Another Week, Another Webinar! You are Invited To Join Us on The 17th of June For The: ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ FTS Virtual Round Table Talks HR in CEA

Agriculture, as a whole, has a wide range of labor and HR challenges. How can CEA help the horticulture industry overcome these problems? Join FarmTech, Ponic Jobs, and more experts from the field in this webinar to find out!

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Register For The Webinar >>

The webinar will be interactive, hosted via Zoom, and there is time reserved for a Q&A directly with the experts. Can't join live? Register now and you'll be able to watch the recording of the webinar at your convenience.​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Join us on Thursday 17 June!

FTS virtual round table talks HR in CEA

Thursday 17 June 15:00 – 16:30 (GMT +2)​​​​​​​

Kyle BarnettFounder/Owner, Ponic Jobs​​​​​​​
Moderator

Todd DowningManaging Partner, Best Human Capital & Advisory Group​​​​​​​
Table guest

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Charlotte VisserCOO, Viscon Group
Table guest

Lisanne MeulendijksSpecialist Vertical Farming, Delphy Improvement Center​​​​​​​
Table guest

Kate BrunswickStrategic Relationship Manager, Innovation AgriTech Group​​​​​​​
Table guest

Clement CardonAgriculture Policy Assistant, FarmTech Society
Table guest

See The Program>>

Spread, Chubu Electric Power And ES-CON JAPAN Enter An Investor Agreement, Plan To Construct Techno Farm Fukuroi, World’s Largest Vertical Farm To Produce 10 Tons Daily

Spread Co. Produce 

June 11, 2021

Spread Co., Ltd., Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc., ES-CON JAPAN Ltd., announced today that they have entered into an investor agreement regarding the establishment of TSUNAGU Community Farm LLC to construct and operate vertical farms.

Expectations are high for vertical farms for stable production of pesticide-free agricultural products through precise control of the cultivation environment.

Many hope that vertical farms will provide a solution for a number of problems, such as growing consumer needs for food safety, a decrease in farming population, as well as food supply instability, and price fluctuations due to extreme weather.

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Based on the agreement, Spread, Chubu Electric Power, and ES-CON JAPAN will jointly establish the new company that will construct and operate vertical farms, in July 2021.

As its first initiative, the new company is planning to build an automated vertical farm Techno Farm Fukuroi” in Fukuroi city (Shizuoka, Japan), which will be the world’s largest automated vertical farm, capable of producing 10 tons of lettuce per day.

The construction will start in October this year, while the production start is planned for January 2024.

The integration of Chubu Electric Power’s energy management know-how, ES-CON JAPAN’s real estate development capabilities, and Spread’s cultivation technologies will allow for the efficient and stable production of pesticide-free, safe and clean vegetables.

Spread, Chubu Electric Power, and ES-CON JAPAN aim to solve the issues affecting food and agriculture through vertical farming, while actively utilizing renewable energy and effectively using CO2 in the cultivation process to achieve a sustainable society and the delivery of SDGs through decarbonization.

About Spread
Since its establishment in 2006, Spread has been promoting vertical farming with the goal of creating a sustainable society.

In 2018, Spread started shipping from the large-scale automated Techno Farm Keihanna in Kizugawa, Kyoto which is the first facility to employ Spread’s next-generation food production system Techno Farm?. In less than 2 years from the start, Techno Farm Keihanna reached a stable operating rate of 99%. Spread will further refine Techno Farm? technologies that allow stable production anywhere at any time, and plans to reach 100 tons of daily production domestically by 2030, while pursuing various business opportunities both in Japan and overseas. Under the concept of “Sustainable Vegetable”, Spread delivers its own vertically farmed vegetables brand Vegetus to approximately 4,000 stores in Japan. Since the start of the brand in 2008, Spread has sold over 70 million packs in total*1.

Spread is excited to enter the investor agreement with Chubu Electric Power and ES-CON JAPAN, as all partners share the same vision and values of sustainable agriculture, and each partner is bringing their own unique strengths to the partnership.

Unique Features of Techno Farm Fukuroi
Largest vertical farm in the world, capable of producing 10 tons of lettuce per day
Standardized, efficient operations via automated cultivation
Even more precise environmental control
Recycling of the water used for cultivation
Energy-saving due to in-house developed LED lighting specifically for vertical farming
IoT-based cultivation management system
Pesticide-free, stable production, not influenced by the weather
Utilization of renewable energy

Spread will continue to pursue further business opportunities through technological innovation both in Japan and overseas.

Spread aims to provide solutions for the global problems of climate change and food security and the delivery of a truly sustainable society.

Techno Farm Fukuroi’s Specification
Construction site: Fukuroi-shi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan Farm type: Indoor Vertical Farm using Artificial Lighting Site area: Approximately 24,400㎡

Product: Leafy greens（Lettuce）
Production capability: 10 tons per day / 3,650 tons per year Production start: January 2024

Overview of TSUNAGU Community Farm LLC
Established: July 2021 (scheduled)

Location: 1, Higashi-shincho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Managing partners: Chubu Electric Power (representative member), ES-CON JAPAN, Spread

Investment: Chubu Electric Power: 51%, ES-CON JAPAN: 48%, Spread: 1%
Business: Production and sale of agricultural products through the operation of vertical farms, utilizing fully artificial light

Overview of Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.
President & Director：Kingo Hayashi
Business：Renewable energy business, Nuclear power business, Overseas business, Community support infrastructure-related business, Etc.

Overview of ES-CON JAPAN Ltd.
President & Representative Director：Takatoshi Ito
Business：Real estate sale, Real estate leasing, Real estate planning, brokerage, and consultation

Overview of Spread Co., Ltd.
Chief Executive Officer ：Shinji Inada
Business：Vertical farming operation, management, and sales of the products

"We Store CO2 From The Outside Air To Make Plants Grow Faster"

Bringing captured CO2 into the greenhouse with zeolites

“In short, we capture CO2 from the air outside and then release it inside the greenhouse. As our system includes the greenhouse to be a closed system, all the CO2 inside will increase plant growth. This new technology does not give any emissions to its surroundings while in use and the solution is 100% climate-neutral”, Jarle Skjæveland with GreenCap Solutions explains. The company recently launched their product, and they are working on several projects in Norway and abroad.

“Our ultimate goal is to make greenhouses independent of fossil fuels while improving their crop yield”, says Jarle. This ambitious goal is the main motivation behind their unique, yet straight forward new product: an environmental climate system that provides plants inside of the greenhouse with outside CO2. On top of that, it allows for the reuse of condensed water, which further reduces costs for growers.

GreenCap Solution’s technical team combines decades of energy in the oil and gas industry, which is now taken to the greenhouse industry. For the past four years, they have been working on the carbon-capturing technique. Last year, they started working with the first greenhouse company to apply the technique: Lauvsnes Gartneri, a tomato greenhouse in Finnøy, Norway. The second project they started this year is with a Norwegian cucumber grower.

Zeolites: a tried method
For the capturing of the CO2 molecules, the company uses zeolites, a porous mineral that can adsorb large quantities of gas. Zeolites occur naturally but are also produced industrially. “Using zeolites as carbon adsorbent is nothing new. It was already used in the 1960s for industrial applications. Our invention is effectively using the energy and storing the CO2 for greenhouse application, in combination with climate control within the greenhouse,” Jarle explains.

Inside the greenhouse, the CO2 is transported by a constant air flow. “With the greenhouse closed on a sunny day, the temperature might get too high. For that reason, we have a circulation system that shifts the air every 10 minutes. Air tubes underneath the plants produce a constant low-speed airflow. This way, the temperature inside can be a comfortable 24 C even in a hot climate,” Jarle adds.

Vertical farming in Saudi Arabia
This technique comes in handy as the company recently started a new project in Saudi Arabia. This time not with a greenhouse but with a vertical farm that grows eight layers of lettuce. “When we visited Saudi Arabia some months ago, we noticed that some people were skeptical as to our technology would work in a hot climate too. With this new project, we are proving that our technique works, not only for different crops in different growing systems but also in different climates. And the additional benefit is that there we can make better use of solar power as well, taking advantage of the natural resources available.”  

In many European countries, growers generally have a combined heat power (CHP) that already provides additional CO2 to growers. But according to Jarle, the systems can be combined easily. “Our technique is twofold: either we replace the current CO2 source or we add it to the closed growth environment. Both work fine together, but with our system, growers can stop using fossil fuels completely while still giving that beneficial CO2 to their plants. Besides, many countries do not need the extra heat provided by the CHP, at least not year-round. In that case, working with a CHP is not cost-effective.”

Already within the horticultural industry, GreenCap’s environmental climate control system can have many different applications. But the company is already investigating other possible usages of their carbon adsorbent technique. “CO2 is used in other industries too, so we are investigating other expansion already, such as companies absorbing their CO2 emission. However, horticulture is such a vast and rapidly growing industry. Imagine this huge industry, that is so essential for the food production of the entire world, being totally emission-free. That is what we’re working for.”

A promotional video of GreenCap Solution's system can be watched here.

For more information:
GreenCap Solutions 
www.greencap-solutions.com 

Publication date: Fri 4 Jun 2021
Author: Jenneken Schouten
© HortiDaily.com

USA - ALABAMA: Auburn College of Agriculture Using High-Tech Shipping Containers To Grow Produce For Campus Dining

High-tech Horticulture

Unique ‘Vertical’ Farms part of Planned 16-Acre Transformation Garden On Campus

June 10, 2021

Josh Woods | College of Agriculture

Recycled shipping containers have gained popularity in recent years, being converted into everything from houses to small stores—but the Auburn University College of Agriculture, in partnership with Campus Dining, is using them as self-contained “vertical” farms to grow produce to serve to students.

In April, the college acquired two Freight Farms shipping containers that have been converted into technologically advanced hydroponic growing stations in which plants grow vertically indoors without soil, getting their nutrition from water and light energy from powerful LEDs.

Now, the farms are producing the first crop of lettuce.

“This is state of the art,” said Desmond Layne, head of the Department of Horticulture. “We're talking growing from seed to fork in four to six weeks, depending on whether it is lettuce, arugula or another vegetable crop that can grow in there. And we can produce 15 times as much per year as we could outside in the same exact spot.”

Associate Professor of Horticulture Daniel Wells taught a vertical farming course this spring and leads operations of the vertical farms.

Wells said the containers are outfitted with a complete climate control system, which includes air conditioning and humidity control. Because they are highly insulated, the system ensures the same climate 365 days a year.

The converted containers also have an elaborate lighting system, giving all the light the plants need from two color LEDs.

“We can do any number of colors of lights,” he said. “But it turns out for photosynthesis, plants use mostly red and blue light. What’s neat about that is you can cut out a lot of the other color spectrum, creating far less heat energy. That's very efficient. It means more of the energy used is turned into light than heat.”

The containers also allow for controlled carbon dioxide levels, which accelerates plant growth.

“Ambient CO2, what you and I are exposed to every day, is about 400 ppm [parts per million],” he said. “And that’s fine, plants can grow there. But if we boost the CO2 to 1,000 ppm, they’ll grow faster. And because we’re containing the CO2, the plants can really use it. And it’s not dangerous for humans at all.”

Wells and Director of Dining and Concessions Glenn Loughridge first initiated a partnership between the College of Agriculture and Campus Dining five years ago through the Auburn Aquaponics Project, which uses hydroponics and aquaculture technologies to provide a system in which nutrient-laden wastewater from fish production is used as a food source for plant growth. Today, fish from this effort are served in dining facilities on the Auburn campus.

The new vertical farms build on that effort.

“We're in the process of finishing a $26 million dining hall in the center of campus,” Loughridge said. “It has always been foremost in my mind that we would have the opportunity to feature produce grown here on campus in that dining hall. In our biggest location, our biggest asset, we want to bring our A-game.

“This is hyper-local, on-campus sourcing,” he added. “Can you imagine being a potential student coming to tour, seeing where these products are grown, and then going to eat there? It’s incredible. We truly believe this elevates our dining experience.”

The converted shipping containers were manufactured by Freight Farms, a Boston-based company operating in 45 states and 28 countries.

“There are a few different companies out there doing this,” Layne said. “But Freight Farms is the most sophisticated. They’re the ones who have both the best product on the market and the largest production of these containers. It’s really a best-case scenario.”

Adam Lenhard, a rising senior majoring in biological agricultural technology management, said Wells’ course has been one of the most influential courses he’s taken at Auburn.

“It has been very helpful, not just in preparation for the arrival of the freights, but also in learning all about new hydroponic technologies and growing techniques,” Lenhard said. “Post-graduation, I plan to continue to work with these types of indoor, LED hydroponic systems. My primary goal after college is to normalize urban hydroponic farming, provide large, consistent yields of fresh vegetables and provide food to those in need who do not have as much access to fresh produce.”

Transformation Garden

The vertical farms are located on the College of Agriculture’s planned 16-acre Transformation Garden on the south end of the university’s campus, near the intersection of Lem Morrison Drive and Duncan Drive. The goal of the garden is to encompass every aspect of plant-based agriculture, including everything from fruits and vegetables to ornamentals to grow crops and more.

The Transformation Garden will showcase new technology and the history of agriculture, as it envelops Auburn’s Old Rotation, a single-acre research plot created in 1896. Continuously since that year, the historic landmark has been the site for testing and advancing transformative ideas that are now commonplace—ideas like crop rotation, cover crops, and low- and no-till farming.

(Written by: Kristen Bowman)

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HELP DEVELOP THE TRANSFORMATION GARDEN

To help develop the new Transformation Garden, you can give online or contact Phillip Cowart, College of Agriculture director of development, at poc0001@auburn.edu or 334-844-1198.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.

Latest Newsroom Articles

• Auburn College of Agriculture using high-tech shipping containers to grow produce for Campus Dining

• Aistrup to leave role as dean of College of Liberal Arts, transition to faculty position in Department of Political Science

• Auburn Abroad is back with 10 students studying in Italy for summer

• Auburn Alumni Association to honor 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award and Young Alumni Achievement Award recipients

• Rural Studio making strides, enjoying exciting developments through Front Porch Initiative

CANADA: Firefly: A Bug Early Warning System / Precision Crop Health Monitor

Delivering unprecedented crop state comprehension through innovative high-density instrumentation and the power of the cloud

Canada – LEAN Systems and its technology partner, Proxilogica, are pleased to announce the start of pre-production testing of “Firefly” in collaboration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at the Lethbridge Research Development Center (LeRDC).

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The Firefly is a wireless and self-powered IoT imager the size of a credit card, purpose-built for early detection of disease and pest outbreaks in the cereal crops and horticulture industry.

The LEAN/Proxilogica team has worked in collaboration with AAFC-LeRDC for almost two years to explore economical digital imaging systems for indoor plant phenotyping pursuant to a three-year material development agreement.

Dr. Anne Smith, a research scientist at LeRDC, together with her colleagues Drs. Jonathan Neilson and Charles Geddes have been developing inexpensive imaging platforms for digital image capture and image analysis protocols for plant phenotyping in growth rooms, greenhouses, and laboratories. Drs. Smith and Neilson, over the last two years, have been collaborating with LEAN Systems to test their technology. The early systems, which were installed less than one month prior to reducing on-site presence in response to COVID-19 restrictions, showed:

·      effective image capture over greenhouse plants

·      the ability to upload  images remotely to a central server

·      provide  regular downloadable  images to the user

·      apply image analysis protocols to automatically extract information on plant growth over time

Dr. François Eudes, Director of Research and Technology,  LeRDC, says  “digital imaging solutions in controlled growth environments have supported  research programs during the pandemic and have given us a view of the future of distributed teamwork and data-intensive plant science.”

Dr. Keshav Singh, who recently joined the team at LeRDC, says “diversified applications of Firefly sensing technology over traditional agricultural industry will facilitate the digital ag revolution for global food security. It will involve further development of ground-sensing Firefly technology and possibly aerial platform (drone) applications for rapid field scouting. In the future, this technology will help growers make critical decisions related to identifying types of pests and tracking micro-climates within a field much faster than ever before.”

AAFC is excited to continue working with LEAN Systems on the Firefly technology for automated image capture and extraction of plant phenotyping information relevant to rapid assessment of new varieties, the impacts of abiotic and biotic stresses, and for screening herbicide resistance in a variety of weed species.  

Dr. David Southwell, CEO of Proxilogica Corporation, says behind the Firefly architecture are “large fleets of tiny imagers that maximize space coverage with enough onboard intelligence to pre-process and securely transmit data to the cloud where bird’s eye maps are then assembled. AI-boosted analytics functions may be performed at both edge and core, drastically reducing network traffic thereby enabling fleet scaling. We start in CEA spaces and will soon be ruggedizing and adapting the imagers for more demanding open field horticulture applications, including UAV platforms.”

“We are very excited about this technology and see the opportunity for a range of strategic B2B relationships to accelerate commercial evaluation and deployment as well as additional initiatives with research partners globally to expand the Firefly’s useful purpose,” said Bill Halina, managing director of LEAN Systems.

About AAFC:

The Lethbridge Research and Development Centre (LeRDC) was established in 1906 in Lethbridge, Alberta, and is one the largest facilities within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) network of 20 research and development centres. LeRDC leads research on beef cattle production systems, crop production, and sustainable production systems under dryland and irrigated conditions associated with farming in a semi-arid climate.

Dr. Anne Smith is a research scientist at LeRDC who specializes in remote sensing applications for agriculture. Over the last 25 years she has conducted studies in cropping systems and grasslands using satellite, airborne, drone and ground-based multispectral, hyperspectral, and radar systems.

Dr. Keshav Singh is a research scientist at LeRDC who specializes in high-throughput proximal and aerial imaging technologies to study canola, legume, and cereal crop phenomics. His work mainly involves agronomic data processing, image-cube analysis, algorithm development, crop mapping and analytics.

For more information:

Anne.Smith@canada.ca

Keshav.Singh@canada.ca

https://profils-profiles.science.gc.ca/en/research-centre/lethbridge-research-and-development-centre

About Proxilogica:

Proxilogica was incorporated in 2017, built around a team of engineers with more than two decades of experience in technical computing with a vision to develop edge analytics devices.  Firefly is the first technology to emerge from this campaign, aimed at improving productivity in precision horticulture.

For more information:
The Proxilogica Corporation
contact@proxilogica.com
www.proxilogica.com

About LEAN Systems:

LEAN Systems Limited Partnership (LP) was registered in the Province of Alberta on July 19, 2018 to help The Proxilogica Corporation fund development of proprietary technologies in the field of horticulture.  The LP is managed by LEAN Systems GP Inc. who also provides business development support/advice to Proxilogica's leadership.

For more information:
LEAN Systems LP
contact@LEAN-Systems.ca
www.lean-systems.ca

Green Skyscrapers That Add A Touch of Nature + Sustainability To Modern Architecture!

BY SRISHTI MITRA

06/09/2021

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Skyscrapers have taken over most of the major cities today. They’re symbols of wealth and power! And most of the skylines today are adorned with glistening glass skyscrapers. They are considered the face of modern architecture. Although all that glass and dazzle can become a little tiring to watch. Hence, architects are incorporating these tall towers with a touch of nature and greenery! The result is impressive skyscrapers merged with an element of sustainability. These green spaces help us maintain a modern lifestyle while staying connected to nature. We definitely need more of these green skyscraper designs in our urban cities!

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Zaha Hadid Architects designed a pair of impressive skyscrapers that are linked by planted terraces, for Shenzhen, China. Named Tower C, the structure is 400 metres in height and is supposed to be one of the tallest buildings in the city. The terraces are filled with greenery and aquaponic gardens! They were built to be an extension of a park that is located alongside the tower and as a green public space.

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Polish designers Pawel Lipiński and Mateusz Frankowsk created The Mashambas Skyscraper, a vertical farm tower, that is in fact modular! The tower can be assembled, disassembled and transported to different locations in Africa. It was conceptualised in an attempt to help and encourage new agricultural communities across Africa. The skyscraper would be moved to locations that have poor soil quality or suffer from droughts, so as to increase crop yield and produce.

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The Living Skyscraper was chosen among 492 submissions that were received for the annual eVolo competition that has been running since 2006. One of the main goals of the project is to grow a living skyscraper on the principle of sustainable architecture. The ambitious architectural project has been envisioned for Manhattan and proposes using genetically modified trees to shape them into literal living skyscrapers. It is designed to serve as a lookout tower for New York City with its own flora and fauna while encouraging ecological communications between office buildings and green recreation centers. The building will function as a green habitable space in the middle of the concrete metropolis.

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ODA’s explorations primarily focus on tower designs, in an attempt to bring versatility and a touch of greenery to NY’s overtly boxy and shiny cityscape. Architectural explorations look at residential units with dedicated ‘greenery zones’ that act as areas of the social congregation for the building’s residents. Adorned with curvilinear, organic architecture, and interspersed with greenery, these areas give the residents a break from the concrete-jungle aesthetic of the skyscraper-filled city. They act as areas of reflection and of allowing people to connect with nature and with one another.

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Heatherwick Studio built a 20-storey residential skyscraper in Singapore called EDEN. Defined as “a counterpoint to ubiquitous glass and steel towers”, EDEN consists of a vertical stack of homes, each amped with a lush garden. The aim was to create open and flowing living spaces that are connected with nature and high on greenery.

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Designed by UNStudio and COX Architecture, this skyscraper in Melbourne, Australia features a pair of twisting towers placed around a ‘green spine’ of terraces, platforms, and verandahs. Called Southbank by Beulah, the main feature of the structure is its green spine, which functions as the key organizational element of the building.

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Mad Arkitekter created WoHo, a wooden residential skyscraper in Berlin. The 98-meter skyscraper will feature 29 floors with different spaces such as apartment rentals, student housing, a kindergarten, bakery, workshop, and more. Planters and balconies and terraces filled with greenery make this skyscraper a very green one indeed!

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Algae as energy resources are in their beginnings and are seen as high potential. Extensive research work has dealt with algae as an energy source in recent decades. As a biofuel, they are up to 6 times more efficient than e.g. comparable fuels from corn or rapeseed. The Tubular Bioreactor Algae Skyscraper focuses on the production of microalgae and their distribution using existing pipelines. Designed by Johannes Schlusche, Paul Böhm, Raffael Grimm, the towers are positioned along the transalpine pipeline in a barren mountain landscape. Water is supplied from the surrounding mountain streams and springs, and can also be obtained from the Mediterranean using saltwater.

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Tesseract by Bryant Lau Liang Cheng proposes an architecture system that allows residents to participate in not just the design of their own units; but the programs and facilities within the building itself. This process is inserted between the time of purchase for the unit and the total time required to complete construction – a period that is often ignored and neglected. Through this process, residents are allowed to choose their amenities and their communities, enhancing their sense of belonging in the process. Housing units will no longer be stacked in repetition with no relation whatsoever to the residents living in it – a sentimental bond between housing and men results.

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In a world devoid of greenery, Designers Nathakit Sae-Tan & Prapatsorn Sukkaset have envisioned the concept of Babel Towers, mega skyscrapers devoted to preserving horticultural stability within a single building. The Babel towers would play an instrumental role in the propagation of greenery in and around the area. These towers would also become attraction centers for us humans, like going to a zoo, but a zoo of plants. Seems a little sad, saying this, but I do hope that we never reach a day where the Babel Tower becomes a necessity. I however do feel that having towers like these now, in our cities, would be a beautiful idea. Don’t you think so too?

Farm Tech Startup Iron Ox Appoints Impossible Foods and Tesla Veteran Rachel Konrad as First Independent Board Member

-- Konrad, who spent the past five years at Impossible Foods, joins the board of Iron Ox during a period of rapid manufacturing scale-up and retail expansion.

-- Iron Ox growing facilities use advanced robotics to precisely cultivate perfect, nutritious produce by giving each plant the specific attention it needs, and then getting it on a store shelf nearby within about a day of harvest.

-- The Series B-stage company, whose products are already a breakout seller in California, is also hiring plant scientists, engineers, greenhouse operators, and roboticists.

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SAN CARLOS, Calif., June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Iron Ox, a farming innovation company with deep expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence, has appointed former Impossible Foods and Tesla executive Rachel Konrad as its first independent board member. This appointment further demonstrates the food tech startup's growth trajectory as they scale up operations and expand their commercial footprint.  

Iron Ox, which launched the world's first autonomous farm, has an industry-leading intellectual property portfolio to automate farming and produce that's fresher, cleaner, and locally grown. Thanks to the company's groundbreaking robotics, Iron Ox farms require 90% less water than traditional farms — generating 30 times more produce per acre of land.

Konrad joins Iron Ox after spending the past five years as Chief Communications Officer and a member of the senior leadership team at Impossible Foods, reporting directly to CEO Pat Brown. She previously held senior management roles at Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and Tesla, where she reported directly to Elon Musk as the company scaled up operations.

"We can't solve our planet's climate crisis without radical changes to the way we make food," said Konrad, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys cooking for her family and hiking with her rescue German Shepherd. "Iron Ox's intellectual property portfolio can usher in a new era of farming that produces food sustainably and ethically. But honestly, I was sold after my first whiff of Iron Ox basil."

"Rachel understands the unique power of disruptive startups to shift entire industries and force even the most entrenched incumbents to do the right thing for people and the planet," said Brandon Alexander, Iron Ox CEO and Co-Founder. "Her unique perspective will help Iron Ox refine and execute our ambitious strategy. As our first independent board member, we expect Rachel to help us set a new standard for inclusive governance in corporate America."

The Series B-stage company operates farms in Northern California and recently broke ground on a new 535,000 sq. ft. indoor farm in Lockhart, Texas. Today, California consumers can buy Iron Ox food throughout California at Whole Foods and at San Francisco Bay Area's upscale Biancchini's markets. Sales in Texas are expected to begin in late 2021. 

The company is also hiring plant scientists, engineers, greenhouse operators and roboticists who are passionate about solving food insecurity, which is at the root of our environmental and public health crises.

For more information, and to view the job openings, visit the Iron Ox jobs page.

About Iron Ox:
Iron Ox is a farming innovation company with deep expertise in robotics and artificial intelligence, and a vision to solve global climate through food. Their approach redesigns every step of the farming process, achieving levels of precision that are impossible through traditional farming. Iron Ox produce is both local and sustainable by design, greatly reducing systemic food waste and minimizing the ecological impact of farming. For more information, visit www.ironox.com.

SOURCE: Iron Ox

ironox.com

Scottish Agritech Business IGS Appoints First CFO To Enhance Leadership Team And Support Global Expansion

Appointment of Sarah Willis Will Bolster Readiness For Rapid Growth

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Edinburgh, Scotland – 31 May 2021 – Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), the Edinburgh-headquartered agritech business, continues to enhance its executive talent as it welcomes Sarah Willis into the role of Chief Financial Officer. Sarah’s appointment reflects the company’s need for substantial transactional and commercial financial experience to support IGS’ global growth strategy in the vertical farming market.

With many countries developing national food security strategies there is an increasing emphasis on sustainable food production. This is driving a rapid maturing of the vertical farming industry, generating significant levels of momentum from customers, consumers, and investors. IGS’s strategic position fits very well with these developments enabling the company to enter multiple regional markets this year.

Sarah’s role will be pivotal as the company looks to expand its operating base over the coming 12 months, ensuring operational support, corporate governance, and reporting structures are fit for purpose. She will be responsible for the company’s financial management, HR, admin support, and new office development, working closely with IGS CEO David Farquhar and the Board.

Sarah joins IGS from Spirit Energy, where, as Head of Finance Operations, she was responsible for the financial integrity of the company which generated over £1bn of revenues. Prior to that, Sarah was in senior management overseeing operational and financial performance at Centrica E&P in the UK and Europe. Sarah is a qualified Chartered Accountant, starting her career with KPMG and latterly Deloitte in Aberdeen, before joining Wood.

Working with highly regulated industries throughout her career, Sarah brings a strong commitment to due diligence, risk management and governance. She brings broad, multi-national M&A experience which will boost IGS’ ability to roll out across its global markets. Her financial and stakeholder management experience will further enhance the relationship with the IGS investment and shareholder community helping transition to a capacity expansion phase in this exciting industry.

Talking about her decision to join IGS, Sarah commented: “The opportunity to be part of a business like IGS is really exciting. The combination of the talented team, the incredibly innovative technology, and the prodigious industry growth was compelling for me.

“The company has achieved remarkable progress to date, reflecting its purposeful approach and hugely passionate team. I believe strongly in the guardianship of the planet – we must leave it in a better place for the next generation - and businesses like IGS are genuinely committed to this belief and have embedded this in its approach so well. I am delighted that I can be part of this ambitious team to help support a positive evolution in food production for the future.”

David Farquhar commented: “Sarah is a hugely welcome addition to the leadership team at IGS, as we seek to further diversify and expand the talent across our organization. She joins our business at a crucial and pivotal point in our evolution, bringing us a fresh perspective from the energy industry particularly, whilst expanding her own capabilities and leadership skills in her first CFO role. 

David continued: “The IGS growth curve is steepening sharply and Sarah’s appointment demonstrates our commitment to deliver optimum results for our investors, customers, and partners. Sarah’s international experience is world-class, given her career in highly regulated, quoted companies across multiple geographies. Her leadership will be vital in helping us efficiently manage significant expansion.”

Sarah graduated from the University of Edinburgh and Dauphine Université de Paris where she studied International Business with French. Sarah is an advocate of diversity in its many forms and was involved closely in supporting Spirit Energy’s initiatives to create a more inclusive culture across the oil and gas industry.

Sarah is based in Aberdeen where she lives with her husband and daughter. A fluent French speaker, she is also very interested in music and plays golf.

Ends

 Notes to editors:

For more information: please contact Kate Forster or Georgia Lea, IGS, on either kate@intelligentgrowthsolutions.com / +44 7787 534 999 or georgia@intelligentgrowthsolutions.com / +44 7897 539 954.

About Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS):

Founded in 2013, IGS brought together decades of farming and engineering experience to create an agritech business with a vision to revolutionise the indoor growing market. Its commitment to innovation has continued apace and it has evolved the applications of its technology beyond indoor agriculture to create solutions for a wide variety of farming applications which enhance life for plants and people alike.

IGS launched its first vertical farm crop research centre in August 2018.

For more information visit www.intelligentgrowthsolutions.com or connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

PinDuoDuo: Building A More Resilient Food System With Technology - July 14 -15

The pandemic has shone a light on how fragile and intertwined our global agri-food supply chain is, making it even more pressing to push for food systems innovation and change. Can we leverage technology to build a more resilient food system that feeds more people and feeds them better?
 
Join us virtually for our inaugural Food Systems Forum, which will convene experts from around the world to share their insights and spark further connections and potential collaborations.

Register To Join The Conversation

North America’s Indoor Farms Plan To Add 500-Plus Acres Over Next 5 Years

June 7, 2021 Lauren Manning

Indoor farming analytics provider Artemis has just released its annual State of Indoor Farming report, which reflects a survey of 205 enterprise horticulture facilities across the US and Canada. Put together in partnership with research firm Startle, the report’s goal is to assess where the region’s industry is today – as well as giving growers a voice around the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities it presents.

It covers everything from container farms to high-tech glass greenhouses and vertical farms.

“One thing we did this year that was different from last time was asking things like, ‘How are you actually getting capital? How are you getting contracts with buyers? How did the mechanics work to make sure that you can actually expand and build projects?'” Artemis co-founder and CEO Allison Kopf tells AFN.

“There are some really interesting tidbits that might go unnoticed, like the small number of people who indicated that part of their expansion plan includes packing operations. I think this is probably driven by Covid-19 and the supply chain holes that we saw. Doing more on-site packing and increasing on-site capacity is very different from field ag.”

A few other notable findings from the report include:

• 77% of respondents are growing multiple crops while 23% are growing a single crop.

• The three most commonly cultivated crops indoors are leafy greens (26% of total), herbs (20%), and microgreens (16%). Tomatoes (10%), cucumbers (8%), peppers (8%), ornamentals (6%), and strawberries (6%) round out the list.

• The average revenue reported by growers selling the leading indoor crop, leafy greens, is $7.82 per pound.

• Inputs remain one of the biggest drivers of operational costs for indoor growers with average annual costs for seeds ($24,989), grow media ($19,190), and nutrients ($17,510) among the most expensive.

• Retail and grocery outlets (28%) remain the dominant sales channel for indoor growers, followed by direct-to-consumer outlets (26%) and wholesale accounts (17%).

Indoor growers are also eager to expand their footprints. Roughly three-quarters have expansion plans that they aim to execute in the next five years. If they are successful in their endeavors, they’ll add a predicted 544 acres to North America’s indoor farming industry.

Technology adoption indoors

The indoor farming industry has a big appetite for technology, according to the Artemis report. Just over a third of respondents are using mainly tablets and mobile phones to run their daily operations, with 24% using desktop computers. Six percent have adopted barcode scanners.

When considering new technologies, 39% of indoor growers are eager to find solutions to manage operations more efficiently. Lowering the cost of production (20%) and increasing yields (19%) are also high on the tech discovery list.

Investing in technology and understanding it is a critical ingredient for success, according to Kopf.

“Now that the market has established itself, you’re going to see a lot of technology in the next few years come on to the market. New hardware, new sensors, new control systems, new lighting, new physical structures, new growing system automation, robotics, AI — you name it,” she says.

But the increase in choice comes with its own problems. Some growers may find themselves overwhelmed by the flood of new offerings, or lack the time to research the optimal products for them.

“Being able to find the right stuff to operate the facility the way you want for the crops that you are growing is going to be really, really critical. [Tech vendors] that differentiate based on product are going to stand above the rest,” Kopf suggests.

This could include products that help indoor farms prove they are carbon neutral or negative, opening up a new world of branding and marketing opportunities.

Advancements in breeding technology are also starting to open the door to new types of crop cultivation. As developments in genetics unlock the right varieties for indoor conditions, the industry will be better equipped to move beyond leafy greens and herbs.

Suited for public markets

As more indoor farming startups raise substantial rounds or take their companies public — like AppHarvest and Aerofarms have done recently through SPAC mergers — questions are bubbling up around whether the momentum can last.

For Kopf, the fact that indoor farms are producing tangible products differentiates them from some of the other hyped subsectors within agrifoodtech. Indoor farming operations can also involve substantial physical infrastructure, making them well suited for public markets, she says – while they can also tick the increasingly important ESG box for investors. As a result, she sees more SPAC deals and IPOs on the horizon.

There’s also room left for indoor farming to expand in certain geographies where massive consumer markets await.

“If you look at the Netherlands or Spain, markets where greenhouse production is commonplace, we’re really behind in the US. If you’ve got plenty of room to grow – that changes the dynamic,” Kopf says.

“I don’t think we are anywhere near where we will be in the next five to 10 years, which to me indicates you’re not in a bubble. You’re in the early stages of a transitional period for an industry as a whole.”

Pontus Files International Patent Application For Automated Vertical Farm Harvesting Robot

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NEWS PROVIDED BY

Pontus Protein Ltd.

Jun 09, 2021, VANCOUVER, BC, June 9, 2021 /CNW/ - Pontus Protein Ltd. (TSXV: HULK) (OTCQB: HLKKF) (FSE: 8YC) ("Pontus" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has filed an international patent application through the Patent Coordination Treaty with the World Intellectual Property Organization for Pontus' proprietary Harvesting Automated Robotic Vehicle or "HARV" for short. HARV is a vertical farm rack system and automated plant tending and harvesting robot designed to work alongside and assist Pontus' Closed Environment Vertical Aquaponics System or CEVAS system.

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Pontus' Harvesting Automated Robotic Vehicle or “HARV” for short. HARV is a vertical farm rack system and automated plant tending and harvesting robot (CNW Group/Pontus Protein Ltd.)

Pontus' initial crop, water lentils, is the fastest-growing leafed plant.* Pontus' CEVAS helps accelerate the growth of Pontus' water lentils, requiring the plant to be harvested every 24 hours. Pontus developed the HARV technology to allow the crop to be automatically harvested daily. In addition, due to its low profile, HARV will enable Pontus to stack nine levels of vertical farming at its Surrey, British Columbia production facility.

Steve McArthur, Chief Technology Officer, Pontus, stated, "Talking with the experienced team at Automation Experts (an automation and innovation company based in Calgary, Canada), we were able to identify that there was no robot out there that handled everything we needed it to do. By harvesting the crop in situ, using HARV, we will reduce the space between the water beds and increase the number of levels, increasing efficiency and the yield. We are beyond excited about pairing HARV with our CEVAS system, as we see CEVAS as a greener, more ecologically sustainable way of producing high nutrition food products."

Stephen Bruce Wong, CEO, Automation Experts, added, "HARV is more than a mechanical tool for harvesting. It will manage the farm and give us critical insight and data regarding the optimization of the growing environment. The robotics in HARV will allow Pontus to eliminate moving parts from the structure thus lowering the cost to build Pontus' vertical farms as the water beds can be dumb and do not need the technology built into them. It also uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to support all aspects of the growing process."

The patent filing is part of the technology leadership in the aquaponic space that Pontus continues to secure.

About Pontus Protein Ltd.

Pontus Protein Ltd. is a Vancouver, B.C. based technology company that grows water lentil protein for commercial use. Pontus is reinventing agriculture with their proprietary Closed Environment Vertical Aquaponic System (CEVAS) – the farming of the future. Pontus specializes in the indoor vertical farming of water lentils that use 95% less water than traditional agriculture and no pesticides or chemicals. Pontus is committed to solving the global food crisis by providing access to sustainable indoor biosecure pure plant-based proteins. Pontus' water lentils can be harvested every 24 hours, exceed organic certification, and can be grown in any climate in a relatively small area. Our water lentil protein is filled with antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and all the amino acids, making a complete protein food source. Pontus aims to revolutionize the plant-based sector as the entire sector is currently based on two main protein sources: soy and pea. Water lentil protein is far superior to pea and soy protein. It contains over 40% protein vs. 5-36% protein*, and Pontus aims to be the base protein for nutrition-rich plant-based food products and nutraceuticals to support the movement transitioning the world from meat-based to plant-based proteins.

To learn more, please visit pontuswaterlentils.com.

*https://www.infood.net/visitor/collection/75?portion_size=100

*https://www.zmescience.com/science/fastest-growing-plant-02022021/

On behalf of the Board of Directors 

"Connor Yuen"

Connor Yuen, CEO
Pontus Protein Ltd.

Contact Information

For more information, please contact:

Connor Yuen
Chief Executive Officer

https://pontuswaterlentils.com/company/#contact

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the Company. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future, including but not limited to Pontus' ability to revolutionize the plant based sector. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including risks related to factors beyond the control of the Company. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following: the unknown magnitude and duration of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the failure of Pontus to receive the necessary approvals from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for its products and facilities, the inability to complete Pontus' Surrey-based production facility, as well as other general business, economic, or market related risks beyond the director control of the Company and which may affect the Company's business, operations, or products. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Pontus Protein Ltd.

For further information: Investor Relations or Media enquiries: invest@pontuswaterlentils.com, (403) 589-7992

Organization Profile

Pontus Protein Ltd.

• Also from this source

• Pontus Begins Trading on OTC Markets in the US...

• Pontus Receives Building Permit for Surrey Facility...

• Pontus Updates on Phase One of Production...

Dickson Despommier, Professor Emeritus - Contributor To The New Book "The Economics of Sustainable Food: Smart Policies For Health And The Planet "

I contributed to the new book The Economics of Sustainable Food: Smart Policies for Health and the Planet , Co-Authored by Dr. Charles Knirsch, and am excited to say that it is now available!

In The Economics of Sustainable Food, I discuss, as agrotechnology advances rapidly, consumers will no longer have their produce shipped months in advance and from thousands of miles away. Vertical farming uses a fraction of the resources of conventional farming and allows farmers to grow locally and bring fresh produce to the mass market within days or even hours, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transporting food. Additionally, as climate change brings dramatic weather changes, CEA allows constant conditions regardless of weather patterns. VF thus promises substantial environmental and economic gains, and policy should incentivize vertical farms to grow increasing shares of produce both domestically and across the world.

If you’d like to purchase a copy from Island Press, which ships worldwide, use the code BATINI, which is good for a 20% discount. You can also order the book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local independent bookseller.

I hope you will consider sharing the book with your own networks.

You can help in a few ways:

 Forward this message to your own contacts or

share the news on your social media networks.

Feel Free To Include The Discount Code, BATINI.

·       If you’d like to review it for a publication or website, you can request a review copy from press@islandpress.org.

·       If you’d like to use it in a class, you can request an exam copy

at www.islandpress.org/request-exam-copy.

·       Encourage your organization to contact info@islandpress.org

 for details about a discounted bulk purchase.

·       Review the book on Amazon, Goodreads, or another review site.

If you have any questions or ideas for how to use the book in your own work, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.  I hope you enjoy the book.

All the best,

Dickson

dickson.despommier@gmail.com

USA: DENVER, COLORADO: Is Urban Farming The Next Big Condo Trend?

May 17, 2021 | By: LX Collection

Judy Weingarten doesn’t live in a rural cottage, but in a newly opened condo at Lakehouse in Denver. Aside from the perks, you might expect from a development like this—70-foot lap pool, yoga studio, elegant residents’ lounge—Lakehouse is home to a 3,000-square-foot urban farm, from which residents can pluck herbs and lettuce for dinner.

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Photo Credit: Lakehouse

“I love looking out my window at the garden, contemplating what vegetable I am going to have with my dinner tonight,” Weingarten says. “I enjoy trying new recipes based on what is harvested at the time, as well as having fresh-cut flowers throughout the summer!” 

The Condo with Its Own Urban Farm

Flourishing with green beans, poblano, oregano, carrots, and eggplant, Lakehouse’s raised vegetable and herb beds are overseen by Agriburbia. The company describes itself as “an innovative and growing design movement that integrates aspects of agrarianism with land development.” While Agriburbia oversees planting, irrigation, and harvesting, residents can weigh in on what gets planted—and are encouraged to chip in with the farming too. 

Brian Levitt, co-founder and president of NAVA Real Estate Development, which developed Lakehouse, tells LX Collection: “Notices will go out on harvest days inviting residents to come to the harvest room and help themselves. They are able to cull herbs from the farm for their cooking at any time. Crops are also used for community events and cooking demonstrations.”

In 2020, Lakehouse’s urban farm turned over 1,600 pounds of produce. That’s enough to provide almost four Americans with their vegetable quota for the entire year. 

The Growth of Condo Gardens

Outdoor space is increasingly desirable for potential condo buyers, and while this partly stems from the pandemic and the demand for residential space en plein air, the trend began before 2020 and made outdoor space a precious commodity.

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Innovative outdoor spaces have been finding their way into condominiums for years. Sky gardens have shot up from London to Ho Chi Minh City. Courtyards, lawns, and pergolas are now commonplace. In New York City, condos like 70 Charlton and 565 Broome maximize greenery with living walls. Architects and designers are looking at every last inch of space, asking, “could this be a garden?”

Until now, designers of these spaces have focused on aesthetics and creating outdoor entertaining areas, but a movement in growing vegetables, fruits, and herbs is now underway. You can see it in the sheer number of articles and explainer videos showing how to grow microgreens on the windowsill or dwarf apple trees in patio containers. 

In response, some new condo developments are sowing the seeds for a genre of urban gardening where edible produce is grown and harvested in a community environment. 

Ambitious Plans in Europe

In the Netherlands, a particularly ambitious urban farm concept is in the offing. MARK Green Vertical Village is a proposed complex of three towers in the city of Utrecht. Taking its inspiration from the traditional Dutch villages in the area, plans for this Vertical Village show roofs with greenhouses growing the likes of tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, and apples. These year-round gardens would be owned and operated by a collective of farmers and financed by inhabitants of the 1,128 apartments via a monthly service fee. An on-site restaurant and area residents would also have access to harvests. 

As with Lakehouse, MARK’s residents needn’t dig for their supper: “Participation is encouraged but not vital to the food production,” says Darius Reznek, a partner at Karres en Brands, the firm behind the plans.

But vertical villages face steep challenges. The biggest, says Reznek, is competing with traditional and industrial farming practices on cost and yield. “The farming concept/system needs to have additional benefits,” Reznek says, “community spaces, community building, soundproofing.”

While MARK is on track for completion by 2025, the urban farming aspect of it remains up in the air: “It is a vital part of the entire concept but currently under feasibility studies,” explains Reznek. He is in no doubt that a condo garden like this can happen—and be self-sustaining, too—but in the first instance, it requires an initial financial investment.

An Enhanced Sense of Community

Lakehouse’s success shows that baby steps will get you places. And while its urban farm doesn’t produce enough crops to feed residents at every meal, Brian Levitt explains it has already grown something else in abundance: community spirit.

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(Photo Credit: Priscilla du Preez/Unsplash)

“Our goal was to create an enhanced sense of community through education and access to good food that is grown on-site,” says Levitt. “It provides a way for residents to come together either to help in the garden or to cook together in the collaborative kitchen and outdoor grills.” 

Reznek agrees that community farms and gardens sow the seeds for healthy relationships, as well as sustainability: “Common spaces are the places that tie these communities together,” he says, “where you meet your neighbors, get to know them, and are more likely to share things such as food, energy, and space.”

The urban condo farm isn’t a trend just yet. But Lakehouse is a beacon of what can be achieved, while MARK Green Vertical Village is an ideal of what might. 

As residents seek sustainability, wellbeing, and community in their daily lives, expect to see the green shoots of more urban farms appearing in condos near you.

(Photo Credits: Lakehouse)

Lead Photo: Photo Credit: Chuttersnap

Ontario Greenhouse Installs Combined Heat Power

With the demand for greenhouse-grown produce continuing to increase, DelFrescoPure is consistently looking for ways to become more sustainable. "Ensuring high-quality produce is available year-round. Implementing a Cogeneration power plant is the most efficient way to achieve that goal," they say. As of fall 2021, DelFrescoPure will be increasing their pre-existing Cogen system by 6.5 MW, for a total of 10+ MW across their facilities.

Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the onsite generation of electricity from the use of natural gas. The byproducts of CHP are the heat that can be stored and used to create the desired microclimate within the greenhouse and CO2 that is used to fertilize the crops. The CHP units will additionally produce the electricity required to power the grow lights as well as the mechanical load of the facility. While electricity generation alone is typically 40% efficient in converting fuel to power, adding heat recovery to the equation can bring that efficiency to 90%, a reality that suits greenhouses well.

Year-round production
DelFrescoPure intends to use the electricity to power the lights at Via Verde Hydroponics. These grow lights allow for an extended growing season, making produce that would originally be grown in the summer available all year round. The heat harnessed by CHP will also be recycled to heat the greenhouses and meet all daily power needs. Being able to produce electricity more cost-effectively onsite also means DelFrescoPure does not have to worry about voltage fluctuation from the area maxing out the local grid. With electricity no longer being a concern DelFrescoPure is primed and ready for the 25-acre expansion currently underway.

“DelFrescoPure is excited to increase our Cogeneration Power units. We are very pleased to be working with Martin Energy again to install the new CHP technology and solutions they offer. The results from using the Cogeneration technology over the past three years have been great. We look forward to expanding the system so we can continue to provide fresh produce all year long.” said Carl Mastronardi, President of Del Fresco Produce.

Along with the financial benefits, CHP power is better for the environment. This method ensures that fewer resources are wasted and required to produce electricity. The extended growing season also reduces our carbon footprint by decreasing the need for local retailers to import high milage commodities. DelFrescoPure is taking a sustainable approach to providing consumers with the freshest items possible. CHP is perfectly suited for the greenhouse environment since it is able to harness all three attributes of the technology (electricity, heat & CO2). DelFrescoPure® will never have to worry about where their energy is coming from and can continue to expand as market demand increases.

For more information:
DelFresco Pure
www.delfrescopure.com 

7 June 2021

USDA To Invest More Than $4 Billion To Strengthen Food System

Investments Will Support Biden Administration’s

Effort to Strengthen Critical Supply Chains

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Release & Contact Info

Press Release

Release No. 0125.21

Contact: USDA Press
Email: press@usda.gov

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 – Citing lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and recent supply chain disruptions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced plans to invest more than $4 billion to strengthen critical supply chains through the Build Back Better initiative. The new effort will strengthen the food system, create new market opportunities, tackle the climate crisis, help communities that have been left behind, and support good-paying jobs throughout the supply chain. Today’s announcement supports the Biden Administration’s broader work on strengthening the resilience of critical supply chains as directed by Executive Order 14017 America's Supply Chains. Funding is provided by the American Rescue Plan Act and earlier pandemic assistance such as the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

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Secretary Vilsack was also named co-chair of the Administration’s new Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. The Task Force will provide a whole of government response to address near-term supply chain challenges to the economic recovery. The Task Force will convene stakeholders to diagnose problems and surface solutions—large and small, public or private—that could help alleviate bottlenecks and supply constraints related to the economy’s reopening after the Administration’s historic vaccination and economic relief efforts.

USDA will invest more than $4 billion to strengthen the food system, support food production, improved processing, investments in distribution and aggregation, and market opportunities. Through the Build Back Better initiative, USDA will help to ensure the food system of the future is fair, competitive, distributed, and resilient; supports health with access to healthy, affordable food; ensures growers and workers receive a greater share of the food dollar; and advances equity as well as climate resilience and mitigation. While the Build Back Better initiative addresses near- and long-term issues, recent events have exposed the immediate need for action. With attention to competition and investments in additional small- and medium-sized meat processing capacity, the Build Back Better initiative will spur economic opportunity while increasing resilience and certainty for producers and consumers alike.

“The COVID-19 pandemic led to massive disruption for growers and food workers. It exposed a food system that was rigid, consolidated, and fragile. Meanwhile, those growing, processing and preparing our food are earning less each year in a system that rewards size over all else,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The Build Back Better initiative will make meaningful investments to build a food system that is more resilient against shocks, delivers greater value to growers and workers, and offers consumers an affordable selection of healthy food produced and sourced locally and regionally by farmers and processors from diverse backgrounds. I am confident USDA’s investments will spur billions more in leveraged funding from the private sector and others as this initiative gains traction across the country. I look forward to getting to work as co-chair of the new Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and help to mobilize a whole-of-government effort to address the short-term supply challenges our country faces as it recovers.”

The Build Back Better Initiative will strengthen and transform critical parts of the U.S. food system. As it makes investments through this initiative, USDA will also seek to increase transparency and competition with attention to how certain types of conduct in the livestock markets and the meat processing sector have resulted in thinly-traded markets and unfair treatment of some farmers, ranchers and small processors. Among other investments in the food system and food supply chain, Build Back Better will specifically address the shortage of small meat processing facilities across the country as well as the necessary local and regional food system infrastructure needed to support them.

Funding announcements under the Build Back Better initiative will include a mix of grants, loans, and innovative financing mechanisms for the following priorities, each of which includes mechanisms to tackle the climate crisis and help communities that have been left behind, including:

1. Food Production: Food production relies on growers, including farmers and ranchers, workers, and critical inputs. But a diminishing share of the food dollar goes to these essential workers. USDA will invest in the current and future generation of food producers and workers throughout the food system with direct assistance, grants, training and technical assistance, and more.

2. Food Processing: The pandemic highlighted challenges with consolidated processing capacity. It created supply bottlenecks, which led to a drop in effective plant and slaughter capacity. Small and midsize farmers often struggled to compete for processing access. USDA will make investments to support new and expanded regional processing capacity.

3. Food Distribution & Aggregation: Food aggregation and distribution relies on people working together throughout the food system and having the right infrastructure to gather, move and hold the food where and when it is needed. This system was stressed during the pandemic due to long shipping distances and lack of investment in local and regional capacity. USDA will make investments in food system infrastructure that can remain resilient, flexible and responsive.

4. Markets & Consumers: The U.S. spends more on health care and less on food than any other high-income nation; yet the U.S. has higher rates of diet-related illness and a lower life expectancy than those nations. At the same time, many socially disadvantaged and small and mid-sized producers do not have equitable access to markets. USDA will support new and expanded access to markets for a diversity of growers while helping eaters access healthy foods.

USDA will continue to make announcements through the Build Back Better initiative in the months to come. Today’s announcement is in addition to the $1 billion announced last week to purchase healthy food for food-insecure Americans and build food bank capacity, putting the total announced thus far at more than $5 billion.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

#

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

SCOTLAND: Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) Vertical Farming Solutions

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CLIMATE FOR CHANGE

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IGS -produce grown in trays

With vertical farming now starting to take off around the world, one Scottish company is rapidly becoming recognized as a world leader in providing the technology required to make vertical farms flourish.

As David Farquhar, CEO at Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), explains, his company has patented several technologies that give IGS’s automated, human-free, vertical tower ‘farms’ a huge edge over the competition. There are at least three major challenges facing any company wanting to design ‘box’ systems for vertically farming plants, Farquhar explains.

“If you put plants into a sealed metal box you are putting a natural process into an unnatural housing, so you have to create the perfect weather and climate for them. This means solving three big problems,” he says.

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David Farquhar, CEO at Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS)

Most plants will tolerate 18 hours or so of sunlight a day, but as living, breathing organisms, they need a period of rest every 24 hours. Plus LED lighting, which replaces sunlight in these sealed structures, is very energy hungry. So the first challenge is how to devise and control the perfect lighting environment.

IGS solved this with several patented processes. “All the LED lights that you see around you have an inherent flicker,” Farquhar explains. This is because they use single-phase electricity. This is basically a sine wave and in the middle of each wave the current is off, so LEDs flicker 50 times a second,” he explains.

IGS’s process uses three-phase electricity and also clusters the LEDs into colours and wavelengths so that it can tune the lights to give the plants exactly, but only, what they need to optimise growth and minimise cost. “We have a worldwide patent on using all three phases of mains electricity at low voltage to power LEDs. This is a unique invention and gives us a huge advantage,” he comments.

Green light stresses plants, so the idea is not to simply deliver the equivalent of blanket sunlight throughout the growing life of the plant. By tuning the LEDs so the plants only get the wavelengths that really benefit them IGS maximises the growth potential and minimises climate impact.

“By being extremely precise and giving the plants only the parts of the spectrum they need, we can reduce the amount of power we need. So we only need 50 percent of the amount of energy that vertical farms generally require,” Farquhar says. That adds up to a very significant energy saving for the farmers.

The second big challenge comes from the fact that plants take in water, carbon and nutrients and as part of the transpiration process they ‘exhale’ warm, humid oxygen. That mix is deadly to other plants around them so the trick is to deliver the right amount of air at the right temperature and speed, while extracting the hot, humid oxygen, and then rebalancing everything in an environmentally efficient fashion.

IGS cools the oxygen and captures the condensed water vapour. Mixed with CO2 this cool air is then blown back into the tower at a temperature that offsets the unwanted heat generated by the LED lights. Because LEDs are not 100 percent efficient, only two-thirds of the energy they consume is released as light, the other third is released as heat. The sealed tower farms need to support multiple, precise microclimates so IGS’s algorithms and processes ensure that the tower farms stay at the perfect temperature for crops.

“That is our second really big invention, and that is all patented as well,” Farquhar says.

The third really big achievement in IGS’s approach is that its towers are completely automated. There are no humans in the loop. “The reason for eliminating humans from the loop is that humans can make mistakes. They can also accidentally bring pests, diseases and other contaminants into the tower environment and they add no value,” he says.

No humans mean no wages in the growth area (though some employment is needed outside), eliminating another massive cost to farmers. Bringing seed trays into the towers and removing trays of fully grown plants is done robotically.

“Our towers are powered by AI, using growth recipes, a full knowledge of the environment the plants require, the nutrients and water volumes required and so on. It knows what vegetables, root and fruit crops are on each tray, how old they are and when the tray is mature. Because of this, we do not need pesticides and we do not need to wash (and bruise) the finished crops. As a result, we virtually double the shelf life of the crops produced, which supermarkets love,” he comments.

IGS’s growth towers create zero emissions. “We have had SEPA visit our towers and they have confirmed this,” he notes.

Once the system has been installed for a vertical farm, the resulting produce is ready to be shipped as a first harvest to supermarkets in something between two and three weeks. So the system is generating cash in less than a month.

Click image to read the full report online

One tower system will create somewhere around 25 tonnes of food, depending on the crops being grown. Each tower is around nine metres tall with a 6x7m base. They are paired together which means that as a unit they will produce between 40 and 50 tonnes of food per annum.

There is a corridor between the pair for the robot to fetch and carry new and mature trays. The whole system is bio-secure with an airlock and positive air pressure inside to make it impossible for pests and diseases to contaminate the tower.

Farquhar says that IGS is already talking to property developers around Europe who are looking at erecting large multi-storey car park-like buildings to house multiple vertical towers. This will create some real scale to vertical farming and will help to give towns, cities and countries vastly improved food independence and nutritional security.

According to Farquhar, IGS’s towers are already producing several lines of seed and starter plants to populate other farms.

This in turn will go a long way towards making these local farmers independent of outside nurseries for new plantings.

Find out more at www.intelligentgrowthsolutions.com

This article appeared in The Herald COP26 report on the sustainable food sector in Scotland

Biggest Energy Uses When Shopping In-Store Vs Online

By George Nott

4 June 202

A delivery fleet can produce 73% of an online-only grocer’s total emissions, and the energy consumption of physical stores constitutes 60% of emissions for a traditional retailer, but which is greener?

Competition for the title of ‘most sustainable model’ has been hotting up as online shops and traditional bricks & mortar stores try to prove their worth to environmentally conscious consumers.

Retailers in both spaces have been innovating to cut emissions, implement sustainable alternatives and switch to renewable energy sources without compromising the customer experience.

Here, we compare the biggest emitters of each model. 

Energy use in the store model

Lighting

A 2018 study by UCL and Brunel University found UK supermarkets had “significantly improved” and reduced energy intensity in recent years. Reductions of up to 32% have been won in lighting, much of it through the use of LED lights. Iceland ploughed £8m into sales floor LED lighting in 2015, which has delivered a 50% cut in its lighting-related emissions. More recently, it has installed automatic light controls so only half are used when stores are closed to the public and none when security alarms are activated.

Refrigeration

Supermarkets use vast amount of energy on keeping everything chilled. But that energy use is falling, thanks to the advent of new technology. A 2018 analysis of 565 supermarket stores from one retailer in the UK found the amount of energy used by refrigeration had fallen by as much as 20% in the five years to 2017. Simple solutions work. M&S is using ‘aerofoils’ on open-fronted fridges, which guide cold air down more efficiently, thereby using potentially 30% less energy.

HVAC

To keep customers comfortable, supermarkets typically maintain an in-store temperature of between 18°C and 24°C. Air-con systems have to work against bakery ovens, open chillers, customer body heat, opening entry doors, and the weather. Improvements are harder fought, with energy usage by supermarket HVAC systems falling only 8% in recent years. Tesco is using AI to fine-tune its systems. “This will optimize our heating and air conditioning through predictive algorithms,” the supermarket says.

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Energy used by refrigeration fell by about 20% in the five years to 2017

Customer vehicles

Close to a third of offline retail’s carbon emissions are a result of customers individually driving from their homes to shops. The impact is more than double that of delivery vans, which make multiple deliveries, fulfilling the same amount of shopping. There are significant variables – like distance travelled. If they take public transport, walk or cycle, the emissions drop. But carrying a full basket is hardly desirable. Promisingly, Oliver Wyman predicts vehicle emissions will fall 30% by 2030.

Alternative energy

Many supermarkets are prioritizing renewable energy sources. Some have gone all out on solar energy, in particular. Aldi has around 100,000 solar panels across 400 of its UK stores and all 11 distribution centres. On average, panels power around 10% of a store’s electricity consumption each year, the discounter says. Meanwhile, M&S boasts one of the UK’s largest panel arrays at its Castle Donington DC, while Tesco recently signed a deal for 15,000 solar panels to be installed on 17 of its stores.

Energy use in the online model

Delivery vans

Vehicle emissions are responsible for the most emissions in online operations. In Ocado’s case, its fleet produces 73% of the company’s total emissions (followed by electricity at 20%).

Ocado’s proposed new Islington depot will use electric vans for customer deliveries as it works towards “operating the largest fleet of electric vans of any grocery retailer in the UK”. Restocking the site will be done using only natural gas-powered LGVs, which are up to 65% lower in emissions than diesel LGVs.

Route optimizing

The rise of online grocery has led to efficiencies thanks to the density of drop-offs that can be made by a single van. “The innovation that needs to happen, but won’t,” says Andy Needham, MD of online surplus retailer Approved Food, “is that supermarkets amalgamate deliveries so there is just one van visiting a street at any one time, instead of the current procession of an Asda van at one house, Sainsbury’s two doors down at the same time and then Tesco turning up 20 minutes later.”

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’Over-packaging’ of online orders represents 23% of total parcel weight in fashion

Packaging

Oliver Wyman found “over-packaging” of online orders represents 23% of total parcel weight in fashion, 10% in books, and 18% in consumer electronics. For online grocery, above product-level packaging is minimal. While the analysis considered the impact of carrier bags “marginal”, online grocers have been confronting the problem. In April, Tesco removed the option for plastic bags and tray liners online. Meanwhile, Ocado operates a buy-back and recycling scheme for plastic carrier bags.

IT systems

The automated picking and packing systems used by online pure-players comes at a considerable energy cost. According to Oliver Wyman, IT energy consumption amounts to 178g of CO2 equivalent emissions per product for e-commerce, totaling around a fifth of total emissions. Here physical retail – despite all the checkouts, scanners, and control systems used in the space – is undoubtedly less impactful. In stores, IT emissions stand at 115g per product or 35% less than online.

CFCs

While huge grocery CFCs or ‘dark stores’ use less energy than stores, there are still improvements to be made. Major operators are joining the supermarkets in pursuing net-zero carbon targets. Logistics company Wincanton – which operates a CFC on behalf of Waitrose – this month launched a new environmental strategy that “will achieve its target to be net zero by 2040 across transport, property and waste”. Under its plans, home deliveries will be net-zero carbon throughout its network by April 2022.

Tags: Carbon Emissions Online Packaging Store design Supermarkets Sustainability & environment

Technology

CubicFarms Announces Closing of $25.3 Million Equity Financing

CubicFarm Systems announced today the closing of its previously announced bought deal equity offering of common shares of the company. The net proceeds from the offering of approximately C$23.8 million will be used to support CubicFarms’ continued global growth, research, and development efforts to optimize machine yields, automation, and functionality, expand addressable crop varieties, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

Pursuant to the offering, the company issued a total of 18,740,742 common shares at a price of C$1.35 per common share for gross proceeds to the company of C$25,300,001, which includes the exercise, in full, by the underwriters of the over-allotment option granted by the company to purchase an additional 2,444,445 common shares at a price of C$1.35 per common share.

“We are thrilled by the overwhelming support by our global institutional shareholders, like Handelsbanken, and their confidence in our vision,” said Dave Dinesen, Chief Executive Officer, CubicFarms. “The strong demand for this bought deal financing allowed us to upsize and fully allocate the over-allotment option with the closing of $25.3 million. This financing allows us to fully capitalize on our accelerating sale pipeline growth and market-leading R&D program.”

CubicFarms completes previously announced debt reduction
CubicFarms also announced that further to its news release dated May 3, 2021, the company has completed its previously announced issuance to Business Development Bank of Canada of 128,205 common shares of the company at a deemed price of $1.56 per common share.

“We’re pleased to work with our long-term lending partner on reducing the debt associated with our C$2.5 million growth capital loan with more favorable terms for the Company,” said Dave Dinesen, CEO, CubicFarms. “This demonstrates continued confidence in our ongoing development and the growth of the Company.”

CubicFarms approves grant of options
The Company also announced today that its board of directors has approved the grant of 700,000 stock options to certain directors and officers of the company pursuant to the company’s stock option plan. The options have an exercise price of $1.47 per share, vest as to one-third n each of 12, 24, and 36 months from the date of grant, and have a 5-year term. The grant of the options is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

For more information:
CubicFarms
1-888-280-9076
info@cubicfarms.com
www.cubicfarms.com

Publication date: Fri 4 Jun 2021

Sensei Ag CEO Sonia Lo Joins Indoor Ag-Con October '21 Keynote Line-Up

‘IMPROVING HUMAN WELLNESS ONE FARM AT A TIME’

SENSEI AG CEO SONIA LO TO LEAD KEYNOTE PRESENTATION AT
IN-PERSON OCTOBER 2021 INDOOR AG-CON

Lo To Discuss Sensei Ag’s Form Factor Agnostic & Scalable Approach to Indoor Agriculture on Monday, October 4, 2021

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JUNE 3, 2021  – Sensei Ag CEO Sonia Lo will lead the Indoor Ag-Con keynote presentation, “Improving Human Wellness One Farm At A Time,” on Monday, October 4, 2021 from 11:30 am – 12:20 pm. A headliner event at the October 4-5, 2021 edition of the premier trade show and conference for the indoor | vertical farming industry at the Hilton Orlando,  Lo’s discussion will focus on Sensei Ag’s form factor agnostic approach to building and expanding indoor farms.  

Themed “Growing Your Business,” Indoor Ag-Con will give attendees the opportunity to explore new resources on the expo floor and hear from Lo, other CEOs, thought leaders and industry experts from today’s cutting-edge farms and innovative companies.

 During her presentation, Lo will share more about Sensei Ag’s mission to improve human health and wellness by transforming indoor agriculture. The company’s uniquely vertically integrated value chain -- from seed conception to store shelves -- allows it to consistently deliver nutritious produce to consumers and actionable data to farmers. She will discuss the current challenges facing the indoor farming industry and how being a form factor agnostic company is a novel and necessary approach to overcoming such obstacles.

Tapped to head Sensei Ag in 2020, Sonia brings more than 32 years of combined agriculture, technology, and business experience to her leadership role. Lo began her career in technology, building her first tech venture as CEO of eZokaGroup, a UK-based internet startup that she sold in 2002. Following eZoka, Lo founded and served as Managing Director of Chalsys LLP, an advisory and direct investment firm which has invested over $120 million in 15 global growth-stage companies. From Chalsys, Lo became the Director of Localization and Global Content for Google, Inc.

Most recently, Ms. Lo was CEO of Crop One Holdings, Inc., a vertical farming company that owns a vertical farm in Massachusetts. Crop One is also part of a joint venture with Emirates Flight Catering in Dubai which is building one of the world’s largest vertical farms.

You can learn more about Sonia Lo and her Indoor Ag-Con keynote session here.

“We are very excited to have Sonia Lo join our keynote line-up. Her incredible background and proven leadership experience, coupled with the indoor farming innovations she and her Sensei Ag team are working on, promise to inspire our attendees, “ says Brian Sullivan, co-owner, Indoor Ag-Con LLC along with other event industry veterans Nancy Hallberg and Kris Sieradzki.

ROBUST 2021 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE NOW IN DEVELOPMENT

In addition to Sonia Lo’s keynote, look for additional announcements coming soon on other CEO keynote presentations planned for the October event. The 2021 conference will also include a full roster of panel discussions, fireside chats and presentations offering a deep dive into three core tracks – Business & Marketing, Science & Technology and Alternative Crops.

The extensive educational conference will be joined by other new initiatives and show highlights, including:

NEW LOCATION: HILTON ORLANDO – DISCOUNTED HOTEL RATES, TOO

Indoor Ag-Con’s Hilton Orlando venue makes it the perfect opportunity for a business vacation. Centrally located to all major theme parks and attractions, it is just minutes from the eclectic dining scene and entertainment of International Drive. What’s more, the Hilton Orlando resort sits on more than 26 acres of lush landscaping and tropical inspirations making it a true destination of its own. Indoor Ag-Con has arranged for discounted hotel rates for attendees and exhibitors starting as low as $129/night. Complete details are available on the show website.

NEW ASSOCIATION ALLIANCES

Indoor Ag-Con is also forging new alliances with other events, industry associations/groups that will play an integral role in its marketing outreach and conference programming. Look for partnership announcements coming soon.

EXPANDED EXHIBIT FLOOR & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

The Indoor Ag-Con team is working to bring even more resources for farmers/growers to explore across all sectors – everything from IT, energy, AI, and lighting solutions to substrates, vertical farming solutions, business services, and much more. Attendees and exhibitors alike will also have even more networking opportunities with daily luncheon sessions and receptions on the show floor.

QUICK FACTS:

WHEN: Monday, October 4 – Tuesday, October 5 , 2021

WHERE: Hilton Orlando, 6001 Destination Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32819

INFO: For information on exhibiting or attending visit www.indoor.ag or email hello@indoor.ag

ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON LLC

Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the premier trade event for vertical farming | indoor agriculture, the practice of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic techniques. The next edition is slated for October 4-5, 2021 at the Hilton Orlando.  Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis |hemp, alternate protein, and non-food crops. In December 2018, three event industry professionals – Nancy Hallberg, Kris Sieradzki, and Brian Sullivan – acquired Indoor Ag-Con LLC, setting the stage for further expansion of the events globally. www. indoor.ag

ABOUT SENSEI AG

Sensei Ag is a market-changing AgTech company on a mission to solve global gaps and inconsistencies in nutrition, food safety, and food security through the transformative power of data. Guided by the incomparable capabilities and insights of our founders, technology entrepreneur and Oracle Co-Founder Larry Ellison and esteemed physician and scientist Dr. David Agus, we design, develop and deploy cutting-edge agricultural technologies to build a better, more stable food supply that is capable of feeding our entire world nutritionally-relevant, delicious, affordable meals. We are the present and the future of farming, fostering agricultural innovations that will improve and support human health and wellness for decades to come. Sensei Ag: driven by data; grounded in science; focused on wellbeing. Learn more about our innovations in agriculture by visiting our website at sensei.ag and connecting with us on LinkedIn.

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Indoor Ag-Con, 950 Scales Road, Building #200,

Suwanee, GA 30024, United States

It's Harvest Time! Yukon's 1st Off-Grid, No-Dirt, Hydroponics Farming Unit Produces Crops

The First Harvest of Crops Comes After Only 6 Weeks of Planting The First Round of Seeds

Chris MacIntyre · CBC News · Jun 06, 2021

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'It's awesome to see what you put into the project, you get out,' said Brittany Weber, the agricultural operations coordinator at the Kluane Lake Research Station. (Chris MacIntyre/CBC)

The Kluane Lake Research Station located between Haines Junction and Destruction Bay is known for its studies on climate change and the impacts it has on wildlife and the ecosystem.

Now, they're taking a look at food sustainability in the North.

It's been months of work but their off-grid hydroponic containerized farming unit is now producing leafy greens and herbs.

The first harvest of crops comes after only six weeks of planting the first round of seeds.

Brittany Weber is the agricultural operations coordinator for the research station.

And she's responsible for taking care of the crops.

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'It's kind of a bit of an optical illusion when you walk in. It's super cool,' says the station's agricultural operations coordinator, Brittany Weber. (Chris MacIntyre/CBC)

"We grow plants without the use of dirt," she explained.

"Instead we use this nutrient-rich water solution. Using pumps and gravity, we wash the water over the roots of the plants and that provides them with everything they need.

Weber says because the system is containerized it is a controlled environment so pesticides and herbicides aren't used.

Inside the container

The unit is 8 by 40 feet and can hold up to 2,800 mature plants and 1,000 seedlings.

"We have six shelves going all the way from the floor to the ceiling," said Weber during the tour of the unit.

Entering into the container is described as an optical illusion.

"The trays are actually sloped so you'll stand there and see the next tray in the back row and it'll be a foot off of the first tray but really that's the gravity so the water can flow naturally down these trays," Weber said.

The plants are arranged in a "cascading of age".

The front of the container holds the big greens while the back of the unit will have the newly planted seedlings.

"You'll be able to see the different life cycles of the plants," Weber said.

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A look inside of the off-grid hydroponic containerized farming unit. (Chris MacIntyre/CBC)

The entrance of the container has been made into a processing area called an Arctic entrance.

This allows the vegetables and greens to be processed in freezing temperatures, without worrying about frostbite or losing any leaves.

"We have a little bit of a processing area called an arctic entrance,"

Harvesting the crops

Approximately 350 plants will be harvested next week.

Produce include kale, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, basil, cilantro, and dill.

Henry Penn, manager of the research station and the project lead, says the next step is to get the produce out into the community.

"The plan for the first number of harvests, they will be gathered up into a few small sample bags," Penn said.

"We'll be bringing them to locations around the Kluane region and offering them up to anyone that would like one free of charge."

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'People are more than welcome to come by the Kluane Lake Research Station and have a tour, see the facility and learn all about the project,' said manager Henry Penn. (Chris MacIntyre/CBC)

The goal behind this is to let people try the product, understand how it is grown, and to provide feedback on what sort of produce is needed and wanted in the community.

Penn says now that the project is up and running, the public is invited to visit the station and see how everything works in person.

"People are more than welcome to come by the Kluane Lake Research Station and have a tour, see the facility and learn all about the project," Penn said.

Shipping Container Farm by CropBox

Lead photo: Yukon's first off-grid hydroponic containerized farming unit. This unit can hold up to 2,800 mature plants. (Chris MacIntyre/CBC)

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