Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
Each Year, The World Loses Enough Food to Feed Half a Billion People to Fungi, The Most Destructive Pathogens of Plants.
Each Year, The World Loses Enough Food to Feed Half a Billion People to Fungi, The Most Destructive Pathogens of Plants.
Mycologist and TED Fellow Mennat El Ghalid explains how a breakthrough in our understanding of the molecular signals fungi use to attack plants could disrupt this interaction -- and save our crops.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
The Farmory Launches Second Workshop Series!
The Farmory Launches Second Workshop Series!
Green Bay, Wis. - THE FARMORY has announced the first four workshops of their 2018 series! The Farmory has invited community experts to lead workshops on various topics that provide residents an opportunity to learn new skills that will better their health and create a more self-reliant community! All workshops will take place in NeighborWorks Green Bay’s Community Room (437 S. Jackson St, Green Bay, WI 54301) and are free. Interested persons should RSVP to alex@nwgreenbay.org or (920) 593-3708. Workshop topics are listed below.
The goal of The Farmory’s workshops are to highlight local resources and experts and invite community residents to gain basic knowledge on how to live healthier, more sustainably, and how to do it themselves! Participants will learn about the difference between locally raised and commercially produced meat, the basics of backyard chickens, container gardening for families, and how to brew kombucha tea to reap the health benefits of fermented foods!
“These workshops are perfect for those who are starting to catch on that our current food system is not working for them and want to start exploring how to grow or create their own products,” said Alex Smith, Farmory Program Director. “Many people in our community feel that it’s time to start taking an active role in living healthier lives and these workshops provide the perfect first steps!”
Workshop topics:
- Thursday, April 12th @ 6pm: “Locally Raise Meat: The Why, How & Nutrition Facts”
- Presented by: Carrie Taicher, Registered Dietician at Aurora BayCare & Rick Adamski, SLO Foods Co-Op Farmer & Owner of Full Circle Farm
- Saturday, April 28th @ 10am: “Backyard Chickens”
- Presented by: Andrea Sorensen
- Thursday, May 17th @ 6pm: “Container Gardening (& other fun gardening techniques for families)”
- Presented by: Vijai Pandian, UW Extension
- Saturday, June 16th @ 10am: “Kombucha Tea”
- Presented by: Alana & Matt, Owners of The Wild Gut
- Individuals and families can register by contacting alex@nwgreenbay.org or (920) 593-3708.
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The Farmory is an urban farming project that utilizes innovative aquaponics technology year round. This indoor farm will grow job and entrepreneurial opportunities as well as increase access to locally grown food. The Farmory is driven by dedicated volunteers and supportive Green Bay area residents. It is a project of the Urban Partnership Community Development Corporation in collaboration with NeighborWorks Green Bay. If you are interested in learning more about the developing project or are interested in becoming involved, please call Alex Smith at (920) 593-3708 or email her at alex@nwgreenbay.org. Visit our website at www.farmory.org.
Unilever Launches Vegan Snack Line To Support Urban Farming Projects
Unilever, a global product corporation, recently introduced a new vegan snack line to benefit urban farming initiatives. Fifty percent of profits from these organic vegan crunchy clusters, Growing Roots, will be donated to various organizations that work to make fresh food accessible in urban areas.
Unilever Launches Vegan Snack Line To Support Urban Farming Projects
Posted by Tanya Flink | Mar 12, 2018
Unilever, a global product corporation, recently introduced a new vegan snack line to benefit urban farming initiatives. Fifty percent of profits from these organic vegan crunchy clusters, Growing Roots, will be donated to various organizations that work to make fresh food accessible in urban areas.
The new snack line launched at the Expo West 2018 trade show to attract attention to the product. Each of the four flavors are made with minimal, plant-based ingredients, such as corn, coconut, and seeds. Each is seasoned with spices, and two have a splash of alcohol for an extra kick. The clusters come in both sweet and savory varieties, including Cocoa Chipotle, Pineapple Coconut Rum, Maple Bourbon, and Coconut Curry. All flavors are certified organic, gluten-free, and vegan.
The proceeds from Growing Roots will strengthen Unilever’s work in supporting urban farming initiatives. Although the company services over four hundred brands around the world, it focuses on the individual communities that make up its international consumer base. Unilever is a strong believer in corporate social responsibility, and it is particularly interested in providing everyone access to affordable, healthy foods, and basic nutrition education.
Matthew McCarthy, the company’s Vice President of Foods for North America, said in a press release, “What’s so special about Growing Roots is that it started as a social mission that our employees were passionate about, born from the belief that everyone should have access to affordable, nutritious food.” He continued, “Seeing the transformational impact urban farms have in communities, we created a brand from the ground up to help fulfill and extend that mission.” Growing Roots is not just a product, it is an on-going campaign.
Urban farms are community-supported agricultural projects. These small farms provide produce to metropolitan areas that lack access to fresh foods, which are also known as food deserts. People living in these communities often rely on convenience stores for their nutritional needs, surviving off processed and packaged foods. Urban farms help these people gain access to fruits and vegetables and also serve as an educational tool. Residents learn first hand where their food comes from, in addition to learning about plant-based nutrition.
Growing Roots just launched at ShopRite stores in the Northeast, with plans to expand to retailers nationwide and Amazon.
Image Credit: Growing Roots and Green City Force
Local Entrepreneur Wants To Spread Word About Growing Food Indoors
One local entrepreneur has the lofty goal of transforming the abandoned Safeway store in Miami into a year-round indoor farming community. Just how does one convert such as ambitious goal into a reality? The answer is one hydroponic vegetable plant at a time.
Local Entrepreneur Wants To Spread Word About Growing Food Indoors
© 2018-Silver Belt
By: Cassie Tafoya - March 19, 2018
One local entrepreneur has the lofty goal of transforming the abandoned Safeway store in Miami into a year-round indoor farming community.
Just how does one convert such as ambitious goal into a reality?
The answer is: one hydroponic vegetable plant at a time.
This sometimes-outrageous person is none other than Elvin Fant, Sr. who is passionate about helping people become self-reliant.
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a water-based, nutrient rich solution. Hydroponics does not use soil, but plants still need something in which to anchor their roots, and something to support them during growth, as well as to retain moisture.
Plants are supported using an inert medium such as perlite, rockwool, clay pellets, peat moss or vermiculite, which is a type of growth media that contains no nutrients.
The basics behind hydroponics is to allow the plant’s roots to come in direct contact with the nutrient solution, while also having access to oxygen, which is essential for proper growth.
Growing with hydroponics comes with many advantages, the biggest of which is a greatly increased rate of growth in plants.
With the proper setup, plants will mature up to 25 percent faster and pro-duce up to 30 percent more than the same plants grown in soil.
The plants will grow bigger and faster because they will not have to work as hard to obtain nutrients.
Even a small root system will provide the plant exactly what it needs, so the plant will focus more on growing upstairs instead of expanding the root system downstairs.
All of this is possible through careful control of your nutrient solution and pH levels. A hydroponic system will also use less water than a soil-based system because the system is enclosed, which results in less evaporation.
Fant has built his own indoor system that takes up minimal space and holds 20 plants. He is currently growing strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes and lettuce.
Fant and his wife have been taking an online course to expand their learning on hydroponics and are willing to share their knowledge to others wanting to learn as well. For more information on hydro-ponics, call Fant at 928-310-7110.
In Support of Farmers Everywhere - More Change, More Growth Coming To Bootstrap Farmer
In Support of Farmers Everywhere - More Change, More Growth Coming To Bootstrap Farmer
On March 1, 2018, Nick Burton joined Bootstrap Farmer as Creative Director. This is huge for us in fulfilling our mission in support entrepreneurs in launching low-cost businesses that merge the agricultural and culinary industries.
Nick Burton runs State of the Soil Media, an online summit platform for agricultural business strategies and marketing. We believe this merger will allow both companies to combine talents to better serve the needs of the local farming community and culinary businesses like food trucks, meal prep/delivery services, and hospitality event companies. By bringing proven high-level business development strategies and effective marketing into the hands of new and practicing farmers and food services who may have never been exposed to business training before.
One of the first big projects we'll be launching is Bootstrap Farmer Radio, an upcoming podcast, which will support our online community and future live events. We've got a bunch of awesome recordings all ready to go - so keep a lookout for an update!
We are going to be challenging each other on this podcast to do great things and will be using The Bootstrap Farmers Business Network Facebook group as a place to interact and keep each other accountable!
Further to that, Bootstrap Farmer will continue to build its product line and online education in support of our client’s business and marketing strategies in a variety of different ways that we are keeping under wraps for now.
Both Nick and I are believers in continuing education and self-development to scale businesses. We feel the lack of beginning and advanced business education specifically for the owners of small farms, startups, and unique distribution models have space to grow within the marketplace in today’s local food movement, has been overlooked, and needs leadership. While there are learning platforms and resources for growing better, and basic business practices, we feel today’s agricultural practitioners are ready and deserve the very best in business development and growth support.
Between the both of us, we've built and maintained two small farms, two food trucks, a salad subscription delivery service, a farmers market stand, farm to table and pop up culinary events, an agricultural supply and manufacturing and distribution company, a yearly online summit for business and marketing for small farmers, an online course for agricultural product and services launch, a social media management company, and a property management company, so we feel like we've got something to say.
The Bootstrap Farmer Business Network and Bootstrap Farmer Radio will be guided by the following cornerstones:
Business Development
Collaborations
Community and Network Building
Continuing Education
Giving Back
Hospitality
Implementation
Leadership
Bootstrap Farmer Radio Podcast will launch the first week of April 2018 followed by regular online learning workshops and yearly live events. Empowering small business owners to scale up and take market leadership rolls locally means quality of life improvements for the owners, their communities, and the environment.
For more information visit Bootstrap Farmer and join our FB community @BootstrapFarmer on Facebook.
Thank you all for reading. I hope everyone has a great start to Spring!
Kind Regards,
Brandon Youst
Owner, Bootstrap Farmer
The Future of Farming Takes Root
"Research and development leads to innovations and technology. I always knew that I wanted to go into that direction so that I can contribute to solving some important problems facing our planet," says Joel Cuello, UA professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering. (Photo: Bob Demers/UA News)
The Future of Farming Takes Root
Sustainable agriculture is quickly becoming the wave of the future as global leaders grapple with the question of how to feed a world population approaching 10 billion. At the UA, researchers are looking up for answers, in the form of vertical farming.
Stacy Pigott
University Communications
March 21, 2018
ABOUT THIS SERIES
The digital, physical and biological worlds are converging with startling speed, and a future that was unimaginable only a few years ago is already upon us. University of Arizona researchers are at the forefront of this sweeping change, often working across disciplines toward important discoveries. The UANews series Fast Forward is introducing some of the UA's change agents — and showing how their efforts are transforming the way we live.
- March 1 (environment): UA Seeks Answers From the Deep
- March 8 (education): Researcher Looks at 'Digital Traces' to Help Students
- March 15 (transportation): How a UA Engineer Gets Cars to Talk
Traditional agriculture is resource-intensive, requiring large amounts of land, water and energy to produce food crops. In the field, it takes approximately 3.5 gallons of water to produce one head of lettuce. At the UAg Farm, it takes three-quarters of a gallon per head — a figure that could be reduced even further in non-research facilities.
Joel Cuello has fond memories of the small patch of dirt behind the elementary school he attended in the Philippines. Textbook lessons on germination and photosynthesis came to life as the students sowed seeds that sprouted into plants. He and his classmates learned the importance of light, carbon dioxide, water and nutrients on the plants' growth, and they saw the connection between plants and food as they harvested their crops.
No one could have guessed those early lessons in the garden would cultivate a lifelong passion. As a professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at the University of Arizona, Cuello still grows plants in a tiny space on campus, but with a larger purpose in mind. He wants to feed the world.
A Coming Food Crisis
According to the United Nations' report "World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision," the current world population of 7.6 billion is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050.
"That would be the equivalent of adding another China and another India to our planet in terms of population. That's a lot of people and a lot of mouths to feed three times a day," says Cuello, who is a member of the UA's BIO5 Institute and director of the Global Initiative for Strategic Agriculture in Dry Lands. "The United Nations predicts that to be able to meet the food demand by the middle of the century, we have to increase our current food production by 70 percent, and the corresponding crop production has to double. That is a very tall order."
Agricultural practices already have changed significantly throughout history in response to a growing population and changing society. During the Green Revolution of the 1960s, new technologies resulted in marked increases in agricultural production worldwide. But today, agricultural production has plateaued and, in some cases, even declined.
Agriculture faces declining land and water availability in many parts of the world while still using large amounts of resources such as land, water and energy. Traditional agriculture uses 70 percent of fresh water resources and 50 percent of the planet's land. Food production and the supply chain use about 30 percent of global energy expenditures on a yearly basis.
"We can't afford to use all of these remaining resources, whatever is left, to be able to achieve that increase in food production," says Cuello, who became interested in sustainable agriculture while completing his postdoctoral work at NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems Division. "NASA focused my interest in the sustainability aspect of producing food. It crystallized for me the idea of, and the importance of, being able to produce food in a very sustainable manner.
"What I learned at NASA basically has been my guiding principle in my research, which is achieving sustainability and maximizing performance, meaning crop productivity per unit resource used," Cuello adds. "The bottom line is we need to be able to come up with an innovation or innovations that enable us to produce more food with less use of resources."
Enter the vertical farm.
Sustainable Agriculture for Food Production
A vertical farm, at its most basic definition, is a crop production building. Shelves are stacked, one on top of the other, full of fast-growing leafy crops such as lettuce, basil and chard. A true vertical farm is completely enclosed, like a warehouse, and can be operated year-round, independent of geography, climate or season. Inside, every resource is carefully managed and controlled, in contrast to the unpredictability of traditional agriculture, which is highly dependent on the weather.
"To me, vertical farming is an idea whose time has come," Cuello says. "In the open field, because it's open to the atmosphere, the temperature, relative humidity and light radiation fluctuate over the course of a day. The productivity is not optimized or maximized, and it's also not consistent. Whereas in a vertical farm, productivity is optimized or maximized, and it's consistent. It helps tremendously in being able to help produce food to meet the demand."
In a vertical farm, all of the resources plants need to thrive are supplied in optimal amounts, resulting in a high level of sustainability. Instead of soil, crops are grown hydroponically in nutrient-rich water. Sunlight is replaced by efficient LED lighting. The temperature and relative humidity are controlled, and in many cases, the carbon dioxide content of the air is enriched to promote photosynthesis. And it's all done with the help of artificial intelligence.
Murat Kacira, one of Cuello's colleagues in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, conducts research in the 750-square-foot Urban Agriculture Vertical Farm Facility, or UAg Farm, located at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Controlled Environment Agriculture Center north of campus. One of his focuses is on improving air flow distribution systems in vertical farming operations.
"If crops like lettuce, commonly grown in vertical farms, are not able to transpire properly due to lack of proper or dynamic airflow, they are not able to take up calcium, and that in turn results in a crop disorder called tip burn, which prevents the marketable potential of the crop," explains Kacira, who has used experimental and computer modeling-based studies to develop alternative system designs to distribute air uniformly through each shelf, creating a desirable environment for crop growth.
Kacira also is researching monitoring systems that track all of the key variables in a vertical farm environment, including air temperature, humidity, light intensity, carbon dioxide, pH and electrical conductivity. Using artificial intelligence, he hopes to perfect a system in which the plants actually teach the computers what they need to thrive.
"We are working on camera systems where we can monitor a plant as it grows by looking at crop growth related features," Kacira says. "Later on, we would like to also study crop health by using the camera and other sensors and use that information as a feedback to control, for example, the artificial lighting system, rather than operating our lighting in an on-and-off mode. The idea here is basically having crops actually manage their growing environments in a smarter and resource-conserving way."
Putting It Into Practice
As researchers such as Cuello and Kacira work to improve the technology behind vertical farming, private companies are slowly starting to enter the vertical farming space commercially. The Japanese company Mirai Co. Ltd. was one of the first. Miria (which means "future" in Japanese) opened its first vertical farm in 2004 and posted some impressive statistics.
At one of its "plant factories," Mirai produced 10,000 heads of lettuce per day in a facility less than half the size of a football field, using less than 1 percent of the water typically used to grow vegetables and 40 percent less energy. The resulting product is pesticide-free, herbicide-free and 95 percent edible.
By optimizing resources to maximize plant growth, growing time is also shortened. At the UAg Farm, lettuce is grown from seedling to harvest in just 28 days, versus 60-70 days in an open field. At the completion of the experiments, each crop of approximately 1,800 heads of lettuce is harvested by students and donated to local food banks, including the Campus Pantry, or given to student clubs to sell at farmers markets.
In New Jersey and New York, shoppers can buy "Dream Greens" vertically farmed by AeroFarms, which claims to operate the largest vertical farm in the world in Newark, New Jersey. "Large" in vertical farm terms can be a misnomer, though, when it takes just 1 percent of the land required by conventional farming to achieve the same harvest volume. AeroFarms boasts water savings of 95 percent over field-farmed food while harvesting up to 30 times a year.
Investors are taking note. In San Francisco, Plenty Inc. is making headlines thanks to a $226 million investment by people such as Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Eric Schmidt of Alphabet. Several food banks, including Surrey Food Bank, the second-largest food bank in British Columbia, and the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, also are testing the vertical farming waters in an effort to deliver fresh produce to those in need.
Still, commercialization of vertical farming has not been without its challenges. One of the largest vertical farms in the U.S. was forced to close its doors, and rumor has it that another will be following in its footsteps in the coming weeks.
"For vertical farming to really flourish requires technology, but it also requires a business model that will work," says Cuello, who patented the V-Hive Green Box and believes in the viability of minimally structured, modular and prefabricated vertical farms. A group developing an urban farm on a 20-acre site in Camden, New Jersey, is currently consulting with Cuello on the application of that type of vertical farm.
"The business model works when you have an ecosystem — you have your production facility, you've got your supply chain, you've got your market," Cuello says. "Typically, that ecosystem is built most effectively when there is a public, private and academic partnership."
Planning for the Future
As scientists at the UA continue to research and develop vertical farming technologies and businesses venture into the commercial space, governments around the world are stepping up the plate, as well.
"It's only 30 years until we reach 2050," Cuello says of the looming deadline the agriculture industry faces to increase food and crop production. "There are countries now that have problems with food security, even the rich countries in the gulf, like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. They are food insecure."
Three years ago, Cuello visited Qatar, a country that imports more than 90 percent of its food, to talk to officials at the Qatar National Food Security Program about vertical farming as they considered methods to reduce their country's food insecurity. The global outreach gives Cuello a unique perspective as an educator in a senior/graduate level course he teaches on globalization, sustainability and innovation.
"For globalization to continue on, you need both innovation and sustainability," Cuello says. "The government in Saudi Arabia is proactively looking for technologies and innovations that would help them with their food security. They are establishing not just the R&D, but a demonstration facility for their entrepreneurs and farmers to encourage them to get into this space in a commercial sense. My approach in all of this, as a professor of the University of Arizona, is really to help them have the capacity building for these technologies for their benefit."
As vertical farming gains a foothold with governments and businesses, Cuello and Kacira believe it is even more important that research universities such as the UA continue to focus on developing the technology to drive the industry forward.
"We can keep designing things so that vertical farming can become more resource efficient — more water efficient, nutrient efficient, energy efficient," Cuello says. "When we do that, it's not only becoming environmentally sustainable but also economically feasible."
“Research and development to improve labor and energy-use efficiency through technology and automation will be important to address industry viability and profitability," Kacira adds. "Furthermore, controlled environment agriculture-based research and educational programs can help address the industry's critical demand for success by providing a skilled workforce who understand both the biology and engineering of crop production in controlled environments."
One of the technological advances that could contribute to the success of vertical farming is robotics.
If artificial intelligence can be combined with robotics, Cuello envisions an AI-complete vertical farm where sustainability is optimized. While vertical farming isn't there yet, Cuello says it is only a matter of time.
"There has to be economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social sustainability," Cuello says. "When those things are met, the vertical farming system becomes not only feasible, but it flourishes and becomes robust and sustainable in the long run."
When it comes to sustainable agriculture, Cuello is definitely in it for the long run, dating back to that small patch of dirt at school many years ago. He recalls how when school opened in the mornings, he and a few classmates would head straight to their food garden, excited to see how much their plants had grown overnight.
"I was definitely fascinated and taken by idea that plants grew at certain rates, though subject to fluctuations caused by the environment, and I still very much am today," Cuello says. "I am delighted that with vertical farming, we now have the practical means to enable plants to maximize their growth and production, not only consistently, but in a resource-efficient manner. And that's a truly propitious beginning for an effective solution to help feed our hungry world."
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
Lettuce is grown in a floating raft hydroponics system at the UAg Farm, which is sponsored by the UA Water, Environmental and Energy Solutions Program and Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, with in-kind support provided by industry collaborators Illumitex, HortAmericas, IndoorHarvest, Civic Farms, Enza Zaden and Grodan. (Photo courtesy of Murat Kacira)
"In terms of vegetables, or some fruits like strawberries, it's more efficient to grow them in vertical farms, where you can recycle the nutrients and use solar radiation for energy," Joel Cuello says. "Land in some cities is very expensive, but you can grow these vertical farms around cities, but at a distance that is quite manageable." (Photo: Bob Demers/UA News)
Undergraduate student Robert Swartwout (left) and biosystems engineering graduate student Brian Caplan evaluate experimental crops in the UAg Farm. (Photo courtesy of Murat Kacira)
Vertical farming operations often use energy-efficient LED lighting, which can be provided to plants in specific colors to photosynthesis. (Photo courtesy of Murat Kacira)
Brian Caplan and Murat Kacira examine one of the environmental sensors in the Urban Agriculture Vertical Farm Facility. Part of Caplan's graduate research revolves around examining plant responses to light and airflow. (Photo: Bob Demers/UA News)
Basil grows under flourescent lighting in the V-Hive Green Box, which Joel Cuello patented with the help of UA Tech Launch. (Photo courtesy of Joel Cuello)
A shipping container in the heart of campus serves as the home of the Arizona Green Box, Joel Cuello's vertical farm laboratory at the UA. The UA Green Fund and Cats in the Green Box sponsor the facility, which is one of two vertical farming operations at the UA. (Photo illustration by Bob Demers/UA News)
Joel Cuello and biosystems engineer senior Adrian Valois examine basil growing in the Arizona Green Box. Cuello hopes to use robotics to automate many of the systems in the vertical farm operation. (Photo: Bob Demers/UA News)
Joel Cuello believes minimally structured, modular, pre-fabricated vertical farm design systems will play an integral role in making vertical farms commercially feasible in the future. (Photo: Bob Demers/UA News)
Fast-growing leafy green plants, such as chard, are ideal candidates for vertical farming. "At this point, I'm not recommending production of grains in vertical farms, because grains need really large land areas," Joel Cuello says. "They're more energy intensive." (Photo: Bob Demers/UA News)
Hydroponics Workshop To Take Place in Chennai
People will be shown the videos and explained the techniques adopted in this technology-based farming and the event will be hosted by WSquare, that aims to bring women back to work.
Hydroponics Workshop To Take Place in Chennai
P T Usha March 17, 2018
Chennai: We already have wireless headphones, foamless toothpaste, queueless banking… here comes soil-less farming method.
Two farming companies – Harvest 4 Health and Suregrow Brand Penny’s Worth Technologies – are conducting a hydroponics workshop in Chennai tomorrow.
People will be shown the videos and explained the techniques adopted in this technology-based farming and the event will be hosted by WSquare, that aims to bring women back to work.
Talking to News Today, Harvest 4 Health co-owner Siraj, says, “The workshop will be teaching techniques involved in farming methods like hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. The videos and pictures of our working models will be presented in the workshop. Also, we will be offering an invitation to those attending the workshop to the 1000 sq. feet hydroponics farm of ours at ECR, so that they can get a better idea about the technology.”
Explaining about the basic method of hydroponics, Siraj says, “This is an alternative farming methodology to a traditional farming method which does not depend on soil as a medium. This can be called the technology-based farming method as it replaces one medium with another. In this, the soil is replaced. Hydro – water, ponics- working – waterworks’ is the basic ideology of this kind of farming.”
He says, “There is another method called aquaponics which works in a different environment and methodologies where we generate manure and natural fertilizers from fishes. This can be assumed with a simple model like growing plants in fish tanks. Along with the nutrients present naturally, in the water, fishes’ excreta adds as the best manure for the plants.”
AREA WISE
Does the system restrict itself to a small area? “This can be done on a large scale on commercial requirements or on a small scale in 100 or 150 sq ft where we can grow vegetables on the terrace. If you are living in a gated community a 1,000 sq ft farm will be good enough to serve everyone,” he says.
“Along with the vegetables this kind of farming is well-suited for growing a variety of greens. Interestingly, we can even grow exotic crops like broccoli. This can be done by controlling the growing factors like pH value of the water, controlling the temperature. With this method, the produce quantity will be more than in traditional farming,” says Siraj.
CHEMICAL ADDITION
“Other than water nutrients, chemical nutrients like urea, magnesium, potassium, etc., will be let in manually in a correct value with a coir as a medium. Besides the quantitative benefits, the quality perspective has a bigger advantage in this system. Since the crops are grown in an enclosed system there is no use for pesticides like we use in traditional farming. It is not totally eradicated, but is less when compared,” he informs.
Siraj adds, “In a farming land, the distribution of minerals and other nutrients may differ from place to place whereas in a controlled hydroponics system, the distribution is equal. Recently, we successfully grew 800 to 1,000 bunches of greens through this process in our farm. Also, the time taken for growth is also less – compared to traditional farming – with the growth rate being 25 to 50 percent faster.”
CAN CITY MANAGE?
Hydroponics does not require much water. Just like drip irrigation system, the water is given in small quantity for an elongated period. It just takes two buckets of water a day for a 1,000 sq ft farm. However, this may vary with the type of crops and environmental factors. Also, the employment of sprinkler/fogger system can use water effectively.
Asked about the target audience, he says, “Anyone who wants to know about hydroponics, to those who want to take up farming, anyone who wants to grow exotic crops are welcome to the workshop tomorrow. We also have a lecture by Prof Nagendiran, an agricultural scientist who has vast knowledge in this field.”
WHERE IS IT?
The event will take place tomorrow between 2 and 4 pm, WSquare, Adyar. For registration call 044 48540085.
What is hydroponics?
Explaining about the basic method of hydroponics, Siraj says, “This is an alternative farming methodology to traditional farming method which does not depend on soil as a medium. This can be called technology-based farming method as it replaces one medium with another. In this, the soil is replaced. Hydro – water, ponics- working – ‘waterworks’ is the basic ideology of this kind of farming.”
Second Farmory Location Opens In Area High School
Second Farmory Location Opens In Area High School
March 8, 2018 FOX 11 News
The Farmory built a soil-based aquaponics system in West De Pere High School's greenhouse. The organization held a ribbon cutting ceremony, March 8, 2018. (WLUK)
DE PERE (WLUK) -- Another local indoor farm has been built thanks to The Farmory.
The urban farming project built a second soil-based aquaponics system in West De Pere High School's greenhouse.
The greenhouse was built by Farmory volunteers and local Green Bay residents.
A ribbon cutting was held Thursday.
The Farmory built a soil-based aquaponics system in West De Pere High School's greenhouse. The organization held a ribbon cutting ceremony, March 8, 2018. (WLUK)
The Farmory will work with school staff to train students in how to operate and care for the fish and plants as part of their curriculum.
"Students are actually going to be able to learn to grow food. They're going to learn about a sustainable farming methods, aquaponics and then they're going to be introduced to this as a career opportunity, which is something that's really different and creative for agriculture," said Farmory program director, Alex Smith.
The Farmory is a campaign to bring local and sustainable indoor agriculture to Northeast Wisconsin.
The Farmory built a soil-based aquaponics system in West De Pere High School's greenhouse. The organization held a ribbon cutting ceremony, March 8, 2018. (WLUK)
How To Grow Arugula Microgreens
How To Grow Arugula Microgreens
March 13, 2018
Do you know how to grow arugula microgreens? Well, you'll know how to grow them after this reading this post. You won’t regret missing out on this! We promise.
What is Arugula
Arugula is a leafy green plant that belongs to the genus Eruca and the family Brassicaceae. It is closely related to radish, kale, and cauliflower. Arugula has a number of different names depending on what area of the world you are in. These various names include garden rocket, rucola, roquette, and colewort. Arugula microgreens grow to a height of 2.5-10 cm (1-3 in) tall – depending on the variety you choose, your yummy microgreens are ready. It is grown on a large scale for commercial consumption but it also exists as a wild species throughout the world. It is predominantly used in the Americas, Europe, and North Africa.
Arugula Nutrition Facts
Arugula is a leafy green plant packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It is a good dietary choice for a healthy body and keeping the mind clear and focused. It contains high levels of folic acid and antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin A, which makes it integral in the fight against free radicals. It is packed with carotenoids, as well as many other minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and calcium, all of which are beneficial and necessary elements in a person’s diet. Arugula contains phytochemicals, which are beneficial in preventing cancer. It is also superior to some other leafy greens because unlike other varieties, arugula is low in oxalates, which are chemicals that actually inhibit the absorption of minerals into the body. All in all, arugula is a low-calorie, nutrient-rich food.
Health Benefits Of Arugula microgreens
The vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants packed in every leaf of arugula are certainly beneficial to those who incorporate it into their diet.
Detoxifies Body
Arugula is a great source of antioxidants and can greatly increase a person’s ORAC value (Oxygen radical absorbance capacity), which is a method for measuring antioxidant capacities. Antioxidants function to maintain a healthy balance of enzyme reactions within cells, while actively seeking out and destroying the disease-causing free radicals that can attack your system. Your immune system will also thank you for choosing arugula, because antioxidants work to bolster your defenses against simple illnesses like the common cold as well as more complex afflictions, such as cancer, heart diseases, and premature aging
Boosts Bone Health
The presence of vitamin K in arugula gives an anti-inflammatory boost to your body. Vitamin K also spurs an osteotropic activity in cells, meaning that promotes bone formation. The gradual degradation of neural pathways, found in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, can be slowed down by an increase in intake of vitamin K. As a good source of Vitamin K, the consumption of arugula has been cited as a preventative method of such diseases.
Arugula’s combinative effects of low oxalate levels (allowing more minerals into the system) and the presence of so many minerals in the plant itself make it a strong support system for healthy bones. Sufferers of osteoporosis can see improvements, and arugula can be used as a preventative step as well, ensuring bone health and strength before the age/activity-based effects of bone degeneration become serious.
Boosts Immune System
Arugula is loaded with vitamins and minerals that in some way bolster the defenses of the body’s immune system. The body is stimulated to create white blood cells from the copper in arugula, and the plant has a number of other ways to improve the strength of your immune system.
Vitamin C is one of the best defenses for your body to seek out dangerous, inflammatory free radicals and eliminate them from your body before they can cause real damage. This well-known vitamin is found in large quantities in arugula and helps prevent cancer and maintain good health by giving an extra push to your immune system.
Prevents Cancer
The phytochemicals found in large quantities within arugula inhibit the activity of cancer-causing cells. Phytochemicals are substances like thiocyanates, sulforaphane, or indoles that are effective in countering cancer-causing tendencies in the body’s own processes. Studies suggest that these compounds help fight prostate, breast, cervical, colon, and ovarian cancers.
Pre-natal Care
For mothers who are expecting, arugula is a wonderful choice to add to their diet. Folates, a classification which includes folic acid, have been shown to decrease occurrences of certain mental defects in newborns. It is rich in folates, as are many leafy vegetables.
Increases Metabolism
Another benefit of arugula is the presence of B-Complex vitamins that promote metabolism. Eight B vitamins participate and aid in all different cell activities, including energy production, fat synthesis, the production of red blood cells, and many other vital processes for cell and metabolic health.
Improves Eyesight
Arugula is a well-known source of carotenoids, which are naturally occurring pigments that have long been famous for improving a person’s ability to see properly. In fact, carotenoids slow down the process of macular degeneration, which is when the center of a person’s field of vision becomes compromised. In most instances, this causes cataracts, which then, have to be removed. By increasing the amount of carotenoids in your diet (and arugula is a great source for them), arugula eaters may be able to slow down this classic symptom of old age.
Weight Loss
The inclusion of arugula in a diet is the same as any other low-calorie, vitamin or nutrient-rich plant, and it will inevitably have a positive effect on any attempts at weight loss. By satisfying so many nutritional needs, it is an easy way to watch your health and keep your system balanced, without making drastic changes to your diet.
Improves Overall Health
Vitamin A is one of the antioxidants mentioned above, and its significant presence in arugula also guarantees the ‘garden rocket’ eaters improved condition of their bones, teeth, and eyes. The flavonoid compounds in all leafy vegetables similar to arugula have been shown to protect against skin, lung, and various oral types of cancer.
Here is our recipe to grow at home
1. Grab a 10X20 tray with drainage holes and fill it 1" thick with moist coco coir.
2. Weigh 14 grams of arugula microgreens Seeds into seed shaker, then broadcast evenly across the 10X20 tray.
3. Apply an even mist of water to the tray, then cover it with a humidity dome, black 10x20tray or place it in a dark space.
4. Germinate for three days in a dark location with at least 80% humidity. Water as described in step three at least once a day.
5. Uncover your tray on day three/four. Then begin feeding plants your favorite fertilizer using a low flood/continuous flow method of irrigation.
6. Micro Arugula will be ready for harvest around 10-14 days, They will need about 10 to 16 hours of light with a typical fluorescent grow light about 12"-15" from the base of the plant.
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Microgreens We Love To Grow
Microgreens We Love To Grow
March 2, 2018
Do you know which Microgreens we love to grow? These are our favorite Microgreens but we’ll also be giving you some seeding procedures too! You won’t regret missing out on this! We promise.
Pea Shoots
Crunchy, juicy texture and the same yummy taste as fresh peas. Perfect for sandwiches and on pizza, rice, and soup dishes! Try your pea shoots at different times/stages while they’re growing – their flavor, texture and look is best when they’re about 3” tall. Here are the procedures for growing theses beautiful pea shoots yourself!
These large seed varieties are grown using a different method than the other microgreens, So we will cover them first. The same technique is used for peas, can be used for sunflowers and any other large seed variety (such as popcorn seeds). Pea seed should be soaked prior to planting for 8 - 12 hrs. (soak seeds when you leave your farm at the end of the day)
Preparing the pea seed for planting:
10 oz of pea seeds per 10x20 black tray
To soak the pea, a plastic food grade container works well (5-gallon bucket with paint strainer bag).
Fill the container with enough water to rise above the seeds 2”. The seeds will swell as they absorb water, and you’ll want to make sure they stay below the water line and must remain covered.
Allow seeds to soak overnight. They are now ready to be spread on the microgreens pad.
Soaking The microgreens pad
The special microgreens pads are made of untreated all natural loose weave plant-based materials. The grow trays are 10"x20", so 1 microgreens pad are laid end to end in the tray. This makes them easier to handle at harvest time when they must be removed from the tray with the crops attached. The microgreens pads usually come in a pack of 10 - 10"x20" and don't need to be cut. If you lay the pad in the tray dry, they would not lay flat, and the seeds would go rolling off the high spots and end up crowding up in the low areas. The microgreens pad would also have a hard time becoming evenly damp, to begin with. Before placing the pads in the tray PRE-SOAK THEM in a 5-gallon bucket of vegan boost water for a few hours before seeding. This helps them lay flat in channels, which makes planting a lot easier and helps gives your seeds a germination boost.
Fill the bucket with RO water or tap water.
Place one tsp of vegan boost in bucket (mix properly).
Fold and place the pads in bucket.
Soak for 1 hr to 24 hrs. They are now ready to be used.
Place the soaked pad into the tray.
Smooth out the pad until it is completely flat.
Evenly shake the seeds in each tray, one tray at a time, using a gentle shaking motion with a cup.
Evenly spread seeds on the microgreens pad using your hands.
Place tray in darkness for 48 hrs to 72 hrs till seedlings sprouts up 2".
Place tray in sunlight or artificial grow lights
Microgreens - Red Rose Radish
A classic winter radish that is best planted later in the season, and then harvested for winter storage. China Rose produces an attractive rose-colored exterior and delicious white flesh. As its name suggests, this radish hails from China and was introduced to the occidental world by Jesuit monks in the 1950's.
Place the soaked pad into the tray.
Smooth out the pad until it is completely flat.
Weigh out the appropriate amount of seed for each variety to be planted
Red Rose Radish seeds per 10"x20" tray = 21 grams
Evenly shake the seeds in each tray, one tray at a time, using a gentle shaking motion with a season shaker.
Spray each tray, one at a time, spray generously (rule of thumb is to count out loud for each tray).
Spray humidity dome for a few seconds.
Cover 10"x20" tray with humidity dome.
Place tray in darkness for 48 hrs to 72 hrs till seedlings sprouts up 1.5".
Place tray in sunlight or artificial grow lights.
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Tags: microgreens growing microgreens peashoots shoots red rose radish
World Food Programme Italia Named As Patron For The Fourth Edition of Seeds&Chips, The Global Innovation Summit
World Food Programme Italia Named As Patron For The Fourth Edition of Seeds&Chips, The Global Innovation Summit
“2.6 million people in Northeast Nigeria are facing hunger and 450,000 children are severely malnourished”.
Seeds&Chips ticket sales will go to supporting World Food Programme works in North East Nigeria, and the Summit will also promote ShareTheMeal, the first app designed to fight global hunger.
Milan, 26 February 2018 – The fourth edition of Seeds&Chips – The Global Food Innovation Summit (7-10 May 2018, MiCo Milano Congressi) will be under the patronage of the World Food Programme (WFP) Italia.
The WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization dedicated to combatting world hunger, which currently afflicts 815 million people around the globe. Seeds&Chips, which each year brings influential figures in the field of food and agricultural innovation from across academia, politics, and international institutions to Milan, will donate a portion of its ticket sales to the WFP’s emergency food operations addressing severe malnutrition in Nigeria.
Marco Gualtieri, President and founder of Seeds&Chips commented: “This year, we have once again enthusiastically joined the WFP’s initiatives and we are happy to be able to contribute to aiding the Nigerian people. The Summit has always united food, sustainability, and innovation through partnerships between startups, companies, opinion leaders and global media to address larger themes within food and the new solutions that technological development can offer, not just for the most economically advanced countries but particularly for those populations who live in poverty and struggle with a scarcity of resources.”
Beyond supporting the food assistance programs of the WFP, Seeds&Chips will be promoting ShareTheMeal, the app developed by the WFP which allows users to give food assistance to a child with a simple tap on a smartphone. Through the app, it takes only 0,40EUR cents to provide one day of food relief to one child.
“Since ShareTheMeal’s launch two years ago, more than one million people have downloaded the app and have shared more than 21 million meals with thousands of hungry children, in order to support WFP’s most critical food emergencies.” says Massimiliano Costa, Head of ShareTheMeal. “In the world, smartphones outnumber hungry children 20 to 1. This means that if we join our forces and donate through ShareTheMeal, we can reach zero hunger. For this reason I thank WFP Italia and Seeds&Chips for giving the possibility to all Summit’s participants to support WFP operations in North East Nigeria, where ShareTheMeal is aiming to provide life-saving food assistance for 100 days to those children most at risk.
“Innovation has a crucial role to play in the fight against hunger, not only for the World Food Programme but for everyone working to improve the lives of those furthest behind,” said Robert Opp, Director of Innovation and Change Management at WFP. “The availability of new technologies and approaches today presents a tremendous opportunity. We need to test these approaches to find out what works and what doesn’t, and then scale up the most promising innovations.” Mr. Opp also noted the importance of conferences like Seeds & Chips, which represents an opportunity to further our thinking and forge new partnerships for Zero Hunger.
"New technologies and innovation applied to sustainable development represent an extraordinary opportunity for WFP", said Vincenzo Sanasi d'Arpe, President of WFP Italia. "In some of the most remote areas, the use of innovative technologies has allowed us to find more effective and unprecedented solutions to provide food assistance to the most fragile populations. We are proud,” continued President Sanasi, “to give our patronage once again to Seeds&Chips, to whom we are very grateful for their continued support of WFP humanitarian operations in North-East Nigeria. Together with Seeds & Chips we encourage everyone to support WFP by downloading ShareTheMeal, the first app against world hunger. "
The WFP notes that in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa in North East Nigeria, violence inflicted by Boko Haram affects the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. 2,6 million of people suffer from hunger and 450,000 children are severely malnourished. Violence and insecurity are causing a mass exodus: 1.62 million people live in IDP camps or communities in Nigeria and tens of thousands are forced to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, such as Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Many of those who left the country are now beginning to return, and lack basic needs like food and housing
***
Seeds&Chips, The Global Food Innovation Summit, founded by entrepreneur Marco Gualtieri, is the largest Food Innovation event in the world. The Summit is a showcase entirely dedicated to promoting innovative food solutions and talent from around the world, with an exhibition hall for innovators to present their work. Together, actors from all points in the global food chain discuss the themes and projects that are changing the way in which food is produced, transformed, distributed, consumed, and recycled. At the Third edition of the Global Food Innovation Summit, President Barack Obama made his first post presidency appearance as a Keynote speaker, taking his place among 300 speakers and 240 exhibitors from around the world. In four days, the Summit recorded 15,800 visitors and 131 million social media impressions. The Fourth edition of The Seeds&Chips Global Food Innovation Summit takes place at MiCo, Milano Congressi, from May 7-10, 2018. Among the speakers scheduled to appear are Former US Secretary of State John Kerry and Howard Schultz, Executive Chairman of Starbucks.
The United Nations World Food Programme is the largest humanitarian agency dedicated to fighting global famine through emergency food assistance and improving the nutrition and resilience of communities suffering from malnutrition. Every year, WFP provides assistance to approximately 80 million people in nearly 80 countries. The WFP is 100% funded through voluntary donations and takes contributions from governments, companies and individuals.
WFP Italia is a non-profit organization working in support of the World Food Program and is the reference point in Italy for those who wish to support the WFP.
WFP’s ShareTheMeal app is a mobile-first fundraising tool that allows users to feed a child, with just a tap on their device and for as little as US$0.50. Since its launch two years ago, more than 1,000,000 people have joined the community worldwide. Users have shared over 21 million meals with thousands of hungry children in some of WFP’s most critical operations, including Yemen, Syria and South Sudan. The app has been awarded the Social Impact Award at the 2017 Google Play Awards.
How To Raise ‘Farm To Table’ Kids, Even If You Don’t Live On (or near) A Farm
How To Raise ‘Farm To Table’ Kids, Even If You Don’t Live On (or near) A Farm
By Sarah Bradley February 21, 2018
(iStock)
Every night, my 4-year-old son sits down at the dinner table, carefully inspects his food, and asks, “What IS this? And who made it?”
He isn’t being rude or critical — he sincerely wants to know. Did this meat come from a chicken or pig? How did the rice get on his plate? Who grew the carrots he’s eating? How did his milk make its way from the farm to the store to his glass?
My husband and I are happy to give our son a “farm-to-table” education by explaining what we’re eating, where it came from and how it got to our table.
“Promoting a relationship for children with food and food production leads young people to be more engaged with their own health and develop lifelong habits that will serve them into their future,” said Jacqueline Maisonpierre, farm director for New Haven Farms, a nonprofit organization based in Connecticut that rehabilitates urban spaces into organic farms.
“Learning about nutrition and developing healthy habits as a young person can have long-term impacts on health and well being, leading to lower incidence of chronic diet-related disease,” she said.
Teaching kids where their food comes from is valuable — but actually providing this kind of education in a hands-on way is a challenge for many parents. Not all families have a back yard. Some don’t have easy access to grocery stores that sell fresh foods. And others cannot afford to purchase higher-quality, locally grown foods or participate in Community Supported Agriculture programs.
In an ideal world, “farm to table” eating habits would be possible for all families. In reality, it can feel like an unattainable goal. But teaching kids about the origins of their food isn’t impossible; it just requires a little bit of creativity and a whole lot of community cooperation. Here are some simple ways to get started.
Get in the kitchen with your kids. When food comes ready-made in a package or is passed through a drive-through window, there’s an inevitable detachment. Buying the individual ingredients to make meals from scratch at home — at least some of the time — is worth the extra effort: The act of cooking invites kids to not only touch, taste and explore their food, but to ask questions about it. Why does it have seeds? Why don’t we eat the skin? Why was it packaged this way? How do we know when it’s ready to eat?
Deborah Grieg, farm director at Common Ground in New Haven, Conn., recommends starting simply. “You can involve your child in the basics, like helping with dinner, or try interesting projects like making butter, pizza, jam or something else they might have only seen in the store or in a restaurant,” she said. “[Cooking with kids] raises conversations and helps expand their palate.”
Start with a seed. Located at the base of a state park in an otherwise densely populated city, Common Ground’s campus offers several ways to learn about growing food: a charter high school, an urban farm and an environmental education center for kids and adults, all designed to increase the community’s connection to and understanding of the natural world.
A wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs are grown on-site in the campus gardens, but Grieg says the simple act of sprouting seeds on a windowsill offers just as much opportunity for childhood learning: “Even if it doesn’t make it to a large plant, it’s a great way to see something growing.”
Seed sprouting is an easy, foolproof activity: Wrap a dried bean (pinto and lima work well) in a damp paper towel and place it in a see-through glass or plastic cup on a windowsill. Within a few days, the bean will begin sprouting, and kids can examine its growth step-by-step.
Practice “food mapping.” “It’s important for kids to know where their food comes from so they have more of an appreciation for food and farmers,” said Alexa Fiszer, a lead environmental educator at Common Ground. “This [appreciation] often helps evolve kids’ understanding of the food production system and the ways in which it has evolved over the course of history.”
Most of us don’t consider the resources, like electricity and gas, that are required to transport our food from its point of origin to the supermarket. Grieg encourages families to create a “food map” to better understand the relationships among nutrition, farming, and freshness.
“After [grocery] shopping, look at where your food is coming from — the locations where it was grown or shipped from — and map those routes out,” she said. “You can then start talking about how traveling long distances can affect the nutrients and quality of the food you eat, who might be growing your food, what their lives might be like and the environmental impact of eating [certain foods].”
Get your hands dirty. Studies have shown that kids are more willing to try a new food if they have helped with its growth or preparation. Families that have access to a patch of back-yard green — even a small one — can plant tomatoes, squash, lettuce or herbs. A child who “hates” green beans just might be tempted to eat some for dinner if she feels a sense of pride and accomplishment over helping those green beans get onto her plate.
Communicate with your child’s school. More schools are seeing the value in connecting their students to the food production process, whether it’s through participation in farm to school initiatives or by starting their own school gardens. If your child’s school hasn’t started thinking about this yet, it might be time to advocate for some changes, or at least request a field trip to a local farm.
There is also a wealth of educational material available online for teachers who want to promote this kind of learning in their classrooms: The Edible Schoolyard Project offers lesson plans by grade, Netflix is home to several documentaries about food production appropriate for older grades (including “Food, Inc.” and “Forks Over Knives”) and Let’s Move is a good starting point for schools looking to improve the quality of their school lunches.
Tap into your local resources, whatever and wherever they may be. Most people associate the idea of “farm to table” foods with rural communities, but even urban ones are joining the trend. Community gardens are everywhere — including metropolitan areas — and always need volunteers. Farmers markets, which pop up seasonally, are a chance for families to get an up-close look at foods they might not otherwise encounter, chat with local farmers, and sample fruits and vegetables. (Though farmers markets may not be an affordable option every week, there are often coupons for SNAP recipients that could make the occasional trip possible.)
Finally, urban farms like Common Ground and the ones developed by New Haven Farms seem rare, but are actually not so hard to find: There are more of them, most are accessible by public transportation and many offer open farm days, where families are invited to explore the grounds and learn about the food grown on-site.
“I think kids are willing to try a wider variety of food when they see where it grows from, and they are excited to pick [food] themselves,” Fiszer said. “A hands-on approach [like this] shows kids the physical work that goes into harvesting and tending to food, and consequently, a better appreciation for food is often formed.”
Sarah Bradley is a freelance writer and creative writing teacher. She is mother to three wild and wonderful boys, and wife to one extremely patient husband. You can see her attempts at finding a mother/writer balance on Instagram.
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How To Put The Youth Back In Agriculture
How To Put The Youth Back In Agriculture
26 FEB 2018 | BY: CARI COETZEE
Misconceptions about working in agriculture have long bogged down the number of young people opting for a career in this industry. Africa's young population is often discouraged by the image of punishing work and poor, weather-beaten farmers, so attracting youth to agriculture is no small feat. However, new technologies, methods, and thinking have started to change the minds of many. Howard blight
We chat with Howard Blight, founder of Agricolleges International (ACI) which aims to prove to young people that agriculture can be fun and profitable and is aimed at inspiring youth from all walks of life to pursue agribusiness entrepreneurship.
©julief514 via 123RF
What are some of the major misconceptions entertained by the youth regarding the agriculture industry and how can this be addressed?
One of the major misconceptions we have come across is that the youth believe agriculture is still an old-fashioned industry. In reality, access to technology, information, and better communication, along with vastly improved equipment are enabling farmers and agri-experts around the world to change the way we think and improve how things are done.
Another misconception is that farming has high barriers to entry, particularly when it comes to the capital needed to set up and operate large tracts of farming land. The exciting thing is that, as technology evolves, it is also reducing these barriers. Vertical farming, for example, is enabling young agripreneurs to build sustainable businesses in warehouses in the middle of town. Technology has also brought us drones for crop assessments, smartphones to set irrigation systems and the computers in planters for precision row-crop soil preparation, planting and harvesting.
We need to address these misconceptions through education and building awareness among the youth, as well as through training and skills development in the areas where the industry currently has large gaps. It is important that agricultural schools and colleges, which provide the major pipeline of potential entrants into the agri-economy, to keep their curriculums up to date and are able to teach students about the incredible tools that are now available, the use of technology and the growing connectedness among farmers.
Why is it essential that we engage with and encourage our youth to consider careers in agriculture?
Food security in Africa and the rest of the world is a growing issue. Food demand in Africa is expected to rise by over 70% by 2050 due to population growth, and agricultural land and water are scarce commodities in many parts of the world. The result is that many farmers are growing their businesses vertically and using the latest technological practices. This, in turn, requires more skilled people who are capable of working in this environment.
At the same time, there is a huge need for small and emerging farmers to build sustainable businesses, but to do this they too need to improve the way they work and build their knowledge and skills. What this means for the youth is that at almost every level there is both opportunity to build skills and find exciting, relevant work in agriculture, while also making a difference to the food security concerns that are looming over the next two decades.
To compound on this, the commercial farming sector of our agri-economy must participate in the agri-transformation philosophy of the sharing of knowledge with the emerging farmers. This is Ubuntu. I am because we are. This is part and parcel of the Agricolleges way of thinking.
What are the main barriers for agripreneurs?
As mentioned above, one of the biggest barriers to entry is the capital and knowledge required, to set-up and operate large tracts of farming land. Another barrier has been the cost of the education needed to build agri-skills. E-learning makes education much more accessible and affordable to the youth, emerging farmers and existing farm workers, who want to build on their current knowledge. We are looking for investors to help develop a sustainable bursary system that can support highly motivated and ambitious students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to obtain reputable agricultural qualifications.
Our President, Cyril Ramaphosa, in his SONA, has made it clear that both agriculture and skills development are among the key areas that government will be focusing on in the coming months and years. Our hope is that this will help to support ACI’s drive to bring more people into the industry.
While the youth flee to the cities to escape rural or agriculture-related careers – a fact lamented by many – should we not place equal emphasis on encouraging and enabling urban agriculture startups?
Absolutely, yes! As this migration towards cities takes place, an increasing number of urban gardens and farms have taken root already. This growth in urban agriculture is helping poor people cope with food scarcity and hunger. It also offers many people a viable income as they are able to find markets for their produce as well as feed themselves. So much is being achieved through sheer necessity - imagine what could be achieved with additional support, knowledge and resources?
Roadside traders could be transformed into the farmers of the future as community vegetable gardens, roadsides and rivers converted into city farms, vertical window food gardens, and horizontal pipe or water gardens. Teaching young people to implement urban agriculture through a variety of modern methods and practices would not only improve their yields and income potential but also give them a sense of achievement and the self-confidence that they may be struggling to achieve through meaningful employment elsewhere.
ACI is able to educate people to implement urban agriculture with health and sustainability in mind, and this is a great step towards creating a more sustainable future in all countries throughout the African continent.
Technology and a new way of thinking has seen agriculture and agribusiness change a lot over the past decade, but how friendly is agriculture in SA and Africa to tech-savvy youth?
There can be no doubt that the technology explosion, and access to cellular phones, in particular, has reached even the most remote parts of Africa. Farmers are also steadily changing their methods, through the use of more technology and adding skills and efficiencies to their operations. This all bodes very well for a tech-savvy youth population that wants to be connected and to work in an exciting, modern environment.
It is also true, however, that we still have a long way to go in terms of catching up to the rest of the world in this regard. We need to build skills and knowledge that are appropriate to our situation and conditions, and we need to be able to modernize and change our courses and curriculums when and where necessary so that we stay relevant and up-to-date.
We are in the fascinating position, where we need to grow emerging, small-scale farmers and teach them how to use traditional methods more effectively and sustainably, while also developing a young and vibrant group of agripreneurs who are looking further into the future, where their more advanced skills and understanding of technology will provide them with a wealth of exciting and dynamic careers in this industry.
Training Workshop On Hydroponics Agriculture Concludes At Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi
Training Workshop On Hydroponics Agriculture Concludes At Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi
Umer Jamshaid 26th February 2018
RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News
A 15-day training workshop to impart training to the farmers of Punjab on Hydroponics Agriculture under the project 'Testing indigenous hydroponics model for vegetable growing' concluded here on Monday at Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR).
The project was funded by Agriculture Development Bank, Government of Punjab to indigenize the latest agriculture practices and impart training to the farmers on hydroponics agriculture for the development of the agriculture sector.
It was the eighth and final session and over 290 farmers from across the country got training on hydroponics technology to experience the practices in their native areas to meet the domestic as well as the country's needs of food.
Prof. Dr. Sarwat N Mirza, Vice Chancellor (VC) PMAS-AAUR was the chief guest at the certificate distribution ceremony while deans, directors and staff members were also present on the occasion.
Prof. Dr. Sarwat N Mirza stressed the need for the demonstration, implementation and improvement of the technology and hoped that the farmers would not only apply the knowledge in their fields but also guide other farmers to test the results in their native areas and share their experiences to overcome the challenges and loopholes being confronted in enhancement of the technology in all areas of the country.
He said, "Improvement is the continuous process. Learn, admit and transfer the knowledge for the well being of others." He further said that the training session will be very helpful for the progressive farmers to improve their life standards and for the achievement of desired results.
He assured every support to the farmers for the development of the farming community. The VC thanked the government of Punjab for provision of funds for the training of the farmers on the hydroponics agriculture and hoped that the government will also support such programs and training in future.
He appreciated efforts of Prof. Dr. Safdar Ali, Director Institute of Hydroponics for their contributions to train the farmers on hydroponics agriculture and for the achievement of the targeted goals. At the concluding session, certificates were also distributed among the trainee farmers.
Rules For Growing Microgreens Indoors
Rules For Growing Microgreens Indoors
February 23, 2018
Next winter you'll most likely want to grow microgreens outdoors(kidding). Or you might already know how to grow but need a little help (or you just don't want to admit why your microgreens died); either way we will be giving you some rules to follow, while you walk on the road towards success.
Equipment & System Needs
The Heating System hoophouse is passive solar heated, which works fine for starting plants in earliest spring, but for growing a consistent crop of microgreens during cold and low solar months of winter, it needs to be supplemented. After research that was done, it was determined that heat mats were the most efficient direct heat option. There are several options to heat the water, electric, gas but also solar and biogas.
Water is essential for microgreens, they need to be constantly kept at ideal moisture levels so water must be accessible in the growing area. Watering equipment for our system remained pretty simple: long hoses that run the length of the tables with long neck spray nozzles that release a gentle shower. These happened to be the most flexible performers and provided good coverage.
Ventilation by large fans is essential to prevent fungus in winter and keep microgreens cool in summer. They act to keep the growing area at even temperature and moisture levels, which the farmer can manage. They are essential to the success of the growing operation.
Working towards developing a system for your clients based on climate, farm setup and prospective buyers
To keep track of all the crop varieties in trials, you should develop a simple log to track all the pertinent information for each trial. Document the date of the seeding, the media used, tray size if used, quantity of trays, whether you applied heat or not, quantity of seed used per unit, harvest yield and harvest date. With solid note-taking, you will be better able to track the successes and failures and troubleshoot to minimize the latter, so we recommend this as a practice. Documentation was important not only in trialing seeds, media, and growing conditions, but during later steady commercial production as well. Keeping good notes, not just numbers on all the variables, was key to seeing what types of systems worked best in our setup.
Growing Medium
You'll have to decide what you want to use for soil. Whether it'd be Coir or potting soil. You will have to decide which is best for you and figure out the ratio that best suits your growing needs. Be sure to always experiment in this stage. Mark from Vertical veg says, "using old compost will help because of the nitrogen that aids leafy vegetables."
Harvesting
You can experiment with microgreens to find the stage you like best – either when the first pair of leaves appear, or later, when a few leaves have grown. One exception is sunflower shoots. These need to be eaten before their second pair of leaves appear, as these are bitter. The easiest way to harvest most microgreens is with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors. Some microgreens – like pea shoots – may regrow, particularly if you chop them just above the lowest leaf.
This blog post touches on basic guidelines to follow while you grow microgreens. There are many specifics that need to be followed on your journey. We hope you try to impress your peers with some the information you just read. Thanks for reading.
If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy these post:
"Facts about the microgreens grow system"
"Supercharge your hydroponics setup"
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e-GRO Launches Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Crops Website
e-GRO Launches Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Crops Website
e-GRO, a collaborative team of university floriculture specialists and educators, launches a nutritional monitoring website for greenhouse, floriculture and vegetable crops.
January 31, 2018 by W. Garrett Owen, Michigan State University Extension
Figure 1. The collaborative group of greenhouse and floriculture specialists and educators, e-GRO, launched a Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Crops website.
Nutritional disorders are among the many challenges greenhouse growers encounter during crop production. Nutritional disorders often occur when substrate pH or soluble salts, referred to as electrical conductivity (EC), drifts above or below optimal ranges for plant uptake. To assist greenhouse growers in addressing nutritional disorders, the collaborative group of greenhouse and floriculture specialists and educators, e-GRO, has launched a Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Crops website, www.fertdirtandsquirt.com (Fig 1.), led by W. Garrett Owen of Michigan State University Extension and Brian Whipker of North Carolina State University.
The Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Crops, sponsored by the American Floral Endowment, will assist growers in establishing an in-house monitoring program and serve as an information and education center. The website is accessible by computer (Fig 2A), tablet (Fig 2B) or mobile device (Fig 2C).
Figure 2. The Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Crops website is accessible by computer (A), tablet (B) or mobile device (C). Pictured is the website homepage viewed on each device.
The Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Crops website provides growers crop-specific nutritional factsheets of seven annual bedding plants including marigolds, geraniums, petunia, calibrachoa, gerbera, New Guinea impatiens(Fig 3) and dahlias. In the future, it will also provide nutritional factsheets for perennials, potted flowering plants, edible and herb crops. These crop-specific nutritional factsheets provide the optimal crop-specific fertility requirements, pH and EC values reported by the 1:2 Dilution, Saturated Media Extraction (SME) and PourThru methods, fertility management, corrective procedures for high and low pH and EC, and nutritional disorder photos.
Figure 3. Example of a nutritional factsheet that provides optimal crop-specific fertility requirements, pH and EC values reported by the 1:2 Dilution, Saturated Media Extraction (SME) and PourThru methods, fertility management, corrective procedures for high and low pH and EC, and nutritional disorder photos. Pictured here is the New Guinea impatiens nutritional factsheet.
The new website will also provide growers with instructional “How To” videos and guides. For instance, instructional “How To” videos and guides for determining substrate pH and EC by either 1:2 Dilution, Saturated Media Extraction (SME) and PourThru methods will be available. Sampling methods to determine pH and EC of annual bedding and perennial plants, plugs, liners, flats, pots and hanging baskets will be posted. Other videos and guides include properly collecting plant tissue for analysis, sampling irrigation water and injector calibration.
As a continuous effort to provide growers with nutritional information, please check the Nutritional Monitoring of Floriculture Cropswebsite for updates and new postings of crop-specific nutritional factsheets, videos and guides.
The e-GRO team would like to thank the American Floral Endowment for support.
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
How Two Toronto Women Are Turning Vacant Lots Into Food
How Two Toronto Women Are Turning Vacant Lots Into Food
The co-founders of the Bowery Project use milk crates to temporarily transform empty urban space into mobile farms
By Rashida PowankumarFebruary 20th, 2018
Rachel Kimel and Deena DelZotto, co-founders of the Bowery Project, love working with plants.
They started the non-profit organization because they were especially interested in growing food and educating the public about healthy eating. The Evergreen Brick Works and greenhouse, which specializes in “sustainable practices,” was one of the spaces that inspired them.
"Bowery" actually means "farm" in Dutch. So we wanted to come up with a name not too simplistic as "green in the city" or ‘green spaces downtown,’” Kimel said at a meeting at the Leaside Public Library in East York on Feb. 8.
“In New York, the Bowery was the road that led from the settlements to the farms, hence why we named our project after the New York City street.“
The Bowery Project would not be what it is today without milk crates. All of its produce is grown in “re-purposed milk crates that sit above the land,” its website explains.
The crates are light and mobile, making it easy for anyone to lift. “A farm of up to 5,000 crates can be disassembled and relocated within 24 hours,” which aligns with the mission to “create opportunities for urban agriculture through the temporary use of vacant lots.”
Environmental sustainability is important to DelZotto, a mother of three, who explained the importance of thinking twice before eating unhealthy meals.
“I think that once you have a child, you realize that everything that goes into their mouths becomes a part of their body,” she said. “I think you become more aware of the process — because you see how it grows, maybe you will eat it and want to taste it.”
The Bowery Project has several sources of funding — The Ontario Trillium Foundation, fundraising events, and chefs among them — and benefits many diverse communities, including a Toronto Community Housing neighborhood for single mothers for which Kimel and DelZotto’s organization helps provide three healthy meals a day.
The founders of the project are looking for summer students and volunteers to continue educating the public and turning more vacant lots into farms. If you’re interested, you can find more information at www.boweryproject.ca/what-you-can-do.
Pythium Root Rot on Hydroponically Grown Basil And Spinach
Pythium Root Rot on Hydroponically Grown Basil And Spinach
FEBRUARY 12, 2018 URBAN AG NEWS
by Neil Mattson for eGro (https://e-gro.org/pdf/E301.pdf)
Waterborne diseases that infect roots are a common production issue in hydroponic production. Several species of the water mold, Pythium, attack greenhouse crops. Basil and spinach are susceptible to economically devastating levels of Pythium root infection in hydroponics. In this article, we will present symptoms of Pythium infection and management strategies.
Many Pythium species, are generalists, meaning they can attack a wide range of plant species. Pythium aphanidermatum and Pythium dissotocum are two species commonly reported in hydroponics. Both species can produce zoospores, a mobile propagule that can propel itself through water.
Figure 1. Roots from basil growing in hydroponic rafts (deep water culture) exhibiting root discoloration from Pythium root rot. Photo: Neil Mattson, Cornell University
Symptoms of Pythium Root Rot
As Pythium infects and colonizes roots it can lead to a visible discoloration (browning) and decay of the root system (Figures 1 and 2). Overall root system development may be poor with few lateral roots or root hairs (Figure 1). Often the outer portion of the root (cortex) sloughs away leaving behind the inner part of the root (steele). This leads to the characteristic “rat tail” appearance of Pythium infected roots. The root system can eventually turn slimy and black.
Figure 2. Roots of baby leaf spinach growing in a Speedling tray in raft hydroponics infected with Pythium root rot. Notice discolored roots with poor branching. Photo: David de Villiers, Cornell University
Figure 3. Baby leaf spinach infected with low levels of Pythium root rot. Notice slightly discolored roots. No shoot symptoms are evident but overall plant size may be somewhat reduced. Photo: David de Villiers, Cornell University
Shoots of affected plants may not initially show symptoms of Pythium infection, however, the plants may be reduced in overall size (Figure 3). As the disease progresses, plants may become severely stunted and leaves may be chlorotic (yellow) which is often mistaken for a nutrient deficiency when it is really caused by poor root system development (Figures 4 -6). Plants may also wilt due to the inability of the root system to support plant water needs. At first, wilting may take place during only the hottest, brightest time of the day, but eventually wilting may become permanent.
Figure 4. Leaves of baby leaf spinach infected with Pythium aphanidermatum (A) are chlorotic and greatly reduced in size compared to uninfected control plants (B). Photo: Ted Alhanti , Cornell University
Figure 5. Hydroponic basil infected with Pythium root rot demonstrating chlorosis (yellowing) of leaves as well as stunted plants. Photo: Neil Mattson, Cornell University
Figure 6. Hydroponic basil showing varying degrees of plant stunting and chlorosis due to infection from Pythium root. Photo: Neil Mattson, Cornell University
Management
Once plants are infected, Pythium can be very difficult to control. Therefore the best approach to Pythium management is adopting a suite of practices that reduce or eliminate exposure to the disease organism, restrict its spread, and promoting environmental conditions that reduce disease proliferation.
Exclusion and Sanitation
There are several ways Pythium can enter greenhouse operations, including from: water (especially surface water sources), soil and plant residue from workers’ shoes, air-borne dust, greenhouse tools, previously infected plants/seedlings, and some container media. Follow good hygiene practices to limit entry such as: foot baths to sanitize shoots and boots, sanitization of tools, and inspection of new plant material prior to transplanting. If the water source is found to harbor waterborne disease a treatment system should be installed. Container media with organic matter (such as peat, coir, compost, etc.) can occasionally contain Pythium. Source materials from a reputable supplier with quality control procedures in place.
Because of the prevalence of Pythium it will be difficult (or impossible!) to completely restrict Pythium from hydroponic operations. Therefore, it is important to periodically sanitize surfaces that come into contact with plants or the hydroponic nutrient solution, such as: pond or NFT channel surfaces, irrigation tubing, tools, and carts or other receptacles used to hold plants or move them around. Sanitize containers or seedling trays before reusing. When sanitizing surfaces be sure to remove debris/organic matter first. Be sure to include inspection of plant roots in your routine IPM scouting practices. Toss infected plants at the first sign of Pythium. Don’t reuse growing media.
Environment
Environmental conditions that favor Pythium include excessively high fertility, waterlogged substrates (for example, in the seedling stage), low dissolved oxygen, and extreme temperatures. Injury to roots such as through mechanical damage, allowing roots to dry out, or extreme temperatures can provide an entry point to Pythium. Maintain a target root zone temperature of 68 to 75 °F (20 to 24 °C). Lower temperatures favor establishment of Pythium dissotocum and higher temperatures favor development of Pythium aphanidermatum. At Cornell University, we have found that use of a water chiller to reduce hydroponic pond temperatures to about 68 °F is an effective way to reduce, but not completely eliminate, Pythium aphanidermatum from ponds with baby leaf spinach. Low dissolved oxygen levels in hydroponics have also been reported to increase Pythium infection. Therefore it is important to ensure adequate aeration so as to achieve greater than 6 ppm dissolved oxygen and ideally saturated dissolved oxygen (about 8- 9 ppm O2) in nutrient hydroponic solutions.
Biofungicides
Biofungicides are microbial-based products that act to prevent disease development. Several commercially available products are labeled for control of root-disease of greenhouse vegetable crops, see the excellent e-Gro article on this topic here. Some of these materials are primarily suited for use in substrates (such as seedlings or larger plants growing in container media) while some are also meant for use in hydroponic nutrient solutions. Biofungicides should be used as a preventative control strategy before a problem arises (rather than as a curative). Always follow the product label, and be sure to check if a given material is registered for use in your state.
In summary, if you are growing hydroponic basil or spinach you will almost certainly come across Pythium. However, careful attention to your growing practices and sanitation procedures can limit this disease to an occasional annoyance rather than an annihilating nemesis.
References
- Penn State Extension. 2017. Pythium, online factsheet. Retrieved on January 23, 2018 from https://extension.psu.edu/pythium
- Raudales, R.E. and McGehee, C. 2016. Pythium root rot on hydroponic lettuce. e -Gro Edible Alert. Volume 1, Number 4. Retrieved on January 23, 2018 from https://e -gro.org/pdf/E104.pdf
- Raudales, R.E. and McGehee, C. 2017. Biofungicides for control of root diseases on greenhouse- grown vegetables. e- Gro Edible Alert. Volume 2, Number 7. Retrieved on January 23, 2018 from https://e -gro.org/pdf/E207.pdf
- Sutton, J.C., Sopher , C.R., Owen -Going, T.N., Liu, W., Grodzinski, B., Hall, J.C. and Benchimol, R.L., 2006. Etiology and epidemiology of Pythium root rot in hydroponic crops: current knowledge and perspectives. Summa Phytopathologica , 32 (4), pp.307 -321.
Publication date: 1/31/2018
Transforming German Cities Into Organic Food Gardens
Transforming German Cities Into Organic Food Gardens
With ever more people living in urban centers, food security — and quality — is becoming a pressing issue. In Germany, cities are increasingly taking the task of producing organic products to a hyperlocal level.
In Nuremberg, every first-grader starts the year with a gift: a yellow plastic lunchbox filled with healthy food.
The gift, refilled daily, is part of a city initiative to increase the share of local, organic food in public institutions — not just daycare centers and schools, but also retirement homes, hospitals, correctional facilities and administrative centers.
As part of Biostädte, or organic cities, it joins a network of municipalities across Germany — including Munich, Bremen and Karlsruhe — working to make food production healthier and more sustainable.
Read more: How sustainably do Germans eat?
To mark their first day of school, first-graders in Nuremberg are given a flashy new lunch box — filled with organic food
Greening cities — also for food production
In other cities like Berlin, Cologne and Kiel, similar food councils are introducing urban and community-supported agriculture, which includes the greening of new buildings and the transformation of uncontaminated industrial land into community gardens.
Their plans also include projects for car-free, solar-powered districts where edible plants grow on and around buildings.
Read more: From gray to green: Urban farming around the world
Local citizens are being encouraged to cultivate useful crops, using public green areas in their neighborhoods to plant rows of potato plants or fruit trees. Doing so gives municipal coffers a break: it costs less than designing and maintaining public green spaces with ornamental plants.
Urban agriculture: Food grown in the city
These urban agricultural spaces are intended to become focal points where food is produced, processed and traded.
In Berlin — with its 3.6 million inhabitants and virtually no local agricultural land — the need for such initiatives focusing on high-quality, sustainable food is particularly high.
To meet these goals, Berlin has recently created the House of Food foundation, to help the city make the transition to organic products — without a budget increase, and if possible, without subsidies.
The city is following a model first created by Copenhagen, where in 2007 the Danish capital brought together cooks, food experts, teachers and designers to offer advice and cooking courses.
Today, roughly 70 percent of the food in Copenhagen's city-run kitchens is organic; in smaller institutions, like kindergartens, that figure is as high as 90 percent.
Taking the lead in Germany
In Nuremberg, the city wanted to lead by example: every February, Biofach, which according to organizers is the world's largest trade fair for organic products, takes place in the northern Bavarian city.
At this year's Biofach, increasing public demand for organic products is in the spotlight: The organic food market has grown by about 6 percent in Germany over the past year, making up about 5 percent of the total food market there.
Since 2003, certified organic caterers have been providing meals to daycare centers and schools in Nuremberg, and leading cooking workshops for students, teachers and caretakers.
"The proportion of organic ingredients has continuously increased — and usually without any increase in price," said Werner Ebert, head of the environment and health department at BioMetropole Nürnberg, an organization that works on the initiative with the city.
In the meantime, some of the facilities have begun cooking meals themselves, he added. "This fresh food has more nutrients, and is cheaper than having meals delivered."
By sticking to seasonal products and reducing the amount of meat on offer, the city is able to keep costs low.
Organic food catching on in India
"Back in 2003, organic initiatives were a fringe topic — but today we're seeing plenty of support for our work," Ebert told DW.
Those interested in the organic movement have the chance to visit farms in the region twice a year, though the "Bio on Tour" initiative, while organized trips abroad allow citizens to see how other regions in Europe are introducing sustainability into their lives.
Even Nuremberg's world-famous Christmas market has made the move to sustainability, with many stands offering products with quality organic labels — some coming directly from the producer.
As Ebert points out, organic efforts don't end at the city limits. For example, the city provides financial support for a traditional apple orchard project in the nearby Hersbruck Mountains, which produces bottles of Pom200, an organic apple juice.
Read more: Can Germany's heirloom apple varieties be saved?
'Nutritional change begins in the city'
"Civic space plays an important role in the societal debate on nutrition," said Philipp Stierand, an expert on nutrition and cities. "It's all about regionality and food origins."
Urbanization, he points out, takes a serious toll on the environment: arable land surrounding cities is built up and resources are depleted, while conventional industrial agriculture can deplete the soil, damage ecosystems and contribute to climate change with air pollution produced by long shipping routes.
Locally grown foods often have a much smaller carbon footprint
Conventional agriculture, believes Stierand, is not sustainable in the long run — water quality, biodiversity and climate change must be made a priority.
At the same time, society is faced with the task of ensuring food security, both in terms of quantity and quality. Cities are increasingly addressing food-related issues like obesity and allergies, and citizens are demanding that they have a say in where their food comes from.
Though the majority of the global food supply is still organized at a national and global scale, Stierand believes the regional share — be it local markets, corner stores or home delivery of organic products — will steadily increase, with the local food supply becoming more diverse.
"Nutritional change begins in the city," said Stierand. "These nutrition councils, being set up all over Germany, are a clear signal that consumers are looking for — and organizing — local alternatives to supermarkets and discount stores."
Poisoning Our Children: Pesticide Residues
Poisoning Our Children: Pesticide Residues
February 9, 2018
In December 2014, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent out a news release to all the media outlets in the country about the results of its 2013 Pesticide Data Program (PDP). The headline: “Report confirms that U.S. food does not pose a safety concern based on pesticide residues.”
Because people consume a variety of foods, with around 77 percent containing residues of different types of agricultural chemicals, most people consume a chemical concoction.
The news release contained the following statement from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): “The newest data from the PDP confirm that pesticide residues in food do not pose a safety concern for Americans. EPA remains committed to a rigorous, science-based, and transparent regulatory program for pesticides that continues to protect people’s health and the environment.” So according to the EPA and the USDA, parents should have no concerns because the pesticides in food are safe.
Hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific papers by scientists and researchers challenge this assertion. So, let’s look at the science to understand why experts have serious concerns about the safety of pesticides.
What Gets Tested?
One of the greatest pesticide myths is that all agricultural poisons are scientifically tested to ensure that they are used safely. According to the United States President’s Cancer Panel (USPCP), this is simply not the case: “Only a few hundred of the more than 80,000 chemicals in use in the United States have been tested for safety.”
The fact is that the overwhelming majority of chemicals used worldwide have not been subjected to testing. Given that, according to the USPCP, the majority of cancers are caused by environmental exposures, especially exposure to chemicals, this oversight shows a serious level of neglect by regulatory authorities.
The USPCP 2010 report was written by eminent scientists and medical specialists in this field, and it clearly states that environmental toxins, including pesticides, are the main causes of cancers. Published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Cancer Institute, the report discusses many critical issues of chemical regulation.
Nearly 1,400 pesticides have been registered (i.e., approved) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for agricultural and non-agricultural use. Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to brain/central nervous system (CNS), breast, colon, lung, ovarian (female spouses), pancreatic, kidney, testicular, and stomach cancers, as well as Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and soft tissue sarcoma. Pesticide-exposed farmers, pesticide applicators, crop duster pilots, and manufacturers also have been found to have elevated rates of prostate cancer, melanoma, other skin cancers, and cancer of the lip.
Approximately forty chemicals classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as known, probable, or possible human carcinogens are used in EPA-registered pesticides now on the market.
Pesticides have been subjected to more testing than most chemicals. Many leading scientists regard these tests to be inadequate for determining whether pesticide residues are safe or harmful to humans, though. The USPCP report states, “Some scientists maintain that current toxicity testing and exposure limit-setting methods fail to accurately represent the nature of human exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.”
There are several key areas in which many experts and scientists believe testing has not sufficiently established that the current use of pesticides and other chemicals is safe.
Pesticide Residues: Chemical Cocktails in Food & Water
Regulatory authorities approve multiple pesticides for a crop on the basis that all of them can be used in normal production. Consequently, a mixture of several different toxic chemical products is applied during the normal course of agricultural production for most foods, including combinations of herbicide products, insecticide products, fungicide products, and synthetic fertilizer compounds. A substantial percentage of foods thus have a cocktail of small amounts of these toxic chemicals that we absorb through food, drink, dust, and the air.
According to the USPCP, “Only 23.1 percent of [food] samples had zero pesticide residues detected, 29.5 percent had one residue, and the remainder had two or more.” This means that about half the foods in the United States contain a mixture of chemical residues. Pesticide residue surveys in most other countries show similar results. Because people consume a variety of foods, with around 77 percent containing residues of different types of agricultural chemicals, most people’s normal dietary habits include consuming a chemical concoction of which they are unaware.
A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found a cocktail of toxic chemicals in the blood and urine of most Americans that were tested. In 2009, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found up to 232 chemicals in the placental cord blood of newborns in the United States. Many of these pollutants have been linked to serious health risks such as cancer and can persist for decades in the environment.
Regulatory authorities assume that because each of the active ingredients in individual commercial products is below the acceptable daily intake (ADI), the cocktail is thus also safe. They do not test these combinations of chemicals — the chemical cocktails that are ingested daily by billions of people — to ensure that they are safe. The emerging body of evidence demonstrates that many chemical cocktails can act synergistically, meaning that instead of one plus one equaling two, the joint action can exert a toxic, damaging effect that’s three, four, five, or even several hundred times higher than the sum of the two effects when the chemicals act separately.
This is an excerpt from André Leu’s 2018 book, Poisoning Our Children, which goes on sale March 1, 2018. Pre-order in February and save 10 percent.
André Leu is a founding member and director of Regeneration International. He served as president of IFOAM Organics International from 2011 to 2017. He is the author of the award-winning book, The Myths of Safe Pesticides.
Editor’s Note: References to specific reports and bibliographic information has been withheld in this article. They are sourced in the book.
Disease, Eco-Living & Health, Eco-Philosophy, glyphosate, GMOs, Opinion, Soils