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VIDEO: Pete's Introduces Hydroponically Greenhouse Grown Packaged Salad Varieties
Available in four varieties — Benevolent Butter, Hydro Spring Mix, Indoor Romaine and Nice & Crunchy — Pete’s Greenhouse Fresh offers environmentally-conscious consumers a range of fresh and sustainable packaged salad varieties that use 90 percent less land and water compared to field grown product
December 17, 2020
Pete’s, the California-based produce company specializing in hydroponically grown living lettuce and cress varieties in addition to butter lettuce wrap kits, will debut an innovative and sustainable new line of packaged salad varieties, Greenhouse Fresh, in retail locations in and around the West Coast in early January.
Available in four varieties — Benevolent Butter, Hydro Spring Mix, Indoor Romaine and Nice & Crunchy — Pete’s Greenhouse Fresh offers environmentally-conscious consumers a range of fresh and sustainable packaged salad varieties that use 90 percent less land and water compared to field grown product.
These indoor-grown lettuce varieties are also protected from outside elements and do not use triple washing post-harvest the same way many traditionally grown greens do, resulting in less water used during the harvesting process.
In addition, Greenhouse Fresh packaging containers are made from 100-percent post-consumer recycled material, are 100-percent recyclable, and their flexible, resealable closures use less plastic and emit less CO2 than rigid plastic closures.
Pete’s is also partnering with 1 percent For The Planet, pledging 1 percent of Greenhouse Fresh sales to The Recycling Partnership in an effort to help improve the recycling system.
“We are honored Pete’s chose to expand its dedication to sustainability by joining The Recycling Partnership, and by nominating The Partnership to receive funds through its 1 percent For the Planet commitment, ” said Beth Schmitt, senior vice president of corporate engagement at The Recycling Partnership. “Pete’s investment helps us further our goals of assisting every household to recycle more, recycle better, and to catalyze a circular economy.”
Pete’s is an employee-owned and operated company, and all team members play a key role in the company’s short and long-term sustainability efforts.
“All of us at Pete’s are thrilled to introduce a line of packaged salad varieties, that as we like to say, are as green as greens can get,” said Brian Cook, chief executive officer of Pete’s. “At Pete’s, we work as a team and everything we do, we do for the greater good of people, of the planet and of course our leafy greens. Greenhouse Fresh is a perfect example of how our new products ladder back to our broader company mission, vision and values.”
Pete’s Greenhouse Fresh will be available at West Coast area retailers beginning in January and can be found in the Produce Department.
VIDEO: ‘It’s Wonderful’: C.O. Veterans Ranch-Grown Lettuce A Restaurant Hit
The restaurant is using the romaine lettuce on their wraps and salads, which co-owner Menoula Stanitsas said has been a hit with customers
By Blake Allen
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- At the Central Oregon Veterans Ranch north of Bend, vets have been using horticulture for the past few months as a way of healing.
Orion Carriger runs the ranch greenhouse where he, alongside a team of veterans, have begun growing lettuce.
He said Sunday that in the beginning of the project, the team donated all of their lettuce, as they didn't yet have a buyer.
However, in recent months, the veterans' lettuce caught the eye of a Bend Mediterranean restaurant, Kefi.
The restaurant is using the romaine lettuce on their wraps and salads, which co-owner Menoula Stanitsas said has been a hit with customers.
"We've been very happy with the lettuce," she said. "It's so much softer than your regular romaine. It's basically baby lettuce -- it's wonderful."
That's a win for Carriger and the ranch, as proceeds from lettuce sales go back into the program.
"I think there's a real sense of pride for people to have a product in the market like that," he said.
For veterans like Marine Bryan Senner, it feels good to know where the product he's been working on is going.
"There's not many places you can go and spend your day working with people who have had similar experiences to you, and then go home at the end of the day and with a positive experience, and knowing you've accomplished something good for the community," Senner said.
The ranch is currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign to expand their program.
Pure Flavor® Launches Live Deliciously® Magazine For Holiday Season
“The new Live Deliciously® Magazine is just one part of our strategy to create great content that we can share across all our channels to encourage people to eat more fresh fruit & vegetables”, said Veillon
Leamington, ON (December 16th, 2020) – To inspire families to get back in the kitchen this holiday season, Pure Flavor® recently launched their first edition of the Live Deliciously® Magazine, a 20-page digital magazine that features flavors for every style and appetite.
“Without any in-person sampling opportunities like trade shows or community events over the last 9 months, we encouraged our various brand partners to create even more content that could be shared digitally in key regions where we have strong retail relationships”, said Chris Veillon, Chief Marketing Officer.
The first edition of the digital magazine, called the “Holiday Flavors Guide”, features 18 mouth-watering dishes from various social influencers from around North America. From D-I-Y Charcuturie Boards to Vegan inspired dishes to a variety of snacks, apps, and tasty main courses, all featured recipes include a wide variety of Pure Flavor®’s greenhouse grown vegetables that are available year-round.
Pure Flavor® has seen significant spikes in website traffic as well as double digit growth this year across its social channels. The brands digital content strategy is to create an I-C-E based approach to consumer engagement:
I = Inform
Raising awareness for the brand of products
C = Connect
Explain how product fits the lifestyle; serve up content that creates a connection; emotional purchases, types of use
E = Educate
Product characteristics: FAB’s (features & benefits), how to use in the kitchen; pairings, ‘Goes Well With…’
“The new Live Deliciously® Magazine is just one part of our strategy to create great content that we can share across all our channels to encourage people to eat more fresh fruit & vegetables”, said Veillon.
To view the first edition of the Live Deliciously® Magazine, please visit https://www.pure-flavor.com/holiday-flavors-guide
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About Pure Flavor® -
Pure Flavor® is a family of greenhouse vegetable growers who share a commitment to bringing A Life of Pure Flavor™ to communities everywhere. Our passion for sustainable greenhouse growing, strong support for our retail & foodservice customers, and focus on engaging consumers is built on a foundation drawn from generations of growing expertise.
We are the next generation of vegetable growers, inspired to put quality, flavor, and customers first by providing greenhouse-grown vegetables from our farms that are strategically located throughout North America.
SOURCE: Chris Veillon | chris@pure-flavor.com
Chief Marketing Officer | Pure Flavor®
T: 519 326 8444
New Partnership Brings Clean Energy To Indoor Farming
The benefits of indoor farming–including chemical-free food production unrestricted by seasonality, climate change and water scarcity–have been recognized globally and are driving rapid industry growth
Hydroponic vertical container farming company Freight Farms and Arcadia, a monthly subscription service connecting renters and homeowners across the U.S. to clean energy, have partnered to provide Freight Farms’ U.S. customers with access to clean energy for their everyday operations. With this partnership, Freight Farms and Arcadia are taking the first critical stride to align their respective industries, moving indoor farming into a more sustainable future.
The benefits of indoor farming–including chemical-free food production unrestricted by seasonality, climate change and water scarcity–have been recognized globally and are driving rapid industry growth. While it has made significant advancements in resource efficiency, the industry continues to struggle with the sustainability of electrical power use.
Together, these two companies are moving towards addressing this limitation by connecting Freight Farmers to affordable clean power at a time when the nation’s grid is dominated by fossil fuel. With an Arcadia membership, Freight Farmers can choose to match their electrical use with wind and solar energy, which will also help create more demand for clean energy providers overall.
Without changing anything in their day-to-day operations. Freight Farms’ customers can now connect the utility for their container farm to Arcadia to match 100% of the farm’s electrical usage with clean energy.
Clean energy accessibility
“Our farmers are passionate about sustainability by nature of their efforts to grow healthy food hyper-locally. But many are unable to adopt clean energy directly based on cost and availability of options in their location,” said Rick Vanzura, Freight Farms’ CEO. “With Arcadia, our farmers are able to further reduce their business’ carbon footprint while simultaneously increasing demand for more clean energy in the market.”
“Arcadia was built so that anyone anywhere can use our platform to access clean energy,” added Alexa Minerva, senior director of partnerships at Arcadia. “We’re excited about partnering with Freight Farms to make it possible for farmers to reap the benefits of renewables, potentially save money and combat the effects of climate change.”
Freight Farms’ modular container model makes this partnership uniquely possible within the indoor farming industry, as large agricultural enterprises use too much energy for community solar projects, which are capped at a relatively small size by state law.
Connecting to clean energy
Without changing anything in their day-to-day farm operations, Freight Farms’ customers can now connect their utility through Arcadia in two minutes. Upon connection, Arcadia will begin matching 100 percent of the Freight Farm’s electricity by purchasing an equivalent amount of wind and solar energy in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The result reduces Freight Farmers’ carbon footprint to one-quarter of industrial farming operations. Based on location and other factors, Arcadia can also help farmers save on their electricity bills.
Memberships are available in two options:
As enabled by state law, farmers located in MA, RI, NY, IL, CO, MD and ME can sign up to access the community solar power market and will see a reduction in their electricity bills.
All other U.S. Freight Farmers can sign up for $5/month to access clean energy.
Innovation in sustainability
The partnership with Arcadia is the latest initiative in Freight Farms’ history. Freight Farms’ Greenery has been involved with technological advances driving greater sustainability within the sector. The Greenery uses 98.9 percent less water than industrial farming--even achieving water-positive operations in certain locations. The Greenery’s proprietary fixed lighting arrays also leverage LED market technology to triple light energy output without an increased corresponding energy draw. The result is a growing platform that pairs the highest potential yields with resource efficiency.
Freight Farms’ pioneering modular design enables hyper-local farming anywhere, including harsh climates and urban areas lacking land access, reducing food production carbon impact in other ways as well. Transportation missions are reduced or eliminated and irrigation isn’t necessary. Hyper-local farming also reduces food waste by providing consumers just-picked produce with freshness, flavor and shelf life, says the company.
15 Dec 2020
PODCAST: Pest Control
In this Podcast, we’re going to discuss using biological pest control or using none at all
Joe Swartz & Nick Greens | 12/11/2020
In this Podcast, we’re going to discuss using biological pest control or using none at all
Global CEA Census Report Shows Continued Positivity Despite COVID-19
Data captured over an 8-week period show 95% of growers have an optimistic outlook for the next 12 months with all types of operations including greenhouses, shipping containers, tunnel and vertical farms showing profitability
1 DECEMBER 2020
Autogrow and Agritecture Consulting have released the 2nd Annual CEA Census Report highlighting positive signs of growth despite the global pandemic.
Data captured over an 8-week period show 95% of growers have an optimistic outlook for the next 12 months with all types of operations including greenhouses, shipping containers, tunnel and vertical farms showing profitability.
“The optimism reflects what we have seen across many areas of the industry including increased technology adoption and increased consumer expenditure on fresh produce. And despite the challenges we’re seeing an overwhelming number of new entrants into the market,” says Autogrow CEO Darryn Keiller.
“What has not changed is the high percentage of new growers, almost 50%, that have no experience in agriculture before starting their business. That lack of experience has an impact on new technology solutions created and the need for more education to be available to support them. It also shows a real desire to make a difference considering their willingness to start during a pandemic.”
Respondents from 58 countries shared their views on their farming practices, financials, and the impact of COVID-19. The report also gave insight on three key growth regions around the world – India, the UK, and MENA (Middle East & North Africa).
"The results of the 2020 Census confirmed our hypothesis that the UK, India, and MENA regions are the emerging hotspots for CEA, albeit for different reasons. In the UK, Brexit is driving investment towards CEA to combat supply chain risks, while in India rising population and increased premium consumer demand for clean food are driving CEA. In the MENA region, government responses to COVID-19 have accelerated policies and incentives for developing scalable CEA solutions,” explains Agritecture Consulting Founder Henry Gordon-Smith.
“All of these regions present great opportunities for the CEA industry to grow and make a meaningful impact on their respective local conditions.”
Other takeaways from the Census:
· CEA businesses showing optimism and resilience despite the COVID hurdles
· 88% of growers surveyed are below age 50
· 29% of respondents receive funding from multiple sources
RECEIVE THE FREE REPORT!
MEDIA QUERIES
Kylie Horomia, Head of Brand & Communications
(e) Kylie.horomia@autogrow.com
(m) +6421 733 025
(w) www.farmroad.io www.autogrow.com
Sales queries – info@farmroad.io
Briana Zagami, Agritecture Media Strategist
(e) briana@agritecture.com
About Autogrow
Autogrow leverages the power of technology, data science, and plant biology to provide indoor growers affordable, accessible, and easy-to-use innovation – 24/7, anywhere in the world.
Our solutions support growers and resellers in over 40 countries producing over 100 different crop types.
We are the experts in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and continue to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving landscape.
About Agritecture Consulting
Agritecture Consulting provides a comprehensive approach to CEA project development.
In operation since 2014, Agritecture has helped more than eighty organizations determine the feasibility of their ideas, validate their business strategies, recruit talent for their projects, and manage operational challenges.
Our job is to jumpstart your knowledge of CEA, help you navigate barriers to entry, make industry connections, and mitigate risk. Our consulting services are backed by several years of operations data and a team of experienced growers, engineers, and sustainability managers.
FURTHER READING:
AUTOGROW AND AGRITECTURE RELEASE FIRST-EVER GLOBAL CEA CENSUS REPORT
GLOBAL CEA CENSUS LAUNCHED TO HELP DRIVE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY FORWARD
VIDEOS: Vertical Farming: Hope or Hype?
Flurry of corporate activity has proponents hailing arrival of the future of agriculture
Flurry of corporate activity has proponents hailing arrival of the future of agriculture
Emiko Terazono - October 31, 2020
Vertical farming has become a hot topic during the coronavirus pandemic, as supply chain disruptions and labour shortages feed perennial fears over global food security.
The nascent sector, in which crops are grown in stacked indoor systems under artificial light and without soil, has enjoyed a flurry of activity this year.
Headline-grabbing developments have included the construction of Europe’s largest vertical farm, plans to build the world’s biggest indoor farm in the Abu Dhabi desert, and a $140m fundraising round by a SoftBank-backed start-up Plenty. Norway’s Kalera this week announced a $100m private placement ahead of its listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange’s Merkur Market on October 28.
Proponents believe that the technology represents the future of agriculture, hailing huge efficiency and environmental gains for the food industry, and about $1.8bn has flowed into the sector since 2014, according to data group Dealroom. However, agritech entrepreneurs and analysts warn that hype and lofty promises could undermine the sector’s credibility, putting off consumers and investors.
“There is a lot of BS coming from entrepreneurs,” said David Farquhar, chief executive of Scotland-based technology provider Intelligent Growth Solutions. “There are far too many unsubstantiated claims about energy use, the environmental benefits and quality of crops.”
High-cost, small-scale
The sector remains largely unprofitable and tiny. Vertical farming occupies the equivalent of 30 hectares of land worldwide, according to Rabobank analyst Cindy Rijswick, compared with outdoor cultivation of about 50m ha and 500,000 ha for greenhouses.
High initial capital investment and running costs mean it is hard to make a profit. Businesses must pay for specialised labour and face huge electricity bills for lighting and ventilation, while having to offer competitive prices to attract consumers.
Some operators in Japan are profitable while Nordic Harvest, the Danish start-up that has teamed up with Taiwan’s YesHealth Group to build Europe’s biggest vertical farm in Copenhagen, claims it will be profitable in its first year in 2021.
Keeping the faith
The industry is expected to grow over the next decade, with research group IDTechEx forecasting that annual sales of $700m will more than double to $1.5bn by 2030.
However, there is likely to be a cull of inefficient businesses in a sector that has always had a high level of failures.
“My big fear for this industry is that we will have some large failures,” said Mr Farquhar. “It’s not helpful for buyers’ confidence, for customers’ confidence and investors’ confidence.”
Vertical farming must also overcome perceptions among some consumers, often unfounded, that despite the various benefits it offers it cannot possibly match the taste of high-end produce grown with soil and sunlight.
Please click here to view the video - Can vertical farming feed cities of the future?
Tech challenge
Many vertical farms boast cutting-edge technology ranging from artificial intelligence and robotics to lighting and water filtration, and some companies, particularly in Asia, have established successful processes.
Stacked production systems allow the cultivation of produce in constrained spaces, including urban areas. That means food can be produced closer to its consumers, reducing transportation time and improving freshness at the point of sale.
But new entrants can face teething problems with automation and watering processes, leading to costs spiraling out of control. There have also been cases of black mold and pest infestations hitting the farms, which typically do not use pesticides, according to Michael Dent, an analyst at IDTechEx.
Taste test
Total control over the growing environment is one of vertical farming’s big selling points, ensuring reliable, high-quality crops. A reduction in “food miles” gives consumers access to fresher produce, giving further taste gains.
Skeptics are possibly associating the sector’s offerings with crops grown in greenhouses, which are often of low quality when growers prioritize yield over taste, according to Leo Marcelis, professor of crop production at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
With many retailers only paying by volume, “growers think ‘I don't get extra money for the quality’ so they don’t pay much attention to that”, he said. Vertical farms may follow a similar path if and when they get to scale and price points of greenhouse rivals. However, for the moment, the sector’s reputation lies in higher-value, better-tasting produce.
Salad days
Mr. Dent believes boosterish claims that “we’ll all be eating food made in vertical farms” are “a red herring and not helpful for the industry”. While most things can technically be grown in a vertical farm, production costs mean offerings tend to focus on higher-value leafy greens, salad leaves, and herbs.
“Commodities like rice, corn, and soyabeans — crops that are cheaply grown in the field and stored easily, I don’t see as economic,” said Prof Marcelis.
Vertical farming was not going to replace banana groves or fields of wheat, said Mr Farquhar, who added that IGS was trialing fruit and root vegetables as well as seedlings for R&D.
As Ms Rijswick puts it, vertical farming will only ever be “part of the mix among various growing systems”.
Lead photo: The vertical farming industry is expected to grow over the next decade © Bloomberg
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VIDEO: Takashi Nagao New CEO of Medicago
Medicago recently announced the start of Phase 2/3 clinical trial of its plant-derived VLP vaccine candidate for COVID-19 to evaluate its efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity, based on the positive Phase 1 results and subsequent allowance to advance to Phase 2/3 by the Canadian regulatory authorities
Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, Canada, today announced Takashi Nagao as the company’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to becoming President and CEO, Mr. Nagao served as the Chairman of the Board of Medicago, where for the last four years, he has guided Medicago executives to get the company to where it is today. The company is known for its plant-based vaccine technology.
"Medicago, a research and development company for the last 20 years, is embarking on a transformative year, one that will see the company build on its R&D roots to become a company that also produces and commercializes vaccines and other immunotherapies," they say. "Mr. Nagao has extensive experience leading pharmaceutical companies through the pre-commercial and commercial process and is well-positioned to ensure the successful launch of Medicago’s COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, subject to regulatory approvals. Mr. Nagao will continue Medicago’s evolution towards its goal of being a fully operational commercial entity, able to respond to the needs of the global public health community and medical authorities and professionals."
“Taking on this new role with Medicago during this exciting time is a great honor for me,” said Mr. Nagao, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Medicago. “I want our employees, investors, and stakeholders such as the Government of Canada to know that I will put all my efforts into seeing our COVID-19 and influenza vaccines through to a successful launch to protect as many people as possible.”
From 2007 to 2017, Mr. Nagao oversaw the establishment of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation’s U.S. presence and led the team that successfully achieved NDA of RADICAVA®, the first FDA-approved drug in over 20 years for the patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Prior to that, Mr. Nagao was a Managing Director in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank where he was responsible for global clients and leading equity and cross-border M&A transactions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector in North America, Japan, and Europe. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Nagao succeeds Dr. Bruce D. Clark, who held the position of President and CEO of Medicago since 2017 and was instrumental in the development of Medicago’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Medicago recently announced the start of Phase 2/3 clinical trial of its plant-derived VLP vaccine candidate for COVID-19 to evaluate its efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity, based on the positive Phase 1 results and subsequent allowance to advance to Phase 2/3 by the Canadian regulatory authorities. The company is also building a new facility in Quebec to increase Canada’s domestic capacity for manufacturing vaccines, producing up to a billion doses annually.
“Medicago is at an inflection point. We are moving from a research and development focused organization to become a commercial entity supplying vaccines to Canadians and people around the world,” said Mr. Nagao.
For more information:
www.medicago.com
7 Dec 2020
PODCAST: Building A Sustainable Future By Falling In Love With The Solution, Not The Science
In this episode, Harry and John discuss John’s previous work at Bayer and Monsanto, which led to innovations and diverse technologies for important global crops. John opens up about the passion he has for sustainability, the respect he has for farmers, and his family ranching operation in Montana
Join Harry Duran as he welcomes to the show President and CEO of Unfold, Dr. John Purcell. John has dedicated his life to helping farmers safely and sustainably grow food using less of the earth’s natural resources. In his new role as President and CEO of Unfold Bio, John is continuing this same mission to improve the food ecosystem with more sustainable, fresher, and better-tasting fruits and vegetables.
In this episode, Harry and John discuss John’s previous work at Bayer and Monsanto, which led to innovations and diverse technologies for important global crops. John opens up about the passion he has for sustainability, the respect he has for farmers, and his family ranching operation in Montana.
VERTICAL FARMING PODCAST
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VIDEO: Vertical Farms Heading For Mars
In this video interview, Paul Millett, Co-Founder, and COO at Invertigro talks about the main trait he looks for in new hires, what their vision is for 2021, and the incredible applications vertical farming has not just on this planet
In this video interview, Paul Millett, Co-Founder, and COO at Invertigro talks about the main trait he looks for in new hires, what their vision is for 2021, and the incredible applications vertical farming has not just on this planet.
Check it out here:
What is InvertiGro ?
Fully-integrated, cost-effective, and flexible indoor vertical farming solutions that enable sustainable and reliable production of fresh and healthy produce. Everywhere.
InvertiGro indoor vertical farming solutions apply innovative design and leading-edge technologies to profitably and pragmatically solve the real-world challenge of sustainable and affordable food production.
We design, build, supply, and support cost-effective and flexible indoor vertical farming solutions that enable customers around the globe to quickly convert indoor spaces into highly efficient fresh produce farms.
InvertiGro indoor vertical farms are capable of growing a vast number of different crops; from herbs and leafy greens to microgreens, berries, fruits, vegetables, fibers, feed-stock, and more. Our hydroponically grown produce is also herbicide- and pesticide-free.
Modular growing units and their supporting smart technology systems are able to grow (and switch between) a variety of crops with superior yields, consistent quality, and greater resource efficiencies (water, land, labor, and capital).
InvertiGro’s fully integrated indoor vertical farming solutions provide everything required to quickly begin producing hassle-free, profitable, and reliable supplies of quality fresh produce well into the future.
Our indoor vertical farming systems are available in two different configurations:
The fully-integrated and supported InvertiCube system is designed to enable businesses to produce reliable rural-scale fresh produce. InvertiCube indoor vertical farming systems are modular and scalable by design making them equally well-suited to purpose-built warehouses or manufacturing spaces as to under-utilized existing spaces such as disused carparks and basements – of any size, shape or location. Unique pallet-size modular growing units can be configured for (and easily switched between) horizontal or vertical growing to suit a variety of different crops and applications. Their supporting smart technology operating and monitoring systems ensure clients benefit from our on-going R&D advancements.
The InvertiWall system is a productive green-wall designed for smaller-scale commercial and community applications. The space-efficient and aesthetically pleasing design also lends itself to installation in shared indoor spaces (such as foyers, food courts, and restaurants).
Both InvertiGro indoor vertical farming systems are designed to be scalable, flexible, affordable and smart, enabling businesses and communities to become successful and sustainable modern farmers.
Contact InvertiGro: info@invertigro.com
Kalera To Open a Vertical Farming Facility in Seattle, Bringing Fresh, Locally-Grown Greens to Every Corner of the US
With this news, Kalera expands its reach from coast to coast, giving grocers, restaurants, theme parks, airports and other businesses throughout the country reliable access to locally grown clean, safe, nutritious, price-stable, long-lasting greens. The new facility will generate approximately 60 jobs in the area
The new facility is the sixth location to be announced by Kalera, marking their entry into the Pacific Northwest
ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kalera (Euronext Growth Oslo ticker KAL, Bloomberg: KSLLF), one of the fastest growing vertical farming companies in the United States, today announced it will begin construction on a new facility in the Seattle, Washington area, slated to open in 2021. With this news, Kalera expands its reach from coast to coast, giving grocers, restaurants, theme parks, airports and other businesses throughout the country reliable access to locally grown clean, safe, nutritious, price-stable, long-lasting greens. The new facility will generate approximately 60 jobs in the area. This announcement comes on the heels of recent announcements of completing over $150 million in fundraising this year and the addition of two new Board members, including Kim Lopdrup, the CEO of Red Lobster.
“With this latest expansion, Kalera will extend its reach into the Pacific Northwest, successfully completing our goal of providing hyper-local produce on a national level,” said Daniel Malechuk, Kalera CEO. “Thanks in part to our optimized design processes, we have been able to extend into new markets at an extremely quick rate. Soon, customers from Orlando to Seattle will have access to fresh, locally-grown Kalera greens, every day of the year, regardless of weather, wildfires, or other natural disasters.”
As of this announcement, Kalera is slated to have six commercial growing facilities open and operating across the US by the end of next year. Kalera currently operates two growing facilities in Orlando, and is constructing facilities in Atlanta, Houston and Denver which will also open in 2021.
Kalera utilizes cleanroom technology and processes to eliminate the use of chemicals and remove exposure to pathogens. Kalera's plants grow while consuming 95% less water compared to field farming.
"Kalera's incredibly efficient growing methods allow us to produce higher quality, fresher, and more nutritious greens with yields 300-400 times than that of traditional farming,” continued Malechuk. “Because of this, we’ve been able to maintain conventional pricing and partnerships with large national chains, making our produce affordable and accessible. With our expansion, we’ll only be making our high-quality produce more accessible as we spread across the country.”
About Kalera
Kalera is a technology driven vertical farming company with unique growing methods combining optimized nutrients and light recipes, precise environmental controls, and clean room standards to produce safe, highly nutritious, pesticide-free, non-GMO vegetables with consistent high quality and longer shelf life year-round. The company’s high-yield, automated, data-driven hydroponic production facilities have been designed for rapid rollout with industry-leading payback times to grow vegetables faster, cleaner, at a lower cost, and with less environmental impact.
Staying On Track When The Path Keeps Zigzagging
On January 6, 2020, when I pulled the trigger to turn this dream of mine called “Second Chances Farm” into reality by hiring the first cohort of returning citizens who were formerly incarcerated, I had no idea how challenging 2020 would be
A Second Chances Farms Blog
by Ajit Mathew George
Sir Richard Branson is often credited with the saying, “If dreams don’t scare you, they are too small.” As the year 2020 draws to an end, I admit to you that my dreams for Second Chances Farm have scared me far more often than I want to admit. What a ride it has been.
On January 6, 2020, when I pulled the trigger to turn this dream of mine called “Second Chances Farm” into reality by hiring the first cohort of returning citizens who were formerly incarcerated, I had no idea how challenging 2020 would be. All startups are nerve-racking, but as a veteran entrepreneur, I thought I knew what I was getting into. But COVID scattered my best-laid plans like a tropical hurricane. We had to learn how to pivot to stay alive in these trying circumstances – to carve out a track when the path continued to zigzag.
It often seems that planning beyond the Coronavirus is an exercise in futility, especially in communities that are disparately devastated by the pandemic. Yet, our plans for Second Chances Farm in Opportunity Zones in Wilmington, North Philadelphia, Chicago and Las Vegas, all of which are in fresh-food deserts, will hopefully upend neighborhoods plagued by economic inequities and innovate in a way that transforms lives and social outcomes while addressing urban blight and economic decline.
Second Chances Farm hopes to jumpstart the lives of formerly incarcerated persons by providing a path of hope for the hopeless and by becoming a model for compassionate capitalism. We believe the best way to stop people from re-offending and returning to prison is to help them see a future worth working toward.
Fulfilling my dream depends upon that concept of “compassionate capitalism.” At Second Chances Farm, we’ve established a for-profit business model that is sustainable long-term because it is profitable. That’s the capitalism part.
But inextricably interwoven in the model is compassion – for our returning citizens, our disadvantaged neighbors, and local people living in food deserts. That’s why we’re located in an Opportunity Zone in the poorest area of Wilmington. That’s why we invest time developing partnerships that support the delivery food to Riverside, Wilmington, New Castle, and other forgotten neighborhoods. That’s why we’re investing in educating children and their parents on ways to eat healthy.
Of course, I strongly support non-profits in their mission and work to help people in crisis. But our business model is different: we want to give people the tools to become entrepreneurs in their own right – again, capitalists – to be successful in the future. And we hope, in turn, they may take on that mission to reach out to help nurture and train others going forward.
If there is any reason why we continue to be disrupters for good with our social impact project, please read this letter — published with permission — that I received this past weekend from someone I don’t know.
November 28, 2020
Dear Mr. George:
I am writing to you in hopes I can gather information regarding Second Chances Farm.
My nephew is presently in Pauling County Jail. His life’s story you most likely have heard and seen time and again. He got into a wrong group; trying to find acceptance by someone. Liam got himself in trouble with stealing, drugs took them) while he was dreaming for help inside... some direction... abusive home life starting at a very young age.
Liam is 19; had no childhood, as you and I may have known it. He is a good good soul. Just a rotten home life.
Liam almost graduated from high school but all the above was instrumental in why he didn’t. While in school he found agriculture very interesting and was going to further that education after graduation. He went from getting student of the month(s) to where he is... It’s a long painful life story.
His grandmother (my sister) he adores... he talks with her often (every day). I have been trying to help her deal with this crisis in her life mostly because she is battling breast cancer during all of Liam’s problems.
While looking for an agricultural future for him once released, my sister and I came across Second Chances Farm! We have been so excited about your wonderful program and I decided I’d write to you get more information on top of the very informative info on your site. Starting with the first step to completing what has to be done... I imagine an application to start. Would you be so kind as to provide me with this info and anything else to start the process of getting accepted into your stellar program.
Mr. George, this young man’s life. I know with the proper mentoring and guidance, can change and he can be a stellar human being if given the chance... he needs to know he belongs, self-worth and love.
I am hopeful with your help; giving Liam a second chance would be the beginning of a life yet to be lived. Thank you for any and all considerations. I will continue to pray that my prayers are being heard.
Sincerely, with thankfulness for your continued success in making this world a better place.
Susie Fricano
Greensboro, Georgia
This poignant letter embodies the compelling reasons why Second Chances Farm is needed in communities throughout the United States.
Today, less than a year after we opened our doors at 3030 Bowers Street, Second Chances Farm, LLC is the first commercial indoor hydroponic vertical farm in Delaware and one of the leading “smart farms” in the United States. More than 40 returning citizens have come to work, and some have come to stay. We’re a business, a support system, and a family. We are a public benefit corporation, certified minority business enterprise, a qualified opportunity fund and a Foreign Trade Zone. Our compassionate capitalism has created something entirely new: a for-profit solution to a non-profit problem.
For more information:
Second Chances Farm
www.secondchancesfarm.com
4 Dec 2020
Center of Excellence Announces: Indoor Farming "Best in Class" Awards!
Indoor Farming
"Best in Class" Awards!
Who Can Enter
Indoor vertical farms
Plant factories
Greenhouses
Grow system solution manufacturers
Lighting companies
How to Enter
Go to: https://indooragcenter.org/awards/
Deadline for Submissions: January 15, 2021
Companies that score the highest in each category will be nominated for an “Indoor Ag Center Best in Class Award” (TM).
Learn More
Our vision is to accelerate the growth of the indoor farming industry. We believe we can do that by recognizing excellence. Consequently, we have embarked upon an ambitious program to collect bench-marking data on indoor farm operations and equipment used to run vertical farms and greenhouses. Each year we will review the data and publicly recognize key stakeholders for their excellence in several categories.
Become a Member of the Center of Excellence for Indoor Ag
Know an organization or an individual who would like to join the Center? Please forward this email.
Anyone can sign up for our mailing list or a free or paid membership by going to: https://indooragcenter.org
We are dedicated to providing unbiased insights on indoor and vertical farming.
Join the Center of Excellence
Infarm Drives Expansion of Urban Farming in Japan
The first farms will be installed by Infarm at Summit's Gotanno location, in conjunction with the store's rebuilding in December 2020, and produce will be available for purchase at Summit Gotanno store at the end of January 2021
NEWS PROVIDED BY
02 Dec, 2020
Infarm's rapid growth in Asia continues with new agreement to offer freshly-harvested produce to Summit supermarkets in the Tokyo metropolitan area
Following partnerships announced with East Japan Railway Company (JR East), food retailer, Kinokuniya and distributor Muroo Co. Ltd, Infarm produce to appear at partner retail locations starting in January 2021.
TOKYO, Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Infarm, the world's fastest-growing urban farming network, announced today a partnership with Summit Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation Group to offer fresh produce grown and harvested at the company's Summit Store (supermarket), one of Tokyo's leading supermarket chains. With annual revenue (as of March 2020) of USD 3B, Summit Inc. has 120 retail locations across the Tokyo metropolitan area. The first farms will be installed by Infarm at Summit's Gotanno location, in conjunction with the store's rebuilding in December 2020, and produce will be available for purchase at Summit Gotanno store at the end of January 2021.
This announcement marks Infarm's second major partnership in Japan. The company first expanded into the market through partnerships with East Japan Railway Company (JR East), food retailer, Kinokuniya, and national food distributor, Muroo Co. Ltd, announced in February 2020. Infarm produce will first be available to Kinokuniya consumers on January 19, 2021, at the Aoyama International flagship store and on January 23, 2021, at the Nishi-Ogikubo store located at the JR Nishiogikubo station. Additional Kinokuniya stores are expected to follow through 2021.
"We are very pleased to partner with Infarm. Since last year, we have been communicating with Erez and Mr. Hiraishi, and our business vision and chemistry matched with each other, which led to this partnership. We look forward to serving our customers with Infarm vegetables at our Gotanno store, an important flagship store for Summit," commented Junpei Yamamoto, Executive Officer of Summit Inc.
"Japan's busy urban centers present a unique opportunity to improve the way millions of people get access to fresh, sustainable produce. We're proud to partner with Summit as we continue to grow in this dynamic market. Summit's commitment to offering high-quality food to customers at all price points, while reducing waste and making shopping enjoyable, aligns perfectly with Infarm's vision to make fresh nutritious food available to everyone," commented Erez Galonska, co-founder and CEO of Infarm.
According to some estimates, Japan relies on imports for about 60% of its food, contributing to a tremendous amount of cumulative food miles, while annual food waste has been estimated to have reached more than 6.12 million tons[1]. In addition, Japan has one of the highest rates of pesticide use in the world according to estimates offered by the FAO.[2] By partnering closely with Japanese clients, Infarm hopes to make a positive contribution to retailer efforts to reduce the negative environmental impact of produce with fresh food that is grown as closely as possible to the point of consumption.
"We continue to experience positive momentum in Japan and believe our approach to farming will be attractive to Tokyo consumers. Our clients can be sure that our harvesters have taken care of each plant as if it were in their very own garden, full of flavour and pesticide-free. We're convinced that Infarm shoppers will taste and notice the difference," said Ikuo C. Hiraishi, Managing Director, Infarm Japan.
Infarm has developed the world's most advanced, easily scalable and rapidly deployable modular farms that can transform any retail space and fulfil any market demand. Each in-store farm offers a controlled environment with growing recipes that bring out the natural flavour and properties of each plant.
The individual farms are connected and remotely controlled from a central farming platform that gathers up-to-the-minute information about each plant's growth and learns, adjusts and improves itself continuously, so each plant grows better than the one before.
Infarm staff regularly visit the farms to harvest mature plants, place them at the point of sale, and plant new seedlings for the next cycle. Consumers have access to the plants at their freshest points, still alive with their roots, free of pesticides and full of nutrients and flavour.
"Flavour for me is a primary concern - as I want to offer each of my customers a unique experience that both surprises and delights the palate. Being able to use herbs and lettuces freshly harvested from Infarm gives me a personal garden to be creative and make my dishes sparkle - it's an experience that can really transform your cooking as a chef or for your family at home," said Tim Raue, Infarm client and Michelin-starred chef of Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin.
Founded in 2013, Infarm is one of the world's largest urban farming platforms harvesting and distributing more than 500,000 plants each month across its network. Infarm currently operates across Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland where it has deployed more than 1,200 farms in stores and distribution centres. Since 2013 the company has raised more than 300 million USD.
About Infarm
Infarm was founded in Berlin in 2013 by Osnat Michaeli and the brothers Erez and Guy Galonska. Passionate to become self-sufficient and eat better, they were growing their own food, enjoying all the flavour and nutrients, without the chemical pesticides and transport kilometres. With the aim to share the goodness of own-grown produce with everyone, they developed a smart modular farming system, that allows distribution of farms throughout the urban environment, growing fresh produce in any available space and fulfilling any market demand. Today, with cutting edge R&D, patented technologies, and a leading multi-disciplinary team, Infarm is growing a worldwide farming network helping cities become self-sufficient in their food production while significantly improving the safety, quality, and environmental footprint of our food.
With a multinational team of 700 people globally, Infarm has partnered with more than 30 major food retailers including Albert Heijn, Aldi Süd, Amazon Fresh, Auchan, Casino, E.Leclerc, Edeka, Empire Company Ltd (Safeway, Sobeys, ThriftyFoods), Farmdrop, Intermarché, Irma, Kaufland, Kinokuniya, Kroger, Marks & Spencer, Metro, Migros, Selfridges, Selgros, Summit and Whole Foods Market in Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland, deployed more than 1200 farms in stores and distribution centres, saved more than 40,000,000 litres of water and 50,000 square meters of land, while harvesting 500,000+ plants monthly and growing.
About Summit
Summit Inc. was established in 1963 in Tokyo, 100% owned by Sumitomo Corporation. Summit has spread across the Tokyo metropolitan area with 120 supermarkets. The annual revenue as of March 2020 is USD 3B.
[1] https://www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/publicity/book/hlj/html/202005/202005_09_en.html
[2] http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/EP/visualize
SOURCE Infarm
Utah Farm Using Robotic Vertical Farming To Feed Their Animals For Less
"The key is you can eliminate the weather challenges and it can give you a predictable optimized crop every time," said Steve Lindsley, the president of Grōv Technologies
The Future of Farming Is Here In Utah, All Thanks To Something Called
Robotic Vertical Farming
By: Jordan Hogan
Posted at 8:19 AM, Nov 29, 2020
and last updated 7:08 AM, Nov 30, 2020
MOSIDA, Utah — A Utah tech company, Grōv Technologies, is working with a local farm, Bateman and Mosida Farms, to produce food for their cows more efficiently.
It's being done in towers that handle the whole growing process from start to finish.
The farm produces milk and meat from their cows, but raising them takes a lot of feed and a lot of time.
Now, technology is making part of the process easier.
Olympus Tower farms made by Grōv are a form of robotic vertical farming.
"The key is you can eliminate the weather challenges and it can give you a predictable optimized crop every time," said Steve Lindsley, the president of Grōv Technologies.
It starts with wheat seeds being loaded into trays. Then, they're wheeled up to the top of the tower to start a six-day journey back down to the bottom of the tower for harvest.
Along the way, they're watered with precision and given light from special LEDs that don't give off any heat.
The whole process is automated too, meaning it can run without the help of many traditional farmhands.
Grōv says each one of the towers produces 6,000 lbs of food each time it goes through its cycle. That saves money, time, water and energy. The benefits don’t stop there either — they are then passed on to the consumer.
"Each of these machines represents between 35 and 50 acres of land, so in this case here, it's the same as 50 acres of land but it's only covering 875 square feet of the ground and it uses 95% less water to grow the crops," said Lindsley.
Saving water and space is something that's becoming increasingly important as the demand for more homes increases and climate change increases the chances for extreme drought in the summer months.
"One of the biggest challenges farmers have around the world is how do they deal with the weather, the climate, and the uncertainties that come with that," Lindsley said.
The new technology couldn't have come at a better time for the farm either.
"In the first weeks and the first month of the COVID-19 Pandemic things started to go a little bit crazy," said Brad Bateman, a farming operations partner at Bateman Mosida Farms.
He said the farm wasn't able to order in a lot of their feed at the beginning of the pandemic, threatening the cows' food supply.
Now they can rely on their own production of feed, and this model of farming could be adopted beyond farms in the future.
"The vision that I see is there’s probably one of these in the back of every supermarket growing fresh food right in the store," said Bateman.
Grōv Technologies told FOX 13 they plan on rolling out this technology worldwide once they reach agreements with other farms.
CubicFarms Systems Corp. Announces C$3.8 Million Sale of Commercial Scale Systems to Farming Customer in Indiana
The Company’s commercial agreement with Vertical Acres is for the sale of 21 CubicFarms machines, including 17 cultivators, three propagators, and one fertigator, for a complete CubicFarm installation
VANCOUVER, B.C., NOVEMBER 25, 2020 – CubicFarm® Systems Corp. (TSXV:CUB) (“CubicFarms” or the “Company”), a technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world, announced today that its automated, controlled-environment growing technology has been selected by Vertical Acres Farm LLC (“Vertical Acres”), an Indiana-based produce company, to grow commercial quantities of fresh produce for the region.
The Company’s commercial agreement with Vertical Acres is for the sale of 21 CubicFarms machines, including 17 cultivators, three propagators, and one fertigator, for a complete CubicFarm installation.
The agreement, which includes a deposit received from Vertical Acres, represents approximately C$3.8 million in anticipated revenue to the Company. The technology is expected to be installed in Indiana in the first half of 2021.
The Company’s patented CubicFarms technology will enable Vertical Acres to grow high-quality foods, with predictable crop yields indoors, all year round.
CubicFarms CEO Dave Dinesen, commented: “We are looking forward to our partnership with Vertical Acres to help them successfully grow high-quality, great tasting, local produce in Indiana, and for the neighbouring regions. Our patented technology should enable them to maximize their production per cubic foot, while greatly reducing the physical footprint of their traditional farming operations.”
Vertical Acres owner Fred Schakel, said: “We evaluated a large number of indoor growing systems and chose CubicFarms as the optimal commercial-scale fresh produce system solution. We love the idea of the perfect growing environment, the fraction of water it takes to grow our greens, and the freedom from contaminants that the Cubic system affords. We are excited that we will be able to supply our local community with fresh, perfect greens every day of the year without the influence of bad weather always weighing on our production model. With CubicFarms’ excellent technology, we are truly looking forward to this partnership.”
Private Placement
The Company also announced that pursuant to a non-brokered private placement (the “Offering”), the owners of Vertical Acres have agreed to purchase 225,500 common shares of the Company at a purchase price of C$0.78 per common share for gross proceeds of C$175,500.
The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Offering for general working capital purposes.
Closing of the Offering is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.
Mr. Schakel commented, “After performing significant due diligence on the Company’s technology, we are excited to further demonstrate our conviction in CubicFarms through this investment in its business.”
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
About CubicFarm® Systems Corp.
CubicFarm Systems Corp. (“CubicFarms”) is a technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world. Its proprietary technologies enable growers around the world to produce high quality, predictable crop yields. CubicFarms has two distinct technologies that address two distinct markets. The first technology is its CubicFarms™ system, which contains patented technology for growing leafy greens and other crops indoors, all year round. Using its unique, undulating-path growing system, the Company addresses the main challenges within the indoor farming industry by significantly reducing the need for physical labour and energy, and maximizing yield per cubic foot. CubicFarms leverages its patented technology by operating its own R&D facility in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, selling the system to growers, licensing its technology and providing vertical farming expertise to its customers.
The second technology is CubicFarms’ HydroGreen system for growing nutritious livestock feed. This system utilizes a unique process to sprout grains, such as barley and wheat, in a controlled environment with minimal use of land, labour and water. The HydroGreen system is fully automated and performs all growing functions including seeding, watering, lighting, harvesting, and re-seeding – all with the push of a button – to deliver nutritious livestock feed without the typical investment in fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, field equipment and transportation. The HydroGreen system not only provides superior nutritious feed to benefit the animal, but also enables significant environmental benefits to the farm.
For more information, please visit www.cubicfarms.com
Cautionary Statement on Forward-looking Information
Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements with respect to CubicFarms’ expected revenue recognition, and the completion of the sale and installation of the system by the customer. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of CubicFarm Systems Corp., or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information including the Company obtaining the approval of the Offering from the TSX Venture Exchange. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict", and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved.
These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if the Company's expectations regarding future events, performance, or results change.
INDIA: Gurgaon Based Startup Nutrient Co Integrates Hydroponics With Yogic Farming Techniques
Gurgaon based startup Nutrient Co, founded by Arpit Jain, harnesses and uses the power of human mind and delivers pesticide-free greens and herbs that are UV sterilized and ozone washed at its state of the art, hydroponic farm, within 2 to 8 hours of its harvest
Gurgaon based startup Nutrient Co, founded by Arpit Jain, harnesses and uses the power of human mind and delivers pesticide-free greens and herbs that are UV sterilized and ozone washed at its state of the art, hydroponic farm, within 2 to 8 hours of its harvest.
After having lost his father and two of his close family members, Gurgaon based entrepreneur says he researched extensively about the growing number of cancer patients in India and factors owing to such an increase and he wasn’t shocked to find our lifestyle, stress, and degraded quality of food we consume as the primary reasons.
Recalling his search for pesticide-free food, he says, “The quality of vegetables and fruits in the capital is so bad, despite India being the largest agro-based economy of the world. The vegetables & fruits from local vendors/ sabziwalas and mandis come through long supply chains. With them, there was always a concern about hygiene, freshness of the produce, and its quality. I even researched and tried some online vendors of imported herbs like basil and parsley, but to my disappointment, they were waxed and chemically treated for longer shelf life.”
Not long after, he began researching about Urban farming technologies, which enables one to trace where their food is coming as opposed to the prevalent mandi model. This is when he opted out of his family-run business and started his own hydroponic farm, which not only consumes 90% lesser water than traditional farming, uses no chemical weed or pest control products, but also decreases the time between harvest and consumption, thereby, increasing the nutritional value of the end product.
What intrigued him, even more, was getting connected with premier spirituality preaching institutes and learning and experiencing how powerful our thoughts are and deeper elements of metaphysics.
The startup dedicated a year to field research to understand the supply chain of traditionally produced crops, use of pesticides, the role of cold storage units, mandi operations, artificially controlled demand & supply, amongst other factors, which made Arpit’s decision to startup even firmer.
Alongside, Arpit was intensively studying and practicing meditative techniques, metaphysics, how our thoughts create vibrations. What influenced his decision to integrate hydroponics and yogic agriculture most was a study conducted by Japanese Businessman Masaru Emoto on how human consciousness can affect the molecular structure of water, later published in his book in 2004.
The entrepreneur says he is personally convinced of the benefits of yogic farming and knows from first-hand experience that when the farm is treated with certain meditative techniques and intentions and not just for profit when it is given those pure yogic vibrations, it flourishes in more ways than one. “I personally experienced the qualitative benefits of the produce from yogic agriculture, providing greater stability of mood, a more positive outlook, a decrease in depression, and improved relationships. And what can explain any of this better than the saying: Jaisa ann waisa mann (What you eat is what you become)”.
The method that start-up follows begins with a process of “seed empowerment” with meditation and positive intention of growth, purity, and strength to the seeds during germination. When the seeds are finally planted, different methods of meditation are used. Physical evidence has been observed by the startup that crops grown from empowered seeds have greater root germination and stronger growth.
Bootstrapped so far, the startup started delivering in September 2020.
The entrepreneur says he is happy with the response they got since inception, managing to get around 50 monthly subscriptions in their first month along with one time sales and almost doubling this number in the following month. This has also ensured that none of their produce goes to waste.
Arpit says he has also managed to enroll half a dozen B2B clients in his bouquet of clients and was surprisingly happy to see the demand for his produce with restaurants and cloud kitchens, who despite of the price difference between hydroponic produce and mandi crops owing to quality weigh quality, taste, and freshness as more important factors for their business than economic benefits.
Slowly and steadily, it aims is to make a qualitative difference in Indian households because “Your health is our priority”.
For more information: Arpit Jain (Founder) Nutrient Co, India contact@nutrientco.in
Swedish Agtech Startup Urban Oasis Raises €1M Funding To Build Its First MegaFarm
Swedish agtech startup Urban Oasis claims to build the food production platform for the 21st century
Swedish agtech startup Urban Oasis claims to build the food production platform for the 21st century. The company started as a pilot project in 2017 with the mission to provide the city of Stockholm with affordable and sustainably-grown food products through indoor vertical farming technology. Currently, Urban Oasis’ leafy greens such as Kale, PakChoi, and Lettuce can be found at major Swedish retailers including ICA, COOP, and online grocer MatHem.
Funding to build MegaFarm
In a recent development, Urban Oasis pocketed 10.5M SEK (nearly €1M) funding from both existing and new investors. The company plans to use the funding to build its first MegaFarm and expand its production capacity by 15-20 times. The construction work for this facility has already started and is expected to be operational by the end of 2020.
The MegaFarm will be powered by GreenOS, which is an automation software developed in-house. MegaFarm One will demonstrate the capability to optimally grow a large variety of crops in a single controlled production facility.
The investors in the company include Family Offices Pelarhuset and Anteeo, along with Yobi Partners Ltd, led by Toni Nijm and Charly Nijm.
Indoor vertical farming tech!
Urban Oasis was founded by Albert Payaró Llisterri and Lasse Kopiez in Stockholm Since its inception, the Swedish agtech startup has successfully scaled production at the pilot facility underneath an apartment complex in central Stockholm. Previously, this space was home to the Swedish Wine and Spirits Corporation’s storage and production facility. Now, it is owned by a Swedish real estate company GreenGroup, which is also an Urban Oasis partner.
“We are rethinking the way food is produced and consumed. Today Sweden imports more than 25 BSEK (€2.4B) worth of greens and vegetables from abroad. Growing produce where people live not only decreases transportation and climate impact, it also increases the freshness, taste and nutrition of the greens and vegetables. By leveraging the latest technology, we are building the food production platform for the 21st century,” says CEO and co-founder Albert Payaró Llisterri.
Main image picture credits: Urban Oasis
in (Crowd)funding, News, Startups
Organic Germination Mats
The HollandBioMat is a lightweight bio-based germination mat that absorbs water in a perfect balance with air and retains it for healthy root development
VIDEOS: The Technologies Helping Move Agriculture Indoors
As more agriculture moves indoors, Israeli technologies are moving in with them to optimize lighting, watering, temperature, and other factors for an efficient and effective operation. Greenhouses and urban farm factories are expensive to set up but pay off in higher yield, quality, and market value, growing all through the seasons.
Greenhouses and urban farm factories are expensive to set up but pay off in higher yield, quality, and market value, growing all through the seasons.
A pick-yourself strawberry farm in China built inside an Azrom greenhouse. Photo courtesy of Azrom
Grain crops will always need large fields. But tomatoes, leafy greens, peppers, and strawberries are some of the many fruits and veggies that thrive indoors under precisely controlled conditions.
Though it costs more to raise produce in greenhouses or urban “farm factories,” the payoff is higher yield, quality, and market value. The plants can grow year-round with less fertilizer and pesticide.
As more agriculture moves indoors, Israeli technologies are moving in with them to optimize lighting, watering, temperature, and other factors for an efficient and effective operation.
Sarai Kemp, vice president of deal flow at Trendlines AgriFood. Photo: courtesy
“There is a growing trend for traditional greenhouse farming and indoor hydroponic and vertical farming for certain types of crops,” says Sarai Kemp, vice president of deal flow at Trendlines AgriFood based in Israel with branches in China and Singapore.
Kemp tells ISRAEL21c that most greenhouse-grown tomatoes go straight to consumers while most field-grown tomatoes go into items like ketchup.
“Growing indoors helps you produce more in a better environment than in open fields,” she says. “Farmers invest in technology for greenhouses because they can control the growing environment and sell the produce at a higher value.”
Kemp says a lot of indoor farming technology originated in Israel. “We have the experience, capability, and technology to provide monitoring solutions.”
Europe is the main market for Israeli indoor farming technology, and Kemp notes that a new market has opened closer to home.
“The United Arab Emirates is very interested in indoor farming because of the desert conditions that make it difficult to grow in open fields there.”
Let’s look at a few Israeli solutions for indoor farming.
Greenhouse experts
This 5.5-acre medical cannabis greenhouse complex in Greece is covered with f-CLEAN, a durable polymer offering exceptional light transmission and energy savings. Photo courtesy of Azrom
One of the oldest market leaders in the greenhouse farming business is Azrom, a family company that has specialized in designing, building, and installing fully customized greenhouse systems since 1979.
“That’s all we do,” says Zviki Porat, Azrom’s international marketing manager. “We started exporting in 1979 to Greece and since then we have done about 1,500 projects in more than 70 countries.”
In the old days, technology meant simple drip irrigation. Today, Azrom partners with Israeli research institutes and ag-tech companies to stay a step ahead of the greenhouse technologies curve.
“Now it’s a whole package of high-tech systems that lead to much higher yields and monitor processes better, including weather and topography, planning, designing, engineering, and remote controls,” says Porat.
Also in the early days, greenhouse crops were raised in the ground. Today, most farmers opt for hydroponics – growing in soil-free mediums.
“There are 10 kinds of platforms to choose from in hydroponics, so it’s much more complicated today to plan and price a greenhouse system,” says Porat.
Four kinds of crops growing under one greenhouse roof in Belarus. Photo courtesy of Azrom
“And every year more crops are being grown in greenhouses because land is in short supply. The main crops are vegetables, strawberries, ornamental flowers, and medical cannabis. But you can even grow watermelon, pineapple, and mango indoors where they stay warm and are exposed to fewer pests.”
In addition to Asia and Europe, Azrom has projects planned in Louisiana (US) and Dubai (UAE).
“Greenhouse growing requires a high investment. But you pollute less because you don’t spray as much, and you can collect and reuse water and even fertilizer,” Porat says. “So we have a lot to contribute to desert agriculture.”
Hydroponic greenhouse factories
A British-Israeli venture formed from a merger of two established companies about eight years ago, Growponics designs and builds automated hydroponic greenhouse factories in urban settings.
“You can grow vegetables all year round in greenhouses in many places, like in California’s Salinas Valley. But that is not where the population is,” says founder Lior Hessel.
Hessel says shipping costs today account for more than 80% of the landed cost of vegetables – that is, the total expense to get a product to its destination.
“Local greenhouse farming is expensive, but it pays off compared to shipping costs,” Hessel tells ISRAEL21c. “In the last 10 years, a new trend is local production with a lower landed price and lower carbon footprint.”
Still, for a massive greenhouse factory to be profitable, its steep capital and operating expenses must be offset by maximizing yield per square meter, Hessel explains.
“In Growponics we do this by using automation. The plants move on conveyers. We eliminate aisles, which normally take up 15 to 20% of greenhouse space; and we adjust the spacing between plants in different parts of the growth cycle. That alone can increase yield by more than 40% on top of the savings from eliminating aisles. It’s a gamechanger when you put them together.”
With funding in part from the Israel Innovation Authority, Growponics invests heavily in R&D in cooperation with institutes in Israel, the UK, and continental Europe.
One innovation is a data collection robot that supplements the data collection done by sensors in the greenhouses. Another is organic fertilizer produced via atmospheric nitrogen fixation, which uses bacteria to make nitrogen in the air available to plants. This technology won Growponics the European Union’s Seal of Excellence and €2.5 million in funding to implement it in Europe.
Growponics has three sites in Israel, accounting for more than 70% of domestic hydroponics.
“In Europe, we registered a new company in Greece to do more than $4 million in projects,” says Hessel, “and we are going to the UAE as part of an Israeli business delegation before the end of the year.”
Three years ago, Growponics established a two-acre greenhouse factory in Connecticut that sells its produce to New England supermarket chains. Further US expansion is planned with local partners as owner-operators to handle marketing and distribution.
Lighting and growing system
“Indoor growing demands scientific knowledge of what each plant needs and when,” says Daniel Levin, founder of Tel Aviv-headquartered Growor, whose indoor agriculture system can reduce overall costs up to 40 percent (up to 70% electricity saving alone) while increasing yield by about 30%.
The business started five years ago with a light-bulb idea, literally.
Pharma-grade cannabis thriving under Growor’s lighting system. Photo: courtesy
The smart LED light, which can manipulate outcomes such as tomato color and juiciness, was developed by Levin’s business partner Michael Naich, now CEO of Growor and its companion R&D company Group 1607 (so named because both their birthdays are on July 16).
But lighting alone wasn’t enough. Indoor farmers must control and monitor a variety of inputs such as water, nutrients, temperature, and humidity.
“Because we had so much data from our lighting system, we were able to develop a full dynamic protocol for any kind of indoor growing,” says Levin. “The protocols adapt to help each plant feel it is in the best conditions at any time and location.”
Energy-efficient LED lighting retains a starring role in the Growor system, which includes sensors, AI software, and a mobile app to manage cultivation remotely.
“We adjust the rest of the parameters to the light parameters because only light can manipulate the plant’s behavior drastically. More or less water, or more or less fertilizer, won’t change a tomato’s color.”
Growor has pilot projects in Israel, North America, Europe, and Asia for growing flowers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pharma-grade cannabis. The latter crop, says Levin, is raised in clean rooms and must be reliably stable and consistent because “there’s no room for surprises.”
Robotic indoor harvesting
The higher yield in indoor agriculture requires more farmhands, and that’s a problem.
“One of most the urgent issues today is a labor shortage because most activities are done manually,” says MetoMotion CEO Adi Nir.
MetoMotion is developing a robotic system that automates labor-intensive greenhouse tasks and simultaneously gathers actionable data to improve yield and quality.
MetoMotion’s GRoW robot picks tomatoes and performs other labor-intensive tasks in greenhouses. Photo: courtesy
This portfolio company of The Trendlines Group has been testing its unique GRoW robotic tomato harvester in Israel and in The Netherlands in partnership with Bayer Crop Science.
“Since March we haven’t been able to travel from our offices in Yokne’am,” says Nir. “Our team there works with the robot and the software is operated mainly from here. This reduces the amount of staff needed at the greenhouse.
“You always need people too, but the robots work autonomously and from the office, you can see yield and yield forecast and other actionable data collected and transmitted to the cloud.”
The first commercial GRoW units will be shipped to a few farmers in Europe for evaluation in the next eight months.
“We are currently focused on tomatoes, but the platform can be adapted to different vegetables,” says Nir. GRoW also can be adapted to perform pruning, pollination, and de-leafing.
Wall to fork
As ISRAEL21c previously reported, “green walls” can provide insulation, air purification, and aesthetic landscaping to the interior or exterior of buildings.
They can also produce salad greens, mushrooms, and strawberries in an urban space-saving way.
However, vertical farming is still quite limited because to be profitable “you have to either grow more or save on costs of labor or resources such as electricity,” Sarai Kemp from Trendlines tells ISRAEL21c.
Among several Israeli vertical farming startups working to make this model viable are Verticanna and Vertical Field.
Verticanna, in the seed investment stage with two medical cannabis pilots running in Israel, aims to revolutionize vertical hydroponic growing systems for crops including, uniquely, citrus fruit.
Vertical Field of Ra’anana makes the Vertical Farm, a modular, moveable soil-based platform that can grow 200 types of organic, pesticide-free crops and requires no special training to operate.
The Vertical Farm can grow hundreds of types of crops indoors or outdoors at a supermarket, restaurant or another retail outlet. Photo courtesy of Vertical Field
Vertical Farm can be placed in a 20-foot or 40-foot standalone container equipped with advanced sensors that monitor, irrigate, and fertilize crops throughout every growth stage.
Vertical Farms are up and running at some Israeli supermarkets and at Farmers & Chefs restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY, and at Evergreen Kosher Market in Monsey, NY. Expansion across other US cities is planned.
“We offer an easy-to-use real alternative to traditional agriculture,” CEO Guy Elitzur said. “Our urban farms give new meaning to the term ‘farm-to-table,’ because one can pick their own pesticide-free greens and herbs at supermarkets, restaurants, or other retail sites.”
The Israeli startup was cited by Silicon Review as one of “50 Innovative Companies to Watch in 2019” and named by World Smart City in 2019 as “Best Startup.”
Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior to moving to Israel in 2007, she was a specialty writer and copy editor at a major daily newspaper in New Jersey and has freelanced for a variety of newspapers and periodicals since 1984.