Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
Des Moines Power Brokers Want to Build Massive Greenhouses Downtown
Des Moines Power Brokers Want to Build Massive Greenhouses Downtown
Joel Aschbrenner , jaschbrenn@dmreg.com
Published 5:40 p.m. CT May 25, 2017 | Updated 10:59 a.m. CT May 26, 2017
A group of business leaders want to build a string of greenhouses on the south side of downtown. They call it the Des Moines Agricultural Corridor.
(Photo: Special to The Register)
New York architect Mario Gandelsonas helped reshape Des Moines when he laid out his vision for the city nearly 30 years ago. That vision ultimately led to the development of the Western Gateway, construction of the Principal Riverwalk and resurrection of the East Village.
Now, Gandelsonas is back in town promoting his latest idea, one he says is equally ambitious.
A group led by Gandelsonas and local venture capitalist Jim Cownie wants to build a string of massive greenhouses and vertical farms along the railroad tracks on the south side of downtown. They’re calling it the Des Moines Agricultural Corridor. If fully realized, the project would span the length of downtown.
“The dream is all the way from Meredith Corp. to the state Capitol,” Cownie said.
Cownie hopes to get buy-in from local players like Hy-Vee, DuPont Pioneer, MidAmerican Energy and Iowa State University. The urban farms could feed the desire for locally grown food, provide produce for area farmers markets, grocery stores and restaurants, and offer research space for Iowa State students and agriculture companies, he said.
Gandelsonas sees the project as a cultural symbol. It would provide the urban core with a link to the state’s farming roots and showcase Des Moines as a hub for innovative agriculture, he said.
“The idea is not just to build a greenhouse,” he said. “The idea goes deeper than that. It relates to identity, to health, to education. So it is really a grand idea.”
Far-fetched? Maybe.
At this point, the Des Moines Agricultural Corridor is little more than an idea. No land has been acquired. No money has been raised. And it’s unclear who would own and operate the indoor farms.
Cownie thinks it could take 20 years and tens of millions of dollars to complete.
But after working behind the scenes for a few years, Cownie and Gandelsonas are beginning their campaign to drum up support.
They've pitched it to local companies. Officials from MidAmerican and Hy-Vee told The Register they're listening but they've made no commitments.
Cownie and Gandelsonas held meetings Wednesday and Thursday with City Council members and other power brokers.
Buy Photo
Mario Gandelsonas shows plans for the Des Moines Agricultural Corridor, a string of massive greenhouses on the south side of downtown Des Moines. Gandelsonas, a New York architect, and a group of local business leaders are trying to drum up support for the idea. (Photo: Joel Aschbrenner/The Register)
In Cownie’s penthouse office overlooking the East Village on Wednesday, Gandelsonas explained to Councilwoman Christine Hensley how the greenhouses, lit with bright colors, would create a “river of light” visible to people flying into the city.
Hensley, Des Moines’ longest serving city council member, whose ward includes downtown, said she would be apt to support the project if the greenhouses operated as a for-profit entity that pays property taxes.
“The city has demonstrated that if we get the right people behind projects such as this, there is no question we will get it done,” she said.
The goal is to start with one half-acre greenhouse. Those involved said they don't know the exact cost. Ballpark: $5 million.
Cownie thinks the best location is a piece of city-owned land near 12th and Mulberry streets, on the southwest side of downtown.
A group of local business leaders is promoting the idea of building a string of massive greenhouses along they railroad tracks on the south side of downtown Des Moines. The idea, called the Des Moines Agricultural Corridor, is the brainchild of Mario Gandelsonas, the New York architect who created the vision for several Des Moines redevelopment projects including the Western Gateway and the Principal Riverwalk. (Photo: Special to The Register)
The first step, Cownie said, would be to come to an understanding with city leaders. He wants the city to challenge him to raise the money for the first greenhouse, and if he does the city, in return, would offer the land for free.
“We need to demonstrate to the city that it would be good public policy to make available the site to start this process,” he said.
If the first greenhouse is a successful model, it could be replicated down the railroad corridor on undeveloped sites.
Cownie hesitated to put a timeframe on the project — he’s been burned by such promises in the past — but others involved in the proposal said they want to harvest crops within five years.
More: 13 of downtown Des Moines' craziest ideas – good and bad
The project will depend on acquiring land. Most of the property along the rail line is privately owned.
That includes land where Cownie has a stake. He recently partnered with the city to offer five square blocks on the east bank of the Des Moines River as a site for a new federal courthouse. It is one of four proposed courthouse locations and includes several blocks for private development.
Gandelsonas said the greenhouses would make nearby properties more valuable by providing a buffer between the rail line. His plan also calls for a pedestrian corridor along the greenhouses with a recreational trail and landscaping.
The idea is not entirely new. Gandelsonas pitched a farming corridor nearly 10 years ago during a city planning process. The original idea was an avenue of outdoor crops stretching across downtown to showcase Iowa agriculture.
Mario Gandelsonas in Des Moines in 1989. A New York architect, Gandelsonas helped create a vision for the city that led to the create of the Western Gateway and the Principal Riverwalk. (Photo: Register file photo)
Among movers and shakers in Des Moines, Gandelsonas has a fervent following. The Argentina-born, Paris-educated architect came to city in the late 1980s and helped craft the Des Moines Vision Plan, a blueprint for revitalizing the city.
Over the years, he has proposed some of the city’s most audacious projects.
One idea called for massive apartment complexes built in the shape of letters on the north side of downtown. He also dreamed of carving back the Des Moines River banks so City Hall and the World Food Prize would stick out on peninsulas.
But Gandelsonas is also credited with some of the city's biggest successes. He had the vision to demolish roughly 10 blocks of aging buildings and car dealerships on the west side of downtown to make room for a park. The project drew scoffs from skeptics and backlash from preservation advocates, but the development of the Western Gateway ultimately led to the construction of the Pappajohn Sculpture Park and hundreds of millions of dollars of office development from Nationwide, Wellmark and Kum & Go.
Asked if the Des Moines Agricultural Corridor is even more ambitious, Gandelsonas said: “It feels as impossible as the idea for Gateway Park... It is quite an undertaking, but I view it as important to accomplish this.”
Why now?
Jim Cownie (Photo: Register file photo)
Cownie, 72, and Gandelsonas, 78, say they’re getting older so it’s now or never.
And downtown has the momentum to support it, Gandelsonas said.
It also helps that a compatible idea is gaining steam. Iowa State officials and local business leaders are working on a proposal to create a year-round, indoor market inside Kaleidoscope at the Hub, an aging downtown shopping center.
Iowa State’s Courtney Long, who is overseeing the idea, said the greenhouses could provide produce for the indoor market and collaborate in other ways. Long has been meeting with the greenhouse backers for about a year to discuss the project.
“I think it’s interesting and unique," she said. "There is nothing like it."
To lead the greenhouse effort, Cownie is considering Bill Menner, a consultant who recently served as a state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A group of local business leaders is promoting the idea of building a string of massive greenhouses along they railroad tracks on the south side of downtown Des Moines. The idea, called the Des Moines Agricultural Corridor, is the brainchild of Mario Gandelsonas, the New York architect who created the vision for several Des Moines redevelopment projects including the Western Gateway and the Principal Riverwalk. (Photo: Special to The Register)
Menner said there could be USDA grants or government loans available for the Des Moines Agricultural Corridor.
And there are good models to learn from, he said. A group in Cleveland recently opened a 3.25-acre urban greenhouse, though it sits in a more industrial area, not in the heart of downtown.
Menner sees the greenhouse development as a way to bridge the urban-rural divide that has grown amid water lawsuits, bitter politics and rural population loss.
“By placing urban agriculture in the center of a metropolitan area, you’re actually building a bridge to the producers and the folks who make a living (in agriculture) while at the same time creating access to locally grown foods,” he said.
Canadian Microgreens Grower Makes Impact Within The Lettuce Category
Canadian Microgreens Grower Makes Impact Within The Lettuce Category
Small but mighty: microgreens are fairly new in the produce category, but they’re already being widely embraced in foodservice and in consumer’s homes. For what they lack in size, they make up for in a powerful flavor profile.
Large inventory on small footprint
Greenbelt Microgreens grows a wide inventory on its mere 6.5 acres. Of that, 4.5 acres is located in Ontario, Canada and 2 acres in Maple Ridge, BC. Owner, Ian Adamson began researching and perfecting the viability and production of microgreens in 1998 and was ready to open for business in 2010. Seven years were spent in perfecting the process and achieving proper nutrient-rich soil to grow strong, healthy greens. The proprietary soil mixture comes from a farm in Quebec. “That’s how we get the shelf life, because of the quality of the soil,” said Michael Curry, Vice President of Greenbelt Microgreens.
Fast growth cycle, long shelf life
Maintaining a proper cold chain is key – it’s all about food safety; the company is Canada GAP certified. Curry says their 13-day shelf life is key. Movement and processing of the cut greens right into cold storage, plus the ability to grow organically is something he says retailers are looking for. “That’s why we’re jumping on it,” he said, noting that 80 per cent of the organic product sold in Canada is imported.
It’s an opportunity for Greenbelt Microgreens to harness, and they’re able to grow year- round under glass, which mimics growing in an open field. “It’s a 10-day growth cycle,” Curry explained. “We can grow an incredible amount in an acre, year round.” He noted that they’re experimenting the implementation of LEDs. “We’re all about soil and sunshine but LEDs are proven very effective in the winter to keep the growing cycle the same - yields as well,” he said. With the reduction in sunshine this past winter, it’s an important investment, since last January he said there was only about 50 hours of sunlight for the month.
Living lettuce and wide range of greens
Part of their inventory includes organic living lettuce as well as their namesake organic microgreens: arugula (the most popular), basil, buckwheat, broccoli, cilantro, radish, daikon radish, kale, pea shoots, red choi, red mizuna, red radish, shunkigu, sunflower and wheatgrass. At one time it seemed like the idea of consuming what should be a full head of broccoli harvested after only 10 days was unheard of, but thegoal is to get the customer to think of their products as a whole salad, whether it’s a clamshell of the mixed microgreens, mixed lettuce or a head of living lettuce.
Living lettuce is sold in sleeves, which customers can take home, keep watered and harvest whenever they wish. The microgreen salads come in four different mixes. “That’s totally unique – nobody’s got that on the market,” said Curry. “Millennials seem to love having plants growing in their kitchen.” Customers are making friends with salad.
For more information:
Michael Curry
Greenbelt Microgreens
Ph: 416 710 7547
GreenGro Technologies, Inc. (GRNH: OTC Pink Current) | Greengro Technologies, Inc. Retains Investor Relations Partners to Support Company's Strategic IR Program
GreenGro Technologies, Inc. (GRNH: OTC Pink Current) | Greengro Technologies, Inc. Retains Investor Relations Partners to Support Company's Strategic IR Program
May 25, 2017
OTC Disclosure & News Service
ANAHEIM, Calif., May 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Greengro Technologies, Inc. (OTC:GRNH), a leader in the indoor agriculture technology market, today announced that it has retained Investor Relations Partners (IRP), one of the fastest growth investor and public relations firms in the nation, to expand the Company’s strategic investor relations program.
“GreenGro Technologies is at the forefront of the burgeoning indoor agriculture technology market. Our business units cover the entire indoor agriculture supply chain from developing growing technology to growing structures, plant processing, distribution and sales,” said Jim Haas, Chief Executive Officer of GreenGro Technologies, Inc. “In the past few months we have made a number of strategic acquisitions and partnerships and built what we believe is a solid pipeline of significant deals. However, the market has yet to grasp our unique strategy and the enormous role we expect to play in the indoor agriculture market. We have retained IRP to help communicate the series of expected positive developments to the investment community in an effort to significantly increase our exposure as well as support our overriding goal of building shareholder value,” concluded Mr. Haas.
To be added to the Company’s investor lists, please contact Bill Miller at Investor Relations Partners at 844-565-5665 or via email at bmiller@irpartnersinc.com.
About Greengro Technologies
Greengro Technologies (OTC:GRNH) is a world class provider of eco-friendly green technologies with specific domain expertise in indoor and outdoor agricultural science systems serving both the consumer and commercial farming markets. It brings together community and commerce through the growth and distribution of healthy, nutritious foods and vital medicines backed by science and technology. Customers include restaurants, community gardens, small and large scale commercial clients. Greengro Technologies also provides design, construction and maintenance services to large grow and cultivation operations and collectives in the medical and recreational marijuana sectors.
The company’s websites: www.greengrotech.com, offer regular updates including educational videos, projects updates, recipes and nutritional information, and where to find the company’s products. https://www.facebook.com/GreengroTechnologiesInc.
About Investor Relations Partners
Investor Relations Partners, Inc. (IRP) is a full-service investor relations firm serving a global client base. The principals of IRP have received top industry awards for their investor relations programs for a number of high-profile companies, including, but not limited to, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, ValueVision Media, Taro Pharmaceuticals, and LJ International. The firm’s principals have executed effective investor relations programs for dozens of public companies, ranging from emerging micro-cap companies to multinational corporations with market capitalizations in excess of $15 billion. For further information on IRP, please visit the firm’s Website at www.irpartnersinc.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from those projected due to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the possibility that some or all of the matters and transactions considered by the Company may not proceed as contemplated, and by all other matters specified in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are made based upon current expectations that are subject to risk and uncertainty. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements in this news release to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking information. Assumptions and other information that could cause results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking information can be found in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov), including its recent periodic reports.
Investor/Media Contact: Bill Miller Investor Relations Partners Phone: 844-565-5665 bmiller@irpartnersinc.com
Copyright © 2017 GlobeNewswire. All Rights Reserved
Mucci Farms Gears Up For Growth With New Private Equity Partnership
Mucci Farms Gears Up For Growth With New Private Equity Partnership
Mucci Farms has announced a partnership with NOVACAP, one of Canada’s leading private equity firms.
“We are very excited to be partnering with NOVACAP who, with its resources and expertise, will provide invaluable support to our company as we enter this next phase of growth", said Bert Mucci, President of Mucci. “This partnership will allow us to focus on operations and growth as we aim to become the preferred quality supplier of our industry”.
Located in Kingsville, Ontario, Mucci grows its own produce and is involved in marketing over 700 acres of greenhouse produce from growers throughout North America. The company also operates warehouse and distribution facilities in Ontario and Michigan. Mucci is Kingsville’s largest employer with more than 1,200 full-time employees.
“This partnership is a great opportunity for NOVACAP to support a highly qualified management team and to partner with a leader in the industry’’, said Domenic Mancini, Senior Partner at NOVACAP. "The company has an established track record and strong customer relationships and we are looking forward to working with the team and take the business to the next level.”
For more information:
www.muccifarms.com
www.novacap.ca
Beijing Oriental Technologies Ltd. Joins Philips Horticulture LED Solutions Partner Network
Beijing Oriental Technologies Ltd. Joins Philips Horticulture LED Solutions Partner Network
19 May 2017
Philips Lighting, a Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) company and the global leader in lighting, today announced that it signed a partnership agreement with Beijing Oriental Technologies Ltd. (Beijing Oritech) on 11 May 2017 at the 19th Hortiflorexpo IPM show in Shanghai, China. The partners will cooperate closely on projects in the greenhouse segment. The partnership agreement was signed by Wu Shao Juan, vice general manager of Beijing Oritech, and Udo van Slooten, global general manager of Philips Horticulture LED lighting.
This partnership strengthens the ability of both partners to further develop the Chinese greenhouse market. By combining Philips innovative greenhouse lighting solutions with the professional greenhouse expertise of Beijing Oritech, the collaboration will allow Chinese greenhouse growers to quickly learn and adapt Dutch cultivation technologies to produce excellent crops year-round with professional service and support. The energy savings realized with LED grow lights will help the Chinese greenhouse industry make more efficient use of resources as well.
About Beijing Oriental Technologies Ltd.
Beijing Oriental Technologies Ltd. is a modern and professional business that designs, produces and installs industrial grade greenhouses and agricultural equipment that is competitively priced. The company has experience in both industrial and horticultural cultivation. Beijing Oritech is committed to providing high quality agricultural facilities that meet industry standards for the European Union, North America and Japan. Professionally trained staff provide a range of services, including greenhouse research, production and construction.
For further information, please contact:
Daniela Damoiseaux, Global Marcom Manager Horticulture
Philips Horticultural LED Lighting, Nederland
E-mail: daniela.damoiseaux@philips.com
www.philips.com/horti
About Philips Lighting
Philips Lighting, a Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) company, is the global leader in lighting products, systems and services. Our understanding of how lighting positively affects people coupled with our deep technological know-how enable us to deliver digital lighting innovations that unlock new business value, deliver rich user experiences and help to improve lives. Serving professional and consumer markets, we sell more energy efficient LED lighting than any other company. We lead the industry in connected lighting systems and services, leveraging the Internet of Things to take light beyond illumination and transform homes, buildings and urban spaces. In 2015, we had sales of EUR 7.4 billion and employed 33,000 people worldwide. News from Philips Lighting is located at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.
Craigslist Vancouver Ad Offers Failed Vertical Greenhouse For $1.5M
North America's first VertiCrop farm was built on the roof of a parkade in downtown Vancouver in November 2013. (Alterrus)
Craigslist Vancouver Ad Offers Failed Vertical Greenhouse For $1.5M
The Alterrus 'vertical farm' was supported by Mayor Gregor Robertson
CBC News Posted: Jul 23, 2015 12:10 PM PT
North America's first VertiCrop farm was built on the roof of a parkade in downtown Vancouver in November 2013. (Alterrus)
An innovative vertical farming system that Mayor Gregor Robertson once warmly endorsed has been listed on Craigslist Vancouver for $1.5 million.
The high tech greenhouse is situated on top of a parking lot in the downtown core and was originally conceived as an urban farming innovation that would grow 200 kilograms of fresh organic leafy green vegetables daily.
The produce would then be sold direct to local restaurants and through the produce delivery service SPUD.ca.
But the dream soon faded, with Alterrus Systems Inc. filing for bankruptcy in January 2014, just a year after setting up, with debts of $3.4 million — despite a cut-rate rent deal from the City of just $4,800 per month.
A view through a window, with some reflection, of the former Alterrus parkade greenhouse. (Jason Proctor/CBC)
There is an ongoing lawsuit between the City, EasyPark (managers of the parkade) and Clay Haeber (a former board member of Alterrus and the current owner of the farm) over a deal that would have seen the business taken over by Affinor.