2020 Sustainability Report Highlights AppHarvest’s Impact

On A Mission To Redefine Agriculture

Titled “Feed the Future,” our 2020 Sustainability Report is now available for view and outlines our efforts to create positive environmental change in agriculture, empower employees and improve the communities in which we operate. 

“Resiliency is at the core of our beliefs at AppHarvest because farming as we’ve known it is broken and not sustainable for the planet,” said Founder & CEO Jonathan Webb. “We’re solving for the variables that make our food system unreliable, such as extreme weather, droughts, fire or contamination. Our team built one of the world’s largest facilities in the midst of a global pandemic.” 

This Earth Day, we’re detailing our progress toward three distinct impact goals as we work to establish a reliable, climate-resilient domestic food supply: 

Drive positive environmental change in agriculture: Our first high-tech indoor farm grows more with fewer resources and contributes to a climate-resilient, domestic food supply. With our strategic location in Central Appalachia, we can reach 70% of the U.S. population within a day’s drive. The location reduces diesel used for transportation as much as 80% compared to produce trucked from Mexico or the Southwest of the U.S. Our operations are also designed to use 90% less water than open-field agriculture with 100% recycled rainwater, zero chemical pesticides, and zero agricultural runoff. 

Empower individuals in Appalachia: To us, ‘empowering individuals’ means creating a life-changing experience for employees and their families. As of March 31, 2021, we have created 500 jobs with 100% of employees verified to be paid a living wage plus a comprehensive benefits package that is considered best-in-class in the agriculture sector. We also make each employee a stakeholder in the company’s success by providing equity-based incentives. 

Improve the communities in which we operate: Our plans call for more than tripling our investment in Appalachia to reach almost $1 billion in capital invested by 2025. We're also working with Eastern Kentucky high schools to incorporate AgTech curriculum and provide high-tech container farms that offer students a hands-on opportunity to grow their own food and learn about nutrition. In fact, we opened another container farm today. Read more below. 

“Consumers are more educated than ever, and they use that knowledge to support organizations, like AppHarvest, that have the best interests of all stakeholders in mind by putting people and planet first,” said AppHarvest President David Lee. 

The complete Sustainability Report can be downloaded here. 

“When You Start Growing Upwards, There’s More To Consider Than Verticality”

“Vertical farming technology has really focused on the utilization of the vertical space," says David Kessler, Chief Science Officer at Agrify. "To that end, the environmental management is left to the operator who needs to choose a system and integrate it cohesively; this is a major undertaking. Agrify has a systems-engineered solution to enable vertical growing without needing to figure out all the other obstacles." 

The Massachusetts-based company manufactures the Agrify Vertical Farming Unit (VFU), a stackable, multi-tiered cultivation chamber designed to increase yields while improving harvest consistency and quality. Also delivering on improved biosecurity and environmental control over the crop, a single unit has two tiers, and three units can be stacked for six total levels of canopy.

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According to David, the transition towards taller vertical farms has made environmental control difficult as the high planting density increases total transpiration and the height of the building results in air temperature stratification. The Agrify VFU is an enclosed cultivation chamber and is monitored and controlled remotely using Agrify’s software. This enclosed climate-controlled design affords operators enhanced environmental management, and is one of the key features distinguishing the Agrify VFU from other vertical racking systems, according to David.

While the VFU was specifically designed for cannabis and hemp production, Agrify first began by producing leafy greens, which David says allowed the company to accrue significant experience in optimizing the environment to increase production.

“When you’re growing leafy greens as opposed to high-value medicinal herbs, the profit margins are quite slim. This form of economics sharpened our swords and forced us to become experts at controlling cultivation environments, with a keen eye towards production costs,” says David.

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Smart design for grower safety
Occupational safety is an increasingly important subject in vertical farming, specifically in tall installations relying on manual labor. Scissor lifts are common in the horticultural industry but can be precarious when used in tight spaces at full extension. With vertical farming pushing the boundaries on height, it is important that employees’ safety be prioritized. According to David, Agrify has designed its farming units with employees in mind by incorporating an integrated catwalk into the system’s design and ensuring that its units can be solidly connected.

“When you start growing upwards, moving all of that biomass is cumbersome and can reduce workflow efficiency while increasing risk to employees. Our cultivation chambers are roughly 4’ by 8’ by 9.5’ tall and can be stacked side-by-side with a catwalk in between. This gives employees more safety and flexibility to work standing or sitting,” says David.

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Automation in the Agrify VFU
According to David, the Agrify VFU is automated to control irrigation, fertigation, sanitation processes, lighting, humidity control, etc. The VFU control system also allows growers to collect roughly 100 data points per chamber per hour and a minimum of 850,000 data points per year. Features in the software then allow the grower to run daily analyses both within and between chambers. David explains that having enclosed chambers also facilitate this data collection and use as growers can implement different growing conditions in different chambers then compare the resulting outcomes to determine the best production conditions.

Moving forward, Agrify is looking to integrate cameras, artificial intelligence and machine learning into its systems to enable the consistent recreation of precise environmental conditions and proactive crop management.

“We believe that the future will not necessarily be in autonomous production but in computer-aided production. Machine vision will allow 24/7 crop monitoring rather than the typical weekly pest scouting, as an example. With our software, we’re capturing the data as well as providing the tools to analyze it and act on it.

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For more information:
David Kessler, CSO
Agrify Corp.
David.kessler@agrify.com 
www.agrify.com 

23 Apr 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com

USA: NEW JERSEY - AeroFarms Expands Global Headquarters To Support Growth And Innovation

April 23, 2021

Indoor vertical farming leader continues commitment to Newark as it expands presence within the community

Co-Founder & CEO David Rosenberg recognized as ROI-NJ Top Technology Influencer

AeroFarms, a certified B Corporation and leader in indoor vertical farming, today announced that the Company has received its certificate of occupancy for expansion of its global headquarters in Newark, New Jersey. To support its corporate expansion, AeroFarms recently completed the build-out of an additional 25,000 square feet at its headquarters for new office space and more expansive R&D and Innovation Centers of Excellence.

In 2015, AeroFarms partnered closely with the City of Newark and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), to relocate its headquarters to Newark from the Finger Lakes region of New York with the goal of creating more than 75 year-round jobs in the local community. Today, AeroFarms employs in Newark more than 150 team members, and the Company is delivering on its vision of not only serving the broader New York metro area but also serving as the global epicenter for large scale commercial indoor vertical farming and the latest in breakthrough proprietary technologies addressing some of the world’s most pressing agricultural challenges.

AeroFarms has been leading the way for innovation and technology breakthroughs since its inception and will continue to build on this legacy through continued R&D and infrastructure to maintain its leadership position as the Company scales. Earlier this week, AeroFarms Co-Founder and CEO David Rosenberg was recognized as a Top Technology Influencer by New Jersey media outlet ROI-NJ, further demonstrating the Company’s leadership in technology and innovation.

"New Jersey and Newark have been the perfect home for AeroFarms to recruit the best talent for horticulture, engineering, data science, operations, and food safety enabling us to reimagine agriculture in the Garden State," said Rosenberg. "We are scaling farms around the world, partnering closely with major multi-national retailers, and our newly expanded global headquarters will be a showcase for our transformative work and innovation that will further drive our mission to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity."

AeroFarms has a long history of community involvement, including partnering with Ironbound Community Corporation and NJ Reentry Program, which offers career opportunities to those previously incarcerated. In addition, AeroFarms has made an impact with its Community Farms, working with partners such as Newark-based Philips Academy Charter School and their EcoSpaces program. The Company also partnered with the City of Jersey City and the World Economic Forum’s Healthy Cities and Communities initiative for the first-ever municipal indoor vertical farming program, consisting of ten vertical farms throughout Jersey City located in senior centers, schools, public housing complexes, and municipal buildings. The ten sites will grow 19,000 pounds of vegetables annually, using targeted aeroponics water mist and minimal electricity, and the food will be provided to the community for no cost.

About AeroFarms

Since 2004, AeroFarms has been leading the way for indoor vertical farming and championing transformational innovation for agriculture. On a mission to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity, AeroFarms is a Certified B Corporation Company with global headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, United States. Named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company two years in a row and one of TIME’s Best Inventions, AeroFarms patented, award-winning indoor vertical farming technology provides the perfect conditions for healthy plants to thrive, taking agriculture to a new level of precision, food safety, and productivity while using up to 95% less water and no pesticides versus traditional field farming. AeroFarms enables local production to safely grow all year round for its commercial retail brand that offers peak flavor always®. In addition, through its proprietary growing technology platform, AeroFarms has developed multi-year strategic partnerships ranging from government to major Fortune 500 companies to help uniquely solve agriculture supply chain needs. For additional information, visit: https://aerofarms.com/.

On March 26, 2021, AeroFarms announced a definitive business combination agreement with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: SV). Upon the closing of the business combination, AeroFarms will become publicly traded on Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol "ARFM". Additional information about the transaction can be viewed here: https://aerofarms.com/investors/

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction in connection with a proposed potential business combination among Spring Valley and AeroFarms or any related transactions, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction where, or to any person to whom, such offer, solicitation or sale may be unlawful. Any offering of securities or solicitation of votes regarding the proposed transaction will be made only by means of a proxy statement/prospectus that complies with applicable rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or pursuant to an exemption from the Securities Act or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "would," "plan," "predict," "potential," "seem," "seek," "future," "outlook," and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this presentation, regarding Spring Valley’s proposed acquisition of AeroFarms, Spring Valley’s ability to consummate the transaction, the benefits of the transaction, and the combined company’s future financial performance, as well as the combined company’s strategy, future operations, estimated financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of the respective management of AeroFarms and Spring Valley and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of AeroFarms and Spring Valley. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political, and legal conditions; the inability of the parties to successfully or timely consummate the proposed transaction, including the risk that any regulatory approvals are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed transaction or that the approval of the stockholders of Spring Valley or AeroFarms is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction; risks relating to the uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to AeroFarms; risks related to the expansion of AeroFarms’ business and the timing of expected business milestones; the effects of competition on AeroFarms’ business; the ability of Spring Valley or AeroFarms to issue equity or equity-linked securities or obtain debt financing in connection with the proposed transaction or in the future, and those factors discussed in Spring Valley’s final prospectus dated November 25, 2020 under the heading "Risk Factors," and other documents Spring Valley has filed, or will file, with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither Spring Valley nor AeroFarms presently knows, or that Spring Valley nor AeroFarms currently believe are immaterial, that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Spring Valley’s and AeroFarms’ expectations, plans, or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. Spring Valley and AeroFarms anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause Spring Valley’s and AeroFarms’ assessments to change. However, while Spring Valley and AeroFarms may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Spring Valley and AeroFarms specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Spring Valley’s and AeroFarms’ assessments of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210423005283/en/

Contacts

AeroFarms Contacts
Investor Relations:
Jeff Sonnek
ICR
Jeff.Sonnek@icrinc.com
1-646-277-1263

Media Relations:
Marc Oshima
AeroFarms
MarcOshima@AeroFarms.com
1-917-673-4602

10 New Trends In CEA In 2021 And Beyond

22-04-2021 | Agritecture

The world of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is continuing to develop at an accelerated rate. In line with Agritecture’s mission “to accelerate climate-smart agriculture strategies,” we’ve decided to share our top predictions for the future of CEA for 2021 and beyond.

This post is a follow-up to Agritecture’s post on the “10 New Trends In Hydroponics: What To Expect In 2017 And Beyond”.

Here are our top 10 predictions:

#1: Strawberries

In a sea of vertical farmers producing leafy greens, we’ve noticed sights shifting to strawberry production. While strawberries were initially difficult to produce given on-the-ground concerns like pests, fungal diseases, and weeding, growing vertically has allowed for easier harvesting and limited damage to the fruit. According to Agritecture’s Founder & CEO, Henry Gordon-Smith, “Strawberries are the hot new product for indoor growers because they can charge a lot for the best ones, they’re desired year-round, and the freshness and flavor are very noticeable,” being made more achievable by vertical farming.

https://www.oishii.com/

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Image sourced from Oishii

As of late last year, Driscoll’s and Plenty announced a partnership to grow strawberries indoors. We’re seeing increasing interest in high-quality strawberries with Oishii Berry’s $50m Series A fundraising for bee-assisted, carbon-neutral strawberry cultivation. In response to this growing interest, Agritecture’s Director of Operations, Yara Nagi, comments that “there is an interesting opportunity for growing strawberries hydroponically, especially for countries that import a majority of their strawberries. In order for strawberries to be exported to another country, they typically have to be harvested early. So, being able to grow them locally and in a controlled environment translates to better quality strawberries with a longer shelf-life. Other than the fact that growing strawberries hydroponically has become more and more efficient, the price point for strawberries can be relatively high when compared to other products grown in an indoor environment.”

Contact Agritecture today to request a feasibility study for your strawberry vertical farming business idea.

#2: Breeding Seeds For Vertical Farms

As of recently, we’ve noticed a growing interest in breeding seeds for vertical farms. In February 2021, Kalera acquired Vindara Inc., a company developing non-GMO seeds for vertical indoor farms. Kasveista’s story of producing high-quality seeds and seedlings of open-source varieties for vertical farming similarly showcases this change in the industry.

Agritecture’s Lead Agronomist, David Ceaser, comments that “to date, crops grown in vertical farms have been grown using plant genetics developed for outdoor or greenhouse production.  Environmental conditions in vertical farms are quite different from those environments, and so, plants respond differently. As genetics for vertical farms are developed, yields of current crops will improve greatly, and new crops will be successfully introduced into the vertical farm platform.” 

#3: Fully Automated Vertical Farms

If you know anything about vertical farming, you know that labor is expensive and that this form of intensive agriculture requires highly skilled labor. According to Gordon-Smith, “new fully automated vertical farms are emerging” to respond to this labor challenge. He questions whether they will actually work, given that costs are high and the technology is new. Does this development in vertical farming mean fewer jobs or a more skilled workforce? Fully automated vertical farms are inevitable but will they pay off? 

In September 2020, Agritecture’s new equipment partner, Urban Crop Solutions, launched their Module-X Automated Vertical Farm.

#4: Floating Farms

It’s always a struggle to find open space for agriculture in built-up urban areas. In recent years, we’ve seen abandoned and unused spaces converted into urban farms. So, why not take farming to the waters too? While it may not seem like the most sensible place to run a farm, it severely reduces food miles and pollution caused by the transportation of food. 

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Image sourced from Oceanix

Aqua Ark is a company that has taken to the waters to create Amphibious Homes that integrate floating wetlands for food production. Oceanix is a similar company that creates modular and self-sustaining communities on the water for people who want to live sustainably across the nexus of energy, water, food, and waste. The Floating Farm in Rotterdam is a project designed “for a future where rising sea levels mean that farmland is increasingly out of action due to flooding”.

To learn more, check out Agritecture Studios, where ‘floating cities’ is a challenging area within our inaugural cohort of architects.

#5: New Financing Options For CEA Startups

Financing for CEA operations is incredibly challenging. These capital-intensive projects require a robust business plan, strong management team, and access to capital to ensure on-time delivery of construction. Within the last year, we’ve seen SPACs be the latest means for private companies to raise capital. For startups, SPACs aren’t exactly the best route. “A new wave of investment and crowdfunding platforms are providing startups with alternative access to capital,” says Agritecture’s Director of Business Development, Jeffrey Landau.

Through Agritecture Designer, we have a partnership with several of these financing vehicles whereby our software users can access unique discounts and other benefits with these platforms.

#6: Labor Bottlenecks

According to Agritecture’s Director of Business Development, Jeffrey Landau, “the number of greenhouses and vertical farms is growing rapidly. Yet, the number of trained professionals with CEA operating experience is not keeping up with this increasing demand. Agritecture has been working with Cornell University through a National Science Foundation and Agriculture and Food Research Initiative grant to study solutions to this challenge.”

In production systems, workloads often arrive too quickly for the production process and labor to manage. Although seemingly a small problem, the inefficiencies brought about can create delays and result in higher production costs. As a result, we need a highly trained workforce and more workforce development programs for CEA growers. 

#7: Singapore, The New Hub For Urban Agriculture

As a country that imports over 90% of its fresh produce and has severe land scarcity limiting its agricultural options, Singapore was in serious need of CEA. This changed when the Government launched the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. The objective is to develop 200ha of high-rise greenery by 2050, incentivize developers to include urban farms in their developments, integrate farming in mixed-use districts, and encourage the adoption of technologically advanced infrastructure and smart systems. Today, they have the best funding and planning in the sector.

https://citiponics.com/

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Image sourced from Citiponics

Citiponics is one of Singapore’s first hydroponic rooftop farms, located on top of a carpark, a structure that services almost every neighborhood in Singapore. Sustenir Agriculture is another company farming in Singapore, creating indoor vertical farms that can retrofit into existing buildings. Natsuki’s Garden is another example of successful CEA operations in Singapore. It’s a greenhouse in the center of the city, occupying reused space in a former schoolyard. 

Learn more about Singapore’s efforts here. Additionally, Agritecture recently wrote about several other cities that are paving the way for urban agriculture to thrive here. 

#8: Architecture

The global pandemic continues to reshape our relationship with food. Challenged by a lack of food access and the declining retail real estate market, individuals have taken a new interest in growing their own food, in the comfort of their own homes. This interest in bringing food production closer to people’s homes is empowering architects to transcend the boundaries of traditional food production to integrate urban agriculture and AgTech into cities. This innovative step will help solve food supply and food access quandaries globally. 

Agritecture Studios is working to empower architects to continue on this mission and be key stakeholders in shaping our food-secure futures.

#9: “Alternative Products” x CEA

https://www.smallhold.com/

Image sourced from Smallhold

CEA has a rap for only growing leafy greens. However, several commercial growers have scaled up recently to produce a variety of other specialty crops, including Smallhold (mushrooms), We Are The New Farmers (spirulina), Ynsect (insects), and Pure Salmon (aquaculture).

AgFunderNews groups all of these producers under the category of “novel farming” in their annual funding reports. Per their most recent report, novel farming startups raised more than $1.3B in private investment in 2020, a 16x increase from 2015.

#10: Rise Of Energy Producing Commercial Greenhouses

The high energy use in controlled environment agricultural operations has been a cause for concern from the beginning. Commercial greenhouses, in particular, are reshaping how we think of energy by producing it themselves. ClearVue Technologies installed their energy-generating photovoltaic glazing panels on the world-first clear solar glass greenhouse. TSO Greenhouses is another AgriTech company with the primary objective of maximizing greenhouse light management. There is a lot more research happening here at the university level to investigate some of the tradeoffs between upfront cost, maintenance, energy production, and crop yields. Wide-spread commercial adoption will be multiple years away - but is it 3 years or 10+ years?

There’s no doubt that there’s more to come for the CEA industry. Here at Agritecture, we are constantly combing through the latest research papers, new technology releases, and industry trends to ensure that our clients and software users are able to get creative, build a competitive advantage, but still have realistic goals. Build your first urban farm model today, or get in touch with us to see how we help organizations around the world plan smarter through custom services.

Source and Photo Courtesy of Agritecture

USA: TEXAS - Iron Ox Breaks Ground On New Robotic Growing Facility In Lockhart

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By FOX 7 Austin Digital Team

April 22, 2021

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California-based company Iron Ox held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Lockhart facility in partnership with the Economic Development Corporation of Lockhart. (City of Lockhart)

LOCKHART, Texas - A new robotic growing facility is expected to bring over 100 jobs to the city of Lockhart.

Iron Ox, a California-based company that specialized in robotics and AI-enabled farming with a mission to solve food insecurity, has begun construction on a 535,000 square-foot indoor hydroponic farm in the city.

Once completed, the farm, which sits on 25 acres of agricultural land, will significantly increase Iron Ox’s growing capacity for fresh, clean, and healthy herbs, leafy greens, berries, and vine crops, says the company. The state-of-the-art indoor facility will be fully dedicated to growing techniques harnessing the power of robotics and intelligence, enabling Iron Ox to grow sustainable, local produce to serve the Texas community.

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Iron Ox, a California-based company that specialized in robotics and AI-enabled farming with a mission to solve food insecurity, has begun construction on a 535,000-square-foot indoor hydroponic farm in the city. (City of Lockhart)

The company says that Lockhart is an ideal location for greenhouse agriculture given its ample sunlight, central location near many cities, and it’s proximity to several great universities.

The indoor farm is expected to cost over $10 million to develop, says Iron Ox, with 275,000 square feet of the project anticipated to be completed by the end of this year and 260,000 square feet of the project anticipated to complete by the beginning of 2022. In total, the project will create over 100 jobs.

"The addition of Iron Ox to the Lockhart business community represents synergy between our city’s storied history in agriculture and our growing technology sector," said Lockhart Mayor Lew White in a release. "The food and beverage processing industry is one of four business sectors Lockhart has targeted in its 5-year economic growth plan. Our city’s unique advantages align perfectly with the needs of companies like Iron Ox."

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Lockhart Mayor Lew White (left) and Iron Ox co-founder and CEO Brandon Alexander stand next to a concept drawing of the new Iron Ox facility being built in Lockhart. (City of Lockhart)

Iron Ox expects to complete their first harvest and to begin delivering sustainable, local produce to select chefs and retailers throughout Texas by the end of this year. It is anticipated that Lockhart’s hydroponic facility will grow thousands of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. Each crop type is cared for by Iron Ox’s expert growers and empowered by a robotic growing process ensuring year-round consistency, quality, and flavor says the company.

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"We have made it our mission to address food security by developing autonomous greenhouses that grow a variety of local and consistently delicious food for everyone", said Iron Ox CEO and co-founder Brandon Alexander. "We’re excited to begin development of our newest indoor farm here in Lockhart—our first out-of-state facility. We look forward to further developing ties to the local community and to expanding our partnerships and distribution channels throughout the state of Texas."

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Iron Ox co-founder and CEO Brandon Alexander addresses people at the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Iron Ox facility in Lockhart. (City of Lockhart)

Focused on sustainable, scalable food production for a changing climate and an ever-growing population, the Iron Ox process eases the growing pressure of food waste and labor scarcity by providing a stable supply of fresh, nutritious food for local communities, says the company.

Iron Ox says it designed its growing system around the sun, an approach that uses less energy than other modern forms of farming. Their hydroponic growing system uses 90% less water over traditional farming while growing 30 times the amount of crops per acre of land, allowing Iron Ox to deliver on its mission to increase access to premium produce for everyone.

Iron Ox currently operates two hydroponic farms located in Gilroy and San Carlos, California.

Affinor Growers To Enter Aruban Market With Circular Farming Systems

Green Cash Crop Funds

Leafy Greens Growth

Affinor Growers Inc. is nearly ready to plant its first seedlings and begin showcasing its vision of sustainable agriculture for a ten-year period. The company recently announced its lease agreement for a 15,000-square foot greenhouse. 

The land is located in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and is reportedly divided between a 15,000-square foot greenhouse operation and a 12,000-square foot composting facility. With the Canadian spring beginning its transition into summer, Affinor Growers Inc. is looking forward to planting its first crops in the greenhouse by July 2021.

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The new greenhouse site 

Cannabis cuts profit margins differences
According to CEO and founder Nick Brusatore, the greenhouse will use vertical production techniques to maximize space efficiency in the greenhouse. The company currently plans to grow strawberries under one greenhouse bay, romaine lettuce under another bay, and eventually have a craft cannabis operation in another section. Affinor Growers is currently building out and getting ready to submit its craft cannabis license application to Health Canada but is content to begin with food crops for the time being. As Nick explains, his main goal in growing cannabis is to showcase sustainable production techniques and to increase the profitability of the entire system.

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“We want to sustain our strawberry and romaine production, but food crops typically have lower margins. The high price of cannabis will allow us to grow even more strawberries and romaine lettuce by washing out the differences between profit margins. That way, we can deliver our products to the market at a good price and high quality.”

Greenhouse features
Continuing in its systems approach to agriculture, Affinor Growers Inc. also plans to reduce waste by composting organic materials and remediating its growing material. Altogether, the greenhouse and composting operation will allow the company to pursue its vision of high-quality, low-cost food production in a circular manner. 

The greenhouse will also be completely automated, allowing the company to reduce labor costs by eliminating the need to move plants and materials manually. As Nick explains, the time between removing a crop from the greenhouse and replacing it with a new one takes a few minutes, as the plants are cut in the cooler and the soil replanted with new seedlings before being sent back into the greenhouse. 

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Vertically stacked cannabis 

Entering Aruban market
While the 15,000-square foot greenhouse is located in British Columbia, the company is planning to take its vision into new markets and will begin with Aruba, according to Nick.

Nick explained that after having worked with the people and incorporating Vertical Designs Aruba VBA along with understanding the Country and Government needs after six years learning what is needed to mass-produce plant tissue, he has become attached to the country and has seen the need for circular farming systems. Affinor Growers Inc. will reportedly be building a farm near San Nicholas, in the southern region of Aruba.

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Affinor Growers Inc. wants to work with Arubans to provide good jobs and economic benefits to the area. If all goes as Nick hopes, this project and others like it could increase tourism on Aruba’s southern side. Nick also explained that cannabis production is a possibility pending success in licensing application once the country’s laws and licensing are complete, this strategic move that will benefit agricultural capabilities in the long-term through the construction of infrastructure.

“We figured we would grow cannabis because the demand s high, so we can easily build-out. As the cannabis demand settles down globally over the next 5-10 years, the industry will have paid for massive food infrastructure without the government or taxpayers paying for it. In Aruba, we’re going to take a lot of that profit to create food infrastructure,” says Nick.

For more information:

Nick Brusatore, Founder and CEO

Affinor Growers

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nick@affinorgrowers.com

www.affinorgrowers.com

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Publication date: Thu 22 Apr 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com

Green Bronx Machine’s New TV Series on PBS/WNET In Partnership With NYC Schools

I’m so proud of Green Bronx Machine’s new TV series on PBS/WNET in partnership with NYC Schools. In fact, the New York State Education Department has been showcasing our content. Even the new Chancellor of New York City Department of Education has seen the show! Have you?

WATCH THE EPISODES!

Stay tuned for more episodes in the coming weeks, with characters like Bobby the Bear, Sammy the Shark, and General Sequoia! And a very special episode in which the one and only Mr. Met teaches me how to dance!

Every episode has a Big Word Alert, and we’d love to hear yours — give us some feedback about the show so far.

I’m excited to read your thoughts, and I’m even more excited for you to watch the new episodes on April 28th, May 5th, May 10th, and May 11th!

With love, your pal, 

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Brief: UAE’s Madar Farms Partners With UK Vertical Farming Startup IGS

April 22, 2021

Lauren Manning

• UK vertical farming tech provider Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS) has partnered with Madar Farms, which cultivates a variety of indoor crops with the objective of enhancing food security in the Middle East. [Disclosure: IGS has received investment from AgFunder, which is AFN‘s parent company.]

• The Abu Dhabi-based startup aims to address local water scarcity by using IGS’ plug-and-play vertical farming platform, allowing it to grow leafy greens and herbs before expanding to other crop types.

• Madar Farms is installing five of IGS’ Growth Towers, providing a growing space of 1,500 square meters. with the capacity to produce up to 30 tons of crop each year.

Why it matters:

Much of the Middle East experiences high daytime temperatures and little rain, making it a challenging environment for crop cultivation. Indoor farming has emerged as a possible solution for increasing plant production in the region without overburdening an already severely limited water supply.

Covid-19 and shifting regional relations have put agrifoodtech top of mind for the UAE – read more here

INTELLIGENT GROWTH SOLUTIONS - BEST LOGO .png year, the UAE announced a $100 million investment in indoor farming to tackle the fact that it imports 80% of the food that residents consume. Madar Farms was among four startups included in the project alongside US vertical farm operator AeroFarms – which just announced a SPAC deal that’ll see it go public – Dubai-based fertilizer firm RNZ, and US irrigation provider Responsive Drip.

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[Webinar] How I Did It - Fireside Chat - Farmbox Greens

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APRIL 28, 2021 | 2-3 PM EDT

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 In 2010, Dan Albert began laying the groundwork for what would become Farmbox Greens, a Seattle-based vertical farm growing specialty produce for retail and foodservice customers.

 In 2016, Farmbox was acquired by a regional produce company and Dan went on to scale Farmbox to serve customers in the Northwest and beyond.

Join us for a fun “Fireside Chat” as Indoor Ag-Con’s Content Chair Jim Pantaleo sits down with Dan to discuss this great success story—from the farm’s early days to those first meetings with potential restaurant customers to making the connection with Charlie’s Produce.

Jim and Dan will also talk about Dan’s

newest role as Vice President of

Plant Performance with Unfold.

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Urban Crop Solutions Appoints New Global Sales Director

Urban Crop Solutions is pleased to announce the appointment of Filip Meeuws as their new Global Sales Director. Having spent over 25 years in horticulture equipment, Filip brings invaluable experience in the international sale of turnkey projects.

Establishing the feasibility of a vertical farming project that may be the first of its kind in a location is no easy feat. That is why Urban Crop Solutions has built a free feasibility calculator into its sales strategy. Filip remarks that “I truly like Urban Crop Solutions’ transparent approach, focused on hard facts and figures. There is alignment across the entire team in that we do not want to make a sale and wash our hands. We want to set our customers up for success and be with them, long after their first harvest. That is very different from traditional sales, but also fulfilling to achieve”. 

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Filip Meeuws

With a background in the export and installation of tree nurseries, automated greenhouses, and horticulture projects across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and North America – Filip is well accustomed to dealing with multiple markets and their specific needs. He moreover possesses technical knowledge of a diverse range of solutions.

Onto the question of why vertical farming, Filip responds “because it’s forward-thinking and innovative – and a challenge. There is a huge difference between selling a system that is already established, and that of something so brand new. In that respect, vertical farming is a whole different ball game, and the role comes with a lot of responsibility”. Referring in particular to Urban Crop Solutions’ new ModuleX Plant Factory – their scalable modular system with a labor efficient BenchCarousel – Filip adds “this technology has the potential to totally change the game for the indoor vertical farming industry, and I’m excited to be a part of its global roll-out”. 

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For more information:
Urban Crop Solutions
Grote Heerweg 67, 8791 Beveren-Leie (Waregem), Belgium
800 Brickell Avenue 1100 Suite, Miami (FL 33131), USA
+32 56 96 03 06
info@urbancropsolutions.com
sales@urbancropsolutions.com
urbancropsolutions.com 

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23 Apr 2021

This Is What The Future of Farming Looks Like

Why Grow Plants Horizontally When You Can Grow Them Vertically?

What do most people think of when imagining a farm? Typically: Acres upon acres of crops, fed by an extensive irrigation system, with tons of pesticides and heavy machinery— in other words, an image of modern farming that’s simply dated. Today’s most technically advanced farms don’t require nearly as much water or chemicals and take up just a fraction of the footprint. How? The answer is simple: Vertical farming. Specifically, the brand new Greenery S hydroponic system by Freight Farms.

Vertical farming is nothing less than exactly what it sounds like. As opposed to spreading crops out along the ground, beds are effectively turned on their side, and grown on vertical panels. This isn’t exactly new; some of the earliest indigenous farmers would plant crops on layered terraces to achieve similar results. But the modern form of vertical farming is barely two decades old. While it’s proven hyper-efficient, the technological cost of entry has also traditionally proven to be high, requiring expensive lights, temperature and irrigation control systems, and enormous amounts of electricity — to say nothing of capital. Until now.

Enter Freight Farms, a fully-functional farm in a 40-foot container. Launched in 2011, Freight Farms’ mission is to build accessible, modular vertical farming technology that empowers anyone to grow fresh, healthy food in their local communities — wherever that may be. While industrial farms tend to rely on GMO seeds, extensive pesticides, and centralized distribution systems, Freight Farms has worked tirelessly to cram 2.5 acres worth of farmable land into a 320-square-foot shipping container that can be placed almost anywhere and scaled up (or down) to meet your individual needs. Whether you’re a small restaurant looking to grow your own vegetables, an entrepreneur looking to bring fresh food to a food desert, or even just a homestead hobbyist, the Greenery S by Freight Farms is here to make your vertical farm aspirations a reality.

Freight Farms brings a decade of experience to the Greenery S. The Greenery S uses 99% less water than traditional industrial farm systems, mainly because you don’t need to worry about losing so much water to evaporation over acres and acres of land. Furthermore, the Greenery S has built-in temperature controls that make farming viable year-round, with a minimum temperature of -40 degrees Fahrenheit and a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. And with over five hundred supported crop varieties, you can throw out your hardiness zone map and grow pretty much whatever you want, wherever you want.

Besides being far more cost-effective than purchasing, tilling, planting, irrigating, and harvesting multiple acres of land, Freight Farms also uses data to help you get the most out of your yield. The proprietary farmhand® software integration gives operators complete automation and control over their grow operations. The software connects hundreds of farmers and is constantly compiling data from them to help you better manage your own crops based on learnings from the entire Freight Farms network.

The Greenery S is available now, to everyone. Whether you’re a seasoned farmer looking to scale out your operation or you’re simply looking for an exciting new business opportunity, Freight Farms’ intelligent automation and exceptional design can transform any small space into a commercial-scale farm. Head here to learn more and reserve yours now.

Lead Image: Image by Freight Farms

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Futurism fans: This post was paid for by Freight Farms and was written by non-editorial staff. This content does not necessarily reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.

As a Futurism reader, we invite you to join the Singularity Global Community, our parent company’s forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. It’s free to join, sign up now!

Unfold Expands, Adds Research Facility For Vertical Farming

By INDUSTRY PRESS RELEASE

April 15, 2021

Unfold, a company that combines leading seed genetics with crop growing and agronomic expertise to advance the vertical farming industry welcomes Minos Athanassiadis as a company advisor and breaks ground on its new state-of-the-art R&D vertical farm facility in Davis, California.

Minos Athanassiadis, one of the foremost leaders in the produce space, working at brands such as Dole Fresh Vegetables, Underwood Ranches, and Fresh Link Group, will leverage his expertise to help Unfold develop products of value to produce retailers and consumers.

“Consumer demands are propelling changes in the food supply that are safe, transparent, personalized, and sustainable,” said Athanassiadis. “As an advisor to Unfold, I look forward to working with their fast-growing team to help them discover and develop products that will meet this criteria for retailers and consumers alike.”

Since launching, Unfold has doubled in size, bringing on diverse talent expertise from software engineers who will build digital agronomic services for vertical farm operators to the computational biology experts that will breed tomorrow’s seeds.

For vertical farms to have an impact on our food system, production can't begin and end with leafy greens. The industry’s success will require new products to be brought to market to supplement what can be produced by traditional farms and greenhouses. With the opening of their new R&D facility, Unfold will leverage expertise in AI, machine learning, and plant biology to test new varieties of fruits and vegetables faster and to develop the digital tools that will speed up plant optimization for Unfold’s customers.

“As we look to bring seeds to market in the next year, Minos’ rich history in the produce industry will be invaluable,” said John Purcell, Ph.D., President, and CEO of Unfold. “Another variable to this equation is finally being able to open the doors to our R&D facility in Davis where we’ll be able to push the boundaries of our plant breeding in controlled environments that leverage state-of-the-art digital tools.”

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For additional information about Unfold or to hear about potential career opportunities, please visit our website at https://unfold.ag/.

Lead photo and logo courtesy Unfold

GREECE: 15 Hectare Semi-Closed Hydroponic Greenhouse

Greece Investment Group Closes Funding On

Hydroponic Greenhouse

The Aurarius Investment Group successfully closed its first round of financing in the first quarter of 2021 covering development activities for Aurarius’ inaugural hydroponic greenhouse/energy plant in Greece. With the second round of financing expected to conclude by September 2021, Aurarius first facility is planned to be operational in the first quarter of 2023.

The facility will be composed of a ~15-hectare semi-closed hydroponic greenhouse farm combined with a ~10 MWh CHP facility. Aurarius intends to develop a portfolio of hydroponic farms combined with energy plants across Greece and other Southern European Countries, aiming to grow high-quality vegetables using the most modern and safe hydroponic greenhouse technology – with an eye both to social impact and sound economic returns.

For more information:
Aurarius Investment Group
https://www.aurariusgroup.com/ 

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This Weeks Episode - Season 3 Episode 31

Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show Niko Kivioja. Niko is the CEO of Netled, an organization that designs and builds the high-tech platform for the world's smartest vertical farms. Niko spent the first part of his career in controlled-environment-agriculture as a grower and has spent the last decade in high-tech closed-environment and vertical farming technology development. 

In this episode, Harry and Niko discuss the Niko’s familial history of entrepreneurship and the inspiration to start Netled. Niko speaks to the proprietary Vera vertical farming platform development that he’s recently been managing, how the global pandemic impacted the food supply chain, and what excites him the most about the future of Netled and the vertical farming industry as a whole.

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Season 3 Title Sponsor

If you are starting a vertical farm and don't know where to begin, or which technology would suit your needs, Cultivatd can help. As indoor farm brokers, they help connect you to the right technology and ensure your project is successful. Best of all, their service is free. They work on behalf of their partners.

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Why Indoor Farming Funding Is Heating Up

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Jim Giles, GreenBiz.com

23 April 2021

Investment is flowing into the indoor farming and regenerative agricultural sector as businesses seek to bolster yields and curb emissions

The billions of dollars flowing into indoor ag, followed by news of a big announcement in regenerative farming, is yet more evidence of the furious pace of change we're seeing in food production.

On the indoor side, the update comes in the form of details on a big vertical farm that the startup Plenty is building in Compton, California. The plans are impressive:

• The 95,000 square feet facility will be as productive as 700 acres of farmland, according to CNN. In terms of land use, that's more than 200 times as efficient.

• A crop of leafy greens in the facility can go from seedling to harvest in two to three weeks, Plenty co-founder Nate Storey told LAist last year. That's significantly faster than a regular outdoor growing schedule.

• The facility will supply 100 grocery stores when production begins later this year.

This activity is partly the result of a $140m investment Plenty announced last year, just one of a slew of similar deals in the indoor ag sector. Close to $2bn will have been invested in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) between the fourth quarter of 2020 and the middle of this year, estimates David Ceaser, lead agronomist at Agritecture, an indoor ag consulting firm based in Brooklyn. Most of that is going to large automated greenhouses, he adds, but vertical farm companies such as InFarm, Oishii, and AeroFarms also have raised rounds.

"Consumer demand is fueling investment in CEA," Ceaser explained by email. "Consumers want consistent access to clean, high-quality produce, year-round. CEA production provides this and appeals to investors due to consistent revenue streams and reduced risk of interruptions compared to field-based production."   

In addition to using less land, vertical farms require fewer chemical inputs and consume far less water than conventional farms. But remember that these facilities are, to an extent, only as green as the grid they plug into: Studies have shown that using fossil fuels to power vertical farms undermines the other environmental benefits. This isn't really an argument against indoor ag in general, just a reminder that we need to decarbonize our grid as fast as possible. (For more on how that's happening and how your company can get involved, check out GreenBiz Group's new VERGE Electrify event. It runs May 25-26 and is free to attend.)

Another notable deal saw $87m funneled into Gotham Greens, which operates high-tech greenhouses. Some of that will be used to farm lettuce and herbs at a new 10-acre greenhouse in Solano County, California. The facility is co-located with the University of California, Davis, a notable agricultural research hub. Among other things, Gotham will collaborate with Davis scientists on efforts to develop new indoor varieties.

The Solano facility also feels like a statement of intent. Just a few hour’s drive south are the lettuce farms that supply much of the US market. Gotham setting up shop in Solano is like an upstart grocery chain opening in a Walmart parking lot. It signals that the newcomer believes it can take the incumbent on at its own game.

Moving outdoors, the news is that PepsiCo has committed to spreading regenerative practices on seven million acres of US farmland - roughly the size of its entire agricultural footprint - by 2030. I'll state the obvious: seven million acres is a lot of land. To put it in context, it's only two years since General Mills committed to transitioning one million acres to regenerative agriculture, which at the time felt like a step change in the spread of no-till, cover crops and other methods for restoring soil fertility. And the PepsiCo announcement comes just six months after Cargill unveiled plans to implement regenerative practices on 10 million acres. The momentum here is very clear. As well as building soil fertility, these moves potentially could lead to the drawdown of millions of tons of carbon dioxide every year.

This article first appeared at GreenBiz.com

CubicFarm Systems Corp. Announces International Expansion Into Australia

USD $2.7M Sale of Commercial

Scale Indoor Growing Systems

VANCOUVER, B.C., April 23, 2021 – CubicFarm® Systems Corp. (TSXV:CUB) (“CubicFarms” or the “Company”), a local chain agricultural technology company, today announced the sale of 18 modules of the CubicFarm System onsite indoor growing technology at a sale price of USD$2.7M. BoomA Food Group will operate the first commercial-scale vertical farm in Australia, positioning the company as a market leader BoomA Food Group will use these modules to grow commercial-scale amounts of produce in New South Wales, specializing in herbs and microgreens.
 
Food production in Australia has been significantly impacted year over year by devastating wildfires and major flooding. Farming currently covers 385 million hectares, or 58 percent of Australia, and accounts for 59 percent of the water extracted¹. Crops and horticulture in Australia are generally concentrated near the coast, while areas of New South Wales have been cleared at more than double the rate of the previous decade—and agriculture was responsible for more than half the area cleared.
 
“We searched the world over for the right sustainable growing technology to serve our communities in New South Wales and beyond. Australia has experienced the challenges of climate change, the devastating effects of drought, and significant impacts on our food production. CubicFarms’ patented technology is superior to other vertical farming options because it provides commercial-scale output while minimizing environmental impact and maximizing cost efficiencies,” said Cory Robertson, Managing Director, BoomA Food Group.
 
The CubicFarm System was purchased by BoomA Food Group with funding provided by Baillie Asset Management as trustee for the Pokolbin Vertical Farm Infrastructure Fund.
 
“I’m thrilled to announce our newest farmer partner in Australia, as the initial launch of our global markets expansion, bringing our technologies to another continent,” said Dave Dinesen, CEO, CubicFarms. “For a region that’s been devastated by natural disasters and food scarcity, our local chain ag-tech will empower local farmers to improve independent food production with predictable fresh produce 365 days a year. Our technology was founded by farmers as a solution to help farmers to succeed despite unpredictable outdoor growing conditions.”
 
Cory Robertson, Managing Director, BoomA Food Group, is an Australian Aboriginal social entrepreneur and business owner, as well as the Services Director of Goanna Services PTY Ltd. (“Goanna”), a company providing direct community access to contracts employing Indigenous peoples for environmental, government, and construction services.
 
Kevin Chandler, Chairman, BoomA Food Group, has extensive experience using business principles and practices to address community needs and improve opportunities for Indigenous youth. He is a psychologist and management consultant who founded and grew the Chandler Macleod Group into an AUD$1.5B company. Previously, Chandler was the director of Australian venture capital firm Nanyang Ventures.
 
Ben Macauley, CEO, Baillie Asset Management, has over 25 years of experience in accounting, finance, and C-level management across financial services, family office, not-for-profit, and banking/finance sectors. Baillie Asset Management has extensive experience in Australian agricultural innovations.
 
Footnote
¹According to the Government of Australia: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/products/insights/ snapshot-of-australian-agriculture-2021#agricultural-production-is-growing. 
 
About CubicFarms
 
CubicFarms is a local chain, agricultural technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world. Its proprietary ag-tech solutions enable growers to produce high quality, predictable produce and fresh livestock feed with HydroGreen Nutrition Technology, a division of CubicFarm Systems Corp. The CubicFarms™ system contains patented technology for growing leafy greens and other crops onsite, indoors, all year round. CubicFarms provides an efficient, localized food supply solution that benefits our people, planet, and economy.

For more information, please visit www.cubicfarms.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

“Dave Dinesen”

Dave Dinesen, Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements in this release may constitute “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws including, but not limited to, statements with respect to CubicFarms’ expected revenue recognition and the completion of the sale and installation of the modules by the customer. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements.
 

For more information, please visit www.cubicfarms.com.

Media Contact:
Andrea Magee
T: 236.885.7608
E: andrea.magee@cubicfarms.com

Investor Contact:
Tom Liston     
T: 416.721.9531
E: tom.liston@cubicfarms.com

FFAR Pioneers Vertical Farming To Grow Food In Nontraditional Spaces

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is awarding a $1,061,576 grant through its Precision Indoor Plants (PIP) consortium to Sky high: Vertical Farming, a revolution in plant production, a program to advance vertical farming by researching plant genetics and indoor growing conditions that help crops thrive and enhance desired qualities.

The Sky high-program, led by Dr. Leo Marcelis of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, is a collaboration of 18 organizations that are conducting research to make vertical agriculture cheaper, more nutritious and energy efficient. PIP’s partnership with SKY HIGH builds on their current research on strawberries, potatoes, lettuce and basil. The research team is exploring factors that increase crop nutrients and how environmental inputs affect taste, appearance and shelf life. The researchers are also identifying genetic traits that accelerate the development of crop varieties with specific traits in a shorter time frame – research that will benefit indoor and outdoor agriculture. Ultimately, this research is developing crops that respond well to indoor environments and designing vertical farms with favorable conditions for their growth.

“Vertical farming is a novel system for producing crops,” said Dr. Marcelis. “To realize the full potential, we need fundamental understanding of the different components of vertical farming. We want to achieve this by a coordinated effort of researchers from disciplines ranging from genetics, metabolomics, physiology, horticulture, machine learning, climate control, energy systems and building physics.”

In addition to these projects, with PIP’s help Sky high is expanding its lettuce research to study tip burn—the browning of leaf edges—in head lettuce, speed breeding in lettuce, and lettuce’s reaction to daylight cycles. The Sky high researchers are analyzing how the structure of lettuce affects the distribution of nutrients like calcium, which is thought to play a role in tip burn. With this information, the researchers will have a better understanding of how tip burn develops and can grow new lettuce varieties that reduce its damage. Researchers are also exploring breeding lettuce varieties to fast-track growth and speed up flowering and seed formation. Lettuce’s reaction to daylight cycles affects indoor growing conditions, and this project is identifying ways to use different light schedules to promote desired traits such as increased yield. The results of the research impacts both indoor and outdoor lettuce, making it a sustainable, high-quality crop.

For more information:
Foundation for food & agriculture research (FFAR)
www.foundationfar.org 

April 9, 2021

How The International Space Station Helps NASA Study Plant Growth In Space

As NASA plans long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, a key factor is figuring out how to feed crews during their weeks, months, and even years in space.

Food for crews aboard the International Space Station is primarily prepackaged, requires regular resupply deliveries aboard cargo spacecraft, and degrades in quality and nutrition after about 18 months. But what if astronauts could grow some of their own food in microgravity? Researchers on Earth and crews aboard the International Space Station are exploring the idea by testing various crops and equipment to see if the plan could work.

NASA hopes to successfully grow fresh, pick-and-eat crops that are easy to produce and do not require a lot of extra equipment or precious electrical power. “Crews really seem to enjoy growing the food themselves,” said Howard Levine, chief scientist for NASA’s International Space Station Research Office at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “It’s a nice reprieve from typical activities on the station, and astronauts often volunteer their free time to do it.”

To date, NASA has grown a variety of plants, including lettuces, mustard varieties, and radishes – and learned a lot about how to successfully do so in the process.

Here are seven aspects of plant growth they are studying aboard the space station:

1) Picking the right plants
What grows well on Earth may or may not do so well in space. Before sending a crop to space, scientists must identify which plants to test aboard the space station. To improve that process, NASA started a project in 2015 with the Fairchild Botanical Garden in Miami called “Growing Beyond Earth.” The program has recruited more than 230 middle and high school science classes across the U.S. to grow different seeds using special equipment. Seeds that grow well in the classrooms are then tested in a chamber at Kennedy that closely resembles the space station’s equipment. Selected seeds that do well at Kennedy are then sent to the station. How they grow in orbit can inform the selection of plants for long-duration missions only minimal crew attention.

2) Learning to garden in space
Plants need a place to grow, and NASA has tested out a number of facilities to host a microgravity garden. One way is by experimenting with the Vegetable Production System, or “Veggie,” which is a simple, low-power gardening chamber that can hold six crop plants. Seeds are grown in small fabric “pillows” placed in Veggie. Crews then look after and water the plants by hand, similar to caring for a window herb garden on Earth. 

NASA is developing another system, called the Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System, or PONDS, to work with the Veggie platform. PONDS replaces the seed pillows with a new plant holder that automatically feeds and waters the produce, but still requires the crew to do some cultivation tasks. Research also uses a hands-off system called the Advanced Plant Habitat. This fully automated device is designed to study the physiology of how plants grow in space in ways that require only minimal crew attention.

3) The right light
The composition of light that shines on plants can affect their size, nutritional content, microbial growth, and taste. Plants particularly rely on red and blue light to grow. Researchers ran experiments aboard the space station to see how different ratios of red and blue light influenced plant development in space. The experiments showed that plants in space grow well under the same light conditions preferred by plants on Earth. While green lights are not necessary for plant growth, they are included in plant growth systems so the plants also appear similar to those grown on Earth.

4) The influence of gravity 
Changes in gravity can affect how plants grow and how many crops they yield. Plants can sense gravity using a mechanism that involves changes to calcium within their cells. Astronauts recently ran experiments aboard the space station to measure how microgravity affects these calcium levels, which could offer clues for designing improved ways of growing crops for food in space.

In the PESTO experiment, crews grew wheat plants to see how microgravity may change some of their key features. They found that microgravity alters leaf development, plant cells, and the chloroplasts used in photosynthesis, but did not harm the plants overall -- in fact, wheat plants grew 10% taller compared to those on Earth.

Station crews also successfully grew two generations of mustard plants using the Advanced Astroculture chamber for an experiment that showed the change in gravity caused seeds to be smaller and secondary branches and seed pods to grow differently. Additionally, the experiment grew soybeans from seed-to-seed in space, which produced larger plants and seeds.

5) Water delivery
One significant challenge to growing plants in microgravity is providing enough water to their roots to keep them healthy without drowning the plants in too much water. Numerous experiments have tested a variety of methods to achieve this, including the new PONDS facility mentioned above and the Plant Water Management experiment. The water management study demonstrated a hydroponic method for providing water and air to the root zone to help them grow. Researchers are growing plants both aboard the space station and on Earth to compare how well they develop.

6) How old is too old?
Future space missions could go on for years, which means the seeds that astronauts bring along could be far from fresh by the time they need to plant them. On Earth, seeds have a decrease in viability and germination over time. But how do the age of seeds and long-term exposure to the spaceflight environment affect their ability to germinate and grow? To find out, in January 2021 NASA grew lettuce and seeds from the cabbage family (kale, mustard, and bok choi) that had been aboard the station for nearly three years. The results showed that while the lettuce seeds did not grow well compared to seeds that had been in space less time, the mustard seeds responded better than expected to the storage time in space.

7) The human effect
Gardens need tending, of course, which means astronauts or robots have to look after the plants that are growing. NASA studied how gardening in space could contribute to the behavior and well-being of astronauts. Many astronauts reported they found caring for the plants a fun and relaxing activity.

“Taking care of plants can also help astronauts stay in touch with the life cycles on Earth,” said Gioia Massa, a life sciences project scientist at Kennedy. Massa’s research focuses on growing plants aboard the space station.

What’s more, astronauts say the time spent gardening makes them excited to eat the fresh produce once it’s ready. The excitement motivates astronauts to creatively use the produce as ingredients in their meals, increasing their quality of life in space and boosting their morale.

For more information:
NASA 
www.nasa.gov 

8 Apr 2021

Barton Breeze Launches Bank Guarantee For Hydroponic Farms

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New Delhi | April 21, 2021

TV Jayan

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In an attempt to make hydroponic farming attractive to those interested in farming, Barton Breeze, a Gurugram-based agritech firm, has come up with an assured return plan with a bank guarantee.

“A prospective investor will be able to get an assured annual return of 30 percent on his capital expenditure. We would operate the farm for them and sell the produce for them. If there is a shortfall in this return, the deficit would be paid by banks with whom we have entered into an agreement,” said Shivendra Singh, Founder, and CEO of the commercial hydroponic farming venture, which set up shop in India in 2017 after a successful run in West Asia.

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Singh said the firm has already tied up with the State Bank of India and HDFC Bank for the bank guarantee scheme. Explaining the model further, Singh said not only progressive farmers, but HNIs and corporates would be able to reap benefits from this scheme.

“Hydroponic has several benefits for commercial farms. However, many customers are not completely aware of the environmental and financial contribution of it that makes them skeptical of investing in a hydroponic set-up. Our approach of providing a bank guarantee to B2B customers ensures a risk-free transaction. With this strategic step, we look forward to strengthening our relationship with customers,” said Singh.

“This a bit similar to contract farming, except that in this case, we take care of everything, including running of the farm. Unlike in contract farming where the farmer is having the liability and responsibility of growing the crop, we ensure that the crop is grown properly by being present at the farm on a continuous basis,” Singh told BusinessLine.

According to him, the capital expenditure involved in setting a one-acre hydroponic farm is around ₹1.1 crore, and with the government subsidies, this comes further down to around ₹85 lakh.

To make this attractive for urban dwellers interested in investing in farming, Barton Breeze plans to make it possible to invest as little as ₹5 lakh. He said a bunch of people can together and start a hydroponic farm, which his firm can help set up. There is no need to purchase the land as it can be taken on long lease, say, of 10 to 12 years. “We will ensure that they would get 30 percent or more returns on the investment annually,” said Singh. The bank guarantee will be available to the investors for three years initially, but this can be further renewed.

He said already a few farms are being planned in Delhi-NCR, Kolkata, and Indore in Madhya Pradesh under the bank guarantee scheme.

Singh said his young company has been growing exponentially in the last few years. Starting from a low base, the firm grew by eight times in 2017, six times each in two subsequent years. “Even in 2020, which was hit by Covid-19, we grew by 300 per cent,” he claimed.

Barton Breeze, which introduced hydroponic kits that can be used by city dwellers to grow vegetables in their terraces and balconies in the country a couple of years ago, normally grows off-season vegetables and greens to fetch a better price for their farmer customers.

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Taking Indoor Farming Operations To New Heights

Conveyor Systems Technology From Ultimation Industries

Conveyor systems technology can help indoor farming operations grow to new heights while improving productivity, efficiency and ergonomics, according to Ultimation Industries LLC, a leader in conveyor technology and automation for over 30 years.

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“Harnessing unused vertical space through the use of motorized and overhead conveyors helps indoor farmers maximize their footprint while achieving greater efficiencies in food production and improved ergonomics,” said Richard Canny, president of Ultimation Industries.

Customized and automated 
Ultimation is a provider of customized conveyor and automation solutions for indoor agriculture. They design and build systems for vertical farms of all sizes, including a major system for a West Coast-based vertical farming system which is among the world’s largest.

In a typical indoor agriculture facility, workers move through the growing area to plant, monitor and harvest crops. Multi-tier operations may use time-consuming and potentially dangerous lifts to take employees up and down as they perform their daily tasks. Conveyor technology can move plants through automated systems as they grow, bringing them down to the operator level when needed for more efficient, and ergonomically friendly, handling.

Multiple choice
The conveyors and industrial automation equipment used in vertical farming include many of the traditional conveyor types such as gravity roller, belt, and skate wheel or flow rail conveyors. These conveyors are among the most versatile because they help reduce the manual labor of carrying items by hand.

Larger systems use vertical elevators or Power and Free conveyors. Power and Free conveyors are the ultimate in space and volume optimization for vertical farming systems as they enable tight concentration of product in some areas while also enabling separation of the products for movement to processing areas.

Reducing costs 
More recently, the technology used in larger vertical farming systems is including motorized and overhead conveyors. These systems take advantage of unused vertical space above a working area and bring plants down to an operator level when needed.  

“Using robotics and conveyors has been shown to help vertical farms maximize their growing operations and reduce costs. We believe that indoor farming systems are best optimized through a balanced use of low-cost material handling systems for slow-growing areas. They are complemented by more sophisticated conveyors and other devices for faster moving material handling tasks,” said Canny.

Ultimation’s indoor agriculture solutions range from simple flow rail systems up to more comprehensive systems for larger indoor vertical farming facilities. The company's systems meet food-safe requirements for lubricants, oils, and greases.

“As indoor farmers work to achieve greater efficiencies in food production, conveyor systems technology is likely to be part of any economically viable and scalable solution,” said Canny. 

For more information:
Kali Cresent, Sales and Marketing Manager
Ultimation Industries, LLC
kcresent@ultimation.net
+1 586-771-1881 
www.ultimation.net 

Publication date: Fri 9 Apr 2021