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Here’s A First Look At The Label That Must Appear On All GMO Foods By 2022
On Wednesday night, the United States Department of Agriculture posted its long-awaited GMO label law, which will require food companies to label foods that have been genetically modified, or “bioengineered,” by 2022
Images: USDA, Canva. Graphic: NFE
All GMO foods, that is, with a couple big caveats.
December 20th, 2018
by Sam Bloch
On Wednesday night, the United States Department of Agriculture posted its long-awaited GMO label law, which will require food companies to label foods that have been genetically modified, or “bioengineered,” by 2022. The law will affect a wide range of foods, from mass-market snacks, cereals and freezer meals made with ubiquitous GMO crops like corn, soybeans, and sugarbeets, to new fruits, vegetables and seafood that will soon be sold to consumers directly, like the rosé pineapple, Arctic apple, non-browning potato, and the AquAdvantage salmon.
How widespread will that label be? In the coming years, you’ll start to see the government’s new logo popping up on items in the grocery store. After proposing several potential design options back in May, the government unveiled its final choice on Wednesday: a stylized landscape with an indeterminant crop sprouting under a blue sky, ringed by a green circle and the word “bioengineered.”
This labeling rule won’t apply to gene-edited foods—those containing ingredients modified by techniques like CRISPR, which do not contain DNA from other organisms, and could have otherwise been obtained through conventional breeding
The label will soon be a familiar sight, but the government’s criteria for foods that can evade the label are already causing confusion and controversy.
The new rule, for instance, exempts products that come from animals fed with bioengineered ingredients, like milk, meat and eggs—but not, for example, foods like cheese or yogurt that are made with bioengineered yeasts or rennet. It exempts ingredients that have an “inadvertent or technically unavoidable” amount of bioengineered substances—a threshold that would allow food supply companies to use the same equipment on BE and non-BE crops alike. And it exempts highly refined ingredients, like sugars and oils—but we’ll get to that in a second.
In a move likely to rile some consumer advocates, the rule won’t apply to gene-edited foods—those containing ingredients modified by techniques like CRISPR, which do not contain DNA from other organisms, and could have otherwise been obtained through conventional breeding. Advocates of gene-editing technology say that the process merely speeds up the process of natural gene selection, unlike the first wave of genetically modified products that have genetic material transferred transgenically from other species.
“The message it sends is confusion.”
It’s not just what gets labelled that’s stirred criticism. The question of howlabels will appear has also been a hot topic. Though manufacturers will have several more traditional disclosure options, including a “prominent” disclosure text, the circular, semi-pastoral bioengineered symbol, they have other tools at their disposal: methods that include text messaging, or electronic or digital links, including the QR code that many, including Senator Bernie Sanders, have decried as a confusing method that lacks transparency.
The law was initiated by Congress back in 2016, as an effort to preempt Vermont’s own GMO labeling law that was causing consternation among food companies. Biotechnology experts I contacted, including Greg Jaffe of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, said the law was never intended to address food safety or nutrition—about 90 percent of scientists say GMO foods are safe—but about giving consumers information about the production process. (As I’ve reported, disclosing that information was shown to increase consumer acceptance.)
But if the law’s truly about production, as Jaffe says, it stops short of covering highly processed ingredients that are derived from genetically engineered crops, such as corn syrup, vegetable oil, and “refined” sugar from sugar beets. Last year, 94 percent of soybeans, and 92 percent of corn grown in the United States were genetically modified; at last count, so were 95 percent of sugar beets. But oil and sugar derived from these crops don’t have to be labeled, because it’s impossible to distinguish them from their conventional counterparts. Despite what the Castrol commercials would have you believe, oils are just oils, and sugar is just sucrose. Neither substance contains DNA. The only way to distinguish the two would be through supply chain verification.
The question of how labels will appear has also been a hot topic.
Instead, the USDA is encouraging companies to voluntarily disclose that information through a nearly-identical symbol that contains the words “derived from bioengineering.” For Jaffe, that doesn’t go far enough. He feels manufacturers should be required to say when they’re using those oils and sugars.
“The message it sends is confusion, because there are many food manufacturers who want to disclose this information, because they believe that there are consumers who want to know this information,” he says. “You could have similar products with similar ingredients, where one discloses, and one doesn’t, and consumers may not understand that those products could be identical.”
The law is not nearly as stringent as the approach in other countries, such as those in the European Union, where most products are sourced to be non-GMO, obviating the need for any kind of label that would support “consumer choice.” Back in America, manufacturers may choose to continue to bear the voluntary Non-GMO Verified label, which is granted by a third-party certifier. Additionally, organic foods, which must be GMO-free in their supply chains to be certified in the first place, are exempt from the disclosure law.
The rule, which will become effective early next year, sets an initial date for manufacturers of January 1, 2020.
Sam Bloch has written about arts, culture, and real estate for publications including The New York Times, L.A. Weekly, and Artnet. His essay about Los Angeles' "shade deserts" will be published by Places Journal this winter. Reach him by email at: samuel.bloch@newfoodeconomy.org
Jenny Quiner Brings Local Produce To Des Moines With DogPatch Urban Gardens
In the fall of 2015, Jenny Quiner launched Dogpatch Urban Gardens (DUG), the only for-profit farm inside Des Moines city limits.
In the fall of 2015, Jenny Quiner launched Dogpatch Urban Gardens (DUG), the only for-profit farm inside Des Moines city limits.
Before starting the farm, Quiner was a high school science teacher for six years.
“It was a great gig, but in those six years I had three little boys and was just feeling compelled to do something else in my life,” said Quiner.
Just a few years later and Quiner has wrapped up her third successful season and Dogpatch Urban Gardens has become a well-known name within the Des Moines food scene.
The garden’s biggest source of revenue comes from its onsite farm stand, Quiner told Clay & Milk. The DUG FarmStand is a seasonal onsite locally-sourced store that sells DUG products as well as other items from growers and producers throughout the state of Iowa. DUG also sells products to the Iowa Food Coop, local restaurants and through a subscription service called “Salad Subscription”.
In addition to selling food, the farm also contains an Air BnB called the “Urban FarmStay.”
Dogpatch Urban Gardens is located in the middle of Des Moines and has turned an acre of land to a garden and farm stand selling other local producers goods. (Photo courtesy of DogPatch Urban Gardens).
An expensive roadblock
Earlier this year, county officials told Quiner that the farm stand operates more like a commercial business and would need to make changes in order to follow commercial business requirements.
The unplanned costs and changes forced the Quiners appeal for help from supporters with a Kickstarter campaign.
“We raised around $27,000 and our goal was $15,000,” Quiner said. “We were very excited with how the community rallied and supported us.”
Looking ahead
Quiner recently took part in the Fall 2018 cohort of Venture School to help her better understand who her primary customers are.
“It’s been fabulous connecting with other entrepreneurs in the area. I’ve really enjoyed the program,” Quiner said. “It has really allowed me to better get to know my customers and helped me pinpoint who I need to target my marketing towards.”
Next season, Quiner plans to start holding events to the farm including farm-to-table dinners and wellness workshops.
“We’ve also just added a commercial kitchen space,” Quiner said. So next season we’re going to be focusing in on grab and go options like ready-to-eat salads and sandwiches that people can come and by at the farm stand.”
Farm Bill Creates Office For Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
By Brian Filipowich
The 2018 Farm Bill (H.R.2) passed both the House and Senate and will be signed into law by the President imminently. The Bill creates the USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production which should boost aquaponics, hydroponics, and other sustainable growing methods.
The Bill establishes the Office “to encourage and promote urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural production
practices.” Related to this new Office, the Bill:
Provides for the assignment of a farm number for rooftop, indoor, and other urban farms.
Provides authority to award competitive grants to operate community gardens or
nonprofit farms, educate a community on food systems, nutrition, environmental impacts,
and agricultural production, and help offset start-up costs for new and beginning farmers.Establishes an Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Advisory Committee.
Establishes pilot projects to increase compost and reduce food waste, and create urban
and suburban county committees.
In addition to the Office for Urban Agriculture, the Farm Bill also establishes the Urban, Indoor, and Other Emerging Agriculture Production Research, Education, and Extension Initiative. This Initiative does the following:
Authorizes competitive research and extension grants to support research, education, and
extension activities for the purposes of enhancing urban, indoor, and other emerging
agricultural production.Provides $4 million mandatory for each fiscal year 2019-2023.
Requires the Secretary to conduct a census of urban, indoor, and other emerging
agricultural production.
Unfortunately, there is plenty of bad along with the good: this Farm Bill continues negative policies that stifle smaller growers and wastefully support large industrial monoculture growers. Nevertheless, it is welcome to see the Federal Government acknowledging the need for investment in urban and sustainable growing.
Hopefully the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production can meaningfully support the expansion of aquaponics!
Brian Filipowich serves as Chairman of the Aquaponics Association
Moving The Farm Bill Forward
This week, the final draft of the farm bill was released by the House and Senate Conference.
Here's a summary:
• Creation of a new office within the USDA (Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production) with a mandate to encourage and promote urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural practices.
• A $10 million annual appropriation for competitive grants to support research, education, and extension activities for urban, indoor, and other emerging agricultural activities.
• An amendment to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) making loan guarantees of up to $25 million available for the purchase and installation of energy efficient equipment or systems for agricultural production or processing.
The next step? The president's signature and it becomes law!
Hemp, High-Speed Internet And Other Highlights From The New Farm Bill
December 13, 2018
Congress passed a 10-year, $867 billion farm bill Wednesday that would reauthorize a variety of agricultural programs and food aid for low-income Americans.
Debate on the legislation took months, with funding for the food stamp program one of the major sticking points during negotiations. The Senate approved the bill on 87-13 vote Tuesday. The House passed the measure with a 369-47 vote Wednesday, sending the bill to President Donald Trump’s desk.
Here’s what is in the legislative package, which Trump is expected to sign next week:
Rejects limits to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better know as food stamps. The bill final left out a proposal from House Republicans and the president to impose stricter work requirements that would have cut roughly 1.1 million households from the program, according to a 2018 study by Mathematica Policy Research. The program currently serves more than 40 million low-income Americans.
Expands the safety net for dairy farmers. The bill lowers insurance premiums in the dairy margin protection program, a risk management programauthorized by the 2014 farm bill that protects farmers’ revenues when when production margins fall. The renewed support comes as the dairy industry faces a fourth year of depressed milk prices.
Legalizes the cultivation of industrial hemp. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., played a key role in negotiations to remove the crop from the federal list of controlled substances. The new classification will benefit McConnell’s home state of Kentucky, whose farmers are part of a growing hemp industry that’s predicted to expand into a $20 million industry by 2020.
Extends forest management. The finalized bill did not include a proposal by House Republicans and the Trump administration to ease environmental rules to allow more logging and forest-thinning projects, something they argued could help prevent wildfires. But it does create a program to encourage utility companies to clear bush near power lines on federal land.
A host of other, lesser-known provisions also made it into the bill:
Permanent funding for veteran and minority farmers. The bill guarantees $435 million in permanent funding to educate military veterans, socially disadvantaged and beginner farmers by tripling the current budget of the Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach Program.
The bill provides other benefits for veterans as well, including decreasing the price of risk management tools, improving access to capital and land, and improving access to training.
Urban farming. The farm bill establishes a new office at the Department of Agriculture to advocate for and promote urban and indoor agriculture, such as community gardens, rooftop farms, and hydroponic and aquaponic farms. The office’s responsibilities also include helping identify best practices for navigating local urban farming policies and enhance existing business training programs for urban farmers.
Funding for organics. The bill permanently secures $50 million in annual funding for a Department of Agriculture research program that focuses on organic farming practices and expanding organic agriculture. It also offers funding to support farmers transitioning to organic production.
Scholarships at historically black colleges and universities. About $40 million in new funding will be allocated for new scholarships at 19 African-American land-grant universities for students to pursue careers in agricultural and food sciences.
The bill also provides $50 million for at least three “centers of excellence” based at HBCUs with specific areas of focus, including farming systems and emerging technologies.
Rural high-speed internet. Under the bill, funding for high-speed internet in rural communities will increase from $25 million to $350 million annually.
Funding for specialty crop farmers. The bill continues a number of research, disease control and grant programs fort specialty crop farmers (such as fruit, vegetable and tree nut producers.) It also provides $125 million in funding over five years for a new research program into citrus pests and diseases.
Left: Dairy cows eat their breakfast after their morning milking at EMMA Acres dairy farm, in Exeter, Rhode Island, U.S., 7 April, 2018. REUTERS/Oliver Doyle
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Go Deeper
Report Points to 'Difficult and Worrying' 2019 for U.S. Agriculture
Market volatility caused by President Donald Trump's trade disputes, extreme weather and the potential spread of African Swine Fever could threaten the stability of global food commodity prices next year.
The downward trend of U.S. farmers' profitability will only get worse if China continues to ignore American agricultural imports, the report said. | Steve Helber/AP Photo
By SARAH ZIMMERMAN
11/15/2018 11:34 AM EST
Market volatility caused by President Donald Trump's trade disputes, extreme weather and the potential spread of African Swine Fever could threaten the stability of global food commodity prices next year, the agricultural banking company Rabobank warned Thursday in a new report.
“The agri-commodity price environment may be relatively stable currently, but it’s difficult to remember a time [when] there were so many threats to food commodity prices on so many fronts,” Stefan Vogel, Rabobank's head of agricultural commodity markets and a co-author of the report, said in a statement.
In Rabobank's annual Outlook report, the Holland-based company predicted that trade uncertainty remains the largest threat facing U.S. farmers next year. The downward trend of U.S. farmers' profitability will only get worse if China continues to ignore American agricultural imports, the report said. Fiscal 2018 marked the second-worst profitability year for American farmers in nearly the last decade, the report said, despite record-smashing corn and soybean yields and the fact that Chinese retaliatory tariffs only directly affected one-quarter of the 12-month period.
Rabobank anticipates that American soybean farmers will continue to take the biggest hit if Beijing keeps its tariffs in place — and that U.S. soybean stocks "will easily double" under that scenario. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue has said that farmers will not receive additional trade aid for 2019 production, reasoning that Trump's tariff policies have already altered markets and that farmers must now react accordingly.
In many cases, that may be easier said than done. "These measures," the report said, referring to tit-for-tat tariffs, "change the structure of global trade and increase U.S. inventories to new all-time highs, while hurting U.S. farmer margins, and resulting in great uncertainty when it comes to prices and the upcoming 2019 planting season."
Agricultural producers should prepare for other factors beyond trade, according to the report. If African Swine Fever, which has cropped up in places in China's massive pork industry, spreads to become a full-on outbreak, consumer concern could lead to shifts in preferences, in turn affecting global trade flows.
In addition, the report noted that climate experts are forecasting an 80 percent chance of El Niño weather conditions being formally declared "by the end of the northern winter." El Niño-related weather patterns tend to make the U.S. Southern Plains wetter and can also lead to drier conditions in the northern part of the U.S. Midwest.
With El Niño-like effects already being experienced in parts of Australia, Brazil and India, the report said, further weather change holds the potential to hurt crop yields and production, and influence global trade in agricultural commodities.
“Food producers face a melting pot of risks,” Justin Sherrard, a global strategist for animal protein at Rabobank, said in a statement. “Although it’s possible that not all of them will come to pass, they need to be prepared for a difficult and worrying year in 2019.”
The report predicted a hefty surplus in U.S. soybeans next year and a global glut in coffee and, less significantly, in palm oil and sugar. It forecast global deficits in corn, wheat, cocoa and cotton, noting that hurricane-related damage affected the U.S. cotton crop this year.
With Trump expected to talk trade with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of the month, the report was not overly pessimistic about the possibility that the two economic superpowers could strike a deal to ease trade tension.
The report said it "may take very long negotiations" to address America's trade deficit with China "by any significant amount." However, Rabobank said it was "surprising" how quickly the new North American trade agreement came together and that "we can’t rule out a speedy resolution to the U.S.-China trade war."
"Once achieved," the report said of a U.S.-China trade deal, "it will likely result in China buying increasing quantities of American goods. Under a Chinese tariff regime, however, the U.S. will easily double its soybean stocks."
It’s A Wrap: Australia’s Largest Ever Agricultural Innovation Trade Fair Concludes – But There’s More To Come…
GFIA in Focus Australia Conference and Exhibition
GFIA In Focus Australia, Australia’s biggest agricultural innovation trade fair has concluded after two days of conferences and seminars that attracted an impressive number of visitors.
Focusing on precision agriculture and protected cropping, the event was attended by international delegates, investors and high-profile food producers who all took advantage of the opportunity to learn from a variety of industry exhibitors, educational sessions, networking events and conferences.
This was GFIA’s first Australian event – and David Stradling, Sales Director of One CMG Group, the company behind GFIA In Focus Australia describes it as a “fantastic showcase of some of Australia’s most innovative, forward-thinking exhibitors.”
With innovation being a theme at the forefront of the conference, key guest speaker topics included a panel discussion led by Richard Health from Australian Farm Institute, which covered the digitalization of agriculture, and highlighted challenges and opportunities for Australia’s food and water security. Also hugely popular were a presentation on precision agriculture and the use of digital technologies on Branson Farms by Mark Branson, and a keynote speech from Tim Gentle, founder of Think Digital, which covered a range of fascinating topics, including immersive technologies in agriculture.
International delegate Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Deputy General Director for Vietnamese farm group VinEco (a member of VinGroup) attended the conference to learn more about the latest trends. “I’ve seen lots of great stuff here,” she says. “I’ve been very impressed by the stands, which have showcased so much new technology and innovation, particularly in AI and automation, as well as some really valuable information on everything from irrigation systems and bio-systems to new materials and software for quality and food management. We can now clearly see how we can apply this to our systems to improve efficiencies and save on labour costs.”
Agronomist Daniel Rollinson and beef producer and agent Henry Leonard
Beef producer and agent Henry Leonard was also full of praise for the event: “There have been some really excellent speakers, and it was incredible to learn more about some of the research currently being done in this sector. The scope and diversity of investment makes it a very exciting time for the agriculture and food production sector.”
Peter Smith, Training Manager of event sponsor Agforce, says that GFIA In Focus Australia’s first event in the Australian market won’t be their last. “I see the whole concept of GFIA as having great longevity. The plan is to build on this year’s event to stage a permanent annual innovation event in Brisbane, and for this to be the biggest in Australia. There’s a great deal of scope for including other streams of ag tech, and to also branch out into other types of ag-events. We think the approach is flexible and sustainable enough to allow the event to grow in all kinds of directions.”
David Stradling is similarly optimistic about GFIA In Focus Australia’s role in shaping the nation’s agricultural targets for years to come. “GFIA aims to bridge the gap between international markets and Australia tech suppliers – and in response to this year’s success, next year’s GFIA conference will include multiple excursions by key stakeholders into Australian leadership and innovation in the agriculture and food production sector. This is the next leap of the journey to support the Australian Government’s ambition to make agriculture a $100 billion industry by 2030, and we’re looking forward to making next year’s event even bigger and better than this one.”
If you didn’t make it to GFIA in Focus Australia this year, don’t miss out on the opportunity to be a part of 2019’s even more ambitious offering. For more information visit www.gfiaaustralia.com
About GFIA
The Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture has emerged as a global authority on sustainable food production, driving innovation through exhibitions and conferences across the globe. GFIA exhibitions have welcomed more than 25,000 visitors, and worked with over 50 international partners to showcase innovative products with a proven benefit to the agricultural industry. Their conferences offer stakeholders pioneering forums and marketplaces to foster meaningful dialogue, collaboration, recognition and action between regional food producers, buyers, innovators, policy makers and investors.
Media Enquiries: C7EVEN Communications
Kate Munsie
(02) 6766 4513 / 0421 935 843
kate.munsie@c7even.com.au
5 Major Crops In The Crosshairs Of Climate Change
October 25, 2018
Heather Kim/NPR
Climate change is coming like a freight train, or a rising tide. And our food, so dependent on rain and suitable temperatures, sits right in its path.
The plants that nourish us won't disappear entirely. But they may have to move to higher and cooler latitudes, or farther up a mountainside. Some places may find it harder to grow anything at all, because there's not enough water.
Here are five foods, and food-growing places, that will see the impact.
Wheat
Wheat, source of bread and a foundation of life in much of the world, will suffer from hotter temperatures — and the country where the impact may be greatest also is among least well-equipped to cope with a shortfall. India is likely to see a large drop in wheat production due to heat stress — about 8 percent if average global temperatures rise by 1 degree Celsius, according to one recent study. Temperatures are expected to rise more than that; according to a recent report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius will require heroic and dramatic action. It will take significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions within 15 years, plus efforts to recapture some of the carbon that's already been emitted, perhaps by planting new forests.
Globally, though, wheat may not be in short supply in a warmer world. Russia, which is already a major wheat exporter, may be able to expand the amount of land devoted to this crop.
Mary Mathis and Heather Kim/NPR
Peaches
Despite Georgia's claim to be the Peach State, California is the country's biggest peach producer. Farmers there grow about half of the country's fresh peaches, and almost all of the fruit that's canned and processed in other ways.
Many fruit trees, including peaches, have a peculiar requirement. If they don't experience enough chill during wintertime, they get confused and don't bloom properly. No bloom, no harvest. The peach trees currently grown in California's Central Valley require about 700 "chilling hours" during the winter. But scientists are predicting that by the end of the century, only 10 percent of the valley will reliably see that much chilling. And even if plant breeders create peach varieties that need less chilling, there's another problem: Peach trees also yield less fruit when it gets too hot in summertime.
Heather Kim/NPR
Coffee
Coffee can't take freezing temperatures, but it doesn't like extreme heat, either — at least the highly prized Arabica type doesn't. So it's mainly grown on relatively cool mountainsides in the tropics. Brazil is the biggest coffee producer in the world, by far, but as the globe warms up, most of its main coffee-growing regions probably won't be suitable for growing this crop anymore, due to heat as well as more frequent rainstorms. Coffee could move to cooler parts of the country, but researchers don't think those new growing areas will make up for what's lost.
Meanwhile, rising temperatures could threaten native coffee trees that grow wild in the forests of Ethiopia and central Africa. The wild trees represent an irreplaceable storehouse of coffee's original genetic diversity. The world's commercial coffee trees are genetically very similar to each other, and those genetically diverse wild trees could be the source of genetic traits that plant breeders may need in order to create commercial trees that can thrive in tomorrow's climate. Some of the wild trees, however, are preserved in "gene banks" in Ethiopia and Latin America.
Mary Mathis and Heather Kim/NPR
Corn
Nothing says Iowa quite like fields of corn. Climate models, though, see a different future. They're predicting that a warming climate will bring several changes, most of them bad for growing corn. Rain will come less often, and when it comes, the storms will be more intense — neither of which is helpful for a crop that demands frequent rains, but doesn't do a good job of preventing soil erosion. In addition, corn suffers when it gets too hot — especially when it's too hot at night. Add it all up, and one study estimates that corn yields in Iowa will fall substantially, anywhere from 15 percent to an astounding 50 percent. "By 2100, the Corn Belt is going to be in Canada, not in the United States," says Jason Clay, senior vice president for food and markets at the World Wildlife Fund.
So what will replace corn on Iowa's fertile land? According to one study, by the end of the century this part of the Midwest will be more suited for growing cotton, soybeans, grass and forests.
Mary Mathis and Heather Kim/NPR
Almonds
California, the biggest single source of America's fresh vegetables and nuts, and the primary source of almonds for the entire world, is a dramatic illustration of how subtle shifts in climate can have huge effects. California's farms rely heavily on snow that piles up in the Sierra Nevada mountains during the winter, and then slowly melts during the summer, delivering a vital flow of water to the state's irrigation canals. As the climate warms, though, winter precipitation will arrive more often as rain, and the snow that does fall will melt much more quickly, leaving farmers scrambling for water to keep crops alive in late summer. Also, there will be more variation from year to year; wet years will be wetter, and dry years will be even dryer.
Both trends increase the chances that from time to time, farmers will face catastrophic shortages of water. And that's especially bad for tree crops, of which almonds are the biggest, because losing an orchard is much more devastating than losing a single crop of, say, tomatoes. California's farmers may be forced to reduce the amount of land devoted to orchards, since there there's a chance that they will not survive a major drought.
The Indoor Farming Market Is Becoming Increasingly Diverse With A Huge Range of Variants Performing Industries
Mrudula.k October 25, 2018
Indoor Farming Market report gives statistical analysis on current trends, market size and shares, Revenue value and volume within the geographical regions and leading manufactures. Indoor Farming Report lets you to understand the key strategies to survive in the industry during forecast period.
The global Indoor Farming market is expected to register a CAGR of about 14.4 % during the forecast period of 2018-2023.
Indoor Farming Market report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumer’s analysis is also carried out. What’s more, the Indoor Farming industry development trends and marketing channels are analysed. Major key players are given in the report are: Aerofarms , Bowery Farming , Contain Inc. , Freshbox Farms , Garden Fresh Farms ,Indoor Farms of America , Philips Lighting
In this Indoor Farming Report development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions and other regions can be added as follows: US, Canada, Germany, France, UK, China, India, Japan
For the sake of making you deeply understand the Indoor Farming industry and meeting you needs to the report contents, Global Indoor Farming Industry Situation and Prospects Research report will stand on the report reader’s perspective to provide you a deeply analysis report with the integrity of logic and the comprehensiveness of contents. Indoor Farming report will provide to the report reader a professional and in-depth industry analysis no matter you are the industry insider potential entrant or investor.
Indoor Farming Market Report Includes these important TOC points:
Introduction: Market Definition
Research Methodology: Indoor Farming Market size and forecast determination efforts
Executive Summary: Interviewing the key executives from the industry
Key Inferences: Sources like reference book, directories, and records
Indoor Farming Market Overview: Current Market Scenario, Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
Indoor Farming Market Dynamics: Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, Key Challenges
Market Segmentation: By Device Type, By Application, By Geography
Competitive Landscape: Mergers & Acquisition Analysis, Agreements, Collaborations, and Partnerships, New Products Launches
Key Players
Future of the Market
Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered. At the end Indoor Farming report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the Indoor Farming market.
Romaine Industry Adopts New Labels, Product To Return To Stores
Chris Koger November 26, 2018
Romaine will be returning to stores and foodservice operators after growers, shippers and processors of the lettuce agreed to put labels alerting customers and consumers where it was grown and when it was packed. ( File photo )
(UPDATED) The Food and Drug Administration says romaine lettuce is now safe to eat following the “purge” of product on the market, and will allow supplies to resume, after grower-shippers agreed to new labeling standards that will include where the lettuce is grown.
The agreement, negotiated by romaine grower-shippers, processors and industry associations, will be the new standard for romaine packed in the U.S. The standards follow an E. coli outbreak linked to 43 illnesses in the U.S. and 22 in Canada, as of Nov. 26.
“A number of produce associations also have agreed to support this initiative and are recommending that all industry members throughout the supply chain follow this same labeling program,” according to the United Fresh Produce Association, in an e-mail alert to members Nov. 26 sent several hours before the FDA released a statement lifting the advisory that virtually banned romaine in the U.S.
According to the FDA statement, the new labels are voluntary, but its updated message to consumers suggests it’s against shippers’ interest to forego the label:
“Based on discussions with major producers and distributors, romaine lettuce entering the market will now be labeled with a harvest location and a harvest date,” according to the FDA. “Romaine lettuce entering the market can also be labeled as being hydroponically or greenhouse grown. If it does not have this information, you should not eat or use it.”
The FDA is advising retailers to display signs about the origin of romaine products when they’re not individually packaged, such as bulk displays of unwrapped heads of romaine.
In their investigation, federal, state and local health agencies focused on Central Coast growing region of Northern and Central California. Since the report of the illnesses, mid-October to early November, harvest has shifted to other areas, including California’s Imperial Valley, the Yuma, Ariz., region and Florida.
The FDA also singled out greenhouse and hydroponically grown romaine in its Nov. 26, growers of which have been critical of the decision to remove all romaine from the market Nov. 20.
“Hydroponically- and greenhouse-grown romaine also does not appear to be related to the current outbreak. There is no recommendation for consumers or retailers to avoid using romaine harvested from these sources,” according to the FDA statement.
United Fresh compiled a list of questions and answers relating to the new labels.
The industry and FDA have agreed to work together to improve tracking romaine through the supply chain, according to the United Fresh alert. The groups that worked on the labeling agreement also include:
Produce Marketing Association;
Western Growers;
Arizona and California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements;
Grower-Shipper Association of Central California;
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association;
Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association; and
Yuma Safe Produce Council.
“Our associations are committed to working with FDA in a new effort with experts from within and outside the industry, together with government, to implement improved procedures that enhance the speed and accuracy of investigations,” according to United Fresh. “Moving forward, our efforts to enhance strong traceability systems will be most beneficial for consumers only if coupled with expert epidemiological methodology, accelerated investigations with sufficient resources, and government-industry expert collaboration that allow us all to pinpoint the source of contaminated product resulting in more targeted recalls.”
Post-purge return
Before the FDA released its statement, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb appeared on Fox News’ “The Daily Briefing” to talk with host Dana Perino about a variety of issues, including the E. coli outbreak linked to romaine.
“I understand the impact this has not just on consumers but growers, but we had clear evidence that there was an outbreak and that product that was contaminated was still in the marketplace, so it was important to purge the market of that produce —"
“Has the market been purged now?” Perino asked.
“We think it’s been done now, so we’re going to put out a statement a little later today saying that we think we’ve isolated the problem to produce grown in the coastal regions of California, of Central and Northern California, and that produce that’s grown in other parts of the country … it’s probably safe to put back into commerce now.
“So what we wanted to do was purge the market of the produce that was probably contaminated, which has now been isolated, we think, to California, and now stores can start restocking with produce that’s being harvested from Florida or North Carolina or other parts of the country,” Gottlieb said.
Related Topics: Romaine Outbreak E. coli United Fresh
Australia’s Largest Ever Agricultural Innovation Trade Fair Gets Underway
Australia’s biggest agricultural innovation trade fair, GFIA In Focus Australia is off to a flying start, with almost 2,000 registered visitors to attend the event.
Aimed at helping Australian farmers and agribusinesses improve the sustainability and sophistication of food production, a number of high-profile delegates from across Asia Pacific were also present on the first day of the Brisbane-based conference, which is intended to open up new business opportunities for Australian ag-tech suppliers and investors.
Kicking off the day’s events was guest speaker The Honourable Mark Furner MP, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Queensland, who welcomed attendees during the opening ceremony.
In his speech, Mr Furner acknowledged the importance of the event incorporating an impressive line-up of exhibitors showcasing innovative agricultural products and services, and high-profile speakers covering a range of topics. Mr Furner was pleased to open the event and said the Queensland Government will continue to work with innovators to grow the agricultural industry.
Amongst the day’s highlights, Pete Lewis, former ABC landline producer facilitated a conference on Controlled Environments & Protected Cropping, covering topics like Automation and controlled systems – while a panel of speakers debated whether indoor and controlled environments can help feed the world, and QAAFI hosted a fascinating ‘Future farming and food’ workshop.
A Precision Agriculture & Smart Farming conference looked at Precision Agriculture for livestock and farm asset management, which also debated whether a lack of visibility could be costing businesses. And in some of the most exciting highlights of the day, leading-edge agtech suppliers, entrepreneurs and scientists took to the stage to present their latest innovations – including Ceres Tag’s live demonstration of their Smart Ear Tags, which live-streamed the location, health and behavior of 100 cattle located some 1,000km away in northern QLD.
Andrew Logan, CEO of OneCrop also presented on the magic of microclimates and revealed how to create explosive yield increases using existing water and sunlight.
The day also saw the launch of AgKnowledge, the country’s first agricultural startup company investor pitch platform, which brought together universities, vocational education organisations and colleges, private and public research institutions, professional services organisations, centers of agri-learning / capacity enhancement, agri-tech startup companies and agribusiness sector investors.
Sales Director at One CMG Group David Stradling, the company behind GFIA In Focus Australia spoke of his reaction to the day’s events. “This is the first GFIA event in Australia, and day one has already surpassed everybody’s expectations – not only from the organiser’s perspective, but also from the attendees. This exhibition and conference has shown Brisbane to be a fantastic venue for farmers, growers and agribusinesses across the country to learn more about the latest innovations in agriculture. We’re looking forward to seeing what the second day has in store for the event’s many delegates and attendees.”
To find out more about GFIA In Focus Australia, visit www.gfiaaustralia.com
About GFIA
The Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture has emerged as a global authority on sustainable food production, driving innovation through exhibitions and conferences across the globe. GFIA exhibitions have welcomed more than 25,000 visitors, and worked with over 50 international partners to showcase innovative products with a proven benefit to the agricultural industry. Their conferences offer stakeholders pioneering forums and marketplaces to foster meaningful dialogue, collaboration, recognition and action between regional food producers, buyers, innovators, policy makers and investors.
Event details:
GFIA In Focus Australia
27 November 2018: 09.00 – 18.00
28 November 2018: 09.00 – 16.00
Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Media Enquiries: C7EVEN Communications
Adam Arndell
(02) 6766 4513 / 0403 372 889
adam.arndell@c7even.com.au
Kate Munsie
(02) 6766 4513 / 0421 935 843
kate.munsie@c7even.com.au
Photo captions:
The Honourable Mark Furner MP, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Queensland (close up)
The Honourable Mark Furner MP, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Queensland
David Stradling, Sales Director at One CMG Group and Honourable Mark Furner MP, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Queensland
Urban Farming Growing in Popularity
The number of urban farms and farmers is increasing, with many making use of idle garden space.
Posted on September 14, 2018 by korea bizwire
More people are considering urban farming as a leisure pastime activity, as well as a way to harvest safer crops. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of urban farms and farmers is increasing, with many making use of idle garden space.
According to Gyeonggi Province and Gyeonggi Agricultural Research and Extension Services, there were 552,000 people engaged in farming over 3.2 square kilometers of land in cities at the end of 2017.
While farm size grew by 27.2 percent compared to three years ago, the number of farmers surged by 83.8 percent.
The majority of urban farming was done in community spaces, such as weekend farms, which accounted for 47.9 percent of urban farms. Farming in parks followed at 33.4 percent, and then school farms at 8.5 percent.
Other farms made up a smaller proportion, such as house gardens at 0.4 percent, tall building rooftops at 0.8 percent, and seniors centers at 5 percent.
Among urban farmers, 41.8 percent took part in community farms, while 20 percent raised crops in parks and 16.1 percent at school farms.
Urban agriculture is increasing in popularity, presumably because city dwellers are looking to harvest safer crops using their small patch of idle land. Some raise crops as part of a yearning for the rural lifestyle from where they come from, or to get a taste of a more pastoral life.
In addition, more people are considering urban farming as a leisure pastime activity. Some local communities want to use farming as a method for citizens to hang out and build friendships.
Central and local governments are also supporting urban agriculture.
Gyeonggi Province aims to list all patches of land in 31 cities and counties in the province that are eligible for farming. The provincial government will also inspect the management of such farms so that it can nurture urban agriculture in a more planned and systematic manner.
Gyeonggi Agricultural Research and Extension Services is developing programs to teach urban farmers about crops suitable for farming in cities as well as farming techniques.
The 7th Korean Urban Agriculture Expo is being held in Hwaseong between September 13 and 20, jointly hosted by Gyeonggi Province, Hwaseong City, the Rural Development Administration and the Korea Forest Service.
Joey Yoo (joeyyoo@koreabizwire.com)
An Urban Farm Tower In France
The Agro-main-ville Food-Farm Tower--is going to be the first of its kind in the entire country.
By DIAN ZHANG
Paris, France-based design firm ABF-lab has designed a highly productive urban farm building that blurs the lines between architecture and nature. Their recently unveiled project--the Agro-main-ville Food-Farm Tower--is going to be the first of its kind in the entire country.
The Food-Farm Tower is expected to break ground this year, and will be located in Romainville, an eastern suburb in Paris. The tower will span over 21,000 square feet, and will take an estimated cost of €3.4 million, or $3.78 million to build.
image via ABF-lab
To maximize agricultural productivity, the ABF-lab decided to eschew artificial light, and let the entire farm be fully immersed in the sun. By making the tower vertical, the designers were able to maximize plant exposure to sunlight, as well as situate the project on a limited plot of land in a dense area.
The Food-Farm Tower will contribute to the local environment by producing hyper-local food, cutting down carbon dioxide emissions, and improving air quality, and will also serve as a public garden for residents in the community,
Emerging as a first in France, a pilot and a conceptual reservoir will propose an infinity of scenarios to be developed with local associations and participate in radiation Romainville city. It will be one of the first neighborhoods to fully integrate the principles of urban agriculture as a catalyst for better living together.
Architects in the ABF-lab hope to raise awareness of urban agriculture with the innovative project, and inspire more people to make eco-friendly contributions.
image via ABF-lab
image via ABF-lab
Dian Zhang is a data journalist with Hanley Wood's data studio team.
Follow her on twitter @dianzhang_.
BULLETIN: Romaine Lettuce Is Not Safe To Eat, CDC Warns U.S. Consumers
E. coli infections are gross. Here are 5 facts you can't unlearn about them.
An estimated 265,000 people report suffering from E. coli infections each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)
By Joel Achenbach and Lena H. Sun
November 20, 2018
Romaine lettuce is unsafe to eat in any form, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday in a broad alert in response to a new outbreak of illnesses caused by a particularly dangerous type of E. coli contamination.
The CDC told consumers to throw away any romaine lettuce they may already have purchased. Restaurants should not serve it, stores should not sell it, and people should not buy it, no matter where or when the lettuce was grown. It doesn’t matter if it is chopped, whole head or part of a mix. All romaine should be avoided.
The CDC alert, issued just two days before Americans sit down for their Thanksgiving dinners, reported that 32 people in 11 states have become sick from eating contaminated romaine. Of those, 13 have been hospitalized, with one patient suffering from a form of kidney failure.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has reported 18 people infected with the same strain of E. coli.
No deaths have been reported.
“Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick,” the CDC said in the Food Safety Alert issued shortly before 3 p.m.
Romaine lettuce could be contaminated and should be thrown away, CDC advises. (karandaev/iStock)
“This advice includes all types or uses of romaine lettuce, such as whole heads of romaine, hearts of romaine, and bags and boxes of precut lettuce and salad mixes that contain romaine, including baby romaine, spring mix, and Caesar salad,” the CDC said. “If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine or whether a salad mix contains romaine, do not eat it and throw it away.”
The agency also advised consumers to wash and sanitize drawers and shelves where the lettuce was stored. People usually become sick within three or four days of consuming lettuce contaminated with the E. coli, according to the CDC.
The origin of the outbreak is unknown and remains under investigation. The CDC did not limit the warning to romaine from any particular agricultural area. A common strain of E.coli was detected in six of the sickened people.
Five people died in the most recent major outbreak from contaminated romaine, which lasted from March to June of this year and led to 210 cases in 36 states. That outbreak was traced to the Yuma, Ariz. growing region, but investigators never conclusively determined the precise source.
The latest outbreak is from a strain that has the same genetic fingerprint as the one that caused an outbreak of illnesses from leafy greens late last year in both the U.S. and Canada. That outbreak was declared over in January.
All three outbreaks — the current one, the one from Yuma and the one from last year — are caused by contamination of E. coli O157:H7. It produces a Shiga toxin that can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure. Until the 1990s, most E. coli cases in humans came from eating contaminated hamburger. In more recent years, after reforms in the livestock industry, the outbreaks have been most often associated with leafy greens.
This is a developing story.
Read more
Salmonella outbreak in turkey continues as Thanksgiving approaches
Source of E. coli-contaminated romaine lettuce still a mystery
This mock pandemic killed 150 million people. Next time it might not be a drill.
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CO2 GRO Inc. Announces Two Positive Pepper Trials Using CO2 Foliar Spray Technology
The Trials Show 50% More Value versus Plants not CO2 Gassed and 20% More Value Than CO2 Gassed Plants
TORONTO, ON – November 12, 2018 – Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. (“GROW”) (TSX-V: GROW and BLONF:OTCQB) is pleased to announce positive value results from two pepper grow trials using its dissolving CO2 Foliar Spray technology. The first pepper trial was performed at a commercial Michigan aeroponics facility using dissolved CO2 Foliar Spray technology versus no CO2 gassing on a limited number of pepper plants. The second trial at St. Cloud State University was overseen by Dr. Matt Julius. He used dissolved CO2 foliar spray versus both a pepper plant control group that received CO2 gassing at 800 PPM (typical greenhouse level) and a no CO2 gassing pepper plant control group.
Michigan Aeroponics Facility Commercial Pepper Trial
This commercial pepper trial was conducted by David Marshall of Morningstar Grower Services. David also oversaw GROW’s first commercial flower trials previously announced on October 24, 2018.
This trial replicated the St. Cloud State pepper trial design other than dissolved CO2 foliar spray was manual. Additionally, leaf foliar spraying frequency was every 30 minutes to match the aeroponics company’s water and dissolved nutrient application frequency on exposed pepper plant roots.
Results were consistent with St. Cloud State University’s scientific pepper data with increased pepper yields and accelerated fruit ripening.
St. Cloud State University Scientific Pepper Trials
These pepper trials were automated and started from seeds. Controlled growth chambers used foliar spray at twenty-minute intervals with CO2 infused water dissolved at 1000 PPM. CO2 foliar sprayed plants showed a 10% fruit yield increase over CO2 gassed plants and 30% fruit yield increase over plants that were not gassed. Additionally,10% to 20% faster fruit ripening was shown versus the two control plant groups.
Also, the CO2 foliar spray which displayed distinctly superior results, used 50% less CO2 gas versus CO2 gassing at 800 PPM.
John Archibald, CEO of GROW stated "Until legal cannabis, the top two greenhouse crops in Canada were tomatoes at 38% and peppers at 33% of a 2015 estimated $1.3B vegetable greenhouse market. (Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada). Our pepper results show the value superiority of our dissolved CO2 Foliar Spray technology over CO2 gassing and dramatic value superiority over no CO2 gassing of plants. We can add plant yield and speed to maturity value to any greenhouse or indoor grow facility that does not use CO2 gas, that does use CO2 gas or to the 95% of the world’s plant food grown outdoors, where it has been impossible to add CO2. until now.”
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patented advanced CO2 foliar technologies. GROW’s global target plant markets are retail food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017) and retail non-food at an estimated $1.2 trillion per year with retail tobacco at $760 Billion (BA Tobacco estimate), floriculture at $100B by 2022 (MarketResearch.Biz estimate) and legal retail cannabis at $50 billion per year by 2022 (Bay St Analyst estimates).
GROW's CO2 technologies are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems. GROW's proven crop yield enhancements and revenue model are compelling for growers and Agri-industrial partners.
GROW's sole focus is working with its plant grower and Agri-industrial partners in proving and adopting its CO2 technologies for specific growers’ plant yield needs.
The CO2 technologies work by transferring CO2 gas into water and foliar spraying across the entire plant leaf surface area, which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved concentrated CO2 then penetrates a leaf's surface area naturally like nicotine naturally dissolves through human skin from a nicotine patch.
Foliar spraying of natural water, dissolved nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor plant growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor use of CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years. However, about 60% of the CO2 gas is typically lost through ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are also not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW's safer infused CO2 foliar spray can be used by indoor and outdoor plant growers with minimal CO2 gas lost and much greater plant bioavailability resulting in higher yields.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Business Development at 416-315-7477.
The Artist Creating Urban Farms To Feed Philadelphia
With fresh fruit and vegetables hard to come by in some of the city’s soup kitchens, Meei Ling Ng plants gardens to provide hyper-local produce to the homeless.
2018
Not many churches can boast their own Garden of Eden, but South Philadelphia’s historic Union Baptist Church (UBC) can. When Loretta Lewis and other veteran congregants of UBC opened a soup kitchen 20 years ago, they made a solemn pledge: “We just vowed that we’re not going feed people anything that we wouldn’t eat or feed our families,” she says. “The people who come are used to eating substandard food, but here they have never had substandard food.”
The soup kitchen volunteers have always prepared for the weekly Friday luncheon by shopping for and cooking food in an industrial kitchen in the church’s basement, adjacent to a dining room with cloth-covered tables, where people from nearby shelters are welcome to enjoy a free, nutritious meal.
And for the past year, sourcing fresh vegetables—often a big challenge for the church—has been easy. The soup kitchen’s pantry is now supplemented by hyper-local produce, harvested the same day from a new garden in a previously underused plot next door to the church.
Meei Ling Ng, an artist and urban grower who lives nearby, began a collaboration with the church a year and a half ago to develop what they’ve jointly called the UBC Garden of Eden. “I want to promote ‘grow food where you live,’” Ng says. “That’s always my project title, everywhere. And ‘provide fresh, healthy food to the needy, to the homeless.’ It benefits the rest of the community, too, through educating how to grow.”
Meei Ling Ng visiting with Loretta Lewis at the UBC Garden of Eden. (Photo courtesy Karen Chernick)
In essence, Ng and UBC have cooperated on of a farm-to-table soup kitchen that supports the church’s need for (often costly) produce, while simultaneously involving the community by inviting them to help tend the garden two days a week. “We were pretty much supporting the soup kitchen on our own,” says Lewis, “but with Meei Ling, even early in the [garden’s first] year, we had salad.”
Ng planted an unusual variety of crops that include black heirloom tomatoes, rainbow chard, summer squash, purple cauliflower, Asian pears, and almonds, all cultivated in raised beds and in an orchard along the church’s perimeter. In a way, she has replicated the model of her childhood home on a five-acre orchid farm in Singapore, where her family self-sustained all of its produce needs.
“We had rows and rows of vegetables and fruit trees everywhere,” Ng recalls. “I grew up in that kind of environment. Everything we picked we ate fresh.” Having lived in Philadelphia for more than two decades, Ng is undeterred by her current home’s urban density in finding places to grow food.
As a working artist, Ng considers the UBC Garden of Eden to be an extension of her multimedia installation sculptures, many of which are food- and farm-themed. Some of her past works in Philadelphia include a musical garden at SpArc Services and the Deep Roots series of installations at two of the city’s urban farms.
The UBC Garden of Eden is the second of her spontaneously developed hunger-relief urban farms; the first such project was at Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, Philadelphia’s largest homeless emergency shelter. There, a string of raised beds along the edge of the mission’s parking lot have provided the high-volume kitchen with fresh vegetables (such as tomatoes, salad greens, and fresh herbs) since 2015, as well as farming instruction for those overcoming homelessness.
The Sunday Breakfast Mission garden. Photo © Sang Cun
“Fresh produce is extremely hard to come by,” says Rosalyn Forbes, the director of development at Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission. “We rely heavily on donated nonperishable food items, which means that much of the fruits and vegetables we serve are canned. The Sunday Breakfast Farm provides fresh produce that can then be served in our kitchen.”
Salads are composed of freshly harvested greens; the herb garden is thoughtfully situated outside the kitchen door so that it is easy to reach while cooking. “It has elevated the quality of the food being served at the Mission,” Forbes continues. “Too often, those experiencing homelessness also suffer from health problems related to a poor diet.”
Solving the Problem of Scale
Sourcing fresh produce—and staying within budget—is a challenge for many soup kitchens. Individual donations of perishable items are rare, so some organizations choose to work with hunger-relief nonprofits that have the logistical capability to glean fruit and vegetable gifts directly from local farmers. The Philadelphia Orchard Project, which contributed fig, almond, and Asian pear trees to the UBC Garden of Eden this year, has a fruit gleaning program. Philabundance, another local nonprofit, is known by Philadelphia-area farmers as a way to keep excess or less cosmetically attractive produce from going to waste.
Distribution of this donated produce requires complex transportation, however, and so soup kitchens must often meet certain volume criteria in order to receive deliveries. Philabundance, for example, requires that its soup-kitchen member agencies serve at least 500 monthly meals in order to qualify. For smaller-scale operations that don’t reach that number, such as UBC’s soup kitchen (which has fed around 70-80 people per week in previous years and feeds between 20-30 each week now), this usually means they have to purchase produce themselves or rely on non-perishable items.
“Produce is hard to come by [for] smaller operations, and [direct] donations of produce [by farmers] could have a major impact,” says Scott Smith, director of food acquisition at Philabundance.
By growing the produce themselves, Ng and the UBC soup kitchen volunteers are slowly sidestepping the need to seek produce donations or purchase fruits and vegetables for the program. Phil Forsyth, executive director of Philadelphia Orchard Project, praised this solution, saying, “Of course, another approach is for soup kitchens to plant their own gardens and orchards to supply themselves with the most fresh, local produce possible.”
Planter beds in the UBC Garden of Eden. (Photo courtesy Karen Chernick)
Even for larger organizations such as Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, which serves over 400 meals daily and qualifies for delivery from organizations such as Philabundance, the parking-lot farm developed by Ng serves an important function. “There never seems to be enough donated fresh produce to keep up with the demand,” notes Forbes, “which is why we decided to think outside the box and grow it ourselves.”
As an added benefit, Ng’s farms engage their surrounding urban communities and teach city dwellers that even figs can grow on a city block. An herb garden can flourish in a parking lot, and heirloom tomatoes can thrive in a raised bed built out of salvage materials from the demolition of a nearby growhouse.
The care Ng takes in nurturing the crops at UBC Garden of Eden matches the motivation that the church’s soup kitchen volunteers have for serving food they would feed their own families. The symbiosis has been apparent since Ng’s first harvest last summer. “I was so happy and delighted to see a green area of the plate,” Ng says. “I want to share that experience of fresh produce with people. It tastes different, because it’s so fresh.”
Top photo: Meei Ling Ng in the Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission Farm. (Photo © Sang Cun)
How To Improve Plant Growth With Micro-organisms
For indoor growers, beneficial micro-organisms are one of the keys to unlocking a garden’s full potential.
Eric Hopper | 2018
Presented by Sponsor: BluePlanet Labs
Takeaway: The advantages of beneficial micro-organisms in the garden are multifaceted, and experts believe their use will continue to expand throughout the horticulture industry. For indoor growers, beneficial micro-organisms are one of the keys to unlocking a garden’s full potential. The most common types of beneficial micro-organisms used by indoor growers can be broken down into three categories: beneficial bacteria, trichoderma and mycorrhizae.
Soil is so much more than just dirt. It is packed full of biological activity, and many growers consider it to be a living thing. In the last 10 years, researchers have started to understand just how important the biological activity in soil really is. Long-term use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides has caused significant damage to the network of micro-organisms naturally found in soil.
We are starting to understand that without a healthy, living soil, sustainable horticulture is impossible, and as we continue to learn more about the intricate roles micro-organisms play in the soil, we see more methods, techniques and products aimed at maintaining the soil’s biological activity.
The reason indoor growers are getting so revved up about soil micro-organisms is because they help produce healthier growth and more abundant yields. To enjoy the benefits of beneficial microbes immediately, indoor growers can purchase soils or grow mediums inoculated with beneficial micro-organisms.
If the soil has not been inoculated, or if growers want to supercharge the biological activity of their soils, they can add beneficial micro-organisms either to the soil or to their feeding program. The types of beneficial micro-organisms commonly used by indoor growers can be broken down into three categories: beneficial bacteria, trichoderma and mycorrhizae.
Beneficial Bacteria in the Garden
There are many different types of beneficial bacteria indoor growers can use in the garden, the most common being soil-borne beneficial bacteria. There are many different strains of bacteria that live underground and provide benefits to plants. Depending on their strain, these bacteria help break down organic matter, add to soil composition, facilitate nutrient uptake and help protect plants and their roots from pathogens.
Adding beneficial bacteria to the soil or grow medium gives bacteria a chance to colonize and multiply quickly. A large population of colonizing beneficial bacteria equates to a faster breakdown of organic matter. This breakdown converts the organic matter into soluble compounds, which become readily available to plants. A healthy population of beneficial bacteria increases a plant’s ability to feed, which accelerates growth.
Aside from being inoculated into a medium, there are other ways beneficial bacteria are being put to use in an indoor garden. Many organic pesticides and fungicides contain strains of beneficial bacteria. Certain bacteria feed on pathogenic fungi, such as powdery mildew, and can be used as an effective treatment against such pathogens. Bacillus subtilis are a great example of beneficial bacteria used to treat powdery mildew. These bacteria are administered via foliar spray and are only effective where they make direct contact with the powdery mildew.
Beneficial bacteria have also made their mark as pesticides, especially for indoor plants. The bacterial species Saccharopolyspora spinosa is used as an effective, general-purpose insecticide due to its ability to affect the way an insect digests its food and the way it molts. Basically, the bacteria break the insect’s life cycle so it cannot continue to reproduce. Another bacterium commonly used as an insecticide is bacillus thuringiensis. Commonly referred to as BT, this beneficial bacterium is effective at controlling soft-bodied insect populations. In general, bacteria-based insecticides are much less toxic than their chemical counterparts.
(Special organic services for large scale agricultural grows are available from AquaClean)
Trichoderma in Horticulture
In an indoor garden, trichoderma are most commonly used as a preventative defense against pathogenic fungi. Trichoderma are specialized fungi that feed on other fungi, but it is actually the enzymes released by the trichoderma that give these microscopic, defensive all-stars their power.
Trichoderma release chitinase enzymes that break down chitin—the primary material that makes up the cell walls of pathogenic fungi. The chitinase enzymes released by trichoderma microbes eat away at the pathogenic fungi and, in turn, protect roots from being attacked.
Trichoderma have gained a reputation among indoor growers as being soil pathogen preventers. In fact, when a large population of pathogenic fungi exists in the soil, trichoderma increase chitinase production and feed almost exclusively on the pathogens.
Trichoderma also release another enzyme beneficial to indoor growers: cellulase. Cellulase are beneficial to the garden in two ways. First, cellulase aid in the breakdown of organic material in the soil, turning it into readily available nutrients for the plant. Second, cellulase can penetrate root cells. How can penetrating the cell walls of roots be beneficial?
It turns out that when the cellulase penetrate the root cells, they automatically trigger the plant’s natural defense system. The plant’s metabolism is stimulated, but no real harm is caused to the plant. In this regard, trichoderma has a synergistic relationship with plants. Trichoderma feed on sugars secreted by roots, while the plants develop a heightened resistance against pests and pathogens.
Mycorrhizae in Horticulture
The beneficial micro-organisms most commonly supplemented by indoor growers are mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizae are naturally occurring fungi that form symbiotic relationships with more than 90% of the world’s plant species, so their presence in the soil is imperative. Many soil companies are now incorporating mycorrhizae into their soils. You may even find that your favorite soil or medium is now being sold with added mycorrhizae, and even some lawn-care products now contain mycorrhizae.
There are a couple ways to supplement mycorrhizae in an indoor garden. Powder and liquid concentrates of mycorrhizae are available, which allow you to inoculate any type of medium or hydroponic system. The symbiotic relationship between mycorrhizae and roots may be the most important relationship in organic horticulture.
Essentially, mycorrhizal fungi become an extension of the root system and further their reach into the depths of the soil. This extension broadens the plant’s access to vital nutrients. As mentioned before, mycorrhizae have synergistic relationships with plant roots. The extending web of mycorrhizal fungi assimilate nutrients for the plant and the plant’s roots secrete sugars or carbon for the fungi to feed on.
Like with trichoderma, it is the enzymes produced by mycorrhizal fungi that make these microbes such an asset to plants. The enzymes released by mycorrhizae dissolve otherwise hard-to-capture nutrients such as organic nitrogen, phosphorus and iron. Although many mycorrhizal formulations contain both types of mycorrhizae and are sold as general mycorrhizal supplements, there are actually two types of mycorrhizal fungi commonly used by growers: endomycorrhiza and ectomycorrhiza.
Endomycorrhiza are mycorrhizal fungi whose hyphae (long, branching filamentous structures of the fungus) penetrate the plant cells. Instead of penetrating the interior of the cell, the hyphae manipulate the cell membrane, turning it inside out, which increases the contact surface area between the hyphae and the cytoplasm. This helps facilitate the transfer of nutrients between them while requiring less energy than would otherwise be needed by the plant to do so. This specialized relationship increases the efficiency of nutrient uptake.
Ectomycorrhiza are a group of fungi that have a structure surrounding the root tip. Ectomycorrhiza essentially surround the outer layer of the root mass. In nature, vast networks of ectomycorrhiza extend between plants, even if they are of different varieties, and allow plants to transfer nutrients to one another. The ectomycorrhiza act as a super highway for the transfer of nutrients.
When sourcing mycorrhizal products, you’ll notice that formulations contain both types of mycorrhizae. These two types can also be purchased individually. A closer look at the product label reveals the percentage of each type of mycorrhizae it contains. The label of any mycorrhizal product should also have an expiration date.
Although supplements in powdered form generally have a longer shelf life, micro-organisms are living creatures and their effectiveness dwindles as they age and die out. Liquid formulations tend to have a shorter shelf life, so you should plan on using these formulas more quickly.
As scientists learn more about the complex world of micro-organisms and how they affect horticulture, we get closer to creating the ultimate indoor growing environment. Organic growers are paying close attention to the development of beneficial micro-organism products.
Beneficial micro-organisms in the soil or grow medium boost nutrient uptake, aid in the breakdown of organic matter and increase a plant’s natural defense mechanisms. Whether they are used to treat powdery mildew or combat a pathogenic insect, certain micro-organisms get the job done without the environmental impact associated with harsh chemical treatments.
Disappearing Farmland: Little Protection Exists For Midwest Farmland
America has lost millions of acres of farmland over three decades to urban and rural development.
By Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
9/25/2018
Christopher Walljasper
America has lost millions of acres of farmland over three decades to urban and rural development.
Despite conservation efforts by state and local governments and increased financial incentives for farmers, urban development and the expansion of rural residential real estate over the last 25 years has eliminated farmland across the country at levels not seen since the early 1970s.
Since 1992, nearly 31 million acres of farmland have been developed for residential use around urban centers and rural communities, according American Farmland Trust’s latest report, “Farms Under Threat.”
And as residential development mingles with agricultural production on the outskirts of major metropolitan areas, the tension between the two increases. Recent clashes include lawsuits in North Carolina over odor and disease from Smithfield hog operations and new research on pesticide drift affecting schools and adjacent homes.
MIDWEST LAGGING ON PRESERVATION
In Kane County, Ill., leaders saw the threat and made a commitment to keep half the county’s land dedicated to agricultural use and open spaces.
But that’s a rarity in the Midwest and in Illinois, a state that has lost more than 735,000 acres since 1997.
While nearly 100 counties and municipalities across the country have implemented some form of farmland protection policies, less than a dozen of them are in the Midwest.
In Kane County, the solution was to offer farmers the opportunity to sell the development rights of their land to the county, using something called a conservation easement. Easements ensure the land stay in agricultural production, in perpetuity.
“We were trying to create some balance in terms of what gets developed and where,” said Janice Hill, Farmland Protection Manager for Kane County. While the county was facing development around both suburbs and rural communities, the county didn’t distinguish between the two. “It’s just the pattern of development, because large lot estate zoning is, in some ways, the worst development for ag soils.”
SOME CONSERVATION EFFORTS WORKING
From 1976 to 2016, more than 23,500 parcels of land have been acquired through conservation easement programs at the municipality, county or state level, totaling more than 3.6 million acres of farmland protected nationwide.
Most of these programs are on the east coast, with only Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin offering state-level easement programs in the Midwest.
Most programs are funded through taxes, bonds or appropriation spending, though Kane County primarily funds its easement program through gaming revenues. More than $5.7 billion has been paid to farmers through easement programs at the state and local levels in the last 40 years, according to the Farmland Information Center.
Map: State easement spending. The darker states have spent more at the municipal, county and state levels to protect farmland through easements. Click on the states to see specific figures.
One of the biggest concerns about conservation easement plans is that they are permanent. But Hill said that’s also the appeal for farmers concerned about the legacy of their land.
Read More: Database: Disappearing Farmland
“At any point in time you have to think about policies that are going to work over a 50-year period or a 100-year period, not just what the market is interested in,” said Hill. “If the land becomes a forever farm, as some of our families say, that really gives a lot of peace of mind, especially the families that have their land for generations and pass it down through generations. They truly feel a calling to keep their land in agriculture.”
But there are barriers to conservation easements. Hill said one reason more counties in the Midwest haven’t started programs is that it takes a significant financial investment to start a program. While Kane County easements are primarily funded through gaming revenue, planners are looking at other funding sources, including fees from urban development within the county.
Another reason the Midwest has so few county protection plans is that the threat is still too intangible. Much of the Midwest is still flush with agricultural land.
PREFERENTIAL TAXATION
A more widely adopted method of incentivizing landowners to keep land in agriculture has been preferential taxation, where taxes are paid based on the land’s value in farming, instead of its market value.
“You might have an acre of land that, in a developed use, would be worth $10,000, but only pays its property tax on $800,” said Lori Lynch, professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of Maryland.
She said tax incentives have gone a long way to slow down farmland development in the Northeast. Unlike conservation easements, preferential taxation doesn’t lock the land into farming forever. When land is no longer used for agriculture, a conversion tax is paid.
“The county or the state has been getting a lower tax revenue from this land for quite some time,” Lynch said. “This is a way for the county and state to recoup some of that benefit that the landowner received.”
More than easements or preferential taxation, the 2008 recession significantly slowed the development of farmland. But Hill said farmers still wanted to protect the legacy of their land.
“Even when the development pressures slowed down due to the recession, we still had a strong interest in the program. So to me that says that it's not just about the context of the surrounding land pressure for development,” Hill said. “It's also about true conservation principles and protecting the family farm.”
WHO BENEFITS FROM FARMLAND PROTECTION?
Clearly, farmers and ranchers benefit from easements and tax breaks for agricultural land use. But Paul Gottlieb, associate professor of agricultural, food and resource economics at Rutgers University, points out that it’s not the farmers leading the charge for farmland protection.
“Urban and suburban residents in relatively affluent areas have been driving this movement,” Gottlieb said. “Not only driving it but putting up money to pay for the purchase of farmland and for the purchase of development rights.”
Gottlieb said for urban and suburban residents, farmland and open spaces are an amenity. Beyond crop production, farmland provides protection against congestion, traffic, cultural grounding and access to local food. But those benefits to a community aren’t factored into the price of land, which may be why taxation and conservation efforts exist, according to Lynch.
“Those desires are not represented in the market,” she said. “To some extent, that's why the government did come in and set up some of these programs.”
NEW APPROACHES TO THE SUBURBAN/RURAL DEBATE
Kane County continues to evolve its strategy around farmland protection. Realizing that permanently committing land to agriculture may not be realistic for every parcel, planners have created a temporary, or “term” easement, where a landowner with smaller acreage could promise agricultural productivity for 10 to 15 years.
Hill said these short-term plans are ideal for fruit and vegetable producers who operate on smaller farms than traditional row crop farmers. This dovetails with Kane County’s efforts to combat obesity and health problems through a strategy to bring fresh fruit and vegetables to area schools and hospitals.
“I think that also allowing for these term easements to support vegetable farms of any size and other farms that support food for human consumption, that really brings it home for the consumer when they understand that their food could be in the path of development,” Hill said.
Hill said the county has even opened up some of its public land for animal grazing, realizing that preserves and parks may have better use than simply large swaths of grass. She said municipalities should be asking themselves, “Is our land suited for something better than sod? Should we think about leasing it to a small farmer?”
The private market is also looking at blending agriculture into the suburban landscape. In northern Kane County, Serosun Farms is a new housing development that is integrating agriculture into the community, much like parks or a golf course might be woven through a traditionally developed subdivision.
John DeWald is the developer heading up the project, which is more than 400 acres. He said 70 percent of Serosun will remain in agricultural use, including public barns, farmers markets and community farm plots. The area will also include orchards, test plots and conservation woodlands and wetlands.
Communities that mix agriculture and residential development in this way have been around since the 90s but began taking off when the recession pushed developers toward more intentional development. DeWald said researchers have identified more than 100 of what are being dubbed “agrihoods.”
“There are different kinds of farm and food elements to these developments,” DeWald said. “Some of them are more occasional gardens. There’s a participation element to them. It’s a gathering place. Others are large enough and functional enough that they can serve the community to some extent. The intent here at Serosun over the long haul is to build up a much bigger farming and food operation that serves well beyond the borders of the community.”
Serosun is focusing more on integrating fruit and vegetable farming, not large-scale commodity crops or confined animal feed operations.
“It’s something that’s fantastic for people who want their kids or grandkids exposed to farming but still live in a modern suburban home,” Hill said.
DeWald said even though Serosun is residential development of farmland, he is working with Kane County to meet conservation goals as he builds out the residential aspects of the community. But he warns that all “agrihoods” may not be dedicated to responsible development of agricultural land.
“The concern is that developers will use this as a way to get concessions to redevelop agricultural land. They put an acre garden in there and ‘Whoo! We’re an agrihood!’ ” DeWald said. He said while there’s no specific ratio of farmland to development needed to call a development an “agrihood,” it’s a matter of intention. “One of the focuses is preserving agricultural land.”
A LACK OF URGENCY, A LOT AT STAKE
Whether the issue of land development is a far-off concern or knocking on the door, Gottlieb said he appreciates AFT’s focus on the issue.
“I'm all about prudence in acting early to forestall problems associated with the depletion of natural resources,” Gottlieb said.
But without a sense of urgency, it can be hard for the issue to get the attention of lawmakers, or even advocates of the agriculture industry.
“We’ve had so many variables and challenges and threats in agriculture. You’ve got subsidies, you’ve got pests, diseases, markets, international trade. The list goes on and on. It’s a litany of challenges,” said Ann Sorenson, director of research for American Farmland Trust. But she said it all starts with the land. “You're not going to have farming, you're not going to have ranching unless you have the land base.”
This story is the second in a two-part series about farmland loss. To read more about the problem of farmland loss, read Small-Towns Trade Farmland for Residential Development.
Written by Christopher Walljasper for the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting is a nonprofit, online newsroom offering investigative and enterprise coverage of agribusiness, Big Ag and related issues through data analysis, visualizations, in-depth reports and interactive web tools. Visit us online at www.investigatemidwest.org
Read more about Farmland
Economics of Urban Ag
Targeting high-value, niche markets or products, and adapting a social business model can help urban greenhouses derive profit.
September 27, 2018
Robin G. Brumfield and Charlotte Singer
Editor's note: This article series is from the Resource Management in Commercial Greenhouse Production Multistate Research Project.
Urbanized agriculture is gaining momentum in response to increasing demands for locally produced fresh vegetables. Greenhouse or indoor vegetable production to meet local demands is the backbone for this evolving scenario. The viability of various indoor crop cultivation options demands proper documentation to guide appropriate recommendations that fit different production circumstances for growers.
Brooklyn Grange’s Brooklyn Naval Yard Farm
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Grange
Recently a popular trend toward eating local, deemed being a locavore, evidenced by a growing social movement, has evolved (Osteen, et al., 2012). While the benefits of buying food locally are debated due to the economics of comparative advantages, consumer groups support urban agriculture for a number of reasons, such as to support local farmers; to provide local, fresh food in inner city deserts; to buy fresh food; to know from where their food is coming; and to respect the environment (Peterson, et al., 2015). Specifically, one study found that 66 percent of those surveyed welcomed more local food options because local food supports local economies (Scharber and Dancs, 2015).
Many consumers also cite environmental impacts as a reason to buy local, evidenced by one study finding that environmental factors were an important reason to buy locally grown food for 61 percent of those surveyed (Scharber and Dancs, 2015; Reisman, 2012). Another popular reason is to reduce food insecurity. USDA defines food insecurity as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food” (USDA ERS, 2017). Buying locally grown food can reduce food insecurity in that having local farms provides consumers who might not have previously had access to fresh produce the opportunity to purchase it. Some urban farms make a point of targeting food insecurity, and having local farms allows a city to rely less heavily on external markets to feed its population. Despite debate of realized benefits, consumers eat local food to feel good about it (Scharber and Dancs, 2015).
High capital costs
The low supply of special varieties such as these microgreens can drive a higher price to help cover the high costs of running a greenhouse.
Photo courtesy of Robin G. Brumfield
Regardless of the strength of their consumer base, the number of urban farms is still low due to the high costs that urban farmers face compared to rural farmers. Not only is the land more expensive, but also the limited plot size and probable contamination of the land with lead and toxins essentially necessitates the use of a greenhouse with high investment costs. Cost challenges that many urban greenhouse farmers face include securing funding, finding economies of scale, and facing high capital and operating costs. The energy necessary to heat a greenhouse through the winter makes utility costs high, the most productive greenhouse technologies are expensive, and land is of much higher value in cities than in rural areas (Reisman, 2012). Not to mention, the initial infrastructure cost involved in building a greenhouse is much higher than the costs that farmers growing in a field face. The costs of urban greenhouses vary greatly depending on size and type. The construction of, for example, a hydroponic greenhouse entails costs for site preparation, construction, heating and cooling equipment, thermostats and controls, an irrigation system, a nutrient tank, and a growing system (Filion, et al., 2015).
Another problem with growing in cities is shade from tall buildings and skyscrapers. Jenn Frymark, chief greenhouse officer at Gotham Greens, cites this as the primary reason that the business built rooftop greenhouses. This creates its own set of problems and increases costs compared to standard greenhouses on the ground. Other urban producers address the shade problem in cities by producing in buildings using vertical agriculture and artificial lights. However, this increases the costs even further because of the need for light all year. These high costs keep the number of urban farms small.
Marketing: quality optimization, high-value plant products, year-round production
Due to these high costs, urban greenhouses must derive profit in creative ways, such as targeting high-value niche products or markets, and producing year-round. Targeting niche products and markets allows urban farmers to charge a premium that covers the added costs of operating in the city. Targeting a niche product could entail producing special varieties of vegetables, like how Brooklyn Grange, a successful New York City-based greenhouse, grows microgreens and heirloom tomatoes. The low supply of these special varieties can drive a higher price to help cover the high costs of the greenhouse. To increase profitability, farmers can also find a high-end market (Sace, 2015).
Targeting a niche market could entail selling produce to high-end restaurants and supermarkets, such as Whole Foods, whose customers are already expecting to pay a premium price, or it could entail marketing produce specifically to locavores. In fact, one study found that, for example, consumers were willing to pay a $1.06 price premium on one pound of locally grown, organic tomatoes. In the same study, the researchers also found that urban consumers were more likely to buy locally grown produce, compared with rural consumers (Yue and Tong, 2009). The high costs associated with living in a large city means that cities have a high concentration of people who can afford to eat local in this way, and the demographics of large cities translate to a high concentration of people who also see value in eating locally produced food. Together, these create a market of locavores willing and able to pay a premium for locally grown produce.
By targeting niche products and markets, urban greenhouse farmers can take advantage of existing high-end markets to cover their relatively high costs. Since these producers use greenhouses, and a few use indoor facilities, they can produce year-round, thus providing a constant supply and a steady demand for their products.
Harlem Grown in New York gives students the opportunity to learn about agriculture and the food system in a hands-on nature.
Photo: Instagram: @harlemgrown
Agricultural jobs in urban settings and other social values
Adapting a social business model can open urban farmers up to alternate sources of funding. They may want to provide jobs to disadvantaged groups such as low-income inner-city dwellers, or people with autism. Some of these businesses have reduced labor costs through volunteerism, as individuals may be willing to volunteer on a farm that supports a social issue (Reisman, 2012). Some examples of causes that urban greenhouse social businesses focus on include education, research, the environment and food security. Harlem Grown in New York adds an educational component to the greenhouse, namely the opportunity for students to learn about agriculture and the food system in a hands-on nature, allowing the greenhouse to become eligible for funding from schools, governmental programs or donors particularly interested in education.
Targeting niche markets or products, adopting a social business model and finding inexpensive plots of land can help urban greenhouses derive profit.
Graphic: Charlotte Singer
Other urban greenhouses can, for example, pitch themselves to city dwellers as an environmentally friendly alternative to commercial farms, using less fuel for transportation and fewer chemicals. This could again render the greenhouse eligible to new sources of funding. AeroFarms in Newark, New Jersey, has adapted a combination of the previous two models. It uses environmentally friendly techniques and collaborate with Philip’s Academy Charter School (Boehm, 2016).
Greenhouses can additionally focus their business models on alleviating food insecurity by providing fresh produce to urban food deserts (US. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, 2013). Unlike the previous cases, greenhouses that choose to focus on alleviating food insecurity would not be able to additionally use the method of targeting high-end markets, unless they make an effort to use the high-end markets to subsidize the cost of providing their produce to food deserts. An example of an urban farm targeting food insecurity is World Hunger Relief Inc. in Waco, Texas, which brings produce grown in its greenhouse to food deserts in the City of Waco at a market or discount cost. What these three options share is a business model that incorporates multiple bottom lines, which allows them access to new funding and volunteer labor to reduce costs.
As consumers increasingly look to eat locally produced food, for reasons such as to support the local economy, to protect the environment, to change food deserts and to understand better where food is coming from, urban agriculture is becoming a growing trend. Targeting high-value, niche markets or products, and adopting a social business model to provide agricultural jobs in urban areas, constitute some of the ways urban greenhouses to derive profit in a capital-intensive industry. By utilizing these techniques, individuals looking to start their own urban greenhouses can add value to their business and derive profit.