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Harvest Dinner
Harvest Dinner
THE EVENT
Join us for a unique evening at the Indiana State Fair benefiting the Indiana State Fair Foundation!
Traditional harvest dinners bring together family and friends for celebration and fellowship at the end of a long planting season. They are the culmination of months of hard work, commitment and stewardship. They are the very essence of what it means to be a farmer in Indiana.
The Indiana State Fair is our state’s largest celebration of agriculture, so what better way to celebrate than with a Harvest Dinner to honor Indiana’s farmers.
This year’s event will take place on Wednesday, August 16, in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
HARVEST AWARD
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels Accepting the 2016 Harvest Award
The Harvest Award is given annually at the Harvest Dinner to an individual, organization or company that has made a significant contribution to the growth of our great Indiana State Fair with a focus on agriculture, youth and education.
Past Harvest Award Recipients:
DOW AgroSciences – 2015
Purdue University – 2016
FUNDRAISING
All proceeds from this event will benefit the Celebration of Champions which awards the hard working 4-H youth who rise to the top of their peers at the Indiana State Fair.
Click Here to learn about sponsorship opportunities and to reserve your table today!
At The Innovation Apex of Agriculture
At The Innovation Apex of Agriculture
New crops, automation and big data fueled conversations at the 5th annual Indoor Ag-Con in Las Vegas.
July 27, 2017 | Patrick Williams
Photo: Patrick Williams; Logo courtesy of Indoor Ag-Con
Between the metallic dinosaur at the trade show’s entrance, vertical gardens exhibiting multicolored lettuce and leafy greens, and booths showing off the latest in lighting technology, the 5th annual Indoor Ag-Con in Las Vegas, May 3-4, provided attendees an all-encompassing tour of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and the technology and innovation that surround it.
Produce Grower was proud to be a sponsor of the event, where sessions focused on everything from securing funding to managing lighting needs to ensuring food safety. To learn more about the keynotes and Produce Grower’s general takeaways from Indoor Ag-Con, listen to our event recap at bit.ly/2tJ0yB4. In these pages, we will look at sessions centered around new crops and the future of automation and big data in CEA.
New Crop Opportunities
From drastic flavor modification to growing crops with major health benefits, the Indoor Ag-Con session “Which crops will move indoors next?” spotlighted new crop opportunities in CEA.
By changing one ingredient in a hydroponic mix, Dr. Deane Falcone, SVP, plant sciences and product development at FreshBox Farms, says he and his colleagues have been able to modify the flavor intensity of arugula to create mild and spicy varieties. “[The spicy variety] is very, very spicy, and the mild is almost completely bland,” he says. “That means we have the opportunity to titrate that and ... make yet a third one.”
Additionally, scientists can adjust the phytonutrient content of specific crops to produce anticancer qualities, Falcone says. Studies over the past 10 to 15 years, for instance, have shown that broccoli possesses anticancer activity through compounds called sulforophanes, he says.
Ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) and purslane are other crops that growers may want to consider adding to their existing offerings, Dr. Richard Fu, president of Agrivolution, discussed in the session. These crops will not only allow growers in the United States to differentiate their product lines and stick out from the crowd, he says, but they carry health benefits as well.
The inositol in ice plant helps reduce insulin resistance for people with prediabetic conditions or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and it contains beta-Carotene and Vitamin K. The Super Omega-3 and alpha-linolenic fatty acids in purslane, meanwhile, can help alleviate allergies. To learn more about ice plant and purslane, read Greenhouse Management’s Q&A with Fu at bit.ly/2uFT6EG
In the fruit realm, Driscoll’s, the largest berry marketer in the world, has recently begun growing blackberries in glasshouses and has seen promising results, says Ian Justus, senior manager, controlled environment production. Justus works in research and development and produces high quality and high yields growing the company’s new Victoria variety under glass.
The Victoria crops grow approximately 13 feet tall, which makes them difficult to harvest on foot but conducive to cart passes in the greenhouse, Justus says. Multiple supplemental lighting sources exist in the glasshouses. “We’ve got high-pressure sodium lights at the top, and we’ve got really intricate LED bars down at the bottom,” Justus says.
Clockwise from left: Dr. Deane Falcone, Dr. Richard Fu, Ian Justus, Alastair Monk, Darryn Keiller, Nate Storey
Photos courtesy of Nicola Kerslake
The future of Big Data and Automation
Many produce growers have some type of automation set up in their greenhouse or vertical farm, and all of them collect data in some way. But how can growers use automation and large data sets to improve their operations, and is there room in CEA for data sharing? These are questions that were addressed in the Indoor Ag-Con session “What impact can big data and automation have on indoor agriculture?”
Operations can track data that measures how fast crops have been growing compared to previous years, and which inputs those crops need at a given point, says Alastair Monk, co-founder and CEO of Motorleaf. Monk says he wants to see a future where every single grower can automatically use intelligent data to control their operations.
A question that came up at multiple points through Indoor Ag-Con and that Monk addressed is “Who owns the data?” He gave the example of a field farmer using a tractor that collects data. In his example, the farmer owns the raw data, but it is then put onto a server, mixed together with data from other farmers. Once the source of the data is no longer identifiable, the data is made accessible to third-party companies. “I think that’s probably the kind of model that indoor agriculture is going to have to follow,” he says.
Currently, automated systems control environments and crop dosing, but companies are beginning to look more at how to improve the productivity, quality and taste of a crop, says Darryn Keiller, CEO of Autogrow. And while much of this information is proprietary, he, too, would like companies to share data to make it “big.”
Keiller equates an improved system, at least in part, with predictive analytics. “Lighting strikes, stormfronts, record temperature drops, solar radiation, reduced cloud cover — all these things effect production practices,” Keiller says. “But what if you could predict those things?”
Rounding out the session was Nate Storey, founder and chairman of Bright Agrotech. He is also the chief science officer at Plenty, which recently acquired Bright Agrotech (Editor’s Note: Read about the acquisition at bit.ly/2sF5fbs). Storey spoke specifically about machine vision, which he explains as the process of using images to glean data such as size, color and changes over time.
In fact, Storey says, machine vision can tell changes over time better than a human can, as well as temperature, nutrient deficiencies, fruit ripeness and environmental conditions. This outlook may not rest easy with every grower, but Storey is confident in it. “Even [with] my eyes, my mind and all of my experience in growing plants, I’m not as sensitive to these issues as we can get with the right set of images and the right analysis,” he says.
Film Studio, Hydroponic Lab Are Among $3.7 Million in Improvements For Astoria Public Schools
Students at P.S. 84 and I.S. 126 will receive $160,000 for hydroponic science labs. They’ll learn about hydroponics, a method that allows people to grow plants in a water-based solution rather than soil. Students will also learn how biology, agriculture, technology and nutrition intersect.
Film Studio, Hydroponic Lab Are Among $3.7 Million in Improvements For Astoria Public Schools
P.S. 84 and I.S. 126 will receive funding for hydroponic labs from Councilman Costa Constantinides. Photo via Shutterstock
By Angela Matua | amatua@qns.com | Friday, July 28, 2017 | 2:15 PM
Public schools in Astoria will receive millions for infrastructure improvements and new additions like a film studio and science lab.
Councilman Costa Constantinides and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz announced that they are allocating nearly $3.7 million to the School Construction Authority for a number of enhancements.
Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria at 23-15 Newtown Ave. will receive $375,000 for a new educational film studio. P.S. 300 at 28-37 29 St. will receive a new science lab with a $500,000 allocation from Katz and $300,000 will go toward renovating the bathrooms at I.S. 141.
“I am proud to have partnered with Borough President Katz to invest almost $3.7 million in our most important resource, our children,” Constantinides said. “Our investment this year includes more advanced technology and studying tools. New and improved school infrastructure will help encourage students to spend more time studying and learning while enjoying their overall school experience.”
The councilman, who is the chair of the committee on environmental protection, allocated $1.1 million for solar panels at P.S.122. It will be the first school in Astoria to install solar panels.
Students at P.S. 84 and I.S. 126 will receive $160,000 for hydroponic science labs. They’ll learn about hydroponics, a method that allows people to grow plants in a water-based solution rather than soil. Students will also learn how biology, agriculture, technology and nutrition intersect.
Nearly $900,000 was allocated to update technology in all Astoria public schools and $200,000 will upgrade the lunchroom at P.S. 122. Originally constructed as a gymnasium, the walls of the cafeteria consist of exposed brick and concrete, amplifying loud sounds.
“Queens has some of the best schools in the state, but to continue their success our schools need to have first-class facilities that will enable our children to reach their full potential,” Katz said in a statement. “This capital investment of millions of dollars will go a long way toward ensuring our kids learn in facilities with modern laboratories and studios, with up-to-date technology and with the quality playground space.”
BCFN Releases Report Exploring Environmental, Food, and Migration Sustainability
BCFN Releases Report Exploring Environmental, Food, and Migration Sustainability
Jamaica Farm Drought
The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition Foundation (BCFN) has released its second Food Sustainability Report titled “Environmental, Food and Migration Sustainability: Three Challenges To Overcome Together.” The report is a joint effort between BCFN and the Milan Center for Food Law and Policy, aimed at raising awareness about crucial issues surrounding food and sustainability.
The report emphasizes the connection between climate change and extreme poverty, with a section dedicated to the link between climate change and migration. “Environmental, food and migration sustainability are different facets of a single problem whose solution requires an integrated, informed approach ‘from governments, businesses, citizens and scientists,'” the authors conclude.
The report also highlights the Food Sustainability Index, a tool developed by BCFN in collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unitthat ranks 25 of the world’s largest economies by the sustainability of their food systems. The index indicates “sustainable agriculture is an effective weapon for fighting climate change,” although the report acknowledged the difficulty in implementing fully sustainable food systems.
BCFN and the Milan Center released its first report in January 2017 titled, “Climate Change and Famine: Issues at the Heart of International Awareness,” which focused on climate change, food security, and food safety.
Zoya Teirstein graduated from NYU with a degree in Environmental Reporting and worked at amNewYork, Haaretz, and The Verge before coming to Food Tank. She is currently investigating conservative methods of environmentalism in America. Tips welcome @zteirstein.
Food Tank’s Sold-Out NYC Summit on Food Waste
Food Tank’s Sold-Out NYC Summit on Food Waste
Food Tank, in partnership with Rethink Food Waste Through Economics and Data (ReFED) and with support from The Rockefeller Foundation and The Fink Family Foundation, will present a one-day summit on September 13, 2017, at the WNYC Greene Space in New York City (44 Charlton St., New York, NY, 10013), titled “Focusing on Food Loss and Waste.”
Confirmed speakers include (in alphabetical order—dozens more to be announced soon): Emily Bachman, GrowNYC; Elizabeth Balkan, NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY); John Boyd, Jr., National Black Farmers Association; Diane Brady, Bloomberg; Joan Briggs, The Fink Family Foundation; Gigi Lee Chang, FoodFutureCo; Chris Cochran, ReFED; Tom Colicchio, Craft restaurants; Karl Deily, Sealed Air; Ron Gonen, Closed Loop Partners; Tony Hillery, Harlem Grown; Helen Hollyman, Vice; Lynette Johnson, Society of St. Andrews; Prasanta Kalita, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Justin Kamine, KDC Ag – Kamine Development Corporation; Sam Kass, Trove; Amy Keister, Compass Group; Devon Klatell, The Rockefeller Foundation; Bonnie McClafferty, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN); Jude Medeiros, Sodexo; Clare Miflin, Kiss + Cathcart; Carina Millston, Feedback Global; Monica Munn, The Rockefeller Foundation; Kimbal Musk, The Kitchen; Danielle Nierenberg, Food Tank; Pete Pearson, WWF; Tinia Pina, Re-Nuble; Antonio Reynoso, New York City Councilmember; Ruth Reichl, PBS/Food Writer; Brian Roe, The Ohio State University; Christine Datz-Romero, Lower East Side Ecology Center; Kim Severson, The New York Times; Stephanie Strom, The New York Times; Tom Vilsack, U.S. Dairy Export Council; Luca Virginio, Barilla; Brian Wansink, Cornell University; Jocelyn Zuckerman, Modern Farmer; and Konstantin Zvereff, BlueCart.
Click here to view more details.
With about 8 million residents, New York City alone sends 4 million tons of waste to landfills each year. An estimated one-third of that waste is food. As home to Hunts Point, the largest food distribution center in the world, New York City is primed to lead the nation’s (and even the world’s) food waste movement.
The 2017 Food Tank Summit in New York, NY, will consist of dynamic panel discussions featuring a variety of speakers from around the world and exciting keynote speakers moderated by journalists from The New York Times, Vice, Bloomberg, Modern Farmer, and more. Within just four hours of announcing the event, demand was so high that Food Tank received four-times more applications than there are seats.
The event will be co-hosted by ReFED, the leading national organization dedicated to reducing U.S. food waste. In 2016, ReFED published the Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste, a landmark report that presented cost-effective solutions capable of cutting food waste by 20 percent while conserving natural resources, creating jobs, feeding the hungry, and generating US$100B in economic value. ReFED now collaborates with businesses, nonprofits, and government to implement these solutions.
The Summit is also supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, who has committed US$130 million through their YieldWise initiative to work with private, public, and nonprofit actors across the food supply system to cut their food loss and waste by half. Support from The Fink Family Foundation has also made this event possible.
At the New York City Food Tank Summit, audiences will have the opportunity to participate in extended question-and-answer sessions and expert journalists will moderate each panel—topics include leveraging capital to fund innovations and fill research gaps, forging creative partnerships, encouraging behavior change, and more.
The Food Tank Summit is also made possible with the support of the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition, Sealed Air, Blue Apron, Organic Valley, and Niman Ranch. Food and beverage donations will come from Niman Ranch, Juice Press, Harmless Harvest, Brooklyn Roasting Co., and GT’s Kombucha.
Great Performances, an NYC-based catering and events company engaged in the principles of sustainability and food justice, is graciously donating the breakfast and lunch receptions for all attendees. The menus will reflect the company’s commitment to the reduction of food waste and the creative application of full-food utilization.
Through a national partnership, many Food Recovery Network organizations and chapters on 230 university campuses nationwide will be participating in Food Tank Summit watch parties live. They are the largest student movement fighting hunger and food waste in the country
The following day on Thursday, September 14, 2017, Food Tank will be organizing a free public awareness event to benefit GrowNYC, featuring speakers to educate around food waste and showcasing its new dance fitness concept called Garjana at Washington Square Park (1:30 to 2:30pm). Garjana is led by a team of five Broadway performers, featuring choreography from Mamma Mia’s Monica Kapoor and debuting all-original music from Douglas Romanow, whose credits include Justin Bieber, Tyga, and hundreds more. Garjana has been selling out major venues across New York and getting rave reviews from outlets ranging from Billboard, Time Out, Edible Magazine, and more. Conceived by Food Tank Board Chairman Bernard Pollack with visuals and video by award-winning film and television director Kevin Arbouet. On September 28, Garjana will be making its Brooklyn debut at House of Yes.
More details can be found on the Facebook event page.
Since 2015, Food Tank has convened more than 275 speakers in front of more than 2,500 in-person attendees (all of our Summits have sold out!). More than 175,000 livestream viewers have tuned in from countries around the globe, representing six continents. Major food journalists from The Washington Post, National Public Radio, The Hill, Politico, National Geographic, and more have served as panel moderators. Food Tank Summits feature major partnerships with universities including George Washington University, Tufts University, the University of Chicago, University of California-Davis, and many more. In 2018, we will continue to bring Food Tank Summits to existing and new cities including Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, New York City, New Orleans, and more.
The entire NYC Food Tank Summit can also be viewed remotely FREE via Facebook Live and live on FoodTank.com. Additionally, we will be featuring backstage interviews with speakers all day using Instagram Live and Periscope/Twitter Live. After the event, all videos will be immediately archived on Food Tank’s YouTube Channel.
NatureFresh Farms Mobile Greenhouse Pushes Past Heat
NatureFresh Farms Mobile Greenhouse Pushes Past Heat
By Kate Walz July 2017
Two people check out the mobile greenhouse education center. The mobile greenhouse also has a live bumblebee eco-system.Photo by NatureFresh Farms
NatureFresh Farms mobile greenhouse tour (#GreenInTheCity) is continuing across the Midwest despite the heat.
The mobile greenhouse, which has done almost 50 events since mid-April, teaches consumers how greenhouse vegetables are grown.
“The mobile greenhouse has not only been a conversation starter but a difference maker in how we connect with our customers,” Ray Wowryk, director of business development of the Leamington, Ontario, greenhouse company, said in a news release.
The Greenhouse Education Center (GEC) is a 38-foot mobile unit equipped with fruit bearing plants and a live bumblebee eco-system.
“We care about the future of fresh and all that it entails; we need to collectively increase fresh produce consumption,” Wowryk said in the release. “NatureFresh can help do that with the GEC and by getting front and center with consumers, we share our story to help inform them of the value of greenhouse vegetables.” Knowing who grows what you buy is important, understanding how it’s grown is just as important if not more.”
Five college students are serving as brand ambassadors at each event, conducting event day operations and interacting with retail partners. The group has varied backgrounds including agribusiness, environmental science, marketing and biology.
“We are able to immediately impact consumers purchasing decisions at store level with the knowledge we share about how we grow greenhouse vegetables,” said Cole Burkholder, a third-year environmental science major from Ohio State University. “The look on people’s faces when we explain the greenhouse growing process and they see the live plants with real fruit, it’s priceless. You kind of see that ‘a-ha’ moment in their eyes. We’ve even had customers show us their shopping carts when leaving to show us the tomatoes or bell peppers they have purchased because of our conversation.”
This is the third mobile greenhouse tour, which has completed more than 200 events since its inception, including events at retail stores, summer camps, schools and community fairs. The 2017 tour will end Nov. 12 at the Royal Agriculture Winter Fair in Toronto, Ontario.
First of Its Kind ‘Food Sovereignty’ Law Just Legalized Local Food Trade Without Govt
Maine has taken a bold step toward freedom, becoming the first state in the U.S. to enact a ‘food sovereignty’ law giving communities power to regulate their local food economy
First of Its Kind ‘Food Sovereignty’ Law Just Legalized Local Food Trade Without Govt
Raw milk? Free Range Eggs? Organic Vegetables? No Problem. State's 'Food Sovereignty' Law just legalized their food trade once again.
By Justin Gardner | July 21, 2017
Maine has taken a bold step toward freedom, becoming the first state in the U.S. to enact a ‘food sovereignty’ law giving communities power to regulate their local food economy. The bill, titled An Act To Recognize Local Control Regarding Food and Water Systems, was passed unanimously by the state Senate and signed into law by Governor Paul LePage.
“LePage signed LD 725, An Act to Recognize Local Control Regarding Food Systems, Friday legitimizing the authority of towns and communities to enact ordinances regulating local food distribution free from state regulatory control…
Supporters of food sovereignty want local food producers to be exempt from state licensing and inspections governing the selling of food as long as the transactions are between the producers and the customers for home consumption or when the food is sold and consumed at community events such as church suppers.”
What this means is that neighbors can sell their eggs, milk, and other wholesome food to neighbors, without fear of state-level interference. This includes raw milk sales, a particular area where government has cracked down on those who dare engage in voluntary exchange.
Maine’s move is very welcome at a time when freedom is generally being chipped away by the police/surveillance state and the corporatocracy. Longstanding alliances between corporate food giants and government agencies have come to exert vast control over what we put in our bodies.
Almost every large food and beverage brand is controlled by 10 corporations, which pay off politicians to stifle smaller, more localized competitors. Regulatory burdens are created which do little or nothing to actually help the consumer or environment, but create enormous burdens that the little guy operating in a more localized area can’t handle.
The result is more unhealthy processed foods, massive factory farms poisoning humans and polluting the environment, more pesticide use from industrial monoculture which damages ecosystems, and loss of family farms.
The food and agriculture biotechnology Industry spent more than half a billion dollars over a decade to influence Congress for the privilege of feeding America. To politicians running DC, that kind of money makes the will of the people meaningless.
Betsy Garrold of Food for Maine’s Future summed up the simple, undeniable rationale behind food sovereignty.
“We believe face-to-face transactions with your neighbors is safe and beneficial to both parties,” said Garrold, “They know you, you know them and, frankly, poisoning your neighbors is a very bad business plan.”
Food freedom is certainly popular among the people, as 20 municipalities had already enacted food sovereignty ordinances prior to the bill being signed. Garrold said her phone “has been ringing off the hook” with townspeople who have every intention of using this freedom to build a thriving local, healthy food economy.
This demonstrates the hunger that likely exists all across the nation to take back control of our food supply, bringing a more localized, diverse approach which in turns provides health and environmental benefits.
“This is a great day for rural economic development and the environmental and social wealth of rural communities,” said Rep. Craig Hickman, D-Winthrop. “The Governor has signed into law a first-in-the-nation piece of landmark legislation [and] the state of Maine will [now] recognize, at last, the right of municipalities to regulate local food systems as they see fit.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Hickman said. “Food sovereignty means the improved health and well-being of the people of Maine by reducing hunger and increasing food self-sufficiency through improved access to wholesome, nutritious and locally produced foods.”
Maine’s move seems like an unusual and novel idea in these times, but food freedom has been around for most of humanity. Other states, including California, are considering similar food sovereignty measures.
Organics: Ferreting Out the Fraudulent Few, While Demanding Higher Standards, Better Enforcement
Organics: Ferreting Out the Fraudulent Few, While Demanding Higher Standards, Better Enforcement
July 18, 2017
Organic Consumers Association | by Katherine Paul and Ronnie Cummins
A recent series of articles by a Washington Post reporter could have some consumers questioning the value of the USDA organic seal. But are a few bad eggs representative of an entire industry?
Consumers are all for cracking down on the fraudulent few who, with the help of Big Food, big retail chains and questionable certifiers give organics a bad name. But they also want stronger standards, and better enforcement—not a plan to weaken standards to accommodate "Factory Farm Organic."
The Washington Post exposed a couple of companies, certified organic, that don’t strictly adhere to organic standards. The Post and othersalso recently reported on what one lawmaker, who serves on a key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) committee, called “uncertainty and dysfunction” at the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).
All these reports are troubling on multiple levels, especially to consumers who rely on the USDA organic seal to help them avoid pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), synthetic ingredients and foods produced using methods that degenerate soil health and pollute the environment. (It's important to note that none of these reports address the biggest marketing and labeling fraud of them all—products sold as "natural," "all natural" and "100% natural," a $90-billion industry that eclipses the $50-billion certified organic industry).
What can consumers do to ensure that the certified organic products they buy meet existing organic standards? And how do we, as consumers, fight back against efforts to weaken those standards?
The short answers: One, there are about 25,000 honest organic local and regional producers, vs. a handful of big brands, mostly national, who flout the rules. (Most "Factory Farm Organic" companies sell their products, and provide private-label products, for big retail chains like Costco, Walmart, Safeway, Albertson’s, Kroger’s and others).
Two, if consumers want stronger, not weaker organic standards, we need to demand them.
Bad actors hurt consumers and legitimate organic producers
Over the past several months, the Washington Post has reported the following:
• Eggland’s Best eggs, marketed as certified organic by Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, come from hens that never go outside. (Even before the Post’s expose, OCA had called for a boycott of Eggland’s Best eggs).
• Aurora Organic Dairy, which supplies organic milk to Walmart, Costco and other major retailers, doesn’t adhere to organic standards that require cows to be outdoors daily during the growing season. (OCA, Cornucopia Institute and other groups have been demanding better policing of Aurora Dairy for more than a decade).
• Some “organic” soy and corn imports aren’t actually organic.
• Some “organic” foods contain a synthetic oil brewed in industrial vats of algae.
Stories like these erode consumer confidence in the organic seal. When consumers give up on organic, legitimate organic farmers and producers lose sales, too.
But that’s only the part of the problem. By cutting corners on organic standards, big producers can sell at lower prices—that puts the smaller, local and regional organic producers who don’t have big contracts with big retailers, and who must charge more because they actually follow organic standards to letter, at a competitive disadvantage in the market.
In some cases, it puts them out of business.
The Washington Post’s Peter Whoriskey recently interviewed Amish organic dairy farmers who are struggling to compete against companies like Aurora, which the farmers say, don’t deserve the organic label. The Post reported:
Over the past year, the price of wholesale organic milk sold by Kalona [Iowa] farms has dropped by more than 33 percent. Some of their milk — as much as 15 percent of it — is being sold at the same price as regular milk or just dumped onto the ground, according to a local processor. Organic milk from other small farmers across the United States is also being dumped at similar rates, according to industry figures.
After the Washington Post ran its April 30 exposé on Aurora, Liz Bawden, an organic dairy farmer in New York and president of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance and member of the Northeast Organic Farmers Association (NOFA-NY) board wrote:
A consumer reads “Why Your Organic Milk May Not Be Organic” on the front page of their newspaper. That might be the end consumer for the milk from my farm. And that person is sitting in front of a bowl of cornflakes wondering if she has been scammed all this time. Just a little doubt that the organic seal may not mean what she thought it meant. That is real damage to my farm and family income.
Boycott the organic imposters
Consumers choose organic for many reasons. At the top of the list health. Consumers believe food that doesn’t contain pesticides, genetically modified organisms and synthetic/artificial ingredients, all of which are largely prohibited under USDA organic standards, is better for their own health.
That said, many consumers have an expanded list of reasons for buying organic, which include concern about the environment, animal welfare, fair trade and the desire to support local farms, and farmers committed to building healthy, rich soil capable of drawing down and sequestering carbon.
It’s naturally discouraging to read articles that sow doubt about whether a certified organic product meets your expectations. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize the chances of ending up with an organic carton of milk or eggs produced by an “organic imposter.”
• Boycott large, national brands. As demand grows for organics, Big Food is scooping up smaller organic brands. In most cases, nothing good comes this for consumers, as large corporations apply the “economies of scale” theory and ultimately skimp wherever they can on quality and production. As a general rule of thumb, the big players—like Aurora Dairy and Herbruck’s Farm (Eggland’s Best)—don’t play by the rules.
• Steer clear of private-label organics. It’s easy to identify the bad actors when they market products under their own names. But when it comes to private-label organics (think Safeway’s O’ Organic, Costco’s Kirkland, Walmart’s Great Value), it’s not readily apparent who is producing those products for big retail chains. We know that Aurora, which doesn’t market any milk under its own name, supplies organic milk to Walmart, Costco and Safeway. But in general, lack of transparency in the organic private label arena is a “huge problem,” one industry consultant told us. Most big retailers are complicit in organic fraud. The best strategy is avoidance.
• Check the codes on your milk carton. In her response to the Post’s story on Aurora, Bawden told consumers how to avoid milk produced by Aurora Dairy by checking the code on the carton. If you find the number 08-29, you’ll know that the milk comes from a plant that processes milk from Aurora Dairy. You can look up all the milk carton codes on the “wheredoesmymilkcomefrom” website.
• Do your homework. It would be great if you could rely entirely on the USDA organic seal. But given what we know about the weak links in that otherwise valuable chain, it pays to research. Googling brand names is one way to find information—but don’t rely on company websites, which are often loaded with false claims. Visit the Cornucopia Institute’s website, where you’ll find organic dairy, eggsand other products “scored” according to various criteria.
• Pay attention to who certified your milk or eggs as organic. In addition to the USDA organic seal, certified organic products must list, on package, the name of the independent body that certified the product to organic standards. There’s an argument to be made that certifiers should be held accountable for certifying products that don’t adhere to organic standards. Until that happens, avoid certifiers like Quality Assurance International (QAI) and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, which certify Aurora Dairy. Some of the more reliable certifiers include Oregon Tilth, PCO (Pennsylvania Certified Organic) and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). For a complete list of organic certifiers, consult this list.
• Buy local. There’s a lot to be said for getting to know, and for supporting, your local organic farmers. They are more likely to follow organic standards, partly out of dedication, and partly to protect their own reputation within their communities. Here’s some advice for identifying local authentic and ethical farmers.
• Report suspected fraud. If you think a brand is violating organic standards, or falsely advertising/labeling a product “natural,” “all natural” or “100% natural,” email us at fraud@organicconsumers.org.
Consumers will have to help protect organic standards
Organic Consumers Association was founded, in 1998, when the USDA was writing the very first set of organic standards, as required under the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA). The policy writers wanted irradiation to be allowed in organic. And sewage sludge. And GMOs. We fought successfully to keep them out.
Since then we’ve had to go to battle with every administration since over the integrity and enforcement of organic standards. The Clinton Administration tried to get GMOs into organic. The Bush Administration made it easier to get synthetics into organic. The Obama Administration made it harder to get synthetics out of organic.
It didn’t help any that in 2005, Congress passed a law that made it a lot easier for the largest food companies to create “organic” versions of their factory farm and processed foods.
Now those companies are stepping up their game, threatening to make changes to the OFPA and NOSB that could weaken organic standards beyond recognition. Why now? Two reasons.
One, as consumer demand for organic products grows, Big Food is buying up organic brands. This gives them a seat at the organic policymaking table, where, naturally, they are hard at work to lower standards in order to raise profit margins.
And two, they smell opportunity. The Trump Administration has made its position on regulations clear: more industry involvement, more concern for corporate profits, and less concern for consumer rights, public health, the environment.
Congress needs to hear from consumers—often, and in large numbers—that we want stronger, not weaker organic standards. Standards that support small, authentic producers.
Putting it in perspective
Organic isn’t perfect. The standards aren’t perfect. The enforcement process isn’t perfect. And some of the players are downright crooked.
That said, consumers can by and large trust all organic produce. And if they’re willing to do a little homework, they can identify the producers in the organic processed food arena who abide by the rules.
To put things in perspective, compare the $50-billion organic industry with the $90-billion “natural” industry. No standards. No ethics. And the clear intention to increase sales by falsely claiming that products that contain all manner of “unnatural” substances, including pesticides, synthetic ingredients—even drugs —are the “healthy choice.”
So let’s keep policing the organic industry, exposing the fraud, working for stronger standards and better enforcement of those standards.
But let’s be just as vigilant about exposing the “Myth of Natural,” and cracking down on what is arguably the biggest food marketing scam in the history of advertising.
Katherine Paul is associate director of the Organic Consumers Association.
Ronnie Cummins is international director of the Organic Consumers Association.
USGBC-LA Announces Veggie Bus Project
“The veggie bus is a bright, inspiring endeavor for our volunteers to get involved in a hands-on project that has direct benefits for the local community in South LA,” says USGBC-LA Executive Director Dominique Hargreaves. “Urban agriculture is an important facet of sustainable communities and this project is at the intersection of urban ag and sustainable building.”
USGBC-LA Announces Veggie Bus Project
The project uses a reclaimed bus as a mobile classroom, plant nursery and seed library.
The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles (USGBC-LA) Chapter is working on its summer endeavor, the veggie bus classroom project. Proposed by Community Services Unlimited Inc. (CSU), Los Angeles, the veggie bus was selected by the USGBC-LA as its 2017 Legacy Project due to its reuse, recycle and upcycle and additional sustainability goals.
USGBC-LA is providing funding and volunteers to help CSU transform an old diesel school bus, no longer in use, into a classroom, plant nursery and seed library. The beneficiaries of the project will be residents of South L.A. who participate in educational programs and classes offered by CSU.
The Legacy Project is a permanent project by USGBC-LA with the goal to provide a means of service and education. The LA chapter decided to continue awarding annual Legacy Projects after last year’s eco-tech makerspace project, a gift to the city for hosting the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, was deemed a success for and by the local community of Gardena and Two-Bit Circus Foundation, formerly T4T.org, who runs the makerspace.
“The veggie bus is a bright, inspiring endeavor for our volunteers to get involved in a hands-on project that has direct benefits for the local community in South LA,” says USGBC-LA Executive Director Dominique Hargreaves. “Urban agriculture is an important facet of sustainable communities and this project is at the intersection of urban ag and sustainable building.”
The veggie bus will become a permanent part of the urban farm and wellness center that is being developed at CSU’s headquarter, the Paul Robeson Community Wellness Center in South L.A., and will include and feature sustainable design elements such as: reclaimed materials; solar panels; and water catchments systems.
To date, USGBC-LA volunteers have worked with CSU and community members to strip old flooring and seating from the bus, help with design specs for its interior, organize material donations by USGBC-LA member companies and retouch the exterior mural. Upcoming volunteer opportunities to work on the bus are:
Saturday, Aug. 12—install solar panels and electrical, interior design elements and vertical planters;
Saturday, Sept. 9—prepare seed library, install awnings, plant native and edible plants and install signage; and
Saturday, Oct. 28—bus unveiling/USGBC-LA Green Apple Event.
“We are working to help a decommissioned bus get back into the business of moving people from point A to B. While, the bus can no longer physically transport people, it can and will move people to rethink and reimagine what is possible,” says Legacy Project chair Maya Henderson of Kilroy Realty Corp. “CSU and this project are showcasing what engaged development looks like and why it is critical to the health and sustainability of a community, both social and ecological.”
The veggie bus will be incorporated into CSU’s existing and future programming “designed to foster the creation of communities actively working to address the inequalities and systemic barriers that make sustainable communities and self-reliant life-styles unattainable,” according to its proposal. It will be accessible to residents of the greater Los Angeles area during joint CSU and USGBC-LA events.
July, 2017
MSU Students Launch Local Food Business Made From Campus Grown Foods
MSU Students Launch Local Food Business Made From Campus Grown Foods
Look for Land Grant Goods products this summer on campus.
July 20, 2017 by Kendra Wills, Michigan State University Extension
Land Grant Good founders, Alex Marx (left) and Bethany Kogut (right). Photo credit: Land Grant Goods
For anyone who finds themselves around the Brody Halls at Michigan State University, whether they be an incoming resident, staff, family member, or simply someone in the neighborhood, it may be beneficial to know that this location site offers their own handmade goods straight from the Bailey GREENhousecommunity garden located next to Bailey Hall in the Brody Complex, west of the Kellogg Center. Stop by to help support this student-run organization.
Since Michigan State University opened its doors in 1855, it has always been dedicated to education and to agriculture. In fact, it was originally called “the Agriculture College of the State of Michigan.” Which is why, to this day, you will see various gardens, hoop houses, open fields, and an overall beautiful landscape when touring the campus. As the school continues to build on to this campus, as you can see in the future visions they have set for the year 2020, MSU will continue to embrace the university’s agricultural heritage.
With this in mind, various students studying agriculture, sustainability, and education have decided that the Brody Halls, which is secluded from much of campus, needed their own greenhouse. With MSU having such a large agriculture department, and Brody Halls being located several miles away from the MSU Student Organic Farm and other MSU agricultural production facilities, it created a barrier for students living in these halls to be exposed to the culture of farming. Luckily, the Bailey GREENhouse enables students living on campus to be involved in agriculture without having to travel far distances.
This idea was put in motion in 2012, joining with the Residential Initiative for the Study of the Environment (RISE). The Bailey GREENhouse produces a wide variety of greens, tomatoes, herbs, mushrooms and even an apiary they have created themselves. The amount of components being produced in such a small area between the dorm halls is impressive and is all student-grown.
Bailey GREENhouse crops were originally used only for the residential dining halls and the State Room restaurant in the Kellogg Center, but the students knew they could take their successes further. They launched Land Grant Goods in 2015, with a goal to promote locally-made products to the community.
Today, using a mobile certified kitchen inside of a trailer parked at the MSU Student Organic Farm, the students process their jams. They sell the honey made from the apiary, and make teas from GREENhouse herbs. Overall, they have shown that they can work to make their small space as productive as possible by thinking about various value-added products that can be created.
For anyone who finds themselves visiting this site, seek out the students running this operation. This group of passionate individuals welcome all those interested in learning more about how they run their business, and will talk with excitement about the work they do and the new projects they have lined up. This may only be the start for these students, but in order to achieve these goals they will need a support system to do it.
Michigan State University Extension supports commercial agricultural producers and food businesses. For more information about launching a food business or seeking business counseling services, please contact the MSU Product Center at (517) 432-8750.
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
Indoor Farming Operation Being Built At Ivy Tech South Bend
Indoor Farming Operation Being Built At Ivy Tech South Bend
By Mark Peterson | Posted: Wed 6:22 PM, Jul 19, 2017
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - A farm is being built on Ivy Tech’s South Bend campus at a cost of up to $4 million.
The farm will span just 20,000 square feet because all the growing will take place indoors, hydroponically, under L.E.D. lights. It was somewhat ironic that the soil ceremoniously overturned during groundbreaking ceremonies today won’t be used to grow a thing.
“We are at the tip of the spear of a brand new industry, we're leaders in an emerging market,” said Green Sense Farm’s Founding Farmer Robert Colangelo. “We’re like Steve Jobs making computers in your garage. This field is just at the beginning of the beginning.”
The Green Sense search to find an academic partner for the project was not an easy one. “We went to a number of four year institutions looking to transform farming at agricultural schools but hit walls of bureaucracy and Chancellor Coley took a risk, he saw that there was a real need to train students with two year degrees to work in the produce food service and agricultural sectors.”
Chancellor Coley refers to the leader at Ivy Tech South Bend, Dr. Thomas Coley: “They set up a real live production and then our students get to train in a live production that's a very unique arrangement, it’s probably one, if not few in the country that would have this kind of partnership.”
And the partnering doesn’t end there. The facility’s produce production capacity has already been purchased by a half dozen entities including Martin’s Super Markets.
“When you harvest produce it starts dying and losing its nutritional value as soon as it’s cut,” said Colangelo. “So if it travels from the west coast to the Midwest it could take three days, so it’s less nutritious. If it’s harvested and it’s at your table in hours, because it’s locally grown it’s much more nutritious and you can see that in the taste and in the color of the produce as well as the shelf life, it’ll last much longer.”
On July 19, 2017, Green Sense Farms and Ivy Tech Community College broke ground on a 20,000 square-foot indoor vertical farm which will be an innovative workforce training center for the next generation of farmers as it grows produce for local customers in a year-round, sustainable farm. On hand to celebrate were representatives from Green Sense Farms, Ivy Tech, the City of South Bend, as well as the customers who will use produce from the farm. Pictured are (left to right): Robert Colangelo, Founding Farmer/CEO for Green Sense Farms; Donte Shaw, Executive Chef for Café Navarre; Kenneth Acosta, General Manager for Sodexo; Patrick Dahms, Executive Chef for Morris Inn at University of Notre Dame; Pipe Halpin, Customer Relations for Green Sense Farms; Dr. Thomas G. Coley, Chancellor for Ivy Tech South Bend; Dr. Sue Ellspermann, President of Ivy Tech Community College; Craig Lewkowitz, Vice President of Culinary Operations for Four Winds Casinos.
The list of sponsors also includes the wing of Sodexo and serves the St. Mary’s Campus: “No, I don’t think dirt farms are doomed, so this is just something else that’s different. You’ve got limited growing products that are in there you know, more on the lettuces the micro greens, the enhanced flavors of herbs, stuff like that, but you aren’t going to able to take corn and wheat and all that other stuff out of the system,” said Sodexo General Manager Kenneth Acosta.
An Alaskan Wants To Put A Lettuce Tower In Every Elementary School In America
An Alaskan Wants To Put A Lettuce Tower In Every Elementary School In America
- Author: Erica Martinson
Lettuce flourishes in a hydroponic grow tower in Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office recently in Washington, D.C. (Erica Martinson / Alaska Dispatch News)
WASHINGTON — Last month, Bernie Karl flew down to Washington, D.C., and installed a hydroponic grow tower in Sen. Lisa Murkowski's office. Next, he wants to hit every public school in Alaska.
Karl, who owns Chena Hot Springs northeast of Fairbanks, has a mission: He wants to teach kids how to feed their families using cheap, easily obtained materials.
Karl's daughter has a tower at her house — hers grows strawberries and cherry tomatoes, he said. In Murkowski's office, the tower grows only lettuce — enough to feed a family of six.
And for a few weeks now, the senator's staffers have been picking their own salad greens off the tower of orange Home Depot buckets in the corner of her office lobby in the Hart Senate Office Building.
Karl is well known to Murkowski as well as to other political bigwigs in Alaska. Murkowski, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Gov. Bill Walker routinely show up at his renewable-energy fair each August.
So it's not entirely surprising to see the tower appear in Murkowski's office, after he touted its earliest iteration at last summer's Chena Hot Springs energy fair.
"Our goal is to get one in every school in Alaska and every school in America by the end of next year — to teach third- and fourth-graders that everyone can be responsible for growing their own food," Karl said in an interview.
More than 98,000 public schools operated in the United States in the 2013-14 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. More than 67,000 of them were elementary schools.
"The problem is that things are so expensive. But they don't need to be. So we decided that we would come up with something that you could go to any Home Depot and buy," Karl said.
The tower in Murkowski's office is the 3.0 version of Karl's efforts, along with others at his employee-owned Chena Hot Springs Resort, where they grow food for the staff and guests.
That tower is getting its own upgrades. On June 27, Murkowski's husband, Verne Martell, arrived in her office with a wax plumbing ring and set about tweaking a previous fix. Martell was working on quieting the sound of running water that plagued the two employees who sit at desks in the lobby, greeting visitors and answering phones.
Karl said Friday he had just sent an extra light to Martell, an upgrade for a side of the tower that wasn't growing as well as the rest.
Karl is a boisterous man — the kind of guy who has big ideas and even bigger plans. Currently, he's hoping to get a meeting with the top brass at Home Depot — he said Murkowski had kindly put in a call for him.
He's hoping to convince them to offer Saturday classes on building the tower at stores nationwide. And he wants the company to sponsor "one for every school in America."
Karl is in the process of patenting his invention — called "Lettuce Grow for Free" — but he doesn't plan to make money off it. He wants to give the plans away. And he encourages others to improve upon them.
"We're building a fourth prototype right now … that uses a little less material, gets it down a few more dollars."
Karl also hopes that school programs run by Future Farmers of America and 4-H will start programs in schools.
"I want them to help replant the world," he said of the youth agricultural organizations.
This fall, an elementary school in Fort Yukon will get Alaska's first school-based grow tower, Karl said. They were the first to ask for one, he said.
See the plans here: The Chena Grow Tower Project
About this Author
Erica Martinson is Alaska Dispatch News' Washington, DC reporter, and she covers the legislation, regulation and litigation that impact the Last Frontier. Erica came to ADN after years as a reporter covering energy at POLITICO. Before that, she covered environmental policy at a DC trade publication and worked at several New York dailies
LumiGrow Brings Smart Horticultural Lighting to Cultivate'17
Cultivate ’17, North America’s largest horticultural tradeshow is set to use the entirety of the newly expanded and renovated Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC). AmericanHort’s Cultivate’17, July 15-18 in Columbus, OH, is the horticulture industry’s renowned professional development event with the largest all-industry trade show. AmericanHort estimates about 10,000 attendees, more than 125 educational sessions and close to 700 exhibitors.
LumiGrow Brings Smart Horticultural Lighting to Cultivate'17
LumiGrow Lights Up Farming at Cultivate ’17 Tradeshow
Greater Columbus Convention Center, Ohio – July 14, 2017 – Cultivate ’17, North America’s largest horticultural tradeshow is set to use the entirety of the newly expanded and renovated Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC). AmericanHort’s Cultivate’17, July 15-18 in Columbus, OH, is the horticulture industry’s renowned professional development event with the largest all-industry trade show. AmericanHort estimates about 10,000 attendees, more than 125 educational sessions and close to 700 exhibitors.
Trade show attendees interested in learning about lighting strategies, LED applications and spectral science research are invited to visit the Discovery Café Smartfarm, attend the LumiGrow Cultivate Live session and stop by the LumiGrow exhibit booth.
As part of the $140 million conference center expansion and renovation, the GCCC will showcase a new onsite indoor vertical farm. The newly constructed indoor Smartfarm at the center’s Discovery Café is lit with LumiGrow LEDs and utilizes a hydroponic farming system built by Bright Agrotech, a vertical farming company. Restaurant chef’s will exercise their culinary creativity with hyperlocal ingredients grown from the Smartfarm.
Tradeshow attendees looking for a grower’s perspective on LED lighting strategies are invited to attend the LumiGrow Cultivate Live session on Monday July 17 between 1:45 PM – 2:15 PM. Steve Stasko, Orangeline Farms, and Marco de Leonardis, Freeman Herbs, will discuss how they use adjustable spectrum technology to apply advanced LED lighting strategies to positively impact profits for their greenhouse operations.
Growers, operators and industry professionals looking for a deeper conversation about smart horticultural lighting strategies are invited to visit LumiGrow at exhibit booth 2326.
Cultivate ’17 is set to define the green industry’s upcoming trends, technology and business best practices in horticulture.
About LumiGrow Inc.
LumiGrow, Inc., the leader in smart horticultural lighting, empowers growers and scientists with the ability to improve plant growth, boost crop yields, and achieve cost-saving operational efficiencies. LumiGrow offers a range of proven grow light solutions for use in greenhouses, controlled environment agriculture and research chambers. LumiGrow solutions are eligible for energy-efficiency subsidies from utilities across North America.
LumiGrow has the largest horticultural LED install-base in the United States, with installations in over 30 countries. Our customers range from top global agribusinesses, many of the world’s top 100 produce and flower growers, enterprise cannabis cultivators, leading universities, and the USDA. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, LumiGrow is privately owned and operated. For more information, call (800) 514-0487 or visit www.lumigrow.com.
Media Contact
Brandon Newkirk
bnewkirk@lumigrow.com
510-709-4437
Local Urban Farmer Educates Community On How To Grow Produce Without Breaking The Bank
File photo. (Ben Smith/The Daily Iowan)
Jun 26, 2017 DI Editor
Local Urban Farmer Educates Community On How To Grow Produce Without Breaking The Bank
Iowa City community members learn about the business of urban farming.
By Autumn Diesburg | autumn-diesburg@uiowa.edu
With urban farming continuing to take hold in communities, would-be urban farmers are considering the logistics of owning and profiting from what seems to some to be an unorthodox business.
At a Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day on June 24, members of the Iowa City community gathered to learn more about the business of urban farming. Hosted by urban farmer Jon Yagla and the Women Food and Agriculture Network program coordinator Wren Almitra, the program discussed the various facets of urban farming, including Yagla’s business plan and financing.
“Sometimes, it makes sense to grow greens and sell to restaurants,” Yagla said. “The [community-supported agriculture] worked for me.”
Yagla said his business plan relied on growing food as an extension of homesteading for community-supported agriculture, which Almitra said is a “member-based farm business.”
Members purchase either a full share for $750 or a half share for $375 in a farm, Yagla said. The program has a 30-week season lasting from the first week of May to the last week of November. Most members pay an upfront deposit in late winter or early spring, usually beginning in February or March. This allows farmers to pay for seeds and equipment in a time when, otherwise, they are producing no income, Yagla said. In return, full-share members receive a box of produce every week, and half-share members receive a box every other week.
Currently, Yagla said he has 30 members in his group, which is mostly a word-of-mouth endeavor. Potential members contact Yagla or other local community-agriculture groups, though the group does have social-media and Internet sites for outreach and promotion.
RELATED: ‘New age’ farmers grow local produce year-round
Yagla said in regards to financial planning, he recommends keeping both living and business expenses low, knowing and being a part of available markets, and having some experience with farming or homesteading. He also recommends scaling the size of community agriculture to the size of the budget.
Careful financial planning is key for Yagla, who said his only source of income is what he earns from his urban farm. In 2016, he grossed $15,000 with a net of $12,000.
“The [community-agriculture] size was based on what I thought my living expenses and my needs are and how much land I could manage,” he said. “I’m about as frugal as I can be.”
For those such as Debra Boekholder, a Practical Farmers of Iowa member and events assistant, the gains of urban farming are a good local food source.
“It is a solution to struggles with access to healthy foods,” she said. “You can grow food in town and provide it to your neighbors. You don’t have to go miles and miles.”
Still, others such as Abbie Shain, a graduate student in social work in St. Paul, Minnesota, have yet to be persuaded on the practicality of urban farms. Shain said after working on urban farms in St. Paul and Minneapolis, she would not consider starting one.
“It was not successful,” she said. “It was successful at growing vegetables but not sustaining farmers.”
Yagla, however, said owning an urban farm is profitable and a worthwhile community cause.
“The gain is that it’s meaningful work that reduces exploitation,” he said. “It’s a way for people to get food locally and honestly. I want to produce [a] local economy where goods are produced and shared among neighbors and friends.”
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Palais des Congrès de Montréal Wins Prestigious International Innovation Award For Its Urban Agriculture Lab
"We have an immense rooftop surface right in the heart of the city, and we knew that by working with environmental experts, we could make a positive contribution by repurposing this vast space. Scientists, engineers, crop farmers, bee farmers, managers and a host of other specialists worked together with the Palais' building management team to make this project happen, which we believe will inspire other property owners to do the same," mentioned Chrystine Loriaux, the Palais des congrès Director of Marketing and Communications.
Palais des Congrès de Montréal Wins Prestigious International Innovation Award For Its Urban Agriculture Lab
The Urban Agriculture Lab of the Palais des congrès de Montréal (CNW Group/Palais des congrès de Montréal)
MONTRÉAL, July 5, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The Palais des congrès de Montréal was presented with the prestigious AIPC Innovation Award on July 4, 2017 at the AIPC International Association of Convention Centres Annual Conference in Sydney, Australia. The Palais was recognized for its Urban Agriculture Lab and its innovations in sustainable development. The Lab was among the 16 convention centre entries shortlisted for the award. "We are proud of the sustainability leadership role we play within the industry through our tangible actions. By opening the Urban Agriculture Lab in tandem with partners like the Laboratoire sur l'agriculture urbaine (AU/LAB) and Ligne Verte, the Palais is fostering experimentation with new rooftop urban farming technologies and practices, and in the process, is also reducing heat islands in the city's downtown core," declared Raymond Larivée, President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
The AIPC Innovation Award recognizes excellence in convention centre management by showcasing initiatives that represent innovation, namely through the development of a new, more creative or more effective approach to any aspect of convention centre management, operations or marketing. The Palais des congrès was the Overall Innovation Award Winner as selected by the committee, while the Cairns Convention Center was the Innovation Award Delegates' Choice – it won for a promotional item made from steel recovered from their old roof.
Raymond Larivée (right), President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal, at the July 4 AIPC Annual Awards Dinner, in Sydney, Australia. (CNW Group/Palais des congrès de Montréal)
"We have an immense rooftop surface right in the heart of the city, and we knew that by working with environmental experts, we could make a positive contribution by repurposing this vast space. Scientists, engineers, crop farmers, bee farmers, managers and a host of other specialists worked together with the Palais' building management team to make this project happen, which we believe will inspire other property owners to do the same," mentioned Chrystine Loriaux, the Palais des congrès Director of Marketing and Communications.
According to Eric Duchemin, AU/LAB's Scientific Director: "Partnering with the Palais des congrès on the Laboratory initiative will make it possible to broaden our knowledge of the challenges and constraints associated with rooftop farming, but it will also serve to build rooftop farms, in Montréal and abroad." The project is part of CRETAU, a network created in collaboration with the Québec Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which focuses on urban farming research and expertise, and the transfer of urban farming best practices.
In 2016, the Palais des congrès de Montréal became the main showcase in Québec for experimenting with and advocating for urban farming technologies and techniques, when it opened its Urban Agriculture Lab jointly with AU/LAB, an organization associated with the faculty of science and institute of environmental studies at Université du Québec à Montréal. The Urban Agriculture Lab includes:
- Culti-VERT, a technological showcase for green roofs and container gardening;
- Three pollinating beehives; and
- VERTical, an urban agriculture project driven by new vertical farming technology that is based on free-standing structures equipped with experimental wall tarps.
The various components of the Palais Urban Agriculture Lab are primarily tasked with:
- Helping reduce urban heat islands and improving air quality in the Montréal downtown area;
- Encouraging the real estate industry and property owners to adopt concrete steps toward greening their rooftops;
- Promoting Montréal's reputation as a world-class city firmly committed to fostering urban sustainability; and
- Enabling convention participants and the Maison du Père homeless shelter to benefit from the crops grown, with the help of Capital Catering, the Palais' exclusive caterer.
About the AIPC
The International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) represents convention and exhibition centre professionals and managers worldwide. In addition to recognizing convention centre management excellence, the AIPC also provides resources and programs that foster striving for the highest industry standards through research, networking and education.
About the Laboratoire sur l'agriculture urbaine
The Laboratoire sur l'agriculture urbaine (AU/LAB) is a centre for urban agriculture research, training, innovation and activities designed to serve the community and act as a rallying hub for organizations and individuals devoted to urban farming. A non-profit, AU/LAB is also a national and international discussion and action forum for issues related to urbanism and food. With its extensive expertise, AU/LAB fosters emerging ideas, initiatives and businesses focused on the production, processing, distribution and marketing of urban agriculture. AU/LAB is actively involved in the development of urban food systems, viable urbanism and circular economies in cities.
About the Palais des congrès de Montréal
Recipient of the highest quality standards certification in the industry and shortlisted for the World's Best Congress Centreaward (AIPC), the Palais des congrès de Montréal attracts and hosts conventions, exhibitions, conferences, meetings and other events. It generates major tourism revenues and intellectual wealth for Montréal and Québec, while also contributing to the international reputation of Montréal, the top host city in North America for international events. congresmtl.com
SOURCE Palais des congrès de Montréal
For further information: Source: Chrystine Loriaux, Fellow Adm.A., B.A.A., Director, Marketing and Communications, Palais des congrès de Montréal, Phone: 514 871-3104 ; For information: Amélie Asselin, Advisor, Communications and Public Affairs, Palais des congrès de Montréal, amelie.asselin@congresmtl.com, Phone: 514 871-5897
South African Urban Agri Summit To Showcase Vertical Farming
South African Urban Agri Summit To Showcase Vertical Farming
International experts, regional authorities, investors and stakeholders from the agriculture sector will gather on September 7-8 in Johannesburg, South Africa for the inaugural Urban Agri Summit 2017. The two-day event will serve as a springboard to support the successful launch of Vertical Farming, Greenhouse and Control Environment Agriculture across Africa's urban landscape to help address the needs of the continent's rapidly growing populations.
Dr Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, Food Security Fellow with New Voices, The Aspen Institute and previously Mentor for Agriculture at the Clinton Global University Initiative (CGI U), said, "I believe it is about time Africa has the conversations about vertical farming and other innovative urban agriculture practices. With the urban population expected to rise for most of the African cities, there will be the need for innovative approaches to feed the urban population. I do believe that Africa’s farms have to start going vertical."
Various initiatives have already been undertaken by South Africa to spur innovation in its agriculture sector. Together with other Sub-Saharan African cities in Nigeria and Kenya, South African metropolises are following in the footsteps of many global cities to introduce sustainable urban indoor farming. Africa has unique opportunities for vertical farms and Controlled Environment Agriculture. Vertical farming (including its variations) is one of the most innovative approaches that can be tapped as part of an effort to grow fresh, healthy, nutritious and pesticide-free food for consumers.
Jana Jordaan, Sustainable Agriculture Analyst at GreenCape said: “We are very excited that the Urban Agri Summit will be taking place in Johannesburg this year. Our 2017 Agriculture Market Intelligence Report has shown that there are significant opportunities for farmers, investors and businesses in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) in the region. The Urban Agri Summit is a great platform where international experiences and ideas are shared, influencing opportunities and overcoming barriers to the growth of the CEA market. We believe the summit is a great opportunity to not only support the growth of the CEA market in South Africa, but also support South Africa’s transition to a more resilient green economy."
Highlights of the Summit include insightful presentations and engaging panel discussions by international organisations and experts from Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the USA, combined with a technology showcase.
This industry event is supported by the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF) and by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP).
The AVF's Stephane Razzon said, "The event presents an opportunity for the African continent to be introduced with the most cutting-edge technologies in agriculture. Controlled Environment Agriculture, Vertical Farming and advanced greenhouse methods are bound to completely transform food systems in developing countries and developed countries alike. We at the AVF believe the global Vertical Farming market is now ready to make a notable impact on the agricultural sector in Africa. It will require from us all to be in the right place and in the right time, which is clearly at the Urban Agri Summit 2017.
For more information:
Jose Carpio
Tel: +65 6846 2366
www.magentaglobalevents.com
Publication |date:7/3/2017
Vertical Farming in Africa to Boost Growth at September Urban Agri Summit in Johannesburg
Vertical Farming in Africa to Boost Growth at September Urban Agri Summit in Johannesburg
The two-day event will serve as a springboard to support the successful launch of Vertical Farming, Greenhouse and Control Environment Agriculture across Africa's urban landscape to help address the needs of the continent's rapidly growing populations.
International experts, regional authorities, investors and stakeholders from the agriculture sector will gather on September 7-8 in Johannesburg, South Africa for the inaugural Urban Agri Summit 2017. The two-day event will serve as a springboard to support the successful launch of Vertical Farming, Greenhouse and Control Environment Agriculture across Africa's urban landscape to help address the needs of the continent's rapidly growing populations.
Dr Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, Food Security Fellow with New Voices, The Aspen Institute and previously Mentor for Agriculture at the Clinton Global University Initiative (CGI U), said, "I believe it is about time Africa has the conversations about vertical farming and other innovative urban agriculture practices. With the urban population expected to rise for most of the African cities, there will be the need for innovative approaches to feed the urban population. I do believe that Africa’s farms have to start going vertical."
Various initiatives have already been undertaken by South Africa to spur innovation in its agriculture sector. Together with other Sub-Saharan African cities in Nigeria and Kenya, South African metropolises are joining the footsteps of many global cities to introduce sustainable urban indoor farming. Africa has unique opportunities for vertical farms and Controlled Environment Agriculture. Vertical farming (including its variations) is one of the most innovative approaches that can be tapped as part of an effort to grow fresh, healthy, nutritious and pesticide-free food for consumers.
Jana Jordaan, Sustainable Agriculture Analyst at GreenCape said: “We are very excited that the Urban Agri Summit will be taking place in Johannesburg this year. Our 2017 Agriculture Market Intelligence Report has shown that there are significant opportunities for farmers, investors and businesses in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) in the region. The Urban Agri Summit is a great platform where international experiences and ideas are shared, influencing opportunities and overcoming barriers to the growth of the CEA market. We believe the summit is a great opportunity to not only support the growth of the CEA market in South Africa, but also support South Africa’s transition to a more resilient green economy."
Highlights of the Summit include insightful presentations and engaging panel discussions by international organisations and experts from Europe, the Middle East, Australia and the USA, combined with a technology showcase.
This industry event is supported by the Association for Vertical Farming (AVF) and by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP).
The AVF's Stephane Razzon said, "The event holds an unprecedented opportunity for the African continent to be introduced with the most cutting-edge technologies in agriculture. Controlled Environment Agriculture, Vertical Farming and advanced greenhouse methods are bound to completely transform food systems in developing countries and developed countries alike. We at the AVF believe the global Vertical Farming market is now ready to make a notable impact on the agricultural sector in Africa. It will require from us all to be in the right place and in the right time, which is clearly at the Urban Agri Summit 2017.
Contact Info
Jose Carpio - Magenta Global (Singapore)
Block 53 Sims Place
#01-150
Singapore 380053
Phone: +6568462366
Website: http://www.magentaglobalevents.com/urban-agriculture-verticalfarming-cea-africa-summit/
Gussie Green Students Participate in Fresh Future Farm’s First STEAM Based Summer Camp
Gussie Green Students Participate in Fresh Future Farm’s First STEAM Based Summer Camp
Fresh Future Farm and North Charleston Recreation are excited about the first session of urban farm summer camp that started Tuesday, June 27.
Children from the Gussie Greene Community Center will journal, measure, map, cook and sing about eggs, okra and wood fired pizza prepared with ingredients harvested a few feet from where they are sold. The camp was originally planned for ten students, so Germaine Jenkins, FFF co-founder and CEO, recruited extra volunteers and held an online fundraiser to accommodate the Gussie Green’s twenty-five students. An anonymous donor generated excitement that helped the farm achieve its $2800 goal within a week. The camp focuses on STEAM learning (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics).
“Forty years ago, a trip to a neighborhood community garden changed my outlook on life and vegetables. I was determined that our neighbors would be the first to experience this hands-on camp.” says Jenkins. “We are humbled to join forces with Karen Latsbaugh of Cities + Shovels (Germaine’s first gardening mentor) and musician Chaquis Maliq and inspire children and families to garden and reconnect with fresh produce. Campers take home recipes and ingredients to recreate meals at home with their families. Who knows, the next BJ Dennis or Will Allen might be mixing fresh parsley and garlic to add to okra soup this summer.” Chef BJ Dennis taught the children about okra’s importance to the Lowcountry and helped campers harvest and prep farm fresh squash blossoms for fresh okra soup. Matt McIntosh of EVO pizzeria will donate dough, cheese and sauce and bake personal pizzas campers prepare with farm herbs and veggies tomorrow, Thursday, June 29.
The farm will host two additional summer camps on July 4-6 and July 25-27 from 8-10:30 am. There are still spaces available in each session. They are still seeking sponsors cover camp expenses – campers from the surrounding area pay $1 per day.
About Fresh Future Farm
Located in the Chicora-Cherokee area, a certified ‘food desert’, Fresh Future Farm uses urban agriculture to improve access to high quality foods in at-risk communities and as leverage to establish socially just economic development. The farm store is also among the small number black operated grocery businesses in the state. All proceeds from sales go back into operating expenses and programming. FFF’s sells fruit, vegetables, herbs and fresh eggs grown on the farm along with a mix of procured produce, fresh eggs, dairy, and basic and specialty grocery staples at fair prices where they are needed most. The farm store accepts SNAP (food stamp) benefits for food, seeds, and plants. Along with the store and now summer camp, the farm offered its first organic gardening class this past spring, and is actively seeking to train residents to help run the operation.
Fresh Future Farm is a non-profit social venture Mrs. Germaine Jenkins, a working class North Charleston resident who was recently recognized as one of the Top 50 Southerners by Southern Living Magazine and is a 2015 Charleston Magazine Community Catalyst award recipient. She created FFF with Growing Power Inc., the national nonprofit urban farm and land trust created by Will Allen, as a model. Fresh Future Farm strives to grow food, healthier lifestyles and the economy in the Charleston Heights area of North Charleston through the following products and services:
Commercial Urban Farm and nNeighborhood Farm Store
Educational farm tours and activities for school youth, families and out-of-town visitors ï Cooking demonstrations and organic gardening classes
Workshops on innovative urban farming techniques
New urban farmer and food entrepreneur incubator
Collaborative community development projects with strategic partners
Fresh Future Farm Mission:
To leverage healthy food and grocery products to create socially just economic development.
For more information about Fresh Future Farm, please visit www.freshfuturefarm.org.
Iowa Agritech Accelerator Announces Teams, Executive Director
Iowa Agritech Accelerator Announces Teams, Executive Director
AgriTech Accelerator executive director, Megan Vollstedt
The Des Moines-based Cultivation Corridor has announced its inaugural cohort of five startups for the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator, as well its permanent executive director, Megan Vollstedt. Vollstedt is taking over from Tej Dhawan of Entrepreneurial Technologies, who served as interim managing director until the executive director was named.
The AgriTech Accelerator is modeled after the Global Insurance Accelerator, with the intent of bringing companies from around the world to central Iowa for the 100-day program starting July 10. The companies receive $40,000 and will give their pitch presentations at the World Food Prize in October.
Meet Megan Vollstedt
The AgriTech Accelerator’s new executive director got involved with the startup community while still a student at Iowa State University in Ames. She interned at Workiva (then called Webfilings), a cloud platform for reporting, compliance and data management.
“I learned what it takes to be in a startup and as the company grew and scaled, so did my role,” Vollstedt said. “Eventually I got to the point where I was a senior editor, managing internal communications. I got to work with the company as it grew and went through a name change, and I’m grateful for those experiences that helped me develop professionally.”
Meet the cohort
WISRAN: A Sunnydale, CA, company that measures time variations of farming activities. WISRAN uses a software platform to increase operation efficiency.
“They’ve got great potential and a great platform,” Vollstedt said. “We think this is a company that will be very successful.”
Pyur Solutions: Based out of Los Angeles, Pyur Solutions is developing non-toxic, plant-based herbicides and pesticides.
“They’re in a really niche market, which is something that’s very attractive in agriculture, but also to retail and homestead outlets,” Vollstedt said. “They’re in a great place to figure out their next step.”
Rabbit Tractors: An Ann Arbor, MI, startup building miniature autonomous farm equipment.
“They’re making really unique machinery equipment, and they’re going to get a lot of value out of working with our mentors here.”
Hintech: Based out of St. Joseph, MO., Hintech has built Decimator, a cornstalk remover and crusher used in no-till farming.
“This is a company that is in a good place in its development to work with our mentors and investment companies,” Vollstedt said.
Phenomics Labs: A Burnsville, MN, startup that makes portable labs with data collection cameras that evaluate plant growth.
“It’s a really interesting product, and the data they collect will show some unique opportunities for growth,” Vollstedt said.
About the Iowa AgriTech Accelerator
The accelerator has a team of 58 mentors from central Iowa companies who are available to the cohort. Investors in the AgriTech Accelerator include Farmers Mutual Hail, Grinnell Mutual, John Deere, Kent Corporation, The Peoples Company, Pioneer and Sukup.
While five teams have been named, applications are still open for the 2017 initial class. Startups may apply on the Agritech Accelerator site.
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Joe Lawler is a freelance reporter based in Des Moines.