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AmHydro’s “ Introduction to Hydroponic Crop Production” Seminar Series
AmHydro’s “ Introduction to Hydroponic Crop Production” Seminar Series
February 22nd & 23rd in Eureka, CA
In this interactive 2-day course, you’ll learn the basics of running a hydroponic farm and business from industry leaders. With this knowledge, you’ll be better equipped to grow and sell produce to your local community. Best of all, you’ll get hands-on experience in a greenhouse.
COST: $995 for two people. Bring a friend!
HOSTED BY: American Hydroponics
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- The history of hydroponics
- How hydroponics effects the world today
- What is controlled environment agriculture (CEA)
- Basics of hydroponic farming
- Pest & disease control
- How to market your produce
Classroom AND Greenhouse Instruction!
LOCATIONS: The Ingomar Club and the HCOE Hydroponic Training Center, both in Eureka, CA
For more info and to sign up, please visit:
http://amyhydro.com/seminar
The Great Nutrient Collapse
Geoff Johnson for POLITICO | The Agenda | AGENDA 2020
The Great Nutrient Collapse
The atmosphere is literally changing the food we eat, for the worse. And almost nobody is paying attention.
09/13/2017
Irakli Loladze is a mathematician by training, but he was in a biology lab when he encountered the puzzle that would change his life. It was in 1998, and Loladze was studying for his Ph.D. at Arizona State University. Against a backdrop of glass containers glowing with bright green algae, a biologist told Loladze and a half-dozen other graduate students that scientists had discovered something mysterious about zooplankton.
Zooplankton are microscopic animals that float in the world’s oceans and lakes, and for food they rely on algae, which are essentially tiny plants. Scientists found that they could make algae grow faster by shining more light onto them—increasing the food supply for the zooplankton, which should have flourished. But it didn’t work out that way. When the researchers shined more light on the algae, the algae grew faster, and the tiny animals had lots and lots to eat—but at a certain point they started struggling to survive. This was a paradox. More food should lead to more growth. How could more algae be a problem?
Loladze was technically in the math department, but he loved biology and couldn’t stop thinking about this. The biologists had an idea of what was going on: The increased light was making the algae grow faster, but they ended up containing fewer of the nutrients the zooplankton needed to thrive. By speeding up their growth, the researchers had essentially turned the algae into junk food. The zooplankton had plenty to eat, but their food was less nutritious, and so they were starving.
Loladze used his math training to help measure and explain the algae-zooplankton dynamic. He and his colleagues devised a model that captured the relationship between a food source and a grazer that depends on the food. They published that first paper in 2000. But Loladze was also captivated by a much larger question raised by the experiment: Just how far this problem might extend.
“What struck me is that its application is wider,” Loladze recalled in an interview. Could the same problem affect grass and cows? What about rice and people? “It was kind of a watershed moment for me when I started thinking about human nutrition,” he said.
In the outside world, the problem isn’t that plants are suddenly getting more light: It’s that for years, they’ve been getting more carbon dioxide. Plants rely on both light and carbon dioxide to grow. If shining more light results in faster-growing, less nutritious algae—junk-food algae whose ratio of sugar to nutrients was out of whack—then it seemed logical to assume that ramping up carbon dioxide might do the same. And it could also be playing out in plants all over the planet. What might that mean for the plants that people eat?
What Loladze found is that scientists simply didn’t know. It was already well documented that CO2 levels were rising in the atmosphere, but he was astonished at how little research had been done on how it affected the quality of the plants we eat. For the next 17 years, as he pursued his math career, Loladze scoured the scientific literature for any studies and data he could find. The results, as he collected them, all seemed to point in the same direction: The junk-food effect he had learned about in that Arizona lab also appeared to be occurring in fields and forests around the world. “Every leaf and every grass blade on earth makes more and more sugars as CO2 levels keep rising,” Loladze said. “We are witnessing the greatest injection of carbohydrates into the biosphere in human history―[an] injection that dilutes other nutrients in our food supply.”
He published those findings just a few years ago, adding to the concerns of a small but increasingly worried group of researchers who are raising unsettling questions about the future of our food supply. Could carbon dioxide have an effect on human health we haven’t accounted for yet? The answer appears to be yes—and along the way, it has steered Loladze and other scientists, directly into some of the thorniest questions in their profession, including just how hard it is to do research in a field that doesn’t quite exist yet.
IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, it’s been understood for some time that many of our most important foods have been getting less nutritious. Measurements of fruits and vegetables show that their minerals, vitamin and protein content has measurably dropped over the past 50 to 70 years. Researchers have generally assumed the reason is fairly straightforward: We’ve been breeding and choosing crops for higher yields, rather than nutrition, and higher-yielding crops—whether broccoli, tomatoes, or wheat—tend to be less nutrient-packed.
In 2004, a landmark study of fruits and vegetables found that everything from protein to calcium, iron and vitamin C had declined significantly across most garden crops since 1950. The researchers concluded this could mostly be explained by the varieties we were choosing to grow.
Loladze and a handful of other scientists have come to suspect that’s not the whole story and that the atmosphere itself may be changing the food we eat. Plants need carbon dioxide to live like humans need oxygen. And in the increasingly polarized debate about climate science, one thing that isn’t up for debate is that the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is rising. Before the industrial revolution, the earth’s atmosphere had about 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Last year, the planet crossed over the 400 parts per million threshold; scientists predict we will likely reach 550 parts per million within the next half-century—essentially twice the amount that was in the air when Americans started farming with tractors.
If you’re someone who thinks about plant growth, this seems like a good thing. It has also been useful ammunition for politicians looking for reasons to worry less about the implications of climate change. Rep. Lamar Smith, a Republican who chairs the House Committee on Science, recently argued that people shouldn’t be so worried about rising CO2 levels because it’s good for plants, and what’s good for plants is good for us.
“A higher concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere would aid photosynthesis, which in turn contributes to increased plant growth,” the Texas Republican wrote. “This correlates to a greater volume of food production and better quality food.”
But as the zooplankton experiment showed, greater volume and better quality might not go hand-in-hand. In fact, they might be inversely linked. As best scientists can tell, this is what happens: Rising CO2 revs up photosynthesis, the process that helps plants transform sunlight to food. This makes plants grow, but it also leads them to pack in more carbohydrates like glucose at the expense of other nutrients that we depend on, like protein, iron and zinc.
In 2002, while a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University, Loladze published a seminal research paper in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, a leading journal,arguing that rising CO2 and human nutrition were inextricably linked through a global shift in the quality of plants. In the paper, Loladze complained about the dearth of data: Among thousands of publications he had reviewed on plants and rising CO2, he found only one that looked specifically at how it affected the balance of nutrients in rice, a crop that billions of people rely on. (The paper, published in 1997, found a drop in zinc and iron.)
Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reducing the protein in staple crops like rice, wheat, barley and potatoes, raising unknown risks to human health in the future. | Getty Images
Increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reducing the protein in staple crops like rice, wheat, barley, and potatoes, raising unknown risks to human health in the future. | Getty Images
Loladze’s paper was first to tie the impact of CO2 on plant quality to human nutrition. But he also raised more questions than he answered, arguing that there were fundamental holes in the research. If these nutritional shifts were happening up and down the food chain, the phenomenon needed to be measured and understood.
Part of the problem, Loladze was finding, lay in the research world itself. Answering the question required an understanding of plant physiology, agriculture and nutrition―as well as a healthy dollop of math. He could do the math, but he was a young academic trying to establish himself, and math departments weren't especially interested in solving problems in farming and human health. Loladze struggled to get funding to generate new data and continued to obsessively collect published data from researchers across the globe. He headed to the heartland to take an assistant professor position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It was a major agricultural school, which seemed like a good sign, but Loladze was still a math professor. He was told he could pursue his research interests as long as he brought in funding, but he struggled. Biology grant makers said his proposals were too math-heavy; math grant makers said his proposals contained too much biology.
“It was year after year, rejection after rejection,” he said. “It was so frustrating. I don’t think people grasp the scale of this.”
It’s not just in the fields of math and biology that this issue has fallen through the cracks. To say that it’s little known that key crops are getting less nutritious due to rising CO2 is an understatement. It is simply not discussed in the agriculture, public health or nutrition communities. At all.
When POLITICO contacted top nutrition experts about the growing body of research on the topic, they were almost universally perplexed and asked to see the research. One leading nutrition scientist at Johns Hopkins University said it was interesting, but admitted he didn’t know anything about it. He referred me to another expert. She said they didn’t know about the subject, either. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, an association representing an army of nutrition experts across the country, connected me with Robin Foroutan, an integrative medicine nutritionist who was also not familiar with the research.
“It’s really interesting, and you’re right, it’s not on many people’s radar,” wrote Foroutan, in an email, after being sent some papers on the topic. Foroutan said she would like to see a whole lot more data, particularly on how a subtle shift toward more carbohydrates in plants could affect public health.
"We don't know what a minor shift in the carbohydrate ratio in the diet is ultimately going to do,” she said, noting that the overall trend toward more starch and carbohydrate consumption has been associated with an increase in diet-related disease like obesity and diabetes. "To what degree would a shift in the food system contribute to that? We can't really say.”
Asked to comment for this story, Marion Nestle, a nutrition policy professor at New York University who’s one of the best-known nutrition experts in the country, initially expressed skepticism about the whole concept but offered to dig into a file she keeps on climate issues.
After reviewing the evidence, she changed her tune. “I’m convinced,” she said, in an email, while also urging caution: It wasn’t clear whether CO2-driven nutrient depletion would have a meaningful impact on public health. We need to know a whole lot more, she said.
Kristie Ebi, a researcher at the University of Washington who’s studied the intersection of climate change and global health for two decades, is one of a handful of scientists in the U.S. who is keyed into the potentially sweeping consequences of the CO2-nutrition dynamic, and brings it up in every talk she gives.
"It's a hidden issue,” Ebi said. “The fact that my bread doesn't have the micronutrients it did 20 years ago―how would you know?"
As Ebi sees it, the CO2-nutrition link has been slow to break through, much as it took the academic community a long time to start seriously looking at the intersection of climate and human health in general. “This is before the change,” she said. “This is what it looks like before the change."
Soybeans growing in a field outside Lincoln, Nebraska, one of many crops whose nutrient content is shifting as a result of rising carbon dioxide levels. | Geoff Johnson for POLITICO
LOLADZE'S EARLY PAPER raised some big questions that are difficult, but not impossible, to answer. How does rising atmospheric CO2 change how plants grow? How much of the long-term nutrient drop is caused by the atmosphere, and how much by other factors, like breeding?
It’s also difficult, but not impossible, to run farm-scale experiments on how CO2affects plants. Researchers use a technique that essentially turns an entire field into a lab. The current gold standard for this type of research is called a FACE experiment (for “free-air carbon dioxide enrichment”), in which researchers create large open-air structures that blow CO2 onto the plants in a given area. Small sensors keep track of the CO2 levels. When too much CO2 escapes the perimeter, the contraption puffs more into the air to keep the levels stable. Scientists can then compare those plants directly to others growing in normal air nearby.
These experiments and others like them have shown scientists that plants change in important ways when they’re grown at elevated CO2 levels. Within the category of plants known as “C3”―which includes approximately 95 percent of plant species on earth, including ones we eat like wheat, rice, barley and potatoes―elevated CO2has been shown to drive down important minerals like calcium, potassium, zinc and iron. The data we have, which look at how plants would respond to the kind of CO2 concentrations we may see in our lifetimes, show these important minerals drop by 8 percent, on average. The same conditions have been shown to drive down the protein content of C3 crops, in some cases significantly, with wheat and rice dropping 6 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
Earlier this summer, a group of researchers published the first studies attempting to estimate what these shifts could mean for the global population. Plants are a crucial source of protein for people in the developing world, and by 2050, theyestimate, 150 million people could be put at risk of protein deficiency, particularly in countries like India and Bangladesh. Researchers found a loss of zinc, which is particularly essential for maternal and infant health, could put 138 million people at risk. They also estimated that more than 1 billion mothers and 354 million children live in countries where dietary iron is projected to drop significantly, which could exacerbate the already widespread public health problem of anemia.
There aren’t any projections for the United States, where we for the most part enjoy a diverse diet with no shortage of protein, but some researchers look at the growing proportion of sugars in plants and hypothesize that a systemic shift in plants could further contribute to our already alarming rates of obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Another new and important strain of research on CO2 and plant nutrition is now coming out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist at the Agricultural Research Service headquarters in Beltsville, Maryland, is drilling down on some of the questions that Loladze first raised 15 years ago with a number of new studies that focus on nutrition.
Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, examines rice growing in his laboratory in Beltsville, Md. Ziska and his colleagues are conducting experiments to find out how rising carbon dioxide levels affect the nutrient profile of plants. Plant physiologist Julie Wolf harvests peppers to study changes in vitamin C, lower right. | M. Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO
Ziska devised an experiment that eliminated the complicating factor of plant breeding: He decided to look at bee food.
Goldenrod, a wildflower many consider a weed, is extremely important to bees. It flowers late in the season, and its pollen provides an important source of protein for bees as they head into the harshness of winter. Since goldenrod is wild and humans haven’t bred it into new strains, it hasn’t changed over time as much as, say, corn or wheat. And the Smithsonian Institution also happens to have hundreds of samples of goldenrod, dating back to 1842, in its massive historical archive—which gave Ziska and his colleagues a chance to figure out how one plant has changed over time.
They found that the protein content of goldenrod pollen has declined by a third since the industrial revolution—and the change closely tracks with the rise in CO2. Scientists have been trying to figure out why bee populations around the world have been in decline, which threatens many crops that rely on bees for pollination. Ziska’s paper suggested that a decline in protein prior to winter could be an additional factor making it hard for bees to survive other stressors.
Ziska worries we’re not studying all the ways CO2 affects the plants we depend on with enough urgency, especially considering the fact that retooling crops takes a long time.
“We’re falling behind in our ability to intercede and begin to use the traditional agricultural tools, like breeding, to compensate,” he said. “Right now it can take 15 to 20 years before we get from the laboratory to the field.”
AS LOLADZE AND others have found, tackling globe-spanning new questions that cross the boundaries of scientific fields can be difficult. There are plenty of plant physiologists researching crops, but most are dedicated to studying factors like yield and pest resistance—qualities that have nothing to do with nutrition. Math departments, as Loladze discovered, don’t exactly prioritize food research. And studying living things can be costly and slow: It takes several years and huge sums of money to get a FACE experiment to generate enough data to draw any conclusions.
Despite these challenges, researchers are increasingly studying these questions, which means we may have more answers in the coming years. Ziska and Loladze, who now teaches math at Bryan College of Health Sciences in Lincoln, Nebraska, are collaborating with a coalition of researchers in China, Japan, Australia and elsewhere in the U.S. on a large study looking at rising CO2 and the nutritional profile of rice, one of humankind’s most important crops. Their study also includes vitamins, an important nutritional component, that to date has almost not been studied at all.
USDA researchers also recently dug up varieties of rice, wheat and soy that USDA had saved from the 1950s and 1960s and planted them in plots around the U.S. where previous researchers had grown the same cultivars decades ago, with the aim of better understanding how today’s higher levels of CO2 affect them.
Mathematician Irakli Loladze tosses sugar over vegetables outside his home in Lincoln Nebraska, to illustrate how the sugar content of the plants we eat is increasing as a result of rising carbon dioxide levels. Loladze was the first scientist to publish research connecting rising CO2 and changes in plant quality to human nutrition. | Geoff Johnson for POLITICO
In a USDA research field in Maryland, researchers are running experiments on bell peppers to measure how vitamin C changes under elevated CO2. They’re also looking at coffee to see whether caffeine declines. “There are lots of questions,” Ziska said as he showed me around his research campus in Beltsville. “We’re just putting our toe in the water.”
Ziska is part of a small band of researchers now trying to measure these changes and figure out what it means for humans. Another key figure studying this nexus is Samuel Myers, a doctor turned climate researcher at Harvard University who leads the Planetary Health Alliance, a new global effort to connect the dots between climate science and human health.
Myers is also concerned that the research community is not more focused on understanding the CO2-nutrition dynamic, since it’s a crucial piece of a much larger picture of how such changes might ripple through ecosystems. "This is the tip of the iceberg," said Myers. "It's been hard for us to get people to understand how many questions they should have."
In 2014, Myers and a team of other scientists published a large, data-rich study in the journal Nature that looked at key crops grown at several sites in Japan, Australia and the United States that also found rising CO2 led to a drop in protein, iron and zinc. It was the first time the issue had attracted any real media attention.
“The public health implications of global climate change are difficult to predict, and we expect many surprises,” the researchers wrote. “The finding that raising atmospheric CO2 lowers the nutritional value of C3 crops is one such surprise that we can now better predict and prepare for.”
The same year―in fact, on the same day―Loladze, then teaching math at the The Catholic University of Daegu in South Korea, published his own paper, the result of more than 15 years of gathering data on the same subject. It was the largest study in the world on rising CO2 and its impact on plant nutrients. Loladze likes to describe plant science as “noisy”―research-speak for cluttered with complicating data, through which it can be difficult to detect the signal you’re looking for. His new data set was finally big enough to see the signal through the noise, to detect the “hidden shift,” as he put it.
PHOTOS: How to measure a plant
What he found is that his 2002 theory—or, rather, the strong suspicion he had articulated back then—appeared to be borne out. Across nearly 130 varieties of plants and more than 15,000 samples collected from experiments over the past three decades, the overall concentration of minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron had dropped by 8 percent on average. The ratio of carbohydrates to minerals was going up. The plants, like the algae, were becoming junk food.
What that means for humans―whose main food intake is plants―is only just starting to be investigated. Researchers who dive into it will have to surmount obstacles like its low profile and slow pace and a political environment where the word “climate” is enough to derail a funding conversation. It will also require entirely new bridges to be built in the world of science―a problem that Loladze himself wryly acknowledges in his own research. When his paper was finally published in 2014, Loladze listed his grant rejections in the acknowledgements.
Author:
Helena Bottemiller Evich is a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO Pro.
Urban AG Certificate And Fellowship Program
Urban AG Certificate And Fellowship Program
If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.
Through our Urban Ag Certificate and Fellowship program, we are certainly planting seeds and we are planting trees, but most importantly we are teaching people. And, if you like to eat you should be glad we are. The average age of farmers is 58 years old, less than 5% of our country’s farmers are of color and women are underrepresented in the field, yet simultaneously agriculture is the largest industry in our state and the demand for locally grown food is so great that it is not currently being met.
As we look to our local community, we must consider the needs of the Richmond region and how our local food system impacts all of us. It can’t be ignored that collective research tells us that the children born in our city are not born into a place of equity – a child born in the East End is predicted to live 20 years less than a child born just a few miles away in the west end of our city. Why is this? It’s not because of the care they receive within the walls of our hospitals – that care is excellent in both locations. Instead, it is opportunities to play safely outside, to have basic access to real food, to have opportunities for a good education and great jobs that provide self- sufficiency and independence that generates true health.
We recognize incredible opportunities to bridge these disparities while cultivating a new generation of urban farmers. Tricycle’s Urban Agriculture Fellowship and Certificate program is the first program of it’s kind designed in partnership with the USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service. Urban Ag fellows dig in with Tricycle staff, subject matter experts from USDA, VA Tech, Rodale Institute, Roots of Success, Small Business Association and others for an 11-month term that provides formal instruction and hands-on experiences grounded in the business of sustainable urban agriculture.
University Greenhouse Expands to Include An Aquaponics System
University Greenhouse Expands to Include An Aquaponics System
- By Emily Gielink | Reporter
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- November 27, 2017
Aquaponics, the combination of hydroponics and aquaculture, is working its way on to the University’s campus as the greenhouse attempts to expand its newest program. As the University strives to become a more green and sustainable campus, aquaponics may be the next step toward this goal.
Hydroponics, the study of growing plants without soil, and aquaculture, the farming of fish or other aquatic organisms, are efficient methods of producing both plant and fish crops, according to a study conducted by Iowa State University professor D. Allen Pattillo.
The University greenhouse is home to different species and biomes, but its newest addition includes tanks of fish, pumps and crops. Kevin Neves, the University biology instructor, started this system in fall 2016 when he arrived on campus along with two other students. He has been working in aquaculture for 15 years, and in the three years before coming to the University, he was working on an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture setup in Maine.
“In a standard aquaculture operation, you’re growing fish and you’re feeding the fish. Fish produce waste, and we need to deal with that waste in one form or another,” Neves said.
The greenhouse aquaponics system currently has two tanks full of yellow perch, which are fed standard fish food. The perch grow to about 10 or 12 inches, the standard to sell them for consumption. Next, all the feces and uneaten food go into another tank filled with freshwater shrimp and an orange mesh that allows bacteria growth.
The shrimp then take the ammonia fish produce and convert it into nitrate, which is a type of plant fertilizer. The nitrates travel through pipes into floating beds in which plant roots grow into water. Most of the water then is drained out and pumped back into the yellow perch tank.
Plants being grown from this system include kale, spinach and a few experimental plants, such as tomatoes. Neves first tried to grow thyme and lettuce, which failed in the system.
“It’s environmentally friendly, it’s sustainable, everything looks good and it has so little impact on the environment,” Neves said.
This system is low maintenance, only requiring those who maintain it to feed the fish, and occasionally add a few gallons of water to the system as water evaporates in the greenhouse.
Frank Schemenauer, a horticulturist for the greenhouse, became involved with the project after he discussed the possibility of housing the aquaponics system with Neves. Schemenauer focuses on logistics and input during assembly, assisting students growing plants for and within the system and troubleshooting potential pest problems for the plants.
“I think the aquaponics system is a great addition to the greenhouse,” Schemenauer said. “It highlights the potential to produce food in a closed-loop system, utilizing fish waste as a resource to facilitate plant growth with minimal environmental impact.”
One of the students who helped create the aquaponics system was Lana Neff, a third-year marine and aquatic biology major. She now helps with basic care and maintenance of the system.
“I think this system is providing students and future students with a fun and hands-on educational source where students can actually see what an aquaponics system looks like, instead of going off of pictures in a book,” Neff said.
Although the Office of Campus Sustainability has no knowledge of the system, some students are aware of the newer program and have visited the aquaponics system.
The aquaponics system can be compared to the green roof system on top of the Oaks Dining Hall. The Oaks grows fresh produce and then incorporates them into the meals served to students. With the current system, Neves hopes to incorporate the fish and plants he grows into Dining Services.
Aquaculture is expanding in numerous states, including Ohio, where over 25 fish and crustacean species are cultured and sold.
As the Earth’s population grows, people continue to deplete the Earth’s resources, including marine life, according to Matthew Smith, Ohio State University Extension Aquaculture Specialist. “Overfishing is real, and although harvesting techniques have gotten a lot better, much of our bodies of water are overfished,” he said. “Aquaculture helps alleviate the burden on our waters.”
As for long-term goals, Neves is trying to gain funding for the greenhouse aquaponics system. If he receives funding, he intends to add on to the greenhouse and add more tanks and plants for large-scale production, in hopes of profiting from the system.
“It’s proof of the concept, and so the goal would to be to sell these locally-environmentally-friendly, green perch,” Neves said. “There’s a huge market for hydroponic crops, and people are really excited about that.”
Is The Future of Farming in Public Schools?
Is The Future of Farming in Public Schools?
DECEMBER 17, 2017 URBAN AG NEWS
By Jennifer Prescott
On a chilly February 26, excited student greenhouse ambassadors of PS84 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn greeted a host of city and local dignitaries arriving to tour and cut the ribbon for the launch of their amazing 1,500-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse classroom rooftop facility. As New York City Council member Stephen Levin observed, “it’s 34 degrees out and we are in this beautiful greenhouse growing food!”
Principal Sereida Rodriguez-Guerra—observing the student ambassadors guiding each guest on a tour, with thorough explanations of each hydroponic system—was understandably proud of the students and the school community as she reflected on the last 4 years of work steering the development of the greenhouse along with NY Sun Works. “These guys”, she said gesturing to the students, “dressed in black and white, look at them, just listening to them, and this is just a small portion of our children. Our children have been working the green classroom, they know the hydroponic systems, they know how they work, and they’re just as excited to be up here and do it on a bigger scale, but I really really want to thank Diana Reyna, because we both grew up here in Williamsburg, and for her to believe in our vision, and really rallying everyone up to stand behind us and see this through, thank you so much.
The festivities continued as Principal Rodriguez-Guerra then introduced Brooklyn Deputy Borough President Diana Reyna to the podium. Reyna has been a significant force in galvanizing the will and funds for the traditionally underfunded public school’s educational programs in her borough. She is fighting for “21st-century technology and skills” for these kids. And to be sure, Borough President Adams and Deputy President Reyna recently allocated 2 million dollars to NY Sun Works for the development of 12 classroom greenhouse/labs over the next year.
“These are the scientists, the lab researchers, these are the academic visionaries and entrepreneurs that we need to invest in, and so we want to make sure they don’t fall short,” Deputy Borough President Reyna said at the opening. “Within each school district, we’ve mapped out what the options are so that when you graduate PS/MS 84 that you will have a high school to go to to have this same [greenhouse classroom] learning experience and a more challenging and rigorous curriculum within your own community, making sure that everyone understands that you will compete globally, and you will be prepared to do so.”
Technology and farming for the future are exactly what PS84’s greenhouse science lab represents. The systems include a large NFT (nutrient film technique) system for leafy greens, Dutch bucket systems for vine crops like melons, tomatoes and cucumbers, a state of the art aquaponics system, tower gardens for herbs, a vertically integrated growing system (a NY Sun Works proprietary design), and rainwater catchment and evaporative cooling systems, making the lab as environmentally friendly and efficient as possible.
NY Sun Works greenhouse/labs also include STEM and environmental science curriculum that can be integrated with existing science curricula at the discretion of the school. In addition to building an understanding of all facets of sustainability—pollution, contamination, bio-diversity and conservation—students that participate in a NY Sun Works greenhouse/classroom lab gain valuable experience in urban farming as they learn science.
Advocates for the development and expansion of the “Brooklyn Project” (as NY Sun Works has come to call it)—including council members Antonio Reynoso and Stephen Levin, as well as Borough President Adams and Deputy President Reyna—do not shy away from addressing the social justice issues these greenhouse labs help to address. For families with often limited access to healthy food, sharing urban farming knowledge with their families and community represents a powerful shift in the urban landscape with regard to the value of food. At the opening, student ambassador Olivia proclaimed “my favorite part [of the greenhouse] is that we grow food to make people healthy.”
Jennifer Prescott, School Liaison & Program Support, NY Sun Works
Photos courtesy of Daphne Youree
NY Sun Works is a non-profit organization that builds innovative science labs in urban schools. Through their Greenhouse Project Initiative, they use hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability.
How This Elementary School In The Bronx Is Using Farming As A Vehicle For Change
How This Elementary School In The Bronx Is Using Farming As A Vehicle For Change
Photo: Bronx Green Machine
November 13, 2017
Tucked within the poorest congressional district in America, sandwiched between the largest strip of public housing in the country, you'll find a farm. But not just any farm. This ever-shifting display of fruit and greens is the focal point of P.S. 55, a K-5 school in the South Bronx where 100 percent of kids are on free and reduced lunch.
For students who live in a maze of bodegas and fast food, access to fresh produce—that they grew themselves, no less—is a novelty. "We're a walk away from the largest McDonald's in the Bronx and the most profitable Dominos per square foot in America. For most of these kids, food is something that comes through a bulletproof window," explains Stephen Ritz, the farm's founder, dressed in his signature nameplate bow tie and foam cheese hat (which stands for "The Big Cheese," of course). "What we need to do is bring the fun back to food."
Ritz's booming, singsong voice fills a bright classroom filled with fish tanks, bookshelves of colorful texts, and an array of vertical and LED farming technologies. A fully stocked kitchen sits next to rows of blenders powered by bicycles. This food lover's dream has existed in the elementary school's old library for about three years now, and so far it has produced 60,000 pounds of what Ritz calls 0-miles-to-plate produce. Outside, one of the most productive gardens in New York sits in the school's front yard, tended to by local high school students.
Ritz speaks with gusto as he shows off a colorful map of every county in New York and explains how his students will soon set out to eat a piece of produce native to each one. That's after they feed the entire school lunch from their kitchen the next day, of course. Since he's started the program, attendance has shot up from 40 percent to 93 percent.
"We're growing a lot of food, but more than anything, we're growing healthy attitudes."
Planting the first seed.
Photo: Bronx Green Machine
Ritz himself is not a farmer. He's a former basketball player who returned to his native Bronx after a career-ending injury and found it a lot rougher than he remembered. After landing his first teaching job, he discovered a knack for dealing with students with behavioral issues that stemmed from difficult lives at home.
"The real trick was to make school relevant to their lives. Was I a genius? Not at all. Was I highly credentialed? Even less so. But I cared enough about these children to find ways to engage them," Ritz reflects in his new memoir, The Power of a Plant. He started doing so by bringing the classroom outside—and bringing the outside into the classroom. During his time at Walton High School, he started a "Green Teens" task force, where kids used plants to cover up graffiti and gang tags around the neighborhood. Then the inside of his classroom had a fish tank, and then a few flowers. One day, during a brawl, instead of pulling out a weapon like Ritz assumed he would, he pulled out a bouquet of daffodils. In that moment, it became clear that access to nature was changing his kids' behavior. Ritz then incorporated some edible plants in with the ornamental ones, became the first teacher to place a tower garden in his class, and the rest is history.
He watched as students fell in love with the process of growing their own food. He took them on field trips to other boroughs to check out urban farms in action, reminiscing on a trek to Whole Foods that showed them all the varieties of produce out there and inspired them to get a bit more adventurous back on the school farm.
Now, lemon sorrel and cabbage for kimchi are staples on his class menu, and some of Ritz's high school grads have left to go work at Whole Foods and other popular producers like Fresh Direct and Gotham Greens.
Why farming is so transformative at P.S. 55.
Back inside the farm, aptly named The National Health, Wellness & Learning Center, Ritz explains why he thinks growing food has led to happier, healthier kids. "When you put a seed in a little kid's hand, you're making them a promise that little seed is going to grow into something great that they can eat. And then they get to watch it happen." This instills in them a sense of pride and a new interest in what they're putting into their bodies. A lot of kids start their time at P.S. 55 not knowing that food comes from the ground at all, but they all leave with an understanding of every part of the growing process.
"It's sticky learning. The things they learn here stick with them throughout their day. They take the recipes home to their parents," Ritz explains, adding that more than a dozen school families recently signed on to their first fresh food box. "Collectively, the parents in the school have lost several hundred pounds."
Kids are starting to take their health into their own hands in more ways than one. After researching the amount of sugar in their chocolate milk, for example, they convinced the principal to ban it from the lunch room. Ritz is heartened to see each child grow into his or her own unique tastes, and he says they always arrive eager to learn what dishes are on the day's menu. (Right now, veggie pizzas and hummus are two crowd favorites.)
Perhaps most importantly, spending time in the Wellness Center has helped these kids see the results of hard work and diligence. Elements of math, science, and pretty much every other topic you can imagine are woven into each growing lesson plan, and this project-based learning helps them apply classroom knowledge in practical settings. As a result, 100 percent of the high schoolers whom Ritz has taught have passed their New York state exams.
A timeless lesson plan.
Photo: Bronx Green Machine
Though Ritz and his wife and collaborator Lizette have transitioned to become unpaid volunteers at the center over the years, they still are there for kids 6.5 days a week (the class and outdoor farm stay open 365 days a year to give kids a place to go on weekends and holidays). For him, simply being present in students' lives is huge.
"All the data indicates that if children have access to one kind, caring adult in their life, they'll be successful. My goal is to be that kind, caring adult for as many people as possible," he says. "It's about teaching children to respect themselves, their bodies, and their communities." Walking around, it's clear he knows every single one of the school's 785 children by name.
"We don't tell people to do anything," he says, making the point that the kids are far better farmers than he'll ever be. "What we do is make resources available and love them. Nobody will go broke giving love."
This compassion has catapulted Ritz's curriculum out of this one classroom and around the world many times over. Since he began teaching a plant-based curriculum, educators from 60 countries and six continents have stopped by his classroom for inspiration. P.S. 55 students have appeared on the cover of Time for Kids, and the White House chef has stopped by to prepare "Tower Garden Tacos" with them. Ritz himself has met Oprah and the pope during his time traveling the world to receive awards for his distinguished teaching.
Now, he is on a mission spread his curriculum to any school that will use it. Next up comes a partnership with Chicago public schools, then the opening of a sister classroom in Dubai through a partnership with ESOL education. He's also launching a growing program for parents in the Bronx, as well as an apprentice program so older kids can enter the workforce with a knowledge of urban farming technology.
"It's proof that the Bronx is ready, willing, and able to export our talent and diversity in ways that people never imagined. Are there huge disparities here? Absolutely. But kids just need to see good behavior. They just need to see love. We need to love people and use things, instead of loving things and using people."
Learn more about how to support the Bronx Green Machine here, and while you're at it, check out a few other sustainable farming innovations happening in NYC.
Emma is the associate green & home editor at mindbodygreen. She graduated from Duke University with a degree in environmental science and English in 2015 and has since reported on...
Wisconsin School Grows Crops in Hydroponics System
Students at a private school in eastern Wisconsin are growing their own food for lunch in the school's cafeteria. The hydroponics system at St. John Lutheran School in Plymouth is part of a pilot program through the nonprofit Feeding America, USA Today Network-Wisconsin reported.
Wisconsin School Grows Crops in Hydroponics System
by The Associated Press
Sunday, December 10th 2017
(Image Courtesy MGN Online)
PLYMOUTH, Wis. (AP) -- Students at a private school in eastern Wisconsin are growing their own food for lunch in the school's cafeteria.
The hydroponics system at St. John Lutheran School in Plymouth is part of a pilot program through the nonprofit Feeding America, USA Today Network-Wisconsin reported.
The system is kept in a large plastic shell and was installed about a month ago. Nutrient-rich water is cycled through the system and enables growth without the need for soil.
"In this day and age of conservation and resources, what a great way to show the students every day that there are ways to try and be a little more self-sustaining and have less of an impact on the environment," said Jay Lindsey, the school's principal. "Along the lines of problem-solving, it's a great educational tool for the kids."
Students have tried planting lettuce so far. Science teacher Libby MacGillis planted starfighter lettuce seeds in the classroom before students helped transfer the plants to the hydroponics system. The lettuce is a fast-growing and high-yielding green.
"They grow really, really fast. They sprout in about 24 hours," MacGillis said. "We'll plant them one day and by the next day I'll already have plants."
Cafeteria staff then used the lettuce for the salad bar, Lindsey said.
"We'll grow other crops, but we did this first because we know it works really well," MacGillis said. "We might try strawberries and peppers."
It took the school time to find the right water and nutrient balance for the plants. The first batch of crops was killed when the water in the system leaked out overnight. The problems were worth it after seeing the students' excitement, MacGillis said.
"They loved it," she said. "Everyone wanted to try it."
The school has about 200 students from 3-year-olds to eighth graders.
Constantinides, School Officials Open First Hydroponic Science Labs in District
Constantinides, School Officials Open First Hydroponic Science Labs in District
Shachar Sharon | December 8, 2017
School Officials Open First Hydroponic Science Labs in District
Lab is First Completed Part of Councilman’s Science 2050 Budget Initiative
Astoria, N.Y. – As part of New York City Council Member Costa Constantinides’ initiative to invest in science learning spaces, he and school officials today celebrated the opening of the first hydroponic science lab in the district. He joined NY Sun Works Executive Director Manuela Zamora, NYC Department of Education District 30 Superintendent Dr. Philip Composto, PS 122 Principal Anna Aprea, teachers, and students for a ribbon cutting celebration.
Labs were constructed in one elementary and one middle school classroom at PS 122 using a $160,000 allocation from Constantinides as part of the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget. Constantinides allocated almost $2 million of funding in that budget to schools throughout the district as part of his Science 2050 Budget Initiative to improve science learning spaces. He invested in hydroponic science labs, STEM labs, and technology upgrades. These investments were made to ensure that children have the tools they need to learn so that they can improve our community in the future.
Construction on the hydroponic science labs at PS 122 took place over the 2017 summer break and instruction began in September. Plants and equipment that use water and other mediums for plant growth were installed in the classrooms. These labs provide hands-on education to students in many subjects including biology, agriculture, sustainability, technology, and nutrition. Students learn about environmental innovation and global resources.
Faculty members are trained to integrate the labs into the school’s curricula. The School Construction Authority worked with NY Sun Works to implement the lab and train faculty.
Constantinides said, “We are proud to kick off our Science 2050 Budget Initiative with this opening. With these innovative learning spaces, children have the opportunity to interact with plants, study the biology of how they grow, and receive meaningful lessons in ecology and agriculture. These types of multi-faceted science learning experiences will give students academic benefits in a variety of subject matters. Giving children have the tools they need for a 21st Century academic experience will ensure that they can become our future leaders. Thank you to PS 122, NY Sun Works, and the School Construction Authority for your partnership in important initiative.”
“We are thrilled to partner with visionary Councilmember Constantinides,” said Manuela Zamora, NYSW Executive Director. “The NY Sun Works Greenhouse Project Labs address the needs of the 21st Century. In these classrooms, students learn about the science of sustainability while growing food with cutting edge hydroponic technology.”
“PS 122 is very excited to open up the hydroponics lab to our students. The PS 122 teachers in the science labs report that students living in an urban environment often have little connection to nature and where food comes from. By bringing what is typically outdoors inside the classroom, we hope to connect our students to the greater environment. Ultimately, we hope to build on the natural curiosity of the students to provide an elevated set of skills, a broader perspective on the issues facing our communities, and to foster environmental leadership,” said PS 122 Principal Anna Aprea.
“We are grateful to Council Member Constantinides for his generous funding and support,” said Lorraine Grillo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York City School Construction Authority. “Thanks to our strong partnerships with local leaders, PS 122 students and families will now have access to a state-of-the-art hydroponic science lab.”
Constantinides has continued to make investments in science learning spaces a priority. Duringthis past budget cycle, he secured over $3 million for hydroponic science labs at different schools, STEM lab updates, solar panels, technology upgrades, and other facilities updates.
Council Member Costa Constantinides represents the New York City Council’s 22nd District, which includes his native Astoria along with parts of Woodside, East Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights. He serves as the chair the City Council’s Environmental Protection Committee and sits on six additional committees: Civil Service & Labor, Contracts, Cultural Affairs, Oversight & Investigations, Sanitation, and Transportation. For more information, visit council.nyc.gov/costa.
Kids Speak on Vertically Building a Sustainable Future
Kids Speak on Vertically Building a Sustainable Future
NOVEMBER 13, 2017 URBAN AG NEWS
Originally published in Issue 14
By Lea S. Singer (7th grader)
At the New York Sun Works’ Youth Conference on June 2, 2016, building a sustainable future was the shared topic. So many ideas were presented on how the kids of this generation could help build a better, healthier future for themselves. The passion shared with all who attended was inspiring, and made you want to start a mini hydroponics system in your kitchen the minute you left the conference.
Among the numerous people who spoke, ranging in age from 10- to 15- years old, three guest speakers attended. One of them, Dr. Dickson Despommier, from The Vertical Farm, shared the newest way of growing food—VIG.
One of the guest speakers at the conference was Dr. Dickson Despommier from The Vertical Farm who discussed vertically integrated growing (VIG).
VIG stands for vertically integrated growing, which looks exactly like it sounds. The plants are lined up in rows vertically, against a wall, as opposed to taking up space on the floor. This way of modifying plant growing systems for space efficiency could very well be the standard farming technique of the 21st century.
According to Dr. Despommier, many producers have already adapted this growing technique, using it to grow an abundance of vegetables, including tomatoes, spinach, and kale.
One grocery store that was shown during his presentation had a VIG setup in the store so that customers could simply cut off the leaves they desired from the extremely fresh plants, bag it, pay for their produce, and cook it for dinner the same day it was cut. This is one of the many examples Dr. Despommier showed the audience during his presentation. By the end of his presentation, it’s safe to say attendees were all convinced of the VIG’s efficiency and reliability as a new mass production growing technique.
Another VIG benefit, the free floor space leaves plenty of room for jetpacking and hoverboard riding, which will come in handy in 2050.
Lea S. Singer is a 7th grade student and aspiring writer at the Manhattan School for Children, PS333.
“The NY Sun Works conference was a great opportunity to learn about new ways to use sustainable science and how it works. Sustainable science is very important because, if we keep going without it, it will not be good for us. The conference gave new possibilities, new ways and new approaches on how to save our world.”
— Nate Hajdu, 7th grader and member of NY Sun Works Youth Conference Press Team
NY Sun Works is a non-profit organization that builds innovative science labs in urban schools. Through their Greenhouse Project Initiative they use hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability. www.nysunworks.org
Clinton Hill School Gets Millions In Greenhouse Funding
Urban Assembly Unison is one of seven schools slated to share $7 million from Adams' Growing Brooklyn's Future initiative, which will fund building rooftop gardens and greenhouses, the borough president announced Tuesday.
Clinton Hill School Gets Millions In Greenhouse Funding
The Urban Assembly Unison School is one of seven schools slated to receive greenhouse funding from Eric Adams' $7 million initiative.
By Kathleen Culliton, Patch Staff | Nov 29, 2017
CLINTON HILL, BROOKLYN — A Clinton Hill school can begin building its greenhouse after Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams announced the expansion of his green school initiati
Urban Assembly Unison is one of seven schools slated to share $7 million from Adams' Growing Brooklyn's Future initiative, which will fund building rooftop gardens and greenhouses, the borough president announced Tuesday.
"This is about keeping Brooklyn's kids at the forefront of innovation and growing their futures," said Borough President Adams.
"Young people across the borough will now have the opportunity to learn about growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and plants that will empower them to make healthy choices."
Urban Assembly — a profession-focused public school with an urban farming program — received $2 million from Growing Brooklyn's Future and an additional $1.05 million from City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo's office.
The school plans to begin construction on its courtyard greenhouse — which is expected to produce about 25 thousand pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables per year — early in 2018 with an anticipated completion date set for 2020, school officials said.
The money will be divided between seven schools in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bergen Beach, Brownsville, Clinton Hill, Gravesend and Sheepshead Bay, according to the Brooklyn borough president.
Adams first launched Growing Brooklyn's Future in 2015 when he channeled more than $2 million to create hydroponic classrooms to 12 Brooklyn schools in Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, Bushwick, Canarsie, Cypress Hills and East New York.
How to Feed a Hungry City
How to Feed a Hungry City
How does Toronto's garden grow? With fish farms, rooftop planters and vegetable patches all in a row. The city has become a leader in urban agriculture, but there's worry public awareness is lagging as new projects struggle to take root
Steven Bourne, co-founder of Ripple Farms Inc., inspects some of the fish his team uses to create nutrient-rich water to fertilize plants in their aquaponic lab on Seneca College’s campus on Wednesday.
PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER KATSAROV/THE GLOBE AND MAIL
NOVEMBER 3, 2017 | CHARLIE FRIEDMANN | SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL
"Do you want to feed the fish?" Not an everyday question inside a shipping container. But here within Ripple Farms' home on the campus of Toronto's Seneca College it's routine, and without awaiting an answer, Steven Bourne – one of the co-founders of the local aquaponics start-up – swiftly hands over a carefully measured container of organic fish feed.
"Sprinkle it over the top," Mr. Bourne says and, within seconds, scores of tilapia dart to the surface seeking their lunch. "We feed them really good food, so our fish are happy and that means our plants are happy," he says, beaming with pride.
This modified shipping container is Ripple's second pilot project in the city, following its inaugural farm at Evergreen Brickworks. The ground floor is filled with a large fish tank, along with a system of pumps and filters that provide nutrient-rich water to the greenhouse set atop the shipping container, feeding plants such as arugula, Swiss chard, kale, basil and mint. The system not only produces extremely healthy crops, but creates no waste beyond rich fertilizer that is later used in traditional soil farming.
Because of this remarkable sustainability and the capacity to produce food year-round, many point to aquaponics farms such as Ripple's as the future, but aquaponics is hardly alone in the urban farming landscape. Urban agriculture as a whole is on the rise in Toronto – this year, the mayor's office recognized Toronto's first Urban Agriculture Day on Sept. 15, marking a milestone for the city's growing community of practitioners. That community includes entrepreneurial farms such as Ripple, as well as traditional backyard gardens, community gardens, school gardens, rooftop farms, backyard chickens and more. Even before this year's recognition by Mayor John Tory, Toronto had been hailed as a leader in the field thanks to the GrowTO Urban Agriculture Action Plan unanimously approved by City Council in 2012 to provide a framework for encouraging the growth of urban agriculture.
But while this is viewed as a global model for city planning, local experts caution that not all is rosy in Toronto's gardens, as a number of projects have recently stalled due to lagging approvals and other challenges.
Brandon Hebor, co-founder of Ripple Farms Inc., inspects the growing lights of an aquaponics lab. Ripple currently sells its produce to high-end chefs.
"Torontonians have long grown in their backyards and continue to do so, but it's mostly been under the radar," notes Joe Nasr of the Centre for Studies in Food Security at Ryerson University and a co-ordinator of Toronto Urban Growers (TUG). "What's new is this attention to the fact it exists and that it has a place in the city, and that the city can help it prosper."
TUG has brought together a diverse group of civilian stakeholders since 2009, with the goal of increasing the availability of healthy and sustainable food grown, processed and sold in Toronto. Through networking meetings, public forums, and lobbying, the group has done just that, and – working with the Toronto Food Policy Council (TFPC) – was largely behind efforts to bring Toronto's Urban Agriculture Day to fruition.
Experts explain that supporting urban agriculture citywide is crucial because projects such as community gardens or larger-scale operations such as Black Creek Community Farm not only provide access to healthy and affordable food but offer skills and job training.
"I'm very keen on urban agriculture," Lori Stahlbrand, chair of the TFPC, says. "There are so many ways you can address health, nutrition, social inclusion, the environment and economic development, all using food." In contrast to the civilian TUG, the food-policy council is directly embedded in city government. "We were the first food-policy council in a major city in the world," Ms. Stahlbrand says. "There are now several hundred, but the key to what makes ours different is that I'm a permanent staff of the City of Toronto."
Established in 1991 as a subcommittee of the Toronto Board of Health, the TFPC focuses on the city's food policy as a whole, a large part of which includes strategies for increasing urban agriculture.
Many point to aquaponics farms such as Ripple’s as the future.
This year's first Urban Agriculture Day was preceded by a week of tours around the city led by TUG and the TFPC, seeking to expose some of the ways urban agriculture can result in healthy, low-cost food, engagement of isolated communities such as seniors and people living with mental illness, as well as promising entrepreneurial ventures.
"We're starting to encounter the problem that because people don't know what urban agriculture is, they're more likely to say no to projects," says Rhonda Teitel-Payne, another TUG co-ordinator, on the importance of the tours. Other events included public forums, workshops and a harvest dinner at Black Creek Community Farm with some of Toronto's top chefs.
Located in one of Toronto's poorest neighbourhoods, Black Creek Community Farm has quickly become a model for other cities. "The vision was to look at how this farm can play a role in food security in the Jane and Finch community – doing this from a community-development perspective, ensuring community members are part of the decision making," Leticia Boahen, Black Creek's director, says.
The farm addresses food security by providing access to farmland and discounted fresh produce to low-income families in the area, but a major part of its program is about education and engagement.
Brandon Hebor, left, and Steven Bourne. This modified shipping container is Ripple’s second pilot project in the city, following its inaugural farm at Evergreen Brickworks.
The benefits of education and food literacy continually come up when speaking with urban-agriculture experts. Local organizations such as FoodShare have long tried to address this issue, with programs of school nutrition and the goal of a food-growing garden in every school.
"It's a terrific idea," Ms. Stahlbrand says. "Programs where students are engaged and learning food-growing skills train them in real skills, make them employable in the food system – and they also learn so much about good eating."
Postsecondary schools are becoming more involved, with entire programs now dedicated to food studies. And local universities and colleges are beginning to implement gardens on empty spaces or campus rooftops. Seneca's partnership with Ripple Farms is just one such example. The farm will be operated by students and the school will partner on related educational programs with Ripple's founders, Mr.Bourne and Brandon Hebor – themselves recent graduates of Seneca's Green Business Management program.
Ripple Farms is a for-profit business but it's run as a social enterprise. "There's a big shift happening with our generation," Mr. Bourne explains. "My metrics aren't how much money is going into my pocket at the end of the day, it's how many people do I feed? I will make money, but it's not my main impact measure."
The company currently sells mainly to high-end chefs because of limited production, but that will soon change. Ripple recently received government loans that will be used to build a 10,000-square-foot farm in Toronto that can produce 250,000 pounds of fresh produce a year – the equivalent of feeding approximately 55,000 people three meals a day.
Steven Bourne inspects some of the herbs that Ripple Farms has been growing.
Ripple has been using tilapia in its system, as almost all aquaponics farmers do, but more local species such as trout and catfish are being considered. This would then provide a sustainable source of high-quality local fish in addition to the fresh produce. Among those interested are local restaurants such as Montgomery's, which has purchased some of Ripple's herbs and vegetables.
Focusing on seasonal, local ingredients was always essential for Kim Montgomery-Rawlings and her husband, chef Guy Rawlings, but the pair wanted to think locally beyond the menu when they opened their first restaurant last summer. "Guy and I always said we wanted to make a restaurant that wasn't just a restaurant," Ms.Montgomery-Rawlings says. "It's an opportunity to get involved with the community, meet new people, branch out and share ideas."
While researching local food issues, Ms. Montgomery-Rawlings was introduced to TUG and the TFPC and immediately began attending meetings – eventually becoming an elected member of the TFPC. Montgomery's is also a local leader in featuring seasonal and local products; in addition to local produce purchased from others, it maintains a rooftop garden of its own, built in self-watering containers.
In fact, the idea of adding container gardens to empty lots around the city is one theTFPC's Ms. Stahlbrand is especially fond of. In Vancouver, Sole Food Street Farms has been successful at growing 25 tonnes of food a year while transforming empty lots and employing dozens of members of the city's poorest neighbourhoods.
Having Ms. Stahlbrand as a permanent city employee through the food policy council is undoubtedly beneficial, but if Toronto hopes to follow the lead of other cities and adopt projects such as these, many suggest another city staff member dedicated to urban agriculture is needed.
The ground floor of Ripple Farms is filled with a large fish tank, along with a system of pumps and filters that provide nutrient-rich water to the greenhouse set atop the shipping container.
One promising large-scale project that has run up against challenges involves building community farms within underused hydro corridors. Such farms would be a new hybrid model meshing community gardens with farmers' markets, creating economic development to support low-income communities. With soil and electromagnetic tests completed by Toronto Public Health nearly four years ago, city staff got on board and have backed the program. Unfortunately, gaining final approval from Hydro One has been more onerous and expensive than expected, as more than $100,000 raised from Toronto Public Health and private grants has been put into Hydro's site-assessment processes. Supporters believe they're close to clearing the final hurdle. "If we finally do get these farms in the ground, it's going to be amazing," Ms. Teitel-Payne says. "The space is there, the communities desperately need the farms and it will be a chance to test out new urban-farming models."
New entrepreneurs are also cropping up, large developers such as the Daniels Corporation have shown interest in building rooftop farms and members of city government and community organizers are increasingly advocating for the benefits urban-agriculture projects. "The solutions are out there, we just need to work on convincing people that this can be done here," Ms. Stahlbrand says. "It's definitely time for the next big step in Toronto and because of the structure we have, I don't see a reason why it won't happen."
For Hydroponic Educator, Innovation Is A Way of Life
For Hydroponic Educator, Innovation Is A Way of Life
NOVEMBER 24, 2017 URBANAG NEWS
Originally published in Issue 15
By Sidsel Robards
Not many teachers can come back to school telling students that their summer vacation included a visit to The White House to pick up a Presidential Award. But Shakira Provasoli, resident science teacher at The Sun Works Center at PS333 in New York City, did exactly that after an August ceremony where she received a presidential honor from the EPA for her outstanding work as an environmental educator.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the EPA and the White House for my commitment to environmental education. I want to thank NY Sun Works for giving me the opportunity to create curriculum in such an inspiring science laboratory!”
—Shakira Provasoli
Established in 2011, the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators recognizes teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. The award comes with a cash prize toward further professional development and is matched with a grant for the teacher’s school to further fund environmental educational activities and programs.
Rooftop greenhouse classroom
Shakira has been an educator for 16 years, and was part of the first cohort of the NASA Endeavor program. In the past five years she has been a science cluster teacher at The Sun Works Center at PS333. Her classroom is a 1,450-square-foot rooftop hydroponic greenhouse built by NY Sun Works. During the week she works with about 660 kindergarten to 5th grade students, who learn about everything from systems and cycles, environmental interaction, sustainable solutions, and sustainable cities – all through the lens of urban agriculture.
When Shakira was a classroom teacher, she strived to know the whole person in her students. But she says teaching all K to 5th grades as the greenhouse teacher gives her the opportunity to know them on a much deeper level. She learns not only if a child can read on grade level; she knows who shares highly coveted aquaponics tools, who gently transplants seedlings, who has enough stamina to power all four light bulbs on the energy bike and who can always spot the hidden frogs.
Shakira Provasoli
Hands-on, project-based science
Outside the classroom, Shakira’s contribution to the NY Sun Works program goes much deeper. She was one of the first teachers to join the team led by NY Sun Works’ Executive Director Manuela Zamora, to develop the extensive K through 12th grade curriculum Discovering Sustainability Science. The curriculum goes hand-in-hand with the organization’s hydroponic science labs and offers a new way of teaching hands-on, project-based science while covering state-mandated standards. The in-depth curriculum is being used in NY Sun Works’ partner schools throughout New York City and the state and is featured in an eponymous annual youth conference.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have students who eagerly race into my hydroponic classroom, determined to be the first ones to spot the ladybug eggs, power the energy bike, spray the seedlings, harvest kale, test the pH, monitor water quality, construct their own hydroponic system or correctly identify a pest.”
—Shakira Provasoli
In 2012, NY Sun Works launched a teacher training program. There was no question that Shakira would be the ideal candidate to lead the 36-hour course, “Water, Waste and Energy: integrating themes of sustainability into the classroom.” Since the course was implemented, it has been offered through the N.Y. Department of Education 16 times and has trained more than 150 teachers from both public and private schools in New York.
With her Presidential Innovation Award, Shakira hopes to show other educators how critical environmental education is to students and to our planet. School age children today need to have the tools to spark creative ideas for solutions that will lessen the effects of climate change in the future.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Sidsel Robards, Director, Development and Events, NY SunWorks
NY Sun Works is a non-profit organization that builds innovative science labs in urban schools. Through their Greenhouse Project Initiative they use hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability. www.nysunworks.org
Sustaining Communities Through Urban Agriculture
Sustaining Communities Through Urban Agriculture
- Erica Quinlan AgriNews Publications
- Nov 16, 2017
Plaut
INDIANAPOLIS — Urban agriculture is about more than just the number of farms in a city. It’s a way of viewing the entire food system, from farm to grocery store.
Karen Plaut, the interim dean of Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, discussed urban ag during a dinner hosted by Marion County Farm Bureau.
“Only 314 people are employed in the farm sector in Marion County,” she said. “But, as many of our FFA students have heard, if you eat, if you wear clothes — most of us are involved in agriculture or farming at some level.
“The university defines urban agriculture as the growing, processing and distribution of food crops and animal products by and for the local community within an urban environment.
“There’s a huge opportunity for careers in agriculture.”
Plaut listed several ways that Indianapolis shows what urban agriculture has to offer.
Urban Ag Certificate Program
“It’s a year-long program with 25 learning modules,” Plaut said. “It’s a hybrid format including online and in-person activities. The program has been in place for one year.
“The goal is to give in-depth instruction for urban, organic crop production all the way from farm design and harvest. Soil health, irrigation and pests are all important issues for an urban garden, just like a larger farm.”
Learn more about the certificate program at:www.purdue.edu/dffs/urbanag/programs/urban-ag-certificate.
Urban Bike Tour
“This year, 114 cyclists went on a bike tour to different urban farms,” Plaut said. “They stopped and looked at each farm, and in the evening, they brought it home by using produce from local farms to have dinner.
AfDB President Lauds Agric Minister For Reviving Agricultural Sector In Ghana
The Agricultural sector in Ghana has over the past ten months been at the forefront of Ghana's economy after witnessing eight years of decline.
AfDB President Lauds Agric Minister For Reviving Agricultural Sector In Ghana
Ridwan Issah Alhassan | November 21, 2017
Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto
The Agricultural sector in Ghana has over the past ten months been at the forefront of Ghana's economy after witnessing eight years of decline.
After consistent decline, the agricultural sector recorded a massive growth of 4.3% this year, according to the 2018 Budget Statement presented to Parliament on Wednesday by the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta.
This significant achievement of the sector has largely been attributed to the roll out of the Government's flagship Planting for Food and Jobs campaign.
The campaign was envisioned by the President, His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo and initiated by the Sector Minister, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, to support smallholder farmers by providing them with subsidized inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizers, free extension services and ready markets for their produce.
Not only has the programme generated interest from domestic but it has also received international commendations from leading figures, with the latest coming from the President of the African Development Bank(AfDB) Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.
The President of the AfDB, who was delivering his first major public speech after receiving "The World Food Prize Award" in October this year, singled out the Minister of Food and Agriculture of Ghana, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, for commendation.
Dr. Adesina was addressing participants including Food and Agriculture Ministers from selected countries during the 2017 edition of the SARA Exhibition held in the Ivorian, Abidjan.
The President of the AfDB whose speech highlighted the need for African to adopt technology and mechanization to ensure food security commended the Food and Agriculture Minister of Ghana for his commitment towards tackling food security and improving the socio-economic condition of farmers through the PFJ programme.
According to him, the commitment and dexterity exhibited by the Minister towards arresting the declining fortunes of agriculture in Ghana, deserves to be commended.
"We have gathered here today discussing how to improve the fortunes of agriculture in Ghana and I must commend the Food and Agriculture Minister of Ghana who is here with us," He noted, adding that Hon. Dr. Afriyie Akoto was doing wonderfully well to revive his country's Agriculture with the laudable Planting for Food and Jobs(PFJ) campaign.
As a brainchild of the Minister, the PFJ campaign hinges on five main pillars; provision of improved seeds, fertilizer, extension services, access to marketing and application of ICT in the implementation of the programme.
A successful implementation of the pilot phase of the programme saw a little over 200,000 farmers across the 216 districts benefiting from the huge subsidy offered by government.
Apart from the increase in food production which is likely to reduce the huge bills accrued every year as a result of the importation of basic food items, nearly 800,000 jobs have also been created through direct production and along the value chain
Meanwhile, adequate provision has been made in the 2018 budget to cover half a million as the Ministry seeks to expand the campaign in the coming crop season.
Amongst the strategy, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is encouraging the participation of Chiefs (One Chief, One Farm), educational institutions (Food Farms for Schools), Corporate bodies and the general public through urban and peri-urban farming.
The expansion also forms part of moves by the Ministry to explore fertile and arable lands in the Afram Plains and Fufulso- Sawla Valleys.
Additionally, the Ministry is also set to implement the ambitious Marshall Plan, a comprehensive strategy that seeks address challenges confronting the agricultural sector such as infrastructure, agric financing, agro-processing, agribusiness amongst others.
Electrical Experiments With Plants That Count And Communicate
Electrical Experiments With Plants That Count And Communicate
Neuroscientist Greg Gage takes sophisticated equipment used to study the brain out of graduate-level labs and brings them to middle- and high-school classrooms (and, sometimes, to the TED stage.) Prepare to be amazed as he hooks up the Mimosa pudica, a plant whose leaves close when touched, and the Venus flytrap to an EKG to show us how plants use electrical signals to convey information, prompt movement and even count.
This talk was presented at an official TED conference, and was featured by our editors on the home page.
Student-Grown Salad In The School Cafeteria? These Kids Dig It
Architect Michael Marshall designed the rooftop farm, one of several gardens at Horace Mann, during the school’s renovation three years ago. “The connection to the exterior is not an accident in this design. A lot of these young kids, when they grow up, rooftop gardens are going to be very common as far as sustainability and urban living. Why not prepare them?” Marshall said.
Student-Grown Salad In The School Cafeteria? These Kids Dig It
By Rachel Nania | @rnania | October 8, 2017
WASHINGTON — School gardens are no longer a rarity.
These days, it’s common to spot pepper plants and tomato towers in schoolyards throughout the country, as more educators turn to dirt to teach lessons on healthy eating and the root of the food system.
But at Horace Mann Elementary School in Northwest D.C., instruction isn’t confined to a few cedar-raised beds. After leafy vegetables are planted and cared for, students harvest the crops, chop them up and serve them to more than 400 of their peers for lunch.
At Horace Mann Elementary School in Northwest D.C., gardening lessons are not confined to a few cedar-raised beds. After leafy vegetables are planted and cared for, students harvest the crops, chop them up and serve them to more than 400 of their peers for lunch. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Amy Jagodnik’s third-floor classroom, which is filled with seedlings and outfitted with a small kitchen, opens directly to the school’s rooftop garden. It’s there where a class of third-graders pick parsley and pak choi from commercial-grade garden towers on Monday mornings. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
“It’s really fun having a conversation with them about whether they prefer the Swiss chard last week to the pak choi this week,” said Amy Jagodnik, who has been the school’s garden coordinator since 2004. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Architect Michael Marshall designed the rooftop farm, one of several gardens at Horace Mann elementary, during the school’s renovation three years ago. “The connection to the exterior is not an accident in this design. A lot of these young kids, when they grow up, rooftop gardens are going to be very common as far as sustainability and urban living. Why not prepare them?” Marshall said. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Garden coordinator, Amy Jagodnik, shows a student the proper way to cut greens on the elementary school’s rooftop farm. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
An American University student helps a third-grader dry leaves of Swiss chard and pak choi on the roof of Horace Mann Elementary. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
After the weekly harvest, students chop the greens and serve them to 400 of their peers in the school cafeteria. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
“You’re laying the foundation for global stewards,” Amy Jagodnik said about the school’s investment in its gardening program.
“You want children to care about their environment. You want them to know how to eat healthy, where their food comes from and how to support that, even if they don’t become scientists or become environmentalists, they still have that foundation.” (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
At lunch, Jagodnik and a few helpers walk around the cafeteria and serve the salad du jour.
“So we’re going to each table and we’re engaging with each student and asking them if they would like a sample or if they would like a salad,” Amy Jagodnik explained. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
“It’s really fun having a conversation with them about whether they prefer the Swiss chard last week to the pak choi this week,” said Amy Jagodnik, who has been the school’s garden coordinator since 2004.
Jagodnik’s third-floor classroom, which is filled with seedlings and outfitted with a small kitchen, opens directly to the school’s rooftop garden. It’s there where a class of third-graders pick parsley and pak choi from commercial-grade garden towers on Monday mornings.
Architect Michael Marshall designed the rooftop farm, one of several gardens at Horace Mann, during the school’s renovation three years ago.
“The connection to the exterior is not an accident in this design. A lot of these young kids, when they grow up, rooftop gardens are going to be very common as far as sustainability and urban living. Why not prepare them?” Marshall said.
Once the greens are gathered and washed, they’re hand-chopped and thrown into large stainless steel bowls, where they’re tossed in a simple dressing of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and sugar.
At lunch, Jagodnik and a few helpers walk around the cafeteria and serve the salad du jour.
“So we’re going to each table and we’re engaging with each student and asking them if they would like a sample or if they would like a salad,” Jagodnik explained.
It’s not uncommon to be met with resistance and a few creative excuses — Jagodnik has even heard students say they “already had something green for breakfast.” So she considers the program a success when the kids agree to try just one leaf.
“You’re laying the foundation for global stewards,” Jagodnik said about the school’s investment in its gardening program.
“You want children to care about their environment. You want them to know how to eat healthy, where their food comes from and how to support that, even if they don’t become scientists or become environmentalists, they still have that foundation.”
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Ashley Ridge High School’s Farm Container Program is Growing Local Leafy Greens for Students
Ashley Ridge High School’s Farm Container Program is Growing Local Leafy Greens for Students
By Stetson Miller Published: October 27, 2017
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – Ashley Ridge High School’s farm to school program in Summerville is delivering fresh local vegetables to six Dorchester District Two schools.
A container farm on the school’s campus provides fresh lettuce to students at Ashley Ridge, Summerville High School, DuBose Middle School, Beech Hill Elementary, Sand Hill elementary and Gregg Middle School.
The farms grow European-style head lettuce inside a shipping container at a faster rate than traditional farming and use less space. The farming method also allows for vegetables to grow in a controlled environment that can be monitored and adjusted remotely using a computer or smartphone.
The container farm is part of a College of Charleston study to examine how nutritious the leafy greens are compared to traditional school food and to see if there is a change in consumption of salad at the schools.
Dorchester District Two teamed up with local companies. Summerville-based Tiger Corner Farms manufactured the container farm, Vertical Roots grows the produce inside, and Boxcar Central created the technology.
“Our goal and mission now is teach the kids about sustainable farming,” said Andrew Hare, General manager of Vertical Roots. “Get an educational piece going to this in addition to having them eating better. No one is going to argue that our country has an issue with obesity and if we can teach kids from an early age, start them the right way on what’s good to eat and the nutritional value of something that is grown properly, that’s something that can last them a lifetime.”
By the end of 2017 the school district will evaluate the farm container program and decide if it will expand it.
Urban Farm, Set to be Largest In The US
Urban Farm, Set To be Largest In The US
By Katy Mumaw - October 25, 2017
The Hilltop Urban Farm in South Pittsburgh has plans to be the largest urban farm in the nation. (Submitted image)
PITTSBURGH — A farm in the city? Yes, and just like other farms, the first step in converting land to fields is removing the “rocks.” This fall volunteers are doing just that, preparing part of a 107-acre plot to be Hilltop Urban Farm, by removing rocks and debris from the land and cutting down trees and shrubs on the ungroomed acres. It is soon to be the largest urban farm in the nation, said Sarah Baxendell, the farm’s manager.
In August the Hilltop Alliance, a nonprofit organization, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to make the official opening of the Hilltop Urban Farm in South Pittsburgh.
Discussions began in 2012 about what do with the space, which was once used for subsidized housing, that was demolished in 2010. After a feasibility study was conducted, Baxendell was brought on to serve as the alliance’s green space manager in 2015.
“You can tell where the buildings were in some places — rocks, foundations and pipes still exist,” Baxendell said.
Land access
There are 107 acres, in Pittsburgh’s St. Clair neighborhood, owed by the city’s Housing Authority. The Hilltop Alliance has started to clean it up under an expanded site access agreement.
The Allegheny Land Trust will eventually hold the property in perpetuity and will have a lease agreement with Hilltop to operate. The project is projected to cost $9.9 million, said Baxendell. The plan is for 23 acres to be farmland, 12 acres to be used for green spaces and the rest potentially for new housing.
Andy Collins of Penn Hills, one of the 11 communities part of the Hilltop Alliance. The alliance is managing an urban farm project Southern Pittsburgh. Collins chops at a tree, as he volunteers his time to clear the farm. (Katy Mumaw photo)
Baxendell is the seventh generation to live in this neighborhood. Her father grew up three doors down from the gate of the farm. She has a degree from the University of Delaware in business administration and marketing. She has also worked with the University of Indiana in their urban agriculture programs.
Big plans
The land has been surveyed and divided into different areas.
The Hilltop Alliance has big plans, which include; a three-acre community supported agriculture farm (CSA), three-acre farmer incubation program, one-acre youth farm, a farmers market building, 5,000-square-foot event barn, stormwater retention ponds, fruit orchards, community gardens and an education center. The events barn will serve as a revenue generating resources to offset the costs, she said.
Youth farm
The youth farm will be the first focus.
“Across the road from the site are 665 elementary students within our reach,” Baxendell said. “We plan to partner with the school, teach the kids about horticulture and get their hands dirty.”
The plan is for the youth farm to provide after-school and summer programs for families to learn about raising food, nutritional information and get a chance to work outside.
Farm incubator
In the farm incubator program, the alliance plans to divide the area into 16 plots and start with eight people interested in farming.
They are working with the Penn State Center at Pittsburgh and the College of Agriculture as they already have farm training programs.
“We are taking some of PSU’s existing programs and curriculum and making some adjustments for our needs,” she said.
In the farm incubator program, participants will pay a nominal fee to be provided land and resources to start a farm. “The goal is to give them a test run at farming to see if it is something they want to do long term.”
There are several hurdles, like city zoning, Baxendell has to overcome first. Right now, she can’t create any permanent structures or do any digging.
The Hilltop Alliance represents 11 South Pittsburgh neighborhoods, each neighborhood has a seat on the board.
The alliance focuses in three areas; green space, property stabilization and business development.
Volunteers
Sept. 29 was the first volunteer day. More than 20 volunteers picked up rocks from the fields, mowed, trimmed weeds and worked to chop down bushes and trees.
“All of the trees and bushes will be chipped and then the chips will be spread back over the field as compost,” Baxendell said.
Volunteers work to mow untamed land. This was once the site of subsidized housing, and is soon to be part of a youth farm to help educate the community about horticulture and food production. (Katy Mumaw photo)
Andy Collins, a volunteer, who lives in Penn Hills, a neighborhood east of Pittsburgh, worked to clear the site of the future youth farm.
“I heard about the project and thought it was pretty cool. I wanted to come out and do my part to make it happen,” he said.
Some areas have been tilled and compost spread and cover crops planted.
Progress
The Hilltop Alliance and contractor Go Supreme, owned by Amy Mangham of Beltzhoover, another Pittsburgh neighborhood that is part of the alliance, have cleared more than five acres of brush, laid compost and planted cover crops.
“I just can’t wait to see the entire thing come together,” said Mangham.
Today, in cleared fields you can see rye, radishes, oats and winter peas growing as cover crops.
Funding for the project has come from Hillman Foundation, PNC Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Birmingham Foundation and Neighborhood Allies.
“I’ve been working on this for three years — 60 hour weeks — and this isn’t my only project,” she said.
“Success will be having an infrastructure established in a year, so in five years we have farmers ready to go out on their own and be successful financially.”
The farm will focus on food-production education and youth engagement, a huge value to communities like these, Baxendell said, with youth who may have never seen a tomato on the vine.
GLASE Seeks Industry Involvement in Research of Controlled Environment Agriculture
Lighting and Systems Engineering Consortium, is a partnership among growers, plant physiologists and horticulturists, trade groups, produce buyers, agriculture engineers, lighting manufacturers, government agencies, and others to pioneer and commercialize breakthrough technologies that deliver greenhouse crop and energy solutions.
GLASE Seeks Industry Involvement in Research of Controlled Environment Agriculture
GLASE, the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering Consortium, is a partnership among growers, plant physiologists and horticulturists, trade groups, produce buyers, agriculture engineers, lighting manufacturers, government agencies, and others to pioneer and commercialize breakthrough technologies that deliver greenhouse crop and energy solutions.
Established in 2017 by Cornell University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Center for Lighting Enabled Systems & Applications (LESA) at Rensselaer, GLASE unites world-class engineers and horticultural researchers with private and public stakeholders to transform the way greenhouses operate, dramatically reducing their energy use while increasing yields and crop quality through greenhouse lighting and energy management systems that are integrated with carbon dioxide supplementation, ventilation, and humidity control.
GLASE has secured $5 million for research for the next seven years and is now inviting industry members to join the consortium and step into the future of controlled environment agriculture today.
Benefits of joining GLASE
GLASE is a unique technology and information hub where members receive exclusive and early access to:
- Invention disclosures and preferential licensing rights to GLASE-conceived and developed intellectual property.
- Technical reports, presentations, data and information on new and emerging engineering and crop research.
- Training opportunities and educational programs including webinars, short courses and research symposia at reduced registration rates.
- Grant opportunities, investment opportunities and energy audit programs.
- Professional networking opportunities among thought leaders and researchers.
Members sit on GLASE’s Industry Advisory Board, which meets quarterly and provides input on research directions based on members’ priorities.
Areas of research
Applied Engineering: LED fixture design, thermal management, driver design, high refractive index LED encapsulants.
Photobiology: Crop-specific spectrum testing, biochemical analyses, maximizing the potential of light-driven plant growth and development and improved nutritional content in crops.
Energy modeling: Greenhouse energy profiling, standardize protocols for testing light fixtures.
Integrated controls: Growth chambers and greenhouses, light-shade-CO2 controls.
For more: Erico Mattos, executive director, Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering Consortium, (302) 290-1560; em796@cornell.edu; www.glase.org.