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Freight Farms Welcomes Sam White As New Chief Innovation Officer
Freight Farms has expanded its executive team as it looks to expand globally. The company has appointed Sam White as Chief Innovation Officer. White was the co-founder of Boston-based Greentown Labs and Promethean Power
Freight Farms has expanded its executive team as it looks to expand globally. The company has appointed Sam White as Chief Innovation Officer. White was the co-founder of Boston-based Greentown Labs and Promethean Power.
In addition to his continued involvement with both organizations, White will now be collaborating with Freight Farms to guide corporate partnerships and strategic investment – his first major initiative upon moving back to Boston from India working with Promethean Power.
“Sam has a deep understanding of how sustainable technologies can scale to create meaningful and monetary impact for entire industries,” said Jon Friedman, Freight Farms COO. “His experience with modernizing a distributed farming system across India will contribute to our collective goal of enabling impactful, sustainable farming across the globe.”
According to the company, the move is an extension of White’s past focus on driving change in sustainable agriculture for Promethean Power, where today more than 50,000 farmers in India access its cold-storage technology.
“Freight Farms is truly making a global impact on sustainable farming, and supporting the team and its remarkable technology in the AgTech space felt like a natural next step for me. They’ve laid the groundwork to massively scale worldwide, and I’m excited to join the team in support of its momentum,” said Sam White, Freight Farms Chief Innovation Officer.
“Sam was able to instantly internalize Freight Farms’ mission, and we’re confident in his ability to recognize like-minded partners and creative opportunities to add value as we continue to grow,” said Brad McNamara, Freight Farms CEO. “It’s rare to find someone with experience scaling businesses across hardware, material science and infrastructure in multiple markets globally, and we’re happy to have him on the team.”
For more information:
www.freightfarms.com
Publication date: Mon, 07 Oct 2019
New Web Service For The Indoor Farming Industry - IndoorFarming-Jobs.eu
For the first time, in the Indoor Vertical Farming Industry, this job board offers you the opportunity to apply for jobs with indoor farming companies in Europe. IndoorFarming-Jobs.eu provides a much-needed service.
Recently, An innovative Web Service Was Launched
IndoorFarming-Jobs.eu
For the first time, in the Indoor Vertical Farming Industry, this job board offers you the opportunity to apply for jobs with indoor farming companies in Europe.
For candidates and job seekers this service is free of charge.
It is streamlined:
Create an account, create your resume, upload your CV and apply by clicking on job applications from companies in Europe.
We work with the Association for Vertical Farming, an International organization dedicated to advancing the Indoor Vertical Farming, we offer their members a 20% discount on first-time use and a permanent 10% discount as long as they are members of the Association for Vertical Farming.
Benefits For The Employee:
Jobseekers can view their application documents on their dashboard, and see all of the companies that they have applied to, in addition, job alerts can be activated if you want to be informed about a specific job when it appears.
Benefits For The Employer:
Job vacancies can be posted quickly, via the employer dashboard, applications can be viewed and direct contact made with applicants. If the company does not have the time or the employee to post the job vacancy, IndoorFarming-Jobs can do it for you.
Companies can choose whether they are looking for suitable candidates as Startup, Small Business or Enterprise, depending on their payment plan.
Job applications can be placed online for as little as 8 cents per day.
Take a moment of your precious time and
Check Out Our Website.
Coventry, UK: Vertical Farming Training Instructor Needed
Funding is now in place for the VF training academy in Coventry. UK and we are looking for a suitable person who can take on the role of trainer
Funding is now in place for the VF training academy in Coventry and we are looking for a suitable person who can take on the role of trainer.
The academy is aimed at teaching the multitude of engineering technologies as well as the plant aspects that are integrated to produce a holistic system design.
The curriculum includes the following:
*Project and risk management *Process engineering design *Environment control
*Material handling & robotics *Ergonomics
*Phenome systems and AI *Plant physiology
* AR & Intelligent Vision systems
*Light & Nutrient recipes. *Pest and disease management
*Water treatment and renewable energy usage
The course is in collaboration with the Assoc for Vertical Farming and we are currently in the process to be a Lantra service provider.
We are looking for a quick start in September and the location is in Coventry. Anyone interested please contact me.
They must be able to work in the UK and be a good english speaker.
hashtag#agtech hashtag#verticalfarming hashtag#avf hashtag#trainingInstructor hashtag#jobvacancy hashtag#agritech hashtag#futurefarming
Please Contact:
Peter Lane: pl@vertical-farming.net
NatureFresh™ Farms Introduces New Procurement Manager in Mexico
With over 21 years of experience in the agriculture industry, Paul Hulsbos will be taking on the role of Procurement Manager at NatureFresh™ Farms in Mexico. Among his new responsibilities, Paul will be aligning growers to support NatureFresh™ Farms winter programs as well as set up yearly commitments
Leamington, ON (July 18, 2019) - NatureFresh™ Farms announces and welcomes the newest addition, Paul Hulsbos, to their sales team as Procurement Manager based in Mexico.
With over 21 years of experience in the agriculture industry, Paul Hulsbos will be taking on the role of Procurement Manager at NatureFresh™ Farms in Mexico. Among his new responsibilities, Paul will be aligning growers to support NatureFresh™ Farms winter programs as well as set up yearly commitments.
Originally from the Netherlands Paul began his career in agriculture working at a family owned importer/exporter company and was responsible for sales and marketing of produce based in Holland. Since then, Paul has relocated to Mexico where he has been working to keep up with industry growth and be closer to the market.
Excited to begin a new journey with NatureFresh™ Farms, Paul considers it to be a defining moment in his career. “I’m looking forward to contributing my experience to the procurement team at NatureFresh™ Farms while strengthening their presence in Mexico,” said Paul. “My new adventure with them is a life changing decision but one I am very much excited about.”
General Manager; John Ketler, also shared his excitement for Paul’s arrival. “We are thrilled to have Paul join the team,” said John. “He brings a great amount of experience to this new position and will greatly assist in building relations and our efforts in year-round production in Mexico.”
As NatureFresh™ Farms focuses on company growth and developing relations, Paul’s presence in Mexico will strengthen intercommunication between locations in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. NatureFresh™ Farms is excited for their future with the continuous expansion of their team, their advancements in technology and product innovation allowing them to provide fresh produce all year round.
Mapping America’s Biggest Employers By State
A few large-scale organizations stand out as the top employer in each state.
In America, approximately 150 million people are currently employed, doing everything from neurosurgery to greeting customers at your local Walmart Supercenter.
A few large-scale organizations stand out as the top employer in each state.
The U.S. is the third most populous country in the world, so it takes a lot of manpower to keep the government running. It’ll come as no surprise that, in most states, either the state or federal government is the top employer. California alone employs a quarter of a million federal workers.
New York State is a unique case as NYC’s municipal workforce is the top employer. Technically, the largest employer on the planet is the U.S. Department of Defense, and in eight states, there are more active military personnel than any single private employer.
When it comes to large-scale employment, there’s one regional trend that stands out the most – the broad blue expanse of Walmart country.
Urban Farm In Brooklyn Looking To Attract Young Farmers
Located in a former Pfizer factory in the Williamsburg district, the company said one of its main aims is to offer young people careers in agriculture.
So-called 'urban', or 'vertical', farms have been making their way into some US cities over the past few years. With limited land in major metropolitan areas, indoor urban farms offer the chance for city stores and restaurants to get their hands on locally-grown produce. Square Roots in Brooklyn, New York, is one of these next generation indoor farms. Located in a former Pfizer factory in the Williamsburg district, the company said one of its main aims is to offer young people careers in agriculture.
"The average age of the American farmer is 58," noted Karsten Ch'ien of Square Roots. "With more young people living in cities, we bought shipping containers into the city because that is where many of them live. Young people are very technology literate, and with the rise in demand for healthy, locally-grown foods, this is the perfect combination for them to get involved in the produce industry. As a result, the average age of our farmers is just 24."
Ch'ien said that Square Roots offers training and skill building as part of helping young farmers establish a firm foundation in the industry. "At the heart of Square Roots is the Next-Gen farmer training program, which creates opportunities for more people to become farmers—and future leaders in urban farming—through a year-long commitment on the Square Roots team."
Produce is grown in modified shipping containers. Ch'ien is on the far right.
Growing in shipping containers
Produce at Square Roots is grown in shipping containers, which have been climate controlled and fitted with the latest in vertical farming gadgetry. All the operations are controlled in the company's offices overlooking the parking lot where the ten containers lie. The shipping container model gives the company great flexibility.
"Growing in shipping containers requires less upfront capital to establish and maintain," Ch'ien explained. "They are easy to retrofit and move if we need to. Additionally, it's very simple to expand the farm. Instead of remodeling or building an extension, we simply add another shipping container and fit it out in the same manner. Here in the parking lot, we have plenty of room to grow horizontally. At this stage, it's not practical for us to stack containers due to the need for climbing up and down ladders with produce."
According to the company, each shipping container yields between 50 and 70 pounds of produce each week. The containers have been engineered to be environmentally friendly and food safe. "The mineral nutrient system cycles and recycles, so each container only requires eight to ten gallons of water per day. Any kind of food safety issue can be contained in each farm," Ch'ien said.
Culinary herbs the focus
Vertical farms still have a way to go to become a mainstream source of produce. Currently, they are typically restricted to leafy greens and other plants that have minimal energy requirements. Square Roots focuses on culinary herbs. The herbs are grown and packed inside the container and then delivered to local independent retailers on one of the company's tricycles.
"Leafy greens are the easiest to grow vertically," Ch'ien observed. "We can also grow things like grape tomatoes and other small vegetables. It really depends on the energy requirements of each plant. Here at Square Roots, we focus on culinary herbs, with each container specializing in a herb. Typically, the timeframe of maturity to harvest is four to six weeks, depending on the herb. We grow in sections and harvest each container twice per week, so that there is always produce that is ready to be picked."
Square Roots uses these tricycles to deliver their produce direct to customers in the NYC area.
Ch'ien notes that growing more energy-intensive commodities such as tomatoes and small root vegetables is not economical at this stage but said that this may soon become viable as technology continues to improve. "Outside of leafy greens and herbs, it's very challenging to grow other crops economically right now. However, technology is improving each year, providing us with increased opportunities to scale and moderate costs. Additionally, we want to ensure we balance sellable yields with quality."
As to the question of whether vertical farming is a threat to traditional farming, Ch'ien believes the two are not mutually exclusive, but rather the whole system can work side by side. "We don't see it as a competition between traditional land-based farming and urban, vertical farming. All growers have the same goal which is to deliver the freshest, best quality produce to customers. We believe vertical farming can work in tandem with traditional farming, each serving a useful purpose in the industry."
For more information:
Karsten Ch'ien
Square Roots
Ph: +1 (740) 337-6687
karsten@squarerootsgrow.com
www.squarerootsgrow.com
Publication date : 12/18/2018
Author: Dennis Rettke
© FreshPlaza.com
Jobseekers, Youths Encouraged To Start Vertical Farming With Brunei's Farmers Ageing Into Retirement
SEPTEMBER 15, 2018
A vertical garden built using inexpensive materials such as plastic bottles and recycled wood. Photo: Courtesy of Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism
TEMBURONG – The government wants more youths to start vertical farming in order to supply domestic market demand and replace Brunei’s ageing farmers.
To identify interested participants, the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA) has begun inviting registered jobseekers nationwide to attend agriculture courses.
According to the department’s Head of International Affairs and Public Relations, Hirman Hj Abu, the course, dubbed “Kursus Pendedahan Teknologi Mudah dan Murah”, educates youth on inexpensive methods to start an agricultural business.
The programme encourages young people to build vertical gardens that require minimal space, using cheap materials such as used plastic bottles and wooden planks. It also solves the problem of needing land to start a farm.
“The objective of this programme is to give them a head start in the world of agriculture and we will help them overcome common problems faced by other agriculture startups like pests,” he said.
A ‘sawi’ sapling growing out of a plastic bottle in a vertical garden. Photo: Courtesy of Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism
The programme is the first of its kind in Brunei, specifically targeting youths, as the nation’s farmers age into retirement.
“We’ve held similar courses previously but the demographic was specifically targeting low income individuals such as single mothers, to help them generate income,” he told The Scoop.
The first course, conducted in all four districts, is an introductory course, to expose young people to the opportunities in starting an agricultural business.
This is where the DAA will be able to identify those who are serious about becoming farmers.
“Upon the completion of the first course, participants who are interested in pursuing this venture will be encouraged to register for a second and more intensive course. We will give them more in-depth information on the technicalities and economics of running their vertical farms.”
This includes marketing their produce and branding their business — an aspect that he believes is often overlooked by local farmers.
When both courses are completed, participants will proceed to the final stage of starting and running their own vertical gardens. During this stage, they will be monitored by theDAA and provided guidance if needed.
However, this does not mean that the startups expected to stay small. The department hopes that the course will allow youth “agripreneurs” to mature their businesses more quickly then their predecessors.
“After a few years in the industry, these startups will be able to generate enough income and generate capital to start commercialising their products.”
Hirman said startups that show the most potential, and who can prove consistent output, will be helped by the DAA to bring their products to a wider market.
“Our hope is that these youths who enter the industry will be more dynamic, as youths of this day and age are exposed to different technologies and methods that can innovate the industry. That is what we want,” he added.
The first course has already been conducted in Temburong, and will be expanded to the other districts in the coming months.
"You’re Never Too Young to Make a Difference"
Rikalize Reinecke goes to school, just like the average kid in their late teens. But unlike them, she has an unusual side business. In January 2014, when she was just 12 years old, she started her own aquaculture and aquaponics farm just outside Pretoria, South Africa. And the inspiration came from the movie Dolphin Tale.
The movie inspired her to start her own fish farm, but there was more to it: "At more or less the same time that I watched the movie Dolphin Tale, we learned at school about all the natural resources that are being depleted, and that in a few years’ time, there will not be any fish left in the sea", she tells us. "When I saw the dedication of the people at the oceanarium, working with the dolphins, and helping them, that changed my life forever.
"I realised two things: I would like to have a similar experience one day, and that I had to do everything I can to prevent fish from becoming extinct."
From aquaculture to aquaponics
Rikalize started with a pure aquaculture farm. However, she found that ammonia and harmful impurities in the water grew to such an extent that the fish started to die. This and the fact that her capital input was very limited, meant that aquaponics was her only option.
"Aquaponics quickly solved the problem of reducing the high and dangerous water impurities and also provided me with a small constant income." Although her passion is fish, and she would choose aquaculture any time, aquaponics "opened doors for me as an inland resident, with a very limited water supply, to farm with fish in a sustainable way", she says. "Aquaculture would be my first choice, but I realize the value of aquaponics especially in the DAPS application that I developed."
From lettuce to leek, and strawberries to spring onion
Rikalize and her team grow a wide variety of crops in the aquaponic systems: "About 22 varieties, from various lettuces, spring onion, leek, celery, cucumber, rock melon, peppadews, green peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, baby marrows to various herbs, etc."
Most of that produce ends up at the shop she opened late last year, and is sold directly to the public. "I also sell fish to wholesale distributors and chef schools. Previously we would deliver to restaurants and lodges and mini supermarkets, but now all of them can buy and collect from my shop."
And she's constantly looking to expand that range, with a section where they do research and feasibility studies and grow produce to determine if it can be grown successfully in the aquaponics set-up.
With two and a half years of school still left, schoolwork comes first for Rikalize, but she is engaged in high level discussions on expanding production and acreage. "Offtake agreements are one of the ways we are looking at currently and that is the short term expansion. I can say that I am in the process of constructing a new Catfish Hatchery based on a brand new mobile and modular principle to be rolled out over Africa, the first POC will be ready end of July."
Spreading the word on aquaponics
Rikalize tells us that the aquaponics industry in South Africa has grown a lot since she took up farming three years ago. "One of my aims is to put a lot of effort into creating public awareness and hence grow the industry." And it hasn't gone unnoticed. "Aquaponics is now like the next best thing," she says.
One of the ways Rikalize is spreading the word is through the development of an app, which is now in the final testing phase before being rolled out on public platforms. "The team that worked on the design did a great job. The roll out date will be announced soon." She also provides training courses. "Training is the base of knowledge and education. As long as I need to build systems there will be training."
Her ultimate vision is to roll out the modular aquaponics system in Africa and all around the world, to equip people with the opportunity to have a job and provide food to their families. "Aquaponics is the most sustainable farming method of the new century," she says. "This system gives you the opportunity to process food in your backyard and generate a small income. One system can feed a family of 4-6 people sustainably."
And for all the young growers out there, Rikalize has a special message: "You’re never too young to make a difference."
For more information:
La Pieus Aqua
Publication date: 7/12/2018
Author: Jan Jacob Mekes
Copyright: www.hortidaily.com
CropKing Hires Nick Greens As New Horticulturist And Consultant
Nick Greens Has Been In The Growing Industry Since 2002.
July 27, 2018
Press Release edited by Samantha Cottrill
LODI, Ohio — CropKing has announced the addition of Nick Greens to the CropKing team, in the role of horticulturist/consultant.
Nick Greens started his growing career in 2002 as an apprentice grower for a hydroponics shop. Nick worked through several harvests in San Diego before venturing out on his own.
In 2007, Nick moved to Humboldt County, California to work as an assistant grower for a collective of greenhouses, where he began experimenting with a vortex brewer to develop several recipes for compost teas.
In 2010, Nick moved back to Chicago to start growing produce for Blue Star Produce, where he perfected his compost tea recipes and became a pioneer in organic microgreens and leafy greens production, working for and advising many Chicago indoor farms, including Garfield Produce, Bright Farms, Windy City Greens, Plant Chicago and Nick Greens Grow Team.
Nick created the microgreens program at FarmedHere in 2014, building its first NFT systems, creating crop and lighting recipes, and helping improve monthly sales by nearly 20 percent. In 2016, Nick created a similar microgreens program for Falling Waters Farms in Indianapolis, increasing its sales by nearly 50 percent.
Nick is passionate about educating a new generation of controlled environment farmers and has created many internship opportunities for at-risk youth in urban Chicago. In 2016, Nick helped design and build the Food Science Lab at Schurz High School in Chicago, based on a STEM curriculum, that trains future farmers and supplies healthy food for the school cafeteria. Nick has personally mentored dozens of interns, and many remain working in the industry today.
“The addition of Nick to our team significantly strengthens our resources that are available to our customers. From a consulting and horticultural standpoint, Nick has a unique background that allows us to continue to diversify our services beyond the traditional hydroponic lettuce and tomato growing," Paul Brentlinger, president of CropKing, said. "From an education and training standpoint, Nick is able to educate in a creative and effective way, both in-person at our facility in Lodi and through our online presence."
Silicon Valley Executive Craig Elliott Joins Autogrow
Silicon Valley Executive Craig Elliott Joins Autogrow
July 3, 2018
Entrepreneur and technology expert Craig Elliott has joined global agtech company Autogrow as an Independent Director.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Craig to the Autogrow family and our Board of Directors. His wealth of experience will be an asset to the company as we continue our global expansion,” says CEO Darryn Keiller.
Craig has spent over thirty years working in Silicon Valley, starting with ten years at Apple Computer where he worked for Steve Jobs in the mid-80’s. Before moving to California, he grew up working on a farm and received a degree in agriculture at Iowa State University.
He was founder and CEO of Packeteer, a startup that developed deep packet inspection and application-based networking, which he took public on the NASDAQ stock exchange. Craig also founded Pertino which built the first cloud-based, global business network and sold in 2015 to Cradlepoint.
“I was very impressed with Autogrow when Darryn first approached me. I’ve always had a passion for agriculture and watching how technology can truly change the way crops are grown is incredibly exciting. What Autogrow has achieved in the past two years has been disruptive for the industry and it’s just getting started,” says Craig.
Craig is currently a Director of Magic Memories based out of Queenstown and Enable Networks based out of Christchurch. Craig also independently consults with companies looking to develop their technical and global expansion strategies.
His corporate board and governance experience extends to the U.S. and New Zealand and he has just completed five years on the boards of Xero and San Francisco IT development hub, The Kiwi Landing Pad. He and his family have just received their permanent residency in New Zealand and live part time in Wanaka and part-time in California.
(w) www.autogrow.com www.lab.autogrow.com www.cropsonmars.com
Sales queries – Sales@autogrow.com
About Autogrow
Autogrow leverages the power of technology, data science, and plant biology to provide indoor growers affordable, accessible and easy-to-use innovation – 24/7, anywhere in the world.
Our hardware, software and data solutions support growers and resellers in over 40 countries producing over 100 different crop types.
We have a depth of experience and passionate, fun people creating original ideas and making them a reality for our growers.
U.S.: Amazon Veteran Joins Indoor Farming Startup
U.S.: Amazon Veteran Joins Indoor Farming Startup
July 03 , 2018
A young U.S. agricultural startup, Bowery Farming, got a big boost last month when it poached Brian Donato, a veteran of Amazon’s automation efforts, Bloomberg reports.
Donato will oversee Bowery’s indoor farm in Kearny, New Jersey, where the company grows leafy greens.
During his seven years at Amazon, Donato managed Amazon fulfillment centers and most recently ran Amazon Home Services. Before that he directed operations for the Amazon Fresh and Pantry food delivery services.
Bowery’s heavily automated process reminds Donato of the fulfillment systems he implemented at Amazon, where he was part of the team that integrated robots into the human workforce, Bloomberg reports
Bowery’s indoor farm is controlled by proprietary software called BoweryOS, which uses a web of cameras and sensors to automatically tinker with inputs.
Besides running the existing farm, Donato will reportedly help Bowery Farming set up automated facilities on the outskirts of cities. This summer, he’ll launch Bowery’s second grow house which is close to the current operation in Kearny and 30 times the size of the original farm.
So far, Bowery sells its own brand of kale, arugula, butter lettuce and herbs to Whole Foods and a few restaurants. The greens are only available in New York City.
Bowery has raised US$27.5 million since launching in 2017. Firms piling in include General Catalyst, First Round Capital and Alphabet’s venture arm, GGV Capital.
Former Amazon Distribution Vet Joins Indoor Farming Startup To Oversee Expansion
Former Amazon Distribution Vet Joins Indoor Farming Startup To Oversee Expansion
July 02, 2018 Matthew Rothstein, Bisnow
A startup dedicated to creating the agriculture of the future has recruited a powerful mind and former Amazon exec to aid in its expansion.
Founder & Managing Member, Genesis Bowery Farming, an indoor produce growing operation based in Kearny, New Jersey, has hired Brian Donato as its senior vice president of operations, Bloomberg reports. Donato previously oversaw Amazon's automated distribution centers, as well as grocery delivery service Amazon Fresh.
Bowery Farming utilizes a proprietary software system, BoweryOS, to automatically manage an array of sensors to optimize conditions such as air flow, carbon dioxide levels, water and light to both create ideal growing conditions for its stock of leafy greens and minimize the resources required, according to Bloomberg. In this respect, Bowery will be well-served by the addition of Donato, with his wealth of experience in combining automation and the human labor required to manage the systems.
Donato will also oversee Bowery's expansion to a second facility, which the company told Bloomberg will be 30 times larger than the nearby Kearny operation (no square footage figures were disclosed). At the moment, Bowery only distributes to New York City restaurants and Whole Foods, making Donato the company's second connection to Amazon.
Donato anticipates expanding beyond New Jersey with warehouse leases near other major cities as soon as next year, Bloomberg reports. As the world's population inexorably grows and space becomes more scarce, cities will face increased pressure to supply fresh food to their populations.
Bowery is far from alone in pioneering ways to optimize industrial space for indoor farms.
Vertical Farm In Jackson Wyoming Offers Fresh Produce And Jobs For The Disabled
Vertical Farm In Jackson Wyoming Offers Fresh Produce And Jobs For The Disabled
The idea for Vertical Harvest first blossomed about 10 years ago, when three women from different backgrounds came together to solve a problem.
“Our growing season is only about four months long, so we shipped a lot of our produce in from other places,” said Vertical Harvest CEO Nona Yehia. “A friend of mine said she got some lettuce from the grocery and by the time she got it home, it was brown.”
Yehia said Jackson is also known for having a high unemployment rate for people with disabilities, something the three women believed they could cure with their business model.
Vertical Harvest uses a growing method called hydroponic farming.
“It means that you feed the plant through water so we don’t need soil in the greenhouse,” said Yehia. “So basically we have a growing medium that holds the roots for the plants and is basically a delivery device for the nutrients.”
Each of the three floors has a different micro-climate, allowing a variety of produce – from tomatoes to micro-greens – to thrive year round.
Sam Bartels: “If we have a hail storm outside if we have snow our plants are smugly watching from their high rise apartments,” said Vertical Harvest Director of Business Development Sam Bartels. “So there are a lot of benefits to growing indoors.”
On Tuesday, the temperature in Jackson was a cool 34 degrees, which is less than optimal for most growing.
But on the third floor of vertical harvest, they grow tomato plants that will be served on dinner plates in Jackson restaurants in just a few weeks time.
“When you go out and see your produce on a gorgeous plate and others enjoying it and commenting on the quality of the produce, it’s incredibly rewarding,” said Barels.
It’s a feeling shared not only by the company’s three female co-owners, but Vertical Harvest’s 15 employees, who now have an opportunity like never before.
Johnny Fifles, like most of his co-workers, has a developmental disability. It’s something that limited his employment options for years.
“I used to work at the Elk Country Inn,” said Fifles. “I had to fold laundry and carry bags of dirty laundry.”
But at Vertical Harvest, Fifles and Sean Stone find purpose. “It’s a great job,” said Stone. “It’s good for the environment and it’s healthy for people that buy this stuff from us.”
“It’s really shifted the perception of what this population is able to do and I think that story brings people to vertical harvest first and then they keep coming back because of the quality of the produce,” said Yehia.
Customers return for both the quality and the quantity, because Vertical Harvest produces 10 acres worth of fruits, vegetables and herbs on just a tenth of an acre.
Vertical Harvest distributes produce to multiple restaurants in Jackson and soon, it will be able to distribute to grocery chains like Albertson’s following its recent Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification.
While the idea clearly works today, skeptics had their doubts. “It’s a pretty far out thing to say to someone, we’re going to grow this 3-story high greenhouse in Jackson when it’s minus 20 degrees out and we’re going to employ these different growing methods that have never been done before and employ all these people with disabilities and people might be inclined to think that’s a bit much to bite off,” said Bartels. “But I think anyone with doubts has not only become a believer but has become an advocate.”
It’s a system of support the team at Vertical Harvest hopes to achieve in the five other communities they’ve pegged for future development.
“It’s all about pairing innovation with an under-served community and in Jackson that’s people with disabilities,” said Bartels. “But in other towns that might be veterans or ex-felons or the homeless so we’re excited to go do good elsewhere.”
The greenhouse is open to tours.
Source: KTVH
Publication date: 5/4/2018
Cultivate Professionalism: "Recruiting and Staffing Services for the Modern Gardening Industry.”
Cultivate Professionalism:
"Recruiting and Staffing Services For The Modern Gardening Industry.”
Mac & Fulton Talent Partners are the premier recruiting service in the modern horticulture marketplace. As such, the M&F Talent team is constantly networking with some of the best and brightest professionals relating to Controlled Environment Agriculture, Hydroponics Equipment, Nutrient Lines, and Vertical Indoor Farming.
The breadth of knowledge, as well as the network at M&F Talent, extends into sales, management, engineering, chemistry, and horticulture.
The team at Mac & Fulton sees a real societal value in the burgeoning urban agriculture movement and are looking forward to networking with industry front-runners.
If you would like to learn more about Mac & Fulton, or would simply like to strike up a synergistic dialogue, please contact:
Kent Gruetzmacher