“Sharing Technology Is The Only Way The Industry Will Grow”

“There is a lack of know-how amongst farmers to apply those techniques in a successful way,” says Joe Swartz, Vice president and Lead horticulturalists at AmHydro. In every situation, according to Joe, from geography to the skill of the grower or climate control, all play into what types of technology should be used. This requires a lot of experience and knowledge. Lack of this might lead to farmers being susceptible to misleading information, using ineffective technologies, which I’ve seen many people suffering from.

Joe adds, “Watching many good growers that have been led down a bad path in the industry, while investing so much into technologies that are not really effective, really breaks my heart. While providers know that they aren’t effective in this particular situation. With many years of industry experience, Joe is well aware of the challenges that the industry faces these days. Within the aquaponics sector there is not one singular technology, just as in conventional farming, rather various unique technologies can be combined for different outcomes.

Lack of know-how
When asked about the kind of growers that Joe educates, he notes that there are two kinds of growers contacting him. “We have two types of growers: either growers facing challenges or new growers wanting equipment and knowledge. Both of those approaches are interesting and it’s great to be able to help them become successful. It is great to see our system helping companies to grow and develop and become a worldwide provider. Growers like that keep coming back to us. They are the ones that move the industry”.  

Joe Swartz, Vice president 

An essential part of being a vertical farmer, in Joe’s opinion, is having experience with working on the ground floor. Only this will teach you what it takes to manage the equipment, crops and technology. “The best growers have started in the greenhouse. Hydro-experts will get nowhere with their college degree alone,” Joe states. For that reason, AmHydro offers grower seminars and even possesses a commercial greenhouse where growers can work in order to gain experience. “Some growers don’t think that they need it as they rely on technology, but my experience is exactly the opposite.”

Fake promises 
Joe observes similar trends as in the 1980s when certain technologies were promoted as ‘the farming of the future’. People talked about automatic farming, in which no farmer would be needed, new techniques and new lightings. All things we hear today were said back then. What happened afterward, according to Joe, was that some techniques turned out disappointing. Millions of dollars invested were lost, leading to the industry losing its credibility.

“As a result, investors only valid projects that already have a positive cash flow, as they have become more cautious. Some growers struggled to get funding, even though they had a viable business model. In a certain way, negative events have closed off some appetite for investments in CEA, which is a shame. It is a good investment in general, but every time we see a less than a reputable company or a technology that fails, it holds the industry back.”

Misconception
Related to that, Joe says that vertical farming still has to overcome a somewhat negative public image. “The traditional consumer, at least in the USA, have an image of farmers working on the land using sustainable methods. Now, being a conventional farmer using hydroponics I know that it is a sustainable and safe way to produce food, but there’s a public perception of automatization, as robotic food. Some people even call it “Frankenfood”. In my opinion, the more we can promote CEA as what it is, sustainable growing techniques, people will be more accepting and investors will invest more easily”.

Joe strongly senses that the vertical farming industry needs more skilled farmers and growers to meet the demand. “A lot of my work is actually training people. We want to help especially young people, new to the industry, by giving them skills, experience and knowledge. I have been blessed to have mentors when I was young and I try my best to pass that knowledge as this will help the industry along. That’s one of the reasons why we now see some consultancy firms who see economic opportunities. Sharing technology is the only way in which the industry will grow,” says Joe.

“Despite the diversity amongst growers that I meet in over 66 countries, all growers face similar problems. Funny tech flitches, pipes that break and spray water all over the greenhouse, or water pumps that break down. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a technologically advanced greenhouse or a small low-tech one. It kind of goes across the board,” says Joe laughing.  

For more information:
AmHydro
Joe Swartz, Vice president and Lead horticulturalist
joe@amhydro.com  
www.amhydro.com 

 
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com

Israel’s Vertical Field Inks Deal To Deploy Its Farming System In UAE

By LUKE TRESS

Produce grown using Israeli start up Vertical Field's farming system. (Courtesy/Vertical Field)

Vertical Field, a startup that has developed a vertical farming system, has signed an accord with an Emirati company to deploy its products to the United Arab Emirates.

The Israeli ag-tech firm signed the agreement with Emirates Smart Solutions & Technologies, Vertical Field said in a statement on Wednesday.

Vertical Field will set up pilot vertical farms in the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain ahead of a wider roll-out in the UAE, the company said. The pilot will aim to determine which crops are best for the local market and will be supported and overseen by Vertical Field’s Israeli agronomists.

The firm expects the project to expand into a multimillion-dollar venture that will include distributing Vertical Field’s products to additional Gulf states, the company said.

Roughly 80 percent of agricultural food products in the UAE is imported from abroad, amounting to $10 billion in trade in 2018. The increasing cost of transporting food and concerns over food security played a part in the new partnership, Vertical Field said.

“Arid desert regions face many challenges surrounding the production of high-quality agricultural produce at low prices. With the help of various agricultural technologies and new developments, we believe that we can successfully align the demands of the market with competitive prices without compromising quality,” Guy Elitzur, Vertical Field’s CEO, said in a statement.

Maher Makalde, the CEO of Emirates Smart Solutions & Technologies, said, “We are excited for the opportunity to partner with Vertical Field and bring advanced Israeli vertical technology that enables the growth of produce in a controlled and predictable way, overcoming harsh outdoor climate conditions.

“Our goal is to establish food security that is independent of imports and to develop a high-quality agricultural infrastructure that reaches the retail market,” Makalde said.

An illustration of vegetables growing on walls by Vertical Field. (Courtesy)

Vertical Field’s soil-based installations are made up of separate blocks of plants that can be rearranged at will to produce locally sourced vegetables. This green wall of vegetation is suitable for growing vegetables in stores, offices and apartment buildings, or anywhere in urban areas, which have little space but many walls.

The firm, formerly called Green Wall Israel, said that products grown with its farming method are pesticide-free, generate less waste than conventional agriculture and utilize 90% less water, growing in precise quantities in a controlled environment with shorter growing cycles.

Produce in its containers can grow 365 days a year and is free of the limitations usually imposed by seasons, weather, climate and location.

The farms are modular, expandable and moveable, with fully automated crop management and a sterile environment that requires significantly less human contact. The crops that are currently offered include lettuce, basil, parsley, kale, mint and others, and are competitively priced, the firm said in a statement.

Israel and the oil-rich UAE signed a US-brokered normalization agreement in September, opening the way for business and tourism between the two countries, after years of covert trade exceeding $1 billion annually by some estimates.

The UAE, a federation of seven desert sheikdoms dependent on petrodollars, has been keen to cash in on the influx of Israeli investment and travel, particularly after the pandemic diminished demand for oil and hammered international tourism.

Earlier this month, Vertical Field signed an agreement with Moderntrendo S.R.O, an agricultural distributor in Ukraine, to deploy its plant installations in supermarket chains nationwide.

In December Vertical Field also signed a “multi-million dollar” agreement with Israeli discount supermarket chain Rami Levy for the installation of its vertical farming containers on the stores’ premises.

Vertical Field is based in Ra’anana in central Israel and was founded in 2006.

Liberty Produce & Writtle University College Launch Webinar Series On The Transformation of Agriculture And Its Workforce For A Sustainable Future

18th January 2021

London & Essex, UK

Writtle University College (WUC) in Essex and Liberty Produce launch their highly anticipated public webinar series on January 27th 2021. The online events will consider major issues facing the horticulture and agriculture sectors based around a key theme of ‘Transforming Agriculture and its Workforce for a Sustainable Future.’

Each of the webinars will feature a range of prominent industry figures and will welcome all viewers with an interest in sustainable production. All online events will be free-of-charge, in line with WUC and Liberty Produce’s ongoing commitment to education and knowledge-sharing. This webinar series is being supported by EIRA, a collaborative project funded by Research England that connects businesses in the East of England with academic expertise, specialist facilities and funding opportunities.

Dr Anya Perera, WUC’s Head of School for Sustainable Environments & Design, said: “We are proud to be working in collaboration with Liberty Produce and EIRA. Our three introductory webinars will focus on challenges faced by growers at a national and international level. We are delighted by the positive response from key members of the sector and look forward to sharing vital topics with our expert panellists.”

Benita Rajania, Product Director at Liberty Produce, said: “We are delighted to be teaming with WUC to bring together stakeholders from across our community for this new webinar series. Collaboration is a vital component in tackling the challenges our sector is facing, and we look forward to meeting virtually with our colleagues from across industry and academia to discuss latest developments, share knowledge and strengthen relationships at an industry level.”

Topics include: the modernisation of agriculture through technological advancement; examining food production systems and identifying skills gaps; how to create a fit-for-purpose workforce in a sustainable economy.

Each subject will be discussed by an expert panel, featuring guests including Dr Susan McCallum from the James Hutton Institute and Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-TechE.

Since its foundation in 2018, Liberty Produce has been dedicated to the development of sustainable agricultural practices. The farming technology company was created in response to the global food security crisis. Liberty Produce develops leading-edge technology that enables the growth of local produce year-round, using fully-controlled indoor vertical farming systems. 

WUC recently became the first UK university to offer degrees in regenerative agriculture. WUC been teaching land-based courses since 1893 and, in 2020, was ranked top university-sector institution in England for overall student satisfaction by the National Student Survey. Its small class sizes and specialist courses offer students a personalised approach that combines practical skills with cutting-edge theory.

2021’s webinar series reflects WUC and Liberty Produces’ collective dedication to the creation of long-term sustainable food production at a time of climate crisis and the disruption of global supply chains.

Click the links below to book your free webinar place:

January 27th: The modernisation of agriculture through technological advancement

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6675999720069964303

February 24th: Examining food production systems and identifying skills gaps

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7622331785910917132

March 24th: How to create a fit-for-purpose workforce in a sustainable economy

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8843380130486408204

About Liberty Produce

Liberty Produce is a farming technology company founded in 2018 to drive innovations that will enable us to meet our global crop requirements over the next century, without harming the planet. As experts in the development of technology (from advanced lighting systems to machine learning for integrated control systems) for the breadth of indoor agriculture (from glasshouses to Totally Controlled Environment Agriculture systems), Liberty delivers research and products that consistently push boundaries. Liberty Produce develops and builds systems that reduce operational costs with enhanced resource efficiency, improve yields and increase sustainability for greater food security through the growth of local produce year-round. www.liberty-produce.com

Further images available here.

Media enquiries: Claire Apthorp media@liberty-produce.com +44 (0) 7920403068

General enquiries: info@liberty-produce.com; +44 (0)20 7193 2933

About Writtle University College (WUC)

Writtle University College (WUC) has been at the forefront of the agrifood sector since 1893. In 2020, it was named the highest rated university-sector institution in England for student satisfaction by the National Student Survey, also receiving 100% satisfaction for its horticulture course. Industry-focused programmes offer the skills, expert theory and qualifications required to enter a fast-moving sector. WUC recently launched a degree in regenerative agriculture, which is the first of its kind in the UK. https://writtle.ac.uk/

Media enquires: Sara Cork  press@writtle.ac.uk

About EIRA

EIRA is a collaborative project between seven universities and colleges in the East of England. Driving economic growth in the region, EIRA connects businesses with academic expertise, consultancy, facilities and funding opportunities. Led by the University of Essex, EIRA is also supported by the University of East Anglia and the University of Kent. Backed by £4.7 million of Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund, EIRA delivers activities across three themes: digital creative, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. EIRA has opportunities to work with businesses of all sizes through Innovation Vouchers, Research and Development Grants, i-Teams, Hothouse events, Start-up Microfinance and Innovation Internships. eira.ac.uk

General enquiries: eira@essex.ac.uk

Twitter: @EIRA_eARC

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eira-enabling-innovation-research-to-application/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true

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Derby Vertical Farming Startup Gets £500K Funding to Develop ‘All In One’ Sensor

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Staff Reporter

INVESTMENT NEWS / 13 JAN 2021

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Derby-based Light Science Technologies delivers lighting, science and research-proven plant monitoring technology and software in partnership with world-leading university research teams. It delivers the right solution across multiple indoor applications such as vertical farming, medicinal plants, and greenhouses. Its full turnkey solution for Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) applications for next-generation scalable farming helps customers grow more with less.

Investment to boost agricultural productivity

Light Science Technologies just secured part of the £90M government investment to support the most innovative technology to boost agricultural productivity and set food production systems towards net zero emissions by 2040.

Furthermore, it is one of the 23 feasibility projects that has been awarded up to £500,000 from £4.3M funding that is meant for Science and Technology into Practice feasibility competition, as part of UKRI’s £90 million Transforming Food Production (TFP) program. Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realize the potential of new ideas. Notably, Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation.

Simon Deacon, CEO of Light Science Technologies added: “This is an especially important boost to our business. To be selected by Innovate UK is confirmation of the urgent need for more sustainable, productive, and cost-effective solutions in farming. Investment in UK technology and innovation in this sector is crucial in achieving a better approach to agricultural production and reducing emissions.”

Innovate UK Executive Chair Dr Ian Campbell said: “There are many innovative projects in our latest feasibility competition showcasing ideas for improving productivity and cutting emissions that range across the whole agricultural sector, from arable, to livestock, to sensor technology and to new biopesticides. Our funding and support for these projects is ongoing.”

Groundbreaking sensor technology

Along with partnership with Nottingham Trent University, the company will lead the project to develop a growing sensor and innovative transmission node for vertical farms over the next six months, which is in synergy with their light and science offering.

The IoT precision data solution for vertical farming will help in boosting 0roductivity and efficiency, thereby reflecting the government’s drive to help the agricultural sector grow economically with less environmental impact.

Light Science Technologies’ ‘all in one’ indoor farm sensor will let farms to monitor and control their environment by measuring key areas such as light, water, air, temperature, humidity, oxygen and soil, thereby ensuring optimal plant productivity and yield. Also, this sensor will form a vital part of its bespoke offering, reducing energy and saving costs using technology and real-time data.

Demand for CEA market!

Of late, there is a growing demand for the Controlled Environment Agricultural (CEA) market, which is growing fast at a CAGR of 21%. The demand is mainly from AgTech CEA farmers looking to install or replace existing indoor farms to achieve a maximum yield on crops for optimum profitability. However, the high startup costs attract investment from stakeholders eyeing the potentially significant ROI opportunity.

Light Science Technologies provides custom-made solution for the CEA market, and works with growers to provide an integrated, cost-effective and low maintenance solution that can be used across different crops to achieve maximum yield. Eventually, it creates the full growing recipe of lighting, nutrients, and the environment.

Notably, Light Science Technologies is focused on becoming a technology-driven trailblazer in vertical farming innovation and technology over the next four years as it eyes to shape up the future of the CEA market.

New Infographic From Ultimation Industries Shows

How To Optimize Vertical Farming

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (Jan. 6, 2021) – “How to Optimize Vertical Farming,” a new infographic created by Ultimation Industries LLC, highlights the benefits of vertical farming and ways to maximize the production of an indoor farming system. Ultimation has designed, manufactured, and installed conveyor systems for over 30 years and is a leader in vertical farming material handling.

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Vertical farms can potentially achieve higher yields for the surface area dedicated to production by controlling the light, temperature, humidity, water, and nutrients the plants receive. They also reduce “food miles,” the distance food items travel from the point of production to the table and can reduce CO2 emission from transport while delivering fresher and better-tasting products.

As sustainable agricultural operations such as vertical and indoor farms become more prevalent, conveyor technology systems can be part of the solution. “Conveyors are essential to vertical farming because they can make use of all the available vertical space of a facility and can move plants through automated systems as they grow,” said Richard Canny, president, Ultimation Industries LLC. “How to optimize vertical farming is the challenge that the industry faces as it scales up.”

In addition to creating customized products for assembly operations, Ultimation offers food safe grade systems and material handling solutions for the vertical farming industry.  The company has recently expanded into smaller, ‘quick ship’ products and systems that are sold through their website and in Amazon’s stores.

For more information about Ultimation Industries, visit https://www.ultimationinc.com. 

About Ultimation:

Ultimation Industries, LLC is a woman-owned leader in the conveyor technology and automation industry. Founded in 1989, Ultimation designs manufactures, and installs machinery and equipment, automation devices, tire and wheel processing lines, and conveyor systems for customers throughout the Americas. The company offers a line of proprietary automation systems and is also a leading integrator of Jervis Webb Conveyor Systems. Ultimation’s e-commerce channel sells Ultimation, Interroll, Itoh Denki, Jervis Webb, and a wide range of other conveyor equipment. In 2020, Ultimation was recognized as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing private companies in America. The company was a finalist for Amazon’s 2019 Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year and earned honors as one of “2019 Metro Detroit’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®.”

Visit https://www.ultimationinc.com/ for the latest product information and news about Ultimation.

###

For further information please contact:

Nancy Sarpolis

248-219-5651

“The Shift From The Old Way of Farming Is Going To Be A Big Feature in 2021”

Darryn Keiller & Henry Gordon Smith:

In a normal year Henry Gordon Smith, CEO of consultancy firm Agritecture, and Darryn Keiller, CEO of technology company Autogrow would have met up quite a few times and would have discussed the challenges and developments of the industry regularly. This year though everything has been different – like it has been for everybody – but despite all of that they are positive for 2021. “The energy and the enthusiasm for CEA has not slowed down whatsoever – on the contrary. It feels like 2021 is going to be huge. We’re on track for the big boom of CEA.”

Transparent challenges
“2020 has had its own challenges for everyone. What’s interesting is how the industry has responded. At first, the greenhouse industry, and mainly the US and Canada, had to deal with social distancing, getting their staff together and, particularly in the US and Canada, COVID outbreaks amongst labor force,” Darry Keiller, CEO with Autogrow, says when asked about 2020 in the horticultural industry. “At the same time and due to the COVID outbreak, 2020 is also the year the challenges we’ve all been talking about in the food industry became transparent to everyone in the world: the reliance on immigrant labor, the importance of food safety, the vulnerability of transportation and logistics,” he sums up.

“COVID has further demonstrated the benefits of CEA by exposing the fragility of the food system,” Henry Gordon-Smith, CEO with Agritecture, adds. “In India for example there have been experiments with high-tech CEA – now the full force of the government is getting behind it. For the Middle East it’s the same: the second wave of funding and the support for innovation in farming is up and running.” Being located in Dubai, he’s seen the demand for consultancy grow in countries like Oman. “There’s new programs and tenders. In Saudi there’s a big push for greenhouses and vertical farms, Qatar has recently published tenders for vertical farms and the UAE as a whole is continuing to push money and policy in this space. Before not many stakeholders might have been convinced, but now they see that its the right time for vertical farming especially.”

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Darryn Keiler, CEO with Autogrow

Massive explosion
“If it’s indoor farms, tunnels, high tech greenhouses – it doesn’t matter,” Darryn adds. “We’re expecting a massive explosion in CEA for the upcoming years. 2020 has already seen memorable events – if we only look at the reversed IPO of AppHarvest, the first time that a high-tech greenhouse company has gone public this way. But it’s not just the big guys and the megacompanies - there’s more going on: from Florida to the North East there’s a higher demand for lettuce greenhouses and even though people might feel as if this is old news, it’s still the idea of localized food production that is the driving force behind these initiatives.”

Henry adds how COVID again has played an important role in this. “Before many CEA farms were seen as expensive and suitable only for supplying restaurants. Then COVID happened and even though the restaurants shut down, these farms were quicker to adapt, to change their distribution models and to focus on shipping directly to consumers. By focusing on local customers, the CEA farms suddenly had an advantage in being local and in being able to adapt more easily than the large growers. For the vertical farming industry that’s an interesting thought – the adaptability of the food value chain will be a strong part of the road to food security when other shocks occur in the years to come.”

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Henry Gordon Smith, CEO with Agritecture

Remarkable is also how the people behind these projects have nothing to do with traditional growers and farmers. “There’s many young people – millennials, GenZ – you name it. After seeing the need for local food supply, they’re the driving force behind this second wave of interest around indoor farming,” Darryn says and points at Henry, who started as a blogger for the vertical farming industry ten years ago and added consultancy to the business in 2014, to guide these ‘newbies’ in the industry. “Based on the 2020 Census 49% of the respondents in our industry have zero experience in growing,” he laughs. “But it’s different than before and they’re challenging us as consultants as well. The general knowledge on CEA increased and so have higher expectations. Even though they have no experience, still they are more educated than many of the people entering the industry before. They understand what vertical farming is, that leafy greens are the most important crops and why some crops can’t grow inside. And they want more: more than traditional growers, they’re eager to learn. The archetype of many traditional growers is still that the way they work is how it should be done and often they’re not open to change. These newbies are open to new things, yet they don’t need to know all parts of growing, they prefer to make use of the techniques relevant to them,” he explains.

Baseline understanding to accelerate growth
As an answer to these people, Agritecture this year released software “Agritecture Designer” allowing growers and investors to check what they’re getting from their business plan and their investments. “Technology companies use it to check their own products, growers to check their farm yields. Our goal with it is to create a baseline understanding of growers to further accelerate growth,” he says. “These new entrepreneurs don’t want to be a grower, they want to be the Elon Musk of their food adventure – build a successful, profitable business. With this eagerness, they’re pushing the industry to move forward: they want high-tech, they want an investible project, they want to differentiate in strawberries or mushrooms and they want the data. Actually, they want all of it because they know it is possible. And that’s pushing us as consultants as well to develop continuously.”

It’s not only new growers and investors entering the industry. “We’re still seeing ourselves as a young company,” Darryn adds – the original Autogrow business began 27 years ago but in 2014 began to expand into software platforms and cloud-based technology including the launch of FarmRoad and Folium Network Sensors “Now all of a sudden there’s a raft of other guys springing up all over the place I don’t think that’s an accident: those founders must have seen what we saw: a transformation in the industry and an opportunity to contribute to that.” He explains how that’s indeed how they look at these developments – not as a threat but as help to lift the digital tide. “If more players talk about using data and platforms to help growing, it can help the industry move away from the old, mechanized way of farming.”

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Wireless smart sensor Folium

Data-driven growing
The shift to data-driven growing is not only happening in new markets or new companies. Also, existing associations are looking for ways to catch up. “Egypt and Morocco for example,” Henry gives as an example. “We’re seeing both governmental initiatives as companies trying to catch up. What they’re looking for is not only the technology we have, but the knowledge that can be offered. They’re understanding that’s valuable and that moving farming forward is also something what they are paying for.” Darryn adds how also new generations are following up their parents in existing companies – with often no intention to follow the same strategy as their parents did. “They’ve studied and have grown with new techniques including AI and data. They want to know how these new forms of technology will help the industry and their company move forward.”

“The long-awaited shift from the old way of farming is going to be a big feature in 2021,” Henry concludes. Does this mean both Agritecture can sit down and relax with customers showing up, and Autogrow can wait for their products to sell themselves? Unfortunately not. Back in spring Agritecture lost about sixty percent of their consulting business and significant challenges lasted until November before the company had a positive revenue again. “Still we see the momentum and believe in building the marketplace. We’ve launched a digital product in April and have our first 2000 users and are getting amazing testimonials, we’re about to begin fundraising for the next stage of our software.”

“With the borders closed, the Netherlands in a new lockdown, all the trade events shut down, the situation remains challenging,” Darryn confirms. “Connecting with customers has become harder in 2020, we have to hustle more now.” Being based in New Zealand and having customers all over the world means the usual challenges with different time zones but it’s what everyone needs to do in this new normal. Convinced the situation will not change any time soon, the company has rapidly expanded their presence all over the world. “It’s a high-risk play, but we hired 15 people in the last 12 months. By being present in Europe, in Asia, in America, we are in a better position to support our customers and  also learn from their challenges."

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Digital twin
And there’s more to come in 2021. “Of course there will be super-advanced stuff coming out,” Darryn laughs and although not all of it can be revealed yet, he explains how the creation of a digital twin for greenhouse crops will be a new tool in the road to the autonomous greenhouse. “But that’s for the long term – for now, it’s technique and software helping the industry to grow. Together with the industry, we’re on track for the big boom of CEA,” he says and Henry adds how it’s one they didn’t expect to happen this way per se. “We always knew CEA was getting bigger but thought on droughts, climate change, and food safety to steer this. We didn’t expect the pandemic to be the next big driver, but it feels like next year is going to be huge.”

Annually Autogrow and Agritecture release a Global CEA Census report, an in-depth global survey of indoor & controlled environment agriculture. The insights discussed in this article can be read in the greater perspective in the second edition of the Global CEA Census Report, that was launched early December. Click here for more information on it and a free download of the report.

For more information:

Autogrow

sales@autogrow.com

www.autogrow.com

Agritecture
henry@agritecture.com
www.agritecture.com

Publication date: Thu 24 Dec 2020
Author: Arlette Sijmonsma
© HortiDaily.com

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Welsh Government Fund The Supply & Installation of CEA Systems

To date, the approaches to CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) have been vastly different, uncoordinated, and largely unsupported. Through this pilot, we will offer real growth potential at a scale that is impactful, replicable and delivers wider benefits for the region.

This project, Crop Cycle, is being funded by the Welsh Government through the Foundational Economy Challenge Fund and we will be working with businesses and partners who are committed to the four pillars of the Economic Contract. The project will provide a testbed for Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), in the community setting – the very heart of our Foundational Economy. The project is being led by Social Farms & Gardens supported by Welsh Government’s Horticulture Cluster group and NutriWales CEA Special Interest Group.

The project allows for multiple & differing CEA systems to be tailored to fit different community settings but allowing them to be investigated and assessed in a coordinated and joined-up way across the pilot sites. This approach is unique, allowing the testing of new socially focused business models, the engagement of the local communities and businesses with CEA, and the development of new technical solutions. 

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This project will introduce food growing right into the heart of our communities, ones where they understand the local issues and are connected to the particular dynamics of the local area. Activities will test new community-based engagement models looking at social well-being, local entrepreneurship, and environmental impact. In this way, the project will be innovative in its operational delivery, social engagement, and business model creation bringing together community, businesses, and local public sector organizations.

Three sites will be supported, two of which are in the Valleys. Green Meadow Community Farm in Cwmbran, one of only two ‘city farms’ in Wales, and one which connects people to food and farming in a very public way. It is owned and operated by Torfean County Borough Council, bringing with it a high-level partnership. The farm already welcomes thousands of visitors through its gates and connects locally through a number of schools and college partnerships – making it an ideal ‘showcase’ location for this pilot.

Welcome To Our Woods in Treherbert is the site of the second valley, nestled in the heart of the Rhondda Valleys. This proactive community group has been actively engaging with its communities through partnerships with the Green Valleys CIC and their joint ‘Skyline’ project. This partnership and ground-up way of working has led to several funding investments in the region looking to explore community ownership of land and the benefits that can be brought about by allowing the community to utilize some of their surrounding natural green assets for the betterment of the environment, and the local communities. This makes it a unique and perfect fit for this pilot.

Ian Thomas from Welcome To Our Woods, said, ‘work is progressing well on the growing facility in Treherbert and we are excited to be bringing such an innovative and progressive project to our local high street. We have already been engaging with the Upper Rhondda community to explore the projects that actively use our woodlands for the benefit of those they surround, and initiatives such as this help give local people an idea of what can be achieved’.

The third site will be in Ty Pawb Community Hub in Wrexham, situated in the center of Wrexham, this recently refurbished site boasts a monthly footfall of 50000. One of the key players in the successful regeneration of the town it will also link with the community rooftop garden where Welsh Heritage Fruit trees are to be planted. Its facilities include an art gallery, stage area for concerts, and rooms for educational visits and community clubs.

Gary Mitchell, the Wales Manager for Social Farms & Gardens who is leading the project team stated, "we are excited to be running the pilot project across a diverse set of sites to gain insight and further knowledge into how new agricultural systems can successfully support communities in delivering local, fresh and nutritious foods as well as important social benefits in a sustainable manner." 

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For more information:
Social Farms & Gardens
Gary Mitchell, Wales Manager
gary@farmgarden.org.uk 
www.farmgarden.org.uk 

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15 Dec 2020

VIDEO: The Ohio State University Announces Ground-Breaking For The Controlled Environment Food Production Research Complex

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December 22, 2020

Urbanagnews

This new, unique facility will support the needs of our faculty and students unlocking human potential for innovation. This greenhouse of the future will be a place for collaborative research, sustainable food production, and distinguish Ohio State from other institutions. The CEFPRC will be located at the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory.

This facility will provide technology and research that will impact all Ohioans and beyond.

Learn more about CEFPRC.

Tagged Education Greenhouse Ohio State University Research Vertical Farming

"CEA Can Increase Its U.S. Market Share By 5x Over The Next 10 Years"

S2G Ventures rResearches

Controlled Environment Agriculture Market:

Investment in CEA has surpassed $2.0B across North America and Europe spurring new start-ups, innovation and corporate engagement across the supply chain. With increased demonstration of the viability of controlled growing, a newly launched report predicts that CEA will support more than 10% of US vegetable and herb production by 2025 leading to significant opportunities for growers over the next decade.

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The new report, Growing Beyond the Hype: Controlled Environment Agriculture, launched by S2G Ventures reveals how innovation in the field of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), including greenhouse and indoor farming, will lead to ripple effects across the food system and more sustainable methods of production. S2G Ventures is a multi-stage investment firm committed to advancing sustainable solutions in food and ag – its portfolio companies include Beyond Meat, sweetgreen, Lavva, Apeel Sciences and more. The report predicts the maturation of CEA will lead to differentiated, quality products, cost-competitive pricing and a more resilient, traceable and trustworthy supply chain. These new supply chains may represent a transition for the changing urban real estate landscape post-covid.

"Controlled farming has the potential to offer consumers and supply chain stakeholders resilient, sustainable, local, high-quality products," said Walter Robb, Executive-in Residence at S2G Ventures and former co-CEO of Whole Foods. "It is a growing part of our evolving food system and can work alongside outdoor production to mitigate climate risk and help solve systemic nutrition and food access challenges."

S2G Ventures expects that CEA will have far-reaching implications for the future of our food system in three key areas.

Local production and controlled environments will lead to a more resilient, traceable and trustworthy supply chain
Despite being a $1.2 trillion global industry, fresh produce faces significant supply and demand challenges resulting in a systemic lack of high-quality, affordable products reaching consumers. According to the Lancet, only 36% of the global population in 2015 had adequate availability of fruits and vegetables to meet the WHO age-specific minimum nutrition targets. 

In the United States, for example, the fresh produce market is challenged by the limitations of outdoor production, including climate, field loss exposure, resource intensiveness, and limited ability to iterate or diversify, as well as geographic constraints resulting in products traveling 7-10 days on average from farm to consumer. As a result, the U.S. is reliant on other countries to meet demand with 53% of fresh fruit and 32% of fresh vegetables imported annually according to the FDA.

If just 13% of vegetables and herbs shift to local CEA production by 2025, the United States can add $2.3bn additional production capacity and reduce our need for fresh vegetable imports by 15%. Local production can save up to 9 Trillion food miles through shorter transportation routes minimizing shelf life time spent in transit and reducing the amount of food waste by retailers and consumers. Additionally, controlled environments improve food safety, traceability and consistency of production.

Technology and operations advancements drive improvements to CEA unit economics that can compete with or beat outdoor production.
In order to gain market share, CEA production must become cost competitive with outdoor production. High upfront capex costs of facilities and equipment as well as energy costs, labor and product inputs, have historically made costs of CEA growing prohibitive. But innovation of grow inputs, improved grow systems, and optimization of facility productivity are driving more cost-effective production. Those innovations combined with CEA's higher number of grow cycles, 10+ for Greenhouse and 20+ for Indoor, will enable CEA to achieve unit economics that are at cost parity with outdoor.

CEA will usher in the next wave of biodiversity, nutrient density, and flavor innovation providing retailers with differentiated, quality products.
According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, about 75 percent of the world's food comes from just 5 animal species and 12 plants. Almost half of our plant-derived calories come from just three foods: wheat, corn and rice. Germplasm for these plants are bred for long storage time and disease resistance, at the expense of flavor, color, and nutritional value. The lack of biodiversity and nutritional value in our global diet restricts the value that plant molecules can play in human health.

Indoor Agriculture offers new grow formats, methods and technologies that promise to increase the quality, consistency and diversity of produce. Advancements in CEA-tailored seeds bred for traits such as flavor, color, nutrient density and ripening will expose consumers to new flavors and more varied products. Ultimately, indoor agriculture will support customized grow recipes as IP, branded produce, local production of hard to access specialty ingredients, spices and superfoods and eventually inputs for food as medicine. 

"Controlled growing is a critical solution to address both the current supply challenges brought to light by COVID and the pressures on outdoor growing exacerbated by climate change," said Sanjeev Krishnan, S2G Ventures Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer. "We believe CEA can grow its US market share by five times over the next 10 years in response to these pressures and continued consumer demand for fresh produce."

The report
Growing Beyond the Hype: Controlled Environment Agriculture is based on S2G Ventures desktop research and interviews with over 20 industry experts including CEA growers, systems providers, policymakers, academic institutions, outdoor growers, ag input suppliers, philanthropists, and other investors. The report outlines the opportunity for CEA to resolve the current lack of high-quality, affordable produce driven by limitations in outdoor production and customer geography and outlines three areas indoor production must overcome to take significant market share including cost, product selection and productivity.

To read the full report, download at https://www.s2gventures.com/reports 

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3 Dec 2020

RII And ACEEE Awarded USDA Grant To Transform Controlled Environment Agriculture Toward Resource Conservation And Efficiency

Washington, D.C. (November 9, 2020) – Resource Innovation Institute (RII) and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) will receive nearly $600,000 over three years from the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The project was one of 24 projects selected for the 2020 program. RII and ACEEE will jointly implement the project through 2023.

Authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill, the CIG program helps develop the tools, technologies, and strategies to support next-generation conservation efforts on working lands and develop market-based solutions to resource challenges. 

The awarded proposal, titled Data-Driven Market Transformation for Controlled Environment Agriculture, will characterize key performance indicators, baseline data, and facility-level benchmarking for controlled environmental agriculture facilities. The project will develop a comprehensive suite of data tools, coupled with a market intervention strategy to address barriers to energy conservation, adoption of energy-efficient technologies, access to energy use data, and best practices.

“We’ve been assessing energy and water use in the energy-intensive cannabis cultivation sector for years and have built a set of vetted tools and resources that will now be extended to the broader controlled environment agriculture marketplace,” said Derek Smith, Executive Director of Resource Innovation Institute. “We appreciate the support of the USDA as well as leading producers, supply chain actors, universities, utilities, governments, standards organizations, and other project partners.”

“Market transformation is a proven strategy for creating and sustaining energy efficiency improvements in energy-intensive market sectors,” said Jennifer Amann, ACEEE’s Buildings Program Director. “With USDA’s support, we’ll engage leading CEA market actors, utilities, and policymakers to demonstrate market transformation’s potential to drive resource efficiency in the fast-growing and innovative CEA market.”

“Agricultural innovation has long played a key role in Oregon’s rural economy, and has made countless contributions to our state for generations,” said Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the USDA. “I’m pleased that this funding will help Oregonians keep us at the cutting edge of the newest technology in sustainable agriculture, and I will continue to partner with our state’s researchers and farmers to make sure Oregon agriculture continues to thrive.” 

“The world’s population is increasing, but available agricultural land is decreasing. Through science and innovation, we can help farmers improve the health of their operations and productivity on their lands while protecting the natural resources we all depend on,” said Natural Resources Conservation Service Acting Chief Kevin Norton. “The new systems, tools, and technologies being developed through CIG are helping us ensure the longevity of American agriculture.” 

Additional support includes:

Fifth Season
“As an industry-leading indoor vertical farming company with two farms and over 126,000 sq. ft. of growing space which can produce over 500,000 lbs. of fresh food each year, Fifth Season is committed to this exciting project,” said Grant Vandenbussche, Chief Category Officer, Fifth Season. “We will benchmark the resource efficiency performance of our facilities, evaluate potential efficiency upgrades, and be featured in case studies demonstrating the financial and environmental results of our projects.”

Fluence by OSRAM
Fluence is a leading global provider of energy-efficient LED lighting solutions for commercial agriculture production. Fluence regularly contributes to RII’s cultivation guidance and serves as an industry-leading voice for RII on efficient energy consumption for LED lighting in CEA facilities. “We are increasingly observing global growers commit to more energy-efficient cultivation solutions at their facilities,” said Corinne Wilder, Vice President of Global Business Operations for Fluence. “This grant underscores the important work RII has already done for growers and we will enthusiastically recruit cultivators to engage with this project to not only help improve the efficiency of their own operations but those of the entire CEA industry.”

Grodan
“For more than 50 years, Grodan has developed Precision Growing methods proven to reduce water and nutrient use while maximizing crop quality and yield. Vertical farms and greenhouses are critical to the future of global food and medicine production as well as minimizing resource usage with technologies such as recirculation,” said Gonneke Gerkema, North American Business Director, Grodan. “This project collaboration brings together several key companies who share the same vision of industry benchmarking combined with Data-Driven decision making to generate water-use efficiencies that will benefit the cultivators, the industry, and indeed the environment.”

Northwest Power & Conservation Council
“Indoor agriculture is a significant part of the driving force behind forecast growing electric loads in agriculture,'' said Ben Kujala, Director of Power Planning, Northwest Power & Conservation Council. “The Council supports looking for opportunities for cost-effective energy efficiency and demand management within the growing indoor agriculture sector as part of its power planning and conservation responsibilities. As project advisor, Council staff commit to engage and educate stakeholders.”

For more information, go to ResourceInnovation.org/CEA. To schedule an interview with an RII representative, please contact Ellie Malone at ellie@themaverickpr.com or 262-337-3312.

About Resource Innovation Institute: Advancing Resource Efficiency to Cultivate a Better Agricultural Future

Resource Innovation Institute (RII) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance resource efficiency to cultivate a better agricultural future. Founded in 2016 to address the resource impacts of cannabis cultivation, RII is extending its services to other energy-intensive horticultural sectors. Its PowerScore benchmarking platform represents the world’s largest dataset on indoor agriculture energy use. RII’s Technical Advisory Council, which includes a Policy Working Group and a Utility Working Group, is the leading multi-disciplinary body assessing the environmental impacts and best practices associated with cultivation resource issues. RII’s Board of Directors includes the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and a former board member of the US Green Building Council. RII is funded by utilities, foundations, governments and industry leaders. Visit our website at ResourceInnovation.org. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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We Control The Entire Growing Process From "Seed To Store"

Edible Garden Advances Sustainable Produce Category

With Patented Greenhouse Technology

Edible Garden, an agriculture-technology company that operates advanced environmentally controlled greenhouses and indoor hydroponic farms under stringent food safety protocols, announces its commitment to a sustainable future of next-generation farming with Zero-Waste Inspired innovation. The company's proprietary farming management software system monitors plants 24/7 along with all supply chain variables to optimize growth, traceability, and food miles.

"Our expansive indoor facilities are interconnected nationwide to reduce the company's carbon footprint and plastic waste while maximizing access to our USDA-Certified Organic salad greens and culinary herbs," said Jim Kras, CEO of Edible Garden. "Since we control the entire growing process from 'seed to store,' our farms exceed produce category profitability with minimal product loss."

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An aerial view of Edible Garden headquarters. The company operates thousands of acres of sustainable greenhouses and hydroponic farms.

Zero-Waste Inspired innovations feature recyclable micro-perforated bags with micro-cap laser packaging that optimize atmosphere transfer rates within the bag and keep it free of contaminants. Edible Garden's patented self-watering in-store displays, designed to extend the life of the plant, are available exclusively at Meijer stores. 

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Edible Garden's advanced agriculture technology and environmentally controlled crops ensure food safety and quality.

Headquartered in Belvidere, New Jersey, Edible Garden operates additional farms nationwide through cooperative farming efforts that transcend the company's social mission to bring fresh produce and jobs to local areas. Edible Garden is a key contributor to Project Gigaton, a Walmart initiative to avoid one billion metric tons (a gigaton) of greenhouse gases from the global value chain by 2030.

Edible Garden produce includes USDA-Certified Organic Premium Fresh Cut Herbs, Hydro Fresh Basil, Organic 4" Living Herbs, and Premium Organic Living Lettuces that are currently available at major and local retailers including Meijer, Walmart, Wakefern/ShopRite, Hannaford, Target, Sweetgreen, among many others.

Lead photo: Edible Garden's patented self-watering in-store displays extend plant life for a better product and minimal loss.

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For more information:
Edible Garden
283 County Road 519
Belvidere, NJ 07823
(844) 344-3727
www.ediblegarden.com

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Publication date: Thu 8 Oct 2020

US - AppHarvest Expands Educational Container Farm Program For Eastern Kentucky Students

Rowan County Senior High School Students

To Receive Hands-On, High-Tech Growing Experience

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October 13, 2020

Morehead, Ky.  — AppHarvest announced today the expansion of its educational high-tech container farm program for Eastern Kentucky students, unveiling a new container farm unit in Rowan County. The program demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to fostering interest in high-tech farming, as it seeks to create America’s AgTech capital from within Appalachia.

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The retrofitted shipping container will serve as a hands-on agricultural classroom for students at Rowan County Senior High School, allowing them to grow and provide fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables to their classmates and those in need in and around Morehead. The county is home to AppHarvest’s first controlled environment agriculture facility, a massive 2.76-million-square-foot farm that opens later this month. The facility will employ more than 300 and grow tomatoes to be sold through the top 25 grocers nationwide.

The educational container farm’s arrival will be formally celebrated at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, with live music and refreshments, as acclaimed Kentucky muralists Often Seen Rarely Spoken (OSRS) work with the high school’s art students to paint the container farm’s exterior. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the container farm and learn about its high-tech tools, as well as see butterhead lettuce starters growing on the container’s vertical columns.

The container farm is 2,880 cubic feet, weighs 7.5 tons, and includes space to grow up to 3,600 seedlings and 4,500 mature plants all at once using 256 vertical crop columns. The container’s unique design utilizes cutting-edge LED lighting and closed-loop irrigation systems to allow students to grow far more than traditional open-field agriculture. For instance, they can grow up to 500 full heads of lettuce, or 1,000 miniature heads, as part of a single crop if they desire.

The Rowan County container farm joins AppHarvest’s inaugural container farm serving Shelby Valley High School students in Pike County. Both are part of AppHarvest’s high school AgTech program, which provides Eastern Kentucky students with knowledge about the importance of eating healthy and hands-on experience growing fruits and vegetables in high-tech environments.

Students at Shelby Valley High School have grown leafy greens, donating them to those in need through a backpack program and food pantry. Guests in attendance will include Rocky Adkins, senior adviser to Gov. Andy Beshear; Rowan County Schools Superintendent John Maxey; Rowan County Judge-Executive Harry Clark; Rowan County High School Principal Brandy Carver; and Morehead Mayor Laura White-Brown. All social distancing protocols will be strictly followed, with all in attendance wearing face masks and remaining at least six feet apart while enjoying festivities.

The Rowan County Senior High School container farm program will be led by agriculture teacher Bradley McKinney. The program’s curriculum combines existing agricultural education with six new units focusing on leading AgTech advancements. McKinney said the container farm will allow students to be competitive in the national Supervised Agricultural Experience Program, which, along with Future Farmers of America (FFA) and traditional classroom instruction, is an integral part of agriculture education.

The program requires students to gain hands-on experience through agriculture-based entrepreneurship, placement programs, or research. “The container farm is the exact type of hands-on tool that excites students and shows first-hand the excitement of modern farming,” McKinney said. “Students can have their own projects and learn all about entrepreneurship, as they make decisions about what to grow and how to distribute it.”

About AppHarvest
AppHarvest is building some of the world’s largest indoor farms, combining conventional agricultural techniques with today’s technology to grow non-GMO, chemical-free fruits and vegetables to be sold to the top 25 U.S. grocers.

The company has developed a unique system to reduce water usage by 90% compared to typical farms, as a 10-acre rainwater retention pond pairs with sophisticated circular irrigation systems. The system also eliminates agricultural runoff entirely.

By locating within Appalachia, AppHarvest benefits from being less than a day’s drive to 70% of the U.S. population. That lowers diesel use in transportation costs by 80%, allowing the company’s fresher produce to compete against low-cost foreign imports.

VIDEO: “Everyone Can Become A City Farmer”: Interview With iFarm’s Co-Founder And CEO Max Chizhov

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By Arnaud Terrisse

October 13, 2020

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Today’s agricultural models have shown their limits in terms of their impact on the environment, biodiversity, and production. In a bid to reduce pollution, biodiversity loss, and shrinking yields, one solution presented has been ‘vertical farming’, otherwise known as growing crops in vertically stacked layers, and in a controlled environment.

We recently caught up with Max Chizhov, co-founder and CEO of Helsinki-based iFarm, a startup founded in 2017 that are providing ‘plug&play’ automated vertical farms for stores, restaurants, warehouses, and even homes. We asked him a few questions about things that matter when you’re an entrepreneur and leading your company to grow.

If you’re interested in agtech and the future of food but also in having a positive social impact, reducing our carbon footprint, or how to build a solid team in a startup, you’ll find some good advice from Max down below. 

Hello Max, thank you for being with us today. Could you please give us a short overview about how you became an entrepreneur as well as why you founded iFarm? 

In 2017, I was looking for a project that, on the one hand, would be interesting for me from a professional point of view, and on the other, bring tangible benefits to the society. I already had experience in the technological field, that is why I focused on that area. At that time, I also met Alex Lyskovsky, who had just finished a course at a culinary school in France. That experience left him wondering whether it was possible to grow high-quality vegetables all year round, regardless of climate conditions and with the least environmental impact, ideally making profit. His story resonated with me, so I researched the topic thoroughly and realized that that was something I really wanted to do — that’s how iFarm was born.

iFarm is based in Vantaa, Finland. What is your opinion on the environment for creating a tech company there? 

Finland offers a favorable environment for tech startups that care about the social side of business as much as the profits. It has a strong community of tech entrepreneurs, an excellent networking base, and government support. 

iFarm has announced recently an approx. €3.6 million seed investment. What are your future plans with such capital? 

The company will use the funding to develop our iFarm Growtune IT platform that enables operations of multiple varieties of vertical farms and quadrupling the number of plants available to iFarm’s tech. In addition, iFarm will be optimizing its automated production lines to reduce labor costs and complete experiments with growing strawberries, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, radish, and other crops. 

We are also currently preparing for Series A round, which will take place in Q4’2020 – Q1’2021. Next year we are planning to expand our presence in Northwest and Central Europe and the Middle East.

This news comes amidst great uncertainties with COVID-19. Has the pandemic impacted your activities and priorities as a company? 

Over the last few years, the overall trend in agriculture has been to localize production. This is due to the high rates of urbanization, growth of population, and in 2020 the additional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the quarantine following it that made the problems of long supply chains and food security even more obvious.

Such conditions make growing vegetables, berries, and greens in the immediate vicinity of the consumer a necessity. Countries have begun to think strategically about food security issues, which brought us several large customers.

From the point of view of organizing teamwork, we did not face any difficulties. Even before the pandemic, we had been building processes and implementing tools for smooth work of an effective remote team.

Since 2017, your team has grown to over 20 people. What tips would you give to someone who wants to build a solid team? 

Create a welcoming atmosphere and avoid strict hierarchies. At iFarm, every employee has the opportunity to contact the founders, ask any question, or come up with a proposal. This does not require full control over tasks and is based on the trust and professionalism of each team member. Top management is to come to the rescue when necessary and prioritize a large pool of operational issues. This increases the level of employee motivation and loyalty, that is how we manage to achieve our goals and to meet deadlines, while maintaining high quality.

Hire people that share your company’s mission and values, are independent and self-organized. We allow for mistakes to take place, they can happen and it is part of the process. Reflecting on these mistakes, understanding their essence and cause helps employees to become stronger and more confident, and to avoid them in the future.

In your opinion what makes iFarm stand out from the competition? 

iFarm provides a turnkey solution, so our clients do not need to have special knowledge — everyone can become a city farmer and produce crops for sale; traditional agricultural productions will be able to modernize their capacities, and such businesses as HoReCa, retail and food manufacturers will receive a technological solution that ensures uninterrupted supply of ingredients for their dishes and goods.

Another important advantage of iFarm is the range of crops that can be grown using our technology, while most vertical farms in the world produce the same salads and greens, which is often criticized in the market.

What is it like to tackle such an important issue as food and agriculture? 

That is a great challenge and a great responsibility. On the one hand, we want to ensure access to healthy and high-quality food for as many people in the world as possible, on the other hand, we want to conserve the natural resources of our planet and minimize our carbon footprint. Thus, creating iFarm technology, we are always guided by these principles when making decisions that affect this result.

What is your advice to young entrepreneurs looking to kick off their own agtech company? 

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, set ambitious goals, work in a team, and remember to delegate.

Signify’s LED Lighting Helps GoodLeaf Farms To Increase Food Production All Year Round

October 15, 2020

Eindhoven, The Netherlands – GoodLeaf Community Farms in Canada selected Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, to equip its new state-of-the-art farm with Philips Horticulture LED lighting and increase its food production, enhance flavor and improve nutritional value. As a branded producer, GoodLeaf grows and packs fresh, nutritious, and pesticide-free micro and baby greens year-round. The company operates a 4,000-square-metre indoor vertical farm in Guelph, Ontario, which is now fully operational to supply some of the largest Canadian retail chains. GoodLeaf is backed by McCain Foods as its strategic investor.

The vertical farm is fully automated and equipped with the latest LED lighting technology for growing indoors. The energy-efficient Philips Greenpower LED production modules enable GoodLeaf to shorten production cycles. As it provides a controlled environment it also allows GoodLeaf to produce all year round without any lighting, temperature, and pesticide worries and reducing waste at the same time.

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GoodLeaf Farms started working with Philips products in 2013 at the company’s test facility in Truro, Nova Scotia. “Signify has been very advantageous to GoodLeaf. We’ve worked with many vendors and Signify would stand out as one of the most collaborative, if not one of the best partners we’ve had through this project. We will work with them on a go-forward basis and very much look forward to that,” said Jeff McKinnon, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of GoodLeaf Community Farms and TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture.

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Signify has built up a substantial track record in more than 400 projects in the horticultural lighting market since 1995, developing ways to apply lighting technology to crop farming. With cutting-edge LED innovations, the company can custom-build a science-based solution for growers providing data and plant expertise to optimize yields.

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This expertise is built on close collaborations with Signify’s horticulture partners and through research at its own vertical farming research facilities in Eindhoven, called GrowWise Center. Vertical farming, or city farming, means that plants can be grown indoors in a controlled environment without sunlight. This is ideal for propagating young plants, cultivating full head crops, and growing healthier, pesticide-free crops. It maximizes production by using LEDs to light multiple layers of crops, achieving a higher yield with a smaller footprint.

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“The support from Signify and the folks from GrowWise Center is phenomenal. We meet with them monthly. The data they collect covers the data we collect as well, so sharing that knowledge has been excellent, and the service over their Philips’ products has been exceptional,” said McKinnon.
For more information about this project at GoodLeaf, you can watch the video here.

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For further information, please contact:

Global Marcom Manager Horticulture at Signify

Daniela Damoiseaux

Tel: +31 6 31 65 29 69

E-mail: daniela.damoiseaux@signify.com

www.philips.com/horti

Signify Global Media relations - Professional Lighting

Wendy Schellens

Tel: +31 6 51 863 401

Email: wendy.schellens@signify.com

About Signify

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value, and transform life in homes, buildings, and public spaces. With 2019 sales of EUR 6.2 billion, we have approximately 36,000 employees and are present in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been named Industry Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for three years in a row. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.

Register For ERASMUS + ECVET PONICS VET LAUNCH - Friday, October 16th

ERASMUS DAYS PUBLIC LAUNCH

October 16th, 2020

Register for ERASMUS+ ECVET PONICS VET

 LAUNCH:

Erasmus plus helps the CEA industry grow with free online vocational training courses in hydroponics for the technician level profile

PONICS VET:

Hydroponics Technician is an Erasmus + project. It aims to service agriculture communities and future growers from outside the industry. It provides essential basic training and an introduction into practices and the use of technology in the soilless growing of plants. Hydroponic systems have a proven track record in resource efficiency and resilience in the age of climate change. It also provides an attractive solution for existing farm operations that are not economical anymore and create new income streams for growers and would-be farmers.

The PONICS VET training services an innovative professional profile, the hydroponics technician, and delivers credentials for such a profile in a commercial context. The course will introduce system definitions, various technical insights, and important proficiencies in practical growing, including pest control, food safety, and certification information. Also included are case studies and ample supporting material. The micro-credential rules are drawn from the ECVET (the European credit system for VET) methodology, which will allow recognition of applied learning outcomes in the EU and beyond.

As the development of workforce pathways in times of CoVid19 and for the agriculture, communities has become a critical demand, FTS and its industry-based membership was selected as a critical partner in the development and deployment of PONICS VET project. Stay tuned for further modules and languages.“Workforce development in Agriculture has been underserviced in new and innovative agriculture practices and needs to be the main focus by the industry as well as the policymaker, PONICS VET is a great start for the Controlled Environment Agriculture sector as there currently no accredited vocational training courses online outside of the NL/BE greenhouse cluster. “ ~ FarmTech Society


HOW TO JOIN THIS EVENT:

Registration Page

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE COURSE:

Link to FREE ONLINE COURSE (Guest)

About FTSFarmTech Society (FTS) ASBL is an international non-profit association that unites and supports the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry, seeking to strengthen the sector through the development and implementation of resilient and future-proof methods and technologies for indoor growing. A prime focus area of the FTS is education, by developing training and education courses and creating credentials for graduates facilitating certification that meets industry needs. Secondly, the FTS engages with lawmakers in order to help promote policies and regulations that foster innovation and propel businesses in CEA. Thirdly, the FTS supports the establishment of standards to help the industry grow and innovate. Lastly, the FTS also provides an international network for the CEA industry.

Project Partners:

1 Latvia University of Lifesciences and Technology (Lativia)

2 Eurocrea Merchant Srl (Italy)

3 IDEC (Greece)

4 BIC Innobridge (Bulgaria)

5 FarmTech Society ASBL (Belgium)

6 zemniekusaeima (Lativa)

Autogrow Expands Into Europe With New Role And New Farm Solutions

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 29 September 2020: Autogrow has ramped up their activity in the Northern Hemisphere by establishing a new Sales Director Europe and U.K. role based in the Netherlands supporting their expanding customer base for new digital farming solutions FarmRoad® and Folium®.

 CEO Darryn Keiller says, “this expansion into Europe is counter-intuitive during a pandemic however innovation and crop production doesn’t slow down, and the challenges growers face haven’t disappeared because of COVID-19. In fact, they have been exacerbated by the pandemic. We think now is the perfect time to introduce solutions that will help growers with productivity, gain greater economic benefits, and transform the market. Added to which, with cross-border restrictions and travel limitations likely to remain in place in the foreseeable future, establishing a local presence is the right move.” 

“The Netherlands has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a leader in efficient and sustainable agriculture and, after the United States, is the second-largest exporter of agriculture in the world. By establishing a role in the region, we create strong ties with growers and, like our partnerships in the United States, introduce our new digital farming solutions FarmRoad and Folium.”

Autogrow has been working closely over the past few months with customers and distributors in the region including some of the largest tomato producers. They are delighted to be working alongside Van der Voort, a member of the Prominent farming cooperative, who share Autogrow's focus on sustainable farming practices.

“We have been growing tomatoes for over 50 years and technology has always played a pivotal role in our success. With multiple farms and increasing production, we look for solutions that are leading the AgTech market. The work the Autogrow team are doing with sensor technology and farm management solutions is cutting edge and we are excited to be working together,” says Van der Voort Co-Owner, Joost Van der Voort.

Although Autogrow’s headquarters is based in New Zealand, large geographical distances have never hindered the organization from successfully operating on the global stage. Their endeavors also have the support of the New Zealand Government.

“It’s exciting to see AgTech innovation developed in New Zealand supporting growers here,” says Ariane Gonzalez, New Zealand Trade Commissioner to the Netherlands.

“New Zealand is recognized on the global stage for producing efficient and effective agricultural solutions that work in a range of climates, and this is another great example of that in action,” says Ms Gonzalez.

In addition, Autogrow has assistance from InnovationQuarter, the regional economic development agency for the Province of Zuid-Holland. 

"The Netherlands, and Rotterdam - The Hague area specifically, is the worldwide center of horticulture. We are eager to attract and facilitate innovators with exciting solutions as Autogrow. They are a great addition to our region and the sector and support our regional economy. Next to that they benefit and contribute to strengthening our ecosystem of innovative companies in horticulture, impacting the societal challenge for feeding and greening the mega-cities of the future,” explains Chris van Voorden, Head of Internationalization at InnovationQuarter.

Autogrow is currently recruiting for the new role with the expectation to have someone in place over the next few months.

To see the advertised role - https://www.ceresrecruitment.nl/en/vacancy/sales-director-uk-europe/CEBI03123-en 

For more information on Folium Network Sensor - https://autogrow.com/products/folium

For more information on Yield Prediction by FarmRoad - https://www.farmroad.io/ 

MEDIA QUERIES

Kylie Horomia, Head of Brand & Communications
(e) Kylie.horomia@autogrow.com
(m) +6421 733 025
(w) www.autogrow.com  www.farmroad.io  

Sales queries – sales@autogrow.com

 About Autogrow

Autogrow leverages the power of technology, data science, and plant biology to provide indoor growers affordable, accessible, and easy-to-use innovation – 24/7, anywhere in the world. 

Our hardware, software, and data solutions support growers and resellers in over 40 countries producing over 100 different crop types.

We are the experts in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and continue to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving landscape.

CEA Startup AppHarvest To Go Public, Expects $475m Funding At $1bn Valuation

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October 1, 2020

Lauren Stine

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US controlled environment agriculture (CEA) startup AppHarvest has announced a merger with NASDAQ-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Novus Capital, enabling it to go public.

The deal is slated to bring in $475 million in gross proceeds for Kentucky-based AppHarvest, including a private investment in public equity (PIPE) transaction worth $375 million from existing and new investors including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Inclusive Capital, and Novus. This commitment, at $10 per share, values the company at $1 billion.

“I can’t say this was the exact plan but what accelerated all of this was Covid-19,” AppHarvest CEO Jonathan Webb told AFN. “Typically, you would do 40 to 60 meetings to get a couple of investors. We had 22 meetings and had almost 20 ‘yeses.’ Very few passed on this deal and we eventually had to cancel meetings.”

Webb describes the SPAC transaction and PIPE financing experience as “absolutely phenomenal.”

A SPAC is formed with the sole purpose of raising capital through an IPO in order to acquire an existing privately-held company and take it public. Also referred to as ‘blank check companies,’ the mechanism has existed for several years but has received increased attention of late. This year alone, more than 50 SPACs have been formed in the US, collectively raising around $36.2 billion as of last month.

Invest with Impact. Click here.

PIPE deals effectively allow institutional investors to buy larger quantities of public company stock, typically at a discount to public market prices.

“AppHarvest is a unique and compelling investment opportunity that is redefining American agriculture by improving access for all to fresh non-GMO produce, growing more with fewer resources, and creating an agtech hub from within Appalachia,” Novus chairman Bob Laikin said in a statement. 

“With significant tailwinds from heightened investor focus on ESG initiatives and the secular shift to plant-based foods, we believe AppHarvest is well-positioned to execute on its strategy for rapid growth and value creation,” he continued.

AppHarvest — which raised $28 million in its Series C round in August — is launching what it describes as the world’s largest greenhouse later this year, consisting of a 2.76 million square foot facility in Morehead, Kentucky. The system it uses reportedly reduces water usage by 90% compared to traditional open-field agriculture, while also eliminating runoff. 

Its first crop will be non-GMO tomatoes, which will be provided to a number of US grocers. 

Other AppHarvest investors include TV cook Martha Stewart, VC veteran Peter Thiel, ValueAct Capital’s Spring Fund, Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, Equilibrium Capital, and Narya – the new VC firm co-founded by JD Vance, author of best-selling Appalachian memoir Hillbilly Elegy.

“We are about to plant our first crop in a 60-acre, controlled environment, chemical-free farm. No one else in America is doing something at that scale. Investors look at that,” Peter Spac, AppHarvest’s newly appointed chief financial officer, told AFN.

“We have a phenomenal growing team. We have a phenomenal team of sustainability experts. They’re looking at a company and even though its pre-revenue it has all the necessary ingredients to succeed.”

AppHarvest knows it’s far from being the only player in the CEA game. But it’s confident in its approach. 

“We aren’t burning through cash with pointless R&D when we can buy incredible technologies over in the Netherlands,” Webb says.

“The other thing is scale. Part of it is that building big stuff fast in the US is very hard. You have to get permitting, communities’ [buy-in], state and federal support, infrastructure, inspections. What we’ve proven through a global pandemic is that we can build one of the largest facilities in the world on time, on budget, at a record pace.”

Moving forward, AppHarvest is focused on bringing its beefsteak and on-the-vine tomatoes to market. The first harvest at its Morehead facility is slated for early 2021. It hopes to expand into leafy greens, berries, cucumbers, and bell peppers in the future.

2n​d​ Annual Global CEA Census Announced: CEA Amidst COVID-19

The 2020 Global Census will run from July 7 2020 until August 10 2020.

8/14/20 UPDATE:

The Global Census has been extended

& will run thru this Weekend

7 July 2020

AgTech leaders​ Autogrow​ and ​Agritecture Consulting​ have launched their​ 2n​d​ Annual Global CEA Census​, focusing on understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operations around the world.

“We’re all operating in a unique situation right now and what’s required is a reality check. All of us, including growers, suppliers, distributors, government and financial institutions, need a clear view of what should be implemented, ensuring farm operators address a raft of challenges to continue to feed communities,” explains Autogrow CEO, Darryn Keiller.

“In every major market, media coverage of farms has made clear the high COVID-19 infection rate amongst farm workers, coupled with major challenges in getting their traditional immigration sourced labor across closed borders. Infection rates in food processing plants are another example.”

“It will take accelerated engagement between industry stakeholders to get us through the next 12 months and on into the future. Some farm operators have adapted well, whereas others will require additional financial intervention and modernize their approach to farming. We hope this Census will highlight the true impact of what’s happening and where the priorities lie.”

Last year, the 2019 Census reported on several areas including growth plans, agricultural experience, and profitability. This year, the Census will focus specifically on COVID-19 and whether decisions indicated last year have been affected.

“In 2019, we found 90% of respondents planned to increase their production area. We’re curious as to whether that is still the case, and if not, what other business changes are being implemented due to COVID-19,” says Agritecture Founder and CEO, Henry Gordon-Smith.

“The future is going to be about maintaining the health of workers, alongside the health of the business. Consumers will be looking for transparency around food sourcing, sustainable and local producers, and this is an opportunity for the CEA industry to take a lead in what will be our new normal.”

Recent figures released by the World Health Organization show the rapid spread of COVID-19 that has resulted in countries implementing various lockdown measures. This, in turn, has had a major impact on the entire food supply chain, including CEA farms that are key food producers around the world.

The 2020 Global Census will run from July 7 2020 until August 10 2020.

All completed submissions will go in the draw to win multiple prizes, including tickets to ​Agritecture Xchange​, a speaking spot in the conference, a feature on Agritecture’s blog, and a discount off an annual Folium subscription with every purchase of a ​Folium Sensor Starter Pack​.

TAKE THE SURVEY ​HERE​

READ TERMS & CONDITIONS ​HERE​

MEDIA INQUIRIES
Kylie Horomia, Autogrow Head of Communications

(e) Kylie.horomia@autogrow.com
(m) +6421 733 025
(w) ​https://autogrow.com/​ | ​www.farmroad.io
Briana Zagami, Agritecture Media Strategist
(e) ​briana@agritecture.com

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About Autogrow

Autogrow leverages the power of technology, data science, and plant biology to provide indoor growers affordable, accessible, and easy-to-use innovation – 24/7, anywhere in the world.

Our solutions support growers and resellers in over 40 countries producing over 100 different crop types.

We are the experts in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and continue to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving landscape.

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About Agritecture Consulting

Agritecture Consulting provides a comprehensive approach to CEA project development.

In operation since 2014, Agritecture has helped more than 100 organizations determine the feasibility of their ideas, validate their business strategies, recruit talent for their projects, and manage operational challenges.

Our job is to jumpstart your knowledge of CEA, help you navigate barriers to entry, make industry connections, and mitigate risk. Our consulting services are backed by several years of operations data and a team of experienced growers, engineers, and sustainability managers.

VIDEO: IGS Intelligent System Design – FTS Finds Out More

Tom Zöllner

July 6, 2020

IGS has, as a company, focused from the outset on automation, intelligent system design, and the energy equation of CEA vertical farming. This has garnered them a reputation as one of the leading and most innovative companies in the industry. We took some time to have a chat with them and find out a bit more about how this all works in practice.

FTS: Hello and thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Can you briefly introduce IGS, its history as well as its outlook?

IGS:   IGS was founded in 2013 bringing together decades of farming and engineering experience with a vision to revolutionize the indoor growing market. The two founders, farmer Henry Aykroyd and our CTO Dave Scott had an appetite for innovation and realized that there were significant gaps in the provision of scalable technology for the sector. 

Henry knew how to grow and understood the challenges which faced traditional farming: Dave knew how to manage automation and power controls in an industrial environment. The opportunity to bring greater climate control to a growing environment was significant. The ability to manage power consumption was revolutionary. The simplicity of its implementation and use is pivotal. 

We opened our first vertical farm demonstrator in Scotland in 2018. Artificial intelligence determines optimal nutritional input and the exact combination or ‘recipes’ of weather: lighting, watering, and ventilation. Data is collected continuously and machine learning used to make iterative adjustments, all of which is monitored through a web-based app. The whole Intelligent Growth platform is IOT-enabled to automate system control and management. Our degree of control is so fine that each 6m2 growth tray has its own microclimate. Technical simplicity is at the heart of our mechanical design.

Our commitment to innovation has continued apace and we have evolved the applications of our technology beyond agriculture to create solutions for a wide variety of indoor environments, developing the Intelligent Grid platform.

The Intelligent Grid uses the same IOT-enabled power and controls platform to manage and monitor lights, sensors, cameras, and communications for complete climate control and reporting. It too has a very simple, clean, and elegant design for application in any commercial building, greenhouse or livestock shed. In contrast to the vertical farm, we use our same core technology through the Intelligent Grid to create whole-space macroclimates.

Both IGS demonstrators are based at the James Hutton Institute, a world-renowned crop, and plant science research facility. IGS and the Hutton collaborate closely to help advance the understanding of plant science for indoor growing. 

Until 2018 IGS had invested approximately £7m in R&D to ensure that its platforms offered the greatest levels of control and achieved levels of economic viability, scale, and minimal environmental impact compared to other systems on the market. In 2019 IGS raised £7 million in institutional capital to enter production and take its systems to global markets. We continue to invest over £1m per annum in R&D.

FTS: You have recently shared news of two reseller partnerships – one in the Middle East and one in the UK and Italy with TEP Renewables. Can you tell us briefly a bit more about them? 

IGS: We have been talking to International Real Estate Partners (IREP), the international facilities management firm for some time in the Middle East, and we’re really pleased to recently sign this referral agreement which is specifically focused on indoor vertical farming for the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets.

We also have an opportunity to extend into Asian markets in the future. It gives us a greater capacity to service the Middle East market and secure and deploy vertical farming platforms across the region. IREP’s presence in this market is well established with many existing customers across agriculture, retail, and construction and it is a very positive development for both companies we believe.

The agreement with TEP Renewables is an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) or a reseller-type partnership if we identify customers who would like to operate solar-powered vertical farms in Italy or the United Kingdom that we will work with them.

FTS: Fantastic! In the end, any vertical farm (indeed any farm!) is only as environmentally sustainable as its energy equations. But it is also only as financially sustainable as its energy cost. You have focused quite intensely on this energy cost question. As we see this dramatic collapse of fossil fuel energy production return on investment, it seems that NOW is the time to have renewable energy options on hand for CEA.  Do you believe that renewable energy can be cost-competitive – both in terms of installation, sustainable life-cycle and with regard to the price of the final product for the consumer?   

IGS: We consider a variety of power distribution and supply methods. Renewables can have considerable benefits from an environmental perspective and also specific to grants and other financial support for utilizing renewable energy resources.   

The “virtual power plant”  capabilities of our systems indicate strong Demand Side Response (DSR) potential. We can manipulate our growth cycles to respond to power availability and respond to inherent instabilities in power networks. This is already having an influence on our engagement in circular energy projects to utilize spare energy for growing and allows for more renewable power sources to be adopted.

FTS: Labor cost is the other biggest outlay for any vertical farm. You have invested heavily in automation. Is the trade-off of increased capital expenditure for automation worth the reduction in operational expenditure for labor, in your experience? 

IGS: Absolutely. Driving down the farm gate price is the ultimate goal and while labor costs vary from region to region, we believe that this investment in the automation (and indeed the associated patents) within our growing operations is imperative and differentiates our systems considerably.

FTS: You’ve set about designing modular and intelligent systems. Such a bespoke system offers advantages of course, as we’ve seen above.  But it can also present challenges if it cannot be integrated with other equipment and systems later. Do you future-proof your systems to be able to accommodate such updates and integrations over time? 

IGS: We have thought about this from the outset, and our systems are designed in a plug and play model, rather than being bespoke as such. Scalability is paramount for our customers and this has been a consideration throughout our R&D development.  Rather than using proprietary systems for processes such as sowing and harvesting, we use off-the-shelf equipment and components. This means we can keep startup and maintenance costs down by providing items with which farmers are already familiar. If a section of the vertical farming system needs to be replaced or upgraded, such as a water filter, a lighting panel or a tray, it can be done with almost no interruption. 

However, what is also imperative to think about in terms of future proofing, and a hugely important part of our approach, is how we work so closely with the science community to better understand plant light interactions. The level of control we have designed into our hardware systems allows us to flex and adapt as we need to deploy the most up to date plant light information through our software development, which is continuously evolving. 

The approach of our software development has also involved maximising security of our systems and ensuring simplicity of operation. This will be continuously updated, but with seamless integration for our customers. 

FTS: Along with FTS, you’ve joined a number of other associations and similar collaborative groups. Why is this important to you as a company, and how do you balance the proprietary needs of your company against this desire to cooperate?

IGS:  Collaboration and cooperation across this sector is essential. Our vision is that sustainable change will only be delivered not only when we collaborate, but when we are all open and honest about the limitations, as well as the opportunities for this sector.  We want to work alongside technology vendors with complementary products, and with growers and producers, supported by science and greater understanding of growing plants indoors, all backed by far-sighted investors.

We firmly believe that through innovation, collaboration and investment we can create an economically and environmentally sustainable global indoor food industry.

FTS: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us today. We wish you every success and look forward to working with you in the future.

IGS: Thanks very much indeed. We look forward very much to be part of Farmtech Society as we all move forward in the development and innovation of agricultural technology.

For IGS

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David Farquhar

CEO

US (CA): Vertical Farm Launches Personalized Cultivation and Delivery Service

Indoor vertical farming startup Willo debuted a brand new direct-to-consumer delivery program in San Jose to provide a custom produce experience in the Bay Area. Founded by brothers Samuel and John Bertram, Willo’s personalized cultivation and delivery service connects consumers directly to their own plot in Willo’s local vertical farm.

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South Bay Area residents will be the first to experience Farming as a Service through Willo’s innovative cultivation technology. Residents within 20 miles of Santa Clara, Calif. can subscribe to an exclusive plot in Willo’s farm starting at $99 a month at willo.farm. The membership grants access to regular deliveries of customizable packaged salads starting in August. A single purchase option is also available for $49. The rapidly growing list of available crops currently includes Toscano Kale, Red Mizuna, Pea Shoots, Protein Crunch and Genovese Basil. Willo will add additional fruits and vegetables to its farming capabilities as it scales.

“Willo is unleashing the power of plants on human health,” said Samuel Bertram, co-founder and CEO of Willo. “For the first time, fresh food will be grown specifically for the person consuming it. Personalization exists everywhere except for the food industry; and we’re here to give the market what they are asking for. By letting people configure their own plot in Willo’s farm, we can grow the specific fruits and vegetables they desire, while making recommendations tailored to their health needs. Willo plans to build farms in every major city on Earth with the mission to eliminate diet-related disease through personalized plant-based nutrition.”

A strong proponent of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), Willo also announced a partnership with HomeFirst Services of Santa Clara County to further extend the positive impacts of sustainable local indoor farming practices. Willo will deliver fresh produce from its farm to assemble 40 ready-made plant-based meals each month for homeless individuals and families in the San Jose area. 

“This is a really important part of a well-balanced diet that is difficult to procure on a large scale for homeless shelters,” said Lori Smith, director of development and communications at HomeFirst. “Together with HomeFirst, Willo will bring tasty, nutrient-dense produce to shelter guests and the at-risk community served in Santa Clara County.”

Scalable and sustainable farming in cities
Willo’s technology is optimized for scaling into urban settings with the intent of making local farming a global reality. Willo currently delivers within 20 miles of its farm, and the consumer’s hands are the first to touch it. Willo’s highly automated farming techniques remove pesticides and contamination, and produce essentially zero water consumption by recycling the water supply.

Following the success of the Bay Area launch, Willo will continue expanding the Farming as a Service model to urban communities across the country with planned expansions to cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, New York and Washington D.C. in the next 24 months. Willo aims to scale its technology to every major city globally to make local and sustainable farming accessible to everyone.

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For more information:
Willo
willo.farm

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Publication date: Mon 15 Jun 2020