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IDEA San Benito, Texas Introduces Hydroponic Farming
By Luis Montoya -
March 5, 2019
SAN BENITO, RGV – To coincide with National Nutrition Month, IDEA Public Schools has introduced what it is called the Leafy Green Machine at its San Benito campus.
IDEA leaders say LGM is an efficient and environmentally conscious way to grow food because of its minimal electricity and water requirements. IDEA San Benito is just one of ten K-12 schools in the U.S. with the LGM on campus and became the second school in the State of Texas to obtain the LGM after IDEA Eastside in San Antonio in 2018.
The Leafy Green Machine has been developed by Freight Farms, a leader in the agriculture technology industry and the first to introduce container farming. A 40’ x 8’ x 9.5’ modified freight shipping container, LGM incorporates hydroponic farming to grow and harvest food for the campus. LGM will serve as a pilot program.
Using just ten gallons of water per day and incorporating a closed loop hydroponic system that delivers nutrient rich water directly to the plants’ roots, LGM is capable of producing 500 heads of lettuce, 40-50 lbs. of hearty greens, and 35-45 pounds of herbs in one week. That is 90 percent less water than traditional farming methods.
Jordon Roney, campus farmer at IDEA San Benito, says the pilot program is part of an effort to support IDEA’s Healthy Kids Here initiative. Roney believes LGM will provide for an engaging space for IDEA students to learn about the future of growing food at the intersection of agriculture, conservation and technology. He pointed out that the technology itself will engage students in combination with classes such as biology, chemistry, math and our Junior Master Gardeners (JMG) curriculum. All harvested items, he said, will be used to supply the campus’ food nutrition program throughout the year.
“IDEA San Benito is excited to become the first campus in South Texas to implement this new and efficient farming method,” says Jordan Roney, campus farmer at IDEA San Benito. “Not only will our students benefit from learning about the technology behind hydroponic farming, but we will also have the ability to support our campus food program while providing students with an abundance of healthy produce year-round.”
Hernan Colmenero, CNP Farm Manager at IDEA’s Valley headquarters, said LGM is an efficient and environmentally conscious way to grow food because of its minimal electricity and water requirements. With little agricultural training, anyone can quickly learn to operate the unit and our students can reap the benefits, Colemenero said.
The internal temperature, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, and all nutrient needs within the contained are controlled through a software application that can be accessed by any mobile device. This allows the greens, such as a variety of lettuce and herbs, to provide hefty harvests year-round, no matter the outside weather conditions. On average, the LGB has a monthly operational cost of $1975/month.
An IDEA news release stated:
STUDENT LEARNING
The LGM will provide an engaging space for IDEA Students to learn about the future of growing food sustainably. They will be able to touch and taste leafy greens packed with nutrients, building connections with healthy eating choices as well as participate with the market-scale growth of crops, witnessing how technology plays a role in agriculture. The technology itself will engage students, but combined with classes such as biology, chemistry, math or our Junior Master Gardeners (JMG) curriculum, it will support IDEA’s mission to prepare students for college and citizenship.
LGM FEATURES
IDEA students will have access to leafy greens, harvested at the peak of ripeness with the highest potential for nutritional content.
Vertical Crop Columns – 4,500 growing sites throughout 256 lightweight crop columns.
The ability to grow 500 head of lettuce, 40-50 lbs. of hearty greens, and 35-45 pounds of herbs in one week.
Automation System – software that allows farmers to automate functions using real-time data from sensors and in-farm cameras.
LED Array – high efficiency LED lights in the seedling and mature growth areas provide crops with only the optimal wavelengths of light required for photosynthesis
Irrigation System – Uses approximately 10 gallons of water per day, 90% less water than traditional farming methods, in a closed loop hydroponic system that delivers nutrient rich water directly to the plants’ roots
Controlled Environment – Uses approximately 80 kWh per day and is equipped with environmental sensors that monitor water, climate, and lighting conditions within the farm.
Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series on National Nutrition Month. Part Two will be posted on March 6, 2019.
The Green-Collar Revolution That’s Headed to Wilmington, Delaware
Vertical farming is coming to the city. (Courtesy photo)
By Holly Quinn / REPORTER
02-28-19
First, you need to understand the Opportunity Zone Program, which was enacted as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
It’s an economic development program where census tracts are designated as eligible for tax breaks for private investors through a program called Opportunity Funds. The goal is to help under-resourced communities become more economically stable by creating jobs for the people who live there — or, as the IRS puts it in its FAQ: “Opportunity Zones are designed to spur economic development by providing tax benefits to investors.”
Opportunity Zones are basically an incentive for people to invest in areas that need it — something that, historically, has led to gentrification and displacement of the under-resourced people who were theoretically meant to benefit. (See a map of Delaware’s zones here.)
That’s why Second Chances Farm, an LLC founded by entrepreneur and TEDxWilmington organizer Ajit George, is an interesting concept — one that combines farming, jobs for local returning citizens and ultimately entrepreneurship opportunities that require neither capital nor credit.
“We call them ‘green collar” jobs,” said George in an interview with Technical.ly. “Green because it’s organic, it’s pesticide free, and it’s herbicide free. And it’s about growing food locally. This is not a hobby, this not a corner garden in the summer, it’s about growing food year round, on a production scale.”
So, how did the concept of Opportunity Zones, urban farming and ex-offenders come together? It was the result of two very different 2016 TEDxWilmington talks — one about reentry and recidivism, the other about farming of the future.
Employees — virtually all of whom will be formerly incarcerated — will run the farms with a starting pay of $15 an hour. As the company grows, the plan is for employees to eventually acquire farms of their own and become business owners (or “compassionate capitalists,” as Second Chances Farm calls them).
In contrast to downstate’s traditional outdoor crops, Second Chances Farm will be an indoor, LED-lit, vertical hydroponic farm that will operate year-round; the first farm’s location is yet to be determined.
“There’s no soil, it’s all grown in continuously flowing water,” said George.
The drip system. (Courtesy image)
Vertical hydroponic farming has become increasingly popular over the last few years across the country — even Jeff Bezos has backed a hydroponic farming venture. Second Chances will likely be the first one in Delaware.
The for-profit venture is projected to have its first indoor farm up and running by the fall, pending a final clearance with the IRS. It’s already won a few awards and startup grants.
If placing a farm inside the city seems strange, consider the challenges the average ex-offender faces when trying to get to get a job — and how much easier it would be if $15-an-hour jobs were available right in the neighborhood.
In order to qualify to be placed in a job at Second Chance, inmates heading toward reentry will work with the behavior health and wellness program Dimensions during the final six months of their sentences.
“We are contracting with Dimensions and have an exclusive contract with the Delaware Department of Corrections,” said George. “Issues like anger management are beyond the scope of what we can do. They offer more social work, so it just made sense for us to work with them.”
Dimensions also has a transportation group that can help Second Chances Farm employees get to and from work, an issue for many looking for work after reentry, as drivers licenses are sometimes still suspended and getting car insurance can be a challenge.
The organic, hyperlocal vegetable crops will be sold to restaurants, organic farm stands and to cancer patients avoiding even the minimal amount of pesticides allowed in traditional organic mass farming.
“Delaware used to be known for three things — chicken, credit cards and cars,” said George. “What we’re really talking about is adding a new industry, which is organic hydroponic crops. And with that comes my notion, which is ‘compassionate capitalism,’ which is really providing opportunities for people.”
The Science of Growing Plants Without Soil
Why would a 47-year-old alumnus of a prestigious management institute in India quit his full-time job to cultivate plants?
Basil grown inside a hydroponic greenhouse at Archi’s Acres in Escondido, California, Nov. 14, 2016.Image Credit: New York Times
Indian entrepreneur Sunil Jose talks about hydroponic farming
Published: November 21, 2018
Linda Joseph, Special to Weekend Review
Why would a 47-year-old alumnus of a prestigious management institute in India quit his full-time job to cultivate plants?
Sunil Jose explains it in his own words. “After leading a corporate life for 18 years, I went through a period of self realisation when I wanted to do something that would have a wider impact and understanding to oneself and to others. A small academic project and a technology firm led me to study the impact of famine, drought and farmers’ suicide. All the while, I was thinking of a framework to educate and create awareness on how to control finances (micro finance) during difficult times. That is when I stumbled onto hydroponics”.
What a stumble that was! Today, the southern Indian city of Benguluru knows Jose as the man who designed and implemented the vertical gardens on MG Road’s metro pillar to purify the air and nullify the effects of vehicular pollution. He has worked tirelessly to make vertical hydroponic gardens in Bengaluru a reality. He started an initiative which would help farmers plant herbs and vegetables in a vertical fashion — thus helping grow a large number of plants in a relatively smaller space. He discovered that hydroponics can also be used to grow fodder. He has also been actively advocating the use of hydroponics in farming in urban as well as rural areas. He has informed villagers in Karnataka that herbs flourish in the hydroponic machine that he has made available.
So, what exactly is hydroponics? Hydroponics is a revolutionary technique of growing plants without soil, in a water-based, nutrient-rich solution.
The world needs pesticidefree herbs, vegetables and fruits. People should think beyond organics and work towards a total, sustainable ecosystem.
- Sunil Jose
Growing plants without soil? Yes. That’s the most basic concept behind this method. Hoses circulate mineral-rich nutrients to the roots of whatever you’re growing. Hydroponics does not use any soil; the roots of the plants are supported using an inert medium such as clay pellets.
Climate change is a huge a challenge today that is causing a rapid change between seasons. This rapid change places a great deal of stress on trees and shrubs, and also shifts the blooming time of plants, which can put them out of sync with their pollinators. By using hydroponics technology, most herbs, creepers, flowers and other vegetables can be grown.
“It is an alternative to conventional farming — a more organised farm to fork concept with a wider impact on society. It will help to reduce the last food mile in all major towns and cities,” says Jose.
healthy choice
Plants (and you too) grow healthier, according to Jose. As indoor and greenhouse cultures are more protected from plagues, hydroponics gives us pesticide-free produce and creates a long term sustainable ecosystem. A hydroponic culture can grow two to three times faster than a traditional one. You can convert small vertical spaces in your balconies and gardens; the public can be taught to naturally grow medicinal plants at home that can cure 80 per cent of modern day ailments. Hydroponic fodder can be a boon for people living in famine-hit areas where cattle is dying.
The government could prepare a plan on introducing the hydroponics method of cultivation. Training should be provided for officials and interested farmers. Kits and tools will have to be provided to the trainees. They should help popularise this method of cultivation among people who have private gardens as well as those living in apartments.
The compact vertical gardening system can fit into the smallest of balconies or terraces.Image Credit: Supplied
But how would a normal person living in a cramped flat ‘go hydroponic’? Even if he/she got the hang of things, wouldn’t there be the usual worry ‘gosh, I hope I don’t kill these plants?’”
“Private gardens can use hydroponics technology; most herbs, creepers, flowers and other vegetables can be grown,” says Jose. He explains that much less water and space — since plants are grown in racks one on top of the other — is required and they grow a lot faster when compared to traditional methods.
Hydroponics does not use chemicals to grow plants. Plants need minerals, not soil. Often, organic compounds need to be broken down into minerals before the plants can take them in. By using water infused with high quality minerals in hydroponic farming, you are feeding your plants a very clean and natural fertiliser.
“Water is used very carefully and is recycled back into the system when required,” says Jose. Since the method does not make use of soil, the water needs are also minuscule — just 5-10 per cent — as compared to land crops. It also gives a higher yield than the traditional methods while using minimum power and space.
Homes with smaller spaces, too, can have a more sustained home grown produce.
However, it can be expensive to set up on a big scale. In most hydroponics systems, water is recirculated. Every bit of water is reused over and over again so hydroponic systems are more efficient in using water than soil agriculture, where recycling water is impossible. A hydroponic culture can save up to 95 per cent of water over a traditional one. But one will need the required equipment and tools. You need electricity to keep the nutrient solution circulating, as well as to oxygenate it. Indoor gardens also need lighting.
In hydroponics, errors are felt immediately by the plants and can be costly. On the other hand, if you react and correct the problem on time, the plants will also recover faster. That’s the reason hydroponic cultures need close monitoring or even automating it.
A hydroponic culture can grow 2 to 3 times faster than a traditional oneImage Credit: Supplied
Jose is seeking partners to invest in the food tech industry. The entrepreneur, a family man and father of three, is on a mission for evangelising a nationwide awareness programme on hydroponics. “I am keen to inculcate the triple bottom line to all corporate sectors — people, planet and profit,” he says.
Other than farmers, in cities such as Bengaluru, some of the big business houses are using hydroponics for vertical ornamental planting on their campuses. States such as Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are making efforts to promote this method.
Jose’s hydroponic machines created a mini revolution in a north Karnataka village. A politician who had lost three elections, helped Jose supply these machines to the drought-affected villagers only to find after a few months that they were left untouched. But a curious boy put some mustard seeds in one and seeing the way the plants grew, the villagers soon followed suit. “They eventually replaced the pictures of deities in their houses with that of the politician,” jokes Jose.
Adapted the tech
Many countries such as the Netherlands, Canada and Australia have already adopted hydroponics farming extensively over the years. “Twenty-one per cent of tomatoes grown in Australia are with hydroponics,” he says. However, in India, farmers largely depend on conventional farming methods.
Jose is optimistic that as information about this method spreads, more and more farmers who don’t have the space to grow plants or those who live in the arid parts of India, will eventually opt for the “soil-less farming” technique.
Recently, Jose went to Kochi to address a Rotary gathering and spread awareness about his passion. “The world needs pesticide-free herbs, vegetables and fruits. People should think beyond organics and work towards a total, sustainable ecosystem,” says the Malayali man raised in Bengaluru.
Does this all still seem undoable? Think of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to drive home the point.
Linda Joseph is a writer based in Kerala, India.
To contact Sunil Jose: suniljose@hotmail.com
Key Leadership Additions at Fluence Bioengineering to Accelerate Global Growth
Austin, Texas – March 5, 2019 – To further scale its solutions and services, Fluence Bioengineering announces key hires underscoring the company’s commitment to support the global horticulture industry. These appointments of industry veterans include professionals outside of the horticulture industry, enabling Fluence to expand its portfolio and commit the company to an aggressive growth trajectory.
“Innovations pioneered by Fluence are enabling growers to produce more and virtually eliminate seasonality. These appointments ensure our solutions and support teams are immediately accessible to a global audience,” said Dave Cohen, chief executive officer, Fluence Bioengineering.
Lorrie Schultz, senior vice president of marketing. In this role, Lorrie will lead global marketing efforts across Fluence to elevate the global brand, enhance customer engagement and extend demographic reach. Lorrie was formerly senior vice president of marketing at Q2 Software where she enabled the marketing department to scale and develop their brand. She is a tech veteran from Dell, where she held numerous global marketing roles in consumer, retail, small business, enterprise and customer experience.
“I am keen on collaborating with our growers to discuss the challenges they face today, as I believe communities are built around how they source and consume food and medicine,” said Lorrie Schultz. “Our mission is to enable growers to cultivate better plants and I am deeply interested in conveying this message to the global marketplace and I am excited to be a part of this team.”
Timo Bongartz, general manager, EMEA. Timo has led the development of global horticulture strategy at OSRAM, since 2015. He will be responsible for the expansion of Fluence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He will manage leadership as well as sales goals for each country.
Greg Hovagim, global director of controllers, dimmers, and IoT solutions. Greg brings experience encompassing work from across the commercial and defense sectors. Previously, he oversaw rapid prototype development projects as well as large-scale defense projects. At Fluence, he will manage the dimming & controls technologies for Fluence LED lighting solutions and development of innovative customer solutions.
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About Fluence Bioengineering
Fluence Bioengineering Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of OSRAM, creates the most powerful and energy-efficient LED lighting solutions for commercial crop production and research applications. Fluence is the leading LED lighting supplier in the global cannabis market and is committed to solving the looming food crisis by enabling more efficient crop production with the world’s top vertical farms and greenhouse produce growers. All Fluence lighting solutions are designed and built at the company’s
Headquarters in Austin, Texas, U.S.A., with European sales and support based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://fluence.science
Spain: Edible Micro Vegetables Without Soil or Sun
Zgreens, as the company is called, doesn't use soil, nor does its production grow in the heat of the sun. Its crops are grown hydroponically, and they are not in the open ground or inside a greenhouse, but in closed facilities where state-of-the-art LED lighting technology allows the micro-plants to have perfect climatic conditions all year round
One day, Juan Naudín, a native of the Spanish city of Zaragoza, decided to dedicate himself to agriculture. But he did it with a very innovative project: the cultivation of edible micro vegetables, young plants that are born from vegetable seeds and which are picked after only 10-18 days. This product is increasingly demanded by high cuisine chefs willing to introduce unique qualities to their dishes, as these small plants add intense flavors and aromas.
Zgreens, as the company is called, doesn't use soil, nor does its production grow in the heat of the sun. Its crops are grown hydroponically, and they are not in the open ground or inside a greenhouse, but in closed facilities where state-of-the-art LED lighting technology allows the micro-plants to have perfect climatic conditions all year round.
"Hydroponic cultivation allows the plant to receive exactly the nutrients that it needs, so the product improves in terms of flavor," says Naudin, who further explains that with this technique, it isn't necessary to use pesticides and the products thus grow free of genetically modified organisms, pollution or soil contamination. "Since we grow indoors under controlled conditions, our plants are 100% clean from seed to harvest," he says. He adds that with this type of crop, 90% less water is used than in conventional agriculture thanks to its reuse and recirculation.
This project, "which started with a pilot module" of just 8 square meters, will reach 30 square meters in the near future. "I'm already thinking about expanding, but we won't need more acreage for that, because the crops are grown in five levels, thereby boosting the soil's profitability," explains Naudín. Zgreens will also see its product range grow, as there are currently tests underway to produce indoor celery and cilantro.
Source: heraldo.es
Publication date : 2/20/2019
Nigeria: Farming Without Soil
Farmers are growing crops without soil.
They are on a national campaign to promote this type of agriculture, DANIEL ESSIET writes.
In a room in Anifowoshe, Ikeja, Lagos, kale, romaine, lettuce, oregano, thyme, arugula and basil are grown in trays under energy bulbs.
The seeds are cultivated without soil. You are greeted by the pleasant sight of rows of young maize leaves growing out of pipes filled with water and saw dust –no soil.
Though they are growing in a protected environment, the leaves are thick, lush green, and free of dust particles, giving them a clean and healthy look.
BIC Farms Concept Chief Executive, Pastor Debo Onafowora, believes hydroponics – growing plants without soil – is the best way to go.
Hydroponics, he explained, involves growing plants without soil.
An Associate Pastor with Living Faith Church (aka Winners’ Chapel), Ota in Ogun State, Onafowora grows crops hydroponically. The most common are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and maize. The seeds are placed in trays and watered several times daily with a nutrient solution.
Onafowora added that hydroponics is better than conventional farming.
He emphasised that a plant only need some nutrients, water, and sunlight to grow.
He listed the advanges of hydroponics as high quality products, less space, and consumes fewer resources.
He harvests his vegetables just after 25 days, half the time needed with regular planting.
Besides farming, he teaches agriculturists how to apply the technology. He helps his customers to set up farms and provides consultation and training.
A small scale vegetable hydroponic farm requires an investment of N500,000. This will give a 10 ft X 20ft greenhouse hydroponics farm with hydroponics with systems for growing 250 kilogrammes ( KG) of tomatoes or 350 kg of cucumber.
One can make net profits of 40 to N50,000 monthly. He has established over 100 farms across the country.
By growing cattle fodder off the fields, he said hydroponics could offer a solution to the frequent violent clashes between farmers and herdsmen over arable farmland that is disappearing due to desertification.
Onafowora advocated the use of hydroponic fodder as the best option for livestock feed, adding that this would help reduce the cost of the product by over 20 per cent.
He said the fodder could be grown within nine days and that it saves about 95 per cent of land.
Onafowora noted that hydroponics fodder production technology is a climate-controlled crop growing system, which guaranteed daily production of highly nutritious livestock feeds.
“It is grown from grains. We convert one kilogramme of grain to 5kg of fodder within nine days. Normally, on the soil, it will take up to 90 days.
“What you need is 100 hectares of land to grow. In terms of fodder quantity, we will do that on one hectare of land and we are doing that saving about 90 per cent of water,” he added.
He is partnering Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State.
Universities of Lagos, Ibadan, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Lead City University have also picked the technology.
To boost food production, Samson Ogbole is employing aeroponics- a process of growing plants in the air.
He became involved in soilless farming in 2014. Two years later, he founded PS Nutraceuticals, a firm that applies agricultural technologies to boost food production.
The firm Nutracueuticals deploys various technologies, including hydroponics (plants in water), aquaponics (use of waste produce of fishes to feed plants) and aeroponics (plants grown in air) to grow crops all year round.
To him, aeroponics is a better alternative for growing crops indoors.
Experts say aeroponics is similar to hydroponics and that it uses water. The roots are suspended in a dark chamber and sprayed with nutrient-rich solution.
To Fresh Direct Produce and Agro-Allied Services CEO/founder Angel Adelaja, urban agriculture has brought a new hope. She uses old shipping containers for farming.
A self-taught hydroponics expert, Adelaja appears to be making headway. The entrepreneur, who has a background in biostatistics and epidemiology, learnt hydroponics online.
She created a stackable container farm in Abuja, which is essentially an aggregation of vertical farming and hydroponics.
She is campaigning for the transformation of old shipping containers into miniature hydroponic farms.
The containers are retrofitted with growing platforms where beds of lettuce are grown with their roots in water.
Adelaja and her team grow those vegetables using only nutrient, water and LED light.
The method makes it possible to grow crops all year round.
Adelaja encourages farmers to use abandoned shipping containers in their farms.
Her company, Fresh Direct, has several divisions one of which produces stackable containers.
She is passionate about creating awareness among other farmers.
Minister Visits Farms In Dubai, Abu Dhabi
Farmers Urged To Embrace Modern Cultivation Practices
February 09, 2019
Dubai: Dr. Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, paid a visit to a number of farms, where he urged subsistence farmers to move to commercial agriculture and embrace modern cultivation practices to boost their contributions to local food supply.
Among the farms Al Zeyoudi toured were Madar Farms, an emerging agricultural technology company in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, where he was shown hydroponics containers that the company designed and installed to produce leafy plants all year round.
Other sites the minister visited included Eco-Villa, a pilot project incorporating water- and energy-saving technologies located in Masdar City, Nabteh Farm in Al Khawaneej and the Abdul Latif Al Banna farm in Al Aweer area in Dubai where he reviewed the farm’s agricultural produce and livestock.
Engineer Saif Al Shara, assistant undersecretary for the sustainable communities sector in the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), Sultan Alwan Al Habsi, assistant undersecretary for the regions Sector at MOCCAE and Engineer Mohammad Al Dhahnani, director of health and agricultural development Department at MOCCAE, accompanied Dr. Al Zeyoudi.
They toured the agricultural areas of Madar Farms, an emerging agricultural technology company in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, to view the hydroponics containers that the company designed and installed to produce leafy plants all year round.
They next went to the Eco-Villa, a pilot project in Masdar City incorporating water- and energy-saving technologies. The prototype uses around 72 per cent less energy and 35 per cent less water than a typical comparably-sized villa in Abu Dhabi, displacing an estimated 63 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
Later, the officials toured the Nabteh Farm in Al Khawaneej area in Dubai.
The minister was updated about the greenhouses that the company provides to members of the community to install in their homes and help them grow vegetables.
Their last stop was at the farm of Abdul Latif Al Banna, in the Al Aweer area of Dubai.
They were shown the farm’s agricultural produce and livestock.
At the end of the tour, Dr. Al Zeyoudi pointed out that sustaining food diversity relies heavily on innovation and the employment of cutting-edge technologies.
Green Life Farms Erects Framing For Flagship Hydroponic Greenhouse
Innovative project prepares to begin commercial operations in the first half of 2019
Boynton Beach, FL (February 15, 2019) – Green Life Farms has begun erecting the steel structure of its state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse in Boynton Beach, FL, an important construction milestone as the company prepares to begin commercial operations in the first half of 2019. Once operational, the hydroponic greenhouse, slated to be the largest indoor hydroponic produce grower in the southeast, will offer baby leafy greens to supermarkets, restaurants, cruise ships and other distributors throughout the region year-round.
“Excitement continues to build as we work towards beginning commercial operations in the next few months,” said Mike Ferree, Vice President, Green Life Farms. “Grocery partners, consumers, local officials, and other future clients are impressed with the construction progress. We can’t wait to ‘open our doors’ to this larger community. Demand is very strong for produce that is grown locally using sustainable farming practices and free from pesticides and contaminants.”
Construction of the Green Life Farms’ flagship facility began in 2018; when complete, the greenhouse and packing facility will occupy nearly three acres and produce approximately 750,000 pounds of premium leafy green produce per year.
Green Life Farms’ hydroponic greenhouse will feature 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. The FRT system leads to higher productivity, producing up to 18 crop harvests per year versus the five harvests per year with soil-based greenhouse growers.
In preparation for commercial operations, Green Life Farms recently hired its sales director and head grower. Once operational, the hydroponic greenhouse will employ approximately 16 additional people in the state-of-the-art facility.
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.
Caption: Green Life Farms has begun erecting the steel structure of its state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse in Boynton Beach, FL, an important construction milestone as the company prepares to begin commercial operations in the first half of 2019. Pictured above, an aerial view of the construction site showcases the two greenhouses (top and bottom), which will each total 54,00 square feet, with a packing facility in the middle.
About Green Life Farms
Green Life Farms is constructing a 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse in Boynton Beach, Florida, with additional expansion planned in Florida and beyond. Commercial operation is expected to begin in the first half of 2019. 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.
About Hydronov
Hydronov LLC was purchased by Nick Pranger and Gabe Pranger in 2017. Since its beginnings in the 1980s with founder Luc DeRochers, Hydronov has focused on innovation in the greenhouse industry. The success of a small research project developed into Hydronov’s unique growing system, Deep Water Floating Raft Technology. Today, Hydronov’s technology is a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and profitable way to grow hydroponic lettuce, herbs, and produce.
Anti-GMO Groups Petition USDA To Exclude Hydroponic Farming From Organic Certification
Cathy Siegner | Food Dive | February 13, 2019
Organic movement schism? Fight over hydroponics puts $50 billion industry in limbo
The Center for Food Safety filed a petition with the Department of Agriculture Jan. 16 urging the agency to exclude hydroponically grown produce from eligibility for the USDA Organic label. The group wants the USDA to make sure “ecologically integrated organic production practices” are required for organic certification and revoke existing organic certifications previously issued to hydroponic operations.
The petition, endorsed by 13 consumer groups, organic growers and an organic retailer, stated growing food without soil doesn’t meet federal organic standards and violates federal law requiring soil improvement and biodiversity conservation….
[T]he National Organic Standards Board recommended in 2010 that hydroponic not be considered a certified organic growing method….However, board members narrowly voted in November 2017 not to exclude hydroponic crops from organic certification.
Hydroponic growers see themselves as responding to the demand for local organic food. Plenty, a San Francisco-based vertical farming company that grows leafy greens and herbs indoors without soil, wrote to the [USDA’s] NOSB [National Organic Standards Board] in 2017 saying all available innovative solutions must be explored, particularly those that can save resources.
“For example, Plenty’s organic growing system yields up to 350 times that of traditional systems and can be located close to consumers, regardless of climate, geography or economic status….” the company’s testimony said.
Read full, original article: Petition asks USDA to exclude hydroponics from organic certification
US: Florida Hydroponics Grower Brings Produce To Lucky’s Markets
Orlando-based Eco Convergence Group (ECG) is bringing three of its HyTaste lettuce varieties to consumers of all 18 Lucky’s Markets in Florida over the next six weeks
Orlando-based Eco Convergence Group (ECG) is bringing three of its HyTaste lettuce varieties to consumers of all 18 Lucky’s Markets in Florida over the next six weeks. The produce is currently available in two Orlando stores. It will be available at an additional five stores in Orlando, Sarasota and Naples on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Baby Bibb, Red Oak Leaf, and Crystal Lalique are the three selections of living lettuces to be sold in stores. The hydroponic lettuces are locally-grown, pesticide, fungicide, and insecticide free, as well as non-GMO. To ensure food safety, the production facilities are operated like cleanrooms.
“We’re thrilled to introduce our lettuces to Lucky’s Market shoppers,” said Cristian Toma, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ECG. “We grow our produce in highly controlled environments, providing perfect conditions year-round with no seasonality, so consumers can continually purchase our products at stable prices throughout the year.”
Since its inception in 2010, ECG has focused on providing produce that is nutrient dense and has the best taste through an innovative vertical hydroponic system. The group has supplied HyTaste produce to high-end hotels and restaurants in Orlando since April 2018. This is ECG’s first time going retail, and the team has plans to expand to other retailers in the near future.
For more information:
www.hytastechef.com
www.ecghydro.com
Publication date : 2/18/2019
Hanging Gardens of Steel & Glass
Vertical farming is conceptually simple. Instead of spreading out a farm over the land, you stack it into the air using shelves and multi-storey buildings
By: urbanagnews
February 11, 2019
Article by Lunacy Now
Long spires of steel and glass stretch up towards the sun. Within, teeming billions go about their busy lives, like ants in a kilometer tall nest. But every human in this vast metropolis needs to eat. And the solution is all around: towering vertical farms. Precise algorithms calibrate the exact amount of water and other nutrients required for optimal growth, and deliver it on a pre-determined schedule to ensure optimal growth.
That’s the sci-fi hive city dream, right? So how far are we from being able to produce that density of food production? And can you start producing enough food to feed your family in a regular suburban home?
We spoke with Dr. Joel Cuello, vice chair of the Association of Vertical Farming and Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Arizona to find out.
What is Vertical Farming?
Vertical farming is conceptually simple. Instead of spreading out a farm over the land, you stack it into the air using shelves and multi-storey buildings. That’s how a company like Bowery Farming is able to produce 100 times more food on the same footprint of land as conventional agriculture, according to its statistics.
But it’s not just about horizontal versus vertical. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) technology allows farmers to measure every aspect of their plants physical surroundings. The type and level of light, the temperature, and humidity are tightly controlled. Furthermore, farmers can supply the exact amount of water and nutrients a plant needs at the right time. Complex data analysis programs and AI enable a farmer to track progress and further optimize efficiency.
Types of Vertical Farming
There are two main technologies underpinning indoor farming.
Hydroponic: The plants are grown in a solution of water and nutrients.
Aeroponic: The plants are grown in a nutrient-infused mist.
Subcategories like fogoponic, deep water hydroponics, or aquaponics where fish are added to create an entire ecosystem also exist.
When Cuello spoke with us he had a clear vision that this industry could be the future of agriculture. He identifies three primary types of vertical farms, depending on the buildings.
Skyscrapers: This is probably what most people think of when they imagine a vertical farm. Although the technical capacity to construct them is there, Cuello says the economics don’t necessarily add up. Real estate is at such a premium in urban centers such as New York that it makes no sense to use it for agriculture, even if densely organized. Some architects such as Ken Yeang favor mixed-use skyscrapers which grow plants as part of a broader set of purposes.
Warehouse: Cuello sees this as the most viable for large scale commercial operations. You either build a new warehouse and fill it with vertical farming equipment or buy an existing building and convert it.
Modular: This is the most efficient and practical way to scale out vertical farming, according to Cuello. The beauty of modular farms is you can put them anywhere, in the desert, in Antarctica, it doesn’t matter.
The Japanese were among the first to commercialize this type of agriculture, perhaps due in part to the space restrictions in Japan. Cuello says the best use of vertical farming in terms of return on investment is to grow certain kinds of high-value fresh fruits and vegetables which require specific but not particularly complicated conditions for optimal growth. Grains and cash crops like wheat or rice still make much more sense to grow in fields in the traditional manner, while boutique crops like orchids or and other horticultural crops are already cost-effectively mass produced in large-scale greenhouses.
Cuello has high hopes for modular vertical farms in particular to extend the reach and community-adoptability of vertical farms from its current warehouse form. Although. Although vertical farming is energy intensive and therefore quite expensive, the costs plummet where a renewable energy source is readily available. This makes the desert a fantastic place to put modular vertical farms, as you can simply bolt solar panels onto the roof. The Gulf States are experimenting with this technique at the moment.
History of Vertical Farming
Sophisticated vertical farming techniques such as rice terraces have been used in South America and East Asia for centuries. As early as 1909, Life Magazine produced a sketch of vertical homesteads stacked on top of one another and in 1915, the American geologist Gilbert Ellis Bailey published his book Vertical Farming. But it wasn’t until the 1990s that technology caught up. Professor Joel Cuello did a postdoctoral internship at NASA in 1994, in the Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems division. That unit worked on creating methods of farming which could be used in space, with an eventual view to colonizing other planets. NASA developed efficient crop nutrient
systems based on hydroponics and aeroponics, which utilizing about 90% less water than the typical open-field cultivation.
Based on these and similar ideas of what was possible to do, Professor Dickson Despommier adopted the term vertical farming in 1999 while teaching a course at Columbia. Dr. Despommier wrote The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century, which was published in 2010. In 2013 the Association of Vertical Farming was founded in Munich, Germany.
Feed The World
Ever since British economist Thomas Malthus published “An Essay on the Principle of Population” in 1798, a certain subset of demographers have worried the human population is going to grow and grow indefinitely. If this doesn’t stop, eventually we will consume the entire world, like fire ants in the jungle. The global population currently stands around 7.68 billion. “To feed those who are currently hungry—and the additional 2 billion-plus people who will live on the planet by 2050—our best projections are that crop production will need to increase between 60 and 100 percent,” the Food Matters report put out by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment says.
Others are more skeptical. “Hunger is caused by poverty and inequality, not scarcity,” Eric Holt-Gimenez, the Executive Director of Food First, wrote in the Huffington Post. Food First engages in research and action dedicated to helping people achieve control over their food systems. “For the past two decades,” Holt-Gimenez continues, “the rate of global food production has increased faster than the rate of global population growth. The world already produces more than 1 ½ times enough food to feed everyone on the planet. That’s enough to feed 10 billion people, the population peak we expect by 2050.”
Historically, food production capacity has expanded as a result of technological innovations such as the Green Revolution of the 1960s and 70s. Much of our future increased crop yield per acreage is also likely to come from technological innovations such as vertical farming.
Regardless of whether enough food is produced, there is a secondary question of whether or not current methods of agricultural production are sustainable, in terms of land and energy use. An estimated 38.6% of available land is already devoted to agriculture, according to National Geographic. If we don’t want to chop down every last tree to make way for corn fields, something is going to have to be done about density.
Future of Vertical Farming
Market research firm Arizton projects that the US Vertical Farming market will grow to $3 billion by 2024, as reported by PR Newswire. The market is expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 24%. The report predicts that hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic business will triple their revenue in the next six years.
Surprisingly, the cannabis industry has been at the forefront of the commercialization and scaling of indoor farming technology. Because cannabis has been illegal for many years, manufacturers usually grow their product indoors, to avoid detection. However, since drug dealing is fundamentally a money making enterprise, they learned to optimize for quality and cost just as any legitimate business operation would do. These standard market pressures pushed producers to experiment with hydroponics/aeroponics. As legalization of recreational marijuana is rolled out, companies like California-based GrowX are maximizing their profits using vertical farming.
One exciting possibility brought about by modular farms is the option to deploy them rapidly where needed, eg. in conflict zones. That’s why Cuello is in talks with Dubai about using specially designed farming units in refugee camps to ease the burden on aid requirements. He is also currently working on a shipping container design which he expects to see operational in the Philippines by the end of the year.
Another way vertical farms can be used is to facilitate the return of nomadism. You can fit a small vertical farm in a roof compartment of a caravan and continue to be mobile while growing enough food to feed a couple. This empowers people to move around and remain self-sufficient in a way that hasn’t been possible for a long time.
The ultimate goal, of course, is space, the final frontier. While Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are competing to get to Mars, how humans will be able to eat once we get there is a vital question. Perfecting vertical farming on Earth could hold the key to a fully functional year-round lunar base, or the world’s first resource-independent Martian colony.
But enough about the outer reaches of interplanetary existence. Let’s take this right back down, to your zone of control, to an ordinary family home somewhere in America.
The Suburban Vertical Farm
Most suburban homes in America have garages. There is certainly enough space to produce food for your family inside, although Cuello thinks running a commercial operation out of your garage may not be cost effective. The technology is consumer accessible, just go to your local hydroponics shop.
So we called Brite Ideas Hydroponics, Aquaponics and Organics shop in Austin, Texas, to ask them how to rig your garage into an indoor farm.
Athena told us that the most expensive part would be the lights, which range from around $50 to $500. LED lights are best since they are low energy and low heat. They also offer a variety of light spectrums, leafy vegetables need more of a full spectrum, whereas fruit like strawberries needs more red light.
There are lots of different ways to set up a vertical or hydroponic indoor farm. You can use buckets, hang the plants in the air or put them on shelves in float tables.
To fill your whole garage with units with 4-5 shelves with float tables on each unit could run you between $1000-$2000, not including the $300 a year in costs for nutrients. Of course, as with all things, your mileage may vary depending on circumstances. Energy costs will add to the price, but securing a renewable power source is an entirely different conversation.
If you own land, it’s a different story. The company Freight Farms is already selling fully-functional ready to operate vertical farms in up-cycled shipping containers. You can buy one from their website right now if you want (average operating costs are around $13,000/year).
Vertical farming is a sustainably sourced locally grown solution to feeding urban populations. You can even start today and feed your family in a normal suburban home.
Article by Lunacy Now
American Hydroponics Celebrates 35 Years In Business!
We're so proud to celebrate 35 years of hydroponic solutions! We're a family based company helping other families and communities sustainably produce healthy, clean food. Our founder Michael Christian received the Green Entrepreneur of the Year award, from the Governor of California 20 years after the birth of AmHydro.
It was exactly this type of forward thinking that our company was founded on and continues to operate with today. Jenny Harris joined the company in 2011 and soon after became owner and CEO. With the strong momentum already created, we're moving forward to even greater things. Our future looks very bright, and our goals include:
expanding our international reach
supporting our customers even better
creating the largest controlled environment farm in the US
So, please stay tuned for a year of celebration, great deals and next level hydroponics!
We are committed to hydroponic solutions.
Largest manufacturer of rooftop farms in the world
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Farms on 6 continents and over 60 countries worldwide
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Hydroponic components are made in the USA
When you choose AmHydro, you get proven results with experienced experts by your side.
Over the past 35 years our dedicated employees have helped hundreds of people follow their dreams and become hydroponic farmers in their local communities. Turning 35 makes us proud to have been able to provide real, working solutions to our customers. People know they can count on us for good, honest service and products that really work.
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What Is Hydroponics - And Is It The Future of Farming?
Hydroponics offers one particular advantage over traditional growing methods. Through careful manipulation and management of the growing environment, including the amount of water, the pH levels and the combination of specific nutrients plants can be encouraged to grow faster
No soil, no waste, no pesticides. So how does it work? Image: REUTERS/Edgar Su
05 Feb 2019
Sean Fleming Senior Writer, Formative Content
While industrialized farming techniques have meant a more plentiful supply of cheaper, fresher food – most notably in the developed world – they can also be a threat to the environment, promoting waste, putting too much strain on resources and causing pollution. That’s one of the findings of a report published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.
The report highlights the importance of cities in the production and consumption of food: “80% of all food is expected to be consumed in cities by 2050, they have to be central to this story. Today they often act as black holes, sucking in resources but wasting many of them – the final stop in the take-make-waste approach.”
From producer to retailer, vast volumes of food is wasted. Image: UNFAO
Partly, this is due to the need to transport food to urban areas. That’s a process that places great importance on producing a lot of food, then packing and shipping it across sometimes vast distances, before storing and finally selling it to people. From start to finish that requires resources to be deployed at every step of a long chain of events – fuel, people, land, buildings, the list goes on.
One response to this, which is beginning to take shape, is vertical farming. Forecasts from Research & Markets claim the vertical farming industry could be worth as much as $3 billion by 2024. Key to this approach, where food is grown in densely populated towns and cities where land is scarce, is the use of hydroponics.
The plants you don’t actually plant
Essentially, hydroponics is the process of growing plants without using soil, which might sound counterintuitive to anyone unfamiliar with the practice. The word itself is an amalgamation of two Greek words: hydro, meaning water and ponein, meaning to toil. Plants are rooted into a variety of compounds, including vermiculite, rockwool, or clay pellets – inert substances that won’t introduce any elements into the plant’s environment. Nutrient-enriched water then feeds the plant.
Hydroponics offers one particular advantage over traditional growing methods. Through careful manipulation and management of the growing environment, including the amount of water, the pH levels and the combination of specific nutrients plants can be encouraged to grow faster. Air and soil temperatures can also be carefully controlled, as can the prevalence of pests and diseases.
The net effect is an increased yield and improved use of resources. A less wasteful approach to resource consumption means reduced waste, preservation of water stocks and a diminished reliance on pesticides, fertilizers and other potentially harmful materials.
Have you read?
Our food system is no longer fit for the 21st century. Here are three ways to fix it
China has made a shocking food production discovery – electro culture
A holistic view of supply and demand
Around one-third of all the food produced each year ends up being wasted, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. That’s approximately 1.3 billion tonnes, which equates to a loss of almost $1 trillion.
The point in the value chain at which food tends to get wasted most differs between developed and developing countries. In developing countries, losses and waste tend to occur during the earlier stages of the food value chain. Reasons for that include constraints around farming, crop management and harvesting caused by a lack of finances and expertise. Improving the infrastructure and logistics of food in developing nations can help address many of these challenges.
Perhaps less surprisingly, in higher-income countries food is generally wasted later in the process. Often that is driven by consumer behaviour and retailers’ approach to in-store discounting practices; discounts that fail to attract purchases while food approaches the end of its “eat-by” period invariably lead to waste and loss. The situation is further hampered by ineffective strategies for taking unsold food and finding other destinations for it – such as, but not limited to, homeless shelters.
Consumers in rich countries waste almost as much (222 million tonnes) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tonnes). Meanwhile, the UNFAO says the number of malnourished people is on the rise: in 2016, it stood at 804 million but the following year had grown to 821 million.
Written by
Sean Fleming, Senior Writer, Formative Content
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Headline image taken by photographer Holly Challinor, Jones Food Company Ltd.
Organic Industry Is Not Giving Hydroponic, Aquaponic Growers A Warm Embrace
The litigious Center for Food Safety two weeks ago filed a rule-making petition with U.S. Department of Agriculture, demanding new regulations prohibiting organic certification of hydroponic agriculture production
By Dan Flynn on February 8, 2019
Some fresh produce from hydroponic growers has been approved for and is being sold under USDA’s organic seal, but farmers who grow their organic crops in the soil don’t like the competition.
The litigious Center for Food Safety two weeks ago filed a rule-making petition with U.S. Department of Agriculture, demanding new regulations prohibiting organic certification of hydroponic agriculture production. The 22-page petition also asks USDA to revoke any existing organic certification previously issued to hydroponic operations.
Food safety comes into play in the petition in only one way. Hydroponics doesn’t have soil, so they come up a little short because they do not provide soil samples as a measure of testing compliance. The CFS points out that regulations implementing the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 “consistently suggest soil samples as a measure for testing compliance.”
Agents who review operations as part of the USDA’s organic certification process “must conduct periodic residue testing of agricultural products,” with soil samples suggested as a method for testing, CFS’s petition says. “Many hydroponic systems would not contain soil for sampling, as suggested in the OFPA regulations.”
Hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic growers currently can earn organic certification. It is allowed by USDA so long as the certifier can show there is compliance with the organic standard. One industry supplier says hydroponics, by definition, is a method of growing plants in a water-based nutrient-rich solution that does not use soil. Instead of plants root in a nutrient solution with access to oxygen.
A year ago, USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) tried to settle some issues concerning organic certification of hydroponic and aeroponic growing operations. The AMS action came after USDA’s advisory National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) recommended banning the non-soil systems from being called organic production. USDA only briefly pondered that one before saying “thanks, but no thanks” to NOSB for the recommendation.
Aquaponics refers to growing crops in a system with farmed fish that supply nutrients for plants. Greenhouse growers and urban farmers using vertical growing systems use hydroponic and aeroponic methods — all without soil. The organic industry has been rocked with debate about these hydroponic methods for nearly a decade.
CFS wants a flat prohibition on hydroponic operations ever being allowed to use the USDA organic label. It claims hydroponic production systems that do not use soil do not meet federal organic standards and violate organic practices, which require that organic farming include soil improvement and biodiversity conservation.
Joining the CFS petition are more than a dozen other organic farmers, consumer, retailer, and certifying organizations, including the Organic Farmers Association, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA), PCC Community Markets, and the Cornucopia Institute.
“Mislabeling mega-hydroponic operations as ‘organic’ is contrary to the text and basic principles of the organic standard. Right now there is a pitched battle for the future of organic, and we stand with organic farmers and consumers who believe the label must retain its integrity,” said George Kimbrell, CFS legal director.
The petitioners say consumers trust the organic label and pay extra for the assurance that it indicates a more healthful and environmentally-friendly way of producing the food they buy.
Since the federal Certified Organic label was introduced more than 20 years ago, CFS says the organic food market has grown exponentially and is now a $60 billion industry in which multinational corporations have bought organic brands and compete with small food producers who use environmentally-friendly methods.
“Allowing hydroponic systems to be certified as organic undercuts the livelihood of organic farmers that take great lengths to support healthy soil as the bedrock of their farms,” stated Kate Mendenhall of the Organic Farmers Association. “Hydroponic producers getting the benefit of the organic label without actually doing anything to benefit the soil undermines the standard and puts all soil-based organic farmers at an untenable economic disadvantage.”
The petition argues that organic agriculture has traditionally been defined as using soil requirements such as fostering soil fertility, improving soil quality, and using environmentally beneficial farming methods such as proper tillage and crop rotation.
USDA continues to allow hydroponics, which goes against the advisory NOSB’s recommendation that organic certification not be extended to the non-soil growing methods.
Canada and Mexico prohibit hydroponics for organics, and the European Parliament voted to end the organic certification of hydroponic products in April 2018.
“Corporate agribusiness lobbyists have been working to water down the organic standards for decades,” said Mark Kastel, executive director for the Cornucopia Institute. “In this case, the careful stewardship of soil fertility is not only a philosophical precept, but it’s also codified in federal law.”
And while CFS is often successful with its legal strategies, the current petition to USDA may not get too far. Jennifer Tucker, the deputy administrator of USDA’s National Organic Program, recently said organic certification of hydroponic operations is “a settled issue.”
“Last year we issued an Organic Insider (e-mail newsletter) that indicated that hydroponics had been allowed since the beginning of the program and that (they) are still allowed,” Tucker said. “We consider that a settled issue.”
The Packer, the produce industry publication, reported Tucker’s comments to the 2019 Global Organic Produce Expo.
“There are some certifiers that certify hydroponics, and there are some that do not; they are all bound by a common set of regulations,” Tucker added.
Tags: Center for Food Safety, hydroponic, Jennifer Tucker, NOP, NOSB, organic certification, organics, USDA Organic
Groups Take Legal Action To Prohibit Organic Hydroponics
Cornucopia Institute
Consumers And Organic Groups Say Hydroponic Systems Cannot Comply With USDA’s Organic Standards.
January 17, 2019
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a new legal action demanding that the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibit hydroponic operations from using the organic label.
CFS said hydroponic production systems — a catch-all term that applies to food production methods that do not use soil — do not meet federal organic standards and violate organic law, which requires that organic farming include soil improvement and biodiversity conservation; hydroponic systems cannot comply with the organic standard's vital soil standards because hydroponic crops do not use soil at all.
The CFS filing was endorsed by more than a dozen other organic farmer, consumer, retailer and certifying organizations, including the Organic Farmers Assn., Northwest Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, PCC Community Markets and The Cornucopia Institute.
"Mislabeling mega-hydroponic operations as 'organic' is contrary to the text and basic principles of the organic standard. Right now, there is a pitched battle for the future of organic, and we stand with organic farmers and consumers who believe the label must retain its integrity," CFS legal director George Kimbrell said.
The groups said consumers trust the organic label and pay extra for the assurance that it indicates a more healthful and environmentally friendly way of producing the food they buy. Since the federal Certified Organic label was introduced more than 20 years ago, the organic food market has grown exponentially and is now a $60 billion industry in which multinational corporations have bought organic brands and, thus, compete with small food producers growing food using environmentally friendly methods.
"Allowing hydroponic systems to be certified as organic undercuts the livelihood of organic farmers that take great lengths to support healthy soil as the bedrock of their farms," Kate Mendenhall, director of the Organic Farmers Assn., stated. "Hydroponic producers getting the benefit of the organic label without actually doing anything to benefit the soil undermines the standard and put all soil-based organic farmers at an untenable economic disadvantage."
Organic agriculture certification has always included soil requirements such as fostering soil fertility, improving soil quality and using environmentally beneficial farming methods like proper tillage and crop rotation. “The National Organic Standards Board, the expert body assigned by Congress to advise USDA on organic matters, recommended that the agency prohibit certification of hydroponic systems, but USDA instead continues to allow hydroponics. Canada and Mexico also prohibit hydroponics from organic, and the European Parliament voted to end the organic certification of hydroponic products in April 2018,” CFS said in a statement.
TAGS: POLICY
VIDEO: EPIC Urban Farming On Top of a Whole Foods | Gotham Greens Tour 🏙️🌿
A mythical urban farm on top of a Whole Foods in Brooklyn, NY, where they grow 13+ different types of greens and herbs.
It was called Gotham Greens, which is just about the best name for a hydroponic greenhouse you'll ever hear. They use nutrient film technique (NFT) channels to grow basil, arugula, leaf lettuce, and more. And better yet, it's all automated, down to CO2 monitoring, shade clothes, and more. They even make their own line of salad dressings, pestos, and other value-added products with the produce they grow!
South Jakarta Residents Turn Urban Spaces Into Vegetable Gardens
Residents of Pengadegan sub district in Pancoran, South Jakarta, have been running a successful urban farming program using hydroponics.
Jakarta / January 16, 2019
Residents of Pengadegan in South Jakarta prepare the walls along an alley in their neighborhood to start a vertical garden. (Via wartakota.tribunnews.com/Istimewa)
Residents of Pengadegan subdistrict in Pancoran, South Jakarta, have been running a successful urban farming program using hydroponics. On Tuesday, they started transferring the plants to a soil medium.
Pengadegan subdistrict head Mursid said that transplanting would start in the RW 05 community unit, as it had several open spaces.
“RW 05 fits the characteristics of the space required to grow plants in soil,” he said as reported by wartakota.tribunnews.com.
He added that growing plants in soil was more efficient, easier and cheaper, and that the results would be as satisfying as hydroponically grown plants.
The urban farming program was initiated at the Pengadegan subdistrict office to provide a model for residents to copy in their neighborhoods, said Mursid.
“We’re planting different kinds of vegetables like water spinach and Chinese mustard. They’re useful for people,” he said.
Earlier, urban farming groups in Kebayoran Lama Selatan subdistrict had harvested 150 kilograms of vegetables from their gardens, located in the dense neighborhoods near Tanah Kusir Cemetery. (vla)
Demonstration Polyhouse Showcases The Future of Closed Cultivation In India
On 18th of January 2019 the partners of FoodTechIndia being Future Consumer Limited, Broekman Logistics, Rijk Zwaan, TNO, Larive International and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands have inaugurated a demonstration polyhouse of 1 acre in Tumkur, Karnataka, India.
India Food Park - Demonstration Polyhouse FoodTechIndia
The aim of the demonstration polyhouse, built at the India Food Park in Tumkur is to showcase the future of closed cultivation in India. In the polyhouse vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum and eggplant are being grown in a temperature-controlled environment. High quality seeds, biological crop protection and technology and knowledge from the Netherlands are being used and implemented to reduce the usage of pesticides and fertilizers, improve the yield and produce better, safe and higher quality vegetable products.
Demonstration Polyhouse Tumkur
With the demonstration polyhouse, the FoodTechIndia partners want to show the farmers in Karnataka the benefits of growing crops in a controlled environment and train them on closed cultivation practices. Demonstrations and trainings in the greenhouse will take place the upcoming three years until April 2022.
Demonstration Polyhouse Tukmkur
Facility for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Food Security
The Dutch Government is supporting the FoodTechIndia project and partners via the Facility for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Food Security (FDOV). The FDOV facility aims to contribute to the achievement of various sustainable development goals in developing countries. It encourages the establishment of Public-Private Partnerships for joint initiatives of private sector development for food security. The FDOV facility focuses on a/multiple of the following goals:
Reducing malnutrition;
Promoting growth in the agricultural and fisheries sector;
Creating sustainable and ecologically sound food chains;
Creating better labour conditions and efficient working procedures;
Causing an increase in private investments.
FoodTechIndia
FoodTechIndia (FTI) is a public-private initiative combining the strengths of Dutch agro-food companies, knowledge institutes, governmental agencies and their Indian counterparts to reduce food wastage in India through the establishment of an improved supply and cold chain. The objective of FTI is to reduce food wastage in India through the implementation of an integrated supply and cold chain infrastructure for fruits and vegetables in the state of Karnataka. Furthermore, the project focuses on enabling sustainable inclusive economic growth amongst local small-scale farmers.
For more information:
Larive International
info@larive.com
www.larive.com
Publication date : 1/21/2019
Thorilex, LTD. Wants To Bring Aquaponic Innovations To The World
JANUARY 23, 2019 | KYLE BALDOCK
From Fishermen To Commercial Scale Aquaponic Suppliers And Beyond
THORILEX is a testament to the evolution of food production. With a background in fishing and fish farming, the team came together in 2010 to bring aquaponic farming to the Czech Republic and then the world. Starting out as a consultancy firm, they soon developed into a more full-scale provider of services. By 2015, THORILEX, Ltd. was established as a designer and builder of turnkey fish farms, aquaponic and hydroponic farms.
Having scaled their business from fish farming to aquaponics with a proprietary recirculating aquaculture system, they looked around at the market and saw a big opportunity in vertical farming. I spoke with Marek Hrstka, THORILEX’s Business and Marketing Director to discuss the company’s success and plans for scaling business in the future.
THORILEX Aquaponic Design
THORILEX is making aquaponic innovation more accessible
2018 was a year of progress for THORILEX, as they designed and delivered new patented products. The THORILEX Hydroponic System, a modern vertical farming system that is adjustable and scalable for commercial-scale growing, is now available on their website. They are also offering a long-life hydroponic basket that is compatible with their growing system, as well as a stainless steel, self-cleaning fish tank.
THORILEX designs products with the “IKEA-model”: because they are designed to be highly modular, they can be easily packed, shipped and delivered with minimal costs. In this way, Mr. Hrstka says that THORILEX can bring these modern aquaponics innovations to markets across the world. Since last year, they have been busy implementing their hydroponic system in a pilot project in a 2ha glass greenhouse. This showcase farm allows them to produce food in a highly controlled environment, generating and collecting data to be made available in future case studies.
Aiming for the world
THORILEX thinks in the global scale. Already well-established as leaders in the Czech Republic, they are now anticipating interest from the rest of Europe, China and North America. Yet Mr. Hrstka remains humble: “We are proud of our know how but without our partners, supporters and distributors, we wouldn’t be doing what we are doing now.” That could give a clue to why THORILEX joined the AVF: “We are open to any cooperation or partnership. We are looking for really good partners and distributors; feel free to get in touch.”
Current case studies and a product catalogue can be found on their website here:
Their special product website is here:
Green Life Farms Hires Head Grower
Green Life Farms Hires Head Grower
Industry veteran brings more than 15 years of experience growing produce in indoor hydroponic greenhouses to team
Boynton Beach, FL (January 28, 2019) – Green Life Farms, the state-of-the-art hydroponic produce greenhouse under construction in Boynton Beach, FL, has hired Gregory Graft as its Head Grower. Graft will play a significant role in helping the organization prepare to begin commercial operations in the first half of 2019. Green Life Farms is slated to be the largest indoor hydroponic produce grower in the southeast.
“Gregory is a seasoned expert in all aspects of the hydroponic industry,” said Mike Ferree, Vice President, Green Life Farms. “His 17 years of hands-on experience in managing a hydroponic greenhouse makes him a vital addition to the Green Life Farms team, as we work to establish ourselves as an industry leader in sustainable farming practices.”
After serving in the United States Marine Corp, Graft was the Vice President and General Manager of Grateful Greens Hydroponic Farm in Clarksville, IN. There, he designed, built and maintained the hydroponic farm, managing every aspect from assessing plant health to developing client relationships. Graft also served as a production supervisor at Enjoy Life Foods in Jeffersonville, IN, assuming responsibility for product quality, planned volume and line efficiency.
As Head Grower for Green Life Farms, Graft will oversee the facility and lead the day-to-day operations. He will be directly involved with growing operations and maintaining the greenhouse’s infrastructure and hydroponic equipment. In addition to his immersion in the daily processes, Graft will take a holistic approach to managing the facility, analyzing data to evaluate its performance and recommending adjustments. He will also hire, train and supervise a staff of 16 greenhouse employees. Graft will work closely with the rest of the team to continue to drive sales.
Green Life Farms baby leafy greens 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 GMOs, pesticides and contaminants, Green Life Farms baby leafy greens are good for your body, family, community, and planet.
For more information about Green Life Farms, visit GreenLifeFarms.ag. Contact Elayne@GreenLifeFarms.ag for sales and 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 Boynton Beach, Florida, with additional expansion planned in Florida and beyond. Commercial operation is expected to begin in the first half of 2019. 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.