Purpose At Work: How Square Roots Is Growing A Sustainable Food Movement

May 24, 2021

Simon Mainwaring Contributor

CMO Network

I write about how to drive growth for purpose-driven brands.

Purpose At Work: How Square Roots Is Growing A Sustainable Food Movement

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SQUARE ROOTS

How can we reduce the climate impacts of our food system? How can we get the freshest produce to people in urban areas? How can we offer fulfilling jobs to today’s youth? These are all issues that Square Roots is working to address. 

“The mission of the company is to bring locally grown food to people in cities, all across the world while empowering the next generation of leaders in urban agriculture,” Tobias Peggs, Co-founder, and CEO of Square Roots, tells We First.

The agriculture startup’s modular and technology-first design is transforming how food is grown and distributed in amazing ways. The scalability and data-driven approach make Square Roots an excellent example of a company demonstrating how to scale business growth and impact.

Founding story

Before Square Roots, Tobias received a Ph.D. in machine learning and had worked for a number of successful startups, one of which was acquired by Walmart. “I worked as a data scientist there for a year. One of the projects they had me do was study global grocery buying behaviors.”  With around 300 million customers, Tobias had a massive amount of data to pull insights from.

“That's a lot of bananas flying all over the world,” he says. “You begin to think about the impact of transportation on the planet. “As food is traveling, nutrients are breaking down and maybe the quality of food isn't as good at the end of long supply chains as it would be for local food. Customers don't have any idea of where that food comes from. The sense of community around food was just lost.”

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The insights Peggs was having lit a spark in his entrepreneurial engine. “People want food from all over the world. That's not going to change,” he says. “Instead of shipping food, how about we ship environmental data from one part of the world to the other?”  By collecting data on the best growing conditions, Tobias could hypothetically grow anything at any time of year in a controlled indoor environment made from repurposed shipping containers and deliver that to a nearby retail store on the day it’s picked. “It looks and smells amazing, which also means all the nutrients are intact,” he says. “That was the idea behind Square Roots.”

Peggs cofounded the company with Kimbal Musk, “He would say, ‘Can it feed the world? And are we going to make a massive positive impact? If so, let's figure out how to get this done,’” Peggs recalls. The two innovators began by working together in a WeWork office. “With the experience of being involved in a number of startup companies before—some successful, some failure—I know for sure that if you don't get started, you're going to fail.”   

In the two-man brainstorming sessions, Peggs and Musk would visualize the business at scale. “We saw these modular farms in every city across the world. That is the way that we're able to think about feeding every consumer on the planet with locally-grown food,” Peggs says. “There was a missing piece of the puzzle. There wouldn't be enough farmers to hire to staff all of those farms.” That realization was the foundation of the second pillar of Square Roots’ purpose, “To provide pathways for young people to come into the farming industry and become the future leaders,” he shares. 

Leading with purpose

Purpose At Work: How Square Roots Is Growing A Sustainable Food Movement

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SQUARE ROOTS

Square Roots’ core business was structured to address some of the world’s biggest challenges. Food is interconnected with climate, which also poses risks on outdoor crops. It is also fundamental to public health and prosperity. As the global population rises, our planet’s carrying capacity will be tested. We need to innovate to meet that rising global demand for food. 

The model relies on able-bodied young people to tend to the crops. The talent pool of skilled farmers in the U.S. is aging. The average farmer is 58 years old. “Who the hell is going to grow all the food when our current farmers retire in five or 10 years’ time? ” Tobias proposes. “We had to figure out a way to bring young people into the industry and train them quickly so they could be not just productive farmers, but feel infused about a career in a completely new industry.”

To overcome the hurdle, the founders developed hardware, software and teaching methods. “We had an investment banker who was bored sitting behind a spreadsheet all day. He quit his job to join Square Roots because he wanted to make an impact on the world. He was growing the most delicious kale, you've ever tasted in your life,” Peggs says. “That was six months after making the transition, it was magic to see that.” Within a year they trained 10 people, many with no previous farming experience.

In addition to creating purpose-driven employment opportunities, Square Roots is addressing climate through transportation and waste. “Forty percent of food from industrial systems is wasted. We waste around 3%,” Tobias says. A significant portion of wasted food is discarded before it even hits the shelf, due to damages during shipping or spoiling quickly.  “Because we're indoor, there's a lot of precision, a lot of control. We can grow food for demand.”

Modular design

Square Roots’ structure allows it to be replicated and optimized from a systems approach. It's a distributed model.  “We deploy clusters of these modular farms together so there's some operational scale and the business economics work,” Peggs explains. “Each farm serves its local market and runs its own independent business entity, set on top of a standard technology platform.” Every compound grows, harvests packages and delivers produce to local retailers. “We look after everything from seed to shelf.” 

The growing startup has set up operations in Brooklyn, New York, and Grand Rapids, Michigan with plans for expansion across the Midwest, the North East in cities around the world where demand is large enough. People can see inside the shipping containers and when Covid-19 is under control, you can schedule a farm tour.  “While its a very scalable platform, the consumer experience is a hyper-local one.”

Leveraging data & technology

When it comes to deciding what to grow, Square Roots focuses on crops that require the least amount of energy. “Walk into a supermarket. Lineup every single fruit and vegetable from the lightest to the heaviest. And that's essentially our product roadmap for the next 20 years,” Peggs says. 

They also choose crops based on economic yields based on competitive market prices. “This is where data science and technology marry,” Tobias says. “Outdoor farmers can’t suddenly look at the sun, make it twice as efficient and reduce costs or double their yield. Indoor farmers can.”

Integration of AI machine learning empowers Square Roots to optimize at scale. “We're building a network of cloud-connected modular farms,” Tobias says. The company monitors and collects data from each of those farms every second. “We’re looking at temperature, humidity, nutrients, yield, taste and texture,” Peggs says. “ If in one particular box, a farmer did something or we changed an environmental parameter that increased yield or improves efficiency, we can spot that information from the data and push that new instruction out across the whole network. The whole network is learning how to farm better as we go about building the business.”

Building community

Food has the potential to unite people.  While Square Roots farms are indoors, they connect and share knowledge with outdoor farmers. “ I'll give you an example,” Tobias says. “A good technique in organic farming is known as integrated pest management, where a farmer might release beneficial insects onto the crop, essentially ridding the nasty insects that we don't want. We use that technique inside the farm.”

“The farmers that we work with are very much on the same mission, which is how do we get people more connected with where their food comes from? How do we build that sense of community around food? And I think the common enemy is the industrial food system,” Peggs says. That common enemy also resonates with employees, consumers and other key stakeholders who join together around a set of core values.

“I know pretty much every founder or CEO of every indoor farming company. There's remarkable alignment around that mission,”  Tobias says. “Everybody understands that we've got to change the food system and if we're helping each other out, it's better for all of us,” Tobias mentions companies like Gotham Greens and Oishii that are also innovating in the indoor farming space.

Purpose also informs Square Roots’ investor strategy. “We’re a venture-backed company. When we're talking with investors, we want to make sure that they're mission aligned. I can’t tell you how many investors have talked to me about considering cannabis. It’s not aligned with our mission.” A lot of people don't realize that the power of purpose is just as compelling in terms of what you don't do, as opposed to what you do.

The takeaway here is that building your community around shared purpose fosters goodwill amongst team members and customers. It also presents collaborative opportunities with other brands and organizations working towards the same goal.

Challenges and opportunities

With the opaque information in the industrial food system and increased health consciousness, consumers are looking for transparency.  In addition to its open invitation to check out the farms, the company includes a QR code on each product. You can scan the code and learn all about where it's made and the value chain.

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Purpose At Work: How Square Roots Is Growing A Sustainable Food Movement

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SQUARE ROOTS

Covid-19 has also presented challenges for businesses across sectors and Square Roots is no exception. Before the pandemic, they trained new hires to be farmers in classrooms. “If we didn't have our mission, it would have been easy to say, ‘We got to keep growing, forget this farmer training stuff. We're just going to go hire experienced people.’ Or we could have developed a robot to do part of the job of a farmer,” Tobias says.

“The mission allowed us to focus on solving issues with our current business model,” he continues. “It was already misaligned. Everyone was able to get behind it very quickly. And we were actually able to solve problems and put in place new programs and new policies ridiculously quickly. Never waste a good crisis.”

Despite adversity, the startup has started true to its mission and transitioned to digital and socially distanced training, and built a more robust system than before.

The future of food

Technology and data are a critical aspect of emerging agriculture trends. “Food is a $12 trillion industry,” Peggs states. “There's about 20 companies that have raised a bunch of money and are doing this stuff in America.” 

“Indoor farming actually reminds me of the internet in the early '90s,” he says. “We know this thing is inevitable, but no one can quite yet tell you what shape it's going to take in the future. Indoor farming is like that. We're all helping each other figure out how this eventually feeds every consumer in the world.”

While innovation is budding, “The food system has to become a lot more responsible and sustainable,” Peggs says. “The current food system cannot feed the new future world, which has 10 billion people, 70% living in urban areas that are not near these industrial farms.” 

We’ve seen changes over the last two decades with the organic food movement, which now grosses $25 to $30 billion annually, Tobias says.  He thinks that Covid-19 will accelerate the shift towards healthy and sustainable food. “People were forced to stay at home and cook. You get more curious about the food that you're buying, and you observe how long it lasts in your refrigerator. You get more educated,” Tobias says. “We are in the first inning of indoor farming. We're just getting started.”

Lessons for entrepreneurs

With his experience from Square Roots and beyond, Tobias Peggs’ insights offer valuable lessons for entrepreneurs looking to Lead With We. Here are three teachings from Peggs on how to build a successful startup.

1. “Be prepared to be told, "No, we're not interested."

2. “You have to be a bit of a missionary and sign up for having a lot of stamina. Just be consistent with the drumbeat that this idea—no matter how crazy it might seem—you can do it.”

3. “There are going to be bumps in the road, there are going to be things that don't go quite right. If there's a shared purpose articulation of what the mission is, you move through those things and you make it happen. Purpose is a very powerful multiplier.”

Simon Mainwaring

Simon Mainwaring is the founder and CEO of We First, a strategic consultancy that accelerates growth and impact for purpose-driven brands by putting 'We' first. I specialize in brand strategy, culture building and impact storytelling for startups, high-growth companies, and Fortune 500 corporations. My national podcast is LeadWithWe.com on Spotify, Google and Apple. My book, We First: How brands and consumers use social media to build a better world is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon bestseller, and strategy+business named it the Best Business Marketing Book of the Year. I deliver keynotes, training, and workshops that help brands define, integrate and activate their purpose to drive growth and scale impact.

Visit SimonMainwaring.com for speaking and WeFirstBranding.com for consulting

Vertical Harvest Maine, Sodexo Pair For Local Produce On College Campuses

Indoor Farming Partnership Will

Increase Local Produce Served

On Maine’s College Campuses

May 18, 202|

Source: Sodexo SA

Westbrook, Maine, May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sodexo, a global foodservice provider and one of Maine’s largest employers, today announced that it will source as much as 80-percent of its lettuce products from Vertical Harvest Maine, the State’s newest hydroponic urban farm, and the first vertical greenhouse in the United States. The produce will be served at all fourteen Sodexo partners, including collegiate campuses from Fort Kent to South Portland. Earlier this year, Sodexo pledged to spend at least $1M at local Maine farms and food producers in 2021.

“We are a global company that is committed to spending locally,” says Varun Avasthi, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Sodexo. “One challenge we face when sourcing local food is Maine’s short outdoor growing season. The partnership with Vertical Harvest will be a game-changer for Sodexo’s ability to buy fresh produce twelve months per year,” Avasthi added.

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In August 2021, Vertical Harvest Maine (VHM) will break ground on a 70,000 square foot, four-story farm in downtown Westbrook. Developer TDB LLC says that the master plan integrates residential apartments, commercial space, and four stories of parking. The company plans to grow over 1-million pounds per year of local produce, create 50 jobs, and hire Mainers with physical and intellectual disabilities, in coordination with State and local agencies. This year, Fast Company recognized Vertical Harvest in their annual “World Changing Ideas” awards, which honors businesses that are innovating solutions to world problems.

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“VHM’s output will displace out-of-state produce and will not compete with local, traditional farms,” says Nona Yehia, Vertical Harvest founder. With the majority of Maine’s produce imported, VHM founders say indoor farming will have a positive impact on Maine’s agricultural output. “VHM is extremely proud to grow local food, and to create meaningful jobs for Maine’s underemployed,” Yehia says. The Westbrook location is the second for Vertical Harvest, the first is in Jackson Hole, WY.

“This partnership illustrates how strategically the Maine business community works together,” says Glenn Cummings, President, University of Southern Maine. “The partnership between Sodexo and VHM enforces our commitment to serving Maine-grown food whenever possible – it is a win-win,” Cummings said.

“This project exemplifies the goals and vision of Maine’s 10-Year Economic Development Strategy,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development.

Sodexo is one of Maine’s largest employers, with 760 employees and a $21M payroll. It serves 13,000 meals daily at colleges and hospitals across Maine, including Central Maine Medical Center and Southern Maine Community College. In 2015, Sodexo founded The Maine Course, a local organization with a mission to increase the company’s local food spend annually.  Sodexo and VHM will prepare for the first harvest, which is planned for the Fall 2022 academic year.

# # #

About Sodexo North America” Sodexo North America is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 64 countries. Sodexo is a leading provider of integrated food, facilities management, and other services that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life for millions of customers in corporate, education, healthcare, senior living, sports and leisure, government, and other environments daily. Sodexo is committed to supporting diversity and inclusion and safety while upholding the highest standards of corporate responsibility and ethical business conduct. In support of local communities across the U.S., in 2020, the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation mobilized 10,000 Sodexo volunteers to distribute 4.1 million meals to help 5.9 million children and adults meet their immediate food needs. Since 1996, the Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed $36.7 million to help feed children in America impacted by hunger. To learn more about Sodexo, visit us.sodexo.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Photo Credit: Harriman and GYDE ArchitectsPhoto Credit: Harriman and GYDE Architects

Contact Data

Dasha Ross-Smith
Sodexo
Dasha.Ross-Smith@sodexo.com

'Acute' Pallet Shortages Putting Fresh Produce Supply At Risk

A Pallet Shortage Is Affecting

The Produce Industry In Many Ways

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By AMY SOWDER

May 19, 2021

Severe pallet shortages are inflicting a widespread effect on the produce industry — including the availability of produce to consumers.

The shortages are "acute," according to United Fresh Produce Association’s letter to the industry in a news release.

The association detailed a multitude of issues that are impacting pallet availability, including:

• Efforts of wholesalers, distributors and retailers to ensure sufficient inventory of non-perishables given previous pandemic-related impacts;

• Availability of lumber to repair and build new pallets;

• The escalating price of lumber when it is available;

• Nonperishable inventory dwell time increase; and

• Lack of available trucks to relocate pallets.

“The lack of pallets is adding stress to a supply chain that is already facing significant challenges, which include a lack of available trucks and shipping containers, ongoing labor challenges, fluctuating fuel costs, pandemic-related challenges, and a pending shortage of resin used to make reusable containers and pallets,” according to the release. “At this time, expectations are that the pallet shortage will continue for months, perhaps for the balance of 2021 – all at a time when many North American produce items are just beginning seasonal harvests and shipments.”

Listen to United Fresh’s John Hollay discuss this pallet issue with retail and Produce Market Guide editor Ashley Nickle in our Tip of the Iceberg podcast episode.

The issue has a wide and deep scope of negative impacts, according to United Fresh:

• The shortage of lumber and wood products has increased the cost of raw lumber 200% to 350% and is making the cost of wood pallets increase incrementally;

• In one example, in the past few weeks, pallet costs have increased more than 400%, if the pallets are even available, and often they are not;

• One farmer was told by one pallet supplier that they are not taking any new customers due to an inability to fill even existing customer demand;

• Companies are forced to bring pallets from other jurisdictions, thereby incurring border and transportation costs; and

• Pallets are being held in-house due to delayed and canceled orders from pallet services, leading to higher storage charges and increased congestion within operations.

Company leaders along the supply chain need to collaborate to balance organizational goals relative to overall availability of goods with availability of food.

“If there is not a concerted effort across the supply chain to ensure pallet availability for shipment of produce, there is little doubt that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for the grower-shipper community to meet buyer, and ultimately consumer, demand for produce,” according to United Fresh. 

Also, growers and shippers are trying to comply with pallet requirement specifications, but this is even more challenging.

United Fresh’s stance is that temporary modifications or exceptions to pallet requirements — as long as those exceptions don’t jeopardize safety — would help greatly until this pallet shortage is resolved.

All partners in the supply chain should have regular conversations with their pallet suppliers to understand the situation and pallet inventories and availability, according to the release.

“We welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with all parties within the supply chain to mitigate the impacts of the current shortages and will reach out to stakeholders to identify a path forward that provides solutions to this increasingly disruptive threat and enables the continued flow of goods,” according to United Fresh.

Learn more details with this interview.

Lead Photo courtesy Michael Gaida/Pixabay

Chinese Produce Platform Dingdong Maicai Raises $1bn From SoftBank, Coatue

May 17, 2021

Jack Ellis

Dingdong Maicai, an e-commerce platform for fresh fruits and vegetables, has raised $1.03 billion in Series D funding across two tranches.

Last week, Cygnus Equity, an investment bank that advises Dingdong Maicai on fundraising and is itself an investor in the startup, said the Shanghainese e-grocer had secured $330 million in a “Series D-plus” round led by SoftBank‘s Vision Fund.

This followed a $700 million Series D injection last month which was co-led by US investment giant Coatue Management and London-based internet investor DST Global.

Other international investors participating in that round included Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, MassAve Global, and General Atlantic. APlus Partners, Aspex Management, 3W Fund Management, Capital Today, CMC Capital, Ocean Link, and Lenovo-affiliated Hony Capital were among the Greater China-based investors to take part in the round.

In an announcement on social messaging platform WeChat, Dingdong Maicai said it will use the funding for regional expansion, enhancement of its supply chain capabilities, and to hire more personnel.

The online-to-offline platform sources fresh produce from farmers and agribusinesses and delivers it direct to consumers, who can order groceries via a mobile app. According to local newspaper 21st Century Herald, Dingdong Maicai handles 900,000 orders each day, clocking monthly revenue of ¥1.5 billion ($233 million). It operates around 1,000 warehouses across 27 of China’s biggest cities.

China’s largest ag platform reports bumper growth as founder quits for foodtech opportunity – read more here

In its WeChat statement, it said it “strives to move closer towards the source of ingredients and agricultural production,” to bring greater efficiencies to the fresh produce supply chain, maintain high quality standards, and to “allow consumers to eat fresher and safer food.”

Dingdong Maicai added that it will continue in its efforts to “promote modern planting and breeding industries” and to encourage “modern agricultural development and rural revitalization” throughout China.

According to AgFunder and AFN‘s China 2021 Agrifood Startup Investing Report, the ‘eGrocery’ category – comprising companies selling produce and other groceries online and delivering them to consumers – raised $3.6 billion in total last year, making it the country’s single highest-funded category. [Disclosure: AgFunder is AFN‘s parent company.]

But while it dominated in dollar terms, eGrocery saw just half the number of deals it did in 2019. This points to the relative maturity of the category compared to others in China, with investors answering the high capital demands of more established players. Among these are Dingdong Maicai and key competitors like Missfresh — which is backed by Goldman Sachs and Tencent and raised over $800 million in funding last year — as well as ‘super app’ Meituan‘s grocery service Meituan Maicai, Pinduoduo‘s Duo Duo Maicai, and Alibaba‘s tech-enabled supermarket chain Hema. Several of these larger e-grocers are seeking to extend their reach across multiple regions of China, driving consolidation in the industry.

Dingdong Maicai was one of the top 20 highest-funded agrifood startups last year according to AgFunder data, banking $300 million in a General Atlantic-led round that valued it at around $2 billion. This came just after the company reported a 14% spike in user activity in January 2020 as Covid-19 took hold in China.

Unleashing The Potential of Seed Optimization | Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit, June 24-25

Join AeroFarms, Unfold, Sound Agriculture, VertiVegies, ASTA, and Vineland Research

How and why are seed companies and growers investing in seed optimization for indoor environments? What is the potential impact on OPEX, and what opportunities will seed varieties tailored to indoor agriculture present for producers seeking to differentiate themselves?

Join the virtual Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit this June 24-25 to discover how international growers, seed companies and researchers are optimizing genetics for taste, texture, yield and nutritional value.

SEE FULL AGENDA

EXPERT PANEL SESSION

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AEROFARMS VIEWPOINT
AeroFarms shares an update about its new farms in the USA and Abu Dhabi and the importance of optimizing seeds for indoor environments.

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David Rosenberg, CEO & Co-Founder,
AEROFARMS

"The seed requirements of an indoor grower such as AeroFarms are very different from an outdoor producer. Resistance is not a trait of interest, as we scrupulously keep pests and pathogens out of production so that we can grow pesticide-free. As indoor produce is distributed to retail within a day of the harvest, shelf life is also less important. Instead, great flavor and quality are crucial."

READ ARTICLE WITH AEROFARMS

With just three weeks to go until our virtual platform goes live for pre-summit networking, book your place now for USD $395. ​​This gives you a high-value route to connect directly online with over 400 of the most influential names in the industry, via 1-1 video networking and live-streamed interactive content. Session recordings and messaging are available for one month after the summit, so you won't miss any of the action.

We look forward to seeing you online next month!

Best wishes,

Oscar Brennecke
Conference Producer
Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit
oscar.brennecke@rethinkevents.com
+44 (0)1273 789989

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Polygreens Podcast Episode: 26 Gene Giacomelli

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Gene Giacomelli is a Professor in Biosystems Engineering for interdisciplinary education, research, and outreach program for greenhouse and other advanced technology systems. He received a Ph.D. in Horticultural Engineering from Rutgers University in 1983. He also has a Master's degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of California-Davis and two bachelor's degrees in Horticultural Science and Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Rutgers University.

Here at the University of Arizona, he teaches Controlled Environment Systems which is an introduction to the technical aspects of greenhouse design, environmental control, nutrient delivery systems, hydroponic crop production, intensive field production systems, and post-harvest handling and storage of crops. His research interests include controlled environment plant production systems [greenhouse and growth chamber] research, design, development, and applications, with emphases on: crop production systems, nutrient delivery systems, environmental control, mechanization, and labor productivity.

Latest Episode

Agrify Announces First Total Turn-Key Solution Customer Partnership

Up to 1,200 of Agrify’s Vertical Farming Units to be installed at 50,000 square foot facility with up to $280 million expected in the next 10 years

May 12, 2021

Source: Agrify

BURLINGTON, Mass., May 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agrify Corporation (NasdaqCM:AGFY) (“Agrify” or the “Company”), a developer of highly advanced and proprietary precision hardware and software grow solutions for the indoor agriculture marketplace, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement with its first Agrify Total Turn-Key Solution (“Agrify TTK Solution”) customer, Bud & Mary’s Cultivation, Inc. (“B&M”). B&M is currently a tier-four licensed cultivator in Bellingham, MA and through its parent company, Bud & Mary’s, LLC, the company is a fully integrated operator in the cannabis space with one dispensary license and a home delivery license in the state of Massachusetts.

Agrify will be working with B&M on a phased approach for the build-out of B&M’s 50,000 square foot facility. The initial construction phase is expected to include installation of 774 Vertical Farming Units (“VFUs”) in a double-stacked configuration to help B&M maximize canopy space. This initial phase is expected to be completed by Q1, 2022, with up to an additional 426 VFUs installed in subsequent phases, which would bring the total up to 1,200 VFUs. Agrify will provide senior financing of up to $13.5 million for construction, which will be repaid within 24 months following the commencement of the first commercial production at the facility.

Under the terms of the agreement, Agrify will also receive fixed SaaS revenue derived from B&M’s use of the Agrify Insights cultivation software as well as additional production-based fees for up to 10 years. Assuming the completion of the maximum 1,200 VFUs being installed at full capacity, Agrify anticipates that it could generate over $28 million per annum in revenue through this partnership.

“I am thrilled to announce that we have secured our first Agrify TTK Solution partnership,” said Raymond Chang, CEO of Agrify. “This solution was developed to enable customers to access the initial capital required to quickly establish modern cultivation facilities that are outfitted with our VFUs and controlled by our Agrify Insights software, which should lead to substantial gains in yield, quality, and consistency at a significantly lower cost of production for them. In turn, we have the potential to develop deeper long-term customer relationships earlier in a company’s lifecycle, create significant IRR for our investment, and increase our total addressable market to drive long-term value creation for both our customers and our shareholders. We look forward to beginning our partnership with B&M and working together over the next 10 years to ensure they have the ability to capitalize on all the benefits our technology has to offer. We expect to announce several more of these long-term customer engagements in 2021 as we have already identified 2-3 additional TTK opportunities.”

“The team at Agrify has developed an unparalleled end-to-end solution that should allow us to get to market faster with industry-leading technology while producing the consistently high-quality products consumers are looking for,” said David Morgan, CEO of B&M. “The ongoing support, extensive training, and knowledge base available throughout the life of our relationship combined with the data and insights available through the software platform made this the clear choice for our company. We sincerely look forward to working with the entire team at Agrify to help us establish ourselves in the growing Massachusetts market.”

About Agrify (NasdaqCM:AGFY)

We are a developer of premium grow solutions for the indoor agriculture marketplace. We use data, science, and technology to empower our customers to be more efficient, more productive, and more intelligent about how they run their businesses. Our highly advanced and proprietary hardware and software solutions have been designed to help our customers achieve the highest quality, consistency, and yield, all at the lowest possible cost. For more information, please visit our website at www.agrify.com.

About Bud & Mary’s Cultivation, Inc.

Bud & Mary’s Cultivation, Inc., through its parent company Bud & Mary’s, LLC, is a vertically integrated cannabis company in Massachusetts focused on the adult-use market. The company is at the forefront of the new era of cannabis, having assembled industry experts in cultivation, processing, packaging, and sales. Bud & Mary’s is poised to bring a unique vision to life: A locally crafted, fully vertical operation utilizing a library of proprietary strains to deliver a superior experience to discerning cannabis consumers.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, concerning Agrify and other matters. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding our customer relationship with B&M, project timelines, and ability to deliver solutions and services. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "targets," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this press release are only predictions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events as well as the terms and conditions that were mutually agreed upon in the underlying definitive agreement between Agrify and Bud & Mary’s Cultivation, Inc. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties that affect our business, including those described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the SEC, which can be obtained on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our public announcements and filings with the SEC.

Company Contacts:

Agrify
Niv Krikov
Chief Financial Officer
niv.krikov@agrify.com
(617) 896-5240

Rob Kelly
Investor Relations
ir@agrify.com
(416) 992-4539

This Weeks Episode - Season 3 Episode 33

Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show serial entrepreneur, Dave Dinesen. Dave is the CEO of CubicFarm Systems, a local chain agtech company that provides unique automated onsite commercial-scale food and livestock feed technologies. Dave is committed to applying technology to address global challenges like food security and climate change. 

In this episode, Harry and Dave discuss the impact the pandemic has had on the vertical farming industry, why Dave places such a high value on equity in the workplace, and the critical tipping point we’ve arrived at for the future of our food supply.

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USA: CONNECTICUT - Killingly High School Breaks Down How Adding A ‘Hydroponics’ And ‘Aquaponics’ Class Encourages Sustainability

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WHAT’S RIGHT WITH SCHOOLS

by: Mackenzie Maynard

May 6, 2021

KILLINGLY, Conn. (WTNH) — At Killingly High School over the past few years, they’ve truly enhanced their Agriculture Education Program. They’ve added a hydroponics and aquaponics class to help encourage sustainability.  

Beth Knowlton is a plant science teacher at Killingly and has been for about fifteen years. She tells News 8 hydroponics is a fairly new career in the AG industry, “The future holds us growing plants in warehouse buildings and things in inner cities so we can provide a local food source.”  

It’s a unique way of agriculture, that relies solely on the light and water in the greenhouse, using no soil at all.   

They grow everything from cucumbers to tomatoes and kale.  

They’re hoping to add to their hydroponics greenhouse, a misting system. They’ll be able to plant strawberries and have their roots continually misted from the inside, helping them grow.  

Just down the hall, Courtney Cardinal teaches her aquaponics students the ways to use fish waste to grow plants.  

The setup for aquaponics is a little different, plants grow in gravel beds connected to a water source that comes from pools full of tilapia. As the gravel beds fill and drain, the nutrients are brought to the roots of the plants.  

They use hundreds of tilapia fish to water the plants. Cardinal says, “One input of the fish food is actually growing two products. So we’re growing both the fish, the filets of the fish, and then the waste is being reused to grow plants.”  

The major nutrient the plants need is Nitrogen, and they get that from the fish waste. Non-traditional but efficient ways to grow food and adjust to the advancing industry. 

Sri Lanka: “Ever Since We Started, Costs Have Dropped And Economics Have Improved"

“Even greenhouses are relatively new here,” says Aneeshan, one of the co-founders of Honest Greens. “There were no high-tech greenhouses to be found, until five to ten years ago. Our farm, therefore, is something rather odd here. Many people are trying to work with hybrid systems, but the main problem is high humidity and erratic weather patterns. During the monsoon seasons, humidity could hit 100%.” According to Aneeshan, this causes many problems for greenhouse farmers, therefore the company wanted to come up with something consistent and controllable.

Boosted by critics
Sanuja explains that “compared to local lettuce grown by traditional farmers, we are more expensive. However, their prices fluctuate drastically, whereas our prices are always stable.” Sanuja notes that vertical farming is new to the country and that people were initially skeptical about it. “People think that our choices are unwise, given electricity is very costly here whereas the sun can be used as a free resource. However, we also notice that many others are fascinated about the concept, as it’s something completely new and unexpected here.”

One of the co-founders, Sanuja, explains: “We’re cultivating varieties that are frequently used in the Sri Lankan cuisine. As our country is an island, there are many fluctuations in product availability and price. With our technology, we want to cater to this inconsistent supply.”

Starting in 2015, Honest Greens has been cultivating several greens inside their farm, which is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. As the team was new to the industry, they literately took the time to experiment, improve and build up the growing system by themselves. Ever since 2019, their products can be found in local supermarkets around Sri Lanka. The growing facility is 930m2 comprises, with a cultivation area of 370m2. This floor area consists of 10 stacked layers, upon which plants can be grown.

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Entrepreneurial approach
Ashish, one of the other co-founders, adds: “We all know it normally takes a lot of time before greens end up on the shelves. We’re glad that we can now render more stability to the market and a guaranteed supply to consumers.” With the home delivery platform, Honest Greens delivers directly to customers, a feature that came in handy during the lockdown. According to Sanuja, the company is looking to expand and increase its product lines. “We already launched pak choi and are working on growing coriander and spinach.”

Besides national expansion, Honest Greens is also planning on taking an international approach in the future. “Once we’ve created a profitable and stable business here, we will scale our company to countries with a large population such as India and Bangladesh,” says Sanuja.

As Ashish Advani explains, their main goal is to give consumers better options in fresh produce available. “People need to eat and food insecurity is becoming a bigger issue worldwide. Countries should own their entire supply chain."

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Opportunities ahead
To balance everything out, the team is constantly working on bringing down the unit costs. Unlike in other parts of the world, labor is cheap in South East Asia, so automatization isn’t a high priority, says Sanuja. “Ever since we started the costs have dropped and the economics have improved. We are also looking into solar energy, to lower our electricity costs.”

Ashish notes that the company can do better on CapEx, whereas in Sri Lanka there are many options for industries to use the roof space. “By doing so, solar systems and electricity can be put up back to the grid. However, it’s not really used so far, but as time goes on, in terms of energy, unique economics are ahead of us.“

Lead photo: The co-founders

For more information:
Honest Greens
Sanuja Cooray, co-founder
sanuja.c@urbanagri.co 
Aneeshan Tyagarajah, co-founder
aneeshan.t@urbanagri.co
Ashish Advani, co-founder
ashish.a@urbanagri.co 
+94 11 702 4251
www.honestgreens.asia 

Publication date: Tue 4 May 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com

2021 CEA Awards

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We are excited to announce the winners of the 2021 CEA Awards. The awards were established to recognize distinguished individuals and organizations in the Controlled Environment Agriculture industry across North America.  

The winners were selected by a prestigious, independent awards committee comprised of agriculture professionals from Artemis, Cargill, Fluence by OSRAM, and Schneider Electric. The committee received over 130 qualified nominations for the awards and selected 11 category winners and 3 honorable mention awards.  

“It has been inspiring to see our industry step up through the pandemic and continue innovating in every facet of the value chain.  I am privileged to honor the outstanding contributors via the 2021 CEA Awards,” said Steve Graves, Vice President of Business Development at Fluence by OSRAM and Committee Member.

“All of the winners have had a tremendous impact on our industry this past year. It’s an honor to acknowledge the work of these companies and individuals,” said Allison Kopf, CEO of Artemis and Committee Member.

Top Employer Award

This award honors an employer who has created a great workplace environment.

Winner - AppHarvest, Inc.

Honorable Mention - NatureSweet

Brand Excellence Award

This award honors a brand that has recently dominated on store shelves.

Winner - Dream Greens by AeroFarms

Health and Safety Award

This award honors a company or individual who has gone above and beyond to create a safe and healthy workplace, as well as safe and healthy products in the wake of COVID-19.

Winner - Sudeshna Nambiar, Lakeside Produce

Sustainability Award

This award honors a company or individual who has focused on operating a sustainable facility.

Winner - Legion of Bloom

Produce Person of the Year

This award honors an individual who has made an immeasurable impact on the produce industry in the past 12 months.

Winner - Daniel Malechuk, Kalera

Honorable Mention - Hiroki Koga, Oishii

Cannabis Person of the Year

This award honors an individual who has made an immeasurable impact on the cannabis industry in the past 12 months.

Winner - Wanda James, Simply Pure

Innovative New Packaging Award

This award honors innovation in packaging and highlights new packaging concepts that have launched in the past 12 months.

Winner - Mucci Farms

Honorable Mention - Nature Fresh Farms

Innovative New Product Award

This award honors a new product launched in the past 12 months.

Winner - Wendy’s Sandwich Leaves & Salad Blend by Inspired Greens

Disruptor Award

This award honors an individual who has a spirit of innovation and is constantly looking to disrupt the status quo.

Winner - Stephen Ritz, Green Bronx Machine

Rising Star Award

This award honors an individual with < 3 years of experience in the CEA industry.

Winner - Cory Roof, Ogallala Greens

Industry Connector Award
This award honors a consultant or advisor who helps growers make the best decisions possible.

Winner - Agritecture

Congratulations to all of the winners for having an incredible impact on the CEA industry this past year.  Stay tuned as we will be sharing each winners’ story on our website over the next few weeks.

From Passenger Plane To Vertical Farm – Repurposing Old Aircraft

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By MATT PESKETT

April 19, 2021

iFarm (Intellectual Farms Oy) is a Helsinki-based international company that develops solutions, platforms, and technologies for indoor farming and agribusiness. Recently iFarm’s engineers began designing a custom vertical farm that could flourish inside the body of a commercial airplane, with the potential to extend the life of decommissioned aircraft.

Experts from iFarm were approached by a European airline with the brief. In response, they proposed converting a passenger plane’s cabin into a salad bar and designed a vertical farm with a total growing area of 135 m² in the aft section of the aircraft so that the bar can offer 14 kg of fresh salad daily.

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The partition between the cafe and the farm can be made transparent, and the equipment zone moved to the tail end of the plane [Image source: iFarm]

For the airline, this project would serve as a demonstration of its forward-thinking approach and the increased focus on customer service, including the provision of fresh and healthy meals on board.

For iFarm, the project demonstrates another innovative way of integrating agrotechnology into seemingly unsuitable infrastructure and the versatility of vertical farming.

While contemplating additional ways of using the wide-body aircraft to grow plants, engineers suggested a number of configurations that make such refitting not only useful for advertising purposes but also commercially viable. For example, a farm located in the body of a decommissioned cargo jumbo jet can produce up to 1.5 tons of greens per month.

“Vertical farms are good because they can be installed in a wide variety of spaces, from abandoned subway stations to airplanes that no longer serve their intended purpose. We will be happy to cooperate with companies that think outside the box and consider such high-tech repurposing options. This project does not yet have a deadline, but it has already drawn the attention of specialized design bureaus as an easily scalable example of old aircraft upcycling.” commented Kirill Zelensky, CEO of iFarm Europe.

Not all obsolete aircraft are recycled. The airline industry has long used conservation methods to repurpose aircraft, such as sending airliners to spare airfields in dry climates, where they essentially serve as containers of spare parts. Each aircraft includes about 350,000 individual components, and many of these planes remain useful long after their last flight.

But some owners prefer upcycling to disposal in an attempt to provide “second life” old aircraft, especially those with some historical value (e.g., the first airplane of the airline). There are existing examples of creative airliner usage, including dozens of on-board cottages, offices, cafes, and hotels all over the world, and even an old soviet Yak in Georgia that hosts a kindergarten.

For airline companies, the opportunity to upcycle planes into highly sustainable vertical farms is an enticing one. When an industry known for its high carbon footprint can find new ways to support sustainable practices, it could offset emissions, enhance a brand’s image and have a genuine impact on the environment.

US: June 27, 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM - Symbiotic Aquaponic: Modoc Nation To Host Virtual Aquaponics Course

Symbiotic Aquaponic and the Modoc Nation will host a one-day, online Introduction to Aquaponics course on June 27. The course is open to the public.

The workshop will teach the science and business basics of aquaponics. During the class practitioners and experts will discuss topics such as the different types of aquaponics systems, fish and plant species selection, water testing, system maintenance, and more.

This class is offered in partnership with the Modoc Nation and the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF). Twenty-three scholarships will be available to members of any Native American tribe.

“We’re offering this class with the Modoc Nation for the first time,” Symbiotic CEO and co-owner Kaben Smallwood said, “We’re hoping this will benefit Native American entrepreneurs as well as the Miami community.”

The Modoc Nation installed its first aquaponics system this year. Called the Maklaks Farm, or “the people’s farm” in Modoc, this system will grow produce and fish for tribal members as well as the tribe’s restaurant, The Stables.

“We are thrilled to be able to be able to expand our agricultural services program and teach a new set of skills to our younger generation of Native farmers,” said Modoc Nation Council Member Tyler Scifers. “The Maklaks Farm, not only enables us to continue our well-established ranching tradition, it also empowers our members to grow in the area of climate-controlled agriculture, an opportunity we have not had previously.”

Registration includes course materials. The early-bird price for general members of the community is $35 per seat with special group rates for groups of four or more. Due to digital capacity and to ensure high-quality interaction the workshop is limited to the first 50 participants.

The class will be conducted online via video conference from 9:30 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Registration for the event is open to the public and available online at www.symbioticaquaponic.com. For more information please contact aquaponics@modocnation.com or call 913-735-6618.

30 Apr 2021

Urban Farmers Captured On Canvas

An Exhibition by The Painter Elizabeth Downer Riker

Documents A Decade of Urban Gardening

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By Florence Fabricant

April 26, 2021

“Re-Enchanting the City,” an exhibition in Chelsea, highlights the visual record of the many vibrant local farms, community gardens, and rooftop plantings around the city by the artist Elizabeth Downer Riker. About 10 years ago she started painting rooftop farms in Long Island City, Queens, and parts of Brooklyn, and then took her oils and canvas to other neighborhoods in the city, and even upstate. The exhibition features 20 of her works, and they are for sale, from $1,000 to $2,200.

“Re-Enchanting the City: Greening New York City,” April 27 through May 22, Ceres Gallery, 547 West 27th Street, Suite 201, 212-947-6100, ceresgallery.org.

Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips, and shopping advice.

Florence Fabricant is a food and wine writer. She writes the weekly Front Burner and Off the Menu columns, as well as the Pairings column, which appears alongside the monthly wine reviews. She has also written 12 cookbooks. 

Lead photo: “Bird’s-Eye View of Brooklyn Grange-Future,” a portrait of the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm.Credit...Elizabeth Downer Riker

“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

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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VIDEO: Growing Your Offtake With Minimal Marketing

The initial thoughts of any product-supplying business should answer the question; Who, what and where is my potential offtake?

You are about the produce the best product of current times. Marketing is key to grow businesses in ensuring success to those that sell their product and or services. “Marketing is to sales as plowing is to planting for a farmer”- Mary Ellen Bianco, well now, in vertical farming we don’t plow, is the necessity still applicable to extensively market the product?

The production approach at CAN-AGRI is focused on consumer satisfaction. We accomplish this with proper nutrient supply in turn producing a great tasting product with no harmful chemical sprays. Our hypothesis is; High-quality products with extended shelf-life and good presentation will sell themselves. We are proud to know that through our product we set new standards in quality and freshness, a fantastic product to use in restaurants and homes. It has been proven, growth cycle, after the growth cycle, with the greatest success.

The technology of the vertical farming industry is growing faster than the produce. There are many different target points, to name a few, i.e. lights, HVAC, vertical vs horizontal operations, stacking horizontal, and combinations thereof. The technology developers need to keep a continuous drive in the development and improvement. The fact that food insecurity becomes an ever more concerning issue aids in the justification why this should be one of the top fields in research and development.

The R&D outcome focus should enable the customer to produce an economically viable safe to consume fresh produce. CAN-AGRI’s (www.can-agri.com) approach to this is in the trailed and tested uniquely designed patented grow towers. The technology not only addresses the supply and demand orders but also achieves global targets in reducing the use of scarce resources coupled with a low carbon footprint accomplished by our “use of natural resources” approach.

Each facility is tailor-made to you, the clients’, comfortability, and needs. Depending on your conditions CAN-AGRI’s adaptability and flexibility in the facility make your system a success.

Farm 111, Klipkop, Graham Rd, Pretoria, South Africa.

Advances In Hydroponic Cultivation of Floriculture Crops

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UNITED KINGDOM: New Vertical Farm To Launch In The Midlands

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April 22, 2021

Posted by: Barney Cotton

High-growth technology company specialising in controlled-environment-agriculture (CEA), Vertical Future, has partnered with newly established Northamptonshire-based vertical farming company, Syan Farms.

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Launching with Vertical Future’s proprietary production systems, Syan Farms will also be brought on board as a research partner as part of Vertical Future’s wider research activities, focused on seed breeding, genetics, and robotics.

Syan Farms – a mainly family-run business based in Horton, Northamptonshire – was recently established to contribute towards the building of a better, more sustainable food system, tackling food security and other key issues. Able to grow fresh produce without the need for herbicides, pesticides or fungicides, and without use of soil, the Syan Farms team are able to provide ‘beyond-organic’ solutions with dramatically reduced emissions and water usage. The use of vertical farming also frees up land for local ecosystems to rebound from agricultural damage.

Vertical Future’s innovative production systems will be housed in a new development in Horton, Northamptonshire, integrated with solar energy and rainwater harvesting in order to provide the most efficient model possible. This is Northamptonshire’s first vertical farm, aimed to serve restaurants, distributors, and homes with the freshest produce around.

Resh Diu, co-founder of Syan Farms, says: “The construction of our first vertical farm with Vertical Future is a great first step for us – and really just the start of our journey in light of our ambitious growth plans. It marks the progression that the UK industry is making towards providing local, sustainable produce all year round whilst protecting the environment. Our ambitions, team, and business model, combined with Vertical Future’s technologies and expertise are set to leave a positive mark on the growing vertical farming industry in the UK and beyond.”

Jamie Burrows, CEO, Vertical Future says: “Growing fresh produce in a fully controlled environment allows our partners to have a measurable influence on flavours, aesthetics, and other product characteristics – this is because we control all of the different variables associated with plant growth. Our systems enable our partners to do this in a sustainable way, year-round, on-demand, and with absolutely no chemicals. We’re so excited to bring on board the Syan Farms team to generate further improvements in UK agriculture.”

Tags: Funding | Midlands | Technology Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Turning Empty Spaces Into Urban Farms

EVEN as many ordinary Malaysians struggle to make ends meet arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, empty shop lots continue to mount along the streets and some even display signs that say “available for rent”.

With the growing importance of food self-sufficiency, now is the time for Malaysia to turn empty spaces into urban farms – tackling food security-related issues besides making good use of the existing sites.

Urban farming is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in or around urban areas.

Although Malaysia is rich in natural resources, we are highly dependent on high-value imported foods. Presently, our self-sufficiency level for fruits, vegetables and meat products stands at 78.4%, 44.6% and 22.9%, respectively.

With a lower occupancy rate in both retail and office spaces, property developers probably could redevelop the buildings for another usage – urban or vertical farming as done in Singapore with tremendous success.

According to the National Property Information Centre, the occupancy rate for shopping malls in Malaysia has dropped consecutively for five years. It declined from 79.2% in 2019 to 77.5% in 2020, the lowest level since 2003.

Penang recorded the lowest occupancy rate at 72.8%, followed by Johor Baru and Kuching (75.3%), Selangor (80%), Kuala Lumpur (82%), and Kota Kinabalu (82.1%).

In addition, the Valuation and Property Services Department revealed a lower occupancy rate at Malaysia’s privately-owned office buildings compared to the pre-pandemic era.

For instance, Johor Baru recorded the lowest occupancy rate of privately-owned office buildings at 61.9%, followed by Selangor (67.5%), the city centre of Kuala Lumpur (77.8%), Penang (79.8%), Kota Kinabalu (86.5%), and Kuching (87.1%).

Aquaponics – pesticide-free farming that combines aquaculture (growing fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil) – would be the way forward.

To summarise, aquaponics is one of the soilless farming techniques that allow fish to do most of the work by eating and producing waste. The beneficial bacteria in the water will convert waste into nutrient-rich water and is fed into the soil-less plants.

Following are the steps for vertical aquaponic farming:

1. Small growth cups are filled with coco peat, which are then sterilised under ultraviolet light, preventing bacteria and viruses from entering into the water pumps. There is an additional control over the environment with regard to temperature and daylight through the use of LED growth lights.

2. A hole is poked in the middle of the cup, where a plant seed is placed inside. The use of non-genetically modified organism seeds, where the majority are imported from reliable sources, is very much encouraged.

3. The seed is germinated for one to three days in a room.

4. Once the seed has germinated and grown to about two centimetres, the pots can be placed in the vertical harvest tower.

5. Nutrient-filled water from the fish pond flows to the plants automatically. Big plants grow within 30 days.

While enabling the growth of many varieties of vegetables with indoor temperature conditions, aquaponics can generate fish production, sustaining economic livelihoods particularly for the underprivileged and disabled communities, as well as fresh graduates who are still struggling to secure a decent job.

Although Sunway FutureX Farm, Kebun-Kebun Bangsar, and Urban Hijau, for instance, are good urban farming initiatives in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur, there are still many potential sites that could be transformed into urban farms.

Therefore, Malaysia perhaps can adopt Singapore’s approach by using hydroponics on roofs of car park structures and installing urban farms into existing unutilised buildings.

As it requires only a quarter of the size of a traditional farm to produce the same quantity of vegetables, the vertical rooftop system would yield more than four times compared with conventional farming. At the same time, it also reduces the need to clear land for agricultural use while avoiding price fluctuation.

Besides reducing over-reliance on imports and cutting carbon emissions, indoor vertical farming within the existing building also allows local food production as part of the supply chain.

It could expand into workshops, demos and expos besides offering guided and educational tours that promote the joy of urban farming.

Through urban farming structure inside a building, stressed-out office workers and the elderly, in particular, can enjoy a good indoor environment, air quality and well-ventilated indoor spaces. They can also relax their mind through gardening and walking around urban farms.

To increase the portion of food supplied locally, the government needs to empower farmers and the relevant stakeholders, incentivising the private sector in urban farming and providing other support through facilitating, brokering and investing.

This in turn would enhance the supply and affordability of a wide range of minimally processed plant-based foods as suggested under the latest Malaysia Economic Monitor “Sowing the Seeds” report by the World Bank.

With the current administration’s laudable commitment to tackling food security-related issues, this would provide an opportunity for Malaysia to review the current national food security policy by addressing productivity, resources optimisation, sustainable consumption, climate change, water and land scarcity.

By putting greater emphasis on urban farming, the government could empower farmers to plant more nutritious, higher-value crops; to improve their soil through modern technologies application (i.e., Internet of Things, Big Data and artificial intelligence); and to benefit from increased opportunities by earning higher returns on their generally small landholdings.

The government could also provide seeds, fertilisers and pesticides-related subsidies paid directly to the urban farmers through a voucher system.

For instance, the urban farming operators could use the voucher to buy high-quality seeds from any vendor or company.

The vendor also can use the voucher to claim payment from the government.

Not only would this approach create healthy competition among vendors, but it would also stimulate agricultural activities.

And given that current youth involvement in the agriculture sector is only 240,000 or 15% of total farmers in Malaysia as noted by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries (Mafi) I, Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah, Mafi, the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives and Ministry of Youth and Sports have to craft training programmes and develop grant initiatives together – attracting the younger generation of agropreneurs to get involved in urban farming.

These ministries can also work with the Department of Agriculture, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority to develop more comprehensive urban farming initiatives.

While providing job opportunities for youths to embark on urban farming, young agropreneurs can enjoy higher income and productivity, and yields, on top of increasing the contribution of agriculture to the gross domestic product.

For urban farming to thrive in Malaysia, the government perhaps can adopt and adapt the Singapore government’s approach: developing specific targets to encourage local food production.

Even though Singapore has limited resources, it is still setting an ambitious target – increasing the portion of food supplied locally to 30% by 2030.

The upcoming 12th Malaysia Plan also will provide timely opportunities for the government to turn empty spaces into urban farming in the context of the ongoing impact of Covid-19 besides fostering agricultural modernisation by leveraging on Industrial 4.0.

In a nutshell, every Malaysian can do their part to help Malaysia become more food resilient. By converting empty spaces into urban farms, it can reduce food waste, encourage local products purchase and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Amanda Yeo is a research analyst at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research. Comment: letters@thesundaily.com