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45 Years Logiqs: From Container Systems to Vertical Farming and Warehouse Automation
Nowadays Logiqs supports most horticulture crops grown in greenhouses as well as a large variety of hydroponic crops
45 years ago, on July 1st, 1975, the Logiqs journey began, together with the founding of Intransit B.V. (the company’s initial name).
And even though the company name and shareholders may have changed since then, they still look back at this date as the very beginning of the company.
"At the start, the main goal of our company was to design and build innovative and reliable benching systems for potted plant growers, that add true value to the customer’s business.
"This initial focus has held up very well throughout the years and has produced amazing results for our customers, with thousands of acres of Logiqs benching systems operational in greenhouses all over the world.
"This success has allowed us to expand our area of expertise to serve a much wider range of growers as well as a couple of new industries."
Nowadays Logiqs supports most horticulture crops grown in greenhouses as well as a large variety of hydroponic crops.
"Our experience working with some of the most successful growers in the world, encouraged us to also apply our know-how and expertise to the Vertical Farming industry. This amazing collaboration with our customers allowed us to quickly become one of the industry leaders and trendsetters in automated vertical farming.
"Beyond greenhouse cultivation systems and Vertical Farming, we have also made incredible steps in warehouse automation by developing the innovative iCUBE Automated Storage and Retrieval System.
"We are grateful to all of our wonderful customers and partners who have influenced us to get better, and we hope that we can continue to repay their trust in the coming decades.
"We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all Logiqs team members that have devoted their time, energy, and passion to our common goals in the past 45 years.
"Without these devoted and talented individuals, Logiqs could have not evolved into the company it is today.
"We are extremely excited to think of the impact that our talented colleagues will have moving forward on the future of Logiqs, and on the future of horticulture, agriculture, and logistics."
For more information:
Publication date: Thu 2 Jul 2020
The Future Of Food, What Role Will You Play?
Urban agriculture is the process in which food production takes place within the city itself. Instead of relying on rural farmers to grow, harvest and transport food to city centers, all of this is done close to the consumer
July 20, 2020
COVID19 has highlighted the vulnerabilities of our food system, ones that will continue to evolve as climate change progresses. As we look for solutions, several factors should shape our decision making.
Global food systems are responsible for one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Cities consume 78 percent of the world’s energy and produce more than 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions (UN)
By 2050, it is estimated that nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in urban areas (UN).
Today, the average age of North American farmers is around 60 years old, with many nearing retirement.
What would you say if there was a solution that would address these challenges while also supporting the economy, helping us reach climate goals, and improving community health and well-being?
Urban agriculture is the process in which food production takes place within the city itself. Instead of relying on rural farmers to grow, harvest, and transport food to city centers, all of this is done close to the consumer. Urban agriculture can take various forms including backyard, balcony, and community gardens, rooftop farms and greenhouses, and more recently, the growing trend of indoor vertical agriculture using hydroponics.
During World War I and II, the “Victory Garden” campaign encouraged citizens to grow food in open urban spaces to support the country’s war efforts. By 1945, 20 million victory gardens produced 40% of America’s fresh vegetables. Once the wars finished, we saw the move away from growing food locally and towards a more industrialized food system where a few large farms produce most of our food at economies of scale. This way of producing food is largely responsible for disconnecting humans from their food and for environmental degradation.
Today, during COVID19, we are seeing a resurgence of “victory gardens” as a response to the unpredictability of the pandemic on our food supply. Communities are also starting to understand the importance of being more self-sufficient and supporting the local economy.
So how do we take this renewed interest in local food to the next level and encourage more urban farms and gardens in urban areas? In addition to policy support, we need the tools to equip the next generation of farmers. An organization that is supporting the transition is Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC), the industry association for professionals in the green infrastructure industry. Green infrastructure refers to using nature and natural systems to tackle urban challenges such as stormwater, the urban heat island effect, and air quality.
GRHC is creating the tools to help professionals maximize the return on investment for green infrastructure projects while demonstrating how to design for optimal ecosystem services and community benefits. Green infrastructure needs to be part of the green recovery as it is uniquely positioned to help city regions adapt to climate change and create jobs. Urban agriculture is a more productive form of green infrastructure that can take any project to the next level and support local food production, reduce food insecurity and reduce a city’s carbon footprint.
The Introduction to Rooftop Urban Agriculture training course is a first for the green building industry as it integrates green infrastructure and urban agriculture concepts. The course examines the history and benefits of urban agriculture and highlights various types of rooftop farms, design requirements, and business models. The course features rooftop farm case studies on Brooklyn Grange, Lufa Farms, Ryerson Urban Farm and more.
With the success of the online course, GRHC is now hosting an Urban and Rooftop Agriculture Virtual Symposium on Thursday, July 23. The event brings together professionals from diverse backgrounds involved in mainstreaming urban agriculture.
Top Leaf Farms is a regenerative farmer-led design team creating built environment food system solutions that are productive, beautiful and resilient in the face of climate change. Benjamin Fahrer the Principle will share project case studies and farm design tips!
Universities are the ideal space for urban agriculture research and education. Ryerson Urban Farm Operations Coordinator, Jayne Miles, will dive into the logistics of running the quarter-acre rooftop farm and what is coming next!
Alex Speigel is a Partner at Windmill Development Group who is sharing two case studies on integrating a meaningful strategy of urban agriculture in mixed-use developments
Have you heard of Agritecture? They are a global consulting company that specializes in building integrated agriculture projects. Yara Nagi, Agritecture’s Operations Director, has been involved in more than 60 urban farm projects where she develops the feasibility studies for economic models.
To learn more and to register for the Urban and Rooftop Agriculture Symposium visit https://greenroofs.org/virtualevents/agriculture
The potential of urban agriculture to transform our cities has yet to be fully recognized by decision-makers. Food can be used as a lever to solve numerous urban challenges and we need to rapidly start implementing these strategies. The green recovery from COVID19 will not happen without drastic changes to our food system, what role will you play?
Tagged: urban agriculture, virtual events, green infrastructure, food production, food systems, rooftop farm, rooftop garden, urban farm, Top Leaf Farms, Agritecture, Agritecture Consulting, Windmill Developments, Ryerson Urban Farm, Ryerson Urban Farm Living Lab, Jayne Miles, Alex Speigel, Benjamin Fahrer, green recovery, ecosystem services, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
3 Key Senior Living Benefits of Vertical Farming
Babylon Micro-Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia is delivering vertical farming to corporate cafeterias, universities — and senior living communities
June 28, 2020
Senior living communities face unprecedented challenges touching on all areas of community life, from move-ins and occupancy to resident activities to food quality and sourcing. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing operators to re-imagine their offering and strategies, to find creative solutions to everyday challenges.
Vertical farming is one of those solutions.
Babylon Micro-Farms in Charlottesville, Virginia is delivering vertical farming to corporate cafeterias, universities — and senior living communities. The company’s three-by-five, eight-foot-tall vertical farms are self-contained and managed remotely through an app, making them an ideal avenue for senior living operators to both gain fresh produce and deliver health, wellness, and activity to residents.
The farms produce leafy greens, herbs, and edible flowers, and deliver as much yield in their 15-square feet as a horizontal 2,000-square-foot farm, says Chief Executive Officer Alexander Olesen, who notes that Babylon is the leading indoor farming provider to senior living and health care settings.
“This is a multi-faceted tool for providing high-quality food to residents,” Olesen says.
Here are three major benefits that onsite vertical farming can have for senior living communities, including benefits during a health crisis.
Strong return on investment
Before even looking at the benefits of vertical farming in terms of the health of a given resident, Olesen points to the farm as a marketing differentiator in the industry, one that can help operators drive move-ins and maintain occupancy.
“What we’ve seen is that in senior living environments, there is an increasing pressure to source locally,” Olesen says. Being able to tell prospective residents and their families that their produce is grown on-site reveals the operator as forward-thinking around sustainability and food transparency.
There are other ways that vertical farming offers a return on investment (ROI), he says. One is a bit more obvious.
“By bringing food production closer to the point of consumption, we’re able to decrease the time from farm to fork,” he says, which, as he notes, reduces food waste and offers the highest quality, fresh produce at competitive prices.
The other is more subtle: Operators are positioning the farm as a sort of art installation in a relatively public place, such as a dining room or a lobby.
“We are seeing communities that are filling beds because they are able to better engage with prospective residents and their children,” he says.
Better food quality
The wellness movement in senior living was booming before COVID-19 — but the need for operators to pay deep attention to what their residents eat increased dramatically with the pandemic.
With onsite vertical farming, residents and operators know the source of their food. Residents gain more enjoyment from dining. They are healthier. And the produce is not tied to any given season.
“This is produce that is ready to harvest throughout the year,” Olesen says.
The flexibility provided by the farms means that operators can also rotate their crops — and hence change their menus — with greater ease.
Enjoyable resident activities
Onsite vertical farming is not just a benefit to residents in terms of health and dining enjoyment. Operators are using the farming itself as a resident activity, Olesen says. Because of the cloud-based advanced technology and user app that drives the farming, there is an ease-of-use for both residents and the operator. This is farming with no green thumb nor horticultural expertise required, he says.
“Being able to host a harvest with the residents really adds value on top of the produce that they are getting out of the farms,” Olesen says. He is seeing residents enjoying the interaction with farming in a non-labor-intensive way. They are able to grow their own food, name their plants, and have a year-round gardening experience without mud, bugs, or pesticides.
“We’ve developed so many service options that are tailored for senior living and health care settings,” Olesen says. “This is a viable alternative in a post-COVID environment.”
To learn more about how Babylon Micro-Farms can bring sustainable farming and fresh food to your community, visit BabylonMicroFarms.com.
Companies featured in this article:
Jack Silverstein
When not covering senior news, Jack Silverstein is a sports historian and staff writer for SB Nation's Windy City Gridiron, making regular guest spots on WGN and 670-AM, The Score. His work has appeared in Chicago Tribune, RedEye Chicago, ChicagoNow, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, Chicago Magazine, and others.
Home Hydroponics Guide Released From Cornell University
For people looking for a new project, building a home hydroponic system can be a great way to add some fresh, tasty and aesthetically pleasing greens to the home
For people looking for a new project, building a home hydroponic system can be a great way to add some fresh, tasty, and aesthetically-pleasing greens to the home. Searching around for information can be frustrating, so this guide packs all the information into one spot, with detailed steps for building and operating one's own deep water culture and nutrient film techniques including plant spacing, reservoir size, and system components. The guide includes sections on seeding starting, managing nutrient solutions, lighting, and plant diseases/disorders.
Each section has detailed information on all the major concepts of each topic (including examples with calculations), and finishes with a “quick guide” that recaps the main points. Wondering how much a hydroponic system will cost to build and maintain? Sample calculations are provided for lighting, fertilizer, and entire system costs. There is also an accompanying excel sheet to help with cumbersome calculations.
The guide and excel sheet can be found here under featured resources or the growing tab.
For more details and information contact Ryan Ronzoni at rjr293@cornell.edu
Publication date: Tue 30 Jun 2020
Vertical Farming Comes To Kuwait
The farm is the result of a joint venture between &ever and Kuwait’s Nox Management, which focuses on the food and beverage sector in the GCC and is part of the IFA group
15th July 2020
&ever Opens The First Large-Scale Indoor Vertical Farm in The Middle
East, Producing 550kg of Leafy Green Varieties Daily
Indoor vertical farming startup &ever, previously Farmers Cut GmbH, has announced the opening its first commercial indoor vertical farm in Kuwait.
The facility, which has approximately 3,000m2 of growing space, has a daily output capacity of up to 550kg of salad, herbs, and cresses.
The farm is the result of a joint venture between &ever and Kuwait’s Nox Management, which focuses on the food and beverage sector in the GCC and is part of the IFA group.
Kuwait, a country that has relied on European and overseas imports for most of its greens and herbs, can now locally grow up to 250 varieties of greens and herbs using &ever’s Dryponics technology.
&ever produces high-quality and sustainable crops indoors which the group said increases the nutritional quality of the produce and decreases environmental impact.
The vertical farming method uses 90 percent less water compared to traditional farming, 60 percent less fertilizer, and zero pesticides, the group outlined.
The Dryponics system essentially keeps the plants alive, with the roots intact, until the final moment before consumption. By keeping the root of the plants dry, it allows the consumer to harvest the greens only seconds before consumption since the root stays with the plant from farm to table.
"Normally, green leaves lose most of their nutritional value after being washed in chlorine, chilled, packed, stored in warehouses, and then sent on the road for transportation – many times across thousands of kilometers," the group stated. "Even traditional organic labeled foods can contain pesticides.
"What sets &ever apart from its competitors is its revolutionary farm design. It aims at being the most energy-efficient indoor vertical farm and hence the most environmentally friendly. Key levers are the use of insulated climatized rooms, a high degree of automation, and an AI-based continuous improvement cycle.
Building on the global deployment capabilities of its key partners, &ever said that it would scale its operations quickly and globally.
“Our vision is to bring better tasting greens with high nutritional value to more and more people”, says Mark Korzilius, founder of &ever.
“We have an interesting pipeline of opportunities around the globe,” added Dr. Henner Schwarz, chief executive of &ever. “We hope to be able to travel internationally again soon to get our next farms live as quickly as possible.”
SWITZERLAND: Vertical Farming Exclusively For Migros Basel - First Products Available In MParc Dreispitz
After several months of construction, the Vertical Farm on the Wolf site is ready for production. Here, Growcer produces regional foods in a weather-independent, environmentally friendly and water-saving manner exclusively for Migros Basel, delivering them quickly to the branch thanks to the shortest transport routes
After several months of construction, the Vertical Farm on the Wolf site is ready for production. Here, Growcer produces regional foods in a weather-independent, environmentally friendly, and water-saving manner exclusively for Migros Basel, delivering them quickly to the branch thanks to the shortest transport routes. The first six Vertical Farm products will be available from 16 June at the MParc Dreispitz.
Create a cultivated area of more than 1.500m2 on an area of less than 400m2?
This is possible thanks to vertical farming. Last autumn, Growcer, and the Migros Basel cooperative launched a collaboration with the aim of building Switzerland's first "Robotic Vertical Farm" on the Wolf site in Basel. The motivation was not only to build the farm of the future but above all to establish a regional, sustainable, and environmentally friendly concept that would bravely face the challenges of the coming decades.
View into the vertical farming plant in Basel / Picture: Growcer AG
After only six months, the three halls have now been completed and the first products are ready for harvesting. From 16 June, the "Vertical Leaves" product range, consisting of pak choi, wasabi rocket, spring cabbage, chard, and red and green lettuce, will be available exclusively at the MParc Dreispitz. These are primarily products that have not yet been available regionally in this form from Migros Basel and thus complement the range of existing regional producers. The fresh leafy vegetables can be used in the cold kitchen as a salad or salad ingredient, but also in the hot kitchen for wok dishes or as the icing on the cake for other hot dishes. At a later date, it is planned to produce other products all year round and to supply other branches.
Weather-independent and resource-efficient
The plants are grown on the farm from seed to harvest and packaging. Light, temperature, humidity and nutrients are carefully measured and adapted to the requirements of the respective variety. In harmony with modern technology and always up-to-date information, the growers' staff can thus respond to the needs of each individual plant. This special care can almost completely prevent crop failures.
According to recent studies, urban vertical farming uses 90% less water and requires practically no harmful pesticides. In addition, scarce space can be used more efficiently and the proximity to conurbations keeps transport routes, and thus the resulting environmental pollution low. This innovative and future-oriented form of cultivation meets the customers' desire for more regionality, sustainability, and resource efficiency. Those interested in learning more about the products, the cultivation, or the advantages of vertical farming in Basel will soon be able to form their own opinion as farm tours with tastings will soon be offered on the Wolf-site.
For more information:
Growcer AGSt. Jakobs-Strasse 200/Halle 4
4052 Basel
https://growcer.com/
Publication date: Mon 22 Jun 2020
"Very Little Has Really Been Established in Urban Agriculture, But We Are Innovating And That is Exciting"
Urban agricultural technology players brought together by UKUAT
Bringing together key players in the UK Urban Agriculture industry. That is the goal of UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT). The organization helps growers, suppliers, researchers help each other out. UKUAT brings them together and is a platform for information and knowledge. In February of 2020, the collective formalized the organization, and a temporary board of 5 directors was appointed during the online AGM elections in March of this year.
With Mark Horler, the chairman, at its core, UKUAT started as an informal discussion forum between practitioners and researchers in the field, who progressively fielded increasing interest and sought ways to pool their efforts and collaborate. Katia Zacharaki, communications director, tells us about the organisation and what they do for the Urban AgriTech sector in the UK.
Small room at VFarm
Memberships
UKUAT is a membership organization welcoming organizations, institutions, and individuals with an interest in the application of Agritech in urban environments. Growers of all scales and mandates, technology and energy suppliers, universities, consultants and individuals actively involved or even thinking about setting up a vertical farm, rooftop greenhouse project, community growing project, etc. or developing policy, technology, and services supporting the expansion of the urban agriculture industry, have somewhere to go in the UK to feed from its membership’s collective expertise, experience and drive.
So anyone who has an interest in urban agritech is welcome to join. The most important advantage of membership is connecting with others, but there are also the issues of decision and policy making for the future of urban and peri-urban agricultural activities. “Urban agricultural technology is a very new topic. Very little has really been established yet, but we are innovating and that is exciting.”
Lettus Grow system
Interacting with policymakers, alongside other international organizations like GlobalGAP, is key. Internally to the organization, the members are organized into four groups where they can provide input and ideas - education & outreach, policy & advocacy, research & expertise, and publicity & promotion, in which they can exchange information relevant to their company or interest.
“The organization can work as a database pool, where members can access expertise and knowledge sharing can take place. For example, members can refer within the organization to identify potential partners for commercial or research projects and funding bids.”
Brexit
Katia thinks that the Brexit will cause some uncertain times for the UK, but also that indoor farming and CEA can help provide sustainability and resilience by increasing the self-sufficiency of the country. “We can turn it into an opportunity.” For now, however, mostly microgreens and lettuce are grown in these circumstances, so not products that people can eat all the time. Research and innovation are required to expand the amount of edible products that can be grown indoors and in urban settings.
Intelligent Growth Solutions integrated growth trays
Collaboration
UKUAT is currently working closely with Farm Tech Society and GlobalGAP on inserting urban agritech into their certification scheme.
Collaboration between urban farms, however, is harder to arrange. Urban farms tend to have high initial investment requirements, and that causes a lot of them to be very secretive about what they do exactly so they don’t get copied. “Some competition is good to stay in business, of course, but we think collaboration is better. We'd like to see UK cities contribute more to a fresh produce food system that is heavily import-dependent. We try to highlight this, which will hopefully cause more collaboration. Not everyone has to invent the wheel.”
The five directors are Mark Holder, the chairman, Johnny Stormonth-Darling the secretary and website wizard, Paul Myers the Treasurer, Oscar Rodriguez the Director of Policy and Katia Zacharaki is the Director of Communications. Paul is also the managing director of Farm Urban, Oscar owns consultancy Architecture & Food, and Katia is a senior research engineer at Digital Farming.
For more information:
UK Urban AgriTech
communications@ukuat.org
www.ukuat.org
Publication date: Wed 17 Jun 2020
Author: Marlies Guiljam
© HortiDaily.com
TURKEY: "We Are Ready To Expand Domestically and Get Into Foreign Markets"
The Istanbul-based Plant Factory is constructing its first big facility, named ‘PF001’. The facility will be starting its test production by the end of August 2020.
The team of Plant Factory has implemented the following elements in its new facility: controllable dynamic lightning, modifiable shelf space, and smart air conditioning and dosing systems, which are used for production and will also be used for research and development. “After five years of field research, we are ready to expand domestically and penetrate foreign markets with our technical infrastructure and plant knowledge.”
The automated dosing system
“As we will be starting our first production 3 months later due to COVID-19, we aim to produce 5000 crops per harvest”, says Halil Beşkardeşler, CEO of Plant Factory. In the upcoming months, the facility will be focusing on the production of different types of lettuce, basil, and arugula followed by other leafy greens analysis, testing, and production. PF001 will generate part of its energy from installed photovoltaic panels on the roof. “In this way, we aim to benefit from renewable energy sources and lower the unit product costs.”
Plant Factory's UV and filter system
The company recently launched an animated video, intending to spread more awareness on vertical farming in Turkey. Beşkardeşler adds: “With our video, we have started to inform our end consumer and the investors that are interested in investing in urban agriculture”.
For more information:
Plant Factory
Halil Beşkardeşler, CEO
halil@plantfactory.company
www.plantfactory.company
Source: HortiDaily
Publication date: Fri 10 Jul 2020
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© HortiDaily.com
Bay Area Brothers Hope to Feed The World With Their Robotic Indoor Farming Technology
Their entrepreneurial “garage” is a two-story-tall indoor vertical farm in San Jose, California, where we met up with CEO Samuel (a Santa Clara University graduate) and Chief Technology Officer John (Westmont College, Technical University of Munich)
June 28, 2020
By Linda Zavoral
Mercury News
(San Jose)SAN JOSE, Calif. – You’ll forgive the Bertram brothers if their Silicon Valley elevator pitch is as fast-paced as a doubles match. After all, they moved from Melbourne, Australia, to the United States to play collegiate tennis, then developed a love for engineering and robotics – and a lofty goal to meet the world’s nutritional needs.
Less than a decade after arriving in California, they co-founded OnePointOne, an agricultural technology company, and Willo, their direct-to-consumer health and lifestyle brand.
Their entrepreneurial “garage” is a two-story-tall indoor vertical farm in San Jose, California, where we met up with CEO Samuel (a Santa Clara University graduate) and Chief Technology Officer John (Westmont College, Technical University of Munich). After checking out the technology, gawking at the hundreds of red mizuna plants carefully nurtured by growers, engineers, and robots, and nibbling on just-harvested, state-of-the-art basil, it was time to ask some questions.
Q: How did you two hit upon this idea for a vertical farming start-up?
Sam: There are 1.1 billion people that began this millennium malnourished. Think about that number for a moment. Galvanized by its magnitude, John and I named our vertical farming company OnePointOne, or OPO, as a constant reminder of what we are aiming to solve. Compounding the problem: Poor nutrition kills more people in the USA than anything else, including cigarettes. Plants have always been and will continue to be, the solution to the problem of malnourishment and diet-related disease. Our technology – through production and plant research – intends to solve these problems.
Willo is the first revolutionary step in this direction. It is the direct-to-consumer brand of our company. By allowing you to configure and control what you grow in your Willo Farm Plot, we can work together to personalize your nutrition, and use plant-based food as the primary tool for preventative medicine that it has always been.
Q: How does Willo’s OnePointOne technology differ from other indoor farming methods?
John: Willo’s high-performance indoor farming technology is different from any other indoor or outdoor farm. We use LED lights to supplant the sun, we use a nutrient-rich mist to replace the soil, and a clean-room environment to keep the plants safe, comfortable, and away from the dangers of the outdoors. We are the only organization in the world to grow plants out of tall vertical towers using aeroponics (which is a form of hydroponics using a nutrient-rich mist). And we use fleet robotics to perform many of the functions inside of our farm – everything from plant seeding, plant movement, and plant inspection.
Q: An early client of yours is chef David Kinch’s new Mentone restaurant in Aptos.
He calls basil the “spirit animal” for that Cal-Mediterranean concept. So you’ve got a three-Michelin-starred chef who wants high-quality basil year-round. No pressure there! How did you develop a basil that meets his standards?
Sam: Chef Kinch offered us a challenge to replicate the quality of a specific basil variety grown in Pra, Italy. Through many months of varying the size, shape, taste, and texture of the basil, we arrived at precisely the product he was looking for. Now we are the sole supplier of Ligurian Genovese basil to his restaurant.
Funnily enough, now that we have the “recipe” to grow Mentone’s basil, the pressure is off. Since we control the plant’s experience so closely, the replicability and consistency of the product is guaranteed.
Q: Are there nutritional studies that have compared vegetables and herbs grown this way with those grown conventionally outdoors in soil?
Sam: Yes, and we are in the process of compiling an extensive study on Willo’s produce in comparison to outdoor-grown produce. What I can say is that organic farms use pesticides and often contain heavy metals. Willo’s produce never will.
To be clear, conventionally and “organically” grown produce is still far better for you than almost any other food, and the farmers/workers that grow it for you are modern-day superstars. The problem is one of sustainability. Massive consumption of water, large-scale contamination of water, soil degradation, and pesticide poisoning are all very serious problems that Willo’s farming technique eliminates.
Q: How do you mitigate the effects of the agricultural job losses this technology creates?
John: In every facility that Willo builds, there will be a host of new employment opportunities for a wide variety of skill sets – growers, engineers, scientists, and operators. These facilities are set to create jobs in each location we build, not eliminate them. Indoor farming is the last thing farmers and their laborers have to worry about. Without our technology, there is already a shortage of workers and an average age of 57. Willo ensures that in the midst of these statistics, consumers will continue to receive access to fresh produce.
Q: You’re now starting to grow produce for the public. How does this membership work and what will customers receive?
Sam: You get to subscribe directly to Willo’s Farm and claim a Farm Plot of your own. You’ll first receive a home-delivered Welcome Box filled with our first generation of crops; 5 oz. kale, 5 oz. mizuna, 5 oz. protein crunch, 5 oz. microgreens and a 5 oz. salad mix of the combination of products. Within seven days you’ll be given the opportunity to configure your farm with the crops you enjoy most or to continue with the Welcome Box farm configuration. Depending on your subscription, Willo delivers these five 5 oz. packages weekly or bi-monthly directly to your door.
Willo is currently developing an app to connect you directly to your Farm Plot. There, you’ll be able to watch your plants grow through time-lapse imagery, add new crops to your Farm Plot, trade Farm Plots with your neighbors, and donate Farm Plots to Willo’s charitable partners among many other things.
"There’s No Such Thing As One Perfect Spectrum For A Crop”
Just over two years ago the US company Fluence, specialised in horticulture lighting solutions, was acquired by the German Osram group and their ambitions have been clear
Fluence expands top light series
“There's no such thing as one perfect spectrum for a crop. It’s just too complicated: the ideal spectrum is a combination of different factors and is also cultivar dependent, but much more comes into play: the natural light at the cultivation site, the target light level, electricity costs and the produce sales price for example”, says Timo Bongartz with Fluence. That’s why the light supplying company is happy to expand their VYPR Top Light series with several new PhysioSpec spectra. With additional reflectors and mounting hardware, they want to offer greenhouse growers a broad toolbox to select their perfect light solution from.
Diversifying the business
Just over two years ago the US company Fluence, specialized in horticulture lighting solutions, was acquired by the German Osram group and their ambitions have been clear. “Fluence has been an important player in the indoor market ever since we were founded in 2012. With the acquisition, further growth came within reach and the strategy has been to diversify the business. The greenhouse growers are a key part of that”, says Timo Bongartz, general manager for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “We’ve always seen that our LED products can be of help for growers of high wire crops, yet there are specific challenges that they deal with. Offering them our solutions and adjusting our portfolio, has been top of our mind.”
With the expanded PhysioSpec Spectra the moment is there. In addition to the two existing spectra, the VYPR top light series now also can be equipped with additional PhysioSpec BROAD spectra as well as several red and blue DUAL spectra. Over the past years, extensive research was put into place to select these spectra. “Together with our research partners worldwide in the Netherlands for tomato, in Belgium for cucumber, in the US and Netherlands for cannabis, In Canada for bell pepper and in Germany for leafy greens and herbs”, Timo says. “Of course also the growers trialed the different spectra in their greenhouses. The combination of normal and applied science is what we selected the spectra on.”
So what’s behind this choice? When talking about LEDs, it’s often about efficacy. “With our red and blue spectrum we can reach 3.8 µmol/joule and a PPF per fixture that goes up to 2330 µmol/s. That’s something we’re proud of since it’s one of the highest in the industry and these numbers are often important to growers. Yet there’s more to it: other than the light efficiency, also the plant efficiency plays an important role in the functioning of the light within the growing company as a whole”, Timo explains. He adds how Fluence does not want to step away from their broad-spectrum strategy that has helped many growers so far. “But we’re broadening our solution sets for growers at any location worldwide and for all different kinds of crops with the launch of these new PhysioSpec spectra.“
With expanded PhysioSpec™ spectra, the VYPR top light series offers higher efficacies (up to 3.8 µmol/J) and higher photosynthetic photon flux (up to 2330 µmol/s) per fixture over comparable lighting technologies. (Photo courtesy of Fluence by OSRAM)
Broad-spectrum lighting
“Finding the right lighting strategy includes more than finding the right spectrum or finding the right amount of lighting in terms of PPFD levels”, he continues. “A broad-spectrum light could be the best spectrum when looking at the plants’ efficiency and overall yield but does not have the best energy efficiency. It is a case by case analysis to select the right spectrum together with the grower.”
In order to realize the best company results, a grower would have to think of the best ROI. “And for example calculate their energy prices through. Red light is the most efficient to produce, whereas producing a broad spectrum is less energy efficient. The additional yield and the price you make for that yield would have to justify the additional energy costs”, Timo shows.
He adds how for example Italian growers also would need different lights than growers in Sweden since they would use a higher amount of supplemental light. “In the end finding the right spectrum is defined by different factors. If a cucumber grower in the Netherlands can change from traditional ambarella to high-wire cultivation and to winter production by adding supplemental lighting and that would improve revenue and profitability it is also important to consider the working conditions of the employees in regard to the color of light. That’s why we always speak with growers and find the lighting solution that suits their business, not a spectrum that suits only the crop. It’s not a one size fits all.”
The new VYPR spectra - the DUAL spectra developed with a focus on energy efficiency and the BROAD spectra within the full PAR region of 400 to 700 nm - will give the team a broader toolbox to select from. “Especially in the LED industry, there is so much yet to learn. We learn how plants are performing on different spectra and see the influence on plant architecture, the time flowering to harvest, and fruit quality for example. That’s all valuable information for a grower and something he will base his business model on. Therefore we accompany all growers with our team of horticulture specialists to adjust and constantly optimize the cultivation under LED considering all growing factors.”
"Fluence’s extended PhysioSpec™ spectra enable growers to optimize lighting strategies for any crop in any growth stage or geographic location", the team explains. (Photo courtesy of Fluence by OSRAM)
Reflectors, mounting solutions, and power supply
it’s not the only addition to the Fluence toolbox. Together with the new spectra also new reflectors and mounting solutions are launched and the VYPR series is updated with a patented thermal management technology as well as a more efficient and smaller power supply.
“The reflectors can be used under the LED light fixtures and will give growers the possibility to distribute the light from a 120 to a 150-degree beam angle, which offers new possibilities in lighting designs and more ways to distribute the light uniformly. Since HPS often has a beam angle of 150 degrees, we needed these reflectors also to realize nice overall and spectral uniformity for growers that want to opt for a HPS-LED hybrid installation.”
With the additional mounting options the installation of the lights is more flexible ”Growers can put the lights under the trellis, perpendicular or next to it.” He explains how it is important to integrate your lighting solution already in the planning phase of the greenhouse, yet how this is often not possible - especially when working in an existing facility. “Working in a low greenhouse means the distance to the crop is limited and if you can gain an additional 20 centimeters just because of how you mount the LED lights that can already mean a huge difference in uniformity. It does not matter if it's the spectrum, beam angle, or mounting brackets, it is all about finding the best fit for the individual needs of the grower.”
For more information:
Fluence Bioengineering
4129 Commercial Center Drive
Suite 450
Austin, TX 78744
512-212-4544
info@fluencebioengineering.com
www.fluence.science
Publication date: 2 Jun 2020
Author: Arlette Sijmonsma
© HortiDaily.com
Urban Farming Partners Singapore Awarded Funding to Build Dutch Technology Indoor Farm in Singapore
With Singapore’s ambition to produce enough food locally to meet 30% of the country's nutritional needs by 2030, the Republic's strategies towards achieving long-term food security is more urgent than ever
Urban Farming Partners Singapore (UFPSG), a unique partnership between Singapore and the Netherlands, has been awarded funding support by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) under the Agriculture Productivity Fund (APF), enabling the urban farming initiative to take the next step towards strengthening Singapore’s food supply chain and paving the way to food security.
With Singapore’s ambition to produce enough food locally to meet 30% of the country's nutritional needs by 2030, the Republic's strategies towards achieving long-term food security is more urgent than ever. As a total solution provider for urban farms, integrating proven patented technologies and expert-backed worldwide operations, UFPSG’s vision is to contribute considerably to food security in Singapore, as well as Asia.
“We started our journey in 2017 when we presented our grand vision for food sustainability and food security in and around cities globally at the World City Summit in Singapore,” said Wouter Vos, director and founder of the UrbanFarmingPartners Holding in the Netherlands and he has since taken steps to actualize this vision together with Henk van Eijk, his fellow director. This year, UFPSG will initiate construction of a $3m state-of-the-art indoor farm in Singapore, which will be partially funded by SFA. It will be located inside the premises of HSL Waterfront@Penjuru at 42D Penjuru Road in Singapore, where all types of lettuce, baby leaves, herbs as well as other crops like spring onion and fennel will be produced in a fully-controlled indoor growing environment. This indoor urban farm is a first in Singapore that utilises Dutch technology.
“’Local for Local’ and ‘The Circular Economy’ are no longer just buzzwords. The COVID-19 pandemic makes it even more apparent that we need to restructure our critical systems globally more than ever. It is time to make a notable difference with our way of life with food,” said Grace Lim, UFPSG’s Director and project representative in Singapore. This farm can potentially produce 33 Tonnes of healthy and fresh, ready-to-eat produce for the Singapore market. Circular processes like the harvest of rainwater and solar power are examples of sustainable proven technologies that will be included in the overall design of the urban farm.
Artist’s impressions of the urban farm at HSL Waterfront @Penjuru
“We are glad to see strategic collaborations between our local agri-food industry and their overseas counterparts, as this results in the transfer of innovative and productive technology to Singapore,” said Mr Melvin Chow, Senior Director of SFA’s Food Supply Resilience Division. “Harnessing technology to grow more within our constraints will need to be the new norm for our agri-food industry as we strive towards ’30 by 30’. We will continue to support farms that are keen to develop technological capabilities.”
For more information:
Urban Farming Partners Singapore Pte. Ltd.
Grace Lim, Director, Urban Farming Partners Singapore Pte. Ltd.
gracelim@urbanfarmingpartners.com
+65 97887996
Publication date: Tue 9 Jun 2020
UK Urban AgriTech Collective
UKUAT is a cross-industry group devoted to promoting urban agtech as a solution for food and environmental crises
The UK Urban AgriTech collective, or UKUAT, brings together the UK’s key players in modern agricultural technologies. We’re a cross-industry group devoted to promoting urban agtech as a solution for food and environmental crises. We influence policy by sharing information, educating, and communicating practitioner needs as one. We promote the uptake of agtech in urban and peri-urban settings by uniting to attract funding and customers.
UKUAT - A Brief History
It started out with a group of perhaps 5 people. Mark Horler, our founder, brought these people together to just have a chat about the industry in the UK. The short version, though it may seem hard to believe now, is that there really wasn’t that much of an industry in this country then. There were only a handful of companies developing tech and systems as well as a couple of universities with an interest in the general area.
However, slowly but surely, that number began to grow, and so did the number of people in that little group. At some point in late 2017, it was agreed that we ought to give it a name, and so UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT) was born.
Over the next couple of years, an interesting thing happened. The UK had been slow to get going with controlled environment agriculture (CEA), but then it started to happen. More companies appeared, and more universities took an interest, as did various consultancies and other interested parties. Some of these joined UKUAT, which, at the time, was an informal collective. As happens with these things, they spoke to others, who spoke to others and, before we knew it, we had a fairly substantial number of members.
As all this was happening, we made a collective effort to start hammering out what we wanted this collective to be and do. Lengthy discussions were had, ideas were proposed and batted around, via our monthly online calls. In early 2019, most of the group met in person in Coventry. The main results of that meeting were a document detailing our aims, and another setting out our mission & vision.
These went back through the discussion & revision process. When we met again in London in late 2019, we all agreed it was time to turn UKUAT into a formal organisation. We’ve now done that, and it’s now time to get on with the work we want to do - education, outreach, policy, advocacy and more! We’ll be at events and partnering on all sorts of interesting projects in the coming months (and years).
Chicago-Area Greenhouse BrightFarms Expands As Pandemic Fuels Demand For Local Lettuce, Spinach and Other Greens
BrightFarms’ Rochelle greenhouse, which annually supplies 1 million pounds of lettuce, spinach, arugula, basil and other greens to Mariano’s and other regional grocery stores, is increasing production by 40% by adding more hydroponic ponds to the two-acre facility, CEO Steve Platt said
CHICAGO TRIBUNE | JULY 07, 2020
Silvia Penaran grabs a handful of spring mix to pack in a container at BrightFarms on July 1, 2020, in Rochelle. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
BrightFarms is boosting capacity at its Chicago-area greenhouse as the pandemic-driven rise in cooking at home fuels demand for locally grown greens.
BrightFarms’ Rochelle greenhouse, which annually supplies 1 million pounds of lettuce, spinach, arugula, basil and other greens to Mariano’s and other regional grocery stores, is increasing production by 40% by adding more hydroponic ponds to the two-acre facility, CEO Steve Platt said.
BrightFarms was seeing year-over-year sales growth of about 20% before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., but in March and April growth jumped to 40% as stay-at-home orders set in and customers flocked to grocery stores, Platt said. The at-home cooking trend has remained steady, with growth now leveled out above 30%.
“We’re seeing really great demand,” said Platt, whose company, based in Irvington, New York, has other greenhouses in Northern Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania and is building one in North Carolina. “The pandemic has supercharged that.”
Baby romaine lettuce fills sections of the greenhouse at BrightFarms on July 1, 2020, in Rochelle. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Greens grown indoors, either in sprawling sunlit greenhouses or under artificial lights in vertical farms, occupy a tiny niche of the market. But they have been gaining popularity in recent years in the Midwest as consumers opt for more local, pesticide-free produce that doesn’t travel thousands of miles from California or Arizona farms to reach their dinner plates.
In addition to addressing environmental and freshness concerns, growing year-round in a controlled environment guards against bacterial contamination that lead to illness and recalls.
Local greenhouses had an advantage as demand from grocery stores surged during the rush to stockpile food during the pandemic because they could pivot quickly while some of the large operators of field-grown produce couldn’t get enough product to stores shelves quickly enough, Platt said.
“When the customers needed product we were able to deliver it,” Platt said. BrightFarms added 800 stores to its distribution this year and now has 2,000 customers nationwide, he said.
Angelica Vasquez cleans the floors at BrightFarms in Rochelle on July 1, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
In Chicago, locally grown greens represented 11.5% of the tender leaf packaged salad market during the first half of this year, up from 9.4% last year and 7.9% in 2018, according to data from the market research firm SPINS provided by Bright Farms. Nationally the share is much lower, at 3.2%.
The growing interest fits with a broader trend toward more premium foods, with people willing to pay more for products they perceive as healthier. A clamshell of BrightFarms romaine or spinach is $2.99, twice the cost of the cheapest option though on par with field-grown organic produce, Platt said.
But Platt attributes the growth not only to consumer demand but also retailer demand, as stores try to avoid the disruption of recalls. Last month certain bagged garden salads from Jewel-Osco, Aldi, Hy-Vee, and Walmart were recalled due to suspected contamination of cyclospora, a bacteria found in human feces, and E. coli illnesses have prompted mass recalls of romaine lettuce in recent years.
Other indoor growers also are expanding in response to increased demand.
Gotham Greens last year more than doubled its capacity to serve the Chicago area when it opened a new 100,000-square-foot greenhouse in Pullman, a stone’s throw from its existing 75,000-square-foot greenhouse on the roof of the Method soap manufacturing plant.
MightyVine, which grows hydroponic tomatoes in a greenhouse in Rochelle, is doubling its footprint to 30 acres.
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz covers the food industry for the Chicago Tribune's business section. Prior beats include workplace issues, the retail sector and lifestyle features, plus stints at RedEye, the Daily Herald and the City News Service. Alexia grew up in Washington, D.C., and has her degree in international relations from Brown University.
OptimIA Annual Stakeholder Meeting (Virtual) - July 29, 2020
OptimIA (Optimizing Indoor Agriculture) project team invites indoor farmers, allied trades, and professionals interested in participating in our first annual stakeholder meeting (virtual)
OptimIA (Optimizing Indoor Agriculture) project team invites indoor farmers, allied trades, and professionals interested in participating in our first annual stakeholder meeting (virtual). Join us as we share recent research results and discuss future activities. OptimIA is a USDA-supported Specialty Crop Research Initiative project to advance the emerging indoor farming industry to become more profitable and sustainable through critical research and extension activities.
For more information and registration please visit this page. Or contact Dr. Erik Runkle, Michigan State University. Space is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
OptimIA Project Team
Project Director and PIs
Erik Runkle, Michigan State University (Project Director)
Murat Kacira, University of Arizona
Chieri Kubota, The Ohio State University
Roberto Lopez, Michigan State University
Cary Mitchell, Purdue University
Simone Valle de Souza, Michigan State University
OptimIA Collaborators
Jennifer Boldt, USDA ARS
David Hamby, OSRAM
H. Christopher Peterson, Michigan State University
Nadia Sabeh, Dr. Greenhouse Inc.
Click here for more information about the meeting.
Officials Break Ground on STX Aquaponics Center
After several years of planning, government officials, members of Farmers in Action and Fresh Ministries broke ground on a plot of land in Estate Bethlehem’s coconut grove for an agribusiness center for aquaponic farming
By Susan Ellis
June 29, 2020
After several years of planning, government officials, members of Farmers in Action and Fresh Ministries broke ground on a plot of land in Estate Bethlehem’s coconut grove for an agribusiness center for aquaponic farming.
The project began seven years ago when Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and Sen. Allison DeGazon met Rev. Robert V. Lee III of Fresh Ministries. Degazon worked at the Labor Department and Bryan was commissioner of Labor at the time. Several members of Lee’s staff had aquaponics training at the University of the Virgin Islands, and the three officials began planning for a new aquaculture system for St. Croix. Lee secured a $2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, and Bryan and DeGazon worked to find a suitable location.
Aquaculture is farming animals such as fish, crayfish, prawns or even snails, fish, crayfish or prawns normally found in the sea, and hydroponics is cultivating plants directly in liquid (water and nutrients in solution) rather than soil. In an aquaponic system, both seagoing creatures – typically tilapia – and plants can be grown together in one hydroponic system, with the water from the fish being circulated through a hydroponic plant system that uses the fish waste matter to fertilize the plants. The cleaned water is then recirculated back to the fish.
An aquaponic system can be built on one-seventh of an acre and raise its crop on 96 percent less water than a comparable, traditional farming operation.
During Saturday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Lee talked about the work and programs of Fresh Ministries. In January 2019, the nonprofit organization announced a partnership with the Desmond Tutu Project for Global Hunger. The initiative created an agricultural business incubation program in the Virgin Islands and Haiti. The program was described as “state-of-the-art, climate-resilient greenhouse farming” in areas that import most of their food. Lee has met with Desmond Tutu several times, and the St. Croix program was one of his last sponsorships.
The Rev. Robert V. Lee III of Fresh Ministries speaks Saturday at the aquaponics groundbreaking at Estate Bethlehem. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
“Desmond Tutu put his name on this program right here,” Lee said.
Bryan talked about his long friendship with Rev. Lee and the Fresh Ministries aquaponics center in Jacksonville that has become a tourism product in its own right. He said the St. Croix project has multilevel economic development aspects and job opportunities for farmers to feed their families.
“On a 2,000-square foot farm you can make $100,000 in revenue, working just two to four hours a day,” Bryan said.
“The program is no longer about soil and the sun breaking our backs. It is about science,” DeGazon said.
Deputy Agriculture Commissioner Diana Collingwood said the “initiative screams food security.”
Bryan said they envision greenhouses and water catchment units but have no specific design plans for the St. Croix center yet.
Lee said there have been conversations with the University of the Virgin Islands about working with the UVI aquaponics program, which pioneered the system.
“We’re hoping these two converge,” he told the Source.
For more than 30 years, Fresh Ministries has helped people around the world learn life skills, prepare for jobs, and start business incubators. The aquaponics program focuses on education, training and production of fresh, nutritious produce.
The aquaponics program also is sponsored by Farmers in Action and the Episcopal Diocese of the Virgin Islands.
Lead Photo: V.I. government officials and representatives from Fresh Ministries and Farmers in Action turn the first shovels of dirt at the future site of an aquaponics center. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
CropKing Offers First Digital Workshop - Wednesday, July 8, 2020
CropKing will hold their first digital workshop on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, at 10:00 AM EST, via Zoom. During this 7 hour course, participants will learn many of the same topics covered in their in-person workshops
CropKing will hold their first digital workshop on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, at 10:00 AM EST, via Zoom. During this 7 hour course, participants will learn many of the same topics covered in their in-person workshops. Topics will include an introduction to greenhouse plants and hydroponic systems including Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and Bato buckets, best practices for growing in these systems, pest identification and management, different types of soilless culture (focusing primarily on Perlite and Rockwool) and more. The CropKing team of experts will lead this interactive course, leaving plenty of time for Q&A.
The introductory workshop price is $75. Don’t worry if you can’t attend the live event, your registration includes 30 days of access post-event. Course materials will also be available for download following the event.
Still, want the hands-on greenhouse experience? Choose the optional add-on ($150) to spend the day in the Lodi, OH research greenhouse. They’ll schedule these on a first-come, first-served basis, making sure to adhere to CDC and Department of Health guidelines and best practices.
Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Time: 10:00 AM EST
Cost: $75 (introductory price), option to add on a greenhouse visit for $150
Details: A Zoom meeting link will be sent to participants 24 hours prior to the event. Course is best viewable from a computer with microphone and camera access, however, those are not requirements for participation.
Click here for more information and to register.
Publication date: Thu 2 Jul 2020
Focusing On The French Market With Turnkey Greenhouse Projects
"Sustainability is really a theme in France," says Richard van Dijk with HortiNed. The company is focused on the French market, although they do projects in other countries as well.
"Sustainability is really a theme in France," says Richard van Dijk with HortiNed. The company is focused on the French market, although they do projects in other countries as well. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the concrete was poured at a 4-hectare project in Nîmes. Hortined prefers to do the whole project, from greenhouse and heating to screening and gutters.
French market
In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pricing in France was under a lot of pressure. There was a great deal of uncertainty on the market for, among others, vegetables, flowers and plants. "France always needs some import to meet the demand, and little goes abroad."
"The French appreciate the French product more than the Dutch appreciate the Dutch product," explains Richard. "French people like to eat food from their own country." The country tries to keep its own market up, by putting only French products in the supermarkets. The pricing is influenced positively by this, and most vegetable growers have been able to have decent results. The flower and ornamental industry has been hit pretty hard, though.
The projects were allowed to continue during the corona crisis, luckily. With the necessary adjustments, forms were required, for instance, and extra obligations had to be met. "Fortunately we were in regions where the virus didn't hit as hard as in other regions." In the cafeteria, everyone had to sit a bit further apart and cleaning was done more often. The projects are large and spacious, and everything is outside, which makes it easier to work further apart. "We did let the local security officer check everything."
Projects
A good example of sustainability in the French projects is also the project which HortiNed did in Égletons. HortiNed took care of the greenhouse, the heating and the screening here, in cooperation with French company Divatec. The project is run by two young growers and an experienced one who already runs a project nearby. Tomatoes are grown here, and at the end of 2019, it was time for the first harvest. "At least one, probably two seasons will be grown here, and then the next 4 hectares will be built." There's air treatment units in the greenhouse, that ensure that the customer can efficiently manage the climate and dehumidify.
Residual heat
The greenhouse in Égletons is connected to a waste incineration plant. "Up until now, most of the heat from the plant was not used, but now we can heat the greenhouse with it." There still is a boiler room at the company, but that's only used as a back-up, or when the incineration plant is in maintenance. In France, it's quite common to connect greenhouse projects to residual heat, for instance geothermal, waste heat, or wood boilers. A project like this, with a waste incineration plant, is also not uncommon. "With our heating experts, we can determine what the best way of using the heat is, and prepare and execute this technically. With this, we help clients as much as possible."
Brittany
HortiNed also recently started with a new project in Brittany. "That wasn't easy, the labor inspection didn't allow the start of the work due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We sat around the table with them and explained the situation, upon which they allowed us to start. That is the advantage of focusing on a certain market, we know the people and where we have to go, which enables us to take care of these kinds of cases more easily. That is good for the customer and for us."
The project in Brittany is also four hectares in size. It is an existing nursery of eight hectares, of which half will be removed by greenhouse demolishing company Olsthoorn. This will be recycled, and four hectares will be built back.
For more information:
HortiNedJogchem van der Houtweg 5
2678 AG De Lier
The Netherlands
info@hortined.nl
www.hortined.com
Publication date: Mon 29 Jun 2020
Author: Marlies Guiljam
© HortiDaily.com
Risk of E.coli In Hydroponic and Aquaponic Systems May Be Greater Than Once Thought
It’s been thought that hydroponic and aquaponic systems could reduce these issues since there is little opportunity for pathogens like E. coli to contaminate the edible parts of plants
It’s been thought that hydroponic and aquaponic systems could reduce these issues since there is little opportunity for pathogens like E. coli to contaminate the edible parts of plants.
Brian Wallheimer | Purdue University
04/21/20
A spate of foodborne illnesses in leafy greens and other produce in recent years has sickened consumers and disrupted growers and supply chains. It’s been thought that hydroponic and aquaponic systems could reduce these issues since there is little opportunity for pathogens like E. coli to contaminate the edible parts of plants.
Hye-Ji Kim (left), pictured with graduate student Seunghyun Choi, found the presence of E. coli bacteria in aquaponic and hydroponic growing systems, suggesting the bacteria could reach produce consumers. (Agricultural Communication photo/Tom Campbell)
A Purdue University study, however, has found the presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) – the same bacteria that have made consumers of several produce products ill – in hydroponic and aquaponic growing systems. Hye-Ji Kim, an assistant professor of horticulture and the study’s corresponding author, said the findings suggest growers using these systems should be careful in handling and harvesting to avoid contamination.
“Many people think that there is no chance that E. coli could be present in these systems and that risk of contamination is low,” said Kim, whose results were published in the journal Horticulturae. “Our findings suggest there is some potential for food safety concerns. We’re not saying that these foods are unsafe, but that it’s important to handle these plants properly and carefully.”
Aquaponic and hydroponic growing systems are thought to have little risk of containing bacteria that can sicken produce consumers. After finding E. coli in both types of systems, Hye-Ji Kim suggests growers to use caution to not introduce the bacteria to their operations. (Agricultural Communication photo/Tom Campbell)
The E. coli outbreaks that have occurred in recent years tend to happen in leafy greens and other vegetables grown in irrigated fields. Potential sources could be from E. coli in manure or groundwater that reaches the edible portions of plants, or from those contaminants getting to plants after root damage by wild animals.
Proponents of hydroponic and aquaponic systems suggest their growing methods would reduce or eliminate any risk of contamination. Both soilless systems, hydroponic plants are grown in water and chemical fertilizers or nutrient solutions, and aquaponic systems include the raising of fish, with fish wastewater utilized as water and nutrient source for the plants.
The fish used in aquaponic growing systems may introduce E. coli to water and potentially produce crops, and accidental contamination is possible in hydroponic systems. Hye-Ji Kim and Yi-Ju Wang (pictured) suggest growers take careful steps to ensure that these bacteria don’t reach plants that could sicken consumers. (Agricultural Communication photo/Tom Campbell)
Kim, Yi-Ju Wang, a graduate student in Kim’s lab, and Amanda Deering, a Purdue clinical assistant professor of food science, set up both hydroponic and aquaponic systems for growing lettuce, tomatoes, and basil for about two months. The scientists found E. coli in both systems at the time of harvest.
In the aquaponic system, the authors believe the E. coli was introduced by the fish. The bacteria was found in the water, on plant roots, and in fish feces.
“Our separate aquaculture system confirmed that fish feces were a major source of contamination with STEC in the aquaponic system,” the authors wrote. “These results indicate that introducing contaminated fish can be a source of foodborne pathogens in aquaponics.”
The presence of E. coli in the hydroponic system, in which fish were not used, suggests that the bacteria was introduced accidentally. Kim believes it could have splashed from a nearby aquaponic system or have been introduced by a visitor who brought it in from outside the greenhouse. Either way, the presence in the system suggests that accidental contamination is a real risk.
E. coli was also found on plant roots in both systems, but the bacteria did not internalize in the plants. In other words, even with the bacteria present in water and on the roots, the edible portions of the plants were still safe to consume.
The key, Kim says, is proper handling to ensure that E. coli or other pathogens don’t make it to the edible parts of plants. Damaged roots would allow bacteria into the plants, potentially making it to edible portions internally. And the splashing of water during growing or harvesting could introduce bacteria to the edible portions of the plants.
“The best way to manage these issues is to not touch roots or water throughout production cycles. If you do, you should thoroughly wash your hands before touching the edible parts of the plants,” Kim said. “Proper sanitization of equipment is also important. And acquiring fish that do not contain E. coli would also be beneficial.”
Kim’s lab is continuing to investigate food safety risks in hydroponic and aquaponic systems. Projects include damaging roots and simulating splashes to understand how much contamination can occur.
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Purdue University College of Agriculture funded this research.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AgriTechTomorrow
04/21/20 | Precision Farming, Processing & Supply Chain | Aquaponics, hydroponic, safety
How Singapore Plans to Survive The World’s Impending Food Crisis
One of the most densely populated countries on the planet, its 5.7 million people rely on other nations for almost everything they eat
Singapore’s obsession with food goes far deeper than its world-famous chili crab and laksa. One of the most densely populated countries on the planet, its 5.7 million people rely on other nations for almost everything they eat. Just 0.9 percent of its land area of about 700 square kilometers was classified as agricultural in 2016, only marginally more than icebound Greenland.
Despite producing little of its own, Singaporeans arguably have better access than anyone else to affordable, abundant, and high quality produce. The country has ranked first in an index of food security for two years running and is now deepening its focus as the COVID-19 crisis exposes the fragility of global food supply chains. To this end, the country is developing expertise in technologies such as vertical farming, nutrient recovery from food waste, and the use of insects, microalgae and cultivated meat as alternative protein sources, according to William Chen, the director of Food Science and Technology Programme at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
Already, work is underway to free up more spaces for urban food production, for example on the rooftops of multistory car parks, according to the SFA. The government is financing research into sustainable urban farming as well as future foods such as alternative proteins and seeking to expand fish farming off the south coast of the country. It’s also funding technology to help raise output from its existing farms, which totaled about 200 licensed operations as of 2018, producing mainly vegetables, fish, and eggs.
Read more at Japan Times
Publication date: Wed 27 May 2020
Food Insecurity Rates Vary Across States
USDA monitors the extent of food insecurity in U.S. households at the national and State levels through an annual U.S. Census Bureau survey
USDA monitors the extent of food insecurity in U.S. households at the national and State levels through an annual U.S. Census Bureau survey. Food-insecure households are defined as those that had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all of their members due to a lack of resources.
Food insecurity rates vary across States because of differing characteristics of the population, State-level policies, and economic conditions. Data for 2016-18 were combined to provide more reliable State statistics than one year alone would provide.
The estimated prevalence of food insecurity during 2016-18 ranged from 7.8 percent of the households in New Hampshire to 16.8 percent in New Mexico with a national average of 11.7 percent. In 12 States, the prevalence of food insecurity was higher than the 2016-18 national average, and in 16 States, it was lower than the national average. In the remaining 22 States and the District of Columbia, differences from the national average were not statistically significant.
This map appears in the Food Security and Nutrition Assistance section of the Economic Research Service’s Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials.
Horti Daily | Tuesday, May 12, 2020
