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Reusing Shipping Containers: Thinking Outside The Box
Let us introduce you to some of the creative-minded people who - literally - think outside the box!
By: AJOT | Oct 04 2018 | Intermodal News
Boots are made for walking and containers are made for shipping, right? Well, not if you ask everyone! Today, we see an exhilarating creativity in the reuse of shipping containers - living spaces, hotels, bars, pop-up stores, emergency shelters, bridges, art projects, and urban farming - the list goes on. Greencarrier Liner Agency loves the idea of recycling and innovation. Let us introduce you to some of the creative-minded people who - literally - think outside the box!
Urban farming – growing crops inside shipping containers
Freight Farms has found a way to grow crops inside shipping containers. Their hydroponic farming system called The Leafy Green Machine uses hi-tech growing technology to transform discarded shipping containers into mobile farm units. Each farm can produce as much food as a two-acre plot of land on a much smaller plot than is required by traditional crops.
As the outdoor climate has no impact on the conditions inside the container, food can be produced throughout the year and in any location. The project truly taps into the growing trend for urban farming and reduces the ecological footprint of food production.
Life uncontained – living inside Evergreen Line shipping containers
For the claustrophobic reader, it is now time to cover your eyes! After spending years not knowing what to do with their lives, this couple decided to chase what made them happy. Inspired by their past road trips, the hippies of the seventies, and Elon Musk, they chose to risk everything: They sold their traditional home, quit their jobs, and moved from Florida to Texas to build their dream debt-free net zero shipping container home using a couple of Evergreen Line Shipping containers. Are you intrigued? Follow their journey on YouTube!
A piece of container artwork you just can’t take your eyes off
As a part of his project “Women are Heroes,” the French artist JR turned shipping containers into a stunning piece of floating art. The picture assembled on the containers represents the eyes of a woman called Elisabeth who lives in the Kibera slums in Nairobi. When JR met and photographed her, she said “Make my story travel with you.” Using thousands of strips of paper placed by dock workers on the sides of the containers, JR created two eyes gazing at the world while travelling the oceans – two eyes belonging to women who will never travel across those oceans – made possible by art.
Container skyscrapers to replace slum housing
CRG Architects have come up with the concept for Container Skyscraper. The idea is to provide temporary accommodation to replace slum housing in developing countries. As many cities are facing unprecedented demographic, environmental, economic, social and spatial challenges, stacking recycled shipping containers to create cylindrical-looking towers can create high-density, cost-effective housing in urban areas. This is a truly innovative idea both in terms of CSR and the environment.
Container village startup hub for young companies
Dutch architect Julius Taminiau has created a temporary startup hub in Amsterdam using shipping containers. He has turned a derelict patch of land into a low budget, temporary space for young companies. In this dynamic village, the startups will inspire, collaborate across sectors, exchange knowledge and produce unexpected and paradigm-shifting creations. As the containers are placed upon concrete tiles, everything can be reused when the village is taken apart in the future and no trace will be left – an eco-friendly and innovative solution, which we are all about at Greencarrier Liner Agency!
3 reasons for reusing shipping containers.
As exemplified above – shipping containers can be so much more than just a box to ship commodity in. The reason for reusing shipping containers for other purposes than shipping is not only that they are extremely flexible, can solve a bunch of problems and be used in such innovative, unique, creative and cool ways – there is much more to it.
When containerisation conquered the global trade, shipping containers were standardised for intermodal freight transport. The standardisation made it possible to transport larger freight volumes and use different modes of transport without having to unload or reload the goods. Today, shipping containers still serve their purpose, but also provide great advantages when used as Intermodal Steel Building Units (ISBU).
1. Shipping containers are excellent construction material
From a structural point of view, containers are excellent construction material. As they spend the majority of their lifetime outdoors, the material is ideal for exposure to the elements of nature. The steel construction and design provide protection and strength as well as structural support and a long lifespan. The corner assemblies and locking mechanism also provide stability when multiple containers are being used in the construction of a building.
2. Buying empty shipping containers can be cost-efficient
Looking at costs, the reuse of shipping containers can be cost-efficient. A shipping container’s initial purpose is to carry cargo at sea, therefore it has to be cargo worthy throughout its lifespan. Most containers are finished as shipping containers after ten years in service and they are being replaced. Even though container stock is tight for most shipping lines, there is a big aftermarket for those replaced units retired from service at sea. To use those units as building material is inexpensive compared to traditional materials, such as wood, bricks or steel.”
3. Reusing shipping containers is sustainable construction practice
Recycling of any sort is eco-friendly. This is especially true when it comes to reusing shipping containers. It is, without doubt, sustainable construction practice; recycling unused containers for construction material puts an unused product to use while at the same time cleaning up spaces such as ports and shipyards. Shipping containers are also excellent for making use of solar power and can be insulated with eco-friendly materials.
Click & Grow Raises USD 11M And Gets Strategic Investors Ingka Group and SEB Alliance On Board
Palo Alto, November 1, 2018
Click & Grow, the leading producer of smart indoor gardens, closed its latest financing round led by Estonian-based United Angels VC alongside two strategic investors: Ingka Group, the world’s largest home furnishing retailer operating 367 IKEA stores, and SEB Alliance, the corporate venture arm of French Groupe SEB. This is the most significant round Click & Grow has raised so far. The aim of the round was to expand and accelerate Click & Grow’s worldwide presence and further popularize hyper-local gardening. Y Combinator and Yunqi VC also participated in the round.
Click & Grow’s breakthrough technology enables plants to be grown hyper-locally with zero effort, giving everyone a chance to grow fresh, GMO and pesticide-free greens at home or in any other space. Founded in 2009, Click and Grow has achieved a global presence and is now selling its third-generation smart gardens. The company’s largest market is in the US, followed by the EU and Singapore.
“Being one of the pioneers of hyperlocal gardening, we have been the drivers behind smart indoor gardens earning their rightful place among kitchen tools. Now we are working towards our next milestone to see how hyper-local farming can have a lasting impact on the sustainability of our food chain and reduce food waste. We couldn’t think of having better partners onboard to help us along the way than Ingka Group, with their commitment to a people and planet-positive future, and Groupe SEB, the world’s leader in small household equipment,” said Mattias Lepp, Founder, and CEO of Click & Grow.
The company’s strategy tackles one of the world’s major current issues, availability and affordability of the global food supply. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately one-third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted, including about 45% of all fruits and vegetables. Hyper-local farming allows us to cut the supply chain to a minimum.
“This investment is part of Ingka Group’s broader commitment to support innovative companies contributing to a more sustainable and healthy food and we believe Click & Grow’s novel approach has great potential. We see this as another step forward in our journey to serve IKEA customers and our co-workers healthier and more nutritious food, and it opens up new opportunities for IKEA Retail markets to become more self-sufficient by growing fresh local produce,” explained Krister Mattsson, Head of Investments, Ingka Group
To accelerate the expansion of Click and Grow's global foothold and to strengthen the position in Europe, this July Groupe SEB (active in 150 countries with brands such as Krups, Rowenta and Tefal) became a co-branding and distributor partner of Click & Grow in the French and DACH markets.
“We see indoor gardening becoming a promising trend for home/office. We are convinced by the leading edge of Click and Grow products and technology in this domain. We strongly believe in our capacity to help the company in its future development on the base of co-branding with EMSA and leveraging our worldwide presence” said François-Xavier Meyer, Vice President SEB Alliance, Groupe SEB
About Click & Grow
Click & Grow was founded by Mattias Lepp in 2009 and has shipped its products to more than 450,000 customers around the world. Click & Grow is headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. For more information, visit clickandgrow.com.
About the Ingka Group
Ingka Group (Ingka Holding B.V. and its controlled entities) is one of 11 different groups of companies that own and operate IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Ingka Group has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. It is the world’s largest home furnishing retailer operating 367 IKEA stores in 30 markets. These IKEA stores had 838 million visits during FY18 and 2.35 billion visits to www.IKEA.com. Ingka Group operates business under the IKEA vision to create a better everyday life for many people by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.
About SEB Alliance
SEB Alliance is the corporate venture capital arm of Groupe SEB, the world leader in small domestic equipment. SEB Alliance prioritizes minority stake investments in innovative companies with high technological content operating in areas such as smart systems/connectivity & robotics, new forms of energy, aging population, preserving health, beauty and wellbeing, ecology and sustainable development. www.seballiance.com
About United Angels VC
United Angels VC is an early stage VC fund based in Estonia. It invests throughout the software stack and related areas. The fund and its partner’s portfolio include some of the fastest growing companies originating from Northern-Europe, such as Taxify, Monese, and Veriff. The fund’s food tech portfolio includes Click & Grow, Epic Foods, eAgronom, and FoodDocs. www.unitedangels.vc
Company Working To Bring Fresh Produce To U.Va. Dining Halls, Charlottesville Businesses And Homes
Babylon Micro-Farms has developed a system using hydroponic farming to make growing fresh produce more sustainable
By Rupa Nallamothu | 10/10/2018
In hydroponic farming, plants are grown in nutrient-rich, water solvent mineral solutions rather than in soil. Courtesy Babylon Micro-Farms
Babylon Micro-Farms, founded by University alumnus Alexander Olesen during his undergraduate years, has developed a system using hydroponic farming to make growing fresh produce sustainable for the urban consumer. The Babylon team has recently installed more apparatuses in the University dining halls, Charlottesville businesses and consumers’ homes.
Olesen developed Babylon Micro-Farms, a hydroponic farming system, to create an urban farming system easily accessible by consumers. During the spring semester of 2016, in the early stages of the company’s development, Olesen utilized several entrepreneurship resources available through the University.
“We started with the social entrepreneurship class, but then the founders went through the HackCville Alpha program, which was very helpful for them,” said Will Graham, the director of sales and marketing at Babylon. “From there, they went through the Darden iLab.”
In hydroponic farming, plants are grown in nutrient-rich, water solvent mineral solutions rather than in soil. This farming method removes environmental limitations to maximize respiration and absorption of nutrients in plants, which contribute to a greater harvest yield. Genetically modified organisms, pesticides or inorganic fertilizers cannot be used in a hydroponic culture.
Moreover, hydroponic farming can help reduce the distance between where a food item is grown and where it is sold by allowing plants to grow in normally inhospitable environments, such as inside urban buildings. This system could potentially allow restaurants and homes to grow plants inside their own spaces.
Since hydroponic systems are generally used in mass production due to their high cost, they are not readily available for urban consumers performing small-scale farming. Hydroponic systems also usually have restrictions on the types of plants that can grow in them.
However, Babylon Micro-Farms seeks to make hydroponics available for personal use and has developed technology that allows consumers to grow several different types of plants in their systems.
According to Graham, the Babylon team has several types of systems with varying degrees of technology. Some of the systems have two different reservoirs to allow different types of plants that require different types of nutrients or stratified sections of the same crop to grow on the same system.
The farming system has several versions which were developed throughout the growth of the company. Initially, the systems could not monitor the growth of the plants on each rack and were not stratified enough to grow multiple different types of produce on the same apparatus. Now, racks are divided based on the type of plant and can also be scanned into an app, which displays available information and data from the hydroponic system.
“You should able to scan a farm and tell it where you're putting plants, and it can adjust the lights and nutrients to grow something,” Graham said.
The Babylon team began testing prototypes around Grounds in 2017 after building an early model through HackCville, and received funding by winning $6,500 from the Green Initiatives Funding Tomorrow grant. After earning the GIFT grant, the company utilized the resources of Darden’s iLab, or the W.L. Lyons Brown III Innovation Laboratory — which supports the growth and development of business at an early stage by providing them resources, such as funding opportunities, legal services and faculty support.
According to Patrick Mahan, an electrical engineer at Babylon, the resources at the iLab helped the Babylon founders navigate the process of establishing a business.
After obtaining a financial basis for the project, the Babylon team installed their micro-farms in dining halls at the University. At Newcomb and O’Hill, these systems are utilized to grow produce used to prepare meals. On Sept. 12, the Babylon team installed two new systems in O’Hill and Runk.
"We mostly got positive reception,” Mahan said regarding the placement of systems in dining halls. “Part of it was almost confusion because they had never seen anything like it before, so they weren't sure what it was doing. But once they saw the plants start growing and saw the workers harvest the plants, I think they came around to it.”
Although Babylon is still installing systems in O’Hill and Runk, the team is also working on creating new technologies. Currently, they are developing a solar powered farm at the Morven Farm with the Morven Kitchen Garden.
The Morven Kitchen Garden, similar to Babylon Micro-Farms, is part of a student-run undergraduate sustainability initiative, according to Morven Kitchen Garden manager Stephanie Meyers. Students manage a community-supported agriculture program on a one-acre sustainable garden, donated by philanthropist John W. Kluge.
In addition to the project with Morven, the company is expanding their work outside the University. The Babylon team has implemented their hydroponic systems in Boar’s Head Resort and Three Notch'd Craft Kitchen & Brewery, two local businesses a few miles away from Grounds.
Babylon has also provided prototypes for personal use in the home, which are being used to further develop a hydroponics system available for purchase by local consumers.
Indoor Garden Towers Installed At GBHS
Soon Great Bend High School students will be growing vegetables indoors in a soil-free system called a Garden Tower®, Assistant Principal Randy Wetzel said.
This Tower Garden® growing system in the GBHS Library is one of three purchased to grow plants without soil at Great Bend High School.
Students Will Grow Food Without Dirt
October 13, 2018
Soon Great Bend High School students will be growing vegetables indoors in a soil-free system called a Garden Tower®, Assistant Principal Randy Wetzel said.
The school used funds from the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education bill to purchase three of the aeroponic, vertical growing systems to grow plants and vegetables in the classroom without dirt.
“The Tower Gardens were bought for our Family and Consumer Science Cluster (Culinary Pathway),” said Wetzel, who is also director of the Career Technical Education program at GBHS. They were assembled by students who are now learning how to use them.
The towers were suggested by Amber Wolking, the new Family and Consumer Science (FACS) teacher. They are set up in the library, a biology classroom and Wolking’s own classroom, the “foods lab.” Plants should start growing in the next couple of weeks.
“What’s great about the Tower Garden is that it takes up less than 3 square feet of space, indoors or outdoors, and you can grow 20+ fruits, vegetables or flowers using a vertical aeroponic growing system,” she said.
Like hydroponics, aeroponics is an alternative form of gardening. The main difference is that hydroponics uses water instead of soil as a growing medium, but aeroponics uses 90 percent less water than a traditional garden, Wolking said.
“We have two mineral blends that we will add to the (tower’s) green base, which is the water reservoir,” Wolking said. The plants are grown in rock wool.
“We also test the pH of the water and add an acid or base, depending on what is needed. The water and lights will come on in timed intervals to help simulate the outdoors. The water goes up the center and then gently falls on the root system inside the center tube,” Wolking said.
“Research has found aeroponic systems grow plants three times faster and produce 30 percent greater yields on average,” she added.
The students will have the opportunity to grow their own plants from seedlings purchased from a company that specializes in growing starter plants for Tower Gardens.
“I’m excited to have the students take ownership of the gardens and watch them grow. We will be utilizing what we harvest in the classroom to create different recipes, canning, taste testing and comparing to grocery store produce, experimenting with different herbs and offering extra produce to the community. The students will take pride in what they create from ‘Tower to Table’ and will learn that healthy can taste good!” Wolking said.
Dachnik Aquaponics Completes Vertical Aquaponics Renovation of Commercial Facility in Copperton, Utah
Dachnik Aquaponics, an Aquaponics Technology company founded in Utah, spent the entire summer renovating their Vertical Growing Commercial Aquaponics Facility located in Copperton, Utah.
Their previous design, consisting of Bamboo vertical growing towers, created a lot of attention and buzz in the community; including videos by top YouTube Organic Food channel “Growing Your Greens” which has currently received over 273,000 views explaining the system and its unique design in detail.
Video Link
Dachnik Aquaponics was barely able to keep up with email inquiries and phone calls for months when the system went live and was revealed to the world.
However, the bamboo towers while looked gorgeous; were not viable for a large-scale commercial operation. They did not have the durability needed to last long-term and were extremely high maintenance.
With every new system Dachnik Aquaponics builds, new ideas come along that help solve potential problems and how to make it better. Their goal is to never idlily standby any design, but to always keep improving it for maximum efficiency in order to keep raising the bar in Aquaponics.
“Most of the media attention, buzz and money is currently flowing towards Hydroponics. However, we feel like Aquaponics provides the full spectrum needed for sustainable agriculture but has remained quite stagnant over the years without any substantial, disruptive developments in order to solve the problems all commercial Aquaponics farms face that make it unattractive to farmers and investors and hinder profitability. Our next generation design solves the issues plaguing Aquaponics by creating a one-of-a-kind biofilter, massively increased plant yield per SqFt, and effectively eliminating most labor requirements.”
Sean Burrows, Co-Founder, Dachnik Aquaponics
Fast forward to where we are now. We have built a complete proof of concept and working farm about a 1/6th scale of the commercial farms we envision our next projects to be. Our automated vertical Aquaponics systems are simpler to operate and provide the most grow holes per square foot of any other Aquaponics system to date. Thanks to our new patented vertical growing tower consisting of 48 grow holes per tower as well as our “stackable” float bed design.
We can produce as many plants in 10,000 square feet as 36 acres in California. Based on 15,000 plants per acre and 4 harvests per year. Attached to the Aquaponics greenhouse is the fish and production/storage building where we expect the five 18,000-gallon fish tanks to produce up to 100,000lbs of fish per year, as well as Australian Redclaw and other Crayfish. We are forming alliances with state-of-the-art greenhouse designs and solar to create completely off grid systems with a very attractive return on investment.
Our Aquaponics growing system is quite simply the ultimate bio filter. We set out to create a system that works in harmony with nature and yes, we kept the media and worms.
Looking five years down the road, Dachnik Aquaponics sees itself as the leader in Aquaponics technology with large fully automated commercial systems built worldwide. We want to be adding billions of dollars into the economies where our systems are built. Dachnik Aquaponics is also planning on selling smaller “residential” sized systems as well based off their commercial designs.
Here’s the latest video update from Dachnik Aquaponics showing their new and improved design after the renovation of their previous one:
Video Link
Their current model is now selling fresh produce within Salt Lake County to restaurants, markets, caterers along with a monthly membership direct to consumer model.
Dachnik Aquaponics is currently taking orders for commercial sized farms.
Here’s a link to their website to learn more
UK: Start-Up Secures Funding To Launch Commercial Scale Trials For Hydroponic Growing System
Phytoponics, a multi-award winning start-up specialising in the development of hydroponic deep-water culture technology for sustainable agriculture has secured £300,000 in new funding following on from the £200,000 it raised earlier this year. The funding comes from existing investors and a number of new angel investors led by Smart Anchor Capital.
The company based in Aberystwyth was co-founded by Adam Dixon and Luke Parkin during Adam’s studies at Cardiff University with the aim of delivering highly optimised hydroponic systems designed to produce better crop yields than traditional systems and with the potential to meet global food demand with sustainability in mind. Phytoponic’s patented Hydrosac technology is ready for high volume commercial growing having proven itself by producing two tonnes of high quality tomatoes through a pilot project housed at the company’s glasshouse facility at Aberystwyth University.
Co-Founder Adam Dixon sits amongst Phytoponics first hydroponically grown tomato harvest
Phytoponics CEO & Co-Founder Adam Dixon says. "We’re so pleased to have secured this funding from such prominent supportive investors. These new funds will provide us the necessary operating cash to scale up trials of our technology whilst experimenting with other high value crop types. We recently signed a contract with a major commercial grower that will use our technology to grow tomatoes for two major supermarkets early next year. We’re also planning to hire new employees to help with technical and commercial development”.
Existing investor David Kremer commented, “When approached I was more than happy to follow-on fund the team having experienced the progress they’ve made over the last 6 months, not only successfully bringing their concept to market but surrounding themselves with credible industry experts and picking up awards and accolades along the way”.
Incoming Angel investor entrepreneur Melisa Lawton says, “The decision to invest in Phytoponics was quite simple once I’d met Adam and Luke. Their vision is compelling, as is the potential for their Hydrosac technology, especially the ability to deploy it in countries where water is scarce or in humanitarian aid situations”.
“The team have achieved an amazing amount in the last 12 months and with little resource. Despite that they have attracted the attention of potential partners and customers from the US, India, UAE, Africa, Canada and many other countries”, said Mark Hindmarsh Founder Partner of Smart Anchor Capital. “As new shareholders we are all excited to see what the future holds for the company considering the opportunity that lies ahead and as recently appointed Chairman I personally look forward to playing my part in helping Phytoponics achieve its next milestones in advance of a larger fund-raise within the next 12 months”.
The Phytoponics investment process was facilitated and managed by Smart Anchor Ventures with legal support provided by Acuity Legal.
For more information:
Phytoponics
Cardiff Business Technology Centre
Senghenydd Road
Cardiff
CF24 4AY
United Kingdom
+44 2921 888 941
Meet CropKing’s Nick Greens And Jake Emling
The two New Hires At CropKing Bring A Variety Of Experiences To the Lodi, Ohio-Based Operation.
September 18, 2018
CropKing, based in Lodi, Ohio, recently announced that it has expanded its team, with the addition of Nick Greens in the role of horticulturist/consultant, and Jake Emling in the role of horticulturist. The two new hires recently shared with Produce Grower their backgrounds and excitement about their new roles.
Nick Greens, horticulturist/consultant, based out of Lodi, Ohio
Horticulturist/consultant Nick Greens began his growing career in 2002 as an apprentice grower for a hydroponics shop. In 2007, Greens moved to Humboldt County, California, to work as an assistant grower for a collective of greenhouses, where he began experimenting with a vortex brewer to develop several recipes for compost teas.
In 2010, Greens moved back to Chicago to start growing produce for Blue Star Produce, where he perfected his compost tea recipes and became a pioneer in organic microgreens and leafy greens production. When he started growing microgreens in 2010, Greens used CropKing systems. He worked for and advised many Chicago indoor farms, including BrightFarms, Garfield Produce, Plant Chicago, Windy City Greens and Nick Greens Grow Team.
Greens has created many growing opportunities for youth in urban Chicago. He installed an indoor growing system at Kipp One Academy Charter School, and helped design and build the Food Science Lab at Schurz High School.
Having helped different microgreens operations get off the ground, Greens says he knows what it takes for small farming businesses to succeed. Now that he’s working at CropKing, Greens says he is excited to help customers solve their problems.
“Now that I’ve been at CropKing for a few months, I’ve really enjoyed the workshops,” Greens says. “Getting to meet potential growers and talk through their questions while also teaching about ways to provide heathy and sustainable food is one of the things I like best.”
Jake Emling, horticulturist, based out of Lodi, Ohio
Horticulturist Jake Emling developed a love of nature and the outdoors while growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he received both a bachelors and masters of science in horticulture. While at Michigan State, Emling researched various fruit crops in intensive growing systems. He also has worked in the fertilizer industry as well as with greenhouses, grower education and entomology.
Emling has worked throughout the United States with numerous crops and growers, and he says he is excited to pull from those experiences to help CropKing customers. “It is always interesting to me how the different cultural practices are used to produce the same crop in different locations,” he says.
In his spare time, Emling works in his one-third-acre vineyard. Additionally, he has experience working with computer-aided design. “Over the last few years I have been able to use my knowledge of engineering principles and horticulture to help improve different designs and layouts of greenhouses. I have been building things and tinkering all my life, so applying this skill with my background in horticulture has allowed me to solve problems for growers.”
At the end of the day, Emling says he is drawn to controlled environment agriculture (CEA) because of the range of experiences it presents. “I like the flexibility of different tasks that are needed to successfully produce a crop,” he says. “Also, [I like] the wide range of plants that you can grow in CEA. You are only limited to how much time you want to spend taking care of the needs of those specific plants.”
Why Hydroponic Grow Boxes Are The Future Of Growing
Why Hydroponic Grow Boxes Are The Future Of Growing
From the time I start writing this article to the time I finish the world's population will have increased by approximately 10,000 people. That not only means 10,000 more mouths to feed. It also means a decrease in the space that we have left on this earth.
There is no denying that the worlds increasing population is putting pressure on food supplies and available living and agriculture spaces. A decrease in growing spaces means a decrease in area for farms and agriculture to produce food for the world's population creating a vicious cycle that only leads to a more difficult problem to solve.
But what if everyone could produce their own food? A world where everyone produces the food that they eat within their own living space means there would be no need for massive agricultural spaces. We could then use those previous agricultural spaces for additional living space or natural reserves. What’s the most exciting part? This isn’t just a fantasy.
A hydroponic system means growing in an entirely water-based system instead of the traditional soil-based system. If you live in a high rise apartment in the middle of downtown Toronto, New York, Tokyo or any large urban center then growing your own food with soil isn’t a very viable option. Furthermore, even if you could have a room full of soil in your apartment you still might not have the horticultural touch to grow your own food. But luckily there is an answer.
Fully automated hydroponic grow boxes allow their users to grow their own food in their house without having to constantly tend to their crop like a farmer. The Canadian-based Company Grobo has created a hydroponic grow box that constantly monitors and adjusts its own ecosystem’s lighting, EC and pH levels.
Hydroponic grow boxes are launching us towards a world where traditional farming and agricultural systems are merely a memory. Each person can grow their own fresh food from the comfort of their own home. I’m excited to live in a world where I can grow my own strawberries, tomatoes, and lettuce while sitting in my apartment watching TV or playing baseball at the park.
Now that’s smart farming!
Urban Food From Vertical Farming
Urban Food From Vertical Farming
May 23, 2018, CORDIS
Credit: diephotodesigner.de
Your local supermarket and favourite restaurant could soon be growing their own food, thanks to an EU-funded project that has completely redesigned the food supply chain to develop the concept of in-store farming.
Our busy, modern lives demand that fresh produce be available 365 days a year, even though some varieties may only be seasonal and/or produced on the other side of the world. The result is a food system centred on quantity, low prices and efficiency rather than on quality, sustainability and traceability.
The EU-funded INFARM (The vertical farming revolution, urban Farming as a Service) project reflects a growing desire for highly nutritious locally grown food, which is free of herbicides and pesticides and addresses the lack of accountability in the current food system. "By growing produce directly where people eat and live, we can cut out the lengthy supply chain, significantly reduce food waste, offer nutrient-dense food without any chemical pesticides and improve the environmental 'foodprint' of our plants," says the INFARM's Chief Technical Officer and co-founder, Guy Galonska.
The answer lies in vertical farming, which grows food in vertically stacked layers under carefully controlled conditions, using hydroponics and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that mimic sunlight. INFARM takes the concept a step further by employing its smart modular farming units throughout the city "Rather than asking ourselves how to fix the deficiencies in the current supply chain, we wanted to redesign the entire chain from start to finish; Instead of building large-scale farms outside of the city, optimising on a specific yield, and then distributing the produce, we decided it would be more effective to distribute the farms themselves and farm directly where people live and eat," Galonska explains.
Use of technology
Each farming unit is its own individual ecosystem, creating the exact environment for plants to flourish. By developing the optimal light spectrum, temperature, pH, and nutrients researchers can ensure the best possible flavour, colour and nutritional quality for each plant, whether it be rocket from Provence, Mexican tarragon or Moroccan mint.
The distributed farms are connected by INFARM's central farming platform, creating a first of its kind farming network: "Each farm acts as a data pipeline, sending information on plant growth to our platform 24/7 allowing it to learn, adjust and optimise." A matrix of sensors collects and record data, enabling researchers to remotely optimise the growth of the plants in real-time. This information is also fed into the central farming platform, ensuring its continual development and improvement.
The design of the growing trays mimics the petal pattern of the sunflower, which represents the most efficient arrangement of space in nature. The tray moves plants from the centre to the outer perimeter according to their size and growth. Young seedlings are placed in the centre of the spiral and are harvested from the outside when matured. This design allows fresh produce to be harvested each day at a significantly higher output than comparable technologies.
Supply chain reduced
INFARM is now operating more than 50 farms across Berlin in supermarket aisles, restaurant kitchens and distribution warehouses. In addition to the in-store farms, INFARM has successfully installed and activated a large-scale seedling plant and logistical support system that allows the continued, successful operation of all farming units.
These results are the first step towards creating an urban farming network in Berlin that will ultimately make the city more self-sufficient in its food production. According to Galonska: "With our system, we have completely reduced the food supply chain, as our produce is grown in the heart of the city, often directly at points-of-sale. Thus, customers can purchase fresh produce, minutes after being picked, thereby retaining all its original nutritional qualities, which are lost when the produce is transported and refrigerated."
Those benefiting from the work of INFARM range from small grocers to global retail conglomerates and governments interested in water conservation, food security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Galonska concludes, "INFARM's innovative business model has attracted major interest and I believe that our success will serve as proof, to both aspiring entrepreneurs and established companies, that going 'green' can be profitable and sustainable."
Explore further: Computer-controlled 'greenhouses' in kitchens grow fresher, healthier produce
Provided by: CORDIS
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-05-urban-food-vertical-farming.html#jCp
RotoGro Inks Pivotal Ag-Tech Perishable Foods Deal
RotoGro Inks Pivotal Ag-Tech Perishable Foods Deal
Written by Zoe Gross, edited and authorised by Jonathan Jackson. Published at May 22, 2018, in Biotech
Cannabis tech company, RotoGro World Wide (ASX:RGI), has penned a binding letter of intent (LOI) with organic perishable foods grower, Gibio Inc.
The LOI enables RGI to subscribe for up to 49 percent equity participation in Gibio and includes a 20-year exclusive manufacturing, technology and service contract for all rotational garden systems required for Gibio’s perishable food production facilities.
Gibio is located and incorporated in St Apolinaire, Quebec, Canada. Its mission is to develop environmentally responsible local farms which defy traditional growing seasons, enabling sustainable, socially responsible and traceable organic produce all year round.
This LOI is the culmination of 12 months of collaboration — Gibio and RGI have been working together to trial, test and customize the RotoGro Rotary Hydroponic Garden System with Gibio’s growing know-how and bespoke substrate technology.
Building, owning and operating perishable farms led by the tech of both companies will ensure produce is grown with maximum efficiency, minimal water, and without pesticides or herbicides.
Gibio will proceed with the first 80,000 square foot flagship facility, aiming to roll out an additional 10 facilities over the next five years.
RGI’s equity interest in Gibio’s global growing facilities provides considerable depth to its second vertical of growing management and growing facility ownership.
It’s worth noting here that this is an early stage play and investors should seek professional financial advice if considering this company for their portfolio.
Some market peers in the vertical farming perishable foods space
Small-scale indoor farms have demonstrated the benefits of compact vertical farming for many years. In response to increasing real estate prices, energy and transportation costs, scarcity of fertile land, and the limitations of seasonal growing, the agricultural community has made a concerted effort to utilise urban spaces for the efficient growing of perishable foods.
Research has shown indoor vertical farming systems have the capacity to produce up to 350 times the volume of produce compared with a conventional farm occupying the same footprint, while using significantly less water and providing consistent quality year-round.
These hermetically sealed, climate-controlled indoor growing facilities provide shelter from the elements, weeds, insects and pests which eliminates the need for harmful herbicides and pesticides, while at the same time providing safe, dependable and nutritious food.
Two companies leading the charge for sustainable indoor vertical farming are New Jersey-based AeroFarms LLC and Silicon Valley-based Plenty Unlimited Inc. — Gibio aspires to the achievements of both.
AeroFarms recently completed construction of its ninth indoor vertical farm — a state-of-the-art 69,000 square foot flagship production facility in Newark, New Jersey. AeroFarms’ original investors, Goldman Sachs and Prudential Financial, have been recently joined by the Ikea Group and Meraas (the investment vehicle of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid).
Plenty, on the other hand, recently opened its first 50,000 square foot indoor vertical farming operation in California and is currently opening its second indoor vertical farming facility in the greater Seattle area, Washington. This second facility occupies 100,000 square feet of growing area and has the potential to cultivate enough produce to feed some 180,000 Americans annually.
Plenty has been well-supported with an investor base that includes SoftBank Vision, DCM Ventures, Bezos Expeditions (Amazon’s Jeff Bezos) and Innovation Endeavors (Google’s Eric Schmidt).
A critical transaction
Gibio president, Gino Poirier, said: “We are very excited to partner with RotoGro in our aspirations to be the global leader in organic perishable foods. Our relationship over the past 12 months has highlighted the strength of RotoGro’s innovation, engineering and solutions-based approach to our design requests.”
“We look forward to moving to the design and construction phase of our first 80,000 square foot flagship facility after which we aim to roll out a further 10 facilities over the next five years,” added Poirier.
RGI managing director, Michael Carli, commented: “Our investment in Gibio is a testament to the vision of both companies aligning to embark on the exciting space of large scale indoor perishable food growing facilities. Gibio’s first facility will rival that of both AeroFarms and Plenty, whilst moving the needle for more efficient solutions to indoor farming.”
“Our equity interest in Gibio’s global growing facilities provides depth to our second vertical of growing management and growing facility ownership. This is a company making investment and sets RotoGro apart from its peers in both the technology and agriculture space.”
This latest development comes hot on the heels of more good news for RGI. Last week, the company revealed it is acquiring the fertigation assets, intellectual property, ongoing contacts, key personnel, industry know-how and business goodwill of Hanson’s Water Treatment Inc.
This acquisition gives RGI leverage to Hanson’s specialised fertigation business line for water treatment and nutrient management in the viticulture, perishable foods and legalised cannabis space.
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TAPKIT: 500m2 Self-Assembly Hydroponic Greenhouse
TAPKIT: 500m2 Self-Assembly Hydroponic Greenhouse
After many years of specializing in large commercial-size hydroponic systems worldwide, TAP is launching the TAPKIT. The TAPKIT is a 500 m2 hydroponic unit, which can produce 6-12 tons of leafy vegetables and fresh herbs per year. "The idea is to enable small farmers to have their own hydroponic business, where they can grow and market their production to the neighbors, neighbor restaurants, and their own consumption", Teshuva Agricultural Projects CEO Avner Shohet explains.
The TAPKIT greenhouse will be presented at ’Agri-Tech Israel 2018’, in May. The hydroponic, self-assembly kit was designed as a cheap solution, while keeping a high standard. "The idea is 'from seeds to packages", Avner explains. "With an investment of 50,000 euros, the client will have a unit that also includes small plant nursery and packing equipment."
The unit can be operated by 2 people. The target audience are farmers, resorts, educational organizations, farmers shops, retired people, hospitals and many others.
NFT techniques on the rise
NFT uses a recirculating water system that carefully manages water usage and fertilizer volumes required to support healthy, consistent plant growth. This delivers multiple, proven advantages, including: very high production yields; significantly lower operating costs, more efficient production facilities; major savings in water and fertilizers; longer equipment lifecycles and increased profitability.
“NFT techniques are on the increase globally due to growing consumption of high-value and exotic crops and the increasing need for global food security by increasing yield in smaller spaces. Hydroponic crops are generally high-value, and every production refinement that can be made pays higher dividends to farmers. The industry is very focused on techniques that can improve yield and quality to give them a market advantage.”
Stabilizing temperature
The TAPKIT is developed in such a way that it can be adjusted to local circumstances and needs of the grower. The greenhouse currently built in Israel is provided with a monitoring and controlling operation system for optimization of the root zone temperature, developed and patented by Roots Sustainable Agricultural Technologies. This is one of the options the TAPKIT can be extended with.
According to ROOTS CEO Sharon Devir, stabilizing the nutrient temperature year-round will help farmers produce better quality crops, maximize production volume and minimize costs. “With this collaboration we can now address a major problem NFT farmers face in stabilizing nutrient temperatures and maintaining them at an optimal range year-round. This is a game-changer for Roots as it allows us to tap into an existing, rapidly growing global advanced-hydroponics market."
Agri-Tech Israel
The TAPKIT is to be presented at the Agri-Tech Israel 2018. The exhibition will be held May 8 – 10, 2018 at the Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center in Tel Aviv. During and after the exhibition, visits can be made to the first TAPKIT greenhouse project.
For more information:
Teshuva Agricultural Projects
60 Nof Harim St., Olesh, 42855 Israel
+972-9-8940507
+972-50-7922579
+1-201-5803003
office@taprojects.com
www.taprojects.com
Publication date: 4/24/2018
Designing Resilient Organic Greenhouse Production Systems For Europe
Designing Resilient Organic Greenhouse Production Systems For Europe
Greenhouse production is a highly intensive cropping system that guarantees out-of-season production in any climatic condition. The Greenresilient project, which was launched on April 2, 2018, aims to demonstrate the potential and feasibility of an agroecological approach to organic greenhouse production in Mediterranean, Central and Northern European organic production.
Challenge
The year-round production of high quality and tasty vegetables in unheated and low-energy greenhouses or polytunnels, using resilient, sustainable and local systems, is a challenge.
The main objective of the new 3-year Greenresilient project is therefore to design robust agroecosystems in protected conditions, which are able to maintain high and stable production with a low environmental impact.
While in Central and Northern European countries, the major challenge is to produce crops in low-energy systems under low temperature and low light conditions, in Mediterranean countries, the challenge is to reduce the use of plant protection products (for example copper).
The use of agroecological practices (biodynamic agricultural) in organic greenhouse production systems constitutes an innovative approach to a traditionally intensive system of organic production.
Sustainability
The project will also assess the environmental sustainability of the different cropping systems, using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to calculate the environmental impact of two “extreme” strategies within the five experimental sites of the project.
In order to reach these objectives, a team of scientists with multidisciplinary competences (agronomy, agroecology, soil chemistry, entomology, plant pathology, weed science) from twelve research centres in eight European countries are involved.
During the kick-off meeting held on the 18-20th of April, 2018 in Capua, Italy, Greenresilient project coordinator, Dr. Fabio Tittarelli of the Italian Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), presented the timeline and the interactions among project activities. Work package leaders and participants detailed and planned the work to be done in the first year of the project.
The project is funded by CORE Organic Cofund funding bodies, which are partners of the Horizon 2020 ERA-Net project CORE Organic Cofund.
For more information:
Greenresilient
www.greenresilient.net
New Unique Designer Hydroponic System To Land On Indiegogo
New Unique Designer Hydroponic System To Land On Indiegogo
May 3, 2018
(Isstories Editorial) London, May 3, 2018 (Issuewire.com) – Good news on the way for Urbanites who struggle to grow herb gardens in the concrete jungle. London-based promising startup VictoryGrow is launching a revolutionary designer low-powered hydroponic system on Crowdsourcing website Indiegogo that will allow green enthusiasts to have a lovely herb garden right on their windowsill. Aptly titled as PowerPot, the new-age system assures energy, space and water-efficient horticulture that can be easily practiced at apartments and commercial establishments.
The Indiegogo campaign is geared to raise around $19,500.
VictoryGrow PowerPots are small yet powerful hydroponic systems which will allow users to grow-from-seed various edible plants such as small tomatoes, chilies, herbs and so on. Users can also use the USB-powered system to grow fancy display plants and flowers. The PowerPot sports a clear viewport which will enable you to check up the growth and health of your plants roots any time -something which is simply impossible with soil-grown plants.
One of the best bits about our PowerPot is its all-in-one seed-to-fruit design that eliminates the hassle of transplanting your seedlings once they start to grow up. We have designed it to bring a little bling to growing whilst preventing the unwanted mess of growing plants in soil. Its convenient, easy to use, powerful and most importantly renders that desired green touch to your urban home or office when you are lamenting about the absence of a garden, stated Nick Outram, a visionary tech veteran, a seasoned hydroponic system designer and the man behind the innovative PowerPot.
Speaking further, Mr. Outram revealed the state of the art features of his new unique VictoryGrow PowerPot-
- Robust 4 mm thick high quality acrylic case manufactured with care by a leading aquarium producer
- Durable brushless and noiseless motor instead of cheap air pump brushed motors usually found in regular hydroponics systems
- In-built multicolor LED light inside the pot that can change color via remote control according to the mood of the user
- Customizable Facerings that are available in broad range of hues to choose as per specific preferences
- Low voltage powered (USB=5V) hydroponic system to ensure safe usage
VictoryGrow has also plans for a safety magnetic coupler for power in the near future.
We have got a revolutionary hydroponic system for you which is a perfect blend of form and function. At present, we are looking towards mass production and building a following around the PowerPot hence this Indiegogo campaign. Your generous support will enable us to kick-start our production at an affordable cost and start an urban growing revolution!
Backers will be rewarded with the new-age PowerPot at discounted prices along with 2 seed trays providing 12-18months of hassle free growing.
To show your support for this campaign, please visit IndieGoGo and search PowerPots
Press Kit Link: http://www.victorygrowuk.com/contact-and-presskit
Indie Link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/victorygrow-powerpots-designer-growing-systems/coming_soon
Victory Grow
noutram@victorygrowuk.com
Upper Richmond Road, Putney London, United Kingdom
This Automated Greenhouse Fits In An Apartment
This Automated Greenhouse Fits In An Apartment
Posted by Mike Williams-Rice May 11th, 2018
To improve access to vegetables among urban apartment dwellers, engineering students have created an indoor, automated greenhouse.
“This allows them to grow fresh produce, everything from leafy greens to herbs to root vegetables,” says Harrison Lin, a member of the team from Rice University.
Växthus (Swedish for greenhouse) comes from the HSB Living Lab at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. The lab is a residential community of 29 apartments for students and visiting researchers, all of whom are involved in finding solutions for more sustainable living. The Living Lab partnered with Rice on a previous project to develop a device to simplify composting at home.
The Rice students say their greenhouse project furthers that mission by enhancing city life.
The team worked at Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen with guidance from Matthew Elliott, a lecturer in mechanical engineering, and Gary Woods, a professor in the practice of computer technology and electrical and computer engineering. The goal was to produce an efficient and attractive prototype small enough for an apartment. The result is a wood-paneled greenhouse with a clear acrylic front.
“I think we did really well, thinking about how it would feel as an outside user,” says team member Mike Hua. “We wanted to create a product that made the user interface easy.”
The greenhouse uses soil, as opposed to a hydroponic system. That allows users to grow a greater variety of vegetables, as hydroponic systems don’t have the space for the deep-root systems that vegetables like carrots require.
(Credit: woodleywonderworks/Flickr)
The fully automated Växthus design controls lighting and watering with a closed-loop system. Moisture, temperature, and humidity sensors collect data and send them to a touchscreen display, with on and off switches for water and light. When the soil is dry, the greenhouse releases water for the plants. When it senses that the soil’s moisture level is fine, it turns off. The team added manual controls so users can override the automatic functions.
Scientists grow sweet potatoes in Martian greenhouse
A pump system lets water drip from the ceiling to mimic rain and reclaims it from the drip tray below. “Any excess water will percolate through into the tank below,” says team member Jack Kaplan. That allows the device to recycle water.
During the design phase, the team grew kale and herbs, and now has carrots and radishes growing in the greenhouse.
The team is building two more of the devices and will ship them to Sweden, and in June it will install them at the Living Lab, where residents and researchers will continue testing the units, tweaking the automated system as necessary and growing different vegetables.
Source: Rice University
Canadian Greenhouse Expert Partners With Cannabis Company
The list of Canadian companies planning to grow and market cannabis is increasing, and greenhouse vegetable veterans play a key role.
( File photo )
Another greenhouse vegetable grower is lending his expertise to the growing number of companies with plans to produce medical marijuana in Canada.
Peter Quiring, owner, and CEO of NatureFresh Farms, Leamington, Ontario, is the CEO of GreenhouseCo., a joint venture with Quiring and Wheaton Income. Quiring, who also founded greenhouse fabricating company South Essex Fabricating Inc., will oversee construction of the new company’s 1.4-million-square-foot cannabis greenhouse in Leamington.
The 102-acre site has room to double to 2.8 million square feet of production, according to a news release.
Quiring said the partnership is separate from NatureFresh. Harvest of the first crop, from 30-35 acres of new greenhouse construction, should be in late summer 2019.
Quiring said the large scale of the operation and the fact it’s in a new facility and not a retrofit of a vegetable greenhouse, sets the new venture apart from similar Canadian operations. The new operation takes no vegetables out of production.
Quiring’s expertise will be used for building the facility, not overseeing production.
“It’s a very different crop — there’s not like there’s 10 years or 20 years of history on this,” he said. “ ... The fit is really good because I bring strengths they (Wheaton) don’t have, and they have strengths I don’t have.”
The company will also seek “international cannabis-related greenhouse cultivation opportunities for joint development” and license GreenhouseCo.’s intellectual property for facility design and operation information, according to the release.
The company will also seek “international cannabis-related greenhouse cultivation opportunities for joint development” and license GreenhouseCo.’s intellectual property for facility design and operation information, according to the release.
“In getting to know Peter during this transaction it has become clear that he possesses exceptional greenhouse and operational knowledge and his track record as one of North America’s most accomplished greenhouse builders and operators speaks for itself,” Hugo Alves, president, and director of Cannabis Wheaton, said in the release.
Quiring isn’t the only greenhouse vegetable grower who’s applying greenhouse production expertise to help medical marijuana businesses. Casey Houweling, chairman of Houweling's Group, is also CEO of Glass Investments Inc., a consultancy focused on expanding greenhouse technology. He and Peter Cummings, who has worked with Houweling for two decades, are consulting for PUF Ventures Australia, which is building a 1.2-million-square-foot cannabis facility in New South Wales in Australia. Houweling's Group is not affiliated with the project.
Another greenhouse grower recently announced plans to turn a 540,000-square-foot cucumber facility into a medical marijuana production facility. In mid-February, the Ottawa City Council gave grower Peter Abboud approval for the transition. Abboud is the co-CEO of the company, LiveWell Foods Canada.
“There Are a Lot of Palm Pilots Out There But No iPhones Yet In Consumer Indoor Farms” – Verdical CEO
Verdical produces an indoor, hydroponic growing tower intended for restaurants. Prototype growing systems are in use in three Bay Area restaurants and Deitz sees the system as a no-brainer for any restaurant, space or institution that wants to communicate local food values.
“There Are a Lot of Palm Pilots Out There But No iPhones Yet In Consumer Indoor Farms” – Verdical CEO
Andrew Deitz has been in Silicon Valley since the late 1990s. He spent nearly a decade at Climate Earth, a consultancy that helps big companies understand their carbon footprint and how decreasing it might help their bottom line. In September, he took the helm at consumer-focused indoor farming group Verdical.
Verdical produces an indoor, hydroponic growing tower intended for restaurants. Prototype growing systems are in use in three Bay Area restaurants and Deitz sees the system as a no-brainer for any restaurant, space or institution that wants to communicate local food values.
But the category of on-site growing — systems deployed to serve the needs of consumers at home or in restaurants — has been slow to get funding. According to AgFunder data, only four consumer grow systems companies raised funding in the first half of 2017. We caught up with Deitz to find out how he plans to grow Verdical in this nascent category.
Can you describe the Verdical growing system?
It’s a vertical tower that has openings for seed pods – we call them growing zones. You insert your seed pod into a growing zone. You wait, depending on what you’re growing: microgreens take 3 weeks, herbs take 8-12 weeks and you enjoy the pleasure of harvesting and eating.
Will there eventually have to be partnerships with major appliance manufacturers for these on-site farms? What does Verdical look like five years from now?
I think that consumers are changing and a living food appliance can be an important contribution to the kitchen. For Verdical, I think there are a bunch of paths to market.
Andrew Deitz
I see the B2B market as most interesting. The B2B market is about an experience. If you think about cafeterias and restaurants, there is ample space in those places to create a different experience for their customers. I think that their ability to articulate their values is a challenge. What is sustainability? What is fresh? What is local? These are all kind of nebulous words these days. One of our customers talks about what we’re doing for him as a statement of his values. His patrons can see their food, in this case just basil, going from three steps away to someone cutting it and putting it on their pizza.
He happens to do everything else right too – he treats his employees right, he sources well, he takes good care of his supply chain and his partners – but he had no way of communicating that and he didn’t want to bang customers over the head.
What do you think is going to be the deciding factor on which small-scale growing unit gains market share?
I think that it is about [user] experience. If you do it in a warehouse 50 miles away, people are not directly connected to their food. It’s also important to understand that there are very different price points in food. Lettuces and leafy greens are a tougher commodity business, and then there are higher end micro greens and herbs that might be a better starting spot because they’re more expensive and delicate.
So it will come down to the efficacy of the system? It has to be so easy to use, the user can’t mess up?
Yes, that’s the experience side. I think we’ve nailed the experience. I think there are a lot of palm pilots out there, but no one has made the iPhone yet.
People are getting ahead of their ski tips on ‘we grow plants faster. We grow them bigger – bigger yields.’ There is a danger that the consumer gets confused and they get so wrapped up in the yield, they lose sight that this is experiential.
And on the other side, it has to be cost-competitive because you’re still going to compete with the field and whatever basil costs. Organic basil sits at around $18-20 per pound. So you have to still get near that price point. But I think people will buy it because it’s pretty and for the experience, and I think companies can make money because it is a consumable and there is an opportunity for people who use it on a high scale. I think a lot of the home products are novelty and hobbyist.
Urban Crop Solutions Wins the FoodNexus Innovation Award in Belgium
Urban Crop Solutions Wins the FoodNexus Innovation Award in Belgium
Urban Crop Solutions was awarded on Thursday evening October 26th the FoodNexus Innovation Award. Out of many innovative companies, a jury of experts in the agriculture and food industry selected Urban Crop Solutions as the most promising company in the Belgian agri-food industry. Urban Crop Solutions will defend Belgium in the European FoodNexus competition, together with another Belgian company from the French-speaking part of the country, during an event in Wageningen (the Netherlands) on December 13th.
FoodNexus is a European consortium of international food companies and leading knowledge institutions that strives to create a robust and sustainable European Food System. The Belgian FoodNexus challenge was organized for the first time in collaboration with Flanders’ FOOD, the Universities of Ghent and Liège, Food2Know and many other partners. The core business of the young, participating companies must be related to one of the three following areas: food safety and sustainability, food quality, and health and well-being. The aim of the challenge is to identify and stimulate the most promising young companies, and connect them to leading European corporates in the agri-food industry. This allows the companies to scale their innovations to benefit people and planet, with the support of these partners. Urban Crop Solutions was chosen as the young company of the year by a panel of corporate and scientific experts from the agricultural and food industry.
“This award is yet again a highlight for our company. It’s a valuable recognition of the efforts that our team has already made for Urban Crop Solutions. We thank this award to their infinite commitment We want to keep on improving and creating the best indoor vertical farming solutions for our customers everywhere in the world”, says Maarten Vandecruys, CEO of Urban Crop Solutions. “This award is also a recognition for our business model and our global approach. We commit ourselves to bring to our clients Belgians top expertise in growing crops and automation and robotics”, adds Frederic Bulcaen, Chairman of Urban Crop Solutions, with a big smile.
Since 2014 Urban Crop Solutions develops for its client's tailored plant growth installations. These systems are turnkey, robotized and able to be integrated into existing production facilities or food processing units. Urban Crop Solutions also has its own range of standard growth container products. Being a total solution provider Urban Crop Solutions can also supply seeds, substrates, and nutrients for clients that have limited or no knowledge or experience with farming. Currently, the company has a growing list of more than 200 varieties of crops that can be grown in closed environment vertical farms and that have been validated. These plant recipes (ranging from leafy greens, vegetables, medicinal plants to flowers) are developed specifically for indoor farming applications and sometimes exclusively for clients by its team of plant scientists. Urban Crop Solutions has started activities in Miami (Florida, US) in 2016 and is soon to open a division in Japan.
For more information on this press release, on Urban Crop Solutions or on the products and services of Urban Crop Solutions you can contact Maarten Vandecruys, Co-founder and Managing Director (mava@urbancropsolutions.com), Frederic Bulcaen , Co-founder and Chairman (frbu@urbancropsolutions.com ) or visit our website (www.urbancropsolutions.com):
Company headquarters:
Grote Heerweg 67
8971 Beveren-Leie (Waregem)
Belgium
Regional headquarters:
800 Brickell Avenue, 1100 Suite
Miami (FL 33131)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/urbancropsolutions
Twitter: www.twitter.com/U_C_Solutions
LinkedIn: bit.ly/UrbanCropSolutionsLinkedIn
YouTube: bit.ly/UrbanCropSolutionsYouTube