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Fresh Produce, Brought To You By Robots
IN SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA, UNDER LED lighting in a controlled, 8,000-square-foot environment, a team of autonomous robots is whirring night and day between rows of leafy greens
A Family-Owned Market In California
Is Now Selling Robot-Reared Leafy Greens
BY LUKE FATER AUGUST 08, 2019
An industrial robotic arm with custom gripper and sensors constantly reorganizes plants as they grow. IRON OX
IN SAN CARLOS, CALIFORNIA, UNDER LED lighting in a controlled, 8,000-square-foot environment, a team of autonomous robots is whirring night and day between rows of leafy greens. There is no dirt, there are no pesticides, and on this indoor farm, the only humans work behind screens. This is one of the world’s first autonomously operated commercial farms, and their produce is now flying off the shelves.
As a child, roboticist Brandon Alexander spent summers in Oklahoma helping his grandfather grow potatoes, peanuts, and cotton on a 6,000-acre farm. But as CEO of Iron Ox, the start-up company behind the automated farm, he says traditional farming is now his biggest competition—and granddad understands. “He knows that for farming to survive, this is almost inevitable,” says Alexander.
At Bianchini’s Market, a family-owned grocery in the San Francisco Bay Area, the two worlds are competing for the first time. As it stands, the robots are holding their own: Between retail buyers and several local restaurants, including San Francisco’s Trace, Iron Ox saw sales more than double last quarter.
Compact spacing techniques unique to hydroponic farms allow Iron Ox to grow 30 times the yield per acre compared to outdoor farming, according to Alexander. IRON OX
The San Carlos operation is not completely automated just yet. Human staff still plant the initial seed and handle post-harvest packaging. But the rest is left to robots.
Angus, a half-ton aluminum porter, roams the “field” of trays, or pallets, 24/7 with an overhead camera. On traditional farms, plants need space for their roots to absorb nutrients; on hydroponic farms, however, seeds can be planted in their trays mere inches apart. As they grow and begin crowding each other, though, this does require more attention from, say, a sleepless robot. Angus carries the 800-pound pallets in need of rearranging to a separate, industrial robotic arm that gently re-shuffles the growing pods into new compact rows. Angus is also responsible for IPM (integrated pest management) and scanning for aphids, mildew, and browning.
The robotic arm’s stereo-camera (“two cameras that kind of mimic your eyes,” Alexander casually explains) creates a 3-D model of at-risk produce that’s run through a machine algorithm to diagnose the issue and quarantine or prune accordingly. “The Brain,” a cloud-based AI software, coordinates all these autonomous functions while monitoring light, nitrogen, and water levels. “It’s a neighborhood farm,” says Alexander.
A 1,000-pound aluminum porter named Angus scans for crowding, carrying plant pallets to a separate robotic arm for rearranging. IRON OX
He’s not wrong. Produce from Iron Ox travels less than a mile to reach Bianchini’s—itself a mere 25 miles from downtown San Francisco. In fact, evening shoppers at Bianchini can buy produce robo-picked that morning, and at price points that compete with outdoor farms: A bunch of basil sells for $2.99; four heads of baby lettuce for $4.99; and a bunch of red-veined sorrel for $2.99.
Typically, the cost of human labor required for indoor hydroponic farms has made their produce inaccessibly expensive. Jake Counne of Backyard Fresh Farms, a similarly autonomously assisted farm in Chicago, told the Chicago Tribune that employing robotics reduced his labor costs by 80 percent. For this reason, building a farm around robotics and A.I. could crack the code of making indoor farms feasible. And while Alexander’s leafy greens remain local, the consequences of Iron Ox’s success may not.
Using robotics to make indoor hydroponic farms practical could alleviate a host of agricultural problems. In 2016, World Water Forum cited farming as a major contributor to global water scarcity. But farms like Iron Ox use 90 percent less water than outdoor farms. In a 2019 report on the challenges of feeding 10 billion people by 2050, The World Resources Institute cites concern over “the difference between global agricultural land area in 2010 and the area required in 2050 … if crop yields continue to grow at past rates.” According to Alexander, Iron Ox yields 30 times more produce per acre over the course of a year than conventional farms, and without using any arable land. A 2016 report from the National Center for Biotechnology on Chemical Pesticides urged a “drastic reduction in the use of agrochemicals,” and indoor farms alleviate the need for herbicides and pesticides.
This vision-enabled robot runs 3-D scanned models of the plants through a machine learning algorithm for quality control. IRON OX
For now, Iron Ox’s goals are more pointed. “How can we make your salad pop? We try to prioritize that,” Alexander says. Following the success of the San Carlos location, he does plan to set up robotic farms near other U.S. cities, though he’s not announcing anything yet. Iron Ox is, however, hiring humans for plant science and growing teams.
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Denver Urban Farming Trend Grows From A Sloan’s Lake Condo Tower To A Larimer Square Parking Garage
“If you grew this in California and transported it here, it wouldn’t taste nearly this strong,” Altius co-founder and CEO Sally Herbert said, holding up a particularly spicy variety of mustard leaf
Entrepreneurs and real estate developers are taking urban agriculture to new heights at a Mile High
Emily Lawler, farm manager, works outside at Altius Farms, in the RiNo neighborhood, on July 26, 2019 in Denver. The urban agriculture sells items to local restaurants.
By JOE RUBINO | jrubino@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
August 4, 2019
It was 8:15 Tuesday morning and the greenhouse was just waking up for the day.
Spurred by an electrical panel that serves as its brain, its roof vents had popped open, letting in the cool, morning air.
Meanwhile, the human staff of Altius Farms was already busy doing its work. Moving among rows of aeroponic growing towers the pickers plucked leafy greens, herbs and edible flowers like Genovese basil and red Russian kale, washed them and packed them in coolers.
Within hours the harvest would be distributed to some of Altius’ three dozen odd regular and seasonal customers in the Denver area including top restaurants and grocers like Choice Market and Marczyk Fine Foods.
“If you grew this in California and transported it here, it wouldn’t taste nearly this strong,” Altius co-founder and CEO Sally Herbert said, holding up a particularly spicy variety of mustard leaf. “After 1,500 miles in and out of cold storage, the flavor degrades. The nutrient density degrades, too. As much as 80 percent.”
All of the work, mechanical and mammal, was taking place far from Colorado’s agriculture heartlands on the Eastern Plains and Western Slope. Altius is farming in the heart of Denver at 2500 Lawrence St. Its 7,000-square-foot greenhouse sits atop (and helps supply) chic sushi restaurant Uchi and is the visual centerpiece of sustainability-focused condo project S*Park.
The greenhouse is a shimmering glass example of the growing urban farming trend that is now setting down deeper roots in Denver, both in new projects like the soon-to-be-completed Lakehouse tower near Sloan’s Lake and in historic city anchors like Larimer Square.
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Emily Lawler, farm manger, works outside at Altius Farms, in the RiNo neighborhood, on July 26, 2019 in Denver. The urban agriculture sells items to local restaurants.
S*Park was a Denver Housing Authority property before Westfield Co. bought the land it sits on and two other parcels for $7 million. Part of the deal required Westfield to preserve a community garden on the property. The company has done that. Herbert, formerly in the Air Force Reserve, is looking for a fellow veteran to tend to that outdoor plot which was planted earlier this summer. Westfield has also gone beyond that directive by bringing in Altius as one of the marquee tenants in the 91-unit community.
Westfield partner Jonathan Alpert said the goal at S*Park was to find tenant businesses that matched with its sustainable design and mission. Other businesses on the block include a juice bar, a yoga studio and a forthcoming bakery.
Altius plays more than one role there.
The development is dotted with metal tubs residents can use as their own garden beds, with Herbert and crew offering help with cultivation techniques. Altius is establishing a community-supported agriculture or CSA program where S*Park residents and people from across the metro area can subscribe and share in some of what’s harvested as long as they are willing to come pick it up.
“I think all of the communities we build and are involved in are focused on what’s next,” Alpert said. “That was always the goal, to make it easy for people to live this lifestyle in the heart of the city.”
For Christi Turner, S*Park’s focus on sustainability is no fringe perk. Turner, who is renting a studio unit owned by a friend, is the founder of Scraps, a bike-powered compost pick-up service focused on the heart of Denver. S*Park provides her with easy access to her customers and proximity to like-minded businesses like Altius. She hopes to establish a compost drop-off point for her staff on the property.
“It’s hard to grow food in the city. It’s hard to find space, it’s hard to afford space. At the same time, it’s incumbent upon us to figure out solutions,” Turner said. “You throw in vertical gardening that does not require soil … how cool to have that be the showpiece of where you live?”
RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post
Nick Gruber, farm manger, works outside at Altius Farms putting down seeds, in the RiNo neighborhood, on July 26, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The urban agriculture sells items to local restaurants.
The 196 condos in the 12-story Lake house tower are on pace to be ready for move-ins this fall, but a rooftop farm there is already growing salad-ready produce. The 3,000-square-foot patch on the building’s second-story terrace uses traditional, soil-based methods to grow peas, tomatoes, greens and a host of other veggies, according to Quint Redmond, co-owner of Agriburbia Development.
The Keenesburg-based company has been working with Lakehouse developer Nava Real Estate Development to cultivate the project for four years, consulting on designs from the earliest stages, Redmond said. Where Altius is a startup — S*Park is its first urban farm, though another, larger project is in the works, Herbert said — Agriburbia has been involved in urban farming for a decade, working on projects across the U.S. and other countries. Redmond believes Lakehouse, where a rooftop farm was part of the plan from the beginning, is the first project of its kind in the country.
“It’s not designed to feed everybody in the building. It’s designed to educate everybody. It’s designed to be part of a broader wellness program,” Redmond said. “The main thing was to get food growing on a brand new building and to make it part of the culture. It was a joyous occasion when we harvested radishes there last week.”
Urban farming has already risen to prominence in some coastal cities, aided, in the case of trend standard-bearer San Francisco, at least by tax subsidies. But real estate trend watchers expect it to goes mainstream across the country as people get more in tune with where their food comes from and demand more fresh, healthy options.
In a trends report published in November, researchers with global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield wrote, “We expect indoor cropping operations to be a major growth industry in the years ahead.” Projects mentioned in the report include a 26-tower indoor garden at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport supplying herbs, greens and more to airport restaurants that serve upward of 10,000 people every day. Indoor farming options are viewed as particularly positive because of their low water use, and year-round production, per the report.
In Denver, Cushman & Wakefield broker Joey Trinkle is on the lookout for industrial space to accommodate Castle Rock company Farmbox Foods. Farmbox converts old shipping containers into self-contained mobile hydroponic and aquaponic farms. It wants access to rail so it can send it products to any metro area where it might find clients, Trinkle said.
With competition for industrial space in Denver fierce right now, Trinkle said he isn’t aware of many other urban farming startups looking for space. The big players in the industrial market from a food perspective remain online retailers looking to speed grocery delivery to customers and meal-in-a-box delivery companies like Blue Apron.
“I think we may start to see more sort cues of that sort of thing shifting into Denver,” he said, “but none that I am familiar with at this point.”
One of the most storied blocks in Denver — historic Larimer Square — is embracing urban farming. Earlier this summer, property manager Urban Villages cordoned off the roof of the block’s six-story parking garage on Market Street, built garden boxes and planted 100 plus varieties of plants including more than 50 types of vegetable. It eliminated more than 90 money-making parking spaces in the process.
The company partnered with Larimer Square owner Jeff Hermanson in 2018 to unveil controversial plans to build new, tall buildings along the square, with aims to bring affordable housing and a hotel to the block. Those plans, which would require City Council sign off because Larimer Square is a protected historic district, are up in the air but rooftop gardens, also part of that initial proposal, was something Urban Villages CEO Grant McCargo decided could not wait.
“We’re in a global food crisis. The world doesn’t know it,” said McCargo, who also heads up Urban Villages sister company Bio-Logical Capital and recently helped bring the eco-friendly Slow Food Nations festival to the square.
McCargo said the challenges brought on by climate change mean people need to be growing food everywhere, including on rooftops downtown. “This is not a for-profit venture up here,” he said. “This is for our education so we can plan for the reimagination (of Larimer Square.)”
The operation is being managed by Mike Spade, a New York City native who previously worked on a rooftop farm atop a hospital building at his alma mater, Stony Brook University. The roof is open for public tours on weekdays, with Saturdays being added soon, Spade said. He is exploring additional possibilities for public education and agrotourism on the roof. All food grown there is being given away.
Urban agriculture is not a new concept in Denver. The nonprofit Denver Urban Gardens manages dozens of community gardens across the metro area where people can rent plots. In the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood, GrowHaus is nearing its 10-year anniversary. That nonprofit operates a hydroponic and aquaponic farm to stock its fresh food market (where prices are set on a sliding scale) and fill subscription food boxes as it strives to support a community-driven, neighborhood-based food system that is accessible to people of all income levels.
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But things are clearly growing too new levels. Earlier this year, the nonprofit Focus Points Family Resource Center was awarded a $100,000 state grant to plan future community gardens in the Elyria-Swansea and Globeville neighborhoods. Colorado State University is preparing to build a food and agriculture innovation center as part of its three-building campus at the National Western Complex. While it could never replace traditional farming and rural food production in Colorado or elsewhere, Tom Vilsack, the former U.S. secretary of agriculture and Iowa governor now advising CSU on its National Western project, said urban farming does have a role to play in the future.
In part, “it provides opportunities for community development, it provides business opportunities and opportunities for job growth,” Vilsack said.
Kayla Birdsong, executive director of GrowHaus, is all for more locally grown produce. With more people moving into Denver all the time, there are that many more people who need, fresh healthy food. But as entrepreneurs and for-profit businesses get in on the act — each of which competes with her nonprofit organization — she hopes they’ll operators will continue to look for ways to give back, whether it be donating extra food or providing jobs in the neighborhood like GrowHaus does.
“There is a responsibility in the business community that is in it for profit to very intentionally map out their road to contributing to their communities directly and ensuring that they are actively working towards equitable food access, especially in neighborhoods that struggle so much with food insecurity every day,” she said.
Building A 2.76M Square Foot Sustainable Greenhouse In Job Starved Appalachia
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just released a report highlighting the alarming effect climate change and the rise in global temperatures are having on fertile soil—and on the world's ability to produce enough food to feed the planet's growing population
Anne Field Contributor Entrepreneur
AppHarvest facility rendering | APPHARVEST
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just released a report highlighting the alarming effect climate change and the rise in global temperatures are having on fertile soil—and on the world's ability to produce enough food to feed the planet's growing population. There’s also an increasing depletion of the global water supply.
Jonathan Webb, founder of two-year-old startup AppHarvest, thinks his company can help address those urgent crises. Specifically, he plans to produce more food with less water using massive controlled-environment, sustainable greenhouses. In the process, Webb, a native of Kentucky who also worked in renewable energy, also hopes to help revive the struggling Appalachian economy.
“There are technical solutions to many of these problems,” says Webb. “But much of it is a matter of execution at scale and at a rapid pace.”
His plan: build a 2.76 million-square-foot controlled-environment agricultural facility on 60-acres in Morehead, Kentucky, using hydroponic growing techniques, which rely on a nutrient solution, instead of the usual soil. As a result, according to Webb, it will be able to grow pesticide-free tomatoes and cucumbers year-round using 90% less water than traditional farming—and do so in the middle of coal country. Water will come from rainwater kept in a retention pool and there will be circular irrigation systems. The whole project takes its inspiration from the Netherlands, which is a top exporter of tomatoes, potatoes and onions, among other food, thanks to its pioneering work in climate-controlled agriculture.
The facility is also in a strategically-situated location that’s within a day’s drive of 70% of the U.S. population, according to the company. That should slash the amount of gas used in transportation compared to imports trucked across the country to the East Coast, while supplying markets with fresher produce. The company is working with distribution partner Mastronardi Produce.
In job-starved Appalachia, where one in four residents live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the facility also could provide a boost to the economy. While AppHarvest is buying components from the Netherlands, Webb estimates that the project will create 285 full-time positions, plus 100 construction jobs. The company will also work with local universities to add job training classes.
Webb recently closed an $82 million all-cash deal with Equilibrium Capital to build its greenhouse. Plus, it raised more money in a Series A round led by Value Act Spring Fund and joined by existing investor Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund.
The mega-greenhouse is projected to be up and running by mid-2020. As for building similar facilities in other parts of the country, Webb says he wants to see that happen, but by different parties. “We’re in Appalachia,” he says. “But I hope other people will be building throughout the country.”
I'm an award-winning journalist with a particular interest in for-profit social enterprise, as well as entrepreneurship and small business in general. I've covered those areas for many many places, including The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Crain's New York Business, Inc. and Business Insider. As an entrepreneurial journalist--ie, a freelancer--I work from my home office in Pelham, NY.
Green City Growers Names Christopher Grallert As Company President
Grallert has 25 years of experience in the sustainable agriculture industry globally. Since joining GCG in 2015, Grallert has served in multiple roles for the organization, starting as a investor and advisory board member, then moving in to a more intensive operational role in 2017
SOMERVILLE, Mass., Aug. 20 /CSRwire/
Green City Growers (GCG) has announced the promotion of Christopher Grallert to the position of Company President. According to GCG’s CEO and Founder Jessie Banhazl, “Chris’s extensive background in business management, agricultural systems, fresh produce, and operations, combined with his vision of what future food systems can look like, make him a great fit to lead the company through the next phase of growth.”
Grallert has 25 years of experience in the sustainable agriculture industry globally. Since joining GCG in 2015, Grallert has served in multiple roles for the organization, starting as a investor and advisory board member, then moving in to a more intensive operational role in 2017. Since then, Chris has overseen the building out of the back office and operational components of the company. He has led GCG’s commercial growth and has been instrumental in tactical and strategic developments. Grallert’s efforts, Banhazl said, “have helped to take Green City Growers from a Massachusetts-focused business to a regional company that has almost tripled in size since his involvement.”
In assuming the company president position, Grallert will manage GCG’s overall business operations and staff. Grallert will continue to support Banhazl as she continues to take on a larger role in shaping GCG’s strategic growth, overseeing marketing efforts, and driving business development.
“I’m very excited about the future of GCG and proud to have been chosen to lead the company,” Grallert said. “As urban ag continues to gain traction nationally, we will continue to focus on innovations that will bring integrated food production to more and more communities”.
“I couldn’t be more excited to have Chris taking the lead on the day to day operation. We’ve been working together side-by-side for a few years now, and I feel 100% confident in his ability to lead us as we continue to grow,” Banhazl said. “It feels amazing to know the company I founded is in such good hands.”
Green City Growers was founded in 2008 to provide edible landscaping and urban farm installation and maintenance. The company has evolved to serve a wide array of commercial businesses, including global property management and real estate companies and manages farms on top of Whole Foods Market and at Fenway Park. The company was just awarded a USDA Farm to School Grant to continue a multi-town school gardening program.
With more than 100 sites throughout MA RI, CT, and NY, GCG annually grows 35,000 lbs of organic produce, converts over 20,000 sq ft of unused space into food-producing landscapes, teaches 2,000 kids how to grow their own food, and engages ½ million individuals in urban farming through their programs.
US: Bronx, New York - Video - Green Bronx Machine Presents The Blooming Bloomberg Salad
Green Bronx Machine builds healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st Century workforce development
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July 31, 2019
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Category Education
BrightFarms Names New CEO To Lead Expansion
BrightFarms has hired Steve Platt has as its new CEO, according to a company press release. Company founder Paul Lightfoot will stay on as the packaged salad brand's president. Both men will sit on the company's board of directors
(Credit: BrightFarms )
AUTHOR: Jennifer Sweeney
Aug. 15, 2019
Dive Brief:
BrightFarms has hired Steve Platt has as its new CEO, according to a company press release. Company founder Paul Lightfoot will stay on as the packaged salad brand's president. Both men will sit on the company's board of directors.
Platt has spent his career working with CPG companies, most recently as CEO of yogurt brand Icelandic Provisions. Before that, he led Danone brands including Dannon, Oikos and YoCrunch.
Platt said in a statement that this is an exciting time to join the company as continues to expand nationally, and Lightfoot acknowledged Platt's "know-how" as a leader of CPG brands and his ability to take BrightFarms to the next level.
Dive Insight:
BrightFarms, which currently operates greenhouses in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, recently announced plans to open three additional farms in Massachusetts, New York and North Carolina next year. The additional greenhouses are expected to break ground at the end of this year, with production kicking off in early 2020. The expansion shows that the company is ready for aggressive, national growth, and along with that comes the need for a new CEO with expertise to help the company scale.
During his career with national brands, Platt has had particular success with helping brands grow quickly. According to BrightFarms' press release, Platt was at Icelandic Provisions he grew the company to more than 6,500 retail stores and turned it into "the fastest-growing brand in dairy yogurt."
Platt's hire follows two other notable additions this year, both of which position BrightFarms for ongoing growth. In February, Steve Campione joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. Campione brought a background in finance and investment banking and spent a decade raising capital for companies looking to expand. BrightFarms added Brian Jenny as vice president of sales in May, filling a key role to lead business development.
The company is expanding its retail partnerships in areas where its greenhouses operate. As of January, BrightFarms' produce is available at Jungle Jim’s International Marketplace in Ohio, select Food Lion stores in Virginia, Dierbergs in St. Louis and more than 140 Tops Friendly Markets in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. BrightFarms also works with Misfits Market, a delivery service that ships imperfect produce to subscribers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
Demand for products from companies like BrightFarms continues to grow as Americans prioritize locally grown food. Indoor farming startup Square Roots has partnered with food distributor Gordon Food Service to provide produce to Gordon customers, and vertical farming company AeroFarms recently raised $100 million in funding for expansion.
Recommended Reading:
GROCERY DIVE BrightFarms plans three new greenhouses
GROCERY DIVE BrightFarms expands its retail footprint
Profits From Roots To Shoots
Today’s culinary consumer is looking for small, easy ways to add fresh, healthy ingredients to their daily lifestyle
Step Up Profits With Living Herbs And Greens.
May 28, 2019
Leslie F. Halleck
Fresh herbs and greens packaged with roots attached last two to three times longer than packaged fresh cut herbs — sometimes even longer.©ArtCookStudio | Adobe Stock
When it comes to the definition of “fresh,” it’s easy to get a wide variety of answers if you ask consumers. Some consumers consider prepared refrigerated foods as fresh, while others reserve the idea of freshness for the bulk produce aisle. For some, only organic produce qualifies as fresh, while others are happy to qualify anything green added to their diet as such — even if it’s conventional frozen produce. Varying definitions aside, there’s no denying the freshness of living herbs, greens and microgreens with roots still attached.
It used to be that fresh herb producers sought to garner market share from consumers purchasing dry packaged herbs. Now, there is new business to be captured in the fresh produce aisle. When it comes to positive sales trends, living herbs and lettuces offer many producers a way to grow.
Small steps to fresh
Today’s culinary consumer is looking for small, easy ways to add fresh, healthy ingredients to their daily lifestyle. That might mean a sprinkle of fresh basil on their pasta or a sprig of fresh thyme in their evening cocktail. These may seem like tiny steps for those of us who grow a lot of fresh produce, but they represent meaningful solutions for many consumers. There are just as many definitions of “cooking” as there are of “fresh” for that matter.
Fresh flavors
Why roots? Fresh herbs and greens packaged with roots attached last two to three times longer than packaged fresh-cut herbs — sometimes even longer in my experience, depending on how quickly you harvest all the foliage. This is a big benefit to both the retailers and the consumer.
For fresh herbs, recipe-ready varieties such as basil, rosemary, thyme and mint generally lead the pack. There isn’t much prep work needed to use these common herbs and most consumers are at least faintly familiar with how to use them. But as home cooks become more adventurous in their cooking styles, they’re open to more pungent and spicy flavors found in herbs such as cilantro and tarragon.
Well-rooted
Looking for a great example of how to make a go of packaged living herbs and greens? No need to look further than North Shore Greenhouses (northshore.farm). Under their trademarked North Shore Living brands, this southern California-based company hydroponically produces a wide array of living herbs and greens packed with roots attached. Using certified sustainable methods, North Shore has developed some seriously savvy packaging options for consumers, including self-watering mini-greenhouse packaging as well as “potted” options, which are essentially hydroponic baskets to support the plant roots. The potted options can be suspended in a jar or other water-holding containers, which make for a nice temporary windowsill herb garden.
North Shore has also done a great job on their website of providing instructions for how to store their living herbs and greens, as well as a bevy of tasty recipes to keep the end-user engaged. Their basil ice cream recipe is to die for. Yes, basil ice cream. Personally, I like to add a bit of lemongrass to brighten the flavor.
Not convinced?
A common knee-jerk concern with selling living fresh herbs and greens — roots attached — is that the consumer will just plant it up and not buy more. While you may have a few motivated gardeners who’ll take up the DIY task, most culinary customers will be very happy to maintain their living herbs or greens in the refrigerator, or in a glass jar on the countertop (or refrigerator) for a week or two — until it’s fully harvested. That’s more green than they usually get to have in their kitchen. When they’ve harvested it all, they’ll buy it again. Many apartment or small home dwellers may not have the option of permanently planting up their living herbs and greens, but are happy to have a fresh living specimen even temporarily.
Also, herbs and greens grown hydroponically, without soil, don’t always transition to containers or the garden successfully. So, your less-experienced or brown-thumb customers won’t always be successful with planting living greens and herbs. They really are better off keeping them in the fridge or on the countertop or windowsill.
More basil please!
I think packaged living basil is the ideal way for most culinary consumers to buy and use fresh basil from the grocery store, specifically since it’s damaged at temperatures below 40° F. That means most home refrigerators are a death zone for fresh basil (roots or no roots). I’m sure many customers have given up on fresh-packed cut basil after sticking it in the refrigerator, only to find that it has blackened and wilted the next day. Rooted plants on the countertop are the way to go.
If you already grow fresh-cut produce or herbs, or you’re a hydroponic grower who’s looking to expand your offerings, now is a great time to survey your local or regional market for opportunities. Living herbs and greens could be the perfect way to freshen up your produce profits.
Leslie (CPH) owns Halleck Horticultural, LLC, through which she provides horticultural consulting, business and marketing strategy, product development and branding, and content creation for green industry companies. lesliehalleck.com
Herbs Basil Root health Root crops Rosemary
INDIA: Urban Kisaan Brings Commercial Hydroponic Farming To Visakhapatnam
The Hyderabad-based startup, Urban Kisaan, specialises in soil-less gardening also known as hydroponics that is particularly popular in urban centres as it allows people to grow fresh vegetables even if they don’t have a garden
AUGUST 02, 2019
With Hydroponic Farming, Even Those
Without Gardens Can Grow Their Own Greens
As soon as you enter the office of Urban Kisaan in MVP Colony, you are swamped by the greenery and the sound of flowing water. The Hyderabad-based startup, Urban Kisaan, specialises in soil-less gardening also known as hydroponics that is particularly popular in urban centres as it allows people to grow fresh vegetables even if they don’t have a garden.
The fresh palak, methi and gongura shrubs at their office make a compelling case of why one should consider trying farming at home. The objective of hydroponic farming is to cultivate vegetables with minimal use of soil and water.
Urban Kisaan has come lately to Visakhapatnam. It provides the infrastructure to grow plants at home. The base model has three hydroponic channels in tiers on a metal stand. Above them, there are six plants growing in plastic nets that allows the roots to reach to the water in the channels below them. The water is circulated into in the channels through a 20 litre-reservoir tank. The water is mixed with a nutrient solution for maintaining its acidic content. (see infobox)
Set up the plants and channels in an area that gets eight to 10 hours of sunlight
Check pH/EC values once in three days
Ensure that reservoir tank is sealed; flush the tank every three months
Top up the tank with water and add nutrient each week
The kit needs to be placed where plants get eight to 10 hours of sunlight. Depending on the plant and climatic conditions, you get the yield once in two weeks. For instance each plant of palak gives a yield of 250 grams once in two weeks. They are also prototyping a set-up where plants can be grown in artificial light. Any numner of leafy vegetables can be cultivated. Basil, Bok choy , lettuce , parsley, kale, spinach, sorrel leaves, coriander, mint, and fenugreek are some that have done well with hydroponics.
The kit comprises two bottles of nutrient solution, a digital pH scale (to determine the pH balance of the water-based solution) and an electrical conductivity metre. There are instructions on how to set up and dismantle the structure. The smallest set-up which can hold 18 plants costs around ₹10,000.
Urban Kisaan has managed to sell about 10 kits in July. Says its CEO Vihari Kanukollu, “In coming months, we plan to set up a farm in Visakhapatnam where people can harvest vegetables before purchasing them.” Urban Kisaan has expanded its operations to Bengaluru as well.
Saras Chandra, learnt about hydroponics after a YouTube algorithm guided him towards hydroponic videos while he was searching for gardening tips. He is now growing 24 varieties of plants using this technique in his balcony. “I was fascinated with the technology. I now grow palak, methi and gongura. Over the last two weeks, he has harvested palak twice. So taken is Saras with his success in growing his own food that he has left his full time job at a bank to explore business opportunities in hydroponic farming.
The Urban Kisaan technology also flourishes on the rooftop of Karuna Shree, a city based lawyer. She says, “My terrace not only looks green but also gives me fresh vegetables.” According to her, the set up is sturdy and can easily endure few days of heavy rainfall.
Each drop counts
Vertical farming uses 70-95 percent less water as compared to traditional cultivation method.
Going Green: Urban Farming in Hanoi
In the past twenty years, Asian countries have experienced massive and unprecedented urban growth, and with it a host of new challenges, as swelling urban populations have increased pressure on resources such as land, food, and water
July 17, 2019
By Lesley Wynn
In the past twenty years, Asian countries have experienced massive and unprecedented urban growth, and with it a host of new challenges, as swelling urban populations have increased pressure on resources such as land, food, and water. As in other major cities in Asia, the rapid growth of Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, has had a dramatic impact on its citizens and the environment.
These changes have been particularly acute for Hanoi’s farmers. As agricultural communes have fallen under urban administration and rice land has been allocated to developers, farmers have lost much or all of their land—often their only source of income. Fragmented and noncontiguous agricultural plots make collective farming more difficult, and farmers’ cooperatives have dissolved or become inactive. With opportunities in nearby industrial zones limited by their age, education, and lack of transferable skills, these farmers are uniquely vulnerable to poverty and joblessness, and none more so than the middle-aged women, often supporting children and elderly parents, who make up the majority of this struggling population.
A Hanoi farmer walks through her fields. Urbanization has hit Hanoi’s farmers particularly hard.
At the same time, as the city expands, there is growing concern about food security for Hanoi’s nearly eight million residents. Demand has been rising for locally available “safe foods”—fruits and vegetables reliably free from pesticides and other toxic chemicals—but small-scale producers often don’t have the means or the technical training to meet the safe food requirements or satisfy market demand.
At the intersection of these agricultural, economic, and social problems lies the opportunity to rebuild and improve the infrastructure of cooperative urban farming. Since July 2014, The Asia Foundation has partnered with the GSRD Foundation on Sustainable Livelihoods, a project to improve the lives of low-income farmers in Hanoi and increase food security for urbanizing areas through the cultivation and marketing of safe fruits and vegetables.
The project combines training to increase yields through sustainable methods with business development skills to build brand recognition, consumer relationships, and financial management skills. Given the rapid development of new urban areas everywhere within the city limits, the project focuses on land managed by two communes on the banks of a river outside of protective dikes, an area where new permanent construction is forbidden due to flood risk. With support from Long Bien District, which built all-weather roads and a piped water system, the 274 members of these two cooperatives are now able to earn roughly $250 per month—more than full-time factory workers, but working roughly half the time. And as the farmers’ management skills have grown, they have been able to register under new regulations governing cooperatives. The project has been welcomed by the chair of the Hanoi People’s Committee, Nguyen Duc Chung, for increasing the supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, reducing transportation costs, and bringing urban residents into closer touch with the foods they eat.
Farmers working together at the Dong Tam Cooperative.
The Dong Tam Cooperative, in the district of Long Bien, began its transformation into a green cooperative in 2014 with support from Sustainable Livelihoods. “We used to grow vegetables using traditional practices,” says Mrs. Khoi, a Dong Tam farmer. “Our yields were low, our crops were of low quality, and they were sometimes unsafe for customers due to improper use of pesticides.” Farm incomes were low, and farm livelihoods were tenuous, as farmers mostly sold their surplus in baskets at sidewalk markets.
But an impact assessment survey in May 2018 found that Sustainable Livelihoods had brought significant changes. Thirty-eight percent of farm households were now cultivating at least three additional types of fruits and vegetables, and all the farmers trained in the program showed a commitment to green cultivation methods. Eighty-five percent said their monthly income from fruits and vegetables had grown at least 30 percent, and a Dong Tam business report showed that revenues per hectare increased by a factor of 2.6 from 2016 to 2017.
Members of the Dong Tam Cooperative.
The co-op also developed a new, consumer-driven marketing strategy. This included website development, video production, farm tours, weekend markets, customer appreciation events, a co-branding partnership with a nearby ecotourism business, connections to institutional and group buyers, and marketing materials to promote co-op members’ products. In one innovation, Dong Tam launched four mobile retail kiosks within nearby apartment blocks.
Sustainable Livelihoods builds on The Asia Foundation’s previous efforts in Long Bien to provide resources, training, and market access to farmers and support the transformation of their co-ops. Sustainable Livelihoods trainings have been shown to foster safe agricultural practices, improve business management, raise yields, create safer working conditions, and increase farmers’ incomes.
In one marketing innovation, Dong Tam launched four mobile retail kiosks within nearby apartment blocks.
The project’s work on improving market access has helped farmers develop a customer-producer trust network, essential to the long-term success of produce markets. Sustainable Livelihoods has also made public advocacy a priority, using workshops and local media to raise awareness of the positive social, economic, and environmental effects of safe food production within the urban boundaries of Hanoi.
Most importantly, the project has supported urban farmers, the majority of whom are women, in building up a community of support and raising awareness of the need for green urban farming.
Sustainable Livelihoods is made possible by the generous support of the GSRD Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Dutch designer-clothing brand G-Star Raw, whose grant-making focuses on the countries in which their products are made. Since 2013, the GSRD Foundation has partnered with The Asia Foundation to develop programs on women’s entrepreneurship and education in Bangladesh, China, and Vietnam. Lesley Wynn is an international development professional and a consultant for The Asia Foundation’s Resource Development Department. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author, not those of The Asia Foundation.
RELATED LOCATIONS: Vietnam
RELATED PROGRAMS: Environmental Resilience
Sheep Tour Around Paris To Boost Urban Farming
A flock of sheep that has taken a 140-kilometer (87-mile) tour around Paris, nibbling on the grass at historic monuments and housing blocks along the way, ended their 12-day journey on the banks of the river Seine on Wednesday.
FRENCH PRESS AGENCY - AFP
PARIS
17.07.2019
A farmer leads sheep during an urban transhumance in Paris on July, 17 2019 (AFP Photo)
A flock of sheep that has taken a 140-kilometer (87-mile) tour around Paris, nibbling on the grass at historic monuments and housing blocks along the way, ended their 12-day journey on the banks of the river Seine on Wednesday.
The trip began in the low-income Parisian suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis on July 6 and ended on Wednesday with the 25-strong flock on the left bank of the Seine near the Trocadero gardens in central Paris.
It was organized by local authorities to highlight the advantages of urban farming, in collaboration with a group called Urban Shepherds based in Aubervilliers, just north of Paris.
Guided by two shepherds, the flock was monitored by policemen on scooters and volunteer "walkers" on foot who helped them cross roads as they moved around the capital.
"For us, the most important thing is to show that it's possible to have sheep in the city," Julie-Lou Dubreuilh, co-founder of Urban Shepherds, told AFP at the start of the trip.
"The idea is to show there is a new up-and-coming profession," added the group's other founder, Guillaume Leterrier. "It is possible to create exceptional microsectors of meat production while ensuring that green spaces are maintained like we've done in the last three years."
Dubreuilh and Leterrier both have contracts with social housing landlords to let their animals graze on a weekly basis on the public housing estates of Seine-Saint-Denis.
The unusual presence of livestock caught the attention of many amused Parisians and motorists -- with some taking pictures or bleating in support.
Groups in Lyon, Marseille and Bruxelles are also experimenting with urban sheep.
Why An Entrepreneur Believes Urban Farming Is The Future In D.C.
Acky's company, Little Wild Things uses small, under utilized outdoor spaces in D.C., 80 percent of her farming is done indoors. When chefs call, Acky and her team deliver quickly
by WJLA
Friday, July 19th 2019
Mary Acky owns Little Wild Things, an indoor farming business in D.C. Friday, July 19, 2019. (ABC7 photo)
WASHINGTON (WJLA) — Down an unmarked trail at a monastery in Northeast Washington, you might not expect a farm delivering to some of the District's top restaurants.
Please Click Here to View the Video
And in an unmarked warehouse near Union Market, you probably wouldn’t expect an indoor farm.
But that’s exactly what’s happening. Meet Mary Acky—a young entrepreneur— she’s innovating the way America farms are created.
Acky and her team of six employees, don’t just grow regular fruits and vegetables. They grow micro greens. Smaller, nutrient packed greens ready to eat just days after planting.
In terms of health, micro greens in general have about 4-6 times the nutrient density of a fully grown version of a plant.
Acky's company, Little Wild Things uses small, under utilized outdoor spaces in D.C., 80 percent of her farming is done indoors. When chefs call, Acky and her team deliver quickly.
She believes farming innovation in cities, both indoor and outdoor, must be the future.
Anyone can order from Little Wild Things by going to their website or visiting them at the Dupont Farmers Market.
Namibia: Farm Shalom Thrives In The Desert
The stretch of land east of Swakopmund is vast, extremely arid and it appears lifeless but in the Namib Desert where one would not have expected an agronomic venture is where Farm Shalom thrives, growing a variety of veggies such as peppers, spinach and different types of flowers
2019-07-01
WINDHOEK - The stretch of land east of Swakopmund is vast, extremely arid and it appears lifeless but in the Namib Desert where one would not have expected an agronomic venture is where Farm Shalom thrives, growing a variety of veggies such as peppers, spinach and different types of flowers.
Most of the desert wildlife consists of arthropods and other small animals that live on very little water although this desert that stretches all the way to northern Namibia is inhabited by larger animals in the northern part of Namibia where its vast expanse stretches all the way to Angola.
Namibia is the driest sub-Saharan country and is the most severely affected by climate change, with rising temperatures, rainfall variability and increased droughts and severe flooding but AvaGro grows flowers and vegetables on a commercial basis in the Namib Desert.
The head of agronomist at AvaGro Ranjit Patil told New Era upon enquiry that the eight-hectare Shalom farm located 10 kilometres outside Swakopmund on the banks of the Swakop River has 27 greenhouses “where we grow cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.”
On this piece of land turned into farmland in the oldest desert in the world, Patil and his team the majority of whom are Namibians employed as salaried workers, also grow roses and gerberas, beetroot, eggplant, herbs and spinach ‘’using open field cultivation.”
“We use high tech agriculture as climate change threatens traditional farming methods. These high-tech agriculture methods are tried and tested in India and we are replicating success here in Namibia. This involves setting up greenhouses to create a controlled environment and use of hydroponic methods like the growing media, cocopeat. Cocopeat has high water holding capacity, is heat stabilising and has high levels of porosity, which makes it ideal for farming in challenging environmental conditions,” narrated the head agronomist who holds a Master’s degree in agriculture.
“We also use soil optimisation methods for the crops we cultivate in the open, by adding manure and grass to the soil,” Patil further elaborated when queried how they have managed to utilise the desert into productive land.
“Namibia is the driest sub-Saharan country and is most severely affected by climate change, with rising temperatures, rainfall variability and increased droughts and floods. The desert soil causes limited fertility and irrigation, requires highly capital-intensive methods of production and reduces crop production,” he said in response to a question from this newspaper.
“Climate-adapted cultivation methods are needed to secure sufficient food availability in the country. High-tech agriculture with media cultivation (cocopeat) is an effective solution to overcome challenges of soil through greenhouse efficiencies. Since in India we have similar climatic conditions so it’s a win -win situation to share our expert skills with fellow Namibians,” says an upbeat Patil.
The Indian company bought the plot in 2015 and set up its first greenhouses in 2016 and 97 percent of its staff compliment of 30 employees are Namibian creating much-needed jobs for locals.
On the challenges faced he says, “climate is a key challenge that we address with precision agriculture. We address the challenge of skill through customised training programmes,” and the company uses a hydroponic system, cocopeat, to optimise growth to offset water scarcity.
Productive-wise “We harvest six tonnes of tomatoes, three tonnes of peppers and 10,000 pieces of cucumber per greenhouse (350 square metre) per season (comprising six months). We have two seasons per year and harvest on a regular basis,” says the head of agronomist at Shalom Farm.
“We work with smallholder farmers, agri-preneurs and established medium and large-scale cultivators to develop bespoke production plans to advance food sovereignty. In terms of market access, we have off-take agreements with local wholesalers and retailers,” he said on market access.
“At Shalom, we’re contributing to the shift from traditional farming to precision agriculture. This involves applying efficient water-use systems, augmenting the soil and using hydroponic mediums to grow crops. At Shalom, we are showing what is possible with the right mix of determination, technology and skills. If we can foster sustainable agriculture in the desert, where constraints – water, soil and climate – are amplified; we can do it anywhere,” he said.
Solar Panels Could Make Saltwater Safe For Farming
A new device created by researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia can purify water through solar power
An ambitious project in Saudi Arabia wants to capture wasted solar heat for good uses.
July 11, 2019
A new device created by researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia can purify water through solar power. While there have been previous attempts to merge solar power and clean water, the scientists say they have developed a new three-stage system that radically increases efficiency.
The need to combine water purification through clean means is a growing one, giving the rise in man-made climate change. Water scarcity is increasing throughout a variety of places on the planet, from South Africa to India. "The water-energy nexus is one of the main issues threatening sustainable global development," says Wenbin Wang, a Ph.D. student at the University's Water Desalination and Reuse Center, in a press statement.
To combat the problem, the KAUST team looked at solar panels holistically. Silicon solar panels take in around 20 percent of the light they absorb, converting them into electricity. While that number is increasing, scientists predict that no photovoltaic (PV) panel will be able to absorb more than around 27 percent of the light. That leaves a significant amount of light being reflected, which generates heat.
The team, led by Professor Peng Wang of the Reuse Center, looked to put that heat to work.
"The PV panel generates a lot of heat, and the heat is considered a headache in PV,” Wang tells Cosmos. "The uniqueness of the device lies in its smart and effective use of the waste heat of the PV as a resource, which leads to its high efficiency in both electricity and fresh water production."
To capture the heat, the team built out a stack of water channels, separated by porous hydrophobic membranes and heat conduction layers. These layers were attached to the bottom of a commercial PV panel. Heat from the panel would vaporize seawater in the top channel, cross through the porous membrane, and then finally condense as fresh water in the third channel.
The team also put the vapor of the seawater to use. A thermal conduction layer to the next seawater channel would collect its heat, allowing the machine to recycle that energy and create even more fresh water.
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In tests, the team was able to generate up to 1.64 liters of water per square meter of solar panel surface every hour.
“In a sense, it utilizes solar energy to a much fuller capacity,” Wang tells Cosmos.
The next step for the team is to try and expand its project to the extent that it would be viable for agriculture. Many innovations in agriculture, like vertical farming, attempt to save water. Being able to use saltwater for farms could radically change how water is consumed around the world. In the U.S. alone, farming represents approximately 80 percent of the country's consumptive water use.
"Raising sheep in the field of PV farms is feasible because grass grows well using the fresh water from solar-panel washing," Wenbin says in the press statement. "A PV farm with sheep grazing while seawater is desalinated using our device could be ideal in arid regions near the coast."
American Society for Horticultural Science - 2019 Annual Conference - July 21 - 25 • Las Vegas, Nevada
The Annual Meeting of ASHS is where the latest science and technology is being showcased related to horticulture. Our mission is to bring together horticulture researchers, scientists, industry, academia, government, and students to cultivate ideas and share new techniques
2019 Annual Conference
Conference Program (pdf)
July 21 - 25 • Las Vegas, Nevada
The Tropicana Las Vegas
July 21 - Student Education & Career Day
The Annual Meeting of ASHS is where the latest science and technology is being showcased related to horticulture. Our mission is to bring together horticulture researchers, scientists, industry, academia, government, and students to cultivate ideas and share new techniques.
Since the conference is being held in Nevada, ASHS is partnering with Oasis Biotech, one of the more innovative and effective green industry entities in the United States, for an up-close journey into Vertical Farming at the Oasis Biotech facility.
Participants will be afforded access to the largest and most technologically advanced Indoor Vertical Farming facility ever designed and implemented in this country. Oasis Biotech uses state-of-the-art LED lighting technology and precise, cutting-edge hydroponic growing methods to generate a wide array of fresh, pesticide-free, non-GMO produce and non-traditional crops 365 days a year.
Attendees will have the opportunity to examine the agricultural system that recycles 100% of unused water and nutrient consumption while significantly reducing environmental impacts. On an inspiring expedition through the 215,000-square-foot indoor vertical farm, interested participants will witness the way that Oasis Biotech is attempting to make positive changes in farming.
Oasis Biotech boasts the ability to grow crops at a faster rate than traditional agriculture. Their LED and hydroponic systems reportedly ensure that crops receive optimal light spectrums and nutrient mixes, and they reduce loss from pests, diseases, and weather, which encourages higher yields. Oasis Biotech also calculates that they save 90% more water than other systems and are environmentally friendly.
The hour and a half tour will explain how this massive resource was created and how it is achieving its goal of producing more than one million pounds of microgreens, lettuce, and herbs.
The meeting focuses on the distribution of science through technical sessions, poster and abstract presentations, keynote speakers, and workshops. Enjoy networking and group activities where you can catch up with peers. There is also a spotlight on students–from career path mentoring to competitions and group activities to create relationships that can last throughout your career.
Program Information
• Keep checking the conference pages as new information is updated frequently
• Be part of the conference by submitting an oral or poster abstract - submission site is now open - Acceptance Email Expected April 15th.
• Submit a workshop (for ASHS Professional Interest Groups only) - submission site is now open
General Conference Information
• Check out the registration rates (below) and complete your registration starting in a few months
• Find out about discount rates for hotel and travel to the conference
• There are travel grant opportunities for students - don’t miss out!
Group Activities for 2019
• Luncheon Series with Featured Speakers
• Opening Reception & Pool Party
• Sightseeing and Professional Tours
• Student Education & Career Day
• Student Competitions and Scavenger Hunt
Green Life Farms Harvests First Crop In State-of-the-Art Hydroponic Greenhouse
Lake Worth company to begin commercial operations, selling premium baby leafy greens to local customers, later this summer
Lake Worth company to begin commercial operations, selling premium baby leafy greens to local customers, later this summer
Lake Worth, FL (July 18, 2019) – Green Life Farms has harvested its first crop of baby leafy greens at its flagship hydroponic greenhouse in Lake Worth, an important milestone as the company prepares to begin selling to supermarkets, restaurants, cruise ships and other distributors. The facility has recently achieved Substantial Completion, and the team is now harvesting its first crops, which include Baby Arugula, Baby Romaine, and Baby Spinach. Green Life Farms expects to begin growing produce for customers later this summer.
Green Life Farms has harvested its first crop of baby leafy greens at its flagship hydroponic greenhouse in Lake Worth, an important milestone as the company prepares to begin selling to supermarkets, restaurants, cruise ships and other distributors. The facility, pictured above, has recently achieved Substantial Completion, and the team is now harvesting its first crops, which include Baby Arugula, Baby Romaine, and Baby Spinach. Green Life Farms expects to begin growing produce for customers later this summer. Photo credit: Hydronov
“Planting and harvesting our first crop puts us one step closer to delivering produce that is grown locally using sustainable farming practices and free from pesticides and contaminants,” said Mike Ferree, Vice President, Green Life Farms. “We have no doubt customers will be thrilled with the care and dedication we’ve put into the growing process once they smell, touch and taste the baby leafy greens.”
The hydroponic greenhouse, slated to be the largest indoor hydroponic produce grower in the southeast, occupies nearly three acres and will yield approximately 750,000 pounds of premium leafy green produce throughout the year. The greens will be grown, harvested and packaged onsite; they will then be picked-up or shipped directly from the farm. Unlike with conventional farming practices, Green Life Farms’ baby leafy greens are grown without soil, then harvested and packaged hands-free, reducing the risk of contamination and preserving flavor and freshness.
Green Life Farms plans to offer a large selection of products to its customers later this summer, including Baby Spinach, Baby Arugula, Baby Kale, Baby Romaine, Red Romaine Mix, and specialty blends, Southern Style Greens and Gourmet Asian Blend. All Green Life Farms products are free from pesticides and GMOs and grown using sunlight and oxygenated water.
Construction of the Green Life Farms’ flagship facility began in 2018. In preparation for commercial operations, Green Life Farms hired its sales director and head grower earlier this year. The organization is currently hiring a Production Area Supervisor and Growing Area Supervisor. Once those roles are filled, Green life Farms will look to fill out the roster of greenhouse and production staff, totaling 14 additional people in the state-of-the-art facility.
Green Life Farms has harvested its first crop of baby leafy greens, pictured above, at its flagship hydroponic greenhouse in Lake Worth, an important milestone as the company prepares to begin selling to supermarkets, restaurants, cruise ships and other distributors. Green Life Farms expects to begin growing produce for customers later this summer.
Green Life Farms’ hydroponic greenhouse features innovative Deep-Water Floating Raft Technology (FRT) from Hydronov, an industry leader in the hydroponic space with more than 30 years of experience. FRT helps to conserve water, using the oxygenated clean water in which the plants grow as a conveyer system, eliminating the costs and maintenance associated with mechanical conveyers. Green Life Farms will be able to produce 18 harvests each year and use 90 percent less water than conventional farming.
Green Life Farms produce will set new standards for cleanliness, freshness, and taste. Grown locally, using sustainable farming practices, combined with the most advanced AgTech practices, and kept free from pesticides and contaminants, Green Life Farms baby leafy greens are good for the body, family, community, and planet.
For more information about Green Life Farms, visit GreenLifeFarms.ag. Please contact Elayne Dudley at Elayne@GreenLifeFarms.ag for sales and Raymond John at Ray@GreenLifeFarms.ag for investor relations.
About Green Life Farms
Green Life Farms is constructing a 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse in Lake Worth, Florida, with additional expansion planned in Florida and beyond. By incorporating agriculture with technology, Green Life Farms will provide consumers with premium-quality, fresh, local, flavorful and clean baby leafy greens that are good for their bodies, families, communities and planet – year-round.
Media Contact:
Tessa Ali, Montagne Communications
603-644-3200 ext. 16
tessa@montagnecom.com
Investor Relations:
Raymond John
561-886-7277
Ray@greenlifefarms.ag
Equity Crowdfunding Is Underway To Roll Out A Fully Self-Sustaining Ecosystem To Bring Food From Farm To Table.
Americans today get their food from a supply system that is nearly 100 years old and woefully out of date. That's because much of the food we eat travels hundreds or perhaps thousands of miles from where it was grown to where it is wanted
Investors Are Invited to Explore Lettuce Networks;
Leading the Local Food Revolution in Delivering Very Special Meal Kits
Neighborhood by Neighborhood
Equity Crowdfunding is Underway to Roll Out a Fully Self-Sustaining Ecosystem to bring food from farm to table.
Austin, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/17/2019 --Americans today get their food from a supply system that is nearly 100 years old and woefully out of date. That's because much of the food we eat travels hundreds or perhaps thousands of miles from where it was grown to where it is wanted. This waste tremendous amounts of energy, compromises its freshness and nutritional quality and creates packaging waste that's filling up our landfills and contaminating our oceans.
Lettuce is a company with a solution that solves these problems simultaneously.
It is creating sustainable, hyper-local, technology-enabled food ecosystems in urban areas that turn unused urban land and resources into productive farms, package the produce into healthy, delicious and convenient products, and deliver them to homes in zero-waste containers, all while increasing awareness and engagement around nutritious, local food. Their evolving social, local, commerce technology platform is connecting and empowering local food participants including growers, artisans, and consumers to do what they do best at every point along the food chain.
Lettuce has reinvented the popular meal kit. Before Lettuce, meal kit services were more expensive, took more time to deliver and were more wasteful resulting in high customer churn among those services. Lettuce meal kits fix all these challenges - local ingredients, near zero-waste packaging and affordable pricing because of more efficient cost structures, resulting in a dramatic drop in the customer churn rate.
Staying true to the nature of equity crowdfunding, the minimum investment is very reasonable and in easy reach of the masses. All funds raised are devoted to rolling out Lettuce on a large scale.
Everyone is invited to carefully consider this investment opportunity - http://bit.ly/2J7xJnF
About Lettuce
Lettuce got its start in Austin, Texas in 2016. Co-founder & CEO Yogesh Sharma, an entrepreneur and avid amateur backyard farmer was on a run, gawking at the ample irrigated space in his new city – almost all of it growing grass. He had always been curious about why local food wasn't a bigger part of the modern food ecosystem. And right there, all around him was part of the solution – plenty of good dirt, sun and water to grow food that could feed cities.
Hal Roberts, who grew up on an urban farm in San Antonio had already been setting up urban farms in Austin. And Ved Prakash was writing software that streamlined hyper-local logistics, enabling digital visibility and commerce across people, products, locations, and millions of other potential nodes.
The three of them got together, and collectively said, "Enough is enough, let's do something about this!" and started Lettuce. Now Lettuce meal kits serve hundreds of thousands of locally sourced meals every year, with a rapidly growing network of farmers, artisans, distributors and consumers.
Hydroponic Farming: Why Soil-Free Agriculture Might Be The Way Forward
Research has but the market value of hydroponics at $8.08 bn in 2019, prompting entrepreneurs to believe that soil-free agriculture might be the way forward. We talk to some of them
By: Isha Arora | Published: July 14, 2019
Research has put the market value of hydroponics at $8.08 bn in 2019, prompting entrepreneurs to believe that soil-free agriculture might be the way forward. We talk to some of them
Farms can be set up in a space as small as a cubicle-sized room fitted with a tech support system that creates an artificial environment conducive for growth.
Think farming and cultivation and even your mind pictures flat expanses of open land pulsating with life — fresh harvest of rice, wheat, paddy or vegetables.
Thick canopy of branches with birds fluttering from one bough to the other on a sun-kissed morning, away from cities’ bustle and haze of smoke, completes the idea of idyllic surroundings. But talk urban farming, and the picture is quite different.
Farms can be set up in a space as small as a cubicle-sized room fitted with a tech support system that creates an artificial environment conducive for growth. These hi-tech, sustainable farms, operate on the science and principles of hydroponic farming — a soil-free farming technique.
In hydroponic farming, plants grow naturally, drawing nutrients out of reservoirs filled with nutrient-rich and water-based solutions, under optimal positioning of lights and regulated temperature conditions. While the technique became an instant hit in the West, where people initially used hydroponics and its farming variants to grow marijuana, it did not take too long to catch the fancy of scientists, entrepreneurs and practitioners of agriculture across the globe. In India, hydroponic farms are omnipresent — found in the arid tracts of Jaipur, landlocked Delhi-NCR, in humid weather conditions of Goa and various places in the southern parts of the country.
“It is a process of fast multiplication of high-quality planting material producing about 35-60 mini-tubers per tissue culture plantlet. Mini-tubers are progeny tubers produced on plantlets and developed artificially. Through this technology, it is possible to produce seven-10 times more mini-tubers from in-vitro plantlets (produced in a test tube or culture dish), as compared to cultivation under net house conditions with multiple mini-tubers of desired size. The technology can also be exploited for other important crops like tomato, strawberry, brinjal, chilli, spinach,” says Tanuja Buckseth, scientist (vegetable science) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI), Shimla.
Somveer Singh Anand, co-founder and CEO of Pindfresh
Under hydroponics, terrestrial plants can be grown in multiple ways. The most common ways involve exposing roots to nutritious liquid, or in some cases, the roots can be physically supported by an inert medium such as perlite or gravel. Hydroponic DIY kits are available aplenty online. These devices enable people to set up equipment within the confines of houses and grow vegetation. The two most commonly deployed systems in hydroponics are Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and Deep Water Culture (DWC). In NFT, a shallow stream of water containing dissolved nutrients is re-circulated through bare roots in a watertight thick tube, which forms a mat-like layer from which the roots absorb nutrients. An abundant supply of oxygen is provided to the roots through the process.
Under DWC, roots are left suspended in nutrient-rich, oxygenated water. The solution is saturated with oxygen infused by an air pump in the presence of porous stones. The method is touted to be more suitable for plants’ faster growth, given the high level of oxygen that roots receive.
The great traction that the advanced farming technique has received over the years has Dublin-based market research company Research And Markets put the global market value of hydroponic systems at a whopping $8.08 billion in 2019. Going ahead, the market is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 12.1% to reach $16.03 billion by 2025. The value of crops produced globally through hydroponics is expected to touch $32.13 billion this year at an anticipated growth rate of 5.1% from 2019 to 2025.
Influx of players
There has been a conspicuous rise in the number of “urban farmers”. These are basically entrepreneurs, who didn’t take long to recognise immense growth opportunities lying untapped in the hydroponic farming space. A majority of them did not enter the space with the intention of making profit as hydroponic farming is cost-intensive.
These individuals’ wish to venture into the space stemmed from their eagerness to explore and identify alternative means of agriculture, given unavailability of fertile and mineral-rich soil. “We were inspired by the large number of people around us vying for greenery in their houses and surroundings. But they didn’t know how to go about it, given that the weather conditions aren’t always favourable,” says Somveer Singh Anand, co-founder and chief executive officer of Pindfresh, a Chandigarh-based start-up that makes, uses and sells semi-commercial hydroponic equipment in the form of DIY kits.
“Another issue that struck a chord with us was that in a place like Mumbai, where nearly 30% of the population doesn’t have access to toilets, the muck goes into the soil. Now, if we’re growing fruits and vegetables in the same soil, it is obviously going to be contaminated with toxic substances,” he adds. Started in April 2017 by Anand and his team, Pindfresh has grown in leaps and bounds since inception, even as the hydroponic equipment the firm sells cost anywhere between Rs 50,000 and Rs 3.5 lakh. There are cheaper alternatives available in the form of grow bags and pipes with compartments containing nutrient-rich solution, which boost growth, that cost anywhere between Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,500. The start-up also conducts workshops free of cost to impart knowledge and training on hydroponic farming. “We turned profitable within months of inception and are growing at a consistently lucrative growth rate, generating about Rs 5-6 lakh in revenue per month,” Anand adds.
Delhi-based Triton Foodworks, which started as an experiment in urban farming by four friends — Deepak Kukreja, Dhruv Khanna, Ullas Samrat, and Devanshu Shivnani — in September 2014 deploys NFT, DWC, and media-based hydroponic systems to grow fruits and vegetables. Media-based systems involve the use of mediums like rockwool, coco coir, expanded clay, perlite, gravel and vermiculite for growth of plants. The company has grown seven varieties of lettuce, basils, pok choy, swiss chard, spinach, cherry tomatoes, snack cucumbers, bell peppers, sweet peppers and mint as of now. They plan to add radishes and turnips to their basket very soon.
Goa-based Letcetra Agritech is another market player that grows organic vegetables using hydroponics and sells them across hotel chains, supermarkets and farmers’ markets. Set up in 2016, the firm helps set up commercial hydroponic farms for large-scale growers as well.
“We supply to most restaurants that serve salad greens in north Goa. We also have tie-ups with a few super markets and retail consumers. We started by growing only lettuce and today we grow around 15 different varieties of vegetables. Most of the start-ups in this domain are focusing on consultation and sale of hydroponics units. Our focus is on growing good quality, nutrient-rich, pesticide-free vegetables and making these accessible and affordable to everyone,” says CEO Ajay Naik. Letcetra Agritech plans to replace at least 30% of the traditional farms in India to urban farms in the next five years.
Gurgram-based Barton Breeze is focused on setting up hydroponic farms with a major chunk of investment from the clients. “We grow 28 varieties of crops and manufacture components for hydroponics setups. However, about 65-70% contribution to our topline figure comes from development of new farms that we undertake for our clients,” says Shivendra Singh, who co-founded the start-up in 2016 with the aim of restoring the nutritional value of our produce. The company’s topline grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 300% in FY19 from FY18, signalling the high demand for hydroponic setups in our country.
Comparisons with traditional agriculture
While the modern farming practice is a boon at a time when rampant soil contamination and massive influx of harmful pesticides and insecticides into agricultural fields is increasingly becoming a cause of great health concerns, hydroponic farming suffers from two major setbacks. One, it involves a complex setup and the running and maintenance costs are huge. The technique requires some amount of expertise to be practised from scratch. For instance, the ICAR-CPRI in Shimla has been following aeroponic seed production system since 2011. This is hydroponics in a lot of ways, except that the process doesn’t need a medium like sand, gravel or water. It produces disease-free, quality plantation material to boost yield of potato varieties in the country.
Buckseth says the initial cost to set up an installation for producing one million mini-tubers (area:1500 sqm) was Rs 100 lakh. The expense can certainly not be borne by a traditional farmer, and the technique can hence be only utilised by entrepreneurs and government agencies with ample investment. “Aeroponic technology, standardised by the institute, is being commercialised under an MoU signed between the parties after royalty payments. The technology is essentially for progressive farmers/ firms/ FPO etc. But since the initial cost of setting up the whole process is very high, a number of surveys have to be conducted and prior market knowledge is a must,” Buckseth says. Besides, all the start-ups and agencies involved in hydroponics currently have the backing of an agriculture scientist or expert in the field. This kind of expertise is certainly not commonplace, making the technique cumbersome.
On the flip side, there are multiple pros that hydroponic farming has in comparison to traditional agriculture. For one, it reduces the water requirements of plants by a marked extent, since the medium in which they grow is solvent-based. Secondly, monoculture is not an issue with hydroponic farming and the practice is readily possible in areas where climatic or geographical conditions pose a barrier. “Hydroponics has four big advantages over traditional methods, which made the technology so popular. It uses 80-90% less water, 80-95% less land, harmful pesticides can be avoided and vegetables can be grown all year round,” says Naik.
The yield of hydroponic farming is also substantially higher than that of traditional agriculture. “Yields are almost 2.5 times more than it is through the traditional means. People can claim more, but it is almost 2.5 times in real. That’s primarily because one can grow more number of plants compared to ground agriculture, and the plants grow at a faster pace,” Singh says.
Road ahead
While hydroponics farming does hold the promise of changing the face of urban farming, entrepreneurs fear that lack of knowledge and expertise can play spoilsport in its growth rate. “Every hydroponic expert would say that the minimum investment in a hydroponic farm would be `30 lakh, while the maximum would go up to as high as Rs 4 crore. Who has that kind of money? I sell hydroponic setups for Rs 50,000, and I manage to sell just three in a month. That’s the only negative. People usually don’t have any expertise, and are just wanting to sell,” says Anand. He cautions not without reason. Hydroponic set-ups do entail massive investment and if not treated with care and knowledge, the money can certainly go waste.
In such a scenario, Anand suggests getting the basics right. Go back to the textbooks, get ample knowledge on the subject and then invest in relatively cheaper hydroponic set-ups to produce first for home, and then for the rest. Singh had adopted a similar strategy before he set up Barton Breeze. “We started as a small pilot project in Dubai, where we learned first, did all the R&D, testings and trials at our own cost and then presented the idea to our investors,” he recalls. “Even in India, when we started out, we set up the first farm at our own cost, since we were still experimenting. We didn’t want our clients to incur any expense for us,” he adds.
Buckseth suggests getting trained officials on board before venturing any further into the new technology. “The initial cost in this practice is high, which once invested can only be recovered by the quality produce, which otherwise will be more than the traditional system. Therefore, trained officials may be hired for proper functioning,” she says.
Rest assured, looks like greener pastures and clean produce are finally home.
Uganda: How farmers Grow Vegetables In Hydroponics
Providing quality nutritive food to millions of people by 2025 will be a major challenge for Uganda.
Increasing population, decreasing land, water holding and global warming are some of the major impediments for agriculture, the backbone of this country
JULY 6 2019
By Lominda Afedraru
Providing quality nutritive food to millions of people by 2025 will be a major challenge for Uganda.
Increasing population, decreasing land, water holding and global warming are some of the major impediments for agriculture, the backbone of this country. Various biotic and abiotic stress factors are threatening the open field agricultural production systems throughout the world in varying degrees.
The soil fertility status has attained almost the saturation level in most parts of the country as the productivity is not rising proportionally with the amount of inputs. With the infertility challenges, scientists across the globe, including those in Uganda have come up with a technology where farmers can grow a number of horticulture crops ranging from vegetables, fruits and flowers, among others in a greenhouse using hydroponics to substitute soil.
Farming
Papius Tumusingiize, an expert in agricultural convergence technology is lead investigator of the technology involving growing of tomatoes in smart greenhouse using hydroponics. According to Tumusingiize smart hydroponics system involves self-monitoring analysis of the greenhouse farm using a computer which is connected to technological systems inside and outside the green house. The green house has a system of censures which is connected to the computer.
“What the farmer needs to know is to engage a scientist to set the growing conditions for the plant in the computer,” says Tumusingiize.
Types of censors
Tomatoes grow best under optimal temperature of between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius which the computer will maintain.
Whereas the temperature outside may be so cold during rainy season below 16 °C or too hot due to heat rays at more than 35 °C, the solar radiation censors will control the temperatures automatically.
There is an exhaust fan installed to control the temperature as well, in case of high temperature the fun will automatically switch on to blow the excess condition. For cold conditions the aeration open outlets will close and for excess heat the shed net established inside the greenhouse structure and on top of it outside will automatically cover the structure.
There are also rain censors which control the conditions when there is a storm which may lead to destruction of the greenhouse structure. This is through an automatic closer of the open ventilators which are in most cases open to allow fresh air inside the greenhouse.
Another component is the installation of wind vane which will indicate the direction of wind flow and the anemometer used to measure the speed of the wind.
In case of too much wind, the computer will read it and the vent will close to avoid its entry into the greenhouse to avoid destruction of the structure and the plants.
Inside the greenhouse there are humidity and temperatures censors as well to regulate the condition inside. Another component of the greenhouse is the carbon dioxide censor used to measure the carbon dioxide rate meant for the plants for photosynthesis to take place.
“Greenhouses work on the principle of the greenhouse effects where the sunshine heats and sunlight penetrates the curtains and it is reflected back to produce heat. Too much heat in the greenhouse will cause wilting of the vegetables. This is the reason farmers must ensure they adopt the technology as it is with all the sensors connected to the computer,” Tumusingiize says. The computer has to be on all the time and in case of any power failure, there has to be back up generate to provide continuous source of energy.
Tumusingiize and team have set up two greenhouses at Kabanyolo each sitting on six by 54 metres but the space occupied by the tomato farm is five by 50 metres.
Prices
A farmer wishing to establish such a smart hydroponic greenhouse structure will need to part with $200,000 (about Shs700m).
However, there is a cheaper option where farmers can establish their hydroponics on a flat piece of land and simply tie strings for the plants to grow and run through on them for continuous harvesting.
The computer is powered by climate control panel machine specifically manufactured to regulate electricity flow in agricultural greenhouses. It reads the climatic conditions suitable for the plant growth and sends it to the computer.
At the moment the greenhouse structures are a demonstration site where farmers mainly from Wakiso District in Namulonge and those from Ssese Island have so far come around for sensitisation and lesson learning.
Requirement
The scientists are purchasing a box of hydroponics with three seed planting outlets at Shs3,000 from Sri Lanka and from each box they are expecting 125 minimum tomatoes. The boxes are packed with sow dust which farmers can acquire locally.
It is fed through drip irrigation of a mixture of concentrate comprising Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc and Baron. In case of another green vegetable such as strawberry the growth nutrient mixture is different.
Seed preparation
Tumusingiize categorises tomato seed as determinants which grow in four months and after harvesting the stalks are uprooted and replaced with new set of seedlings.
These include local varieties such as Tengeru and MT56 with one kilogramme sold at Shs350,000 each. Other varieties are Nenoveta and Galleria where each packet comprising 200 and 600 seeds goes for Shs50,000 and Shs60,000 respectively.
Agronomy
After transplanting continuous drip irrigation watering is required and this means constant water supply in the computerised tanks which are used to mix the nutrient ingredients which runs through connected pipes to hydroponic boxes. There is a water controlling machine used to regulate water usage in case there is water shortage, the machine will stop operating.
The yield of these varieties grown under this condition is so high because each plant is capable of producing 25 kilogrammes with minimum of 125 tomatoes in one harvest. Trellising is important because as the plant grows it has to be bend downwards and stretched to grow horizontally all the hydroponic structure for more fruiting to occur. One tomato plant measures 12 metres long for the one year season.
Lead Photo: An agronomist explains how to plant tomatoes using hydroponics technology. Photo by Lominda Afedraru
Pure Flavor®’s Mini Sweet Pepper Tribelli Seed Wins International Taste Institute Award
“After years of research & development with Enza Zaden, the Tribelli seed has proven to be a key item for our mini pepper program, said Jamie Moracci, President
Leamington, ON (July 1st, 2019)
Unique flavor profiles are driving consumers wild with authentic eating experiences worldwide. While the choices are endless at retail, greenhouse vegetable growers and seed companies are strengthening their partnerships to develop varieties that continue to raise the bar in quality & flavor. Pure Flavor® vegetable seed partner Enza Zaden recently won the prestigious International Taste Institute Award for the company’s Tribelli® seed which produces Pure Flavor®’s Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers.
“After years of research & development with Enza Zaden, the Tribelli seed has proven to be a key item for our mini pepper program, said Jamie Moracci, President. Packed under Pure Flavor®’s Aurora Mini Sweet Peppers brand, Tribelli® comes in a variety of colors, has an exceptional taste profile, very low seed count, and comes from a plant that produces a consistent flavor, size, and quality, regardless of the season.
“Our partnership with Enza Zaden on this variety is an important one, we have worked very hard on building this brand of mini sweet peppers to meet the needs of retailers expanding their snacking category of items. As a vertically integrated grower, it is a true honor for Enza Zaden to receive the International Taste Institute Award for the Tribelli variety of mini sweet peppers”, said Moracci.
At the International Taste Institute, all products are analyzed, judged, and scored following a strict and objective methodology through a blind tasting panel. While not knowing the origin of the products they are tasting, the experts also give comments and suggestions to the producers to guide them for future product improvements or new item launches. Depending on the results of the sensory analysis, certified products are awarded the Superior Taste Award with one, two or three stars, somewhat similar to Michelin stars. The Tribelli® variety was awarded the Superior Taste Award with two stars.
“Tribelli® has earned praise from the most sophisticated palates, proving that it is more than just a pepper. Tribelli® is the concentration of an intense flavor, where taste is always what makes the difference in customers’ experience,” commented Jean-Francois Thomin, Marketing Manager, Enza Zaden North America.
Grown in a variety of very distinct colors, Enza Zaden partners with Pure Flavor® to develop the product in high tech greenhouses all throughout North America. Pure Flavor® has grown the Tribelli® seed that produces the multiple colors of Aurora Sweet Mini Sweet Peppers for the last 5 years. “I believe Enza Zaden is cracking the code to more vegetable consumption worldwide by developing seed varieties that are flavor forward and building a portfolio of cutting-edge innovations like Tribelli®”, said Thomin.
“As a brand, we take great pride in marketing the exceptional characteristics of the strategic varieties that we grow. Consumers let us know all the time how much they enjoy the product and how easy it is use, no matter the application,” commented Matt Mastronardi, Executive Vice-President. Pure Flavor® has developed an extensive variety of recipe ideas for consumers to create their own dishes from. The flavor strategy for all of Pure Flavor®’s recipes is to ensure exceptional eating experiences where the consumer can fully enjoy the key characteristics of the ingredients in the dish.
The Tribelli variety plays an important role in Pure Flavor®’s product offering not only as the Aurora Mini Sweet Peppers brand but also as a key ingredient in the Pure Flavor®’s Mini Munchies Snack Sized Veggie Program. The Mini Munchies pack contains Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers, Juno Bites Red Grape Tomatoes, and Poco Bites Cocktail Cucumbers in a convenient 4oz pack.
“I love all the the mini sweet peppers, they are so colorful, crunchy, and sweet. I eat them on their own or with hummus in my lunch at school. My favorite one is the Orange one as it has very few seeds,” said Layla, age 13. Pure Flavor® provides fresh vegetable snacks like the Aurora Mini Sweet Peppers to schools in Leamington, ON, San Antonio, TX, and Fort Valley, GA as part of the company’s ‘Adopt-A-School’ Program.
Grown in high tech greenhouses, Pure Flavor®’s Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers are available year-round in pre-packaged to bulk formats for both retail & foodservice customers.
To learn more about Pure Flavor®’s Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers, please visit Pure-Flavor.com/MiniSweetPeppers
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About Pure Flavor® -
Pure Flavor® is a family of greenhouse vegetable growers who share a commitment to bringing A Life of Pure Flavor™ to communities everywhere. Our passion for sustainable greenhouse growing, strong support for our retail & foodservice customers, and focus on engaging consumers is built on a foundation drawn from generations of growing expertise.
We are the next generation of vegetable growers, inspired to put quality, flavor, and customers first by providing greenhouse-grown vegetables from our farms that are strategically located throughout North America.
About The International Taste Institute (formerly ITQi) -
The International Taste Institute, is an independent organization formed by top Chefs and Sommeliers with Michelin star accreditation. The Institute is dedicated to certifying superior tastes of food & beverages worldwide. The jury of experts and opinion leaders from the gastronomy sector, is selected from the sixteen most prestigious professional culinary associations in Europe.
The Future of CEA And Urban Farming
Gearing up to the second Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit on June 19-20 in New York, the event organizers found out what the summit’s Research Partner Cornell University has been working on, with insights from Neil Mattson, CEA Director & Associate Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture.
Gearing up to the second Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit on June 19-20 in New York, the event organizers found out what the summit’s Research Partner Cornell University has been working on, with insights from Neil Mattson, CEA Director & Associate Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture.
What’s been your focus this year about CEA and Urban Farming?
A key project has been a collaboration between our FCEA group and Cornell economists Charles Nicholson and Miguel Gómez. Together we’ve produced a report focused on the economic and environmental footprint and viability to scale urban farming.
We looked at scenarios of producing leafy greens locally in New York and Chicago. For each city our three scenarios were:
Field production in CA and shipping to the city
Greenhouse production in a hypothetical facility with 1-acre crop canopy
Vertical farm production in a hypothetical warehouse facility with 1-acre crop canopy
In the New York City scenarios, we considered CEA production in the middle of the city and in the Chicago peri-urban CEA production about 50 miles outside the city.
The comparison led to some interesting discussion points around bottlenecks and priorities for the sector to scale. I’ll share more on that below, and in my presentation at the summit.
Aside from that important study, from a plant-science standpoint, Cornell CALS has also continued its work to improve energy-efficient leafy greens, tomatoes and strawberries using LED lighting strategies and CO2 enrichment to photosynthesize through its Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) research efforts.
We’re also collaborating with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to understand the nutritional content of CEA-grown kale vs field-grown kale.
How do the Greenhouse and Plant Factory compare economically with open field farming?
In terms of economics, our study found it was cheapest to produce in a field and ship thousands of miles with a landed cost of $3 per kilo of lettuce. The New York city greenhouse scenario cost $8 per kilo, including production and short shipping distance. Plant factory was slightly cheaper. In peri-urban Chicago, with cheaper land rates, greenhouse production gave a cost of $7 per kilo. Again, the plant factory cost came in slightly cheaper.
The lower plant factory cost in both scenarios unlocks potential opportunities in urban areas where a high land cost is a significant contributor to the overall cost. Plant factory is more efficient use of land due to its vertical stacking, with a smaller footprint overall.
Labor costs are a significant 50% of the high cost in our un-automated CEA scenarios. As a follow up to this study we’re looking at a scenario with automated production for seeding plants, moving channels through the greenhouse and harvest. We can reduce labor cost by two thirds to three quarters, bringing us much closer to field production costs overall.
Another option is to move to cheaper land rural production within a couple hundred miles outside the city. In this scenario, we can reduce cost of production by a further $1 per kilo. Taking automation and site selection into account CEA greenhouse production down to $4 per kilo may be possible which is very close field-grown and cuts 2,800 miles from transportation.
In all scenarios, CEA was much more water-efficient than any other field, of course really important in this time of climate change. Hydroponic systems are far more water-efficient by design, with water recapture and reuse.