demand. The technologies also reduce the incidence of crop failures due to drought, thanks to the minimal use of water and inspect or pest attack due to the use of protected growing environment such as shade net, greenhouse, etc.
The greatest advantage of hydroponics or aquaponics is vertical farming — utilising scarce land in cities to get a greater higher yield per square feet. Although the cost of setting up a vertical farm is high, the selling of vegetables in retail makes the venture attractive. Urban farms also have a smaller carbon footprint as produce is grown locally, avoiding transportation.
Manas Kulkarni, a farmer from Vivare village in Jalgaon district said, “We are into traditional farming and grow bananas, cotton, onion, maze, gram, and wheat. Using hydrophonics, we can now grow all types of vegetables, like coloured peppers, tomatoes, exotic leafy vegetables, broccoli and Chinese cabbage.”
Mr. Kulkarni said he attended the CRAFT workshops with the understanding that with the growing population, availability of land for farming will be a challenge in the near future. He has opened a small hydroponics setup in his village and will soon start growing leafy vegetables.
Pravin Tulpule, an entrepreneur said, “I was looking to improve my kitchen gardening skills; something I love doing at home. The use of cocopeat [a natural fibre made of coconut husks] and clay pops, not soil, made it easy to manage.” The technology, he said, is “not rocket science”, and the advantage is that one can practise it at home or on a commercial scale. “The results of micronutrients were phenomenal. The best part was getting fresh vegetables to eat. It helped me understand the optimum use of resources, including space.”
The concept
In hydroponic farming, crops are given synthetic nutrients calculated to meet their requirement.
In aquaponics, fish, and plants are grown together with the single input of fish feed. Fish are reared in tanks and the water is circulated to vegetable roots. All other nutrients required for plant growth are provided by the fish excreta
The advantages
Vertical farming: utilizing scarce land in cities to get a greater higher yield per sq ft
Eco-friendly: Urban farms have a smaller carbon footprint as produce is grown locally.
Snapshot:
Center for Research in Alternative Farming Technologies
Founder: Vijay Yelmalle
Employees: 6
Funding: Bootstrapped
Web: www.craftagro.com
Urban Rooftop Farms As New City Culture
Urban Rooftop Farms As New City Culture
January 3, 2018 11:30 AM Aditya Neupane
KATHMANDU, January 3, 2018
Do you feel that the price of vegetables is increasing by the day? If so then rooftop farming can be the best solution for your problem. Rooftop farming could be the best available option, considering you have some open space, for greenery and some organic vegetables.
In any highly populated city, one of the main issues is constantly increasing the price of agricultural produce and their poor quality. Though Nepal is an agricultural country, where agriculture is the main source of income, our agricultural products are not enough even for the local population. Growing urbanization in cultivable lands and migration to central cities might be the main reasons behind the gradual fall in production of crops.
According to the data of economic activities at Nepal Rastra bank, cultivable land in Nepal has decreased by 30,334 hectares in the fiscal year 2016/17. Hence, rooftop farming can significantly contribute to decreasing the import of agricultural products from other countries. Vegetables and fruits like spinach, spring onion, coriander, spring garlic, strawberries, guava, oranges, and tomatoes can be produced through rooftop farming.
Rooftop farming comprises various techniques, including Aeroponic Agriculture (agriculture done in air without soil), Hydroponic Agriculture (agriculture done in nutrient solution without using soil) and traditional agriculture (agriculture done in soil), among others. Meanwhile, traditional rooftop farming can be done with the use of different mediums like containers, plastics bags, bottles, while you can also turn your entire roof into a farmland by waterproofing the concrete.
One of the main specialties about rooftop farming is that you can also grow unseasonal vegetables and fruits through the green house effect. Rosy Maharjan, trainer of a project named ‘Phohor Maila Bewasthapan Ko Lagi Pratifal Ma Aadharit’, said, “Small families can easily produce enough vegetables for themselves through rooftop farming if it is done in a scientific way.” The project has been providing training on rooftop farming, waste segregation and composting to the residents of Lalitpur Metropolitan City.
Maharjan added that hybrid breeds of fruits are also available in market, which can be grown in a simple pot on your roof. “People don’t have to waste a lot of money for rooftop farming, household materials such as perforated water jars, bottles, plastic bags and pots can be used for cultivation. If waterproofing and drainage of the roof is good, the farming can also be done for longer period of time,” Maharjan said.
Garden designer at Paknajol-based Kumari Nursery and trainer of rooftop farming, kitchen gardening as well as floriculture, Sesh Maharjan, said people should know that a medium between mud and concrete, like pots or any insulating materials, is a must while doing rooftop farming.
Rooftop farming is quite different from land agriculture because the load and moisture of mud can damage the concrete of the roof. Hence training is necessary before starting rooftop farming, said Maharjan. The weight of mud used in rooftop farming can be decreased by 45 to 50 percent by mixing it with different materials such as straw, compost manure and sand. Maharjan said if rooftop farming is done in a scientific way, the production could suffice an entire family.
Waste management is also one of the reasons for an increase in the trend of rooftop farming because people can use 50 to 60 percent of the household wastes as compost manure. If you’re thinking of doing rooftop farming, it is vital that you insulate the concrete first before laying mud on your roof. Six to eight inches of light mud with good drainage should be enough to begin your agro-adventure.
With an innovative vision of creating a pesticide-free future, a group of three people — Caesar Rana, Prakash Dahal and Biplove Singh —established Aeroroots Pvt Ltd to introduce Aeroponic farming. This kind of farming is being practiced for the first time in the history of Nepal. Aeroponic farming is a process of growing farm vegetables and herbs with less than one tenth of water and no more than nine percent of the farmland required by traditional agriculture to grow the same quantity of produce.
Aeroroots Pvt Ltd employs a new system of growing plants called Aeroponics with the use of a drum containing 60 holes called bends. Each hole contains sponge to hold the roots and water nutrients, while an automatic machine sprays water through a nozzle. CEO of Aeroroots Pvt Ltd Singh said aeroponic farming was the perfect kind of rooftop farming as the process involves less use of soil, resulting in fewer loads.
This kind of farming also prevents different parasitic diseases like ascaris and hookworm that transmit through soil. Singh said, “Vegetables and fruits produced through this method are highly nutritious in comparison to those produced through traditional farming.”
Aeroroots Pvt Ltd currently offers aeroponic vegetables like cauliflower, bitter gourd, cucumber and garlic among others. The aeroroof consumes only 10 to 20 liters of water per week and electricity below 20 watts. Each aeroroof comes along with a manual and costs Rs 75,000, but the cost will be recovered within six to seven months, said Singh.
The CEO-trio is an example of how innovation and out of the box entrepreneurship skills can solve even the most pressing problems. Aeroroots Pvt Ltd has two labs at Kalanki and Baneshwar and one farm at Godawari at present. With people migrating to bigger cities like Kathmandu in search of better facilities and opportunities, rooftop farming can be the only option to become self-sufficient in cities that offer negligible cultivable lands as well as expensive vegetables.
A Beginner’s Guide to Vertical Farming
Also known as indoor farming, vertical farming has in recent years gained recognition as a solid method of sustainability. The system was born out of the challenges affecting the 21st century, specifically issues like food shortage, resource depletion, and overpopulation.
A Beginner’s Guide to Vertical Farming
November 28, 2017
Written by Claudia Beck
Also known as indoor farming, vertical farming has in recent years gained recognition as a solid method of sustainability. The system was born out of the challenges affecting the 21st century, specifically issues like food shortage, resource depletion, and overpopulation.
Feeding the future: vertical farming
Vertical farming is the practice of food production that takes the form of vertically stacked layers and vertically inclined surfaces. The method is executed inside a controlled environment building, usually without soil or natural light.
The method of growing the crops in a vertical farm involves the following elements.
• Temperature control
• Humidity control
• Artificial lighting
• Control and monitoring of nutrients and fertiliser
When undertaking vertical agriculture as a small to medium business, planning is essential. You need to ensure that you can sell what you grow, and that your production costs are not too high. The first step to ensuring this, therefore, is picking the right crops.
The aspiring vertical farmer needs to conduct a feasibility study and come up with a profitable and sustainable plan. This is because each species you plan to grow will have a growing method tailored to its needs. Determining the daily nutrient and light uptake each crop requires is crucial.
Animated GIF credit: Lizzie Lomax
The indoor farm represents significant benefits to the consumer as it increases food accessibility. Because farms can be located anywhere, more people can start growing their own crops. Production then moves closer to the consumer, and farms are able to produce consistent value and volume year-wide. Currently, building-based and shipping container vertical farms are the most common.
How does indoor farming work?
There are several key factors that determine the viability of a vertical farm.
1. Physical layout
The objective of indoor farming is to maximise volume. This is achieved by maximising the output efficiency per square meter, which is where the vertical tower structure comes from.
2. Lighting
Image credit: Business Wire
Optimising light for crop growth in vertical agriculture usually involves a mixture of grow lights and natural light. Specialised technologies like rotating beds increase the efficiency of the light sources and can fulfil different crop requirements.
3. Growing medium
There are three different models for the indoor agriculture system.
A. Hydroponics
In hydroponics, crops grow in the nutrient-rich water basin and water is recirculated, creating better efficiency and lower water consumption. Scalable in size and cost, hydroponic farming is highly adaptable to its farmers’ production goals and needs. It includes methods like Drip Irrigation, Deep Water Culture, Ebb and Flow, Nutrient Film Technique, and the Wick System.
B. Aeroponics
Image credit: Foundation Far
Aeroponic farming involves frequently spraying crops with a nutrient-based mist, using a periodic timer (no soil, sunlight, or water). Aeroponics delivers nutrients directly to the plant roots to conserve water and reduce intensive labour. Scalability is another massive benefit with this method, and crops are easily harvested without soil.
C. Aquaponics
A closed-loop food production system, aquaponics is the practice of cultivating both fish and plants. The fish provide nutrients and beneficial bacteria to the plants,which in turn filter the water for the fish. Aquaponic farming creates a highly productive and balanced ecosystem with many benefits, including its water-conservative approach.
4. Sustainability features
Image credit: Cleanroom News
Many built-in sustainable features like rainwater tanks, wind turbines, and multipurpose spaces can offset energy costs in a vertical farm. Indoor farminguses less water than conventional farming practices and is not season-dependent for seed growth, which maximises revenue year-round.
What can you grow in your vertical farm?
With the right hydroponic, aeroponic, or aquaponic farm set-up, you can grow almost anything. Just because you can do so, however, doesn’t mean you should. Consider the following aspects when choosing the best crops for your vertical farm.
1. Economic viability
Especially if you’re growing for profit, study the economics of the species you have shortlisted for your indoor farm.
A. Demand
What is the demand for this crop within your area or within the market you choose to serve? You may decide that your project will provide for your family as well as for your local community.
B. Growing technique
Though vertical farming methods mean lower overheads on average, the size and particular system you use dictates your short and long-term production costs. You’ll want to keep these figures as minimal as possible.
C. Climate
Different systems have climate requirements (heating, cooling, and lighting) that may necessitate another sectioned-off space. Consider if you have the room and operations budget for your chosen system design.
As a grower, striking a balance between these elements ensures maximum yield and value out of your indoor farm.
2. Timing and liability
All good things take time—patience is a necessary element of indoor agriculture. This truth is embodied in what is called in farming as a ‘turn.’ A turn is the total amount of time it takes to introduce a seed or seedling into the farm system, grow it, and harvest it as a mature plant, for sale at the market or serving on your plate.
There are two types of crops you can choose to grow: fast turn crops and slow turn crops. Dependent on your growing reason, needs, and requirements, you can pick either one or both for your vertical farm.
Image credit: Forbes
Fast turn crops include lettuce, cabbage, chard, collard greens, mustard greens, parsley, cilantro, mint, chives, basil, and various microgreens. They usually take up to six weeks to produce.
Slow turn crops are typically harder to grow, but have a higher revenue margin compared to leafy greens. This includes ‘woody’ herbs like oregano and rosemary, and fruiting crops like strawberry and tomato. A good guide to follow for a beginner grower is to plant 80 percent greens, and 20 percent herbs.
Vertical agriculture: from farm to fork, all under one roof
Vertical farming can be as small or as large in scale—it all depends on the farmer’s goals and requirements! A vertical farm can benefit both your home and business, providing your community with reliable access to fresh produce.
While the traditional block of land enabled families to grow their own food, block sizes have gotten increasingly smaller throughout the decades.
Luckily, indoor farming lets us grow crops with a fraction of the space, sun, soil, and water conventional farming uses. What’s more, vertical farms are protected from the harsh weather brought about by climate change. The result? Robust and resilient crops turning up whenever needed, grown in soil and water-conservative, stable crop systems.
Title image courtesy of Digital Trends
How Does Aeroponics Work? (A Beginner's Guide)
How Does Aeroponics Work? (A Beginner's Guide)
What is aeroponics, and how does it work?
Aeroponics is a subset of hydroponic gardening where plant roots grow in a moist, airy environment.
But more specifically:
How exactly does aeroponic growing work?
What are the pros of aeroponic growing?
What are the cons of aeroponic growing?
What is an example of aeroponics actually being used?
Well:
All of these answers and more are discussed in this Beginner's Guide To How Aeroponics Works.
So let's get started...
What is aeroponic farming?
Aeroponics is a type of hydroponic farming.
What is the difference between pure hydroponic farming?
The plant roots are not exposed to water directly as they would be in a hydroponic system. There is also no growing media used.
Instead, the plants in an aeroponic system will typically be held in place with foam rings. The rings are wedged into a perforated panel. Above the panel, the plant is exposed to light and circulating air.
Below, the roots are exposed to an aeroponic mist like environment (see diagram below).
How does an aeroponic system work? Source: hydroponicpassion.blogspot.com
What is the history of aeroponic farming?
Pro's of Aeroponic Growing
What are the pros of aeroponic growing?
1) bacteria builds up more slowly in the nutrient reservoir
2) roots are simultaneously exposed to high oxygen (O2) levels AND humidity (near 100%). With a correctly designed system, aeroponics can outperform hydroponics in terms of plant growth speed and yield.
3) no growing medium means less unit cost per plant
4) lack of growing medium means less shelter for bacteria and pests
Con's of Aeroponic Growing
1) Because there is no growing medium, the pH levels and EC readings of the nutrient reservoir are very unstable. You will spend a lot of time constantly monitoring pH and EC. This also makes the growing process more tricky to truly do well.
2) The misters used in aeroponic systems quickly become clogged with mineral deposits and will require frequent cleaning and sometimes even replacement. This means extra time and often money spent on your part.
3) Less public knowledge of aeroponics. The community for aeroponic troubleshooting is far smaller than the hydroponics community. The odds that you run into a unique problem and are forced to find your own solution are higher than if you were doing a more traditional hydroponic grow.
A Current Example of a Aeroponic Farm
In the late 1990's, NASA began research on aeroponic growing as a method of food production in space.
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Murphy: Down and Dirty
Murphy: Down and Dirty
NOVEMBER 9, 2017 09:30 AM
World Variety Produce launched organic vegetable kits in pouch bags last December, says Robert Schueller, director of marketing.
© World Variety Produce
By AgWeb Guest Editor
AgWeb.com
At first glance, the decision of the National Organic Standards Board last week to allow hydroponic and aquaponic production methods to be marketed as Certified USDA Organic might seem logical. If no chemicals or synthetic fertilizers are used, why wouldn’t the resulting hydroponic produce, for example, be considered organically grown?
But the board’s decision was vociferously opposed by a coalition of organic farmers and producers, who lobbied intensely, according to news reports, urging USDA to restrict certification to soil-based systems of farming.
“[The decision] was sad, because the rally speeches and all the testimonies of the farmers were so moving,” Dr. Linley Dixon, lead scientist at the Cornucopia Institute, an industry watchdog organization supporting the ban, was quoted on the Organic Authority website. “Everyone did such a good job explaining the situation, [but] it didn’t matter. It was very sad. There were a lot of tears.”
The 15-person board voted eight to seven to reject the proposal that would have restricted organic certification to “traditional” farmers, according to news reports. There are approximately 100 certified organic hydroponic operations in the U.S.
So why the controversy? What’s the difference if crops are grown organically in soil or in a water-based medium? Isn’t that merely a matter of a different medium?
Soilless is Soulless
Not at all, many organic farmers argued. Indeed, this issue has been debated within the organic industry for many years. Those against the continued certification of soilless systems argue that such techniques violate the basic principles of organic, which, as Abby Youngblood, executive director of the National Organic Coalition, explained to National Public Radio, “are really about soil health, regenerating the soil.”
Dixon agreed, noting that hydroponic systems do not cycle nutrients back into the soil to build soil health, an important tenet of organic agriculture. Indeed, most marketing and advertising for organic foods depict pastoral scenes of farmsteads with amber waves of grain, contented cows grazing on green forage and tidy orchards bursting with ripe apples or cherries.
The family farm, old-school image of hardworking growers toiling to deliver healthier foods, while simultaneously healing the land, is key to the organic movement’s positioning.
The argument in favor of organic hydroponics, of course, centers on efficiency, and in fact, those systems can be energy-efficient and sustainably operated. Hydroponic systems also do not normally require the addition of pesticides, even those permitted by organic rules, due to the fact that such crops are grown under controlled conditions indoors.
As far back as 2010, organic farmer coalitions were badgering USDA to institute a moratorium on the organic certification of all new hydroponic and aquaponic operations. In a letter to then-USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, they argued that, “We believe it is incumbent upon USDA to accept the NOSB’s 2010 recommendations to prohibit soilless hydroponic vegetable production as certified organic. The recommendation specifically states that hydroponic and aeroponic ‘cannot be certified as organic growing methods…’ ”
Part of the dispute is related to the fact that farmers seeking organic certification must undergo rigorous soil testing in order to be certified organic. Hydroponic and aquaponic systems are getting a free pass around those criteria, the farmers said, claiming that it confuses consumers when there is no distinction between the farming methods and their importance to the health of the larger food system.
Leaving aside the issue of whether soil itself is essential for foods to be identified as organically grown, the organic farm coalitions may have a point, albeit not on the dirt vs. no-dirt issue.
Along with the environmental impact of organic methods of crop and livestock production, the other important element is the opportunity to maintain agricultural diversity and support access to the business for family and small-scale growers. Because organic produce, meat and dairy command premiums in the marketplace, it’s possible for small farms to be profitable at a scale that would be near-impossible if production revolved around hybrid corn and GMO soybeans.
Hydroponic operations, on the other hand, tend to require sufficient capitalization that if such production methods are to be scaled up, they’re more than likely to be sustainable only by well-funded corporate interests. Leaving aside the optics of food grown with miles of plastic piping inside what amounts to a translucent airplane hanger, the last thing that organic agriculture needs is to continue on the path of corporate domination of the market, which is already well underway.
Certainly, population growth alone, not to mention the ongoing loss of prime farmland to development, argues for the expansion of hydroponics as a supplement to conventional food production. Forget exports for a moment; by mid-century, the U.S. is going to have to ramp up its domestic ag output just to keep pace with the growth in the American population, and hydroponics need to play a role in that effort.
In the end, it seems to me the solution is for organic farmers opposed to indoor agriculture to make their case the old-fashioned way: One customer at a time.
If soil health is so critical to environmental protection and food sustainability — and it is — that ought to be an easy argument to make.
And win.
Editor’s Note: The opinions in this commentary are those of Dan Murphy, a veteran journalist, and commentator.
Indoor Agriculture Brand Fresh Farms of America Launching in the Las Vegas, Nevada Market
Indoor Agriculture Brand Fresh Farms of America Launching in the Las Vegas, Nevada Market
NEWS PROVIDED BY: Indoor Farms of America
December 4, 2017
LAS VEGAS, Dec. 4, 2017, /PRNewswire/ -- Fresh Farms of America, announces today the first farm under the brand name, located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The local operation is named Vegas Fresh Farms, and is on track to serve and sell its first customers with locally grown, fresh-harvested daily produce in the dynamic market of Las Vegas, starting January, 2018.
The Fresh Farms of America brand exclusively utilizes the propriety vertical aeroponic equipment from leading R&D and equipment manufacturer Indoor Farms of America, which is headquartered in Las Vegas.
Fresh Farms of America grows a wide variety of crops indoors
"This new brand of indoor farm operation represents the best in the industry for farm performance, using any metric," statesDavid Martin, CEO of Indoor Farms of America. "Over the next month, we will announce multiple new locations of farms operating under the Fresh Farms of America brand. This brand will quickly become the leading brand of fresh, locally grown produce, accessible by consumers in markets across the U.S. and Canada."
Fresh Farms of America uses the vertical aeroponics of Indoor Farms of America
"Consumers want to know where their food is coming from, they want to know it is the best they can serve their families in terms of purity and nutrition, and the Fresh Farms of America brand exemplifies that," says Martin. "Our produce is grown with no pesticides, no herbicides, is Non-GMO, and is quite frankly, beyond organic."
"Chefs from the best restaurants in Las Vegas continually visit the farm at Indoor Farms of America and say how excellent the produce tastes, how the aroma of our herbs is beyond comparison, and how the texture and structure of the plants is simply superior, and how they appreciate the wide variety of fresh produce we can grow. We think the U.S. consumer will really enjoy having this level of quality, and at prices that are more competitive than organic at this time."
Ron Evans, President of Indoor Farms of America, says, "The owners of this local Las Vegas farm are committed to making this a world class operation, which local Southern Nevada residents will really enjoy. Having access to an abundant supply of leafy greens, herbs, strawberries, peppers and tomatoes is something to get excited about, especially when they are grown in your neighborhood."
The farm will provide direct access to local consumers, the freshest, most purely grown produce they can find. The owners are committed to providing meaningful jobs to veterans and disadvantaged young adults from the community. "When we discussed how important this farm is for the local community in the area of reaching out to at-risk young people, we knew they have a great vision for this farm," states Martin.
According to Martin, "We are putting in place what will be the nations' premiere brand of indoor farm that can operate 12 months out of the year, provide outstanding investment returns without peer, and make the strongest impact on easily accessible, locally grown food across North America."
Leading indoor agriculture R&D and manufacturer, Indoor Farms of America, has a showroom with demonstration farms operating in Las Vegas, Nevada and in multiple locations in Canada, and in South Africa, where their world class vertical aeroponic equipment is on display.
CONTACT:
David W. Martin, CEO • 187031@email4pr.com • IndoorFarmsAmerica.com
4000 W. Ali Baba Lane, Ste. F Las Vegas, NV 89118
(702) 664-1236 or (702) 606-2691
SOURCE Indoor Farms of America
Indoor Ag-Con Asia Returns to Singapore, Introduces Indoor AG Pitch Competition with $150,000 In Cash Grant Prizes
NOVEMBER 27, 2017 BY RONY DELUCIA
Indoor Ag-Con Asia Returns to Singapore, Introduces Indoor AG Pitch Competition with $150,000 In Cash Grant Prizes
Indoor Ag-Con
Indoor Ag-Con covers growing using hydroponic, aeroponic & aquaponic techniques. It is hosting a 2-day conference, trade show & pitch competition on Jan 16-17.
Still buzzing from @indooragcon Asia! Thanks for the great event.” — @Galactic Farms
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SINGAPORE, SG, November 27, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ —
The indoor agriculture industry has grown rapidly as consumer demand for fresh, local produce anytime, anywhere is forcing shifts in global supply chains. Indoor Ag-Con is the premier event covering the technology of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic techniques. It is returning to Singapore for the third time in January 2018. This years’ event will be focused on accelerating innovation in the industry, in areas as diverse as plant biology and artificial intelligence.
Our two-day event will be hosted at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore on January 16-17, 2018, and will include an exhibition hall and an exciting lineup of speakers including representatives from AEssense, Eco Insect Farming, Microsoft, Sanan Bio and Urban Crop Solutions, among many others. We will be covering a broad range of crop types – such as leafy greens, mushrooms, insects, aquaculture and medicinal crops – as well as technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to LED lighting to control systems. Participants will receive an exclusive hard copy of the newest edition in our popular white paper series in the event gift bag. Participants will have the chance to network during the day, through our event app and at our popular after party on the first evening of the event. The event is sponsored by Fresh Box Farms, Upgrown Farming, and Urban Crop Solutions.
For the first time, Indoor Ag-Con Asia’s exhibition hall will include country pavilions, with companies from Canada, Japan, Singapore, the Netherlands able to represent their home countries at the event. Further details on joining a country pavilion can be found at indoor.ag/Asia.
Our events have long supported entrepreneurs in this fast-growing industry, for instance, we sponsored the first Startup Weekend Singapore to include an indoor agriculture focus in 2017. We are taking this commitment one step further in 2018 with an indoor agriculture pitch competition – Indoor Ag-Ignite – to find the most innovative new ideas globally in indoor agriculture. The competition is open to any team or company of under 40 employees developing or deploying technologies for the indoor agriculture industry. Three winning teams will receive prize packages including Startup SG grants of S$50,000 per team thanks to the sponsorship of SPRING Singapore. Startup SG grants are divided into two parts; a S$25,000 non-dilutive cash grant and a further S$25,000 grant with an option to convert into equity at the next institutional fundraising.
We’re accepting applications to pitch on our website until January 8, 2018. The initial round of pitches will take place on January 15, 2018 at Marina Bay Sands, and a panel of three judges will select five finalists to pitch to our entire Indoor Ag-Con audience on January 17, 2018. A panel of judges will select the three winners. Please visit our website at indoor.ag/pitch for more information.
Participant Feedback: @Galactic Farms “Still buzzing from @indooragcon Asia! Thanks for the great event.”
Indoor Ag-Con, which hosts meetings in Las Vegas and Philadelphia in addition to Singapore, is the leading convener of growers, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, policy makers, and investors involved in the growth of the sector. Our audience includes greenhouse and vertical farm growers, technology companies, executives from the food and beverage sector, venture firms, startups and established urban farmers.
Since it was founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has captured an international audience at all its, attracting some of the top names in the business. Events have welcomed over 2,250 participants from more than 20 countries.
Newbean Capital, the host of the conference is a registered investment advisor; some of its clients or potential clients may participate in the conference. The Company is ably assisted in the event’s production by Rachelle Razon, Michael Nelson and Sarah Smith of Origin Event Planning.
3rd Annual Indoor Ag-Con Asia
Date – January 16-17, 2017
Place – Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Registration – currently open to the general public from US$399
Features – Two-day seminar, with keynote speakers, exhibition hall, after-party, and pitch competition
For more information, please visit www.indoor.ag/asia or call +1.775.623.7116
Nicola Kerslake
Newbean Capital
7756237116
email us here
How To Grow 40,000 Heads of Lettuce In A Shipping Container
How To Grow 40,000 Heads of Lettuce In A Shipping Container
Nov 19, 2017
Lettuce grows inside a converted shipping container at Tiger Corners Farms in Summerville. Tony Bertauski/Provided | Tony Bertauski
The weather is always perfect at Tiger Corner Farms.
Using the cozy interiors of shipping containers, the facility in Summerville farms indoors. By retrofitting 320 square feet of storage, they convert open space into a highly productive aeroponic farm. Seed to harvest, they can produce nearly 4,000 heads of lettuce in five weeks. That’s almost 13 heads of lettuce per square foot and a little more than 40,000 per year. How do they do it?
The answer is in the air.
Farming traditionally requires land. In urban areas, farming is nearly impossible where space is limited and expensive. Food often is shipped in from rural farms. What about all the space above the ground?
Tiger Corner Farms grows more than 40,000 heads of lettuce a year inside shipping containers in Summerville. Tony Bertauski/Provided | Tony Bertauski
Tiger Corner Farms has taken an innovative approach to vertical farming. Recycling empty shipping containers, they’ve created mobile farms that can be functional in any environment.
The process starts on a simple flood rack. Seeds are planted in coconut fiber plugs. Trays are flooded with a nutrient solution 10 minutes each day. Two weeks after seeding, seedling are plugged into hollow panels where they will grow for another three weeks. Matured lettuce is then harvested, roots and all, with no soil to wash off.
They use an alternative method of growing called aeroponics. Hydroponics grows crops in a soiless environment where roots bathe in a flowing nutrient solution. In aeroponics, roots dangle in a humid, nutrient-rich atmosphere rather than liquid. At Tiger Corner Farms, two hollow panels hang from the ceiling of a storage container. Plants are grown on both sides. The newest design has a capacity of 3,160 plants with an increased quality of product due to an improved design of locally sourced panels.
Every 10 minutes, nutrient solution is misted over the roots inside the panels. The excess solution drains to a reservoir to be recycled. An average of 10 gallons of water is used daily. Hydroponics and aeroponics require vigilant monitoring of nutrient solution. While this can be time consuming, Tiger Corner Farms has fully automated this process by adapting warehouse management software to adjust nutrient levels, pH and other environmental parameters. This system not only reduces manual labor, it tracks every crop from seed to harvest.
The shipping container is a closed system that relies completely on LED lights mounted on all sides of the panels. The light spectrum is optimized for plant growth. LEDs generate very little heat, which reduces the need to cool the container.
Besides the need for artificial light, another side effect of the closed system is carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis requires sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to manufacture glucose, or sugar. Inside the container, carbon dioxide levels drop to approximately a quarter of atmospheric levels. A propane burner is used to boost carbon dioxide and increase photosynthesis and growth.
A nutrient solution is misted over the roots of lettuce plants every 10 minutes inside shipping containers in Summerville. Tony Bertauski/Provided | Tony Bertauski
Once the crop is harvested, the growing panels are powerwashed and sterilized before the next planting. Crops often are rotated so that only a quarter of the container’s capacity is harvested. This reduces the demand on maintenance and delivery.
Of course, this self-contained system relies on power. Any failure in the system, whether power or a component, will alert the manager via phone or other means. In the meantime, generators keep the system running.
While Tiger Corner Farms builds the containers, Vertical Roots is the local company using them to grow and distribute the products. Currently, they provide for the Dorchester District 2 school cafeterias as well as more than 50 restaurants sourced by Grow Food Carolina.
Ashley Ridge High School in Summerville has a container on site where horticulture students assist in growing the crop. The Citadel also operates a container to provide food for the cafeteria.
Tiger Corner Farms sees its product as a way of filling a need for local produce in an urban environment. This self-contained farm can be operational in most areas and grow a variety of leafy greens and herbs.
Tony Bertauski is a horticulture instructor at Trident Technical College. To give feedback, e-mail him at tony. bertauski@tridenttech.edu.
Indoor Farms of America Brings World's First Solar-Powered Vertical Aeroponic Farm, Announces More International Sales
Indoor Farms of America Brings World's First Solar-Powered Vertical Aeroponic Farm, Announces More International Sales
NEWS PROVIDED BY Indoor Farms of America
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 20, 2017, / PRNewswire
Indoor Farms of America announces the first fully operating, 100% solar powered vertical aeroponic indoor farm in the world.
"This farm represents a major milestone for indoor farming. Everyone in the industry knows that the additional investment of solar energy generation to power an indoor farm can turn a solid return on that investment into a long-term money loser, due to the length of time to recapture those extra investment dollars," states David Martin, CEO of Indoor Farms of America.
World's First Solar Power Installation for a Vertical Aeroponic Farm
"Using solar technology to power up our vertical aeroponics, which grows fresh crops that are simply beyond organic, is really a great story, if the economics work," says Martin. "Our equipment was specifically designed to create that tangible R.O.I., which is the only yardstick that frankly matters in an indoor space, and furthers how we transcend anything else in the industry."
nside the world's first solar powered vertical aeroponic farm
In addition to being powered by solar energy, this farm is special to the company, as it represents one of numerous farms the company has built that are owned and operated by traditional agriculture folks, according to company President,Ron Evans. "When you can convert an older barn or outbuilding on a farm into a state of the art indoor farming facility, and operate that farm within a short distance to market, you are achieving the best of all worlds in farming. This farm is twenty minutes from market, so local people will have access to daily fresh herbs and greens that they have never experienced before, all year long, no matter what the weather or time of year."
The company also announces additional sales in international markets. "We are really pleased to have been chosen as the containerized farm supplier for an extreme weather area of the world, in Northern Canada, where we are delivering a Model 8775 to the town of Yellowknife," says Martin. "This farm will experience temps of minus 40 celsius, and we have spent the past year in continual R&D to ensure our turn-key farms can operate anywhere on the planet."
The area of West Africa, known as the Ivory Coast, is receiving its first world class indoor farm, in the form of a Model 6825. "Here again, we were chosen over all competitors due to the fact our containerized farm models grow over double the yield of anything else in the world," according to Martin.
The U.A.E. is receiving its first vertical aeroponic farm from IFOA, located in Dubai, which is set to open for business in January, 2018. "Dubai will now have unprecedented access to daily fresh premiums herbs, and fresh strawberries," states Martin.
"If you are in Dubai in the first week of December, be sure and stop by the WOP Dubai event and see our display," saysRon Evans. "You can also visit with us at the Farm Forum event in Calgary, Alberta Canada that same week. We are always a show stopper at the events our equipment is displayed at."
Indoor Farms of America has a showroom with demonstration farms operating in Las Vegas, Nevada and in multiple locations in Canada, and in South Africa, where their patented vertical aeroponic equipment is on display.
CONTACT:
David W. Martin, CEO • 185857@email4pr.com • IndoorFarmsAmerica.com
4000 W. Ali Baba Lane, Ste. F Las Vegas, NV 89118
(702) 664-1236 or (702) 606-2691
SOURCE Indoor Farms of America
Pioneers of Organic Farming Are Threatening to Leave The Program They Helped Create
Pioneers of Organic Farming Are Threatening to Leave The Program They Helped Create
By Caitlin Dewey November 2 at 11:48 AM
(iStockPhoto)
The pioneers of the sustainable farming movement are mourning what they call the downfall of the organic program, following a Wednesday night vote by a group of government farming advisers that could determine the future of the $50 billion organic industry.
At issue was whether a booming generation of hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic farms — which grow plants in nutrients without using soil, frequently indoors — could continue to sell their produce under the “organic” label.
In a series of narrow votes, an advisory board to the U.S. Department of Agriculture voted to allow the majority of these operators to remain a part of the organic program, dealing a blow to the movement's early leaders.
[‘Uncertainty and dysfunction’ have overtaken USDA program for organic foods, key lawmaker says]
Organic pioneers have argued that including hydroponic produce under the label has undermined the integrity of the program they fought decades to establish, and at a time when it is already under intense scrutiny. Some have said they will consider leaving the USDA-regulated program entirely.
“This was the Hail Mary pass to save the National Organic Program, and they didn't catch it,” said Dave Chapman, a longtime organic tomato farmer who lobbied to have hydroponics banned from the organics label. “They did incalculable damage to the seal tonight. It's just going to take them a while to realize it.”
Wednesday's recommendation, issued by the National Organic Standards Board, came in four parts.
The board voted to keep out aeroponic farming, which grows plants — typically herbs and leafy greens — suspended in the air with their roots exposed. But it voted to allow hydroponics, which grow plants in water-based nutrient solutions, and aquaponics, which combine hydroponic systems with farmed fish operations.
The board also declined to tighten its restrictions on container growing, a variation on hydroponics that involves raising plants in containers filled with a mixture of organic matter, water and nutrients. That system has been adopted by a number of major organic berry growers, such as Driscoll’s and Wholesum Harvest.
Since 2000, the National Organic Program has strictly regulated which foods can be called organic, and how organic foods are grown and raised. Those standards are typically based on the recommendations of the NOSB, an advisory body composed of farmers, environmentalists and representatives from the organic industry.
In a 2010 vote, NOSB recommended a ban on virtually all types of soilless growing. But in an unusual departure, the USDA continued to certify hydroponic and aquaponic farms, claiming that NOSB had not adequately considered the breadth of the industry.
Now that the board and the department are in agreement, the future of hydroponics in the organic program is much more certain, said Marianne Cufone, the executive director of the Recirculating Farms Coalition, which represents hydroponic and aquaponic growers.
“I think this sends a powerful message that they're embracing change in agriculture,” Cufone said. “That the [organic program] wants to be inclusive, not exclusive.”
This approach has pained old-school organic farmers, who have spent the past seven years arguing that soilless systems undermine the main principles of that program. When that movement emerged in the first half of the 20th century, they argue, it promised a version of agriculture that not only reduced the use of certain fertilizers and pesticides, but that contributed to the health of the soil and the rest of the environment.
During NOSB testimony Tuesday, several organic farmers protested the certification of hydroponic farms, wearing T-shirts that said “Save the Organic Label.” At recent rallies in Hanover, N.H., and Burlington, Vt., protesters held signs with slogans such as “keep the soil in organic.”
“This notion that organic farmers are stuck in the past, or that they’re a bunch of Luddites hanging on to the way things used to be — that’s a misnomer,” said Cameron Harsh, the senior manager for organic and animal policy at the Center for Food Safety. “Soilless systems are just incompatible with the organic program and its regulations.”
But in a series of close 8-7 votes Wednesday, the NOSB appeared to disagree. Instead, it sided with hydroponic growers, many of whom have spent several years and several thousand dollars acquiring their organic certification.
Their advocates have argued that soilless farming is consistent with the goals of the organic program: It utilizes organic fertilizers and cuts down on pesticide and water use — often to levels much lower than those on land-based organic operations. Because hydroponic farms are frequently built indoors, they are said to provide opportunity to urban growers who could not otherwise access agricultural land.
“Don’t get me wrong — I love going to the farmers market,” said Matt Barnard, the chief executive of the indoor farming start-up. Plenty, which grows organically certified greens and herbs. “It’s just that the farmers market supplies something like half of one percent of the fresh fruits and vegetables in the U.S.”
“What we are doing,” Barnard added, “is just as organic as anyone else.”
The early leaders of the organic movement say they aren't sure what “organic” means anymore, however.
The hydroponics debate comes at a moment when the organics program has been rocked by high-profile scandals, from fraudulent imports to suspect dairy feedlots, and after a period of sustained growth.
Organic sales topped $47 billion in 2016, according to the Organic Trade Association, representing 5 percent of all U.S. food sales. That growth has not been driven by idyllic family farms, either. Increasingly, the organic market is dominated by industrial brands that look little different from their conventional counterparts.
Chapman likens his struggle now to that of a parent confronting a rowdy teenager. He spent years growing the movement, he said, and loves it despite its flaws. On Wednesday night, he left the NOSB meeting with a group of other old-school organic farmers, determined to discuss how, and if, they could still support their problem child.
“The question is, do we abandon the National Organic Program and find a new way to identify ourselves?” Chapman asked. “It’s a genuine question. I don’t know. We feel powerless.”
Read more:
How millions of cartons of 'organic' milk contain an oil brewed in industrial vats of algae
The labels said ‘organic.’ But these massive imports of corn and soybeans weren’t.
Organic Board Decides Hydroponic Can Be Certified Organic
Organic Board Decides Hydroponic Can Be Certified Organic
National Organic Standards Board votes on whether to change federal organic standards to allow for hydroponically produced products.
Jacqui Fatka 1 | Nov 03, 2017
At the semi-annual meeting of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), front and center was the debate about whether to change the federal organic standards to allow organic produce grown hydroponically.
In a series of 8-7 votes, the NOSB voted that hydroponic and aquaponic growers can continue to market certified organic products.
The action is a recommendation from the NOSB to USDA. The National Organic Standards Board voted on four separate proposals related to soil-less production in organic:
A motion to prohibit aeroponics in organic passed 14 yes, 1 abstention.
· A motion to prohibit aquaponics in organic did not pass, with a majority voting against the motion.
· A motion to restrict how and when nitrogen can be introduced to organic container production did not pass, with a majority voting against the motion.
· A motion to prohibit hydroponics, which was defined as any container system that didn't meet the proposed requirements for organic container system did not pass, with a majority voting against the motion. However the vote was 7 in favor and 8 against.
The practice of growing fruits and vegetables in inert mediums that depend on liquid fertilizers, rather than in rich organically managed soil, has been intensely controversial. The Organic Trade Assn. actually opposes aeroponics in organic, and supports the board recommendation to prohibit this in organic.
OTA does not support a system that is entirely water-based and believes it should be prohibited in organic, but OTA did not support the recommendation as written because the Crops Subcommittee had revised the definition for hydroponics by coupling it with proposed production standards for organic container production. OTA would have supported a motion to prohibit hydroponics had NOSB retained the previously accepted definition for hydroponics.
OTA said it supports container production in organic with clear, meaningful standards, but OTA did not support the recommendation as written before the board, because it did not meet the bar for a clear consensus-based recommendation for the Agriculture Secretary.
NewFoodEconomy said when the federal government first began to explore codifying organic standards into law, soil was an important focus of their efforts.
NewFoodEconomy reported that Fred Kirschenmann, a longtime leader in sustainable agriculture, distinguished fellow at Iowa State University’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and president of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York, said, “Several of us on the board felt that soil health should be part of the requirement for certification. We had a lot of debates about that, but finally the board became convinced that this was an important part of the future of organic certification, and we made that recommendation to the National Organic Standards Board.”
The news source said attorneys at USDA pushed back, according to Kirschenmann.
“They threw it out,” they reported Kirschenmann saying . “In the report they gave back to us, they said that regulations have to be answered with a yes or a no, and requiring soil health is too complex an issue.”
As such USDA insisted on an input-oriented system certification and requires that a farmer use only fertilizers on the approved list, and avoid completely any chemical on the banned list.
USDA Advisory Panel Rejects Proposal To Bar Hydroponics in Organic Production
USDA Advisory Panel Rejects Proposal To Bar Hydroponics in Organic Production
11/02/17 12:11 AM By Daniel Enoch
KEYWORDS AEROPONICS AQUAPONICS CORNUCOPIA HYDROPONIC MOTION NOSB ORGANIC ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION OTA SONNY PERDUE
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2017 - The National Organic Standards Board on Wednesday rejected a proposal to prohibit hydroponics in organic production, as defined by the board’s subcommittee on crops, disappointing growers who want organic certification restricted to crops grown in soil.
The vote was held during NOSB’s semiannual meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, after two full days of stakeholder comment, mostly by supporters and opponents of hydroponic farming.
The 15-member board – an advisory panel to USDA -- also rejected a motion to prohibit aquaponics, a system for farming fish and plants together in a mutually beneficial cycle, while approving a proposal to withhold the organic label for aeroponics, or crops grown in an air-mist environment. Organic certification allows producers to sell their products at premium prices.
The recommendation that was approved – prohibiting aeroponics in organic production – now goes to USDA, where Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue could make a final decision. A source says the value of crops grown aeroponically is minimal.
Still, the results of the voting could further widen the divide between purists, like the Cornucopia Institute, which rejects any move to break the nexus between crops and soil, and the more mainstream organic community, as represented by the Organic Trade Association, which brags of organic food sales reaching $43 billion last year, the first time the market had topped the $40 billion mark.
In comments to the NOSB on Monday, Cornucopia’s co-founder, Mark Kastel, cited the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. “OFPA is clear,” he said, according to a tweet on Cornucopia’s website. “Careful ‘fostering of soil fertility’ is required by the law. You can’t nurture soil fertility without … Soil! This is your chance to protect the true meaning of organics rather than making it a mere marketing slogan.”
Maggie McNeil, a spokeswoman for OTA, said the association would have no immediate comment on the results of the voting.
In comments provided to NOSB on Oct. 11, OTA said it disagrees with the crop subcommittee definition of hydroponics: “Any container production system that does not meet the standard of a limit of 20 percent of the plants’ nitrogen requirement being supplied by liquid feeding, and a limit 50 percent of the plants’ nitrogen requirement added to the container after the crop has been planted.”
OTA said it appreciates the challenge the board faced in “accurately defining types of operations along the soil-less growing spectrum,” while recognizing that the “inconsistent use of terms, due to a lack of final definitions, has led to confusion and further controversy in this discussion.
“However, we do not support defining a particular type of production by what it is NOT, particularly when NOSB is also proposing to prohibit that type of production. Instead, OTA suggests CS retain the definition accepted by NOSB in 2010: The production of normally terrestrial, vascular plants in nutrient rich solutions or in an inert, porous, solid matrix bathed in nutrient rich solutions.”
Meanwhile, the Recirculating Farms Coalition welcomed the results of the NOSB voting.
“We’re very pleased that the NOSB voted not to prohibit hydroponic and aquaponic farms from USDA Organic certification,” said Marianne Cufone, RCP’s executive director. “Many products from these farms already carry a USDA Organic label and to now withdraw that would be irresponsible and confusing for consumers and farmers.”
“By siding with current science and recognizing that existing law purposely leaves the door open for various farming methods, the NOSB is sending a critical message that sustainability and innovation are valuable in U.S. agriculture. These goals are at the center of the nationwide local food movement and spur growth of urban and rural farms alike, by a wide range of people. Inclusiveness is important in our food system.”
The Recirculating Farms Coalition is a collaborative group of farmers, educators, non-profit organizations and many others committed to building local sources of healthy, accessible food.
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Managing editor
Can Food Still Be Organic If It's Grown Without Soil?
Can Food Still Be Organic If It's Grown Without Soil?
'Dirt first' traditionalists are fighting with supporters of soil-less agriculture over the ‘organics’ label. Climate and sustainability are central to the debate.
NOV 1, 2017
Both sides of the debate argue that their methods of organic farming have an increasingly important role to play in protecting the climate and building sustainability. Credit: Valcenteau/CC-BY-SA-2.0
A crucial battle in a long-brewing conflict over organic farming could come Wednesday as an influential government panel meets to discuss whether soil is an essential element of organic farming.
On one side: "Dirt first" traditionalists who say that fruits and vegetables must, by definition, be grown in soil to qualify as organic.
On the other: Agri-technophiles who say "controlled environment" methods like hydroponics and aeroponics are just as deserving, dirt or no dirt.
The debate over who deserves the U.S. Department of Agriculture's lucrative organic label comes amid broader challenges over the best way to feed a growing population on a warming, resource-challenged planet where most of the arable land is already used for agriculture.
Both sides are making forceful arguments that organic farming, with its focus on using natural substances and eschewing synthetics, has an increasingly important role to play in protecting the climate. Though vegetables grown in soil may look and taste like those grown in controlled environments—with their roots bathed in liquid solutions or stacked in towers—they may have very different carbon footprints.
"You're farming in a smaller space and with less resources and reduced shipping and refrigeration," said Marianne Cufone, executive director of the Recirculating Farms Coalition, which represents hydroponic and aquaponic farmers. "It seems to me it's one of the best ways to improve our situation when it comes to climate change and agriculture. To consolidate and grow up is smart."
But for traditional organic farmers, shifting resources and research dollars to soil-less forms of agriculture ignores the carbon-storing potential of soil-based agriculture and the energy footprint of growing crops indoors.
"By changing the way we farm the soil, we can improve the sequestration potential of the soil," said Jeff Moyer, executive director of the Rodale Institute, which has long advocated organic farming methods. "We know, globally, as we look at climate change solutions, the soil plays a huge role. Going indoors is not the solution."
Since the launch of the National Organic Program in 2000, the Agriculture Department has allowed hydroponics and other forms of soil-less or container-based agriculture under the organic label. But in recent years, organic farmers have pushed the National Organic Standards Board—the body that decides what practices are permitted under the organic label—to make an official decision on whether these agri-tech approaches count as organic.
The board's crops subcommittee is scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss it, and the full board could vote soon after.
Investment Pours in for Novel Techniques
The debate, which has festered for years, has become increasingly bitter over the last 12 months as more investment and interest has centered on these novel farming techniques, including a $200 million investment in the San Francisco-based start-up Plenty by tech-investment firm SoftBank Vision Fund. Plenty plans to build indoor vertical farms, where produce is grown in stacks under artificial light, outside 500 cities around the world, using technologies including remote sensing to gage growing conditions and artificial intelligence experts to translate data from the plants.
"We've seen a lot of new money coming into this," said Katelyn McCullock, an economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, American agriculture's largest trade group. "There's a lot of interest in this area and not from the sources we're used to seeing it from."
According to AgFunder, a start-up funder that also tracks investments in agriculture, investors have committed $285 million so far this year—including the Plenty investment—dwarfing investment last year, which saw $70 million, and 2015, which saw $53 million.
Meanwhile, sales of organics are booming, reaching a record $47 billion in the U.S. last year, and demand for organics is outstripping supply.
"Organic is obviously super popular, but there's gaining traction in other clean methods of farming," said Louisa-Burwood Taylor, a spokesperson for AgFunder. "When these companies can price their produce cheaper than organic and offer pesticide-free and clean, then I think you've got an interesting dynamic and competition to organic."
Who's More Climate-Friendly?
Traditional, soil-based organic farmers say that the competition shouldn't be allowed in the first place, noting that soil-less agriculture isn't permitted under the organic label in other countries, including Mexico, one of the U.S.'s biggest agricultural trading partners.
At rallies across the county, pro-soil advocates have demonstrated, with farmers holding homemade signs reading "Don't Water Down Organics with Hydroponics" and "Real Farmers Do it in the Dirt."
"There will be no sign warning the customers that this fauxganic food was grown without soil," the Keep the Soil in Organics coalition said in an appeal to supporters on its website. "And so we are in a final battle for the soul of the organic label."
Critics of controlled agriculture systems point out that, in order to simulate the sun, indoor farms consume huge amounts of electricity, negating possible climate benefits.
Even supporters acknowledge the high electricity demand is a downside. "It is an issue," conceded Sally Rockey, executive director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, which recently gave a $2 million grant to New Jersey-based AeroFarms, the country's largest vertical farm operator. "When you use electricity the way you have to in controlled environments, you want to take a look at what that means as far as your carbon footprint."
But, Rockey said, there are some appealing trade-offs. "Oftentimes we don't use pesticides because plants aren't exposed to air," she said, "and generally we use a lot less water."
Controlled environment farms can also be constructed near cities, potentially cutting down on emissions connected to transportation.
The pro-soil growers say, however, that the climate benefits, to the extent that there are any currently, are being overplayed by tech interests with deep pockets.
"We can mitigate emissions. We know that," said Moyer, who is a former head of the standards board. "They're using the story of climate change, but that's not the reason for their existence."
The other side, meanwhile, accuses the pro-soil camp of slinging mud to protect their lucrative market.
"If you have a method of growing that reduces stress on resources—like water, like space, like energy—that can produce healthy, good-quality food, maybe in more abundance and with more efficiency, why wouldn't you support that?" Cufone said. "The only reason I can think of is money."
What Does the Research Say?
So far, studies suggest that indoor agriculture consumes more energy than traditional soil-based farms. Researchers at Cornell University have examined the carbon footprint of an indoor hydroponics farm, operated in New York state, and compared its energy use to an outdoor farm in California. Factoring in the energy used to transport the produce from California to the East Coast, they found that the hydroponics operation used twice the energy.
"At least from an energy or carbon footprint standpoint, growing these produce items in our northerly climate, where we use a lot of light and fossil fuel for heating, you use twice the energy inputs versus field-grown. But that was the status quo technology for 2008," said Neil Mattson of Cornell's School of Integrative Plant Science. "We feel there's the ability to improve that by producers adopting more energy-efficient lighting and using renewable energy systems."
Beyond Cornell's research, studies comparing the climate benefits of traditional farming systems and controlled environments remain pretty thin. But the climate impacts of various farming methods are a growing conversation within the organics industry, and more research is underway.
"We're starting to get concerned that an assumption's being made that if you're not growing in the outer crust of the earth, there's no way you can sequester carbon or mitigate climate change," said Nate Lewis, a farm policy director for the Organic Trade Association, the organic industry's largest trade group. "Those are assumptions. I haven't seen anyone compare the full life cycle of a tomato grown in one [system] versus the other. There are so many factors."
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Georgina Gustin
Georgina Gustin is a Washington-based reporter who has covered food policy, farming and the environment for more than a decade. She started her journalism career at The Day in New London, Conn., then moved to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where she launched the "food beat," covering agriculture, biotech giant Monsanto and the growing "good food" movement. At CQ Roll Call, she covered food, farm and drug policy and the intersections between federal regulatory agencies and Congress. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post and National Geographic's The Plate, among others.
No Dirt, No Weeds, Just Organic Greens - Floor To Ceiling
NO DIRT, NO WEEDS. JUST ORGANIC GREENS – FLOOR TO CEILING
October 4, 2017
By Gretchen C. Van Benthuysen |
Theresa Reid, owner of Beyond Organic, plans to open a juice bar in the building in front of her 3,500 square-foot greenhouse at 89 Howell Road in Howell where she grows 15,000 plants in aeroponic towers. All photos by Gretchen Van Benthuysen
Beyond Organic started small and grew and grew.
“My daughter lives in L.A. and I would go out there to visit her and the produce was so beautiful and delicious,” explained Theresa Reid, owner of Beyond Organic in Howell. “I craved having that all the time.”
So she bought a 4 1/2-foot tall indoor Tower Garden by Juice Plus that uses aeroponics (water, liquid nutrients and a soilless growing medium).
Seedlings that were germinated in rockwool, a soilless growing medium, will be transplanted into the towers where water and liquid nutrients circulate feeding the plant as it grows.
“It was great,” she said. “It was the middle of winter and I was getting fresh thyme and parsley and lettuce from my tower.”
Then she had another idea that began to grow. She wondered how she could bring locally grown, delicious, organic greens, microgreens and herbs to the local community. Maybe even open an organic juice bar.
“I knew they did this (aeroponics) on a commercial scale,” she said. “So we looked into it and nobody was doing this north of Georgia at the time, nor east of Oklahoma.”
“We” included her husband David Reid, the owner of Reid Sod Farm, Freehold, and a fourth generation farmer, and her son Matt Engleke, who works closely with her at Beyond Organic. Two years later, Reid has a 3,500-square-foot greenhouse with 15,000 plants that grow in 144 aeroponic 10-foot tall towers filled with nutrient rich water. Radiated heating in the floor enables growing throughout the winter. The initial investment was $350,000 for the greenhouse and towers that use 90 percent less land and water than a conventional farm, she said.
Matt Engleke, Theresa Reid’s son, tends to some of the greens and herbs grown in vertical aeroponic towers at Beyond Organic.
There’s no weeding, but strict monitoring of the pH balance and nutrients is a must.
Ladybugs and grasshoppers take care of any bugs in the summer and organic Neem oil does the job in the winter.
“But if your plants are healthy they’re not going to be susceptible to disease and bugs and that results in a higher percentage of crop success,” Reid said. “We’ve learned a lot. I came from corporate sales and I knew nothing about gardening.”
On a recent hot summer day the windows were open, the fans were blowing and the sound of dripping water all around you was soothing.
“I like to grow stuff I can’t find in grocery stores, like lemon basil, Thai basil, garlic chives, tangerine edible marigolds, escarole that is sweet, and thin stalks of celery that are amazing,” she said. “We have butter crunch (lettuce) growing that has a really mild butter aftertaste. It’s delicious. Everything here is about flavor.
“This arugula is going to have a kick to it,” she warns as she hands me a leaf I pop into my mouth that immediately wakes up my tongue. “And that’s our mild guy.”
Mustard leaves have been popular recently, she noted, especially one with a spicy horseradish kick that can bring tears to the eyes.
There is no mistaking the distinctive tangerine taste of a marigold leaf. She grows them at the request of Fresh Kitchen in Sea Girt.
Chef Meg LaManna at 26 West on the Navesink in Red Bank requested red sorrel for its tart lemon taste.
Theresa Reid, owner of Beyond Organic, plans to open a juice bar in the building in front of her 3,500 square-foot greenhouse at 89 Howell Road in Howell where she grows 15,000 plants in aeroponic towers.
“We make sure we grow plenty and always have that ready for them,” Reid said.
Currently 12 restaurants are clients, including Kitch Organic in Red Bank; d’jeet in Shrewsbury; Blue Grotto in Oceanport; Rooney’s and Trama Trattoria in Long Branch; Tre, 618 and the Metropolitan Cafe in Freehold; the Shipwreck Grill in Brielle; and Local Urban Kitchen in Point Pleasant Beach.
“Most of the restaurants contacted me,” she said. “Even if they are not about organic, it’s the flavor. And it’s fresh.”
But chefs don’t get all the fun.
Greens, herbs and microgreens (including pea shoots and wheat grass) are available to the public in a 4-ounce bag. Seedlings are available at $2 each.
“It’s funny. Now people are buying nasturtium for their dishes at home,” she said. “Normally that’s the thing they push aside on their dish in the restaurant. Everybody’s getting an education.” That includes Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops and a special education school group that toured the greenhouse.
“They plant a seed. They do a taste test. They’re willing to eat it because they’re working with their hands and it brings them back into farming,” Reid said. “We’re eating clean. We’re eating organically.”
Adults are learning as well. Farm-to-table dinners held in the greenhouse are popular and bookings for private parties are increasing.
For the dinners, a guest chef prepares a multicourse meal paired with wine inside and cooks on an old propane tank converted into a wood-fired grill with an oven and two burners outside the greenhouse overlooking 210 acres of the sod farm that also includes Reid’s home.
“White linen tablecloths. Live music. The setting sun. People love it,” Reid said. “They sit at these long tables and they talk to each other. They take each other’s number and come back in groups. It’s a lot of fun.
“Dinners were not part of the plan, but they are now,” she said, adding she plans to expand with a tent, add a container organic vegetable garden and book more events next summer.
“We will also have a juice bar opening out front,” she said. “I can grow and juice it and now I know how good the flavors are going to be. If it’s there, people will eat healthy.”
Last Sunday, Beyond Organic hosted an 80th birthday party.
“We’re just getting a lot of requests. People are asking about having baby showers, bachelor parties. They’re looking for something different to do,” she said. “And I think the younger generation want local, fresh food. And so many of them are vegans as well.”
It just keeps growing and growing.
This article was first published in Sept. 14 – Sept. 21, 2017 print edition of The Two River Times.
News And Happenings From Tiger Corner Farms Manufacturing
News and Happenings from Tiger Corner Farms Manufacturing
We are GAP CERTIFIED
Big news: As of this month, all TCF operating farms are GAP certified, meaning we've received the USDA's stamp of approval for Good Agricultural Practices. We are thrilled for what this now allows for our container customers: more opportunities to grow and expand their farming businesses. It's a win-win for all and ensures our farms are fully compliant with the U.S. food system.
Wondering how this may apply to you? We're happy to discuss.
SC Commissioner of Agriculture visits TCF
We were honored to have South Carolina's Commissioner of Agriculture, Hugh Weathers, make a recent visit to our farms. Food supply in our home state is a cause near and dear to our hearts, so it was our privilege to share our work with him and discuss these issues while showing him what our containers are all about.
#TCFLIFE
Who's feeling lush and leafy? If you're raising your hand, you're in delicious company with this bibb lettuce about ready for harvest. It was a busy month with containers moving out and in on site, and the crane game was strong. Finally, we sent intern Alex off with a (pizza) toast for a job well done and an excellent final presentation on what he's learned and accomplished with us this summer. We're excited to have him back again in the fall for his Citadel senior project. Just another solid month of the #TCFlife that you can follow onour Instagram.
Here’s What You Need to Know About The Organic Standard Changes
Here’s What You Need to Know About The Organic Standard Changes
by Jason Arnold | Sep 7, 2017 | Business Mgt & Operations, Farm & Business Planning | 0 comments
The Organic standards could soon exclude your farm from ever being certified.
You’ve probably heard about the organic standards changing. But you might not know what’s actually happening and how it impacts your farm. Whether you’re currently an organic farmer, or if you’ve had even a fleeting thought about getting certified, changing standards can impact your ability to sell and grow great food.
In this article, we’re going to discuss what’s happening in the NOSB and USDA, and why soilless farms should have the option to get certified organic.
Here’s what’s happening
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is a board of 14 people that make recommendations to the USDA regarding the organic standards – what they should be and how they should change.
Currently, the NOSB is considering a recommendation that the USDA bans hydroponic, aquaponic, aeroponic, and other container-based growing methods from the organic standards. (Currently, growers using these methods are able to receive organic certification under the USDA’s National Organic Program.)
If the USDA were to take such a recommendation, it would bar soilless farmers from ever being certified organic.
The option would be off the table – probably forever. This would put the hydroponic and aquaponic industries at a disadvantage and could even impact traditional organic farmers as well by deleting a significant portion of the organic community.
The NOSB’s upcoming recommendation will impact real farmers across the U.S.
To protect the business options of farmers and future farmers, it is critical that members of the hydroponic, aquaponic, and aeroponic community make their voices heard by the NOSB. The ultimate goal is to ensure that consumers can continue to have an ample supply of reasonably priced organic fresh produce.
How do I get involved?
There’s a lack of information regarding how hydro-, aqua-, and aeroponics work and how changed standards would impact farmers. The best way to make sure your voice is heard is to tell the NOSB how this decision will affect you and your farming business. The NOSB will take your comments into account as they prepare for a vote on October 31st.
Click here right now to make a comment.
It’s not always easy to sit down and articulate your comment, so we’ve outlined the four main issues surrounding the decision about banning growing methods. These are the primary arguments to keep organic on the table.
4 reasons to allow soilless organics
1) Soilless grown produce is robust, safe, and nutritious like consumers deserve.
The Organic label was created to signify safety, sustainability, and responsibility in food. Consumers depend on the organic label to signify that food is:
- Free of unsafe or unhealthy pesticides and fertilizers
- Resource efficient with effective cycling and recycling of inputs through the farm
- Free from harmful impacts to the air, water, and surrounding land.
- Created in humane and healthy conditions
Hydroponic and aquaponic production, like any farm, can align with these criteria.
The purpose of the Organic label is to encourage growers to grow great food, not restrict them.
One great example of how hydroponics and aquaponics support responsible resource use and nutritious food is the decrease in food miles. Hydroponic and aquaponic systems can be built indoors, enabling fresh produce to be grown close to the consumer all year round, eliminating hundreds or thousands of miles of transportation.
Locally grown fresh foods also provide better nutrients. The Harvard T.H. Chan Center for Public Health reports that “even when the highest post-harvest handling standards are met, foods grown far away spend significant time on the road, and therefore have more time to lose nutrients before reaching the marketplace.” (1)
When food is grown regionally or locally using indoor hydroponics and aquaponics, the consumer gets a richer nutritional profile, and the environment benefits from a shorter supply chain. The bottom line: hydroponics and aquaponics don’t block better food; they empower it.
2) Soilless growing contributes to the economy and strengthens food security
Modern farmers, empowered with appropriate tools and technology, are able to grow food in areas where fresh, local food has never been possible before. Doing so helps more people have access to nutritious food in previously unthinkable locations:
- Urban food deserts
- Northern latitudes
- Areas that lack abundant ground and surface water
This is helping a new generation of farmers in both urban and rural locations as they face difficult growing conditions and even more difficult economics. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) allows more people to grow food and access markets. (3)
According to former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, “Urban agriculture helps strengthen the health and social fabric of communities while creating economic opportunities for farmers and neighborhoods.”
Hydroponics and aquaponics empower people to grow anywhere, all year long.
As part of the Upstart University community, you know this better than most. Your innovative spirit and commitment to your community are the beating heart of the Upstart Farmer network.
Click here to submit it this as comment to the NOSB.
3) Soilless growing doesn’t subtract the power of sun and soil; it amplifies it.
There are numerous studies about the benefits of Organic crops grown in soil with careful attention to the biological composition of the soil. Many organic farmers will claim that since we continue to learn more about the biology in organic production systems, the potential unknown benefits of producing in soil is worth excluding hydroponic and aquaponic production methods.
Unfortunately, the anti-hydroponic activists take advantage of the fact that most members of the general public do not have a degree in microbiology. By using words like “unnatural, sterile, robo-crops,” they deliberately try to to confuse the public about the realities of hydroponic or aquaponic production methods. It is up to us to set the record straight.
Indeed, studies show that Organic aquaponic and hydroponic production relies on a robust microflora in the root zone – made of the same types and numbers of bacteria and fungi that thrive in soil.
Click here to submit this as a comment to the NOSB.
4) Small farms need assistance getting to market.
Small and independently owned farms often struggle to beat the economics of the start up world and often rely on a second or third income stream to support their farm (6). The price premium that is associated with organic crops helps to support small, medium, and large farms, both locally and regionally.
Should growers using innovative approaches to produce organically be punished for doing something new?
The Organic label assists many small farmers to maintain a business.
Click here to submit this as a comment to the NOSB.
The bottom line? Organic standards should adapt to new techniques instead of dismissing them.
If the goal of the Organic label is to empower more consumers with organically grown produce, then hydroponics and aquaponics have a lot to offer. It doesn’t make sense to restrict or exclude these methods from the Organic label.
However, restriction is what will happen if farmers like you don’t speak up. Luckily, speaking up is easy; the easy way to make sure your voice is heard is to make a comment to the NOSB. The NOSB will take your comments into account as they prepare for a vote on October 15th.
Here are 4 easy way to comment:
- Go to the NOSB Organic Comments page and write a message telling the NOSB that you believe your growing methods should remain organic.
- Sign up to give a three-minute testimony at the October 24 and 26 webinars.
- Sign up to attend the Fall Meeting in person and provide in-person three-minute testimony.
- Contact your federal congressional representatives and tell them you want the NOSB to retain the organic eligibility of sustainable growing methods like aquaponics, hydroponics, and aeroponics. Click here to enter your zip code and find your representatives.
Grow Up Here: These Cool Vertical Greenhouses Are Local And Fit Right In Your Home
Grow Up Here: These Cool Vertical Greenhouses Are Local And Fit Right In Your Home
The future of growing technology in Northern Ontario is here
Greenhouses Canada designs, builds, sells and grows produce with game changing vertical aeroponic equipment. If you have as little as 20 square feet (sq ft) to spare, Greenhouses Canada can help you create a vertical growing space that will grow crops even in the middle of winter. (Facebook/Greenhouses Canada)
By Candice Morel
The desire to purchase locally grown produce is something many residents of Northern Ontario share. Unfortunately, local produce is scarce during the northern winter and many are forced to purchase imported fruits and vegetables.
As a community, we deserve to know where our food comes from and how far it has traveled. The less your food travels from farm to table, the more nutrient content it maintains, making local growing the obvious solution for nutrient-dense fresh produce.
Greenhouses Canada aims to address this issue by making local crops available year-round in Northern Ontario, even in your own home.
This local company combines energy-efficient building technology with a passion for food security to revolutionize how communities access fresh food year-round in Northern Ontario.
They design, build, sell and grow produce with game changing vertical aeroponic equipment. If you have as little as 20 square feet (sq ft) to spare, Greenhouses Canada can help you create a vertical growing space that will grow crops even in the middle of winter.
Aeroponic vertical growing techniques include the most innovative indoor agriculture equipment on the market. Plants are placed in a vertical panel surface while their roots hang in the air. They are then misted with nutrient rich water directly on the root area of the plant allowing crops to grow significantly faster than traditional growing methods while using less water.
Greenhouses Canada’s aeroponic growing equipment can grow anything from leafy green vegetables to strawberries and flowers. With more produce being tested daily, the possibilities of this technology are endless. The system will also produce high crop yield with little to no farming experience.
After years of research and development, Greenhouses Canada has created the proper recipe for year-round produce growing in all climates. The company will provide training on the growing equipment to those choosing to get started with vertical farming. No matter the size of your project or amount of experience, Greenhouses Canada create an indoor farm that will allow the public to directly contribute to food sustainability and security in Northern Ontario.
For those who prefer not to grow their own crops, but wish to support locally and ecologically grown produce, there is The Innovation Center. The Innovation Center is a commercial-sized greenhouse that will produce approximately 20,000 plants a week available for sale locally.
The centre is currently under construction in Espanola and is expected to be completed by late fall. At any given time, there will be approximately 120,000 plants growing at various stages in all seasons.
The crops produced by The Innovation Center will be available for sale in various food markets in Northern Ontario, including both big and small grocery stores. When you see the Greenhouses Canada logo, you can trust the produce was grown ethically, locally, and transported responsibly and directly after harvest.
You can also keep your eyes out for The Greenhouses Canada Grow Truck, which will be arriving shortly in Sudbury. This truck will include 15 fully functioning aeroponic panels that are growing food fresh daily for consumption. The truck is 26 feet long, wheelchair accessible and will produce 4,875 plants per month.
If you want a taste of Greenhouses Canada, head out to Frubar’s new location and try a wheatgrass shot, or keep an eye out for the Greenhouses Canada logo at Eat Local, or in The Wellness Boxes.
For more information on Greenhouses Canada visit the website and follow us on Facebook for more updates.
Morel is a public relations professional passionate about sustainable solutions and food security in the North. She is currently the marketing and communications director at Greenhouses Canada.
Aquaponics Operation Tests Cayman’s Potential
Aquaponics Operation Tests Cayman’s Potential
Canadian company aims to fulfill Cayman’s leafy vegetable demand
By Kayla Young | July 25, 2017
While Cayman’s natural barriers may inhibit its agricultural potential, a Canadian farming operation is betting on transforming the islands into a potential aquaponics site.
Alberta-based NutraPonics is evaluating plans to set up a 6,000-square-meter (64,580-square-foot) growing bed in Grand Cayman that director Tim Goltz anticipates will satisfy 80 percent of the local leafy greens market.
“We can blow the top off it and really surprise people. We can make Cayman a global leader,” Mr. Goltz said.
“Indoor vertical farming in and of itself is probably one of the hottest investment spaces in the world right now,” Mr. Goltz said.
The company’s aquaponics systems operate in a fully enclosed, high-density growing environment. Tilapia kept in tanks produce byproducts that are then filtered to create nitrate-rich water. These nutrients are filtered to the vertical growing area, where plants sit under LED lighting.
Pesticides unnecessary
The enclosed nature of the growing method eliminates the need for fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals.
The setup aims to minimize operating costs and maximize food production. Mr. Goltz estimates a 6,000-square-meter growing bed would produce enough leafy greens to feed 60,000 people.
Vertical stacks allow the NutraPonics system to grow more food in less space.
He noted that shoppers in Cayman depend on high-cost imports routed from farms in North and Central America. While Cayman’s grocers and restaurants already receive a limited supply of local produce, including some grown using hydroponics, Mr. Goltz hopes NutraPonics will be able to supplement supply and offer an alternative to imports.
The perishable leafy greens are particularly sensitive to long journeys, which creates an extra headache for supermarkets, Mr. Goltz said. Temperature fluctuations, delays on the tarmac and other disruptions can all compromise shelf life.
“Grocers have a real logistical and structural problem unless someone can figure out how to grow the volume they require,” Mr. Goltz said.
After meeting with grocers in November, Mr. Goltz said aquaponics could solve many of their supply-chain problems. He contends vertical, indoor farming could provide a local solution.
He expects the operation would require around 40 local employees.
Vertical stacks allow the NutraPonics system to grow more food in less space.
With two other operations under way in Saskatoon and White Horse, Canada, NutraPonics hopes to prove its model can operate under the most hostile growing environments. Once a Cayman facility takes off, Mr. Goltz envisions moving beyond leafy greens to a range of hothouse vegetables, including strawberries, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers and cucumbers.
“Our ultimate goal is to become kings of the strawberry empire in the Caribbean,” Mr. Goltz said.
Investment interest
While it has been difficult to attract international partners to the company’s Edmonton facility, Mr. Goltz said entrepreneurs in Singapore, Dubai and Oman have already shown interest in Cayman’s potential. He expects the islands’ natural beauty and tax neutrality will be a draw for investors.
NutraPonics’ operations in Cayman would fall under two branches, the vertical aquaponics facility, and a separate corporation for global development.
In the long term, Mr. Goltz hopes to turn the Cayman facility into a showcase for sustainable agriculture, where tourists and schoolchildren can learn about farming.
The company is evaluating a West Bay property owned by the National Trust for the project but has not finalized a lease on the land.
Mr. Goltz said his team is in the fundraising stage and meeting with potential partners.
Tanks of tilapia produce byproducts that then nourish plants in the growing house.
Amazon's Expansive Biodomes Get Their First of 40,000 Plants
When Amazon began building its new campus five years ago, it insisted on incorporating nature in the design.
Amazon's Expansive Biodomes Get Their First of 40,000 Plants
1/8Amazon is building three spheres in downtown Seattle.NBBJ
RON GAGLIARDO JUST might have the most unusual job at Amazon. He spends most of his time tending to the thousands of plants destined for the Spheres, the 90-foot bulbous glass dome in the middle of Amazon’s sprawling campus in downtown Seattle.
Last week, Gagliardo watched as workers pulled an Australian tree fern off of an Amazon Prime truck, carried it through a particularly wide door in one of the spheres, and plopped it into the soil. Australian tree ferns are hardy, primordial plants that can reach 50 feet tall and "a favorite among greenhouse staff," says Gagliardo. This particular specimen spent three years growing in Amazon's conservatory at the edge of town. It is the first of the 40,0001or so plants destined for the domes, which open next year.
Maybe it’s all the screen time or mounting evidence that employees excel when surrounded by nature, but tech companies suddenly love plants. Airbnb installed a living wall in the lobby of its San Francisco headquarters. Apple wants a small forest of 8,000 trees at its new campus in Cupertino. Adobe incorporated biophilic design into its offices in San Jose, California. Yet they all pale compared to Amazon and its three conjoined spheres, which are both meeting rooms and conservatories that will house more than 400 species of rare (and non-rare) plants.
When Amazon began building its new campus five years ago, it insisted on incorporating nature in the design. Employees can open windows in Doppler, the 38-story tower downtown. Plazas teeming with trees dot a campus of 30 buildings. Dogs romp in a park designed just for them. And then there are those spheres, designed to bring the outdoors indoors within the confines of an office building. “The question was, how do we do this in a significant way,” says Dale Alberda, a principal architect at NBBJ, the firm behind Amazon’s new campus. “Just bringing plants into the office wasn’t going to cut it.”
The designers explored hundreds of shapes before choosing spheres. “It’s the most efficient way of enclosing volume,” Alberda says. The domes, made of glass panels on a steel frame, create enclosed biospheres that combine work and nature. That created a challenge, though, because plants and humans like different things. Plants thrive in warm, muggy environments. Humans do not. Amazon may love nature, but it still needs productive employees, so it compromised: The domes remain a pleasant 72 degrees with 60 percent humidity during the day, while at night they're a more plant-friendly 55 degrees with 85 percent humidity.
“It’s people first,” says Gagliardo. “Then we figured out what plants we could put around people.” Gagliardo started with plants found in similar climates. Mid-elevation regions like the cloud forests of Ecuador, Costa Rica, and parts of China fit the bill. A crew will carefully crane a 60-foot tree from California into the domes next month. Once gardeners and horticulturalists plant everything, the dome and its 60-foot living wall will house vegetation from more than 50 countries.
Some of those plants, like moss, ferns and calatheas, have no problem with low light. Others, like the African aloe tree, require full sun. The architects shunned the triangular panels you may know from Buckminster Fuller's famed geodesic dome in favor of the five-sided panels of a pentagonal hexecontahedron. That resulted in larger panels, which allows more sunlight into the sphere. Ninety LED fixtures with light sensors provide additional lighting when necessary.
All those plants need a lot of water, a task Gagliardo prefers to do by hand. “The collection is so diverse that putting everything on automatic sprinklers would be really difficult,” he says. Each day his team of horticulturists will wander the domes amid executives taking walking meeting and office drones doing whatever Amazon's office drones do, tending to plants and rooting around in the dirt. "It's a dream job," Gagliardo says. "I never would have thought I'd be here at Amazon doing horticulture."
1UPDATE 11:55 AM ET 05/6/2017: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the number of plants in Amazon's Spheres
Nebullam Develops Aeroponic Technology For Indoor Growers
Nebullam Develops Aeroponic Technology For Indoor Growers
Clayton Mooney and Danen Pool with Nebullam’s prototype.
Traditional agricultural growing methods rely on a growing medium, but Ames, Iowa-based Nebullam is developing an alternative method of growing that doesn’t require a medium.
The company’s mission is to provide the art of future foods now and they’re doing that through the development of aeroponics.
“With high-pressure aeroponics, we use no growing medium. We suspend the plants in what we like to call a ‘root chamber’ and […] then we pressurize nutrients and water, and hit them with a really fine mist,” explained Nebullam co-founder Clayton Mooney. “I like to say that we put the plants on a boxer’s diet. They get exactly what they need, no more, no less.”
Through their advanced growing methods, Nebullam is able to create an indoor agricultural production environment that uses 95% less water than traditional methods and 40% less water than hydroponic methods. Completely controlled growing environments also eliminate the need for pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, and enable a 50% reduction in fertilizer.
“There’s a lot of sustainable proponents that go into our systems,” said Mooney.
From Inspiration To Reality
Mooney said the inspiration for Nebullam came a few years back when co-founder Danen Pool was on a trip to South Africa. Pool began thinking about the issue of food security in growing populations and how someone would go about securing food production in areas where the land isn’t efficient for agriculture.
“When he got back to the states, he started researching different growing methods and eventually came across aeroponics,” said Mooney. “Aeroponics was originally created by NASA in the 80s to essentially figure out how to grow food in space.”
Pool was intrigued by the concept behind aeroponics. He decided to put his background in biology to use and built his own system, initially thinking of it as a hobby. By early 2015 he had grown his first crop of tomatoes and basil and gave them to his coworkers who were impressed with the quality of his produce and the fact that it was all grown during the winter in Iowa.
Automating The Growing Process
Pool began thinking about the possibilities for aeroponically grown produce and thought that maybe he had a business idea on his hands. He reached out to Mooney who has a background in ag technology and the two joined forces on creating an aeroponics company, but something was still missing for them.
Basil roots grown by Nebullam.
“Over the summer of last year, we had the third co-founder join us, Mahmoud Parto,” said Mooney. “Mahmoud’s background is in electronic, mechanical and software engineering and he provided the missing link for us, which is the machine learning aspect.”
Nebullam is now at a stage where its aeroponic growing units are powered by automated software. The software remotely monitors, analyzes, and adapts to current grows, which ensures that Nebullam’s commercial growing partners receive the highest amount of yields and the best quality of outputs with very little human interaction between germination and harvest. The system will be fully automated by 2020.
Joining The Startup Factory
Nebullam is currently a part of the Iowa State Startup Factory’s 2nd cohort which runs January-December 2017. The company is housed in the research park of the Vermeer Applied Technology Hub where they have access to offices, work space, a prototyping area and a teaching team led by Bill Adamowski.
“It’s really unique in the fact that [the Startup Factory] doesn’t try to cram everything into a 90 or 100-day accelerator. It’s a full year of support which we think is very very important,” said Mooney. “We have access to all of the teaching team on a weekly basis and they hold us all accountable.”
The co-founders are using their time at the Startup Factory to focus on getting a paid pilot program up and running with partners. They currently have a pilot program in Nevada and on LongView Farms, a 5th-generation farm in Iowa. The programs act as a proof-of-concept and from there, they hope to transition into a commercial agreement where Nebullam can produce in a large production space.
“We do have other deals in the pipeline right now,” said Mooney. “We’re looking around Iowa in the commercial space for leafy greens and microgreens, and then we are looking at opportunities outside of Iowa as well in Colorado and Oregon for pharmaceutical [production].”
The Startup Factory is also helping to prepare the co-founders for a round of seed funding in the next few months to help grow their teach and reseach capabilities. They’ve already accepted an offer from Ag Startup Engine, an investment group that focuses on ag technologies within the Startup Factory. They’re also delivering a private presentation to potential investors within the next couple of weeks.
Taking Aeroponics From Iowa To Mars
While the co-founders focus on getting the pilot project up and running, they’re also looking ahead at the future and other possible applications for aeroponics. The technology could be used just about anywhere. The biggest factor in whether or not Nebullam can implement their system into a city or region is simply a question of whether or not there is electricity.
“We see application for locations in Western Europe where a lot of the cities, for instance Dublin, are trying to push for smart-city initiatives,” said Mooney. “As far as applications in more developing regions, we think there’s a lot of potential there as well. […] With more and more energy-efficient and energy-focused projects jumping up in developing regions, solar panels are allowing energy in remote regions.”
Perhaps what’s most impressive about Nebullam’s potential is that the company isn’t limited to growing in one region or continent, or even one planet. The aeroponic systems being developed by the company could be used to grow food on Mars when Mars missions become a reality.
“The big thing that I’m personally excited about are the applications for outer space as well. The whole thing originated with NASA and I could see it coming full circle,” said Mooney. “We jokingly say we wouldn’t mind if we end up being the John Deere of agriculture on Mars.”
Christine McGuigan is the Associate Editor of Silicon Prairie News.