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Growers From Around The World Travel To Eureka, CA To Learn Hydroponic Growing And Business Techniques.
Growers From Around The World Travel To Eureka, CA To Learn Hydroponic Growing And Business Techniques.
“Hands-on learning is the ONLY way to build a hydroponic business.”
Recently, potential and current hydroponic growers converged on Eureka California to engage in the latest AmHydro “Introduction to Commercial Hydroponics” seminar.
AmHydro holds several 2-day seminars each year in various locations across the US, featuring classroom, lecture, and “hands-on” knowledge provided by successful commercial growers and industry leaders. In addition to hydroponic growing techniques, attendees also were immersed in classes on building a CEA business, managing operations, and food safety protocols.
A highly diverse group attended, which included representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Climate Change from the African country of Burkina Faso (traveling over 7,000 miles!), a large-scale grain farmer from Kansas, fruit plantation owners from Jamaica, and the owner of a West Virginia hydroponic farming business.
After leaving the classroom setting, the group ventured to a nearby commercial hydroponic greenhouse where they participated in seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and biological pest control practices.
Joe Swartz, VP of Amhydro explains, “the goal here is to provide participants with a well-rounded understanding of building and operating a controlled environment agriculture business.” He adds, “understanding proper horticultural practices, ag-related business management, and food safety/regulatory issues are all critically important to the success of your operation. We strive to provide sound, time-tested systems, and procedures based on our successful experience as commercial growers ourselves.”
AmHydro’s next seminar is planned for October 11th and 12th.
A Farm Just Opened In Front of City Hall For The Summer
JUNE 15, 2018
A Farm Just Opened In Front of City Hall For The Summer
And It's Hosting A Bunch of Free Events
BY EMILY ROLEN
PhillyVoice Staff
PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL CENTER/FOR PHILLY VOICE
The PHS Farm for the City is an interactive farm at City Hall that will offer free workshops and informational panels all summer.
Philly's public parks got some serious additions this week.
Thursday marked the grand opening of the long-awaited Rail Park, and we've got you covered on background and what it looks like. It's open 24/7, so go check it out and tell me what you think.
And today, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society launched "Farm for the City" right smack dab in front of City Hall.
This interactive exhibit an actual working farm is for the public to learn about community gardening through workshops, public forums, and activities that run into late September.
It looks like a major feature of the farm will be programming — free workshops, farmers available to chat, how-to's on gardening and opportunities to support local community gardeners. Some of the programs include information about soil, how to start a garden from the ground-up, how to live a zero-waste lifestyle and how food can be medicine.
Some of the crops in this garden include chard, onion, mustard greens, carrots, fennel, African eggplant and lots of herbs.
The project is supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage in an effort to highlight the role community gardeners play in neighborhoods and the impact gardens can have on communities.
The park is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can check out a list of workshops and events here.
EMILY ROLEN
PhillyVoice Staff
READ MORE PUBLIC PARKS FARMING PHILADELPHIA CITY HALL PUBLIC HEALTH
Ivy Tech Greenhouse Dedicated
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Ivy Tech Greenhouse Dedicated
Facility reflects ag program boom
ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette
When Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne started its agriculture program about five years ago, officials were already pondering options for growing it.
Dreams of a greenhouse – a facility that could bridge the campus' agriculture and culinary programs – soon followed.
On Wednesday, Ivy Tech showed off its new greenhouse during a two-hour dedication event.
“This is really a community project,” said Chancellor Jerrilee Mosier, listing the numerous donors.
At more than 3,000 square feet, the facility cost about $498,000. It opened in January with hydroponics capabilities – growing plants with water and no soil.
“We want to train students on the same equipment they can expect to see with industry leaders today,” Kelli Kreider, agriculture program chair, said in a statement.
The greenhouse teemed with life Wednesday.
Tomatoes, carrots, hot peppers, sweet peas, kale, arugula, orange mint, pineapple sage, endive, spinach and basil were among the plants growing in the bright, roomy space.
At the dedication, Kreider noted she grew up as a soil farmer and credited Rob Eddy, an expert in hydroponics, as the mastermind behind the greenhouse.
The facility replicates a new trend in agriculture – vertical farming, Eddy said. It's a way to grow food locally in metropolitan areas, connecting consumers with fresher food.
Rebecca Marshall – one of the seven original agriculture students – attended the event, telling the crowd she's “very jealous” of the resources now available to students.
This year marked the program's largest graduating class – about 20 students. Enrollment for the fall has already surpassed 80, Kreider said, adding she's excited that enrollment continues to grow.
Agriculture education is important, Mosier said, sharing statistics about jobs available in agriculture.
Nationwide, nearly 58,000 job openings in food and agriculture are expected each year from 2015 to 2020, she said, but there's a shortage of graduates – about 35,000 annually.
Along with educating Ivy Tech students, the agriculture program is also benefiting Easterseals Arc students, who are taking classes this summer, college officials said.
Mosier said Ivy Tech takes the “community” in its name seriously.
“We need to be integrated and really support community efforts,” she said.
US (OK): OSU Builds New Greenhouse Learning Center
US (OK): OSU Builds New Greenhouse Learning Center
Oklahoma State University is building a modern Greenhouse Learning Center that will better prepare career-ready professionals to enter the horticulture industry.
It will include cutting-edge irrigation systems, intense climate and humidity control, and other technology standards in the horticulture industry.
Students will provide their communities with plants, cut flowers and food, bringing color and life to the world around them.
The new learning center will replace and improve functions of OSU's existing teaching greenhouses, creating a dynamic learning laboratory that supports modern pedagogy and industry best practices.
The Greenhouse Learning Center will primarily serve horticulture and landscape architecture students, however, those in agricultural education, communications and leadership; plant and soil sciences; natural resources ecology and management; and entomology and plant pathology also will benefit from using the greenhouses.
The new facility will create opportunities for more robust Extension programs and better support existing curriculum. That includes the annual student-run plant sale, which give students hands-on experience at every stage of the business cycle for plant propagation, management, and retail.
In addition to six greenhouses - including an isolate entomology greenhouse - the learning center will house a modern classroom, a head house, an office, a plant-prep area and ample storage for soil, equipment and chemicals such as fertilizer and pest-management materials. A large foyer may be used for events and student club meetings.
Source: Oklahoma State University
Publication date: 6/12/2018
Kids Grow Salad Greens On An Urban Concrete Schoolyard
Kids Grow Salad Greens On An Urban Concrete Schoolyard
Hydroponic hothouse program introduces disadvantaged girls to organic, sustainable veggies and herbs for eating and selling.
By Abigail Klein Leichman JUNE 19, 2018
Fresh greens are grown hydroponically at a Jerusalem girls’ school. Photo courtesy of StartUpRoots
Photos of smiling kids planting, picking and eating vegetables line the hallways of a school for girls in an impoverished Jerusalem neighborhood. The pictures were taken in the hydroponic hothouse the girls have tended for the past three years on their concrete playground.
Many of their families can’t afford veggies or haven’t been taught about their essential nutritional value, leaving children undernourished and unaware of the miraculous journey from seed to salad, says Shulamit, the teacher in charge of the project.
The nonprofit StartUpRoots provides the funds, equipment, and expertise for the hothouse, which nurtures some 1,400 greens and herbs each month. The students eat them, cook with them and even make creams and soaps from them.
“I think this is a project that belongs in every school. I love it so much,” Shulamit tells ISRAEL21c.
A student tends the leafy greens growing in the hydroponic hothouse. Photo courtesy of StartUpRoots
Lawyer, entrepreneur and former teacher Robin Katz founded StartUpRoots after investigating how Israeli produce could be grown locally without pesticides and while educating and empowering students in “poverty pockets” — including the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) population characterized by large families and small incomes.
“The kids are at a disadvantage academically when they don’t have proper nutrition. And a lot of health problems occur when you don’t know what foods to choose or just choose what is cheap,” says Katz, who moved to Ra’anana from Chicago in 2007.
She didn’t want children only to eat more veggies but to take a hand in growing them organically and sustainably. Katz found the model she was seeking when she visited a hydroponic farm in northern Israel
“They had the cleanest, best-tasting vegetables I’ve ever had, and I’ve traveled extensively,” she tells ISRAEL21c.
Katz found the opportunity to put her idea into action when she was asked to help raise money for a school lunch program at the girls’ school in the Bukharim neighborhood of Jerusalem. She proposed building a small hydroponic facility in a corner of the schoolyard for the girls to grow their own vegetables.
“I was worried about taking space from the playground but the principal said, ‘No, take the back 100 meters.’ That was enough to grow 1,400 plants a month, and we’re working on ways to increase the yield exponentially,” says Katz.
Hothouse on a concrete schoolyard. Photo courtesy of StartUpRoots
The kids grow by growing
Supported by private donors, StartUpRoots provides the equipment, the services of professional agronomists and nutritionists, and a chef who comes after the first harvest to cook with the kids.
Katz and a team of expert volunteers developed a holistic curriculum for teachers like Shulamit to get ideas for lesson plans covering topics from healthy eating to the environmental impact of food production.
“I sat down with Israeli educators to talk about the objectives and goals of the program and they said, ‘Relax, Robin, the kids will grow by growing. They’ll see the direct relationship between their effort and the outcome.’ The life lessons they learn include personal responsibility and understanding that progress is gradual.”
StartUpRoots installed another hydroponic garden at a girls’ school in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Neve Ya’akov. “They didn’t have room outside, so we built an indoor farm with LED lighting, which we are currently expanding in a former library, utilizing a state-of-the-art vertical design,” says Katz.
A StartUpRoots staffer shows schoolgirls in Neve Ya’akov how to start a hydroponic garden. Photo: courtesy
The program requires that students spend at least 20 minutes every day tending the system and the plants, starting with dropping single seeds in a growing medium and making sure that the plants in the closed water system have the right levels of acidity, nutrients, and oxygen.
“The hydroponic method uses 90 percent less water than in-ground farming because nothing is getting absorbed in the soil and the water is recycled,” Katz explains. “The roots get nutrition directly from water and therefore grow faster. There are also few insects because it’s the dirt that attracts pests.”
“It’s a lot fresher and healthier,” adds Ronny Avidan, an Israeli agronomist who joined StartUpRoots in 2015 after completing agricultural projects in Africa. “I want to help promote the ideology of urban organic, pest-free agriculture and sustainability,” he tells ISRAEL21c.
Leafy veggies growing in a schoolyard hothouse in Jerusalem. Photo courtesy of StartUpRoots
Creating a sense of value
The hothouse has become part of Shulamit’s science curriculum for grades 1-7. The girls record their activities and observations after performing their assigned tasks.
The leafy greens grow so abundantly that the school began selling them for a token amount to the girls’ families. “When you charge a bit of money, you create a sense of value,” Shulamit explains.
She says the excitement created by the project has led directly to higher enrollment as children share their enthusiasm with parents and friends.
The girls also planted a conventional garden in another corner of the schoolyard along with a compost pile. Among the produce growing, there are sunflowers, the seeds of which are a favorite Israeli snack.
“When they buy sunflower seeds in a package in the store, they think they appeared from nowhere. Now they understand that these are natural seeds that God created,” says Shulamit.
Katz says some of the aspects of StartUpRoots are found in American programs like Virginia-based Edible Education.
“But we go beyond those programs. In Israel, we don’t have water and land to waste, and we have increasing populations. And yet if we can come out of those challenges shining it should inspire others to do the same.”
The program is not meant only for disadvantaged children. Katz is working with her hometown and partners Matan and Leket (Israel’s national food bank) to transform an unused area into a hydroponic community garden that she hopes will blossom into a farmers market.
Katz is in discussions with additional schools to join StartUpRoots. The no-carbon-footprint hothouses could be put on school rooftops or basements.
“To change dietary habits you first have to change consumer demand and the best way to do that is to start with children,” she says.
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The GEC Family
The GEC Family
Young Marketing Coordinator, a Future student of Agriculture Management, Go Irish!!!
Summertime is finally here, and the Greenhouse Education Center (GEC) is back in gear! For those of you who don’t know the Greenhouse Education Center is basically like a reality TV show that is my reality for the summer. I can already imagine the commercials for it in my head (TV announcer voice): “In a world, where five amazing strangers are on a mission to travel across North America, with only one goal in mind; to spread knowledge on constantly flavorful, exceptional quality, and extremely sustainable greenhouse-grown produce. Season 3 of the GEC returns this summer, only on NF TV”.
With a new team and some new locations, this summer is looking to be one for the books. This year’s team is much like our TOMZ® Tomatoes: we are a great variety of individuals who all have our own specialties and backgrounds but still come together perfectly. We’re like a perfect pint of the TOMZ®Mixed Medley.
Now, who is this impeccable team I keep referring to, you might ask? That would be Tyler St. P, Zak B, Bryn P, Steph M, and myself, Jack H. These young, knowledgeable students were hand-picked by our amazing Marketing Staff at NatureFresh™.
First one out of the cluster is Tyler St. P, AKA T.S.P. Tyler is considered the old man out of the group due to being the eldest male. This-son-of-a kindergarten teacher excels at teaching kids about living and eating healthy. With a business background, T.S.P. knows exactly what he is doing when it comes to social media marketing and that’s why he’s in charge of our GEC social media pages – be sure to give them a follow (@naturefreshgec).
Up next is my roommate for the summer, Mr. Zak B. Zak is our main media man for the trailer as he’s versatile in digital photography, videography, vlog cameras, go pros, time lapses, and so much more – he has amazing talents that benefit the trailer in so many ways. Aside from the tech game, Zak is beyond well-trained when it comes to the farm. Zak has done everything from working as a bug scout, to planting, to picking, to packing, to shipping. If it’s a job at the farm, he has for sure been there, done that.
Following Zak is Bio-Med, Bryn P. Why bio-med you might ask? Because that’s what she’s studying silly (yes, she’s that smart). Now another question you may be asking yourself is if she’s studying that in school, why this job? It’s because she was tired of making sandwiches and was going to work in the farm for NatureFresh™ until she decided to shoot her shot in Marketing. Now, if your done underestimating Bryn and her uncanny talents, there will be no further questions, just statements. Bryn never steps outside without her famous blue framed sunglasses. Bryn is always the first one up and ready to head to work. And finally: Bryn has the ability to make anything fun, which is key for this summer.
Following Bryn is our other home girl, Steph M. Despite Steph’s innocent personality, don’t let her fool you – she is the queen of hip hop when it comes to playing music in the van. “Cardi B and 50 Cent are my parents” – a direct quote from Steph. Music aside, Steph is the “Mom” of the group and is always looking out for us and checking if we all have sunscreen on, or if we’re getting enough water throughout the day. Steph has worked in greenhouses before and her knowledge shows in a glowing way. Steph is extremely personable and has the ability to engage in conversation with anyone, old or young.
So, there you have it the 2018 Greenhouse Education Center team… no wait, who am I forgetting? Oh yes, my bad, yours truly: Jack H. I am an experienced Marketing Coordinator at NatureFresh™ and have done everything from managing warehouses to helping with photoshoots, to overseeing analytics. Personally, my favorite experience was being a hand model. I was trained by Herman F. (that red head guy from a lot of our videos on our website) – in his bio last year, he was described to be “Forgetful and yet always on top of things” and I seemed to have taken on this trait. I’m quick to answer a question, find out where to go via Google Maps, and always be there to lend a helping hand to my fellow coworkers. Switching from Drama Education at University to Greenhouse Education for the summer has been a great transition, and NatureFresh™ made everything that much easier.
With all these outstanding brand ambassadors, I’m sincerely honored to have the opportunity to work with such personalities. With an amazing job and a beyond-amazing staff, there aren’t enough words to describe my positive feeling for the summer.
P.S. Pete: that was a small sales pitch about NF TV – I say let’s make it happen
2018/06/22
Troubleshooting Microgreens In Germination Stage
Troubleshooting Microgreens In Germination Stage
June 19, 2018
There are extra factors with microgreens that may cause things in the germination stage to fail, so troubleshoot possible problems and their solutions. Double check your temperature to make sure things aren't too cold or hot.
Germination and darkness
Make sure when you germinate microgreens seeds that they are in darkness. If you use humidity domes, make sure the domes have top vents. Make sure you cover properly but don't force the dome on. Even though the seed is covered with a humidity dome, make sure your tray is in darkness. The seeds need to be kept away from light. As soon as the seeds open it is necessary that the tray receive light.
Room temperature water
Never use water directly from the tap. Always let it reach room temperature. Cold water can shock microgreens because it quickly reduces the environment temperature of the medium (microgreens pad). The same goes for seed germination, don't stick seeds in cold water and don't moisten seeds with cold water. Even when you feed your microgreens you should let the water reach room temperature. Another thing is that you need to check your own water supply to determine its quality. In most cases, chlorine in water won't cause issues with your microgreens but if your water isn't very clean or pure then you can't expect your microgreens to use it well either. In each case, you need a way to generate clean water which can do by boiling it and letting cool to room temperature.
Water soaking seeds
Some of the big microgreens seeds may need to undergo soaking before they germinate. In this case, the pea seeds should be placed into a room temperature bowl of water for 24 hours before being removed and place on the germination medium. This is not recommended unless you have trouble germinating seeds. If you keep them for too long in the water they might not get air, which they need or the microgreens seed will sour. New seeds tend to survive this method better than old ones, which tend to uptake too much water.
Air
Air is something your microgreens need all time, even in the germination stages. Stale air results in a change in the ratio of gases that comprise it and the accumulation of new ones. Overwatering can be a huge problem from the day you start to germinate your seeds. It locks out air. There is never a need to turn a microgreens medium into a swamp.
Germination pH
pH imbalances outside of 7 (base) can cause problems. The way to test your pH is to test the medium before you put the seeds on. If you have a pH problem it is best to replace the medium. If you can't then pH up and pH down products can bring the medium to a pH of 7, which is recommended.
Timing
Expert growers have seen microgreens seeds take up to a month to germinate but these are extreme cases. Mostly, growers see germinating in three days or up to a week. After a week without germinating, we are in uncharted territory. If you don't achieve germination by the middle of the second week then you should reconsider the germination technique being used. If you don't see germination by the second week you really should be trying to germinate a new batch again so as not to delay your grow over nonviable microgreens seeds.
Germination spraying
If you have a problem with overwatering or using too much water at this stage then spraying is a viable and safe way. It is far easier to spray a medium to make it moist than to water a medium to make moist. Get a spray bottle. If you still have a problem with over water then you can add perlite to the bottom of your tray next time. This will help absorb excess liquids in almost any growing method.
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Tags: microgreens Germination growingmicrogreensathome microgreensfarm
Solving Common Problems When Growing Microgreens
Solving Common Problems When Growing Microgreens
May 25, 2018
Over the past several years, the Nick Greens Grow Team has learned a lot, as a result of more than a thousand hours put into growing microgreens for commercial sale. It hasn't been smooth sailing the entire time. During this time, we’ve learned several hard-earned lessons. We're here to share some of our knowledge with growers for easier growing. Here are our top six most common challenges/problems with growing microgreens.
Uneven germination
Uneven germination is caused by either human error or lack of moisture. We can’t solve the human part, but here are a few tricks we learned along the way: Build or buy a tent to house your black 10X20 trays for the first few days of growth. Make sure to spray trays at least once a day and reclose the tent. Depending on the variety, remove trays after two to three days You are seeking 90% humidity and might need to experiment with the location of your tent several times. Alternatively, you can use a humidity dome with a black 10X20 over the dome for your higher end varieties such as Shiso or Borage.
Mold and mildew
Mold and mildew start during the germination process (because of the high humidity) but does not reveal itself until four or five days into the grow cycle. Reducing this problem starts with air-flow, Add small mini fans or an inline blower with a carbon filter and intake booster fan for fresh air. Spray your plants with Terereplenish during the germination process which naturally decreases mold due to the presence of beneficial, free-living microbes.
Harvesting difficulties
Even if you buy an expensive harvesting machine it might not be worth it. The only successful way to harvest microgreens in our experience is by hand. Use a decent pair of shears (we use the Fiskars titanium shears with the black and gray handles) and make sure you have a high stainless steel table to cut on. Ideally one that rolls and has a shelf underneath. (Anything smaller will cause ergonomic issues for you or your growers.) Line your food grade containers with paper towels (to absorb moisture) and refrigerate within 30 minutes of harvesting.
Too many varieties to choose from
Trying to grow anything more than six or seven varieties at a time will be a nightmare for your crop planning and lead to disappointed customers. It's, not easy choosing which varieties of microgreens to grow. We have had great success growing the following: Pea Shoots, Red Rambo Radish, Hong Vit Radish, Kale, and Broccoli. Each is easy to germinate, and turns in less than 10 days. Also by mixing everything listed above, you can create a great tasting rainbow mix.
Costly fiber-based media mats
Fiber-based media mats, like hemp, can be very costly growing media, and can significantly reduce or wipe out your profits. Any media that costs more than 10% of your revenue per tray is too expensive and your goal should be to achieve a 5% ratio. We found the most efficient and profitable mats are these pads. You can buy good quality, safe microgreens pads from our website or you can partner with a local roaster and reuse coffee bags which are more sustainable and generally free. In either case, you need to cut mats in advance, and then soak with 3 ppm of H202 for half an hour before seeding. Burlap doesn’t produce as much yield as soil, but it grows faster and is less expensive. If you are contemplating large production, you will want to grow on burlap or some other fibrous mat. The downside of burlap is that it dries up quickly and requires equipment with a timer and automatic feeding system. The best systems are supplied by Crop-king NFT, or you can build your own home-made racks with botanicaire flood trays.
High lighting costs
While lighting and electricity costs for indoor crops are relatively high, microgreens typically need less than 4 DLI a day -- equivalent to 8 hours a day at 125 PAR. We found using a combination of LED and fluorescent is the best.
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Dene High School in La Loche, Saskachewan Gets A Modular Farm
Last month, students and teachers from Dene High School in La Loche, Saskatchewan, visited our Modular Farm located at The Food Dudes HQ in Toronto.
The students received hands-on training on how to grow and harvest fresh foods in a purpose-built container. With the help of President’s Choice Children’s Charity, the school will be getting its very own modular farm, where the produce grown will be used for the school’s lunch program and potentially for the greater La Loche community.
Food inaccessibility is becoming a bigger issue in La Loche especially after a recent grocery store fire that moved the community, leaving only one shop to provide fresh foods to the entire community. Locals are being pushed to their limits with some having to travel to Saskatoon for groceries as all options have run out in the remote Northern Canadian city.
The small prairie town is located six hours away from Saskatoon and often has a limited supply of fresh produce. Adding in high shipping costs, the cost of available produce is outstandingly more expensive compared to Toronto. With a small population of approximately 2,600 people, inaccessibility to fresh, healthy meals can pose a real food security issue. However, with the future installation of a modular farm at Dene High School, the move is a real game-changer for the community.
With the state-of-the-art modular farm, students will be able to actively contribute to their community and school’s food system. The concept to have the students become self-sufficient buyers and growers of local foods aligns directly with Modular Farms’ vision to eliminate a dependency on fresh food imports. Students will be able to taste their hard work with each harvest and take ownership in what they eat, understanding how and where foods come from. Not only will students reward themselves with the food they grow, but the farm also acts as an educational tool to teach them about topics like entrepreneurship, health, biology and nutrition. In many ways, the modular farm will be a “classroom” of sorts for students.
To spark the students’ creativity, the farm’s exterior will serve as an art canvas for students, thus allowing the personalized farm to be representative of the community it is run and led by. This initiative was made possible by President’s Choice Children’s Charity. Thank you PC! We hope to see more opportunities arise for Modular Farms to aid cites in Northern Canada by providing a vertical farm to grow fresh foods for nutritious meals year-round.
Have a question now? Contact our Customer Empowerment team at sales@modularfarms.co or read our FAQ section.
First Road Trip - Opening the Greenhouse Education Center
FIRST ROAD TRIP
Opening the Greenhouse Education Center
May 25, 2018
The initial opening of the Greenhouse Education Center had to be my favorite part of the first trip. I had seen it before but it had only been without the actual plants up to this point. As the team and I opened the trailer at our first location, I found myself mostly focused on correctly positioning all the components of the trailer, making sure our signs were up in position and nervously anticipating my first conversation with a visitor. Once I had gotten over that anticipation, I finally took a step back from the trailer and got to see it in its entirety. It was amazing to finally get to see the mobile greenhouse with all the plants on it! Everything had come together and we finally got the opportunity to show everyone where some of the produce that they are buying in the grocery stores comes from and how it’s grown.
The First Day
Beginning our first trip with the Greenhouse Education Center was just as exciting as it was nerve-wracking. Although I was excited to begin my summer journey and meet people from various cities, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I eagerly woke up on the morning of May 10th to begin the adventure. We all had been familiarized with the greenhouse environment through our thorough training days where we got to experience the greenhouse growing first hand – now it was time to put it all into action. The first day in Toronto was extremely exciting! We were ready and confident to show everyone how we grow our produce. We definitely experienced a couple hiccups throughout the day, as expected, but once we worked out all the kinks it was smooth sailing. There was no shortage of walking traffic in Toronto, which meant tons of visitors at the mobile greenhouse. They all tested our knowledge on the growing process of the plants, which I think was the best learning experience to solidify the knowledge we gained during orientation week. It was a great day with great weather and by the end of it the team was exhausted. We knew this would take some getting used to.
Getting to Know the Team
This is my first job working in a team-oriented environment. On the first trip I got to know everyone I would be spending the summer with. It was very interesting to know where the team had all come from. Even though we had all come from Essex County, we all had different backgrounds and interests which made for a well rounded, diverse team with various skill sets.
I also had the pleasure of getting to know the man in charge of pulling the mobile greenhouse around; Kenny! He quickly assumed the role of comic relief with his witty jokes and always managed to keep smiles on our faces. It’s amazing how quickly the team has come together and developed great communication with each other. I’m looking forward to the rest of our journey together!
Hopewell, New Jersey Elementary Partners With Princeton University’s Sustainable Farming Project
Hopewell, New Jersey Elementary Partners With Princeton University’s Sustainable Farming Project
- Samantha Brandbergh, Correspondent
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- Jun 8, 2018
Students at Hopewell Elementary School look at plants as they grow in fully functional hydroponics systems. (Courtesy photo)
A partnership between Hopewell Elementary School and Princeton University is bringing a new scientific initiative to the school district’s younger pupils by giving them a new learning experience while also providing fresh produce for lunches.
Princeton University’s Vertical Farming Project is providing the school with fully functioning hydroponic towers that introduce “cutting-edge scientific educational opportunities for elementary students” and has encouraged the school’s ongoing farm-to-cafeteria program, officials said.
Vertical farming is the process of planting and growing various produce in vertically stacked layers, such as hydroponic towers, all in a soilless environment. This allows for more produce to be grown year-round and in a smaller space.
The school currently has six indoor towers where lettuce, an array of herbs and other produce are grown using a sponge pod instead of soil, and LED lights to mimic sunlight.
According to Dr. Paul Gauthier, founder, and director of the Princeton Vertical Farming Project, the initiative was created in 2017 with a goal of promoting sustainability and advanced science.
“Our goal at Princeton was to create a system to really try to understand how we can recycle [and] what kind of new practice we can get to almost not have any impact on the environment. And that’s what we’ve really focused on,” he said.
To help with the cost of the program, Hopewell Elementary secured multiple grants from Sustainable Jersey, New Jersey Education Association, BASF Corporation, Hopewell Valley Education Foundation and Hopewell Elementary School PTO.
“We’re using those funds to purchase a more permanent vertical farm project,” Hopewell Elementary Principal David Friedrich said. “We envision the towers as being more portable, whereas this is going to be a lot more permanent.”
Vertical farming has many benefits as opposed to traditional farming, Friedrich said. In addition to using less physical space and no seasonal limitations, farming in a soilless environment allows for 95 percent less water to be used.
Traditional farming, Gauthier said, can put stress on the plants — insects and organisms can attack the roots and the sun can damage the leaves.
“We were taught in school that plants need water and sunlight and nutrients that come from soil, and we’re showing that soil really isn’t required for growing,” Friedrich said. “So we supplement with other nutrients.”
The partnership will allow children from preschool to fifth grade to see exactly where their food comes from and will provide them with “fresh, organic produce for lunch and an invaluable introduction to the hands-on scientific development,” according to a press release.
Helen Corveleyn, who teaches fifth grade at Hopewell Elementary, oversees the indoor towers and the outdoor garden beds. She was first introduced to vertical farming after attending a conference at Princeton University over the summer, where Gauthier helped her realize she wanted to bring the program to Hopewell Elementary.
“I just looked at it and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is what I’ve been looking for,’” she said.
During this time, Corveleyn was interested in reviving the elementary school’s greenhouse, but, before vertical farming, she had yet to find something that fit with the school’s budget.
“I want kids to be able to approach food and approach hydroponics and be able to have this experience at a really young age,” she added.
For Gauthier, these experiences can provide students of all ages valuable lessons.
“Our parents were taught in school how to sew and how to cut wood or how to cook, so why not teach [children today] how to vertical farm?” he said. “It’s not complicated to do it, it’s just a new way to think.”
Gauthier believes that vertical farming won’t completely replace traditional farming, but trusts that it is part of the solution to promote these advanced methods of farming.
The partnership is an expansion of Hopewell Elementary’s sustainability efforts in recent years, such as an organic lunch menu, which is now in its third year.
“[Public] schools aren’t known for high-quality lunches, and we really wanted to change that,” Friedrich said. “Part of that is educating our students where vegetables and herbs come from, and research clearly states that the more involved students are — the more hands-on they are and how willing they are to try new foods early in their lives — leads to some really nice successes as they get older.”
The organic menu is currently offered twice a week and features organic produce, such as bok choy, which is grown at Hopewell Elementary. Next year, the menu will be offered three times a week, Friedrich said.
The permanent vertical farming structures, Friedrich said, will be placed off of the school’s cafeteria to “make a logical connection between the growing, the harvesting and the infusing in [the] menu.”
Those at Hopewell Elementary believe the project will have a lasting impact on the students.
“[The project] means hope for our kids in the future; it means hope for kids to learn about locally sourced food and where it comes from and it gives me hope for innovative science,” Corveleyn said.
Excerpt From The Worldview Dimension of Gaia Education’s online Course In Design For Sustainability
May 20, 2018
Food and Health
Excerpt From The Worldview Dimension of Gaia Education’s online Course In Design For Sustainability
Daniel Christian WahlEducator, speaker, strategic advisor — Ph.D. Design for Sustainability, MSc Holistic Science, BSc Biol. Sciences; author of ‘Designing Regenerative Cultures’
“People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health, and are treated by the health industry which pays no attention to food.”
— Wendell Berry
The creation and support of local food economies, based on the sustainable use of renewable local resources, are the most important first step in creating health and resilience at the regional scale. Paying more attention to what we are eating and where it comes from and making responsible choices will not only improve our health but also the health of our communities, the health of local ecosystems and the health of the planet as a whole.
The creation of local and sustainable food economies is one of the most rapidly effective and employable salutogenic design strategies responsible citizens and local, regional and national governments can employ right now. As we have already explored to some extent in the Economic Dimension of this course, the current globalized food system destroys the environment, atrophies local communities and creates both human and environmental health problems. It also is a major contributor to global and national inequity and therefore population health. In creating local food economies, we have the opportunity to solve a whole range of ecological, social and economic problems at the same time.
Predominantly localized, sustainable food production will be one of the mutually reinforcing elements of a dynamic local and regional economy, along with a localized building industry, localized energy production and an empowerment of local political institutions through the participatory design principle of subsidiarity.
The future of the global food system, by Charles J. Godfray et al. Although food prices in major world markets are at or near a historical low, there is increasing concern about food security — the ability of the world to provide healthy and environmentally sustainable diets for all its peoples.
Bringing the Food Economy Home. Local Alternatives to Global Agribusiness, by Helena Norberg-Hodge, Todd Merrified and Steven Gorelick.
In 2013 and important UNCTAD report called for an urgent return to small-scale highly productive traditional and organic farming practices. ( image middle, image right)
With climate change identified as one of the single most dangerous threats facing humanity, one of the strongest arguments in favor of localized food economies is that more self-reliant, local food economies produce far less pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, than food supplied by a globalized food trade. The highly decentralized nature of local food production and consumption reduces the environmental damage incurred by transporting food to distant markets.
There is another energy use related advantage of local food production over food supplied by the globalized agricultural and food businesses: “Since local foods are more often consumed fresh, they usually require far less packaging, processing, and refrigeration” (Norberg-Hodge et al., 2000, p.11). As more and more people are taking responsibility for their own consumer behavior and begin to support local food initiatives, a number of win-win situation arise for these people and their communities.
The International Society for Ecology and Culture has been a leading advocate of the multiple benefits of local food systems, as they improve community cohesion, resilience, health, and sustainability.
“While enjoying the health benefits of preparing and eating fresher more wholesome foods, they are also discovering the sheer pleasure of shopping at farmers’ markets, of knowing the people that produce their food, of connecting more closely with the place where they live. Shortening the links between farmers and consumers may in fact be the most strategic and enjoyable way to bring about fundamental change for the better.”
— Helena Norberg-Hodge (et al., 2000, pp.5–6)
What type of food system we design and the farming practices we follow have a substantial impact on the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and therefore significantly affect global climate change patterns. “Farming, as presently practiced, contributes about one-fourth of the risk of altering the Earth’s climate.”(Hawken, Lovins & Lovins, 2000).
Improving soil health through sustainable regionalized agriculture has benefits for both human and planetary health. We already addressed these issues in detail in the Ecological Dimension when we explore the potential of regenerative agriculture in climate mitigation as well as its role in solving the global food and water crises.
“The world’s cultivated soils contain about twice as much carbon as the atmosphere … The earth’s 5 billion acres of degraded soils are particularly low in carbon and in need of carbon-absorbing vegetative cover. Increasing degraded soil’s carbon content at plausible rates could absorb about as much carbon as all human activity emits. This would also improve soil, water, and air quality, agricultural productivity, and human prosperity.”
— Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins & Hunter Lovins(2000, p.205)
Natural Capitalism is a critique of traditional “Industrial Capitalism”, saying that the traditional system of capitalism “does not fully conform to its own accounting principles. It liquidates its capital and calls it income. It neglects to assign any value to the largest stocks of capital it employs- the natural resources and living systems, as well as the social and cultural systems that are the basis of human capital.” There are many people and institutions all over the globe doing excellent work in promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
Wes Jackson and the Land Institute in the USA have twenty-five years of experience in researching ‘the way nature farms’. One of their aims is to create healthy and productive perennial food crop systems based on the example of the North American tallgrass prairie.
Navdanya in India was founded by physicist and activist Vandana Shiva in order to promote non-violent farming which protects biodiversity, the Earth, and small farmers.
The Centre for Food Safety provides up-to-date information about the important link between nutrition (the quantity and types of foods we eat) and human health, including the dangers of GMO foods.
Other important networks to be aware of in this context are Slow Food and Via Campesina, Food First, as well as, the Soil Association, which promotes healthy soils for healthy people and a healthy planet.
“Globalized industrialized food is not cheap: it is too costly for the Earth, for the farmers, for our health. The Earth can no longer carry the burden of groundwater mining, pesticide pollution, disappearance of species and destabilization of the climate. Farmers can no longer carry the burden of debt, which is inevitable in industrial farming with its high costs of production. It is incapable of producing safe, culturally appropriate, tasty, quality food. And it is incapable of producing enough food for all because it is wasteful of land, water and energy. Industrial agriculture uses ten times more energy than it produces. It is thus ten times less efficient.”
— Vandana Shiva, Navdanya International
Note: This is an excerpt from the Worldview Dimension of Gaia Education’s online course in Design for Sustainability. In 2012 I was asked to rewrite this dimension as part of a collaboration between Gaia Education and the Open University of Catalunya (UOC) and in 2016 I revised it again into this current version. The next opportunity to join the course is with the start of the Worldview Dimension on May 21st, 2018. You might also enjoy my book ‘Designing Regenerative Cultures’.
Daniel Christian Wahl
Educator, speaker, strategic advisor — PhD Design for Sustainability, MSc Holistic Science, BSc Biol. Sciences; author of ‘Designing Regenerative Cultures’
Bronx Teens Create Hydroponic Farm To Grow 25,000 Pounds of Produce A Year
Bronx Teens Create Hydroponic Farm To Grow 25,000 Pounds of Produce A Year
The farm can grow various types of lettuce, Swiss chard, bok choy, tomatoes, and cucumbers along with herbs.
Students Saul Morel, left, and Jasmely Torres examine butterhead lettuce at the DeWitt Clinton Campus' hydroponic farm. Photo Credit: Linda Rosier
By Lisa L. Colangelolisa.colangelo@amny.com @lisalcolangelo
June 4, 2018
No soil? No problem.
A group of Bronx teens helped create a 1,300-square-foot hydroponic farm designed to grow 25,000 pounds of produce a year in one of the city’s toughest “food deserts.”
The project is designed to teach students about sustainable agriculture, advocacy and nutrition while building their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills.
“Watching the students blossom and change through the program even in this short period of time is really impressive,” said Katherine Soll, CEO and director of Teens for Food Justice, a nonprofit that helped students build the indoor farm with a $127,000 grant from the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, as well as other donors. “They have really grasped all the concepts of the farm, how the systems work and how it is different from growing in soil.”
Hydroponic farms use water and a nutrient solution to grow food. The farm was built inside a former lab at the DeWitt Clinton Campus, located off the Mosholu Parkway, between October and January, Soll said.
A celebration Saturday marked the end of the farm’s first year and signaled its ability to go into full production mode.
The goal is to grow enough food to use in the school’s cafeteria, distribute to food pantries and sell at a low cost to the community.
The farm can produce various types of lettuce, Swiss chard, bok choy, tomatoes and cucumbers along with herbs as such basil, thyme, oregano and cilantro.
3rd Greenhouse and Hydroponic Technical Management Course for India
3rd Greenhouse and Hydroponic
Technical Management Course for India
"Delish Veggies, Graeme Smith Consulting and Future Farms are pleased to announce the 3rd Greenhouse and Hydroponic Training Program in Pune India after the grand successes of our two training courses in 2017.
We received a phenomenal response for both training programs due to the presence of renowned international trainers from Australia and practical farm tours whereby we hosted many international participants, multiple Indian states, and 60 participants and received “extremely satisfied” feedback from all the participants.
Delish Veggies had to decline many participants in these training programs due to limited seats, therefore due to popular demand we are organizing a 3rd course this June (4th to 8th) and have again included many interesting topics and commercial farm set up sessions."
The course will again be conducted by two highly experienced Australian industry presenters Graeme Smith and Rick Donnan.
Graeme is the proprietor of Graeme Smith Consulting, he consults throughout the world, runs regular study tours to Holland/EU and North America, and is the past Chairman of Protected Cropping Australia. Recent international greenhouse projects include Hyderabad, Abu Dhabi, China and Rajasthan.
Rick owns Growool Horticultural Systems and is the Q&A columnist in the world’s leading hydroponic industry publication- Practical Hydroponics and Greenhouses magazine and provides consultancy services.
The course assists participants to improve their ability to understand the key principles in a commercial greenhouse and hydroponic production by:
• understanding the principles of controlled production systems
• using correct strategies and technologies to manage
greenhouse climates and irrigation
• understanding plant growing requirements and plant
production techniques
• developing new strategies for plant protection and integrated
pest & disease management
• understanding plant nutrition and fertigation programs
• identifying the risks and opportunities of climate change
Topics Include:
• Media types & characteristics • Plant structure
• Nutrition & nutrient management • EC & pH
• Water quality and treatment • Plant physiology
• Environmental management • Irrigation management
• Greenhouse business and marketing plan • Plant health
• Greenhouse design and layout • Pest and disease control
Greenhouse Technical Management Course Details
Greenhouse Technical Management Course Photos
Location: Pune, India
Dates: June 4th to 8th 2018 (5 days)
Course cost: Rs. 50,000 excluding 18% GST. (Lunch, as well as morning and afternoon tea, will be provided throughout the course)
To register your interest, please contact the course Coordinator, Uday Mathapati on +91 9130098714 or email: udaymathapati@gmail.com or visit www.delishveggies.com for further information
Greenhouse Training Online Courses Win National Award For The University of Florida
Greenhouse Training Online Courses Win National Award For The University of Florida
BY urbanagnews
May 15, 2018
The Greenhouse Training Online (GTO) program offered to growers by the University of Florida IFAS Extension is the winner of the 2018 Extension Division Education Materials Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science. Over 1300 growers have participated in GTO courses, with an 80% success rate.
Eight courses for greenhouse and nursery growers are offered this year last 4 weeks, and include streaming video lessons, readings and assignments (about 2 hours total commitment per week). Courses are in English and Spanish and can be accessed at any time of day. Click here to register (hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/).
The first two courses begin on June 4, 2018: Greenhouse 101 and Costing & Profitability.
Greenhouse 101 teaches basic horticulture science and is designed to help staff with no formal training make better crop management decisions.
Costing and Profitability helps grower managers develop the skills to accurately estimate production cost and profit for your greenhouse or nursery business.
For more information, go to hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/, or contact Greenhouse Training, Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, USA,
Email: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.
Basic Microgreens Materials
Basic Microgreens Materials
June 5, 2018
Growing microgreens requires only a few materials. A bit of these things you might have laying around the house, although others will be just a small investment. We started our microgreens business with a 100 dollar bill.
Seeds
High-quality seeds are a very important part of growing microgreens. Factors that will affect the growth of your seeds are storage, seed source, handling, and age of seeds. If you would sow a thousand seeds, the difference between a 95 - percent germination rate and a 50 - percent germination rate is quite visible. It can be disappointing to have gone through the hard work of sowing and caring for your microgreens trays only to see a small percentage of your seeds sprouting up. When it comes to storing and handling your seeds, you will want to store them in a cool and dry location. Keep away from great fluctuation in temperature and humidity. During hot, muggy summer days, be careful not to leave them in the sun or let them get caught in a summer rainfall. Accurately caring for your seeds will maintain their viability for a long period of time. Your seed packages offer you valuable information such as lot number, seed variety, germination rate, germination test date, and age of seeds. Unless kept in a special environment, your seeds will last two to five years depending on a variety of vegetable. The amount of time your seeds will stay viable depends on whether you keep them stored in proper conditions.
With access to the wild wild web, you have hundreds of seed companies at your fingertips. For the purpose of growing microgreens, you are looking for seed companies selling in bulk. When trying a new seed company, start with a small quantity of seed. If you ask nicely, many companies will mail you out samples. When you have found the varieties you like, you probably want to move up to buying one pound bags. If you notice yourself using seed quickly,
most companies offer discounts at 5 to 10-pound bags. Seed quality also play a role after your seeds have come up. We have grown arugula that had great germination but had terrible-looking cotyledons. We have had purple radish, which is normally a purple stem microgreen, comes up with white stems.
Trays
We find that heavy duty 10 x 20-inch black plastic trays work the best. These trays are often available at hydroponic stores selling gardening supplies for around $2.50 per tray. Whether you decide to use the 10 x 20 or 10 x 10 black trays, proper drainage is very important. Although often overlooked, drainage is one of the keys for a plant to thrive. While being very important in the garden, it's even more important in your trays. If you are buying or collecting plastic trays, they will probably already have holes cut in the bottom. If you're making your own trays, be sure to create slits or holes to allow excess water to flow through. If there is a lack of drainage, you will find stunted growth, rot, and mold in your microgreens.
Soil
The core of any indoor or outdoor farm is its soil, and microgreens are no exception. Choosing the proper soil to grow your microgreens in is vital. A rich, fertile soil is filled with biological and mineral interactions necessary for vibrant, nutrient rich plants. During the beginning of our first rounds of growing microgreens, we used several brands of potting soil, looking for the ultimate one. Throughout these trials we were overwhelm to see the differences between them. The soil that stood out the most in both quality and performance had additional ingredients derived from the ocean such as kelp, crab meal, and shrimp meal. Using a high quality soil, you will enjoy strong, even growth and an increase in yield. While yield per tray is less important for the home grower, a commercial grower must pay close a attention to this detail. The cost of higher quality soil is often absorbed by the yields you will reap from your trays. We recommend Ocean Forrest for growing microgreens commercially or at home.
Humidity Dome
If you don't have a greenhouse to grow in, you will need to invest in or invent humidity dome to cover your trays. This creates a mini-greenhouse effect and keeps temperature and moisture at a more consistent state than if your germinating seeds were exposed to open air. This is especially important in dry climates or in seasons when there is a larger fluctuation between the night and day temperatures. If humidity domes are not used, you may find your seed germination is greatly reduced, uneven, and much slower than covered trays. Any local hydroponic store should carry them. The average price seems to be around $4.00.
Water Sprayer
If you have a small garden or houseplants, you may already have some of the supplies you'll need to water your microgreens. Make sure you can adjust the sprayer head. Out of all the settings provided on your sprayer, a medium shower has been the most effective. If you are going to be grown indoors, you'll need a watering can. Make sure it has an attachment that allows the water to sprinkle out rather than pour out in one stream. Since you are growing the microgreens so densely, air circulation is very important. You don't want to water them so hard that they fall and mat. If this happens, the lack of air and excess water will cause them to rot. If you find that your microgreens have fallen, you can try gently brushing them upright with your hand. The key to good watering is to be gentle while watering.
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"Microgreens recipes for the week"
Tags: microgreens microgreensfacts microgreensmaterials microgreensgrower
Social Innovation Challenge Winner Building Food Growing Facility In Shipping Container
Social Innovation Challenge Winner Building Food Growing Facility In Shipping Container
May 14, 2018
A MUN student and entrepreneur is building his first shipping container food growing facility after winning a pitch contest at Memorial University over the weekend.
20-year-old Bennett Newhook won the 2018 Social Innovation Challenge this weekend for his social enterprise Green Space Farms. His partners were Justin Elliott, Sonya Killam, and Draco Dunphy.
The group’s goal is to lower the cost of alternative farming methods for communities across the province.
Bennett says he’s always had a keen interest in food sustainability on the island.
He says he and his team were shocked to find out Newfoundland only produces ten percent of the food that’s consumed while Labrador only produces one percent, so they decided to try and make a positive impact by coming up with Green Space Urban Farms.
The group is proposing to build food farms out of 20-foot shipping containers constructed with post-consumer materials.
Green Space Urban Farms won $1,500 cash and $2,000 in business support for market research and product development.
Newhook would like to see the idea brought to rural communities to help residents access fresh, local produce year-round. He expects to see the first unit up and running within the next few months.
You can find out more here.
Agrivest 2018: ‘It’s Unbelievable We Still Measure Agricultural Productivity by Land, Not Water Use’
Agrivest 2018: ‘It’s Unbelievable We Still Measure Agricultural Productivity by Land, Not Water Use’
It is “unbelievable” in the 21st century we still measure agricultural productivity by land use and not water use, Professor Louise O. Fresco, the president of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands, told delegates at AgriVest 2018 conference in Tel Aviv last week.
In her speech, entitled Transition to a sustainable agri-food system, the former Assistant Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) argued that climate change presents the biggest challenge to the agriculture industry.
Even though the global population is better fed compared to the past, that does not guarantee food security for the future. To cope with future demands, people need to ramp up production, but it cannot be done by disregarding our planet’s finite resources. The answers lie in managing the food chain with technology – specifically precision tech that allows us to manage the negative effects of production, such as use of too much fertilizer, too much pesticide, and too much water, she argued.
We also need to be creative about new food sources by looking at lower species in the aquatic food chain as a viable and balanced way of providing protein to the population, she added.
Policy and government initiatives are critical to transition the planet to a sustainable agrifood system. Encouraging the younger generation to farm is one-way governments globally can get involved; providing access to farmland without the need for inheritance, Fresco exampled. Encouraging the younger generation to study agriculture at school and agriculture could also promote the use of smarter farming methods globally. If a greater number of young people understand and work in agriculture, the use of more high-tech tools from other industries is much more likely, she added.
Fresco also encouraged the creation of a circular economy across various parts of the industry. For example, biomass presents a wealth of minerals, proteins, and other elements that can be used again and again. The use and reuse of biomass (not for fuel) is just one important change we need to make.
We caught up with Fresco after her talk:
What are the first three steps in policy changes you suggest for the agrifood sector?
The first is regulating genomics and reassessing or removing GMO regulation, as these really stifle the sector.
The second is using waste cyclically – leveraging technology to create a circular economy.
The third is removing trade barriers as these are negative for agriculture and innovation.
What are the most important trends in the last decade that can affect trends in the coming 10 years?
The speed of technological changes and the price. Technology also breaks disciplinary boundaries. There is a great need for open-minded people.
What’s interesting about the agrifood tech ecosystem in Israel?
The fact that it’s relatively small, as in closely knit, so this creates a sense of community. There are lots of personal connections, and it’s very easy to be in contact. In this way, it is reminiscent of The Netherlands, which is a bit bigger than Israel, but not by much. As well, the younger generation that has come out of the army with leadership skills is a great asset, and there is an amazing sense of creativity.
Both Fresco and Nitza Kardish, CEO of Trendlines, the incubator group, stressed diversity and the interdisciplinary nature of today’s agriculture as critical to making changes in the agritech food chain.
Fresco echoed Oded Distel, founder and director of Israel NewTech by invoking the Hebrew tikkun olam, a concept of repairing or perfecting the world, as being at the heart of agriculture and food.
Agrivest 2018 is an initiative of Trendlines, GreenSoil Investments, and Israel NewTech and the fifth edition of the event.
Read more about AgriVest 2018 here.
About the authors: Shira Zimmerman and Karen Kozek work in Investor & Marketing Communications at Trendlines.
Image credit: Yanai Rubaja
PC® Children's Charity Plants Modular Farm in La Loche, Saskatchewan
PC® Children's Charity Plants Modular Farm in La Loche, Saskatchewan
NEWS PROVIDED BY Loblaw Companies Limited
May 17, 2018
Inaugural Innovation Grant supports groundbreaking project, providing local, fresh produce year round and the opportunity for students to learn and grow
BRAMPTON, ON, May 17, 2018, /CNW/ - Today, students from Dene High School in La Loche, Saskatchewan, started training to grow and harvest a variety of produce in a farm the size of a shipping container. Made possible by a new Innovation Grant from President's Choice® Children's Charity, the $220,000 state-of-the-art modular farm will soon arrive in La Loche. By autumn, the student-managed farm will be bursting with fresh, locally-grown produce for the school's lunch program and potentially the wider community, where at times food access can be an issue.
Students from La Loche Saskatchewan train to grow and harvest their own produce in the purple glow of a state-of-the-art modular farm. The $220,000 farm was granted to them by PC Children’s Charity as the first of a new series of innovation grants which award transformative Canadian projects that combat childhood hunger and poor nutrition. (CNW Group/Loblaw Companies Limited)
"In the wake of the tragic events at the school in 2016, we were asked to do our small part to help restore the health of the school kids and their community. Our PC Children's Charity began to fund the school lunch program, but we thought we could do more," says Sarah Davis, Chair, PC® Children's Charity and President, Loblaw Companies Limited. "This project is funded by our new Innovation Grant, which was developed to really expand our impact in communities, through unprecedented opportunities to make change."
PC® Children's Charity, established and funded by Loblaw Companies Limited, has committed $150 million over the next 10 years to tackle childhood hunger and deliver nutrition education. Stemming from the belief that well-fed kids learn better and contribute more to a better Canada, this initiative is the first of the Charity's new Innovation Grants which support transformative projects to combat childhood hunger and poor nutrition.
Today, five Dene High School students and three staff are in Toronto to receive hands-on training in a modular farm, which looks like a large shipping container. The unit, developed by Modular Farms Co., contains a workspace for learning, planting, and harvesting as well as four vertical walls of produce sustained by automated lighting, heating and watering systems. The unit is purpose-built for a northern environment. Its closed-loop system uses 95 percent less water than a typical farm and may produce up to 1,000 heads of lettuce or 6,000 plum tomatoes per week.
"The farm will help students develop a stronger relationship with food and serve as a valuable teaching aid on subjects like nutrition, business, math and biology to set them up for future success," says Greg Hatch, Principal, Dene High School. "When we asked our students how we could become better and move forward, they suggested a greenhouse. I don't think any of us imagined PC Children's Charity giving us a state-of-the-art modular farm."
"This is a huge opportunity for us," says Danisa Petit, Grade 12 student at Dene High School. "We're going to learn a lot by managing the farm and we can't wait to have more fresh, local produce for our school meal program."
In preparation for growing in September, the farm's exterior will serve as the canvas for art students who will be given the opportunity to personalize it.
About PC® Children's Charity
PC® Children's Charity believes nothing will create better conditions for success than nourishing our kids, which is why we've committed $150M over the next 10 years to tackle childhood hunger and deliver nutrition education to children across Canada. Well-fed kids will change our world for good, and we pledge to provide them with the nourishment to learn, to grow, and to succeed. For more information on PC® Children's Charity or to donate online, visit pc.ca/charity.
About Dene High School
Dene High School offers a quality education for over 350 students in La Loche, Saskatchewan. The school has a big gymnasium, science lab, home economics lab, commercial food preparation facility, industrial arts shops, library, computer lab, and many large, well-equipped classrooms. This is a school with a motivated staff who are always engaged in implementing innovative and creative programs that are found nowhere else in the country.
SOURCE Loblaw Companies Limited
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Organization Profile
Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada’s food and pharmacy leader, the nation’s largest retailer, and the majority unitholder of Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. Loblaw provides Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, banking, and wireless mobile products and services. With more than 2,300 corporate, franchised and Associate-owned...
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WUR In Front Window Amsterdam Bookstore
WUR In Front Window Amsterdam Bookstore
The front window of the Athenaeum bookstore in Amsterdam is being transformed into a WUR-themed display over the next two weeks. Not only does it showcase photos of food and agriculture, it also features items such as a custom-made vertical farm. The display window is being decorated as a way of familiarising the major urban centres in the west of the Netherlands regarding important Wageningen research domains in celebration of the hundred-year anniversary of Wageningen University & Research.
Organised byWageningen University & Research
Date: Mon 28 May 2018 until Sun 10 June 2018
Would you like to take a look at the bookstore yourself? That is no problem at all. Virtual visitors can also get a preview of this special display window via a webcam. Of course, there is no space large enough to house a complete representation of what the experts in Wageningen are working on, but it does provide others with an idea of the hundreds of research projects that are currently underway.
Examples of our research
What needs to be considered for vertical farming with LED lighting? What exactly would printing food involve? These are some examples of topics that researchers at Wageningen University & Research are addressing every day.
Food and agriculture are the primary research domains at Wageningen University & Research. Wageningen is practically synonymous with agriculture. This comes as no surprise, as Wageningen has been at the top of the list in various significant rankings related to the field of agricultural research.
Agriculture and food
When accounting for the big picture, agriculture and food cannot be approached separately. For instance, just think about the challenge facing all of humanity in the future: feeding 10 billion people by 2050. Others have put it this way: we (the farmers) will have to produce more food in the period from now until 2050 than we have since agriculture first came into existence. Not to mention that we have to do it as efficiently and sustainably as possible.
Preview of this special display window via a webcam
- www.myfoscam.com
- Login: info@tupola.nl
- Password: Fosc@m890
- Or use the Foscam App on your phone
Vertical farming
Today’s rapidly urbanising societies challenge our food system to feed cities. Vertical Farming can provide a secure and sustainable route to provide cities with fresh food. In a vertical farm plants are grown under fully controlled conditions in buildings in many stacked layers without solar light. Advantages of vertical farms are: no pesticides, no nutrient emission, only 2-4 litres of water per kg produce, much less land use, less waste, and lower food mileage, though electricity use is still high. Vertical farming not only allows to greatly improve quality (taste, aroma, appearance, shelf life, nutritional value, safety) but also to provide guarantees on vegetable quantity and quality every day of the year independent of weather, climate change, or location.
LED Lighting
Vertical farming has become possible due to rapid developments in LED technology. LEDs are energy efficient and are available in different colours, which can be used to control the growth and quality of the plants.
The plants can utilize all the visible light for photosynthesis, i.e. the production of sugars in leaves which are the basis for growth of the plant. Red is often more efficient for photosynthesis than other colours.
The plant has also a number of photoreceptors that can sense different colours of plant, which can greatly affect the growth, development and quality of plants. Which mixture is optimal for the plants, may depend on many conditions and is being researched in depth at the moment.
3D food printing
Innovation in food and agriculture has come a long way in the past century, resulting in the production of more food than ever before. However, the food industry is facing new challenges due to rapid societal changes: in 2040 there will be 9 billion people to feed; there is an increasing demand for personalized, nutritious, and healthy food; and food production should be done in an affordable way without harming the environment. Radical innovations are required to meet the demands of the near future. 3D printing provides the food industry the opportunity to adapt and change their production processes. In order to accelerate and facilitate the application of 3D food printing, three Dutch research organizations, TNO, Wageningen University & Research and Eindhoven University of Technology, have joined forces to develop a comprehensive 3D food printing research program.
State-of-the-art
3D food printing is an innovative manufacturing process. A complete 3D object is built up layer by layer, based on a 3D computer design, and without the use of moulds or assembly steps. 3D printing was initially used in the manufacturing industry, where materials like metals and plastics were used. However, over the past years a much wider range of printable materials and thus applications have emerged. Over the last years Wageningen Food & Biobased Research and TNO has been jointly developing and applying 3D printing technologies in food production. In multiple international research projects we have shown great potential for the layer wise building of food products. The 3D food products are well-structured and based on multiple materials by using different types of base ingredients. 3D printing has the unique capability to use precise amounts of materials in very specific 3D locations. It gives food manufacturers the opportunity to make improved or even completely new food products with novel shapes, textures, structures, and flavours. Based on our knowledge 3D food printing, currently developed applications are being implemented in supermarkets and out-of-home settings. Supermarkets are testing the 3D printing of customized cakes and candies, and various start-up companies have been established that either sell 3D food printers or offer 3D printed pasta, candy and chocolate.