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Clinton Hill School Gets Millions In Greenhouse Funding
Urban Assembly Unison is one of seven schools slated to share $7 million from Adams' Growing Brooklyn's Future initiative, which will fund building rooftop gardens and greenhouses, the borough president announced Tuesday.
Clinton Hill School Gets Millions In Greenhouse Funding
The Urban Assembly Unison School is one of seven schools slated to receive greenhouse funding from Eric Adams' $7 million initiative.
By Kathleen Culliton, Patch Staff | Nov 29, 2017
CLINTON HILL, BROOKLYN — A Clinton Hill school can begin building its greenhouse after Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams announced the expansion of his green school initiati
Urban Assembly Unison is one of seven schools slated to share $7 million from Adams' Growing Brooklyn's Future initiative, which will fund building rooftop gardens and greenhouses, the borough president announced Tuesday.
"This is about keeping Brooklyn's kids at the forefront of innovation and growing their futures," said Borough President Adams.
"Young people across the borough will now have the opportunity to learn about growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and plants that will empower them to make healthy choices."
Urban Assembly — a profession-focused public school with an urban farming program — received $2 million from Growing Brooklyn's Future and an additional $1.05 million from City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo's office.
The school plans to begin construction on its courtyard greenhouse — which is expected to produce about 25 thousand pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables per year — early in 2018 with an anticipated completion date set for 2020, school officials said.
The money will be divided between seven schools in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bergen Beach, Brownsville, Clinton Hill, Gravesend and Sheepshead Bay, according to the Brooklyn borough president.
Adams first launched Growing Brooklyn's Future in 2015 when he channeled more than $2 million to create hydroponic classrooms to 12 Brooklyn schools in Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, Bushwick, Canarsie, Cypress Hills and East New York.
Swedish Company Builds Food-Laden ‘Plantscaper’ to Feed the Cities of The Future
Many researchers, politicians, and members of the public are worried that we’ll see dire shortages in the wake of such spectacular population increases. Perhaps most worryingly of which are the looming threats of food and water scarcity, likely to be compounded by climate change and greater migration towards urban centers.
Swedish Company Builds Food-Laden ‘Plantscaper’ to Feed the Cities of The Future
LAST UPDATED ON NOVEMBER 28TH, 2017 AT 6:45 PM BY ALEXANDRU MICU
Swedish company Plantagon is tackling the world’s food problems through ‘agritecture’, a combination of architecture, technology, and agriculture. The first of their projects, a massive vertical greenhouse or “plantscaper”, is set to open in 2020.
Artist’s concept of a plantscaper.
Image via Plantagon.
There are over 7.5 billion people living today, a number that’s expected to skyrocket to 10 billion in the next 30 or so years. Many researchers, politicians, and members of the public are worried that we’ll see dire shortages in the wake of such spectacular population increases. Perhaps most worryingly of which are the looming threats of food and water scarcity, likely to be compounded by climate change and greater migration towards urban centers.
For many of us, these shortages have yet to make an appearance, and it would be just dandy if things stayed this course. To be blunt, however, for that to happen we’ll need to grow much more food than we do today, and we’ll need to grow it more efficiently, especially in regards to water usage. One Sweedish-based company named Plantagon is working today so we’ll have solid footing when dealing with the issues of tomorrow.
Their solution involves dotting urban landscapes with huge vertical farms called “plantscapers”, crop-laden skyscrapers that can feed thousands of city dwellers each year.
The concept of Plantagon’s vertical greenhouses is the brainchild of Swedish innovator Åke Olsson. A passionate organic farmer, Olsson needed to get more surface out of his croplands. So, he designed a rack transport system which slowly cycles planting boxes from the floor of a vertical greenhouse to its ceiling, so he didn’t have to use any artificial light. Shortly after Plantagon International AB and the Plantagon International Association were founded in 2008, they bought the design from Olsson.
Image via Plantagon.
Plantscapers use the same concept but on a much taller scale, mixed in with a hearty helping of hydroponics to keep everything growing. They resemble high-rise office buildings that churn out delicious veggies instead of water cooler conversations and stressful deadlines. The first plantscaper, The World Food Building, is already under construction in Linköping, Sweden. The 16-story building is estimated to cost around $40 million and should be ready to open sometime in 2020.
The WFB’s layout allows for far more output relative to its surface area than a conventional farm. The building is expected to produce about 550 tons of vegetables annually, which according to the company should be enough to feed roughly 5,000 people. The plants will be grown in watery, nutrient-rich substrates. All factors and growing conditions, from water to nutrition, sunlight, temperature, and air quality will be monitored autonomously, to make sure everything is perfect for the plants and that waste is minimized.
Maintenance and harvesting jobs will similarly be performed by autonomous systems, Plantagon CEO Hans Hassle told Business Insider, likely in a bid to keep costs down. Plantagon hopes their autonomous systems and urban setting will lower transportation, production, and energy costs enough to make the ‘scrapers a sustainable solution to feeding the community. Additionally, the building will help save 1000 metric tons of CO2 emissionsand 50 million liters of water that a conventional farm uses for the same amount of food.
Of course, these figures will have to be verified after the WFB is completed, and any eventual teething problems are solved. Still, the plantscaper concept does seem to be a hit so far (I admit I’m quite taken as well, I just love buildings with plants). The company is currently in talks to develop plantscrapers in Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
I’d also be curious to see a cross between Plantagon’s concept and a technology such as that of SolarWindow — one producing food, the other electricity. Such buildings could conceivably feed and power cities at the same time.
Until then, will have to wait and see if the plantscraper concept will succeed. I hope it does.
This Week in Tech: IKEA and Other Heavy Hitters Invest $40 Million in Vertical Farming
IKEA and Other Heavy Hitters Invest $40 Million in Vertical Farming
Courtesy AeroFarms
Swedish furniture company IKEA, top chef David Chang of Momofuku Group, Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and more big names and companies have invested a combined $40 million into AeroFarms, a vertical farm producer based in Newark, N.J.
The company, which recently completed the world's largest indoor vertical farm in the city, "will use the latest round of funds for continued investment in leading R&D and technology and additional farm expansion around the world," according to the company's press release.
Aerofarms uses a closed-loop aeroponics system (the process of growing plants in a mist environment rather than in soil) that the company says uses 95 percent less water than field farming. [AeroFarms]
Growing Urban Seedlings
Growing Urban Seedlings
November 04, 2017
By Sunny Liu
Behind the concrete facade of the 174 Collins St building is a growing indoor community garden with a purpose to bring fresh urban-grown produce to local tables.
Flourishing at the basement of Urban Seed’s Central House behind the Collins St Baptist Church, the micro farm is the brainchild of the Urban Seedlings team, comprising husband and wife Geoff and Sherry Maddock, Dan Ong and Mady Sieben, who all live in the building.
Earlier this year, the team transformed the disused basement into an incubator for micro greens and aquaponics, which is an integrated aquacultural system creating a symbiotic relationship between fish and plants.
With a goal to officially launch the program in March 2018, Urban Seedlings is raising “seed money” to fund this not-for-profit program.
Eventually, when the plants are harvested, Urban Seedlings will become a supplier of organic vegetables for CBD restaurants and cafes and a community safe haven for local residents to get together and get their green thumbs.
Geoff Maddock told CBD News Urban Seedlings wanted to promote a sustainable lifestyle in the CBD.
“We want to offer sustainable ways of community involvement and at the same time also present a hospitable, welcoming place for people to gather and share their skills,” he said.
“Urban Seedlings can create a social impact through showing people how to be sustainable and reduce their food waste through systems like a worm farm.”
Having lived in the US for the past 20 years, Sherry and Geoff Maddock were inspired by the not-for-profit Kentucky organisation FoodChain, which operates a large-scale indoor farm.
Mr Maddock said they also hoped to see locally-grown produce on tables in CBD restaurants.
“We want to grow part of the food in the urban centre. We have been liaising with local chefs and they are keen to source some of their vegetables from us,” Mr Maddock said.
The Urban Seedlings team said it wanted to develop a curriculum for students and local residents where they can learn how to turn their homes into an indoor green garden.
“We will host workshops so people learn how to grow it at home. There’s a huge potential for people to grow their own food in the urban area,” Mr Maddock said.
Urban Seedlings is already taking school tours and the students have been curious and interested in how the indoor micro farm operates.
According to the team, there are many benefits of having an indoor green space.
“It purifies the air. No machines can be compared to the efficiency of actual plants. It’s also very therapeutic and relieves stress,” Mr Maddock said.
CBD residents and workers will soon be able to check out the micro farm and purchase some succulent plants from Urban Seedlings.
For more information, visit urbanseedlings.org
What Blockchain Technology Trial in Tomatoes Could Mean For Produce Industry
What Blockchain Technology Trial in Tomatoes Could Mean For Produce Industry
Intrigued by how blockchain was changing finance, an ex-banker at Wells Fargo & Co. and a former executive at Nasdaq Inc. began looking for other opportunities. They looked at applying the technology to insurance, law, even music. Then they hit on farming.
Raja Ramachandran and Phil Harris met when they were both working on Wall Street, in 2005 after Citigroup Inc. acquired electronic trading company Lava Trading. The pair remained friends for more than a decade, and decided to leave finance to start Ripe.io, which uses blockchain in agriculture, and has big aspirations to weave it through the food supply chain.
“We left financial services to find a more meaningful application of blockchain. We knew it was going to be profound,” said Harris. As Ramachandran put it, they “stumbled on food.”
The next step for Ripe was a pilot project on Ward’s Berry Farm, a 180-acre farm southwest of Boston, where the fields overflow with carrots, baby beets, bok choy, chard, kale, cabbage, sweet potatoes, onions, radishes, fava beans, squash, pumpkins and zinnias, which farmer Jim Ward keeps in rotation because his wife loves it when he brings them home to her in a fresh bouquet.
Added to that lineup this year: blockchain tomatoes. Beginning in August, their ripeness, colour and sugar content were tracked step by step, reducing spoilage and documenting the supply chain.
Controlling Variables
“My job is to gain control of as many variables as I can,” Ward said on a recent blustery fall day on his farm in Sharon, Massachusetts. Standing in a field of vines studded with sensors connected to a solar-powered device that routes information to the cloud, Ward plucked a tomato and popped it into his mouth. “Flavor and quality is what my business is,” he said.
Ripe partnered with farm-to-counter salad franchise Sweetgreen Inc. to show blockchain can be used to track crops, yielding higher-quality produce and putting better information in the hands of farmers, food distributors and restaurants.
The biggest player in the area is International Business Machines Corp., which partnered with food titans including Dole Food Co., Nestle SA, Unilever NV and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. this summer on a pilot to add blockchain to their businesses. IBM says its technology can show where produce came from in seconds. Traditional methods can take up to a week.
The experiment on Ward’s farm this summer was designed to test whether the same principle could work for boutique restaurants committed to knowing the origins of all of their ingredients. Sweetgreen already uses tomatoes grown on Ward’s farm in salads sold at its Prudential Center location in Boston. In their pilot program with Ripe, tomatoes were tracked using Analog Devices Inc. and Blustream Corp. sensors, and some were taste tested against “normal” tomatoes from Ward’s farm.
Light, Humidity
Ripe tracked 200 tomatoes on 20 different plants, in red Sweet 100 and orange Sungold varieties, in both early and late-season fields. Sensors recorded environmental factors including light, humidity and air temperature. In the buckets of tomatoes loaded on to trucks for distribution, another set of sensors logged the humidity where they were stored.
While an easy-to-use database is key to managing a complex supply chain, sceptics say it doesn’t necessarily need blockchain. The technology also requires adaptation. While bitcoin exists only on a blockchain, tomatoes exist in the real world. At most, what Ripe can provide is a detailed record of their qualities and condition at each step of the growing and distribution process.
No Cure-All
For those reasons, blockchain isn’t an immediate cure-all, said Charles Cascarilla, CEO and co-founder of Paxos, a blockchain company that caters to financial institutions.
“It’s a tool, and you have to apply it to the right set of problems,” he said. “What it tends to be very good for is knowing who owns what and when,” Cascarilla added. “It’s not a magic bullet.”
Beyond quality, the sensor and blockchain tracking system can also prove where an agricultural product came from, she said. For instance, if you wanted to know if the grapes used to make your Champagne were really from Champagne, France, or the Vidalia onions you’re sautéing are really from Vidalia, Georgia, a blockchain could prove a product’s authenticity.
“There’s a lot of fraud in food origins, especially now that it’s hot,” Myran said. “People say ‘this is local,’ or ‘this is organic,’ or ‘this is grown using certain practices.’ With this system, you can prove it.”
Back in a cafe near Manhattan’s Union Square, Sweetgreen co-founder Jonathan Neman said the project could potentially apply to all kinds of produce, seasons and farms. Tomatoes were just a test.
“We’re still drawing the maps and laying the foundation,” he said.
Source: bloomberg.com
Publication date: 11/13/2017
Philips Lighting Provides LED Lighting for New Sustainable Algae Production Facility at AlgaeCytes
Philips LED lighting provides an efficient lighting source to produce algae-derived Omega-3 oil
LED system enables algae to be grown in a controlled environment with mild temperatures
Promotes higher yields, reduced energy usage and more control over production
Philips Lighting Provides LED Lighting for New Sustainable Algae Production Facility at AlgaeCytes
October 19, 2017
- Philips LED lighting provides an efficient lighting source to produce algae-derived Omega-3 oil
- LED system enables algae to be grown in a controlled environment with mild temperatures
- Promotes higher yields, reduced energy usage and more control over production
Eindhoven, The Netherlands – Philips Lighting (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, today announced that AlgaeCytes, based in Kent, UK, installed Philips GreenPower LED interlighting in its new algae farm, which uses a patented technology to meet the growing demand for Omega-3 supplements and oils without depleting the world’s fish stocks. AlgaeCytes chose Philips LED lighting because it is ideally suited for creating a mild, controlled, and energy-efficient production environment for algae, where it can ramp up production to meet demand. The company chose Philips Lighting as its partner because of its lighting expertise for horticulture, research into algae with Wageningen University and its focus on building long-term relationships with its business partners.
Producing fish oil without the fish
Bio-based products are one of the many growth markets in the horticulture sector, and Omega oils from non-marine sources are attracting a lot of attention. Dependence on traditional marine-animal sources of Omega-3 oil puts pressure on global fish stocks, which is unsustainable. “AlgaeCytes has developed a process that captures the properties of algae-high-value-ingredients for the health and personal care markets. The company has built its first production module using a photobioreactor system and freshwater algal strains to produce algae-derived EPA, an Omega-3 oil which has known health benefits. High-quality protein and carbohydrates are also produced as a by-product of the process,” said Naz Bashir, CEO AlgaeCytes. “The opening of this new facility on October 26, 2017, marks an exciting stage for AlgaeCytes that we believe will unlock the potential of algae for nutritional and health care markets.”
Supporting the bio-based market
“We are excited to be participating in this novel production facility for bio-based ingredients,” said Udo van Slooten, Business Leader Horticulture at Philips Lighting. “It is just one more example of how growers and researchers are opening new opportunities with LED lighting. I think this is just the start and we can expect LED lighting to be a driving force for many other innovations in bio-based markets.”
LED lighting is ideal for algae production
Producing algae at commercial scale requires an enormous amount of light, which makes it challenging to prevent warm temperatures. Until now, growers have used sunlight or high pressure sodium (HPS) grow lights to cultivate algae. However, sunlight is seasonal and HPS grow lights generate too much heat. Using LED lights enables AlgaeCytes to maintain optimal conditions for the growth of algae. It is also very energy efficient compared to HPS. At the AlgaeCytes facility, Philips Lighting’s Horti LED partner, Cambridge HOK, installed a unique LED system. Multiple lines of Philips GreenPower LED interlighting are placed on the sides of large glass tubes filled with nutrient-rich fresh water and algal strains. The LED interlighting produces high levels of light without increasing the temperature around the tubes.
For further information, please contact:
Philips Lighting
Daniela Damoiseaux, Global Marcom Manager Horticulture
E-mail: daniela.damoiseaux@philips.com
www.philips.com/horti
AlgaeCytes Limited
Naz Bashir, CEO
Email: nazbashir@algaecytes.com
CambridgeHOK
Tim Haworth, General Manager
E-mail: thaworth@cambridgehok.co.uk
About Philips Lighting
Philips Lighting (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting products, systems and services, delivers innovations that unlock business value, providing rich user experiences that help improve lives. Serving professional and consumer markets, we lead the industry in leveraging the Internet of Things to transform homes, buildings and urban spaces. With 2016 sales of EUR 7.1 billion, we have approximately 34,000 employees in over 70 countries. News from Philips Lighting is located at the Newsroom, Twitter and LinkedIn. Information for investors can be found on theInvestor Relations page.
About AlgaeCytes
AlgaeCytes is a business that is focused on delivering ingredients and products from algae for the personal care, nutrition therapeutics and health markets. At AlgaeCytes our ambition and constant objective is to develop products according to the principles of the green economy, naturally and with minimal waste. We are always aiming to have a positive impact on health and nutrition. At AlgaeCytes we aim to add value by offering ingredients such as vegetarian Omega 3 oils EPA and other algae-based ingredients. AlgaeCytes can also make high-quality protein and carbohydrates from algal biomass from traceable sources. AlgaeCytes' patented technology offers a number of benefits in terms of sustainability. It allows for continuous indoor algae farming production in regular commercial locations, near skilled employees, transportation and markets.
About CambridgeHOK
CambridgeHOK is the UK’s leading Glasshouse, Heating and LED lighting specialist with its own inhouse expert design engineers. It specialises in bespoke turnkey design and installation adapting every solution to the client’s needs using the very latest in technology. More information can be found on its website: http://cambridgehok.co.uk/.
The Hydroponic, Robotic Future of Farming in Greenhouses
Here in 2017, the automation revolution in agriculture is poised to take on a whole new life—thanks to robots. In a nondescript office park in Silicon Valley, a startup called Iron Ox is taking the first steps toward roboticizing greenhouse farming, which has so far stubbornly resisted automation.
The Hydroponic, Robotic Future of Farming in Greenhouses
WHEN YOU THINK of automation, you probably think of the assembly line, a dramatic dance of robot arms with nary a human laborer in sight. But that’s child’s play. The grandest, most disruptive automation revolution has played out in agriculture. First with horses and plows, and eventually with burly combines—technologies that have made farming exponentially cheaper and more productive. Just consider that in 1790, farmers made up 90 percent of the US workforce. In 2012, it was 1.5 percent, yet America still eats.
Here in 2017, the automation revolution in agriculture is poised to take on a whole new life—thanks to robots. In a nondescript office park in Silicon Valley, a startup called Iron Ox is taking the first steps toward roboticizing greenhouse farming, which has so far stubbornly resisted automation. In the very near future, then, the salad on your table may come from the hand of a robot.
Unlike a lot of indoor farming operations, Iron Ox isn’t joining the booming movement of LED-powered grow houses. It’s still very much interested in harnessing the energy of the sun (free energy!). So it’s invading the greenhouse instead. “The problem up until today is that greenhouse production costs around twice as much to grow a head of lettuce as the outdoor farm,” says Brandon Alexander, CEO of Iron Ox. “And one reason is there's no tractors or anything indoors.”
Iron Ox doesn't have a tractor, but it also doesn't need one. Its solution begins with a custom hydroponics tray filled with nutrient-rich water. Over that is a cover with a grid of holes, in which the plants sit in little pods. This is all designed so a custom robot—essentially an intelligent rectangular frame—can come along and slide lifters under the tray, then cart it to a different part of the greenhouse.
Why bother with all the shuttling around? Because they can. Out in a field, farmers have no choice but to leave plants where they planted them—and because plants grow, farmers have to space out seeds to accommodate their fully-grown dimensions. But Iron Ox doesn't have to waste that extra space.
Here in the greenhouse, they’re using different trays with different spacing of their holes, some farther apart than others. Leafy greens, in particular, need more horizontal room to expand, so baby plants start off in a more densely packed tray, then graduate to trays with more room as they grow. “This, combined with the fact that we don't have to worry about seasonality—we can always be seeding, always be harvesting—allows us to grow over 30X per acre compared to an outdoor farm,” says Alexander.
The problem then becomes transplanting between trays. That’s where the robotic arm comes in. It sees with stereo cameras on its wrist and grabs the plants with a gripper custom-designed to fit the pods (which the plants never outgrow, by the way). The arm sits between two trays of different densities, eyeballing the plants and moving them from one tray and to another.
Because it’s equipped with a camera, it can simultaneously build a 3-D image of each plant. “Is it the size that we expect?" says Jon Binney, CTO of Iron Ox. "Is it the shape that we expect? If it's going to fall one way or the other, that could be a lighting problem. Brown spots on the edges of the leaves could be too much light and not enough air coming through.”
So Iron Ox’s system not only automates greenhouse growing but supercharges it. The company is developing machine learning algorithms that will automatically detect diseased plants and kick them out of the system before the sickness spreads. Underdeveloped plants would also get the boot. What you end up with is a system that does the repetitive tasks of greenhouse farming faster and more precisely than a human, and uses that data to make the process all the more efficient.
Whether in the greenhouse or the field, it’s this kind of automation that will be essential to the future of humanity. Our species has to figure out how to feed a rapidly growing population on a planet that refuses to grow bigger. So we’ll have to get smarter about how we use the land we’ve got, or we’re going to have trouble. That and climate change will monkey with water supplies around the world, so the inefficiencies of traditional outdoor farming are going to start looking more and more untenable. (Iron Ox claims its hydroponics system uses 90 percent less water than outdoor farming. Studies of hydroponics, in general, have found about the same efficiencies.)
But automation means humans lose jobs though, right? Not in this industry. “We've talked to dozens of commercial farmers, outdoor and indoor, and the biggest issue by far is labor scarcity,” says Alexander. “So the truth is today, it doesn't matter what country, newer generations are not taking up farming. And so there's a significant labor shortage especially here in California.” (He ain’t lying— between 2002 and 2014, the number of full-time farm workers in the US plummeted by 20 percent.)
The solution is to hand the future of our food supply to the machines. There’s simply no other way to go about it. So be careful not to bite the robotic hand that feeds you.
$30 Million Greenhouse Project Planned In Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
$30 Million Greenhouse Project Planned In Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Would be first Dutch-style hydroponic greenhouse in Wisconsin
November 27, 2017
A $30 million greenhouse that could employ up to 40 people is planned on a vacant site in Pleasant Prairie.
The 35-acre Prairie Produce Farm will be the first Dutch-style hydroponic greenhouse in Wisconsin, according to plans submitted by Jim Hershenbach to the village.
The greenhouse will be affiliated with sister companies Del Fresco Produce and Sunrite Greenhouses in Kingsville and Leamington, Ontario, Canada.
Hershenbach is planning to purchase about 54.5 acres of a 65-acre site located west of 112nd Street and east of 88th Avenue for the development.
The first phase of the development includes a 15.3-acre greenhouse and a 30,000-square-foot support building that will house equipment, two loading docks, lab offices and a caretaker’s apartment.
The produce grown at the farm will be sold to local grocers, their distribution centers and institutional suppliers, according to documents submitted to the village. There will be no retail sales.
The greenhouse will employ 30 to 40 full time workers who will earn $12 to $48 per hour, depending on their responsibilities.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2018, pending village board approval.
The plan commission will review the proposal Monday.
Phase two includes an additional greenhouse on 18.5 acres that will be constructed “as soon as market conditions allow,” which is estimated to be in 2020.
That Healthful Looking Green Leafy Stuff in Your Fridge May Not Be As Great For You As You Think.
That Healthful Looking Green Leafy Stuff in Your Fridge May Not Be As Great For You As You Think.
How could that be you ask? Well…Let me explain.
Firstly, a brief ecology lesson;
- Healthy organic soil contains microorganisms* or microbes
- These microbes work to break down plant matter in the soil
- This breakdown of vegetation creates humate deposits in the soil
- Humate deposits are rich in the amazing fulvic acid and humic acids (also known as minerals)
*Soil microorganisms can be classified as bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae and protozoa. Each of these groups has characteristics that define them and their functions in soil.
So, how does this relate to my lettuce?
Right now, less than 4% of the soil in North America is certified organic farmland, and worldwide chemically based farming practices are continually polluting the soil.
This means the valuable microbes are being killed off by things like herbicides and pesticides, fertilizers, ultimately leading to mineral depletion. Without these precious microbes even re-mineralizing the soil is futile, as the humates and fulvic acid are still missing.
Ok, on to that lettuce finally! Chances are it was grown in an environment that was lacking microbes, and thus the creation of humates and fulvic minerals are almost nil to very low. As a result, the lettuce is lacking in minerals even though it may look lush and green.
I get it, sick soil = means my lettuce is lacking
But what effect does this have on my health? And what’s this fulvic acid stuff you keep talking about?
Patience please, your answers are on the way in our next couple emails while your waiting you can watch today's message from our founder HERE.
Let's make tiny farming not so tiny!
Is Organic Labeling Something The Hydroponic Industry Needs?
Is Organic Labeling Something The Hydroponic Industry Needs?
Conscientious shoppers are seeking out organically labeled food in their grocery stores and even at farmers markets.
November 28, 2017
CropKing
In an extremely close vote Nov. 1, the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board made a decision on a controversial issue: can hydroponically grown crops be certified organic? The answer, by an 8-7 margin, was yes. With the vote out of the way, the NOSB will now have to make recommendations on how the hydroponic industry can be governed under the organic label. However, as both organic and hydroponic agriculture adjust to the board’s decision, a simple question looms in the air, “Is organic the best path forward for hydroponically grown crops?”
Here’s the thing, there’s no arguing that organic is a hot niche. In April 2016, the Huffington Post wrote an article detailing Costco’s fast-selling organic produce section, entitled, “Costco Is Selling So Much Organic Produce, Farmers Can’t Keep Up”. In fact, while the USDA doesn’t keep hard numbers on total organic sales, the agency does have this chart showing the growth of sales. Even to the untrained eye, it’s clear organic sales have been steadily growing since 2005. That’s more than a decade of increasing sales.
Organic is having a sustained moment in the sun. Conscientious shoppers are seeking out organically labelled food in their grocery stores and even at farmers markets.
There are downsides to organic though. The market is already saturated with growers competing in the space. The Organic Authority says there are already 100 hydroponic growers certified to sell organic. And that’s just the hydroponic growers that got in before Nov. 1. Given the national attention on the NOSB decision, more applications for organic certification could be coming into USDA shortly.
There’s also growing confusion over organic versus competing labels, particularly the “local” identifier. Some consumers don’t know the two aren’t synonymous.
“What is a consumer looking for when they buy organic? Most buyers who purchase organic do so because organic, to them, equals safety, pesticide free, healthy food for my family,” said CropKing President Paul Brentlinger.
Plus, shoppers are increasingly heading to farmers markets to buy local crops, perhaps signaling a shift in priorities for heady produce buyers. In 2013, the USDA said there were 8,144 farmers markets, that’s up from 1,755 in 1994. That’s why more produce is carrying a “local” label.
It seems consumers are increasingly interested in where crops come from and how they’re grown. That’s why some industry vets have been wondering about a hydroponic-specific label, something that indicates growers are utilizing the best, most sustainable practices available in the CEA, hydroponic environment. Something the fast-growing industry can tout as its own and put marketing might behind. Something that can be added to the already impressive list of labels.
“Regardless of the debate surrounding salt based fertilizer or organic fertilizer I think the CEA industry can check those boxes for the consumer. Many CropKing growers market their product as "locally grown", "pesticide free" and are able to develop that relationship with the communities they support,” said Brentlinger.
After all, the organic labelled products totaled $47 billion in sales last year, according to Business Insider. Could a hydroponic-specific label push your sales to new heights?
Tell us what you think, would a hydroponic label benefit you? Let us know in the comments.
Photo: iStock
Urban Agriculture Production Act Could Help Eliminate Urban Food Deserts
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) introduced the Urban Agriculture Production Act in September. This bipartisan bill aims to support nutritional and farmers’ market programs and help create the next generation of local, urban farmers and food producers.
Urban Agriculture Production Act Could Help Eliminate Urban Food Deserts
NOVEMBER 28, 2017 | DAVID KUACK
Urban Agriculture Production Act offers growers, retailers and consumers opportunity to produce, market and purchase locally-grown food.
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) introduced the Urban Agriculture Production Act in September. This bipartisan bill aims to support nutritional and farmers’ market programs and help create the next generation of local, urban farmers and food producers.
Kaptur was joined by 11 original cosponsors: Rep. John Conyers (MI-13), Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13), Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (DC-AL), Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-04), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Rep. Tim Ryan (OH-13), Rep. Dwight Evans (PA-02), Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12) and Rep. Don Young (AK-AL). The bill is supported by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Farmers Market Coalition.
Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur introduced the Urban Agriculture Production Act in September with the goal of supporting small farmers, helping to eliminate food deserts and promoting local agriculture.
Photos courtesy of Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur
Congresswoman Kaptur sat down with Urban Ag News to talk about the Urban Agriculture Production Act and the impact it could have on growers, local food retailers and urban communities.
UAN: What are the goals of the Urban Agriculture Production Act and why did you introduce the bill at this time?
Kaptur: The Urban Agriculture Production Act can serve as a marker for the next Farm Bill reauthorization. My key goals are to support small farmers and producers, work to eliminate food deserts and promote local agriculture in our nation’s metropolitan areas.
Across America, too many of our urban neighborhoods are absent of stores where community members can purchase fresh, healthy foods. There are more than 23 million individuals residing in these so-called “food desert” neighborhoods, where there are no stores within one mile in which they can buy healthy food. Without healthy options, people are forced to eat unhealthy, processed, junk food, because that is all that is available and affordable. This bill is a step to correct this unacceptable trend.
UAN: The term “urban agriculture” includes urban farms, hoop houses, aqua-culture, hydroponic and aquaponics facilities and rooftop, vertical and indoor farms. Would this also include new or existing commercial greenhouse growers who may be looking to set up production facilities in urban areas?
Kaptur: Certainly. But it is important to also note that new approaches to greenhouse growing should be re-imagined in order to manage energy and water systems through more efficient and renewable means. In urban communities like those I represent, resources are available and are waiting to be utilized. Vacant and blighted properties can be repurposed into productive sites with the installation of energy- and water-efficient commercial greenhouses. Waste heat from manufacturing operations can also be rechanneled to allow for an entirely new class of four-season growing.
Embracing such opportunities can empower new people through agriculture. Residents in urban areas could benefit from not only the jobs created, but also from the unique skills gained in food production and distribution processing.
UAN: How is the production of the food and its sales going to be coordinated? In other words, how are growers going to know that they have markets ready to handle their produce even before they grow the crops and retailers are going to be sure they have an adequate amount of produce to sell?
Kaptur: That is up to the growers, but ideally, we will have at least some venues, think farmers’ markets that are also empowered by the investments we’re making in this bill. From there, growers and producers can get a foot in the door to compete and succeed.
UAN: The Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an urban agriculture outreach program. Part of this program enables the Secretary to award grants. Would growers be eligible for these grants and what type of production and marketing activities/projects could these funds be used to finance?
Kaptur: That is one of the most exciting pieces of the legislation. Growers would be eligible for these grants. And the grants are for the following types of activities in urban or in and around urban areas:
- Infrastructure, land acquisition and land conversation.
- Education and training to enhance agricultural production.
- The aggregation of farmer products and supplies for purposes of transportation to market.
- Other activities that support urban agricultural production as determined by the Secretary of Agriclture.
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur hopes the Urban Agriculture Production Act will encourage growers to look at new approaches to greenhouse growing that will enable them to manage energy and water systems through more efficient and renewable means.
UAN: Where would the money come from to operate the urban agriculture outreach program and who would oversee it?
Kaptur: Our bill authorizes Congress to allocate $50 million each year to the Department of Agriculture for the urban agriculture outreach program. It also creates an Urban Agricultural Liaison who would administer the program.
UAN: How much money will be available to initiate the urban agriculture outreach program and for how long would this funding be available? Does this amount of funding change from year to year and does it have to be appropriated annually?
Kaptur: $50 million is the amount authorized in our bill, starting in 2018 and each fiscal year thereafter. This authorizing amount does not change from year to year. We hope this money will eventually inspire other investment from businesses, nonprofits, churches and even local and state governments.
In my hometown of Toledo, for example, a local restaurant, Balance Pan-Asian Grille, is building an urban indoor aquaponics farm next door to their new location to grow the food that will be served every day. It is very exciting and ideally, our bill would help create more opportunities and the expertise for this to happen a lot more across the country.
UAN: Who will decide as to which production and marketing projects receive funding?
Kaptur: The Secretary of Agriculture will determine how the production and marketing funding is awarded based on the criteria set out the bill.
UAN: Some of these projects are eligible for grants and others are eligible for loans. Who will make the decision as to which projects receive which type of funding?
Kaptur: The Secretary of Agriculture, either as acting through the Administrator of the Farm Service Agency or any other USDA agent who he deems appropriate, will make the determination.
UAN: With the mentality of the current administration and some legislators in Washington to cut spending, what do you think are the chances of this bill passing even though it has received bipartisan support?
Kaptur: That is why we are focused on incorporating as much of our urban agriculture bill into the upcoming Farm Bill. Though it won’t be easy, this legislation is a must-pass bill, and historically has always crossed the finish line.
UAN: Will the Urban Agriculture Production Act have any connection with the upcoming 2018 Farm Bill? If so, would funding the urban agriculture outreach program and its projects have any impact on funding other programs in the upcoming 2018 Farm Bill?
Kaptur: Well, we hope so. And I am confident that other Members of Congress from both rural and urban areas alike will see the value in spurring innovation and investing in our urban agriculture infrastructure.
For more: Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), 2186 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515; (202) 225-4146; https://kaptur.house.gov.
NYC Restaurant Opts for Hyper-Local, Clean Produce by Building a Hydroponic Farm on Location!
Rob Laing, CEO of Farm.One has a solution: hydroponics, a system of growing plants without many of the traditional inputs. Using just a finely tuned solution of water, Farm.One can grow crops without soil or even sunlight.
NYC Restaurant Opts for Hyper-Local, Clean Produce by Building a Hydroponic Farm on Location!
Michelle Neff
November 13, 2017
There has been a notable rise in consumer concern over the sustainability of their food choices in recent years. Thanks to the availability of information, people are becoming more concerned about their own health, as well as coming to realize the impact that their food choices have on the planet and animals.
Many people are looking for sustainable farming practices and choosing organic produce that isn’t filled with pesticides and other chemicals. According to data provided by the Organic Trade Association, sales of organic produce are expected to grow 70 percent between 2016 and 2021. People want food that is fresh and good for them, but unfortunately, most of the produce in the U.S. is shipped across the country and it’s not as easy to find locally grown fruits and vegetables in commercial grocery stores. With a number petrochemicals involved in creating synthetic fertilizers and pesticides – as well as those needed in the packing, cooling, and shipping process – it’s quite hard to find truly sustainable produce that you can trust.
Rob Laing, CEO of Farm.One has a solution: hydroponics, a system of growing plants without many of the traditional inputs. Using just a finely tuned solution of water, Farm.One can grow crops without soil or even sunlight. In fact, Farm.One is a unique indoor farm in downtown Manhattan, which uses hydroponics to reduce water use by around 95 percent, and advanced climate control technology to grow a wide variety of plants year-round without pesticides, pollution, soil contamination, herbicides, manure or waiting in cold storage.
Now, Farm.One is expanding and planning to launch a second farm, directly underneath the restaurant Atera in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City on November 14, 2017!
“In Denmark, it was possible to step out the kitchen door and forage for beautiful ingredients. To have Farm.One in New York, just a few steps away from our kitchen gives us access to a huge range of rare ingredients, year-round,” said Ronny Emborg, Executive Chef of Atera.
The new 1,200 square-foot farm is dedicated to growing rare herbs, edible flowers, and micro greens, all of which will be used throughout New York restaurants.
Farm.One’s new farm uses efficient LED lights to grow rare produce, all in a controlled environment, year round. The produce is then transported via bike or subway to restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn, to reduce food miles. If that wasn’t amazing enough, the new farm is capable of growing 1,000 pounds of produce. The future of food is here!
“Farming indoors in Manhattan allows us to deliver a huge range of rare produce for the most demanding chefs within a few hours of harvest, year-round. Our location eliminates waste and provides a fresher, better product,” CEO Rob Laing explains. Check out the below video to learn more about this innovative company.
We are thrilled to see Farm.One expand and help create a model for hydroponic farming for other businesses! Making healthy produce accessible even in the middle of a bustling city is undoubtedly a great move for the planet, animals, and the well-being of people.
Interested in learning more about Farm.One? In a recent episode of the #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias podcast, Rob discusses his vision for how technology can transform the food system and help to create a more sustainable and healthy world.
Check out the full episode below:
Multi-Million Dollar Greenhouse Development Planned
Multi-Million Dollar Greenhouse Development Planned
- By TERRY FLORES tflores@kenoshanews.com
-
- 11-28-17
PLEASANT PRAIRIE - Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and strawberries could soon be grown in hydroponic greenhouses that operate year-round in the village.
The Pleasant Prairie Plan Commission voted 6-0 Monday night to approve plans from Prairie Produce Farm LLC to build two high-tech hydroponic greenhouses.
They will be built in multiple phases, on about 54.5 acres of a 65-acre site in the Green Hill Farm neighborhood at 122nd Street east of 88th Avenue. The property is to the northeast of the village’s recycling center.
The proposed $31 million development would be developed in an agricultural area that would not need rezoning. The commission acknowledged about 67 residential units originally part of the master plan for the area would be eliminated.
If approved by the Village Board next week, the Dutch-style hydroponic greenhouse operation would start with a 15.3-acre, 28-foot high building and would be the first state-of-the-art hydroponic operation of its kind in the state of Wisconsin, according to Jean Werbie-Harris, the village’s community development director.
Prairie Produce Farm is a sister company of DeL Fresco Produce and Sunrite Greenhouses, which have established greenhouse growing operations in Kingsville and Leamington, Ontario, Canada.
Second phase by 2020
A second 20-acre greenhouse for Phase II of the project is proposed to be built as early as 2020, according to the proposal.
Jim Hershenbac of Prairie Produce indicated the first phase would be completed early next year.
“This type of greenhouse —to give you an idea of the amount of technology — costs almost a million dollars per acre to build,” he said. The technology is found in more than 40,000 greenhouses in European countries, with more than half in Holland,” he said.
In Canada, where Del Fresco and Sunrite are located, there are 4,000 acres of the hydroponic greenhouse systems growing.
According to Hershenbach, plants are established from non-genetically modified cuttings and each can grow about the height of the building yielding 40 to 60 pounds of tomatoes, for example.
The facility would be operating on water and minimal nutrients in a “closed-loop system,” meaning there would be no runoff and natural gas would be used for night heating. Carbon dioxide exhaust would feed the plants and the operation would compost plant trimmings.
According to the plans, the facility would employ 30 to 40 full-time employees with a payroll of just over $1.3 million.
Retail buildings, hotel
The Plan Commission also approved plans for a commercial property development for a corporate campus, multi-tenant retail buildings, a hotel. future restaurants, a gasoline station, convenience store and car wash north of Highway 165 at 120th Avenue on two parcels totaling about 34 acres for The Gateway at LakeView Corporate Park.
In approving the plans, the commission voted in favor on the condition that issues over a future assessment and traffic be addressed.
According to Werbie-Harris, the commission approved amending the comprehensive plan to accommodate the cluster of proposed mixed retail and business area, master conceptual plan, and zoning.
She said possible tenants for the proposed development have not yet been identified.
Jerry Franke, the retiring president of WisPark LLC, which represented the development, said he had concerns about some of the conditions, including the assessment for a sewer lift station that will be built to support developing the site and a future roundabout planned for the area.
Franke said he was unaware of the assessment for the lift station. A meeting with the developer and staff has been planned for Thursday. The plans are expected to be brought before the Village Board on Dec. 18.
A New Jeff Bezos-Backed Warehouse Farm Will Grow Enough Produce to Feed Over 180,000 People Per Year
A New Jeff Bezos-Backed Warehouse Farm Will Grow Enough Produce to Feed Over 180,000 People Per Year
Inside Plenty's first farm in South San Francisco, California. Plenty
- Vertical farming startup Plenty — which has raised $260 million to date — is opening a 100,000-square-foot farm in the greater Seattle, Washington area.
- The company, which grows fruits and veggies under LEDs and without soil, hopes to sell its organic produce for the same price as traditional produce.
- Plenty plans to drive down operational costs by automating its growing processes as much as possible.
Following a $200 million investment this summer — the largest agriculture-tech funding round in history — vertical farming startup Plenty is expanding beyond its Bay Area roots.
The company is opening a second farm in the greater Seattle area, Plenty CEO Matt Barnard told Business Insider. Located in Kent, Washington, the 100,000-square-foot warehouse facility will grow 4.5 million pounds of greens annually, which is enough to feed around183,600 Americans, according to the USDA.
The new farm will officially start production in spring 2018. Instead of growing outdoors, Plenty grows its crops on glowing, LED-lit 20-foot-tall towers inside a former electronics distribution center in South San Francisco. The towers do not require soil, pesticides, or even natural sunlight.
The technique is called indoor vertical farming. It's a type of agriculture in which food grows on trays or hanging modules in a climate-controlled, indoor facility. The process allows certain types of produce to be grown year-round in small spaces.
Plenty's farm will be nearly twice the size as its original one in California. The company also has a smaller non-production facility in Wyoming, where it has tested different growing processes for over 300 crops.
The new Seattle-based farm will grow leafy greens and herbs first, but will later expand to fruits, including strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelons. Barnard said that Plenty's strawberries will be smaller, less pulpy, and higher in sugar and acidity levels than the ones most consumers are used to.
Plenty is aiming to lower produce costs by automating parts of its farms
Plenty, which received organic certification earlier this year, will start selling its produce in 2018. Though the company is not ready to announce exactly how it will distribute, Barnard hinted that delivery may be an option.
To date, Plenty has raised $226 million. In July, $200 million came from a Series B funding round led by SoftBank Vision. The round included DCM Ventures as well as funds that invest on behalf of Alphabet’s Eric Schmidt and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
With the new investment, Barnard said Plenty plans to build more farms around the world. The team ultimately aims to drive down operational costs so that Plenty can sell its produce for prices that match traditionally grown fruits and veggies.
Plenty is working toward that goal by automating its farm processes "as much as possible," Barnard said. For example, the company uses small robots, called the Schleppers, to transplant seedlings.
"We grow very densely," Barnard said. "And that means you get to a limit where it's hard to have a person in there."
Startup Iron Ox Mixes Robotics and Hydroponics to Futurize Farming
Silicon Valley-based startup Iron Ox is utilizing autonomous robotics to fundamentally change the nature of greenhouse-based agriculture. While the exterior of the Iron Ox greenhouse in San Carlos, California is far from remarkable, the cost-cutting integration of hydroponics, solar energy, robotics, and space-conscious farming is more than noteworthy.
Startup Iron Ox Mixes Robotics and Hydroponics to Futurize Farming
Photo Credit: Jirakan Jiherb/123RF
Silicon Valley-based startup Iron Ox is utilizing autonomous robotics to fundamentally change the nature of greenhouse-based agriculture. While the exterior of the Iron Ox greenhouse in San Carlos, California is far from remarkable, the cost-cutting integration of hydroponics, solar energy, robotics, and space-conscious farming is more than noteworthy.
Iron Ox
By using autonomous robots to plant, seed, water, and even harvest their hydroponically grown crops, Iron Ox’s system provides uniformity and rapidity which conventional, human-centric farming methods can’t match. Iron Ox greenhouses’ daily harvesting and proximity to urban centers, grocery stores and produce suppliers diminishes the nutrient loss and often bland taste which results from produce being shipped hundreds or thousands of miles from farm to store.
Founders Brandon Alexander, a former Google X engineer and John Binney, who holds a PhD in robotics, check all the boxes when it comes to consumer demand for non-GMO, pesticide-free produce. Alexander, Iron Ox’s CEO, is uniquely qualified as the leader of this farming revolution. His work on Google’s Project Wing included exploring and implementing ways for autonomous robots to work in combination. With the proper technology in place, Alexander estimates that set-up of one of Iron Ox’s urban greenhouses takes only three to four months, on average.
Luiz Ribeiro Ribeiro/123RF
The master plan is to expand Iron Ox greenhouses manned by autonomous robot-farmers to as many American cities as possible, providing a fresher, potentially cheaper source of produce that traditional farms located far from these cities would be hard-pressed to compete with. Consider that, according to Alexander, a single square-acre Iron Ox greenhouse can match the annual yield of 30 acres of traditional farmland. It also stands to reason that the products created in these robotic greenhouses are less vulnerable to insects and parasites, eliminating the need to use harmful chemicals used to protect outdoor-grown crops.
Like so many industries that have long been a staple of the American and world economies, the application of robotic technology in agriculture will likely mean a drastic shift away from dependence on human labor. The proliferation of companies like Iron Ox carries clear benefits, but it will almost certainly mean structural unemployment for those who depend on traditional means of agriculture as a livelihood. That said, it’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when we see this shift toward autonomous greenhouse farming on a mass scale.
Rooftop Pioneer: Gotham Greens Takes Farming to a New Level
Rooftop Pioneer: Gotham Greens Takes Farming to a New Level
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FOOD TECHNOLOGY, FOODPRENEURS
By Lindsey Greenberger, Marketing and Content Specialist
Eric Haley
Sensing urbanites’ hunger for locally grown produce, Gotham Greens seized an opportunity to turn cities’ abundant rooftops into farms. Here, Co-Founder and CFO Eric Haley shares how the company got its start and landed on the shelves (and roof!) of Whole Foods Market.
WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR GOTHAM GREENS COME FROM?
It was winter in NYC and my business partner and I came to the realization that most of the produce we were finding in the supermarkets was coming from places like Mexico, California, and Israel. We realized that by the time the produce made its way here, it was at least a week old and had changed hands multiple times. We also began to notice that consumer preferences were shifting toward more local and sustainably produced food and we realized there was an opportunity to disrupt the conventional model of agriculture. Overall we were inspired by innovation and technology, and driven by a sense of duty to address ecological issues facing our agricultural system.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
Back in 2011 we built our first project on a 15,000 square foot rooftop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. This state of the art, climate controlled rooftop greenhouse represented the first commercial scale facility of its kind in the U.S. We feel it represented a shift in the concept of urban farming from a seasonal community gardening resource, to a year-round, viable, commercial scale farming enterprise. Six years later, we have four greenhouses across two cities and over 150 full time employees.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO LAUNCH IN NYC AND THEN CHICAGO?
NYC and Chicago are two of the largest cities in the U.S. and they both lack fresh, local produce year-round. Both cities have strong food scenes and we were seeing the proliferation of farmer’s markets and chefs becoming household names. Once we proved that our concept was successful and commercially viable in NYC, we started looking to other cities and Chicago was an easy choice.
HOW HAS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH WHOLE FOODS IMPACTED YOUR BUSINESS? ARE THERE OTHER CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE MADE A PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT?
Shortly after launching our first greenhouse, we had attracted retail customers such as Whole Foods Market and notable restaurants such as Gramercy Tavern, so we knew that we were on to something. Whole Foods Market has been one of our early supporters and customers since day one. Our companies share a lot of the same ideals and commitment to sustainability so Whole Foods was a natural partner for our second greenhouse, which we built on top of their flagship Brooklyn store in Gowanus. The 20,000 square foot rooftop greenhouse produces over 200,000 pounds of fresh greensand herbs each year, much of which are sold direct to customers in the store downstairs. This project represents the first commercial scale greenhouse farm integrated into a supermarket. Both our relationship with Whole Foods Market and Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group helped us establish credibility early on.
HOW DO YOU THINK AMAZON’S PURCHASE OF WHOLE FOODS WILL IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS?
Whole Foods Market was an early supporter of Gotham Greens and we share many of the same ethos around sustainability and community involvement. We’ve also been working with Amazon for the last few years and they’ve championed our brand so we have every reason to expect that they’ll continue to support our products and unique partnership!
HOW HAS YOUR VISION FOR THE COMPANY EVOLVED?
When we first started Gotham Greens we were looking to prove that it was possible to grow premium quality, hyper local produce year round right in NYC. Now that we’ve grown into a midsize company with four commercial scale facilities across two major U.S. cities, we’re looking to bring the concept to additional cities across the country.
WHERE DID YOU GET THE FINANCING?
When my co-founder and I came up with our concept back in 2009, we did what any sage business owners would do and wrote a business plan. We entered it into the New York Green Business Competition and won the grand prize which gave us a nice initial boost. We also pooled together money from friends and family. Since inception we’ve raised $30 million to date and are in the midst of doing our Series C.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES?
The greatest challenges have come from not having a prototype for what we’re doing. As a pioneer in the urban agriculture space we’ve had to learn on our feet and stay flexible.
HOW DO YOU DO MARKETING? WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE?
We do all of our marketing in-house. We’re really committed to being part of our communities and do things like host weekly tours on our Gowanus observation deck and donate product to community organized events. We also partner with local community gardening programs, food rescue organizations and public schools to increase environmental education and healthy food access to our neighbors in need.
WHERE DO YOU WANT THE COMPANY TO BE IN 5 YEARS?
I’d like to see Gotham Greens be a local brand on a national level. Now that we’ve proven that urban farming can be done on a commercial scale, year-round and across multiple cities, the sky is the limit!
Farm of Future Grows Crops Quickly, Efficiently
Farm of Future Grows Crops Quickly, Efficiently
- Matthew Lambert, mlambert@agrinews.com | Nov 21, 2017
Two of many rows of leafy greens, these ones being specifically butter lettuce, inside Living Greens Farm in Faribault, Minn. The farm utilizes vertical growing techniques inside of a warehouse as way to be efficient and environmentally friendly.
Matthew Lambert / mlambert@agrinews.com
FARIBAULT, Minn. — The warehouse that houses Living Greens Farm doesn't look like a place that contains the future of farming.
Located on the north side of Faribault near Interstate 35, Dana Anderson and Dave Augustine are executing "trial and error" tactics to help feed the world.
Augustine said that when he and Anderson began Living Greens in 2012, they ran into more engineering problems than growing issues. Now, they're an efficient machine, growing leafy greens in a 45-day growing cycle compared to the usual 80-90 days.
The farm uses a special frame designed by Anderson in his garage in 2010. While the prototype is different from what's in use today, the basic A-frame is the same: two frames pressed together at the top like a triangle, with room in-between for workers to move through.
It uses the frame for shedding water, allowing the crops, that spend around two weeks before they enter the A-frame setup, to be regularly misted with a nutrient solution.
Living Greens Farm doesn't use soil or water as a growing medium, rather it utilizes aeroponics or vertical growing, maximizing the growing space.
Living Greens Farm grows lettuce varieties, herbs and microgreens, selling around Minnesota and going to market within 24 to 48 hours after harvest.
These aren't genetically inferior crops either. Living Greens Farm grows everything from butter lettuce and upland cress to microgreen arugula and microgreen radish to basil and cilantro, just to name a few.
There are no herbicides or pesticides, not organic, and use little heat and light. Furthermore, Living Greens Farm uses one-200th of the land and 95 percent less water than a traditional farm.
From what began as trial and error has become an efficient machine that shows the potential for farming to be possible anywhere at anytime.
Michelle Keller, the head grower at Living Greens Farm, previously ran a hydroponic lettuce farm for 10 years. She's been with Living Greens Farm for a little more than four years and was familiar with the aeroponic process itself.
Keller can do what the average farmer can't: control the elements.
"I can mimic June 12 months of the year," Keller said.
Keller said the future of farming will likely still have larger fields growing corn, wheat, and oats, but a lack of space makes abandoned buildings or warehouses perfect places for start-up farms.
"This is the answer," Keller said. "It gets you closer to the end consumer, we're not shipping it in, we're not being dependent on foreign countries as much. Some type of indoor farming has to be the answer."
Anderson and Augustine say Rice County and Faribault were "business friendly" for the futuristic venture, but they aren't ruling out the possibility of growing other products or expanding their model and technique elsewhere, including international markets.
Innovative Light Measurement Solutions for Indoor Horticulture; High Precision, Handheld PAR Meters from Gamma Scientific
Innovative Light Measurement Solutions for Indoor Horticulture; High Precision, Handheld PAR Meters from Gamma Scientific
San Diego, CA – Commercial success in indoor horticultural operations requires intricate knowledge and carefully managed growing conditions. Among them, a detailed understanding of your lighting parameters is key; including efficiency, spectral properties, aging affects, fixture spacing and optimal working distances.
The PG100N provides a robust and reliable solution for light measurement with fully NIST-traceable performance. Through an integrated, high-resolution color display, PPFD values can be viewed over the PAR range, or within specific wavelength bands from the UVA to the Near-Infrared. In addition to internal data logging, downloads via SD card, USB port or Wi-Fi mode allow data tracking and analysis over time, and downloads in Excel and JPG formats are standard.
The detector head can be removed for optimal positioning, and operating time is up to 5 hours on a full battery charge. Units are in stock in our warehouse and available for rapid delivery.
For over 50 years, Gamma Scientific has delivered highly unique, state-of-the-art measurement solutions for manufacturers and users of light sources, sensors, and displays. Products include high precision spectroradiometers, calibration light sources, goniophotometers, integrating spheres, thin film measurement systems, and LED testers and sorters. The company also operates an ISO 17025, NVLAP accredited laboratory (NVLAP Laboratory code 200823-0) for calibration and testing.
For Hydroponic Educator, Innovation Is A Way of Life
For Hydroponic Educator, Innovation Is A Way of Life
NOVEMBER 24, 2017 URBANAG NEWS
Originally published in Issue 15
By Sidsel Robards
Not many teachers can come back to school telling students that their summer vacation included a visit to The White House to pick up a Presidential Award. But Shakira Provasoli, resident science teacher at The Sun Works Center at PS333 in New York City, did exactly that after an August ceremony where she received a presidential honor from the EPA for her outstanding work as an environmental educator.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the EPA and the White House for my commitment to environmental education. I want to thank NY Sun Works for giving me the opportunity to create curriculum in such an inspiring science laboratory!”
—Shakira Provasoli
Established in 2011, the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators recognizes teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. The award comes with a cash prize toward further professional development and is matched with a grant for the teacher’s school to further fund environmental educational activities and programs.
Rooftop greenhouse classroom
Shakira has been an educator for 16 years, and was part of the first cohort of the NASA Endeavor program. In the past five years she has been a science cluster teacher at The Sun Works Center at PS333. Her classroom is a 1,450-square-foot rooftop hydroponic greenhouse built by NY Sun Works. During the week she works with about 660 kindergarten to 5th grade students, who learn about everything from systems and cycles, environmental interaction, sustainable solutions, and sustainable cities – all through the lens of urban agriculture.
When Shakira was a classroom teacher, she strived to know the whole person in her students. But she says teaching all K to 5th grades as the greenhouse teacher gives her the opportunity to know them on a much deeper level. She learns not only if a child can read on grade level; she knows who shares highly coveted aquaponics tools, who gently transplants seedlings, who has enough stamina to power all four light bulbs on the energy bike and who can always spot the hidden frogs.
Shakira Provasoli
Hands-on, project-based science
Outside the classroom, Shakira’s contribution to the NY Sun Works program goes much deeper. She was one of the first teachers to join the team led by NY Sun Works’ Executive Director Manuela Zamora, to develop the extensive K through 12th grade curriculum Discovering Sustainability Science. The curriculum goes hand-in-hand with the organization’s hydroponic science labs and offers a new way of teaching hands-on, project-based science while covering state-mandated standards. The in-depth curriculum is being used in NY Sun Works’ partner schools throughout New York City and the state and is featured in an eponymous annual youth conference.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have students who eagerly race into my hydroponic classroom, determined to be the first ones to spot the ladybug eggs, power the energy bike, spray the seedlings, harvest kale, test the pH, monitor water quality, construct their own hydroponic system or correctly identify a pest.”
—Shakira Provasoli
In 2012, NY Sun Works launched a teacher training program. There was no question that Shakira would be the ideal candidate to lead the 36-hour course, “Water, Waste and Energy: integrating themes of sustainability into the classroom.” Since the course was implemented, it has been offered through the N.Y. Department of Education 16 times and has trained more than 150 teachers from both public and private schools in New York.
With her Presidential Innovation Award, Shakira hopes to show other educators how critical environmental education is to students and to our planet. School age children today need to have the tools to spark creative ideas for solutions that will lessen the effects of climate change in the future.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Sidsel Robards, Director, Development and Events, NY SunWorks
NY Sun Works is a non-profit organization that builds innovative science labs in urban schools. Through their Greenhouse Project Initiative they use hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability. www.nysunworks.org
Indoor Farms of America Brings World's First Solar-Powered Vertical Aeroponic Farm, Announces More International Sales
Indoor Farms of America Brings World's First Solar-Powered Vertical Aeroponic Farm, Announces More International Sales
NEWS PROVIDED BY Indoor Farms of America
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 20, 2017, / PRNewswire
Indoor Farms of America announces the first fully operating, 100% solar powered vertical aeroponic indoor farm in the world.
"This farm represents a major milestone for indoor farming. Everyone in the industry knows that the additional investment of solar energy generation to power an indoor farm can turn a solid return on that investment into a long-term money loser, due to the length of time to recapture those extra investment dollars," states David Martin, CEO of Indoor Farms of America.
World's First Solar Power Installation for a Vertical Aeroponic Farm
"Using solar technology to power up our vertical aeroponics, which grows fresh crops that are simply beyond organic, is really a great story, if the economics work," says Martin. "Our equipment was specifically designed to create that tangible R.O.I., which is the only yardstick that frankly matters in an indoor space, and furthers how we transcend anything else in the industry."
nside the world's first solar powered vertical aeroponic farm
In addition to being powered by solar energy, this farm is special to the company, as it represents one of numerous farms the company has built that are owned and operated by traditional agriculture folks, according to company President,Ron Evans. "When you can convert an older barn or outbuilding on a farm into a state of the art indoor farming facility, and operate that farm within a short distance to market, you are achieving the best of all worlds in farming. This farm is twenty minutes from market, so local people will have access to daily fresh herbs and greens that they have never experienced before, all year long, no matter what the weather or time of year."
The company also announces additional sales in international markets. "We are really pleased to have been chosen as the containerized farm supplier for an extreme weather area of the world, in Northern Canada, where we are delivering a Model 8775 to the town of Yellowknife," says Martin. "This farm will experience temps of minus 40 celsius, and we have spent the past year in continual R&D to ensure our turn-key farms can operate anywhere on the planet."
The area of West Africa, known as the Ivory Coast, is receiving its first world class indoor farm, in the form of a Model 6825. "Here again, we were chosen over all competitors due to the fact our containerized farm models grow over double the yield of anything else in the world," according to Martin.
The U.A.E. is receiving its first vertical aeroponic farm from IFOA, located in Dubai, which is set to open for business in January, 2018. "Dubai will now have unprecedented access to daily fresh premiums herbs, and fresh strawberries," states Martin.
"If you are in Dubai in the first week of December, be sure and stop by the WOP Dubai event and see our display," saysRon Evans. "You can also visit with us at the Farm Forum event in Calgary, Alberta Canada that same week. We are always a show stopper at the events our equipment is displayed at."
Indoor Farms of America has a showroom with demonstration farms operating in Las Vegas, Nevada and in multiple locations in Canada, and in South Africa, where their patented vertical aeroponic equipment is on display.
CONTACT:
David W. Martin, CEO • 185857@email4pr.com • IndoorFarmsAmerica.com
4000 W. Ali Baba Lane, Ste. F Las Vegas, NV 89118
(702) 664-1236 or (702) 606-2691
SOURCE Indoor Farms of America