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Thrive Containers Launched Operations With Its New Intelligent Container Technology - Shipping Container Farm
Our vision is to not only bring accessibility to farming but to offer a great return on investment for the AgTech industry.”
Thrive Containers launched operations today with its new intelligent container technology, aiming to disrupt the commercial farming industry. COVID-19 and climate change have accelerated existing strains in global food accessibility and supply chains, highlighting the need to rethink the world’s agriculture systems.
Our founder and CEO Shannon O'Malley has been at the forefront of this change through six years of container farm innovation here at Brick Street! O’Malley observed “Thrive Containers is redefining shipping container farming technology.
Our vision is to not only bring accessibility to farming but to offer a great return on investment for the AgTech industry.” Thrive Container's farm system uniquely excels in software automation, customer experience ease of use, and adaptability engineered by industry-leading experts. The result is maximized, year-round crop growth, reducing up to 90% of freshwater resources used in traditional agriculture practices. Shannon Quotes
Thrive Launch
“Thrive Containers is redefining shipping container farming technology. Our vision is to not only bring more accessibility to farming but to offer a great return on investment for the AgTech industry.”
“We want to bring this cutting-edge technology to the masses, to build a farm whose technology is firmly centered on the grower experience.”
Ohio Container
“The Ohio Container is the first breakthrough container model that focusses on leafy greens and herbs providing industry leading yields to the shipping container farms market.”
“Rivers are the inspiration for our model naming convention. Since Thrive container technology supports cleaner, healthier waterways, we want to celebrate, acknowledge, and highlight our commitment to our planet.”
Industry Evolution
“The Agtech industry is currently situated where the .com legacy once was. We are in an industry that is in a race to define who the main players are.”
Investment opportunity
“In the Agtech industry, shipping container farming is wide open, with key competitors that are raising and looking for market share. Each competitor has its own unique business model and approach, focused on different paths to success. Our focus is decentralizing the commercial food system at the point of consumption while utilizing large scale grocers in minimal spaces.”
Supply chain
“By growing the highest producing yield containers, we are bringing production to the point of consumption to provide access to the masses. We are mobile and focused on the urban core. Vs competitors buying large acreage and trucking produce out.”
THE LINE-UP
Thrive Containers provide a multitude of container farm systems for all types of growing solutions. Our in house manufacturing continues to explore the endless possibilities of technology + agriculture.
The most efficient leafy green hydroponic container on the planet. Built for ROI, Ohio’s production efficiencies and low reliability on resources yield higher, while maximizing profit and planet.
COMING SOON: The most efficient micro green hydroponic container on the planet. Built for ROI, Yukon’s production efficiencies and low reliability on resources yield higher, while maximizing profit and planet.
COMING SOON: The most efficient cannabis/hemp hydroponic container on the planet. Built for ROI, Colorado’s production efficiencies and low reliability on resources yield higher, while maximizing profit and planet.
Thrive Container Website!
Follow us on Instagram @thrivecontainers
Click the link below to check out the Thrive website!
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CANADA - MONTREAL: Growing Kale On The shores of Hudson Bay? Year-Round Vegetable Farming Comes To Inukjuak
There are obvious challenges to growing greens year-round in a subarctic climate. Here's one you may not have expected: Inuktitut only has a handful of words for vegetables
The Isolated Nunavik Community Will Soon
Be Able To Grow Its Own Produce Year-Round
Sean Gordon · CBC News
November 08, 2020
Residents of Inukjuak, on the shores of Hudson Bay, have been farming vegetables in 'cold frames', but the community recently acquired a container farm that will supply the town with fresh produce year-round. (Courtesy of the Pirursiivik Project)
There are obvious challenges to growing greens year-round in a subarctic climate. Here's one you may not have expected: Inuktitut only has a handful of words for vegetables.
So in addition to coming up with new and inventive ways to achieve some level of food sovereignty, the plan to provide remote communities with fresh produce year-round is a linguistic and anthropological exercise as well.
"We're hoping in the coming years new terminology will be created," said Karin Kettler, who heads the Pirursiivik Project, a four-year initiative that is jointly funded by the One Drop Foundation, the Makivik Corporation and the RBC Foundation.
A few weeks ago, the project unveiled its latest initiative: a hydroponic container farm in the community of Inukjuak, a town of 1,800 on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay.
The plan is for it to provide a regular supply of fresh vegetables, a large portion of which will be given away to the community (the rest will be sold in local stores).
"We've done several gardening projects and our latest addition is a hydroponic container," Kettler told CBC's Breakaway.
"And inside this container we're planning to grow lettuce, spinach, kale and a local plant called qungulit in Inuktitut. It's very similar to what you call mountain sorrell ... it's kind of a leafy green, it has a nice lime, sort of lemony taste."
The remote northern community of Inukjuak took delivery of a hydroponic container that will be used to grow a year-round supply of fresh vegetables. (Courtesy Pirursiivik Project)
Pirursiivik sowed the seeds for the idea, so to speak, a couple of years ago. It conducted a poll in the community to determine its greatest need.
"'Many of the respondents wanted to have locally grown fruits and vegetables, primarily for their freshness," Kettler said. "In isolated communities we have to rely on the south for fresh vegetables and fruit. So if we can have a garden or a greenhouse ... then it reduces spoilage."
In the summer 2019, Pirursiivik introduced 'cold frames,' or raised boxes with plastic lids, that allow for vegetable cultivation in the warmer months.
"They were installed in front of different organizations around town and we encouraged ... [people] to grow their own spinach, their own herbs and different vegetables," Kettler said.
The community just finished its second growing season in the boxes, and it was a rousing success. It's main ask now is to have a year-round greenhouse. The hydroponic container is the first phase toward building one, which Kettler said should happen "in the next year or two."
Until then, the local community will continue experimenting with strange new fare from away.
"Bok choy isn't something you can find on the land around town," Kettler laughed. "This project is to help inform and teach people how to use new vegetables they may not be familiar with."
Folks have already developed a taste for what Kettler called "monster kale"—it appears to revel in long hours of direct northern sunlight—and other vegetables.
This year, Kettler's group held a veggie growing contest that drew 35 entries in the various categories, largest kale leaf, best tomato, etc. The prizes were awarded in October.
The hydroponic container should be operational by January, at which point the first crops will be planted.
"We should have vegetables to share in March," Kettler said.
The average temperature in Inukjuak at that time of year is –15 C. Happily, that will no longer present a barrier to eating fresh, local vegetables.
with files from Julia Page
St. Petersburg Urban Farm Saves Resources By Turning Shipping Containers Into Vertical Farmland
“There’s no dirt. There are no bugs. No chemicals. No soil. There are no herbicides. No pesticides inside any of our farm containers,” O’Malley shared
By FOX 13 News Staff
11-05-20
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brick Street Farms is an urban hydroponic farm located in the heart of St. Petersburg. It upcycles shipping containers into 40-foot grow houses. It started in Shannon O’Malley and Bradley Doyle’s garage.
“We converted our garage to a grow room. We saw an incredible opportunity. We didn’t have the money to convert a warehouse, so we bought a shipping container,” O’Malley explained.
Each container is the same as two to three acres of traditional farmland. It’s six levels of vertical farmland.
“There’s no dirt. There are no bugs. No chemicals. No soil. There are no herbicides. No pesticides inside any of our farm containers,” O’Malley shared.
All of the plants are started with a seed and are grown and harvested inside the shipping container. Every 12 hours, the lights inside the container flip to a different section to give the plants 12 hours of light and dark to represent day and night, so they can rest in between growth cycles.
O’Malley says each farm with about three acres of farmland uses approximately 15-20 gallons of water per day compared to a traditional soil farm that uses 1,000 gallons of water per day per acre.
“Not only are we saving resources, but we are creating delicious, incredibly local food,” O’Malley said.
O’Malley says they plan to bring farms and modular farm containers to cities across the state and country.
She added, “We really are bringing urban farming into fruition.”
Brick Street Farms sells to grocery stores, restaurants, and hotels. Its produce can also be bought on-site at its farm market or online at https://brickstreetfarms.com/.
Andaz Dubai The Palm Launches Hydroponic Container Farm
Andaz Dubai The Palm has partnered with Green Container Advanced Farming to grow its own fresh produce on site
It will grow produce including lettuce, herbs, and microgreens
November 04, 2020
Andaz Dubai The Palm has partnered with Green Container Advanced Farming to grow its own fresh produce on site.
The boutique lifestyle hotel will host a 400 sq ft hydroponic organic container farm on its Palm Jumeirah terrace, allowing them to harvest fresh produce such as lettuce, herbs, and microgreens.
Kifah Bin Hussein, general manager of Andaz Dubai The Palm, said: “At Andaz we strive to be more sustainable in everything that we do, using resources responsibly to help address today’s most pressing environmental issues.
With this partnership our goal is to bring the freshest and finest ingredients from their natural environment straight to our guests’ tables. We have a dedicated grower who visits the farm daily.
They work within sterile conditions and get to know every single crop within the unit. Once the crop is ready to consume it is delivered straight to our kitchens where our dedicated chefs prepare it ready to be served to our guests. It really take the farm to table concept to the next level.”
The hydroponic container system uses 90% less water than traditional farming methods, while the short distance from farm to fork ensures a large reduction in carbon footprint caused by typical distribution methods.
Guests visiting Andaz’s dining venues, including The Locale and Hanami, will be able to enjoy dishes made with ingredients sourced daily from the farm.
Tags: ANDAZ FARMING SUSTAINABILITY
CANADA: The Arrival of A Hydroponic Growing Container In Inukjuak
The Pirursiivik Project combines social art and on-the-land activities to improve the health of Inukjuammiut through a local greenhouse and the promotion of healthy practices around water and nutrition
NEWS PROVIDED BY
October 30, 2020
The Pirursiivik Project combines social art and on-the-land activities to improve the health of Inukjuammiut through a local greenhouse and the promotion of healthy practices around water and nutrition.
INUKJUAK, QC, Oct. 30, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The arrival of a hydroponic growing container in Inukjuak is a significant milestone in the Pirursiivik Project, and one of the first phases of a larger collaboration with the Pituvik Landholding Corporation (LHC) and Sirivik Food Centre to use a year-round greenhouse and container farm to grow, cook and share food and knowledge among the community. Over the past three years, the One Drop Foundation and Makivik Corporation have partnered with the RBC Foundation to implement the Pirursiivik Project in Inukjuak, Nunavik.
The Pirursiivik Project, meaning "a place to grow" in Inuktitut, is a 4-year initiative which aims to improve the community's health through the implementation of a greenhouse and a social art program to promote healthy habits around water and nutrition. This project represents a $2.7-million community investment between the RBC Foundation and the One Drop Foundation.
The arrival of the hydroponic container farm on October 11, 2020, is a significant milestone in this ambitious project yet is only the tip of the iceberg. The true success of this initiative lies under the waterline: the community mobilization and leadership at each step of the project. From day one, the community of Inukjuak stepped up to take concrete action towards improving access to fresh produce for Inukjuammiut. A Community Advisory Committee with representatives from over 15 local organizations was established, and this group of volunteers has continued to meet monthly to provide key input on project activities and planning.
The hydroponic container which uses water to grow instead of soil was purchased from The Growcer, a Canadian company established in Ottawa, and will be locally owned and operated. It will soon be installed and begin producing leafy greens this winter with the target to share the first harvest with the community. The fresh produce will be available to community members who, through social art activities, have learned fun new ways to use little-known vegetables such as kale and bok choy.
This growing initiative in Inukjuak was first piloted on a smaller scale, when the Pirursiivik Project supported the construction of and growing in seven community cold frames (outdoor garden boxes made of wood and polycarbonate). These were built using materials donated by the Kativik Ilisarniliriniq and constructed by the Environment Club at the Innalik School, and the Unaaq Men's Association.
With this new hydroponic container farm adapted for the Arctic, the community is now ready to take this next step towards increasing food security and access to fresh local produce grown by and for Inukjuammiut. This is the first phase in a larger collaboration with Pituvik Landholding Corporation and Sirivik Food Centre, a year-round greenhouse and Food Centre in which to grow, cook, and share food and knowledge among the community. The project team is currently identifying fundraising opportunities to secure the $6 million needed to advance this next phase. This innovative multifunctional infrastructure would be the first of its kind in the North and would set a precedent for future greenhouse initiatives in Nunavik and across the Arctic.
About the Pirursiivik Project
Over the past 3 years, almost 1,000 community members have participated in various social art and on-the-land activities, from drumming and cooking classes to a nature trip to identify and document knowledge related to local plant species. A circus show was created by Tupiq ACT, the first Inuit circus troupe from Nunavik, with the support of the project and technical assistance from One Drop (including advice and accompaniment throughout the process). These activities, inspired by Inuit culture and art, were not only fun and entertaining, but also created spaces for shared learning and exchange on traditional foods, nutrition, and the importance of clean water. Collective learning and sharing that will continue both in-person and online through the digital knowledge hub currently in development with the support of a grant from RBC Tech for Nature. Learn more about the project at www.onedrop.org/en/projects/canada
About One Drop
One DropTM is an international foundation created by Cirque du Soleil and Lune Rouge founder Guy Laliberté with the vision of a better world, where all have access to living conditions that allow empowerment and development. Together with its partners, One Drop deploys its unique artistic approach to promote the adoption of healthy water, sanitation, and hygiene-related behaviours and empower communities. For this to be possible, One Drop creates and produces novel fundraising initiatives supported by a visionary community of partners and donors. This year, One Drop is celebrating 13 years of turning water into action, with projects that will soon have improved the living conditions of over 2.1 million people around the world. In 2019, the Foundation was recognized for the second year in a row by Charity Intelligence, this time as one of the Top 10 International Impact Charities in Canada. To learn more about One Drop, visit www.onedrop.org Interact with One Drop on Facebook and Twitter @onedrop, or on Instagram @1dropwater
About Makivik Corporation
Makivik Corporation is the land claims organization mandated to manage the heritage funds of the Inuit of Nunavik provided for under the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement. Makivik's role includes the administration and investment of these funds and the promotion of economic growth by providing assistance for the creation of Inuit-operated businesses in Nunavik. Makivik promotes the preservation of Inuit culture and language as well as the health, welfare, relief of poverty, and education of Inuit in the communities.
About Pituvik Landholding Corporation
Incorporated January 30, 1979, Pituvik holds title to 521 sq. km. on lands classified as Category I. These lands are held by Pituvik on behalf of the Inukjuaqmiut beneficiaries of the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement. In this holding capacity, Pituvik has the right to allow people and organizations to use these lands and for that use is allowed to charge compensation. Pituvik also maintains a beneficiary list on behalf of all Inukjuakmiut. Pituvik is a not-for-profit corporation, however it can create and own for-profit subsidiaries to stimulate local economic growth and job creation.
About RBC Tech for Nature
RBC Tech for Nature is a global, multi-year commitment from the RBC Foundation to support new ideas, technologies, and partnerships to address our most complex environmental challenges. It is a core pillar of RBC's Climate Blueprint – its enterprise approach to accelerating clean economic growth and supporting clients in the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable economy. RBC Tech for Nature brings together charitable partners, technology experts, the public and private sector – as well as RBC's own unique capabilities – to build the multi-partner coalitions needed to work towards solving our shared environmental challenges. Learn more at: rbc.com/techfornature
About The Growcer
Growcer manufactures modular hydroponic systems that enable commercial food production in plug-and-play 40- foot modules. Its vertical farming technology enables customers to grow fresh vegetables in virtually any climate and has been deployed within the Arctic Circle at temperatures below -50°C. Growcer empowers conventional farmers, entrepreneurs, communities and institutions to grow food locally all year round. Growcer's work has been recognized with awards from Fast Company's World Changing Ideas, the Entrepreneurs' Organization, and was also featured on season 13 of CBC's hit show, Dragons' Den.
SOURCE One Drop Foundation
For further information: Media Resource Contact: One Drop Foundation, Marie-France Dos Santos, Marie-France.DosSantos@onedrop.org; Makivik Corporation, Carson Tagoona, CTagoona@makivik.org
Related Links
Israeli Start-Up Makes Vertical Farms To Grow Crops In City Parking Lots
The farms come with a number of other advantages over traditional farming. It's container-like nature provides a controlled growing environment, ensuring more sterility and keeping it safe from bugs and therefore not needing pesticides. It also allows for automated crop management, which limits human contact and allows for consistent quality
Vertical farms subvert the space limitations of cities by allowing for portable, shipping container-esque produce farms that can operate in any urban environment.
By AARON REICH
OCTOBER 28, 2020
Vertical Field’s Urban Crops offers an ideal alternative to traditional agriculture.
(photo credit: VERTICAL FIELD)
An Israeli agri-tech start-up has created vertical farms in urban environments, allowing for fresh produce to be grown in cities.
These vertical, sustainable farms were developed by Ra'anana-based Vertical Field through the use of geoponic technology, agricultural expertise and smart design. This is especially useful in "urban food deserts," which are often lacking in available space for crop cultivation.
The vertical farms subvert this limitation by creating vertical growing platforms to essentially farm produce on walls. These greenhouse crop-fields are portable, and are around the size of shipping containers ranging from 20 feet to 40 feet, which can fit right in a parking lot, allowing supermarkets and groceries to grow and sell their own home-grown produce right outside the door.
The farms come with a number of other advantages over traditional farming. It's container-like nature provides a controlled growing environment, ensuring more sterility and keeping it safe from bugs and therefore not needing pesticides. It also allows for automated crop management, which limits human contact and allows for consistent quality.
Furthermore, it also produces less waste, as well as a 90% decrease in the amount of water needed.But perhaps most importantly, it isn't limited by traditional seasons for produce, with all crops being "in season" year-round, having shorter overall growing cycles and longer shelf lives.
And, by growing produce locally, it also reduces wasted emissions in the supply chain.The development builds off of Vertical Fields's successes in 2019, where it was recognized among the top start-ups to watch by Silicon Review and World Smart City.
“Vertical Field offers a revolutionary way to eat the freshest greens and herbs, by producing soil-based indoor vertical farms grown at the very location where food is consumed,” said Vertical Field’s CEO Guy Elitzur, who is hoping to place his vertical farms in retail chains and restaurant establishments in cities throughout the US.
“Not only do our products facilitate and promote sustainable life and make a positive impact on the environment, we offer an easy to use real alternative to traditional agriculture. Our urban farms give new meaning to the term ‘farm-to-table,’ because one can virtually pick their own greens and herbs at supermarkets, restaurants or other retail sites.”
The development of these vertical farms comes at the perfect time, with the coronavirus pandemic cutting off the produce supply chain on both local and global levels. And with the population still growing, and projected by some to reach 10 billion in around 30 years, the need to maintain a sustainable source of fresh produce has become a mounting concern.
This also ties in with a growing demand for fresh and organic foods on the global market. As seen at Tuesday's 2020 Israeli Culinary Expo, more and more consumers are seeking plant-based food products, which translates to a growing demand for fresh produce.
But with Vertical Field's innovative new crop cultivation method, everyone from restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, architects and urban developers can have their own ready supply of local produce.Hagay Hacohen contributed to this report.
Tags food hi-tech Farming Coronavirus COVID-19
Vintage Hospitality Group Expands Its State of The Art Hydroponic Farm
This addition lets MGM Greens work within multiple environments to grow additional produce allowing a diverse crop yield for its restaurants, Vintage Cafe and Vintage Year, both 50 feet away. With the Greenery expansion, the group is selling retail and also plans to host its own local neighborhood farmers market on a monthly basis
October 21, 2020
In partnership with Alabama Power, Vintage Hospitality Group recently expanded MGM Greens by adding Freight Farm’s Greenery, a fully climate-controlled hydroponic farm built inside of a compact 320 sq. ft. container.
This smart farm is self-contained, growing vertically and hydroponically without soil, getting its nutrition from water and light energy from powerful LEDs. Through these climate-controlled components, plants can thrive inside the containers offering the capability to harvest fresh produce multiple times a week and grow 365 days a year.
This addition lets MGM Greens work within multiple environments to grow additional produce allowing a diverse crop yield for its restaurants, Vintage Cafe and Vintage Year, both 50 feet away. With the Greenery expansion, the group is selling retail and also plans to host its own local neighborhood farmers market on a monthly basis.
“Purchasing the second Greenery has allowed us to now be able to curate our menu based on new successful crops,” said Vintage Hospitality Group’s Executive Chef Eric Rivera. “It will further be maximizing growing potential as it also offers the capability for multiple test crops for upcoming menus at our new restaurant, Ravello.”
While Vintage Hospitality Group’s flagship restaurant Vintage Year is a fine dining establishment, Vintage Café is a coffee shop, daytime eatery, and retail store. As the group also owns MGM Greens, it will be opening City Fed and Ravello restaurant in 2021.
Vintage Hospitality Group’s national press accolades include receiving mentions in the New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, and Newsweek Magazines. In addition to being named a Smart Catch Leader, Executive Chef Eric Rivera has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation as a winner of its Blended Burger competition. Chef Eric has also led Vintage Year to be named one of OpenTable’s 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America and a Traveler’s Choice winner by Trip Advisor.
Vintage Hospitality Group is dedicated to providing guests with the finest culinary selections, premium coffees, specialty teas, outstanding wines, and spirits along with unparalleled customer service.
For more information about Vintage Hospitality Group, visit www.vintagehospitalitygroup.com.
USA - Minnesota - Based Living Greens Farm Ready For Coast-to-Coast Expansion
The company plans to break ground on a nationwide expansion at the end of this year, or the beginning of 2021, he said
Written By: Noah Fish
September 14, 2020
After spending nearly a decade mastering an aeroponic growing process, Living Greens Farm believes it’s ready to supply consumers nationwide a stronger and healthier form of produce.
Michelle Keller, head grower at Living Greens Farm, and George Pastrana, CEO of the company, stand in the 20,000-square-foot growing site where the company grows its produce. (Noah Fish / Agweek)
FARIBAULT, Minn. — George Pastrana has been the CEO of Living Greens Farm for only a couple of months, and what impressed him first and more than anything was just how green the produce was.
"That color, the thickness and then the taste — it's all what nature intended," said Pastrana, staring at a rack of fresh basil. "It's not what you would expect, because we've been eating stuff for so long that isn't like this."
Freshly harvested basil raised in the 20,000-square-foot growing site in Faribault, Minn. where the Living Greens Farm grows its produce. (Noah Fish / Agweek)
The 20,000-square-foot growing site in Faribault where Pastrana was admiring recently harvested greens is considered to be a "test farm" for the company.
"We believe we've perfected an aeroponic growing process that allows us to create large heads of lettuce at a fantastic yield," said Pastrana.
The company plans to break ground on a nationwide expansion at the end of this year, or the beginning of 2021, he said."That will be the first of multiple phases of expansion," Pastrana said. "To ultimately ship to and supply two-thirds of consumers and households in the United States."
Construction will take place, not in Faribault but somewhere else in the U.S., which will be announced later by the company. The first phase of expansion will be a site that will service the Midwest, and following sites will serve other sections of the U.S. until it's covered.
Pastrana said there's "a lot of excitement amongst the investor community" to fund the expansion efforts. He said most of that interest existed before the pandemic, and the "controlled environment" area of ag-tech has shown a lot of promise over the last decade."
But I think the pandemic really brought to life the need for a better, more consistent supply chain, and controlled agriculture doesn't have all the problems of traditional agriculture, with recalls and so on," said Pastrana. "(The pandemic) has just hyper-exaggerated the need for better farming techniques."
Greens nearing the point of harvest are stacked across from plants on day-one of the growth stage at the 20,000-square-foot growing site in Faribault, Minn. where Living Greens Farm grows its produce. (Noah Fish / Agweek)
True aeroponics
According to Pastrana, what makes Living Greens Farm a "true aeroponic vertical farming business model" is its ability to produce exceptional products.
"We are able to deliver much heavier heads of lettuce than our competitors and more consistent yields in an environment that is herbicide and pesticide-free," he said.
Unlike most of its competitors, the company does its own cutting, washing, and bagging of produce on-site, Pastrana said."So we're going to get our product on the shelves of retailers within 24 hours of harvest," he said. "That makes us pretty unique."Michelle Keller, head grower of the operation in Faribault, has worked at Living Greens Farm for seven years."
Since basically the conception of the project," she said.
She said those years were spent building, reconfiguring, and rebuilding grow systems — all aimed at finding the best way to grow romaine and butter lettuce in a vertical space.
One of the multiple grow rooms at the 20,000-square-foot growing site in Faribault, Minn. where Living Greens Farm grows its produce. (Noah Fish / Agweek)
"We always wanted to go vertical," said Keller of Living Greens.
Traditional vertical farming is "stacked," she said, but the company wanted to incorporate a system that people could work from the floor, without the use of ladders or platform machines.
"So each person can stay on the ground and work the farm completely from the safety of the floor," she said.
It takes a family Keller takes pride in the camaraderie at the farm, with workers leaning into their roles as plant nurturers. She's also not afraid to admit that she and other employees talk to the plants and sometimes give them names.
"We are a small family," said Keller of the different grow groups at the farm. "It's not uncommon to know everyone's name, and to know what they're going through and what they're able to accomplish at the farm."
Patti Guillen, an employee at Living Greens Farm, transplants heads of lettuce in the 20,000-square-foot growing site in Faribault, Minn. where, the company grows its produce. (Noah Fish / Agweek)
Before Living Greens came up with the A-frame technology that it uses now, the company tried four different renditions of a "staircase approach", said Keller.
As head grower, her primary goal is to raise "full-grown heads of lettuce that are robust enough to survive the packaging process," and go on to have a full two-week shelf life.
Living Greens is also committed to being pesticide-free, said Keller, and the farm mandates a high standard of cleanliness to prevent harmful things from getting into its facilities and a protocol for if something does."Every stage of the growth pattern is followed by disinfecting or sanitation," she said.
Keller said the operation at Living Greens is guided by GAP — good agricultural practices — as well as GMP — good manufacturing processes. What makes the operation unique is that it has been conducting both of these processes successfully under the same roof long before the COVID-19 pandemic, Keller said.
When the pandemic broke out in March, Keller called an all-employee meeting where she was straightforward about what was in their control. They now meet every week to discuss what's happened lately with the outbreak.
"We were always just really honest about it," said Keller of the pandemic.
She told them in that original meeting that Living Greens Farm would stay open if employees not only took the on-site precautions seriously but were also "hyper-aware" when they were at home."Making sure that there's no miscommunication about this is what has to be done, to keep ourselves open," Keller said.
Living Greens Farm products can now be found at Whole Foods, HyVee, Walmart, Cub Foods, and more.
Find locations at https://www.livinggreensfarm.com/store-locator.
Why Kroger And Publix Are Bringing The Farm To The Grocery Store
In March, Publix’s GreenWise market in Lakewood, Florida, added a 40-foot container hydroponic farm in the parking lot
October 8, 2020
By Jesse Klein
Just like every other retailer, grocery stores are focusing on the customer experience to get people back in store. Grocery delivery was already a rising trend, and the pandemic kicked it into the next gear. In May, U.S. online grocery sales had grown to 40 percent. So grocers including Kroger and Publix are looking at onsite vertical farms as one way to attract consumers.
"That experience of going into a grocer and picking something essentially off the vine is compelling from a customer experience standpoint," said Shireen Santosham, head of strategic initiatives at Plenty, a vertical farm company based in San Francisco.
According to Grant Vandenbusschet, chief category officer at Fifth Season, a robotic vertical farm company based in Pittsburgh, fresh produce is keeping a lot of traditional grocery stores alive. It’s the main category still driving traffic into stores, he said, so innovating and investing in this department has been a focus for most retailers.
On-site container farming is not a new idea for grocery stores, but as urban vertical farming has advanced to become a more mainstream part of the supply chain, the idea is becoming more feasible. Some big players have finished their strategic analysis and pilot programs, and are leaning into vertical farming in a bigger way.
That experience of going into a grocer and picking something essentially off the vine is compelling from a customer experience standpoint.
In two Seattle stores, for example, Kroger installed modular vertical farms from German startup Infarm. While the seedlings spend the first few days at Infarm’s centralized nursery, most of the growing happens on-site at the grocery stores.
In March, Publix’s GreenWise market in Lakewood, Florida, added a 40-foot container hydroponic farm in the parking lot. Customers can see the equivalent of three acres of traditional farmland through the container’s windows. It grows about 720 heads of lettuce each week, all sold in the store. But it’s still early days and the process has kinks to work out. At first, Publix wasn’t getting the yields it was expecting.
"It takes time to grow the product and offer consistent quality, flavor, and size," said Curt Epperson, business development director at Publix. "I believe over time, once hydroponic growers refine their processes, and scale-up, we’ll find more efficiencies."
According to Vandenbusschet, one of those efficiencies may be a focus on supporting vertical farms at a large-scale grocer’s distribution center instead of at every single retail location. To get significant business and sustainability impacts from vertical farming, companies will need to get large enough to take true advantage of economies of scale.
"We think a lot of retailers are looking at this format if they are going to have high enough volumes of product to start replacing [traditional] grown products inside of all of their stores," Vandenbusschet said.
Growing is a hard, finicky business. Retailers are experts at retailing, and it’s hard to be good at both retailing and growing, so expect to see key partnerships materialize. Along with the Infarm and Kroger partnership, Publix’s onsite farm is run and managed by Brick Street Farms.
"Finding systems that are not over-encumbering to their operations, things that they can plug-and-play well is really going to be critical," Vandenbusschet said.
If retailers pursue this model, the customer experience might be more akin to going to a farmers’ market than going straight to the farm. But this model has a better chance of scaling well for businesses while also creating sustainability benefits such as cutting freight emissions, lowering water usage, and prolonging shelf life.
Lead photo: Publix is hoping to lure shoppers back to grocery stores with new onsite vertical farms.//Courtesy of Publix
USA - MARYLAND - Father, Daughter Launch Hydroponic Farming Operation In Montgomery County
With lettuce regularly being in the news related to an outbreak of disease, father and daughter Rod Kelly and Alex Armstrong concluded that there has to be a better way to purchase fresh produce
By Sondra Hernandez, Staff writer
September. 28, 2020
With lettuce regularly being in the news related to an outbreak of disease, father and daughter Rod Kelly and Alex Armstrong concluded that there has to be a better way to purchase fresh produce.
“It’s really hard to get fresh produce,” Armstrong said. “About 80 percent of lettuce comes from California. It’s hard to find locally grown produce.”
It was also concerning to her that consumers don’t quite know what they are getting with lettuce brought in from another area. Is it pesticide-free? Was there any contamination from livestock waste runoff?
“People are more aware of what’s in their food and they are more concerned about it,” she said.
To offer a fresh, locally grown option, the two have turned to a climate-controlled, vertical, hydroponic farming operation set up in a shipping container on property in South Montgomery County.“It’s an amazing technology,” Kelly said. “It’s a perfect climate-controlled environment for growing leafy greens.”
Kelly is a petroleum engineer and Armstrong has a marketing background. Kelly also owns several businesses and was looking for a project that he and his daughter could work on together.
They found the technology behind hydroponic farming fascinating.
The farm is contained in a custom-built, insulated shipping container. Kelly and Armstrong worked with Freight Farms in Boston for their operation.
The shipping container came from Boston by 18-wheeler and was delivered in late June. They planted their first crop in late July.
The message of Freight Farms is that fresh produce can be grown anywhere regardless of the climate.
Seedlings begin growth in trays under red and blue LED lights. Once the seedling grows larger, it’s transferred to a vertical tower for growing until its ready to harvest.
Water flows from the top of the container down through the roots and is collected at the bottom of the tower before being recycled to use again. These methods use about 90 percent less water than conventional farming. A panel of red and blue LED lights help the plants to grow into nutrient-rich food.“It’s cool technology and as an engineer, I appreciate that” Kelly said.
Fare House Farms grows a variety of lettuce and herbs.
They offer a wide array of lettuce like butterhead, bibb, romaine, Summer Crisp, and Oakleaf just to name a few. They offer leafy vegetables like arugula, cabbage, collards, kale, mustard greens, spinach, and chard. They also offer a variety of herbs like basil, cilantro, chives, dill, and more.
See their website at farehousefarms.com for a full menu.
Before this experience, Armstrong said she never knew what truly fresh lettuce and herbs tasted like.
She said the hydroponically grown lettuce was sweeter and crunchier. Kelly added the lettuce was prettier too.
The lettuce is sold with the peat moss plug still on so it will stay fresh for longer.
Kelly said they will spend the rest of 2020 experimenting with what grows best and studying the produce preferences of local buyers.
They plan to participate in local farmer’s markets to get their start.
They harvest on Fridays before the Saturday farmer’s markets.“You’re getting the freshest crop that you can get,” Kelly said.
Visit the Fare House Farms page on Facebook for more information and to see the farmer’s markets that they’ll be at.shernandez@hcnonline.com
Photos:
Alex Armstrong left, shares a laugh with Jane Pope after handing her a bag of freshly harvested lettuce at Fare House Farms, a hydroponic farming operation, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in Oak Ridge. Hydroponic farming is a type of horticulture where indoor crops are grown without soil by using a nutrient-rich and climate-controlled
Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Rod Kelly and Alex Armstrong run Fare House Farms, a hydroponic farming operation in Oak Ridge. Hydroponic farming is a type of horticulture where indoor crops are grown without soil by using a nutrient-rich and climate-controlled environment.
Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer9of10Alex Armstrong, and Rod Kelly are lit with panels of red and blue lights Alex Armstrong and Rod Kelly at Fare House Farms, a hydroponic farming operation, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in Oak Ridge. Hydroponic farming is a type of horticulture where indoor crops are grown without soil by using a nutrient-rich and climate-controlled environment.
Alex Armstrong and Rod Kelly make their way past pannels of red and blue lights, which encourage strong plant health and production, at Fare House Farms, a hydroponic farming operation, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in Oak Ridge. Hydroponic farming is a type of horticulture where indoor crops are grown without soil by using a nutrient-rich and Photo: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Tri-State, EPRI Team To Officially Bring ‘Farm In A Box’ Program To Moffat County School District
Tri-State will install one of EPRI’s cutting-edge indoor agriculture facilities on the grounds of Moffat County High School later this year, according to a press release from Tri-State
09-23-20 | Joshua Carney | Follow
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association’s decades-long relationship with the Electric Power Research Institute is about to bear fruit for Moffat County School District students and the Craig community as a whole as the “Farm in a Box” project moves forward.
Tri-State will install one of EPRI’s cutting-edge indoor agriculture facilities on the grounds of Moffat County High School later this year, according to a press release from Tri-State.
The “Farm in a Box” is valued at $250,000 – which is covered as part of Tri-State’s EPRI membership – and will provide a new source for fresh produce in the region and educational opportunities for MCSD students. Moffat County High School Business Teacher Krista Schenck presented the project to City Council in early September. The project has the capability to produce various crops, such as lettuce, kale, arugula herbs, flowers, carrots, and radishes, year-round inside the shipping container.
“Tri-State invests in its EPRI membership and is keen to find immediately applicable uses for the remarkable technologies that emerge to benefit the electric sector and society at large,” said Tri-State CEO Duane Highley in a press release. “We also recognize that the transition brought on by our Responsible Energy Plan will have a major impact on coal-dependent communities, so if we can leverage a program to bring new educational, economic, and lifestyle benefits to support Moffat County schools, we are proud and eager to do so.”
An EPRI-led team is constructing the facility – a 40-foot long shipping container equipped with efficient lighting, temperature control, and plumbing infrastructure needed to grow crops inside the container on a year-round basis.
Since 2015, EPRI has been examining the operational, technological, sustainability, and environmental characteristics for indoor agriculture, by installing container farms across the United States and assessing their performance with local electricity providers, academic institutions, and other community organizations.“
As an emerging industry in urban and rural areas throughout the United States, indoor farming can help us use our energy and water resources more efficiently,” said EPRI President Arshad Mansoor. “EPRI’s indoor food production research aims to help electric utilities better understand, plan for, and engage with this novel enterprise while also offering educational opportunities for project collaborators, the local community, and the next generation of farmers to address food availability challenges.”
According to Tri-State, EPRI staff will monitor the container to evaluate nutrient quality of the produce, utility program compatibility, community impacts, sustainability performance, technology trends, market drivers, electricity load profiles, and other broader environmental and economic aspects of indoor food production for the first two years following installation. EPRI will conduct research on the container and MCSD will be the sole owner and operator of the equipment.
“Moffat County School District is excited about the learning potential this program affords its career and technical education students in our community,” said Principal Sarah Hepworth of Moffat County High School.“
Through the collaboration between agricultural, business, marketing, and culinary programs, the opportunities to learn about horticulture, conservation, food regulations, business, and project management, marketing, sales, and food preparation are endless for MCSD students,” said Schenck. “Students and faculty look forward to utilizing this partnership and the technology of ‘Farm in a Box’ to grow crops from microgreens to lettuce and carrots.”
Preparing the container farm will take several weeks and involve manufacturing and a customized graphic treatment of its exterior. School officials are targeting early to mid-November for its arrival in Craig. The EPRI team will consult with the school district on installation and operation.“
This is a true team effort,” added Highley. “One of the seven cooperative principles under which we operate is ‘Concern for Community,’ so we’re excited to see the school district adopt this project and turn it into a real asset for community betterment.”In January, Tri-State announced its Responsible Energy Plan, which will transition the company to more renewable energy production for its members to address changes in the industry and to support new state requirements for clean energy. The effort will result in the closure of the Craig Generation Station by 2030, and Tri-State has been working with state and local officials to support transition efforts in the community.jcarney@craigdailypress.com
Fresh Hydroponic Produce In A Swedish Ski Resort
ICA Åre, located in one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts, is the second ICA supermarket store in Sweden to install a hydroponic vertical container farm from Boston-based Freight Farms – providing its customers with just-picked leafy greens grown onsite, year-round
ICA Åre, located in one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts, is the second ICA supermarket store in Sweden to install a hydroponic vertical container farm from Boston-based Freight Farms – providing its customers with just-picked leafy greens grown onsite, year-round.
Housed inside a 13-meter long shipping container, the onsite Freight Farm will reduce ICA Åre’s reliance on transported produce shipped long-distance into the mountain region, while providing pesticide and herbicide-free greens to customers at the peak of freshness year-round.
The initiative, Åre Byodling, was led by ICA Åre store owner Lars Ocklind and real estate company Diös Fastigheter, who recognized the benefits Freight Farms’ environmentally-controlled technology can have in the Nordic climate, particularly within the resort community hub that’s home to ICA Åre, the main train station, and other surrounding stores and restaurants. Ocklind believes that the store’s ability to grow its own crops is an investment in its future and that of its community.
Freight Farms, founded in 2010, pioneered hydronic vertical container farming and has a large network of IoT-connected farms in the world. The container farms, integrated with IoT data platform, farmhand, creates and maintains the optimal growing conditions to harvest crops year-round using less than 5 gallons of water per day. The technology has empowered ICA Åre and ICA Maxi Högskolan to create closed-loop food systems onsite, eliminating transportation emissions. Harvesting crops onsite also keeps crops fresh and nutrient-dense for longer, significantly reducing food waste for both sellers and consumers.
ICA Åre’s first farm harvest is scheduled for mid-October. The supermarket will begin by selling a selection of lettuce, kale and herbs in-store, and crops will also be used in their own restaurant and sold to other restaurants in the village. The range of crop offerings will continue to develop and expand – there is already great interest in collaboration from local restaurateurs for special lines of locally-grown crops.
For more information:
Freight Farms
www.freightfarms.com
Publication date: Fri 2 Oct 2020
MANILA: A Farm In Zambales Has A Competitive Edge In The Market Through Hydroponics
Due to the rise of urban gardening, homeowners, especially those who have limited space for gardening, are looking for ways to grow their own food. Many try vertical or container gardening while others practice hydroponics or the process of growing plants without soil but rather in nutrient-filled sand, water, or gravel
September 4, 2020
Due to the rise of urban gardening, homeowners, especially those who have limited space for gardening, are looking for ways to grow their own food. Many try vertical or container gardening while others practice hydroponics or the process of growing plants without soil but rather in nutrient-filled sand, water, or gravel.
Zennor Hydroponics Farm in Palauig, Zambales also practices hydroponics because of its efficiency in all aspects of farming.
“Using a hydroponic system in a farm works because aside from being able to plant a lot in a small space, it can save a lot of money since you don’t need a lot of manpower to tend to plants as the system takes care of the watering while the nutrient solution provides the vitamins and minerals for the plants’ growth,” said Zennor Hydroponics Farm proprietor Raffy Pagaling during the second episode of AgriTalk 2020 aired on Facebook by the Agricultural Training Institute in partnership with Manila Bulletin and Agriculture Online.
Pagaling added that using a hydroponic system in growing food can generate 20 to 25 percent more produce as compared to planting in soil. Moreover, the process is faster which makes a good return in investment.
An example of a hydroponic technique that the farm uses is the Dutch Bucket System or Bato Bucket system. This system, as its name implies, uses buckets as the core of its growing method. It’s also a variation of the ebb and flow method which works by periodically flooding and draining the plants with nutrient solutions.
“In our farm, we use it to grow fruit-bearing vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, okra, etc.,” Pagaling said.
Pagaling posing with English cucumbers harvested from his farm.
He added he chose to grow this specific variety of cucumbers that through this method, the farm manages to grow English cucumbers which weigh 500 to 600 grams per fruit.
“This is an advantage of using hydroponics; it can produce better crops in terms of size and quality,” Pagaling said.
From a hundred cucumber plants, Pagaling manages to harvest 278 kilos of English cucumbers which he affirms are crunchy, juicy, and superb in quality. These cucumbers are then sold at P165 per kilo.
Another hydroponic technique that Zenno Farm uses is the rockwool or hydrowool. This method, according to Pagaling, is a soilless medium that serves as the backbone of the farm because all their seeds such as okra, tomatoes, and more are planted on this material.
The farm grows their seedlings in a soilless medium called rockwool.
Rockwool is a lightweight hydroponic substrate made from molten basaltic rock which is then spun into fine fibers to create products such as cubes and blocks. When hydrated, these cubes have a ratio of 80 percent water and 20 percent air, making it difficult to overwater the plants growing in this material.
When ready, seedlings can be easily transplanted from the rockwool to the preferred growing medium.
Other hydroponic methods used on the farm
Since Zennor Hydroponics Farm grows their crops without using soil, they have more than two methods that they follow especially if they want to make the most of their space.
First is the NFT system where the crops are planted in very shallow water that contains all the dissolved nutrients required for plants to grow. These nutrients are re-circulated past the bare roots of plants in a watertight channel.
Zennor Farm’s NFT system allows them to maximize space and even plant different vegetables all at once.
“We have our own version of the NFT system which can accommodate 320 green leafy vegetables and it is the biggest system that we have [on the farm] with an area of 10 feet by six feet,” Pagaling said.
He added that aside from being suitable for most leafy greens, the NFT system keeps their vegetables fresh, even if it’s already been ripe for two weeks or so.
In addition, this system can hold different kinds of leafy vegetables at the same time.
Next is the Wick System. This is the simplest way to grow vegetables without any electricity and can be done by anyone from seven years old and above.
The Wick System is the simplest way to grow vegetables without electricity.
“Any material can be used to create this kind of hydroponic system. It doesn’t require electricity because its main component is stagnant water, but it’s a very efficient way of farming because it can grow plants within 30 days with little supervision. Plus, it keeps it fresh even if you’re away for a long period of time,” Pagaling said.
He added that the Wick System can also be done indoors provided that they are supported with artificial lighting.
An indoor setup is also possible with the Wick System.
The farm even has a small greenhouse where they use the Dutch Bucket system, the Wick type, and the NFT method at the same time to grow crops that are fit for personal consumption.
Zennor Hydroponics Farm has a greenhouse measuring 12 feet by 14 feet and is planted with 700 lettuce and 72 fruit-bearing vegetables.
“With an area of only 12 feet by 14 feet, we still managed to plant here 700 lettuce and 72 fruit-bearing vegetables like cherry tomatoes. But since it produces more than we need, we sell the excess to neighboring towns, friends, families, and neighbors,” Pagaling said.
By using hydroponics in growing food, he added that one need not worry about the sustainability of a farm or garden because the system can run all-year-round, making it suitable for almost every kind of crop.
Much like Pagaling said, there are many benefits that can be reaped from using a hydroponic system. He hopes that his farm can set an example and inspire more people to try out this innovative farming technique.
Watch the full video of the webinar here.
UAE: Smart Acres Plans To Open R&D Lab For Local Produce Amid AgTech Growth
Abu Dhabi vertical farming start-up Smart Acres is looking to raise at least Dh20 million to fund a research and development center to produce a local variety of potato as agriculture technology gathers pace in the UAE
Vertical farming start-up aims to raise as much as Dh20m to fund the project
Abu Dhabi vertical farming start-up Smart Acres is looking to raise at least Dh20 million to fund a research and development center to produce a local variety of potato as agriculture technology gathers pace in the UAE.
“The future is green. The Hope probe has headed to Mars, why shouldn’t the UAE be the first to put a container farm on the planet?” Abdulla Al Kaabi, founder and chief executive, told The National.
The entrepreneur is part of a team of three working in partnership with a Korean AgTech platform called N.thing, to adapt the technology to the harsh arid climate of the Emirates on an Abu Dhabi farm gifted to him two years ago by his father.
Smart Acres has designed vertical farms in shipping containers using the IoT-based technology system that monitors water, carbon dioxide, and nutrient levels. The system sends a push notification to one of the team's iPhones or iPads if levels need to be adjusted, but it allows the process to happen largely unmonitored. The farm is empty most of the time, Mr. Al Kaabi said. The growing process also consumes up to 90 percent less water than traditional farming methods and grows premium and cost-competitive lettuces.
Food security and innovation in agriculture is a priority of the Abu Dhabi government, which has earmarked Dh1 billion for an agri-tech incentive program as part of the government’s Ghadan 21 accelerator initiative.
In April, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio) invested $100 million (Dh367m) to bring four agriculture technology companies to the emirate as part of government efforts to attract high-skilled talent and cutting-edge research. The country’s 24,000 farms are set to benefit if new technology can be applied to drive efficiencies in crop yield and water usage.
The Covid-19 pandemic has only underscored the need to achieve greater food security in the UAE. Between 80 and 90 percent of the food in the GCC is imported, according to Chatham House.
While the figure is high, UAE residents are starting to see signs of progress: locally-harvested tomatoes and greens at the market or on dining menus are now a common sight. All of this has sprung up in the last several years as vertical and hydroponic farming ventures and research, as well as cloud-seeding, bear fruit.
Mr Al Kaabi wants the Smart Acres Institute of Food Security & Agriculture “to have Emirati hands” build the project. He is looking to attract recent graduates in environmental sciences and technology to the R&D lab to customize seeds to grow in this region in a controlled environment.
Potatoes, one of the most common crops in the world with consistent growing demand year-on-year, will be his first target. The team also wants to develop robots to help with harvesting and packing.
In addition to the R&D lab, Mr. Al Kaabi is aiming to increase the annual yield capacity at the farm more than tenfold, from the 40 tonnes of lettuces that it currently produces.
Mr. Al Kaabi was well-versed with the food industry even before he struck out on his own. His family owns the exclusive distribution license for a popular Korean ramen brand called Samyang Noodles as well as Tom’s Farm almonds.
While he learned a lot from the family trading business, his father encouraged him to build something on his own. After seeing how difficult the last several months have been on the imported food business, he is glad he did so.
With Smart Acres, Mr. Al Kaabi said, "I'm finally doing something right. Now my father asks me every two weeks what is going on at the farm”.
Updated: July 21, 2020 06:52 PM
Lead Photo: Farming via smartphone in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Smart Acres
45 Years Logiqs: From Container Systems to Vertical Farming and Warehouse Automation
Nowadays Logiqs supports most horticulture crops grown in greenhouses as well as a large variety of hydroponic crops
45 years ago, on July 1st, 1975, the Logiqs journey began, together with the founding of Intransit B.V. (the company’s initial name).
And even though the company name and shareholders may have changed since then, they still look back at this date as the very beginning of the company.
"At the start, the main goal of our company was to design and build innovative and reliable benching systems for potted plant growers, that add true value to the customer’s business.
"This initial focus has held up very well throughout the years and has produced amazing results for our customers, with thousands of acres of Logiqs benching systems operational in greenhouses all over the world.
"This success has allowed us to expand our area of expertise to serve a much wider range of growers as well as a couple of new industries."
Nowadays Logiqs supports most horticulture crops grown in greenhouses as well as a large variety of hydroponic crops.
"Our experience working with some of the most successful growers in the world, encouraged us to also apply our know-how and expertise to the Vertical Farming industry. This amazing collaboration with our customers allowed us to quickly become one of the industry leaders and trendsetters in automated vertical farming.
"Beyond greenhouse cultivation systems and Vertical Farming, we have also made incredible steps in warehouse automation by developing the innovative iCUBE Automated Storage and Retrieval System.
"We are grateful to all of our wonderful customers and partners who have influenced us to get better, and we hope that we can continue to repay their trust in the coming decades.
"We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all Logiqs team members that have devoted their time, energy, and passion to our common goals in the past 45 years.
"Without these devoted and talented individuals, Logiqs could have not evolved into the company it is today.
"We are extremely excited to think of the impact that our talented colleagues will have moving forward on the future of Logiqs, and on the future of horticulture, agriculture, and logistics."
For more information:
Publication date: Thu 2 Jul 2020
SWITZERLAND: Vertical Farming Exclusively For Migros Basel - First Products Available In MParc Dreispitz
After several months of construction, the Vertical Farm on the Wolf site is ready for production. Here, Growcer produces regional foods in a weather-independent, environmentally friendly and water-saving manner exclusively for Migros Basel, delivering them quickly to the branch thanks to the shortest transport routes
After several months of construction, the Vertical Farm on the Wolf site is ready for production. Here, Growcer produces regional foods in a weather-independent, environmentally friendly, and water-saving manner exclusively for Migros Basel, delivering them quickly to the branch thanks to the shortest transport routes. The first six Vertical Farm products will be available from 16 June at the MParc Dreispitz.
Create a cultivated area of more than 1.500m2 on an area of less than 400m2?
This is possible thanks to vertical farming. Last autumn, Growcer, and the Migros Basel cooperative launched a collaboration with the aim of building Switzerland's first "Robotic Vertical Farm" on the Wolf site in Basel. The motivation was not only to build the farm of the future but above all to establish a regional, sustainable, and environmentally friendly concept that would bravely face the challenges of the coming decades.
View into the vertical farming plant in Basel / Picture: Growcer AG
After only six months, the three halls have now been completed and the first products are ready for harvesting. From 16 June, the "Vertical Leaves" product range, consisting of pak choi, wasabi rocket, spring cabbage, chard, and red and green lettuce, will be available exclusively at the MParc Dreispitz. These are primarily products that have not yet been available regionally in this form from Migros Basel and thus complement the range of existing regional producers. The fresh leafy vegetables can be used in the cold kitchen as a salad or salad ingredient, but also in the hot kitchen for wok dishes or as the icing on the cake for other hot dishes. At a later date, it is planned to produce other products all year round and to supply other branches.
Weather-independent and resource-efficient
The plants are grown on the farm from seed to harvest and packaging. Light, temperature, humidity and nutrients are carefully measured and adapted to the requirements of the respective variety. In harmony with modern technology and always up-to-date information, the growers' staff can thus respond to the needs of each individual plant. This special care can almost completely prevent crop failures.
According to recent studies, urban vertical farming uses 90% less water and requires practically no harmful pesticides. In addition, scarce space can be used more efficiently and the proximity to conurbations keeps transport routes, and thus the resulting environmental pollution low. This innovative and future-oriented form of cultivation meets the customers' desire for more regionality, sustainability, and resource efficiency. Those interested in learning more about the products, the cultivation, or the advantages of vertical farming in Basel will soon be able to form their own opinion as farm tours with tastings will soon be offered on the Wolf-site.
For more information:
Growcer AGSt. Jakobs-Strasse 200/Halle 4
4052 Basel
https://growcer.com/
Publication date: Mon 22 Jun 2020
Elon Musk’s Brother, Kimbal, Is Pretty Accomplished Himself
Based in Brooklyn, New York, Square Roots has developed and installs “modules” — hydroponic farms in reclaimed shipping containers that can grow certain non-GMO vegetables around the clock and without pesticides. Today they are producing mint, basil, other herbs, and leafy greens
08 Jun 2020 by Jasmine Stone in Berry & Donaldson, Business, Elon Musk, Lifestyle, Partners
[imagesource: @kimbalmusk / Instagram]
When your older brother is Elon Musk, you probably get used to growing up in somebody else’s shadow.
Just over a year separates Elon and Kimbal Musk (above left), with the former grabbing headlines in the wake of SpaceX’s successful launch of astronauts to the International Space Station.
Makes a nice change from some of his other headline-grabbing antics, but let’s chat about Kimbal.
In 2016, he co-founded Square Roots with CEO Tobias Peggs, to grow non-GMO crops in reclaimed shipping containers.
Based in Brooklyn, New York, Square Roots has developed and installs “modules” — hydroponic farms in reclaimed shipping containers that can grow certain non-GMO vegetables around the clock and without pesticides. Today they are producing mint, basil, other herbs and leafy greens. The company made CNBC’s 2019 Upstart 100 list…
Image: https://squarerootsgrow.com/
The modules, which employ software-controlled LED lighting and irrigation systems, can be set up in the parking lot of a grocery store or even inside a large warehouse or industrial building, enabling a food maker to access fresh ingredients locally for use in their dishes or packaged products.
Kimbal, who also serves on the board at Tesla and SpaceX, says that whilst they’re currently working on providing food for people here on Earth, the same farming technology “can and will be used on Mars”.
While freight containers are working hard to grow veggies, their former life saw them shipping goods around the world, which is no mean feat, either.
South African-owned shipping logistics company Berry & Donaldson knows all about the business of moving goods and has been handling every step of the complicated process for more than 50 years, but they’re happy to leave the veggie-growing game to Kimbal and his team at Square Roots.
The company also hopes to inspire more people to become farmers, running a Next-Gen Farmer Training Program aimed at teaching city dwellers about agriculture.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Square Roots has also provided hundreds of kilograms of produce to Rethink Food NYC, an organization that provides nutrient-rich food to the needy, all of which was grown in its Brooklyn shipping container.
For Kimbal, it’s quite a pivot from how he originally cut his teeth. In a recent profile on 5280, his journey was summarised as follows:
In 1999, after the $307 million sale of Zip2—which he’d founded with his brother—Musk left Silicon Valley to train at the French Culinary Institute in New York City (now known as the International Culinary Center).
Image: Chris & Ruth Photography
Kimbal [above, with Elon, sister Tosca, and mother Maye back in 2018] ended up in Colorado two years later with his first wife, artist Jen Lewin. That he had moved into the “food space,” as he calls it, and eventually turned one Boulder restaurant into a formidable chain of locally sourced eateries across the country made him something of a star in the industry.
Whilst the pandemic has seen some of his restaurant empire take a real hit, Kimbal still seems in good spirits.
You can read the rest of that interview here.
Not a bad set of accomplishments for the Musk family, with Tosca running a streaming service called Passionflix, as well as having producer credits on more than 30 movies.
Building Resilience Into The Vegetable Supply Chain Using Container Farming
Canada’s food supply chain is robust and reliable - even in times of the COVID-19 crisis - but there is an opportunity to become more self-sufficient. Container farming can provide your food supply with some autonomy and reduced reliance on external food supply chains
Canada’s food supply chain is robust and reliable - even in times of the COVID-19 crisis - but there is an opportunity to become more self-sufficient. Container farming can provide your food supply with some autonomy and reduced reliance on external food supply chains.
THE SUPPLY CHAIN DURING COVID-19
Empty shelves at the outbreak of the pandemic were a shock to many as grocery store retailers have experienced shortages, or delays, in their supply chain during this adjustment period.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) wrote in a special COVID-19 report that “supermarket shelves remain stocked for now [...] but a protracted pandemic crisis could quickly put a strain on the food supply chains, a complex web of interactions involving farmers, agricultural inputs, processing plants, shipping, retailers and more.” The FAO emphasizes that there is enough supply, but transportation is lacking to help get the crops where they are needed most.
FOOD PRICES ARE RISING
Even before COVID-19 struck, food prices in Canada were predicted to rise between 2 and 4 percent, especially vegetables and bakery items. Now, according to a new forecast by the University of Guelph and Dalhousie University, researchers say the factors contributing to the rise have changed but they still expect prices to rise nonetheless. Plus, grocery stores are now spending more to ensure the proper protection protocols are in place on top of paying their essential workers more. These costs won’t be changing soon, so what ways can more resilience be built into the grocery store model?
Students in Kugluktuk, Nunavut help run their Growcer system which provides produce to the school and community.
EVERYONE IS IMPACTED DIFFERENTLY
It is important to note that not every community’s food supply is going to be impacted the same way. In a Food Secure Canada webinar about Food Policy and COVID-19, the speakers spoke to how rural and Indigenous communities will be impacted differently than cities. One of the speakers, Jessica McLaughlin with the Indigenous Food Circle, said, “What has become very evident to us is the vulnerability of communities on that big industrial food supply chain and the lack of autonomy to self-determine their own food systems.” However, Mclaughlin added that despite this, communities are working together. “In this crisis, communities have been really resilient . . . you really see how communities pull together and they are taking this into their own hands,” McLaughlin said.
WHAT COULD A SOLUTION LOOK LIKE?
Each community has different needs, but one possible solution is container farming. With container farms, communities and grocery stores can grow a variety of produce year-round, no matter the weather, and even customize what’s being grown to match the demand of the community. You’re also not stuck to growing one crop. A grower can grow multiple types of produce at a time and switch out what’s being grown regularly. Having a local, year-round, consistent supply of produce allows the community not to rely solely on external sources and can provide a buffer when the supply chain experiences delays.
The Yellowknife Co-op's Growcer unit is operated by its existing employees who see it as an opportunity to serve their community.
Now, hydroponic growing might sound technical but operating one of Growcer’s systems is extremely simple. It only takes one week of on-site training to have employees comfortable with the system. Justin Nelson, general manager for The Yellowknife Co-op, shared that their employees love working in the Grower unit. “On a cold dark day in Yellowknife there’s no better place to be than inside the Growcer unit,” Nelson said. “When you’re actually harvesting the product that you’re selling it’s a great feeling.” You can read more about The Yellowknife Co-op’s story to see how they integrated a container farm with their store.
Food sovereignty and the ability for communities to decide how their food systems run has been brought to the forefront during COVID-19. It’s impossible to predict what lays ahead, but we do know that this could be a time for a reset for some of us.
April 27, 2020
WEBINAR: How A College Thesis Became A Farming Career
WEBINAR: Thurs May 28, 2020 - 12 pm EST. Featuring Jack Levine of Town To Table
Town to Table wants to connect communities
to sustainable farming and local food
When Jack Levine first arrived on campus and saw his university's Freight Farm, he had no idea he was encountering his future career. After graduating in 2019, Jack launched Town to Table, a concept born from a business plan he developed for his undergraduate thesis. At its core, T2T aims to connect communities to farming on multiple levels.
Beyond providing local greens to distributors in the Boston area, Jack and his team work with schools and non-profits to develop interactive school gardens, engaging lesson plans, field trips, job training programs, and more. Hear from this young entrepreneur during our upcoming webinar–RSVP today!
Shipping Container Farm, Vertical Roots Hires Displaced Restaurant Workers To Help Fill Growing Retail Demand
Since launching in 2016, Vertical Roots has expanded from a single hydroponic garden container to a current operation of more than 130, each filled with leafy greens
Vertical Roots hires displaced restaurant workers to help fill growing retail demand
Vertical Roots grows leafy greens in hydroponic gardens inside custom-outfitted shipping containers
With the restaurant and hospitality industry under duress and thousands out of work, container farm company Vertical Roots stepped up to the plate, offering jobs to displaced employees.Since launching in 2016, Vertical Roots has expanded from a single hydroponic garden container to a current operation of more than 130, each filled with leafy greens. For co-owners Andrew Hare and Matt Daniels, their mission is two-fold: delivering a local, pesticide-free product and developing community relationships to serve those in need."I have been in the restaurant industry for most of my adult life, including eight years right here in Charleston," said Hare. "It really hits close to home for me, witnessing this incredible industry turned upside down so quickly by this pandemic."According to Hare, Vertical Roots hired about two dozen chefs, cooks, dishwashers, servers and managers since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In all, employees displaced by the outbreak made up about 25 percent of their 100-employee team split between their two locations in Charleston and Columbia when we spoke in April."We are helping these people get a paycheck and they are helping us get product out of the door," said Hare. "They have been eager, fast learners, which has made the whole process seamless."Many of the new hires have worked with the non-GMO produce in the past. Vertical Roots supplies many local kitchens with their one- or two-day old living baby Romaine, arugula, bibb and butter lettuces.After a food safety course, most new employees started in the "pack room," where Hare said "all the harvested products flow to cool down and be processed for each customer, whether it's making a spring mix of cut leaves or taking living heads of lettuce to clamshell or case."Many of Vertical Roots' newcomers will return to their kitchens as restaurants reopen, but at least one downtown chef currently working with the company said some workers may continue to work at the container farm.For Vertical Roots, the growing season never ends inside their compact, LED-lit shipping containers. The company currently supplies more than 400 stores, mostly in the Southeast. And the customer base is growing, Hare reports."We are 98 percent focused on retail right now," said Hare, who points out that the closure of restaurants in the Charleston area led to an influx of large retail orders.With a hand in every part of the supply chain, Hare knows exactly what's going on with each crop at any given time, and the farm sites' geographic positioning allows the greens to arrive at their final destination within 24 hours of harvesting. Large-scale commercial farms, on the other hand, must contend with corporate concentration, leading to less quality control in a practice where several uncertainties such as soil contamination and water runoff already exist.According to Hare, 95 percent of the leafy greens in grocery stores come from two areas, Yuma, Arizona and Salinas, California. "These products can sometimes have three weeks of travel time," Hare said. "With us, you are dealing with a young, vibrant product filled with calcium and potassium. I would definitely stress how important it is to eat something clean right now."Hare said he feels fortunate for the added business, and they were in need of some help prior to the arrival of their new crew. "What a mutually beneficial thing for us to be able to go out and hire some of our customers who are familiar with our products," Hare said. Having people on staff who know how to use the product is enabling Vertical Roots to meet the growing demand for their seven lettuce varieties," he added.