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How Does Aeroponics Work?
Aeroponic systems nourish plants with nothing more than nutrient-laden mist. The concept builds off that of hydroponic systems, in which the roots are held in a soilless growing medium, such as coco coir, over which nutrient-laden water is periodically pumped.
By Brian Barth on July 26, 2018
Towers and other vertical approaches are increasingly popular for aeroponics systems. Since the roots have a need to spread out, this is a clever way to save space. A vertical setup also allows misting devices to be placed at the top, allowing gravity to distribute the moisture.
By Globe Guide Media Inc / shutterstock.com
You finally wrapped your mind around the concept of Hydroponics
(soilless growing). Then all your horticulturally-savvy friends started carrying on about Aquaponics
(raising fish in a hydroponic system) So here’s a new buzzword for you: aeroponics. It has nothing to do with raising vegetables in airplanes, though it has been used to grow beans in the zero-gravity confines of the Mir space station
So what is it? Let’s investigate.
Aeroponics Defined
A simplified diagram of an aeroponic system. By Lilkin / shutterstock.com.
Aeroponic systems nourish plants with nothing more than nutrient-laden mist. The concept builds off that of hydroponic systems, in which the roots are held in a soilless growing medium, such as coco coir, over which nutrient-laden water is periodically pumped. Aeroponics simply dispenses with the growing medium, leaving the roots to dangle in the air, where they are periodically puffed by specially-designed misting devices.
In aeroponics systems, seeds are “planted” in pieces of foam stuffed into tiny pots, which are exposed to light on one end and nutrient mist on the other. The foam also holds the stem and root mass in place as the plants grow.
The Advantages of Aeroponics
Who knew naked roots could survive, much less thrive? It turns out that eliminating the growing medium is very freeing for a plants’ roots: the extra oxygen they are exposed to results in faster growth. Aeroponic systems are also extremely water-efficient. These closed-loop systems use 95 percent less irrigation than plants grown in soil. And since the nutrients are held in the water, they get recycled, too.
In addition to these efficiencies, aeroponics’ eco-friendly reputation is bolstered by the ability to grow large quantities of food in small spaces. The approach is mainly employed in indoor vertical farms, which are increasingly common in cities—cutting down on the environmental costs of getting food from field to plate. And because aeroponics systems are fully enclosed, there is no nutrient runoff to foul nearby waterways. Rather than treating pest and disease with harsh chemicals, the growing equipment can simply be sterilized as needed.
Drawbacks of Aeroponics
Aeroponics systems require a bit of finesse to operate effectively. The nutrient concentration of the water must be maintained within precise parameters and even a slight malfunction of your equipment can cause the loss of a crop. If the misters don’t spray every few minutes—maybe because the power goes out, for example — those dangling roots will quickly desiccate. And the misters need regular cleaning to keep them from becoming clogged by mineral deposits in the water.
There is also one major drawback, environmentally-speaking: aeroponic systems rely on electrical power to pump water through the tiny misting devices. And while they can be employed in the natural light of a greenhouse, they are more often used with energy-intensive grow lights. Solar power or other alternative energy sources can be harnessed to eliminate this drawback, however.
How Much Does an Aeroponics System Cost?
DIY models can be made for less than $100, but good quality professional systems with automated nutrient monitoring and a backup power supply start in the four-figure range.
Equipment Considerations
All aeroponics systems require an enclosure to hold in the humidity and prevent light from reaching the roots (this is typically a plastic bin with holes drilled for each plant), plus a separate tank to hold the nutrient solution. Beyond these basic components, there are a few other things to consider in devising an aeroponic system to suit your needs.
Some aeroponics systems are designed to be used horizontally, like a traditional planting bed. But towers and other vertical approaches are increasingly popular — since the roots need to spread out, this is a clever way to save space. Vertical systems are also popular because the misting devices may be placed at the top, allowing gravity to distribute the moisture.
Another dichotomy in aeroponic equipment: high-pressure versus low-pressure systems.
Low-pressure systems, which rely on a simple fountain pump to spray water through the misters, are inexpensive and suitable for DIY construction. This approach is sometimes called “soakaponics,” as low-pressure misters are capable of producing only a light spray, kind of like a tiny sprinkler, not true mist.
For true mist—meaning moisture floats in the air and more effectively delivers nutrients to the roots—you need higher water pressure than an ordinary pump can provide. Thus, professional aeroponics systems rely on a pressurized water tank capable of holding 60 to 90 psi, along with top-quality misters capable of delivering the finest possible puff of moisture.
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Dirt-Free Farming: Will Hydroponics (Finally) Take Off?
Hydroponics suppliers increasingly stock a full-line of aeroponics equipment, from the nutrients, pots, pumps, timers, and tubing you need for a DIY system to fully-automated turnkey aero-farms.
What Can You Grow with Aeroponics?
Anything, in theory. In practice, aeroponics systems are primarily used for the same applications as hydroponics systems, including leafy greens, culinary herbs, marijuana, strawberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers. One exception is root crops, which are impractical in a hydroponic system, but well-suited to aeroponics, as the roots have plenty of room to grow and are easily accessible for harvesting.
Other vegetable crops are possible but have more complex nutrient requirements. Fruiting shrubs and trees are impractical in aeroponics systems due to their size.
GrowGeneration Launches B2B Platform on Amazon.com
GrowGeneration Launches B2B Platform on Amazon.com
PRESS RELEASE PR Newswire
Jul. 18, 2018
Hydroponics Sales Projected to be in excess of $100M on Amazon, growing at 80% Year Over Year
DENVER, July 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - GrowGeneration Corp. (OTCQX: GRWG), ("GrowGeneration", "GrowGen" or the "Company"), one of the largest specialty retail hydroponic and organic gardening store chain, with 18 locations serving both commercial and home growers, announced today that it has formed a strategic partnership with Amazon to launch hydroponic and organic garden supplies online. GrowGeneration is onboarding thousands of products to offer the best pricing and world-class logistics with two-day delivery or better.
GrowGen CEO Comments:
"As part of our omni channel strategy of delivering our highly specialized suite of products for hydroponic growing, partnering with Amazon as our online solution allows us to reach a truly extensive audience of professional growers. Amazon's logistics are the best in the world and by selling through them, we can deliver on a direct basis anywhere in the country just in time. We project that Amazon will generate significant sales for GrowGen."
The Upstart Group CEO Comments:
"As a preferred partner of Amazon, The Upstart Group and GrowGeneration will work hand in hand to capture the $100M+ hydroponics space. Together we strive to bring GrowGen's product suite to market, and service the online hydroponics and organic gardening consumer. We are certainly excited about the opportunity that lies ahead, as we look for a bright future in the B2B eCommerce category with GrowGen."
According to Forrester, it is estimated that B2B eCommerce will reach $1.2 trillion and account for 13.1% of all B2B sales in the US by 2021. By offering our full product suite through the Amazon platform, and with 197 million unique monthly visitors, GrowGeneration seeks to capitalize on the projected growth of the B2B sector.
GrowGeneration fully understands that online buying is the new normal for American businesses and in order to continue to evolve, a partnership with Amazon is a necessity. Nearly half of online consumers are tech-savvy and sophisticated; they expect purchasing to be instinctive, with self-service interfaces and 24/7 eCommerce availability. With this new partnership, GrowGeneration intends to build upon this foundation for their digital strategy and ensure that all customers become loyal brand advocates who view GrowGeneation as a leader in the Hydroponics industry.
About GrowGeneration Corp.:
GrowGeneration Corp. ("GrowGen") owns and operates specialty retail hydroponic and organic gardening stores. Currently, GrowGen has 18 stores, which includes 6 locations in Colorado, 6 locations in California, 3 locations in Michigan, 1 location in Las Vegas, 1 location in Rhode Islandand 1 location in Washington. GrowGen carries and sells thousands of products, including organic nutrients and soils, advanced lighting technology and state of the art hydroponic equipment to be used indoors and outdoors by commercial and home growers. Our mission is to own and operate GrowGeneration branded stores in all the major legalized cannabis states. Management estimates that roughly 1,000 hydroponic stores are in operation in the U.S. By 2020 the market is estimated to reach over $23 billion with a compound annual growth rate of 32%.
Forward Looking Statements:
This press release may include predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking within the meaning of applicable securities laws. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgments, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect our opinions only as of the date of this release. Please keep in mind that we are not obligating ourselves to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. When used herein, words such as "look forward," "believe," "continue," "building," or variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements made by us herein are often discussed in filings we make with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, available at: www.sec.gov, and on our website, at: www.growgeneration.com.
Connect:
• Website: www.growgeneration.com
• Facebook: GrowGenerationCorp
• Twitter: @GrowGenOK
• Instagram: @growgen
View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/growgeneration-launches-b2b-platform-on-amazoncom-300682734.html
SOURCE GrowGeneration
Markets Insider and Business Insider Editorial Teams were not involved in the creation of this post.
Lettuce Lads Look To Hydroponics In Valley
Devon DaDalt, left, Kevin West and Caleb Allen hold up some lettuce grown in a high-yield, high-density hydroponic system in Canmore on Sunday (June 10).
Photo credit: Aryn Toombs RMO photo
Lettuce Lads Look To Hydroponics In Valley
BY ROCKY MOUNTAIN OUTLOOK JUN 14, 2018
BOW VALLEY – While fresh, locally grown commercial produce is generally not a feature of Rocky Mountain geography, a trio of valley entrepreneurs are hoping to change that with a new hydroponic operation.
Lettuce Lads – Caleb Allen, Devon DaDalt, and Kyle West – have a provisional patent on a hydroponic system in place, some federal funding, launched a GoFundMe campaign and are working toward making locally grown leafy greens a reality in the valley.
The project has been underway for a while, with each drawing on their own experience in agriculture, business, sales, and marketing.
“We’re always trying new things and looking for ways to improve the area where we live and for the people in the area,” said Allen explaining, initial talks with DaDalt about hydroponics soon included West.
“It turned out he had a hydroponic system working in his hallway. He had vegetables in the system. He had vertical units and plants growing in the summer he covers his deck with a system. He’s got corn over here, other things over there.
“That’s how we met. Then we started kicking around the idea of putting together a Canmore hydroponics operation.”
It quickly became clear that hydroponics can be an expensive process and in Canmore, land costs can quickly go through the roof. “So we started to look at it and realized we can’t do a conventional system, so we started brainstorming.”
Brainstorming resulted in the development of a new system (patent in the works) that would incorporate growing within the enclosed environment of an 8×40-foot shipping container. In the container, all aspects of growing from the medium to watering and light, to delivery of hydroponic nutrients – can be carefully controlled for maximum production.
“We all compliment each other well,” said Allen. “Because I can speak sales and marketing, but I also built the prototype in my garage. We don’t feel we have gaps in our team and we’re able to use momentum from each other to bring up new ideas.”
As Allen explains, hydroponics is not new, it’s a centuries-old concept, but there are different methods of doing it.
As the Lettuce Lads move forward, a single shipping container would be home to about 8,000 plants at any given time, which, with automation, will reduce growing time and labour. Farm to table would be 10 minutes, rather than thousands of kilometres.
“Then it starts to become economically viable in the area,” said Allen. This is also where, with federal Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) funding of $30,000, some private investor funds, donation of a site for a shipping container, plans and a budget, and a distribution partnership with Polar Egg in Hay River, things are moving ahead.
The Lads’ funding campaign is aimed at $50,000 which will put a first prototype container in place.
“We feel this is a start to the solution,” he said. “I get frustrated when people downplay the opportunity and what fresh, leafy greens can add. But change happens one step at a time and we need to be able to work as a community and country of people to change things.
“The first prototype is to prove we can grow and sell in Canada. We want to serve the community we live in and we also believe we can drive the price point down. Our vision is to empower people with access to good food, so they can live healthy sustainable lives.
“That’s where everything stems from. Our starting place is a container, but because of the technology, it can go far beyond that.”
To support the Lettuce Lads’ visit www.gofundme.com/lettucelads.
Superior Fresh Poised To Sell First US land-Raised Atlantic Salmon
Superior Fresh Poised To Sell First US land-Raised Atlantic Salmon
By Matt Craze May 31, 2018
Wisconsin-based aquaponics firm will provide America's first-ever commercial harvest of Atlantic salmon from a land-based facility
While the attention of the US seafood industry is focused on the massive recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) projects planned in the USA by Atlantic Sapphire and Nordic Aquafarms, Wisconsin-based hydroponics farm Superior Fresh is about to sell the first land-raised Atlantic salmon in the United States.
Superior Fresh is on schedule to harvest its first fish in July, a year after opening an aquaponics facility, President Brandon Gottsacker told Undercurrent News. The state-of-the-art facility located in rural Wisconsin utilizes the nitrate-rich discharge from fish held in RAS tanks to fertilize and water leafy greens in an organic, closed-loop system.
“We plan to have the first land-based American grown salmon in retailers the week of the Fourth of July,” Gottsacker said.
Superior Fresh and others are responding to growing consumer appetite for locally sourced food. US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said earlier this month that he will seek to make the US into a net exporter of seafood compared with the market currently where it imports more than 80% of seafood needs. The US imports close to 500,000 metric tons a year of Atlantic salmon mainly from Chile and Norway.
The wealthy Wanek family, owners of US furniture outlet Ashley Furniture HomeStore, built the space-aged greenhouse with an investment close to $100 million. Ashley Furniture has annual revenues close to $4 billion a year and the family also owns the Winghouse Bar and Grill, a Florida-based restaurant chain.
Superior Fresh pumps out 2m pounds of leafy greens every year from a 100,000-square-foot glass greenhouse that is 30 times more efficient than a conventional lettuce farm, per square meter. The plant only requires four additional gallons of water a minute, about 20 times than conventional lettuce farming.
Solids from the fish house are broken down from ammonia to nitrates. After treatment, Superior Fresh sends this water from the bluehouse to greenhouse to water the plants via underground piping. The water is cleansed by the leafy greens and is pumped back into the 40,000-square-foot aquaculture system in filtered form.
Superior Fresh was awarded the Monterey Bay’s green-ranking for its fish “right off the bat”, Gottsacker said.
The RAS facility will harvest Atlantic salmon and steelhead on a weekly basis. Atlantic Sapphire’s first harvest from its dedicated grow-out facility currently being built near Miami will occur in 2020.
Both hydroponics facilities and dedicated grow-out plants such as the Atlantic Sapphire facility are complementary, said Steve Summerfelt, director of systems research at the Freshwater Institute, a non-profit organization that specializes in the study of RAS systems.
Superior Fresh’s model will supply about 160,000 pounds (80t) a year of Atlantic salmon, much less than Atlantic Sapphire’s fully operating nameplate capacity of 10,000t a year, Summerfelt told Undercurrent. That said, the proliferation of the Superior Fresh model could boost locally grown fish and vegetable supply across America and create thousands of jobs, he said.
Contact the author matt@sphericresearch.com
Herifi Introduces Advanced Led Grow Light Technology To Improve Interior Aquarium, Plant Growing Efficiency
Herifi Introduces Advanced Led Grow Light Technology To Improve Interior Aquarium, Plant Growing Efficiency
June 1, 2018
Shenzhen Herifi Technology Co., Ltd develops a wide range of LED grow light to increasing more efficient light energy applicability in aquarium, plant growth, flowering and art while reducing global energy cost.
Shenzhen Herifi Technology Co., Ltd, a high-tech enterprise in electronics manufacturing, introduces new innovative LED grow light with enhanced features and a wide range of other LED products to provide global customers with the ideal lighting condition for all phases of water solution culture and hydroponics, plant growth and flowering as well as soil culture, while saving cost on conventional light sources. Again, it is aimed at providing global architects, engineers and designers with the source and inspiration for creation.
Recently, LED lights have become very popular particularly due to the widespread indoor growing practices. Today, most global electronic companies have ventured into the production of LED grow lights, however, there is yet the need for standard and quality in addition to products with high durability to save cost. Shenzhen Herifi Technology Co., Ltd fills this space with their full spectrum lighting solution and other innovative products. One unique product amongst these is the LED grow light bar, which has been designed for large and extensive compartments.
The Apolo LED grow light is considered as one of the best effective replacements for the conventional High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting such as the Fluorescent Light Bulbs, High Sodium Bulbs, and Metal Halide. These products have also been designed in different aesthetic forms and varieties for better applications which include Apotop series, sky series, ladder series, star trek series, Diamond series, STM series, KING series and more. The company also offers special custom services to meet their clients’ specific needs.
One of the company’s LED light products is the dimmable grow light. Several forms of this product have found application in the smart plant factories. Together with moisture and appropriate quantities of nutrients, adjusting this unique LED lighting provides a conducive growing environment for plants in the interior. The LED lighting also increases the growth rate of crops as well as the nutritional value while limiting, as much as possible, any interference from the immediate environmental factors. This provides good advantage particularly for countries in the polar and land-lock regions, with poor climatic conditions and land constraint for effective crop cultivation.
Clients who are interested in purchasing their new collections or wish to know more about Shenzhen Herifi Technology Co., Ltd and their other services are urged to visit their website on http://www.herifi.com
About Shenzhen Herifi Technology Co., Ltd
Founded in 2012, Shenzhen Herifi Technology Co., Ltd specializes in the manufacture of the plant led grow lights and aquarium led lightings. The company has a staff strength of 200 present in their 5000 square meters factory, in addition to high-tech equipment such as reflow soldering machine, automatic SMT machine, all sorts of electric test, production and R&D equipment, and large integrating sphere. Herifi has earned a high reputation throughout Europe and America in grow led lamps and aquarium led lights fields.
Website: http://www.herifi.com
Water of Plenty: Meet The Trio Practicing Soilless Farming in Delhi
Water of Plenty: Meet The Trio Practicing Soilless Farming in Delhi
Triton Foodworks aims to change the face of urban farming through hydroponics
BY SAYAN CHAKRABORTY Forbes India Staff
May 28, 2018
Two of Triton Foodworks’ five co-founders quit after a brush with Delhi’s municipal authorities, but Deepak Kukreja (sitting), Ullas Samrat (left) and Dhruv Khanna (right) decided to stay put
Image: Madhu Kapparath
When Ullas Samrat and Dhruv Khanna spoke after a long hiatus in the summer of 2014, they had a lot to share. The childhood friends had drifted apart when Khanna relocated to Singapore for a master’s degree in 2013, while Samrat stayed back in Delhi to work in his family’s lighting business.
On that call, they mostly spoke about where their lives were headed. Samrat was figuring out a way to keep his mother, who suffered from a lung disorder, away from Delhi’s air pollution. His plan to shift his mother to a farmhouse on the outskirts was struck down by doctors—pesticides, soil and dust at the farms would do her no good. This got him thinking about farming without soil. Khanna, stationed in Singapore, was building his own startup, one that aspired to make TVs smart.
A few minutes into the conversation, both figured they wanted to do something more “meaningful and impactful in life”. Working on a sustainable farming module could be a good starting point, the friends agreed.
“When I told Dhruv about soilless farming, he called me back in three days and said there are a few startups in Singapore [like Comcrop] doing the same. Dhruv said he would be visiting India in a couple of months and if we could figure out a pilot by then, he could work on his startup from Delhi and relocate,” says Samrat, 28, in a phone interview.
Khanna, also 28, did return in September. By then, the duo had sold their dream to three others—Devanshu Shivnani, Deepak Kukreja and Vaibhav Batra. In October they set up Triton Foodworks and started out by growing strawberries hydroponically—without the use of soil, in a nutrient-rich medium using water as a solvent—on a plot in Delhi’s Sainik Farms, where Samrat’s family owned some land. The yield was heartening—eight tonnes, which fetched them a profit of about ₹3.5 lakh.
The five founders, all in their twenties, were elated as the dream to create something impactful had started to take wing. Hydroponics was the way forward for sustainable agriculture, they concluded. First, hydroponics requires 60-80 percent less water than conventional farming. Second, one can practise high-density cultivation with hydroponics. Third, since there is no soil involved, there is no scope of lacerating the soil with pesticides and other chemicals.
Explains Kukreja, 39, “In soil cultivation, plant spacing has to be maintained because the plants compete for minerals, but here, since we feed the plants with precision, it gives us the scope to increase plant density. We can also grow vertically for small and compact plants like strawberries, lettuces and herbs.”
He adds, “In conventional farming, we have to do crop rotation to avoid soil erosion and avoid problems like nematodes and pests, but hydroponics gives us the advantage to cultivate a certain crop throughout the year.”
In hydroponics, since there is no soil involved, the farmer is free to cultivate the same crop repeatedly
However, the company’s wings were soon clipped by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which razed a greenhouse structure they were starting to put up. “In Sainik Farms, construction of new houses and digging borewells for residential use is not permitted due to an ongoing case, but there is no restriction for agricultural activities,” says Khanna, adding that they were asked for bribes.
“When we refused, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi demolished the greenhouse without giving any notice. When we complained to the local MLA, a few days later a junior engineer from MCD came to apologise and told us he thought we were building a house.”
The team was shaken to the core, the immediate fallout of the corporation’s action being Batra’s exit. Next, Shivnani chose to take a break and pursue an MBA. Meanwhile, an institutional investor who had evinced interest in the firm also withheld investment. The flight, in effect, was grounded even before it could take off.
“More money had to be pumped in and we were all very tense. Everyone had this awkward conversation at home where we asked for more money and our parents were not convinced this time. They had already given us money to kick-start the operations,” recalls Samrat of the tumultuous days.
However, Samrat, Kukreja and Khanna decided to stay put. The plan was to take up hydroponics consultancy work for about a year or two, make enough revenue and plough it back into their firm to continue with R&D—the firm had set up two research and production facilities in Rohini in Delhi and Wada near Mumbai. Between January 2016 and mid-2017, the company executed about five projects in Delhi, Karnataka, and Maharashtra —which fetched them about ₹1 crore in revenue—simultaneously working on the research facilities.
The idea was to develop indigenous hydroponics techniques as well as reduce the cost of operations, which could skyrocket to about ₹2 crore for an acre of land. By the end of 2017, Triton Foodworks had devised a way to reduce the cost of setting up a greenhouse hydroponics unit to about ₹1.25 crore.
“The idea was to source as much raw material as possible from local vendors, design the systems ourselves and get them made by local manufacturers,” says Khanna. Adds Kukreja of some of their innovations, “Instead of plastic moulds to hold the crops, which cost about ₹25 lakh for an acre, we use styrofoam, which is not only cheaper but also keeps the temperature low. The cost comes down to ₹15 lakh.” The team has also developed a high-pressure fogger, which sprays smaller water droplets compared to conventional fogging systems.
Late last year, the company stopped consultancy work and turned its attention to developing their own farms. To consolidate operations, it shut down their research facilities and took up a five-acre plot in Manesar, where it grows different varieties of tomato, strawberries, lettuce, eggplants, and pepper among other plants. The plan is to stock the produce in retail outlets in Delhi under the ChopChop brand as well as sell directly to hotels and restaurants. The current fiscal is expected to fetch the firm ₹1 crore in revenue.
“There has been a lot of exposure around food and food experimentation has become big in urban markets. Also, the eating out market has grown and exposed a lot of urban centres to new tastes and ingredients, which have found their way into people’s kitchens. Hence, this category is finding significant retail shelf in outlets, which makes startups in this space interesting,” says Ankur Bisen, senior vice-president at retail consultancy firm Technopak Advisors.
The greenfield opportunity in hydroponics has also attracted businesses such as Letcetra Agritech, BitMantis Innovations, Junga FreshnGreen and Future Farms.
The trio of Triton is in no mood to let go of the opportunity.
Hydroponics, Sustainable Solution in Agriculture Now in Togo
Scott Massey is a graduate of Purdue University as well as the founder of Heliponix LLC; his startup. This developed startup is a kitchen tool, which grows garden vegetables all year and he believed it would offer sustainable solutions to many farmers.
Hydroponics, Sustainable Solution in Agriculture Now in Togo
by Denis Opudo | June 15, 2018
Scott Massey is a graduate of Purdue University as well as the founder of Heliponix LLC; his startup. This developed startup is a kitchen tool, which grows garden vegetables all year and he believed it would offer sustainable solutions to many farmers. Recently, he traveled to Togo in Africa so that he could lead a workshop, to enlighten Togolese on developing an agricultural method, which offered sustainability. Therefore, this program was based on the hydroponic system at the University of Lome.
In Togo, most of the citizens depend on subsistence farming, and it is crucial for the country to improve its agriculture for the sake of improving the yield without investing a lot of capital. As a result, this compelled Massey to bring hydroponic into this country because it involved growing plants in liquids through utilization of the soil. This farming system is good because it uses less water for the whole year at a much faster rate.
Massey conducted this program with the help of his friend Delia Diabangouaya whom he met at Purdue University. With the help of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Component, the two had lectures at the University of Lome so that they could enlighten students on the hydroponic technology so that they would implement this farming back at home. Some of the problems incurred during the development of this farming system are language barrier, and differences in measuring units between Togo and the US. However, locals who were familiar with the landscape solved this problem.
This program provided the locals with lectures regarding funding of the entrepreneurial ventures, principles of hydroponics, and 3D printing. Massey communicated with the help of a translator, and the participants had the chance to experience the building of the taught systems. The participants were able to record some of the critical procedures, and the organizers of this lecture created an open-source design, which had manuals written in different languages. Therefore, this program would help many subsistence farmers in Togo and Africa at large in producing more food produce all-round the year, guaranteeing food security.
Kiribati Man Keen To Expand Hydroponics
Kiribati Man Keen To Expand Hydroponics
June 17, 2018
The Kiribati capital and most populated area, South Tarawa, consists of several islets, connected by a series of causeways. Photo: Supplied
A Kiribati man has come up with an ambitious target to get every family in Kiribati growing plants and vegetables hydroponically.
Hydroponics uses mineral nutrient rich water instead of soil to grow plants.
Eritai Kateibwi launched his business with 500 hydroponic units using a UN start-up grant he won last year.
He said in just one month, he has installed 20 units for more than 10 families and has helped train them up.
"That's our vision, we want to install at least two units per family and it will go really fast if we get the word out there right now."
Eritai Kateibwi said he first learned about hydroponics when studying in the United States.
He said it is his passion to teach others back in Kiribati home to 115,000 people and densely populated in some parts.
Little Leaf Farms Expands Its Indoor Baby Greens Production
Little Leaf Farms Expands Its Indoor Baby Greens Production
Posted By: Brian Sparks May 22, 2018
Little Leaf Farms, one of the largest growers of hydroponic baby greens in North America, has officially opened its expanded greenhouse in Devens, MA. The expansion doubles the size of the greenhouse from 2½ acres to 5 acres, and more than doubles its annual production of baby greens. The company has also purchased adjacent land for a third expansion project set to begin in 2019, which will further increase the size of the greenhouse to approximately 10 acres.
“We are passionate about transforming the way food is grown,” says Paul Sellew, CEO and Founder of Little Leaf Farms. “We incorporate principles of sustainability in everything we do, all to provide consumers with delicious, local baby greens at a fair price. Our process is clean from the start, so consumers can be confident they’re purchasing a safe product, grown in an environment that employs the most advanced food safety practices.”
Opened in 2016, Little Leaf Farms produces locally grown, fresh baby greens year-round that are delivered to New England consumers within hours of being harvested. Little Leaf Farms grows multiple varieties of baby lettuce at its greenhouse that are blended into salad mixes and sold in more than 1,000 Northeast grocery stores and to many restaurant, university, and institutional customers. Little Leaf Farms’ ability to deliver fresh, great tasting and safe baby greens to consumers that can be easily traced back to its Massachusetts greenhouse has led to the company’s rapid growth and expansion.
Little Leaf Farms’ hydroponic growing process uses natural sunlight, a computer-controlled growing environment, and a rainwater-based irrigation system that uses 90% less water than field-grown lettuce. The company’s technologically advanced growing system enables the baby greens to be seeded, grown, cut, and packaged without ever being touched by human hands.
More information about Little Leaf Farms’ expanded greenhouse facility and where its baby greens can be purchased can be found on the company’s website.
Fulton, Indiana - Caston High School Students Build Aquaponics Lab
Fulton, Indiana - Caston High School Students Build Aquaponics Lab
- Ben Middelkamp Staff reporter
-
- May 11, 2018
Noah Rushinsky, 18, and Colton Welker, 19 demonstrate their senior project on aquaponics at Caston High School. The project involves raising plants and fish in a closed system where the water is fertilized by the fish and the nutrient-rich water is used to grow the plants. Fran Ruchalski | Pharos-Tribune
FULTON — Two Caston High School seniors have spent much of their final semester in school creating and cultivating a sustainable ecosystem to grow fish and food year-round.
Colton Welker, 19, and Noah Rushinsky, 18, assembled an aquaponics lab in the school's agriculture room earlier this year for their senior projects. Caston's FFA program received a $6,100 grant for the lab in 2017 from the Cass County Community Foundation. The Cass County 4-H Association also sponsored the grant.
Aquaponics combines aquaculture — the raising of fish — and hydroponics — cultivating plants in water. As the fish inside a water tank are fed, their waste creates nutrient-rich water that gets pumped through a filter and into the plant beds, supplying the crops with food. The plants, in turn, clean the water that gets sent back to the fish tank.
“It’s just a cycle that keeps repeating itself," Colton said, adding that the plants will grow faster with the constant nutrients from the temperature-controlled water during any season.
The lab is also equipped with lights above the plant beds that are attached to a wood frame.
Colton and Noah bought banana pepper and patio tomato plants and also bibb lettuce seeds from D&R Fruit Market in Logansport for the lab, and obtained 70-plus Tilapia fish from farmers in Plymouth. Half of the plants grow on lava rocks and the other are secured in Styrofoam.
Caston's agriculture teacher Nick Korniak said the lab lets students learn about sustainable agriculture. Scientists, he said, have predicted as the world's population continues to increase, land will become scarce for crop growth. Aquaponics is a viable alternative, he said.
“We need to look at ways to produce food that maybe doesn’t require the land area or the amount of rainfall that you would normally need," Korniak said.
The school purchased the pieces for the lab in February, Korniak said, and the students started building it in March. The water tank's heater broke a few weeks later, he said which set them back on the project. They were able to plant the crops about two weeks ago.
During those several weeks of setting up the lab, Colton said they learned much about how to configure the plumbing and filtration system so the water can flow to each section.
“It was an experience," Colton said. "We had some fun times and some frustrating times.”
Noah said when he and Colton graduate in a few weeks, they'll have to pass the baton to other students in the FFA program to tend to the plants and feed the fish each day. The school's agriculture program has more than 100 students, Korniak said, and 52 are FFA members.
“It’s really good for all of the core subjects because you have math, engineering, science, all of those things combined into one," Noah added.
Korniak said he wants to invite the high school's biology students to help care for and learn about the lab in the coming years. He also hopes the produce harvested from the lab could get served in the school's cafeteria and that they can hatch their own fish to repopulate the tank.
“As long as you can control the environment, you can grow," he said.
Reach Ben Middelkamp at ben.middelkamp@pharostribune.com or 574-732-5117.
What’s The Difference: Hydroponics Vs. Aquaponics Vs. Aeroponics
What’s The Difference: Hydroponics Vs. Aquaponics Vs. Aeroponics
- May 9, 2018
- By Heather
Three distinct systems – all vying for the top spot in the niche of alternative growing systems.
What differentiates these three systems from one another? What makes them work? These are the areas that we will be tackling today.
Hydroponics vs. aquaponics vs. aeroponics – which one is the superior system?
Hydroponics
What Is It?
The principle of hydroponics is the oldest among the three because the use of soil-less setups has been around since the age of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
A hydroponics system has two main parts: the grow beds and the reservoir.
The reservoir contains the nutrient solution or the water mixed with various nutrients that plants need in order to grow successfully in the media bed. The grow beds, on the other hand, contain the media and the ‘cups’ that will hold the plants in place.
To clarify, growth media will replace soil in a hydroponics setup. There are many kinds of growth media to choose from: coconut coir, perlite, organic-polymer composites, rockwool, etc.
Among the beginning enthusiasts market, the most popular is coconut coir because it’s 100% organic, expands tremendously with water and can accommodate plants easily – with spectacular results.
Perlite, on the other hand, is hailed as a near-perfect medium for growing plants but it is particularly light, which makes it problematic for flood and drain systems as it can easily float away along with the small current of the water in the grow bed.
Organic-polymer combos/composites like Perfect Starts are becoming increasingly popular because they’re easy to use and are not deformed when germinating plants are transferred from the growth trays to the main growing beds.
And finally, we have Rockwool. rockwool is a type of reusable media as it can be sanitized with steam washing after every growing season.
Rockwool is actually melted rock spun into slabs and other shapes/sizes for the purpose of growing plants.
The main point of contention with Rockwool is that it’s not very environmentally friendly and thus, it goes against the main principle of switching to a more environmentally friendly method of cultivating plants.
The type of media used in a hydroponic system is so important because it will dictate the efficiency in which plants will be able to absorb the nutrients from the solution.
One of the key problems with hydroponics is that roots sometimes succumb to low oxygen levels, which predisposes crops to premature death.
A solution that growers have found effective in dealing with poor aeration and oxygen zone issues is combining two kinds of media to get the best attributes of each one.
Our personal recommendation would be to combine 50% coconut coir with 50% perlite.
Perlite is amazing when it comes to absorbing and delivering moisture plus it also improves the overall aeration of the plant’s root area. Both are highly regarded in the hydroponics community and both are also widely available to growers everywhere.
Power Tip: Coconut coir can be made more effective with the addition of perlite.
Hydroponics Pros And Cons
The main advantage of hydroponics is it’s designed for long-term cultivation of almost any kind of crop.
Commercial hydroponic growers harvest hundreds of kilograms of crops easily using large rockwool slabs.
The system simply works and can be easily expanded if you want to make money off your hydroponics system.
The downside is that with the booming interest in hydroponics in recent years, the price of the chemical compounds needed to create a viable nutrient solution has been steadily rising due to the over-mining of these minerals.
Another problem with hydroponics is that it uses relatively more water because after a time the buildup of salts becomes too much for the system and water has to be replaced so as not to kill the plants.
Also, there is a need to check the electrical conductivity of the water every day to make sure that the pH of the water is just right. Fluctuations in the pH level of the water can damage plants and eventually cause a die-off.
Aquaponics
Aquaponics is a hybrid system that combines the best of aquaculture and hydroponics. System-wise, it looks like a hydroponic system, but instead of relying on a main reservoir that contains a nutrient solution, the source of nutrients will be a vat of live, swimming fish.
How does this work? When you feed fish, the fish will naturally excrete waste. The waste mixes with the water, increasing the ammonia levels.
Obviously, this waste has to be mediated and reduced, so as not to kill the fish. Normally, fish tanks are regulated by biological filters and other types of filters that neutralize ammonia and reduce the impact of feces on the fish.
In an aquaponics setup, water from the fish tank is recirculated throughout the system so that it passes through the grow beds, where crops are steadily being cultivated.
The plants absorb dissolved nutrients in the water and process ammonia, which is highly toxic to fish in increased levels.
Bacteria residing the in the roots of plants, as well as good bacteria from the gut of fish, work together to establish a balanced ecosystem where both fish and plants will survive.
After about half a year, the mini-ecosystem formed by an aquaponics setup will begin to show signs of high-level, self-regulation.
This will be the time when both fish and plants will begin to truly flourish. There will be great increases in both fish yield and plant yield, and the maintenance of the system will become even easier.
Power Tip: Be sure to check the roots of plants for signs of rot.
Aquaponics Pros And Cons
The best thing about aquaponics is you will be essentially hitting two birds with one stone – you will be raising fish and growing crops at the same time.
Fish waste, which is something that is regulated in aquaculture, will no longer be considered a problem because it becomes a sought-after source of nutrition for the plants.
Without fish waste, plants wouldn’t have nutrients.
The plants, on the other hand, will serve as a 24/7 ammonia control center for the fish tank, reducing the ammonia load and preventing toxicity in the water.
Fish are sensitive to ammonia and even a small increase in the ammonia content in the water can cause stress, shock, and disease.
Additionally, aquaponics growers now add red worms to the grow beds to increase the efficiency of waste breakdown and subsequently, the distribution of nutrients to plants.
Red worms are first grown on soil and upon adulthood, they are then soaked/washed and then transferred to the growth bed of an aquaponics setup.
The process of breaking down physical waste into smaller particles through the digestive action of red worms is – you got it right, composting!
Yes, it is amazing to imagine that you can actually compost organic material on a grow bed, on stuff that isn’t actually soil.
But there you have it – red worms do the job quite splendidly.
In addition to helping improve the nutrient levels of the water being fed to the plants, there is another big reason why red worms are now being regularly included in aquaponics systems: e. Coli.
E. coli is a common pathogen/bacteria found in fish feces. E. coli infections can bring down a full-grown, healthy adult and bring him to the hospital.
Imagine what a widespread e. Coli outbreak can do to a tank full of fish, with no other place to hide from the swimming bacteria.
E. coli colonizes fish feces, so these need to be broken down more quickly to prevent an e. Coli outbreak from taking over the system.
Red worms can do this perfectly because they need to eat fish feces to survive.
Is there a downside to an almost perfect system? One of the downsides of aquaponics culture is you have to be very specific with the design of the system so you won’t have to shut it down during the winter.
Obviously, you can’t move large equipment and vats indoors, unless you have a really big house (or garage) but all the same, it’s an issue since frozen water can easily kill fish and winter does the same to plants.
Another downside to the system is even if you only want to grow crops for consumption or sale, you still have to tend to your fish well enough so they don’t continually die off.
Fish care can be learned and if you are a natural hobbyist and if you don’t mind looking at another component in a system, then tending to your fish won’t be much of a problem.
Aeroponics
What is It?
Aeroponics is a variation of hydroponics, but instead of using a grow bed filled with media, the plants are instead suspended, with roots facing a sprinkler system connected to the main nutrient reservoir.
Depending on the plant and the design, aeroponics systems generally use little to no media at all.
Now, you may already be wondering – what is the point of all this?
Why not just use media like everyone else? Why do you have to install a sprinkler system that periodically sprays the roots of plants with the nutrient solution?
It all boils down to oxygen. Believe it or not, even if the roots of the plants are down there in the soil, these still need oxygenation in order to thrive.
One of the limitations of hydroponics is because the roots are also submerged in water and the media, there is often poor oxygenation, which hampers plant growth.
Aeroponics solves this problem by completely liberating the roots of the plants and allowing it to come into contact with pure air.
The results are astounding.
Crops grow two to three times their normal size and yields are simply amazing.
Root formations are also incredible. Normally, the taproot of plants only have a moderate amount of root hairs around them.
In plants grown using the aeroponics method, the roots flourish widely and the root hairs become really thick – a tangle of healthy root hairs just enjoying the exposure to oxygen.
Aeroponics Pros And Cons
As with any system, aeroponics has its own set of ups and downs. The main advantage of this system is crops grow incredibly quickly and the yields are high.
If you are after high yield and shorter growing periods, aeroponics is certainly something to think about, especially if you are already investing in equipment and space for this endeavor.
Aeroponics also uses the least amount of water over time and all excess water that isn’t used by the roots of the plants are simply drained back to the nutrient tank.
Power Tip: Always have backup power and an extra pump in an aeroponics setup.
The nutrient tank is checked daily, much like a conventional hydroponics system.
The pump and spray system is submerged in the water and through a simple timing mechanism, is able to deliver short mists of water to the roots of the plants.
And now for the downsides. Room air doesn’t store water, even if it’s really humid. Humidity is not enough to sustain the roots of plants at all.
Aeroponics is extremely dependent on the misting system. If something should happen to the misting system, then the plants can die easily as a result of dried up roots.
To avoid this, you have to plan ahead. The misting system needs to have backup power and you need to have a backup misting system too, in case the first one fails for some reason. This usually means having an identical pump waiting in store to replace the main once it breaks down.
The misting heads also need to be checked periodically for clogs. We recommend replacing these misting heads instead of just cleaning them to get optimum results.
Remember – your plants are at the mercy of the misting system. They’re not submerged in water and plants are like fish out of water when there’s periodic misting taking place.
Bengaluru Man Uses Hydroponics To Grow Vertical Gardens & Fodder Machines!
Recurring droughts across various states in India have brought the farmers to their knees. With no water to nourish their farms, farmers are left with little to no source of income. What do you do when such tragedy strikes, and there is no way you can water your land?
Bengaluru Man Uses Hydroponics To Grow Vertical Gardens & Fodder Machines!
by Tanvi Patel May 10, 2018
Recurring droughts across various states in India have brought the farmers to their knees. With no water to nourish their farms, farmers are left with little to no source of income. What do you do when such tragedy strikes, and there is no way you can water your land?
While completing research on alternate methods of farming to help drought-stricken farmers, Sunil Jose, an alumnus of IIM-Bangalore, stumbled upon a solution that might seem ironic at first but is actually quite effective.
The method Sunil hit upon is hydroponics—the practice of growing plants without soil and depends solely on the use of water.
Before your skepticism creeps in, Sunil clarifies how it can be utilized in areas hit with drought.
Sunil shares his knowledge on hydroponics. Source.
“Water is used very carefully, and is recycled back into the system,” he told the Times of India, adding that, “The plants get only the desired amount of water with nutrients as and when it is required.”
Since the method does not make use of soil, the water needs are also miniscule—just 5-10%—as compared to land crops. It also gives a higher yield than the traditional methods while using minimum power and space.
Sunil started an initiative which would help farmers adopt this method in their farms, and according to it, they have to plant herbs and vegetables in a vertical fashion instead of the usual horizontal way.
Plants grow in the hydroponic fashion. Source.
This lets them grow a large number of plants in a relatively smaller space
Sunil soon discovered that hydroponics could also be used to grow fodder. This will be helpful to the farmers who own cattle.
Sunil has also been involved in making vertical hydroponic gardens in Bengaluru a reality. He designed and implemented the vertical gardens on the MG Road metro pillars in the IT-Hub. “This can purify the air and nullify the effects of vehicular pollution,” Sunil said.
He has also been actively advocating the use of hydroponics in farming in urban as well as rural areas.
Examples of vertical farming. Source.
His experiment in Telangana became successful when the villagers realised that mustard flourishes in the hydroponic machine that Sunil had made available.
You may also like: Greening ‘Up’: Pune to Grow Vertical Gardens on Its Metro Pillars!
“Twenty-one percent of tomatoes grown in Australia are with hydroponics. It is also becoming popular in Canada, the US and Holland. Of late, the Gulf countries are also showing a lot of interest,” he said.
He is optimistic that as information about this method spreads, more and more farmers who don’t have the space to grow plants or those who live in the arid areas of India, will eventually opt for the “soil-less farming” technique.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
Featured image source: Facebook.
Startup Founder Demonstrates Importance of STEM Entrepreneurship to Elementary Students
Media Manager for Purdue@WestGate | Founder of Lodgepole Pine Productions
May 15, 2018
Startup Founder Demonstrates Importance of STEM Entrepreneurship to Elementary Students
“Not many careers give you the freedom to unleash your creative potential.” -Scott Massey, CEO and Co-founder of Heliponix
Scott Massey performs STEM demonstration to fourth through sixth grade STEM Club members at Our Lady of Providence Junior/Senior High School late March. (Image courtesy of Laura Swessel and Our Lady of Providence Jr./Sr. High School)
Scott Massey was introduced to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at a young age.
“My grandfather was an electrical engineering professor at Notre Dame and MIT,” Massey said. “He was a cryptologist who studied information theory for NASA.”
Like many kids, he often played with Legos, building planes and ships while developing an early interest in mechanical engineering.
Through his relationship with his grandfather, Massey was exposed to being creative with STEM.
“I built a radio with basic electrical components from a kit he had bought when I was younger,” Massey said. “I really enjoyed piecing together the radio, turning it on, and hearing the radio work.”
Scott Massey and his grandfather pictured in 2010. (Image courtesy of Scott Massey)
Massey continued to pursue his love of STEM at Purdue University, where he studied mechanical engineering technology. He then explored entrepreneurship as a viable career path and enrolled in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Certificate Program.
It wasn’t until he discovered his passion for hydroponics that he had the idea to start his own venture. Massey and Ivan Ball co-founded Heliponix their senior year at Purdue and built the GroPod to solve the global food crisis.
“I was originally introduced to the technology of hydroponics and indoor agriculture while working on NASA-funded research at Purdue to develop their own life support systems. As amazing as the introduction to the technology was, it left me really disappointed that there weren’t any jobs in this industry yet because these giant, commercial farming factories you see in media, aren’t that viable.”
“Energy can be one of the most expensive components, if not the most expensive, of a completely indoor growing operation. This is a large part of the input costs of a labor efficient, completely indoor, growing operation,” from ‘How to Invest in Leafy-Green Indoor Agriculture.’
“They consume so much energy it becomes very expensive to operate. So, I realized the final frontier for agriculture was not farm-to-table, but farm-and-table, through hydroponic food computers you can have in your home. This way, you can grow all of the food you need in-house.”
“…I realized the final frontier for agriculture was not farm-to-table, but farm-and-table…”
The Industrial Roundtable at Purdue University is one of the largest career fairs in the country, with more than 400 recruiters last year and attracting around 12,000 students. Though these career fairs offer diverse employment opportunities, Massey didn’t find careers where he was able to prototype his own technological theories with hydroponics.
Massey started filing for patents for the GroPod his senior year. He and the Heliponix (formerly Hydro Grow LLC) team created their first prototype and built a company around the technology.
The Heliponix, formerly Hydro Grow, team winning the 30th Annual Burton D. Morgan Business Plan Competition February 28, 2017. (Image courtesy of Scott Massey)
“Although I was required to work 100 hours a week as a student to generate enough funds to cover just our patent expenses, I felt more free than any of my classmates.”
Massey in college with one of the original GroPods. (Image courtesy of Scott Massey)
Though the path of entrepreneurship hasn’t necessarily been easy, Massey said it is rewarding to be able to follow his passion for solving a real, global problem.
“Not many careers give you the freedom to unleash your creative potential. What’s unique about entrepreneurship is that it gives an innovator the rare opportunity to incubate new technological leaps that existing companies may not be able to envision or fear would challenge their status quo. For those willing to take that leap, they can make disruptions profitable enough to continue funding their initial ideas into established companies.”
This summer, the ag-tech startup company turns two. Through his journey with his STEM business, Massey said he understands the value of educating the next generation.
“It’s important that kids understand they have the power to solve problems their communities face; they don’t have to follow a traditional professional path to find success and better society. They have options. In fact, the tech-enabled world is changing so rapidly, it is not only important to be able to think about entrepreneurship, but it’s also critical if we are going to creatively solve global issues.”
Laura Swessel, a physics and earth/space teacher at Our Lady of Providence Junior/Senior High School in Clarksville, Indiana, organizes the STEM clubs at the school. Swessel said that since she started her 20-year career as a mechanical systems engineer, she believes it is important to expose young children to all aspects of STEM, including careers.
“I asked Scott to come talk about Heliponix because we have been stressing the entrepreneur side of careers this semester,” Swessel said. “I was very eager to have him explain the units and how they work, because it is my hope to purchase a unit to use with the club members and high school students next year.”
Students listen to Scott Massey during STEM Demo Day at Our Lady of Providence Jr./Sr. High School. (Image courtesy of Laura Swessel and Our Lady of Providence Jr./Sr. High School)
Massey held a STEM demonstration for the fourth through sixth grade STEM Club students about indoor agriculture technology. Massey also discussed the tech behind the Heliponix GroPod and the importance of the self-sustaining unit capable of growing fresh produce in a consumer’s home.
“There will be an additional 3 billion people on this planet by the year 2050,” Massey said. “We need to increase our global food output by 70 percent if we are going to avoid a global food crisis, according to the United Nations. However, this will be very difficult to achieve considering agriculture already accounts for 50 percent of our land use and 80 percent of our freshwater consumption in the U.S.”
Indiana as a state has become increasingly invested in STEM education as well as supporting entrepreneurs, like Massey.
In 2012, the Indiana Department of Education began a statewide STEM education plan, identifying the need for ‘rigorous and engaging’ STEM education in schools. The plan includes resources, funding, and information so local schools may better implement STEM education into curriculum and provide options to become further involved in STEM focused, extracurricular activities. The STEM Teacher Recruitment Fund, a $10 million grant program, has also been initiated to grow the number of STEM teachers in classrooms across the state. Applications for the 2018 Governor’s STEM Team are open, honoring four high school students for their exemplary performance in a STEM subject, where winning students receive a $1,000 college scholarship.
The I-STEM Resource Network is a partnership of public and private higher education institutions, K-12 schools, businesses, and government, hosted by Purdue University. Learn more at www.istemnetwork.org
TechPoint Foundation for Youth ensures Indiana’s underserved K-12 students
have access to experiential learning opportunities
that inspire the pursuit of STEM careers. Learn more at www.techpointyouth.org
Indiana has also recognized the importance of supporting entrepreneurship and the important role it plays in economic development.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation organizes several programs and consolidates resources that support businesses and entrepreneurs, such as Elevate Ventures, the Indiana Small Business Development Center, as well as the state’s network of more than 150 coworking spaces, incubators, accelerators, and maker spaces. Across the state are seven different coworking ecosystems through Purdue Research Foundation’s park locations. The state also supports the Battery Innovation Center, a WestGate@Crane Technology Park tenant, which leverages Indiana’s public and private-sector assets in advanced technologies, Elevate Ventures Kinetic Conference which showcases Indiana’s high growth business, as well as the Next Level Fund which supports innovation in Indiana by making strategic investments in high-growth, high-potential companies.
Entrepreneurship education has been a focus at the university level, such as the Burton D. Morgan Business Model Competition at Purdue University and the Clapp IDEA Competition at Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Together, these competitions alone award more than $50,000 each year to student entrepreneurs.
This year, the first statewide student pitch competition for high school students, the Innovate WithIN 2018 Pitch Competition, awarded prizes totaling $100,000 and will expand in 2019. The inaugural competition drew 86 applicants from nearly 300 students at 65 high schools.
Startup activity is a ‘vital indicator of economic growth’ and having entrepreneurs demonstrate their ideas and businesses enhances Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, as expressed in “The long view: Fostering Indiana’s innovation and entrepreneurship.”
As a young entrepreneur, Massey believes in the value of STEM entrepreneurial education.
“Being introduced to hydroponic technology as a Purdue University student engineer on a NASA funded research study motivated me to create the original designs that became Heliponix,” Massey said. “Through events such as STEM Demo Day at Our Lady of Providence, I hope that we can continue to demonstrate the importance of STEM and entrepreneurial education to enrich our future workforce. As these events are replicated, the quality of life and career opportunities across Indiana will continue to grow.”
(Image courtesy of Laura Swessel and Our Lady of Providence Jr./Sr. High School)
Thank you to the resources and staff at the Indiana State Library, the Office of Governor Eric J. Holcomb, and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation for their help in researching information for this article. A special thank you to Laura Swessel and the students at Our Lady of Providence Jr./Sr. High School for allowing us to share their entrepreneurial education story.
Sarah Miller
Media Manager for Purdue@WestGate | Founder of Lodgepole Pine Productions
Purdue@WestGate
Purdue@WestGate offers tools for startups, entrepreneurial experts, programs, educational opportunities and workforce development to help southern Indiana businesses grow and thrive.
Aquaponics Enhances St. Kitts and Nevis Agricultural Sector
Aquaponics Enhances St. Kitts and Nevis Agricultural Sector
Recognizing that small developing countries like St. Kitts and Nevis face enormous challenges following the passage of category 5 hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) provided USD 37,000 to rehabilitate the sector and to enhance food security on the islands.
In doing so, both institutions were mindful of the fact that there was need to ensure greater resilience against climate change. They therefore collaborated with Garden Pool, a United States non-governmental organization (NGO), and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to construct an Aquaponics system.
“Aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (the soil-less growing of plants) into one integrated system”, explained IICA’s National Specialist, Augustine Merchant.
Regarding this project, the Minister of Agriculture, Alexis Jeffers indicated that “IICA is doing the right things at the right time to ensure that they assist us in securing our future”.
The fish waste explained Merchant, provides an organic food source for the plants, and the plants naturally filter the water for the fish. The microbes nitrify bacteria, and this bacteria converts ammonia from the fish waste firstly into nitrite, and then into nitrates. Nitrate is a form of nitrogen that plants can uptake and use to grow.
“As climate change increases variability in weather patterns, large aquaponics systems have the potential to increase food security by changing the way food is produced.” In addition, he stated that in areas with climate challenges such as limited water resources, hurricanes, and flood, aquaponics can facilitate local food production and enhance food security.
The aquaponics system is located at the Government Experimental Station at Prospect Estate, Nevis, and will be used by IICA for demonstration and training.
Effects
The natural disasters devastated the agricultural sector of the Federation. Greenhouses, standing tree crops, vegetables, livestock feed, poultry, small ruminants, and irrigation pipes were lost or damaged by the unprecedented high winds and flood waters.
For a few weeks, there was a shortage of food on the island as some of the countries from which St. Kitts and Nevis import food were adversely affected by the hurricanes.
Both institutions recognize the challenge to increase productivity in the agricultural sector, enhance food and nutrition security and understand the implications of climate change.
For more information:
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
www.iica.int
Publication date: 5/2/2018
Hydroponics: Pros and Cons of Hydroponic Gardening
Hydroponic farming is one of the most misrepresented farming methods around the world. I mean, it sounds like an alien if not a futuristic concept growing food without a single grain of soil.
Hydroponic farming is one of the most misrepresented farming methods around the world. I mean, it sounds like an alien if not a futuristic concept growing food without a single grain of soil.
One of the major reasons hydroponics has been gaining a foothold is because studies have shown that this farming type may soon overtake conventional field farming. For example, it has recently emerged that hydroponically grown plants are of high quality, require less space and are not as resource-intense as their field counterparts. Goes without saying that urban and indoor gardening has witnessed new horizons with no sight of the ending.
What is hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a soilless farming method where planting takes place in a controlled aquatic-based environment. To many, the concept of soilless plant growing may seem like a smack to the plant’s nutritional needs. However, they actually do exceptionally well as they are sufficiently supplied with water and nutrients, which are essential for any plants to thrive.
To provide these nutrients, a nutrient solution is fed to the plants through the roots resulting in normal and healthy plants. With that said, there are multiple hydroponics systems and others don’t necessarily require substrates.
How does it work?
There are different hydroponics systems although the basics are the same. The systems allow the roots of the plants to directly come into contact with nutrients and oxygen without factoring in the soil. As a replacement for the soil, the system uses clay pebbles, stonewool, coco coir, or vermiculite to support the roots.
For the nutrients, there is a water-based solution that’s rich in nutrients delivered directly to the plants through the roots. As a solution to the light which is essential for growth, some hydroponic systems utilize natural lighting while others solely rely on artificial lighting.
Most often people tend to mostly focus on the bias which essentially overshadows the positive characteristics. However, just like any other culture system out there, it has its good side and its ugly side.
Initially, it can prove extremely difficult to kick-start and maintain hydroponic gardens but once you have honed the skills the pros outweighs the cons.
What are the pros and cons of hydroponic gardening?
Pros
One of the most outstanding benefits of hydroponic gardening is the fact that it happens indoors. As such, planting can be done irrespective of the season and production can take place all year round. Additionally, the plants yield double compared to the soil-based farming thanks to the constant growth cycle.
With increasing concern of the food security around the world, public and private sectors are looking for farming methods that can outperform traditional farming methods. Although water and water-based solutions play an important role in producing better yields, hydroponics systems use less water as its possible to re-use and recycle.
In addition to using less water, the system doesn’t produce run-off which can destroy and degrade the environment. Even better, hydroponic farms don’t require deep wallets for upkeep and maintenance compared to traditional farms. For example, since it’s done in controlled environments susceptibility to soil-borne diseases and pests is limited.
Thanks to the compact spaces, hydroponics gardening is ridiculously cheap in terms of labor as a few individuals can harvest and replant in a snap.
Cons of hydroponic gardening
Although hydroponics farming comes with a bit of disadvantages, the advantages far outweigh the bad side. One of the major letdowns of hydroponic farming is the high initial set-up costs.While most small-scale farmers can buy or build relatively cheap equipment, large-scale farms require specialized equipment that comes with a steep price tag that can run into millions.
The second letdown although not a deal breaker is that the farms require constant monitoring and supervision. These large farms are like toddlers who need pampering in terms of constantly keeping track of the lighting, nutrient solution, and oxygen levels. We have to agree in unison that such a modern farm is prone to unusual factors that aren’t common in traditional farms. For example, a power outage in a single day could lead to untellable losses.
The take home
As it appears, hydroponics has clear advantages and some disadvantages. However, I think that the benefits outweigh the demerits since it is a great alternative for food production in areas with poor soil. It’s also a hallmark of other great characteristics like efficiency, it is less costly, and more economical in space.
About Dan:
Dan Chabert – Dan is an entrepreneur, husband and ultramarathon distance runner. He spends most of his time co-managing home sites like Contractor culture, That Sweet Gift, Borncute, health sites such as Runnerclick, Nicer Shoes and The Gear Hunt. He has also been featured on runner blogs all over the world.
US (MI): Hydroponics Benefits Mentally-Challenged Students
US (MI): Hydroponics Benefits Mentally-Challenged Students
In Detroit, Michigan, access to local produce has been a struggle for the community. However, with the recent Farm to Table Movement, there is hope that this access to locally grown fresh produce will increase. The Charles Drew Transition Center, part of Detroit’s school district, is hoping to become a vital part of the movement to improve the city’s food security.
Drew is a nationally recognized post-secondary vocational center for moderate to severely cognitively, visually, hearing and physically impaired students, as well as students with Autism. The transition center was created to provide services to these students to ensure they will have the opportunity to work real-world jobs by age 26.
One of the programs that Drew offers is the Drew Horticulture Program, instructed and taught by Michael Craig. The program was created for the dual purpose of helping Drew students gain horticultural skills and a path to employment, while also providing more access to fresh, locally-grown produce for the school’s families and other parts of the Detroit community.
With the evident need for more local produce, Craig thought hydroponic growing could be a great solution. Since their horticulture program was located in a large gymnasium, he knew there was enough room to house numerous hydroponic systems. Due to the rapid growth in the Farm to Table Movement, growing hydroponically would also give Drew the opportunity to sell the produce to local businesses. These pros swayed Craig to purchase three HydroCycle NFT systems from Growers Supply.
When receiving the systems, Craig said they were easy to set up and operate. He explained, “When plants are in the system with a scheduled dosing routine, I can simply leave it alone. With a cleaning regimen of every three growth periods, it is quite easy to hose out the channels, which is a huge time saver.”
Craig and his students are constantly able to test the capacity of the units and have grown large amounts of Basil, Bush Beans and Kale. Craig said one of the best features of the NFT Hydroponic systems is the quality of the lettuce they have grown and the time required to do so. “We have been able to grow beautiful, full heads of lettuce every four weeks. This means we have the capacity to grow, with all systems here at Drew, up to 500 heads of lettuce every four weeks.”
Drew is doing a lot with this generated produce. Most importantly, it is consumed by students through their lunch program, ensuring healthy food choices. The families and local community are also provided for through the in-school Farm Stand that offers low-cost greens, as well as other products. A portion of the produce is also set aside as a donation to a couple of food pantries, so that the less fortunate have access to healthy food options. The program’s participation in the Farm to Table Movement has opened doors to produce sales to local restaurants and other institutions, such as hospitals, which could help flow funds back to the program.
Since purchasing the HydroCycle NFT Systems, Craig has been extremely pleased with his choice to go with Growers Supply. Growers Supply was the only company that had complete hydroponic systems that suited the program’s needs, and the outcome has been fantastic. “Our school program here in Detroit has grown from supplying a bit of produce to our parents, to becoming one of the largest programs in the country, with produce feeding students, parents, our neighborhood community and soon even more, due to becoming part of the Farm to Table Movement.”
To people who are considering purchasing a hydroponic system, Craig said, “Whether you’re a farmer looking for more production or a teacher in a school program, the Growers Supply NFT Hydroponic Systems are a fantastic value.” He also explained, “The Growers Supply specialists took the time to learn about our program and goals. Heather, the specialist we directly worked with, answered all the questions we had and has been extremely helpful in recommending equipment and supplies that suited our needs and goals. I’m extremely grateful for all her assistance.” Craig said the only thing he would’ve done differently is start the whole process earlier.
For more information:
GrowSpan Greenhouse Structures
1395 John Fitch Blvd
South Windsor, Connecticut 06074
Toll-free USA: (800) 476 9715
International: +1 860 528 9550
info@growspan.com
www.growspan.com
Publication date: 3/15/2018
Is Protected Ag Right for You?
Is Protected Ag Right for You?
Posted by Carol Miller|March 6, 2018
High tunnels have extended when Bozeman-MT-based Three Hearts Farm can offer produce, says Rachael Hicks.
Producing vegetables undercover is nothing new. It has been going on for centuries. But more recently there has been a surge in new and established vegetable producers adding greenhouses, high tunnels, and low tunnels to their operations.
Just take a look at USDA data where we can see a meteoric increase in food crops grown under cover. In 1998, USDA showed 1,015 operations had protected agriculture, accounting for $223 million in sales. In 2009, that number inched up to 1,476, but sales more than doubled to $553 million.
Then a mere five years later, the number of operations shot up to 2,521 and sales jumped to $797 million. In about 15 years, the number of operations multiplied 2.5 times, and sales tripled to more three-quarters of a billion dollars.
The 2017 Ag Census is due to publish this year, and will give us even better insight.
Is it time for you to add high tunnels or greenhouses to your operation? Here are a few things you need to consider:
1. You Want to Extend Your Season Either Earlier, Later, or Both
Growing undercover allows you to grow in cooler weather, and that means there’s less competition for your crop in the market. It also means higher prices for your produce than you can get during the normal growing season.
There are nuances to that concept, however.
“It’s a global marketplace,” says Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist at Cornell University. “What you grow is probably available in the marketplace from another part of the world in the winter months. How will you compete with that? What is your competitive advantage over the existing supply chain?”
One obvious selling point is that you’re a local grower. Or, if you are an organic grower, offering a green option in winter will make you more appealing.
Then there’s the puzzle of market access..
“If you grow greens in the winter, is there a market for that produce? Do you have access to it?” Reid asks.
A good place to research your market is to talk to your distributor, grocery buyers, or farm markets. Winter farmers’ markets have been growing in popularity, and you can talk to your local market managers to see which crops are needed most.
“Growing in what I call controlled environment agriculture can give you a competitive advantage,” says Merle Jensen Professor Emeritus, University of Arizona. “When you can offer local produce out of season, and it’s grown well and tasty, then you can be paid very well for that.”
2. You’d Like to Grow Crops Not Normally Offered in Your Region
Each region has limits on what it can grow due to the local climate.
“By using the high tunnels, we are able to provide greens late in the season; cucumbers and basil early, as well as tomatoes and peppers — two crops that are difficult to grow in our climate,” says Rachael Hicks of Three Hearts Farm in Bozeman, MT.
Local Appetite Growers in Fairhope, AL, located on the Gulf Coast just west of the Florida panhandle, adopted high tunnels a couple of years ago in an effort to protect their high-value lettuce and cherry tomato crops from the heavy storms and rain they experience on a regular basis. The controlled environment provided by the high tunnels has made a huge difference to the quality of their products, say owners Will Mastin and Karl Brantley.
3. You’ll Face Different Diseases and Pests
To the uninitiated, protected ag seems to offer a safe haven from pest and disease pressure.
You have better control over how much water plants get in high tunnels, which helps keep disease at bay. That said, greenhouses, high tunnels, and low tunnels are good at retaining moisture, and can be humid without good ventilation —ideal conditions for disease.
Diseases like downy and powdery mildew and other diseases related to moisture on the leaf can be a problem with winter-grown greens. Producers need to be on the lookout and act quickly as this can rapidly get out of control.
With all growing systems, sanitation is important for disease control; but with hydroponics, where there is recycling of nutrient solutions, it is critical. Waterborne plant pathogenic organisms — Pythium species in particular — can be devastating in such a production system.
Many of the insects that are a problem under field conditions are rarely experienced in high tunnels or hydroponics. However, production under these conditions doesn’t guarantee a pest-free situation.
“We had problems with aphids when we grew spinach in high tunnels, so we moved to raising it with no heat and have eliminated this pest,” says Allan Gandelman, owner of Main Street Farms in Homer, NY.
If you grow undercover, you can plan on managing spider mites, other mites, and thrips, Reid says.
“Talk with local Extension agents about which ones are the main ones to worry about in your area,” he says.
There is a clear pest and disease advantage in a controlled environment.
“We can use biological controls to good effect,” he says.
Beneficial insects, for example, are likely to stick around. And re-entry times on biopesticides are much shorter than conventional treatments.
Another pest area protected ag offers relief is with wildlife. Deer, birds, and rabbits are successfully kept from plants, by and large. Rodents, however, can still be a problem, as anyone with a warehouse can attest.
4. You Can Offer Your Crews Work for a Longer Period
Outside of some warm weather regions, production is highly seasonal. That makes it difficult to hold on to labor from year to year. Crews come in for three months and need to move on to other farms for the rest of the year. They may or may not be available to return the following spring when you need them again.
“A lot of people doing this will report that they are able to keep people, better able to hire when full season comes on,” Reid says.
But be sure to consider that you’ll be extending your own work season as well.
“With growing year-round with the high tunnels, we just don’t get a break like we did when we grew in the field,” Gandelman says.
5. You Have Unproductive Areas You’d Like to Use
For someone starting out with little to no land suitable for production, using high tunnels or hydroponics could be ideal.
“We started at Main Street Farms with no land and were doing aquaponics. So growing microgreens hydroponically fitted perfected,” Gandelman says.
As the business has evolved, the hydroponics are now a small part of Main Street Farms’ operation, and they are expanding more into high tunnel production.
6. Run the Numbers to Ensure It’s a Profitable Venture
Generally speaking, field-grown produce is the most cost-effective way to grow, Reid says.
Since crops grown under cover often bring higher prices than field grown, revenue will be higher. But so are the costs associated with it.
Talk with knowledgeable people (like Extension agents) to get a good sense of what the input and labor costs per square foot will be, and compare that with your records for field-grown crops. Will the high prices for produce bring in a profit?
The math works out for Three Hearts Farms, which has about a quarter acre of high tunnels. The high-tunnel production has greatly increased profitability on the farm, Hicks says.
Also, consider the type of protected growing you will do. Low tunnels do not require an investment in lighting, heat, or other environmental controls. High tunnels have a wider range of sophistication and can have many of the environmental features of a greenhouse.
Greenhouses are the most technologically advanced type of growing but are ideal for hydroponics, which is highly efficient in the space used and inputs needed.
When running the numbers, Reid recommends analyzing a full year to gain a realistic idea of costs and profits.
“Look at it annually. Say you’re growing spinach in the winter time. That budget will look very different, because of the price compared to summer,” Reid says.
How to Get Started
Committing to protected agriculture doesn’t have to be an enormous investment, Judson Reid, Extension Vegetable Specialist, Cornell University, says.
The costs between establishing low tunnels, high tunnels, and greenhouses are significant. Low tunnels are the cheapest investment, with greenhouses — complete with climate control— at the top of the list.
“Before investing in high tunnels, go with low tunnels. You can you grow a 75-day-maturity crop multiple times. If that goes well, then think about high tunnels, then greenhouses,” Reid says.
Hydroponics Workshop To Take Place in Chennai
People will be shown the videos and explained the techniques adopted in this technology-based farming and the event will be hosted by WSquare, that aims to bring women back to work.
Hydroponics Workshop To Take Place in Chennai
P T Usha March 17, 2018
Chennai: We already have wireless headphones, foamless toothpaste, queueless banking… here comes soil-less farming method.
Two farming companies – Harvest 4 Health and Suregrow Brand Penny’s Worth Technologies – are conducting a hydroponics workshop in Chennai tomorrow.
People will be shown the videos and explained the techniques adopted in this technology-based farming and the event will be hosted by WSquare, that aims to bring women back to work.
Talking to News Today, Harvest 4 Health co-owner Siraj, says, “The workshop will be teaching techniques involved in farming methods like hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. The videos and pictures of our working models will be presented in the workshop. Also, we will be offering an invitation to those attending the workshop to the 1000 sq. feet hydroponics farm of ours at ECR, so that they can get a better idea about the technology.”
Explaining about the basic method of hydroponics, Siraj says, “This is an alternative farming methodology to a traditional farming method which does not depend on soil as a medium. This can be called the technology-based farming method as it replaces one medium with another. In this, the soil is replaced. Hydro – water, ponics- working – waterworks’ is the basic ideology of this kind of farming.”
He says, “There is another method called aquaponics which works in a different environment and methodologies where we generate manure and natural fertilizers from fishes. This can be assumed with a simple model like growing plants in fish tanks. Along with the nutrients present naturally, in the water, fishes’ excreta adds as the best manure for the plants.”
AREA WISE
Does the system restrict itself to a small area? “This can be done on a large scale on commercial requirements or on a small scale in 100 or 150 sq ft where we can grow vegetables on the terrace. If you are living in a gated community a 1,000 sq ft farm will be good enough to serve everyone,” he says.
“Along with the vegetables this kind of farming is well-suited for growing a variety of greens. Interestingly, we can even grow exotic crops like broccoli. This can be done by controlling the growing factors like pH value of the water, controlling the temperature. With this method, the produce quantity will be more than in traditional farming,” says Siraj.
CHEMICAL ADDITION
“Other than water nutrients, chemical nutrients like urea, magnesium, potassium, etc., will be let in manually in a correct value with a coir as a medium. Besides the quantitative benefits, the quality perspective has a bigger advantage in this system. Since the crops are grown in an enclosed system there is no use for pesticides like we use in traditional farming. It is not totally eradicated, but is less when compared,” he informs.
Siraj adds, “In a farming land, the distribution of minerals and other nutrients may differ from place to place whereas in a controlled hydroponics system, the distribution is equal. Recently, we successfully grew 800 to 1,000 bunches of greens through this process in our farm. Also, the time taken for growth is also less – compared to traditional farming – with the growth rate being 25 to 50 percent faster.”
CAN CITY MANAGE?
Hydroponics does not require much water. Just like drip irrigation system, the water is given in small quantity for an elongated period. It just takes two buckets of water a day for a 1,000 sq ft farm. However, this may vary with the type of crops and environmental factors. Also, the employment of sprinkler/fogger system can use water effectively.
Asked about the target audience, he says, “Anyone who wants to know about hydroponics, to those who want to take up farming, anyone who wants to grow exotic crops are welcome to the workshop tomorrow. We also have a lecture by Prof Nagendiran, an agricultural scientist who has vast knowledge in this field.”
WHERE IS IT?
The event will take place tomorrow between 2 and 4 pm, WSquare, Adyar. For registration call 044 48540085.
What is hydroponics?
Explaining about the basic method of hydroponics, Siraj says, “This is an alternative farming methodology to traditional farming method which does not depend on soil as a medium. This can be called technology-based farming method as it replaces one medium with another. In this, the soil is replaced. Hydro – water, ponics- working – ‘waterworks’ is the basic ideology of this kind of farming.”
Hydroponics Technique Suitable For Urban Farming
Hydroponics Technique Suitable For Urban Farming
By admin - March 11, 2018
HAVING large fertile lands is not a precondition for growing crops. Hydroponics technology has made this possible, particularly for urban farmers, who have limited access to land for agricultural purposes. This technique enables farmers to grow plants without soil. Instead, a nutrient-rich solution is used to deliver water and minerals to the roots of plants.
While this technology is not new, it is now gaining popularity in the global farming community. Locally, several farmers have incorporated the technology into their farming practices, contributing to Guyana’s green agriculture agenda. One such farmer is Bharrat Ramsundar, of Dowding Street, Kitty. For the past four years, Ramsundar has been utilising the hydroponics technology.
He became familiar with the technology through a partnership initiative between the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Partners of America. This partnership was further strengthened through the Organisation of American States (OAS). The OAS Project: Organic, Hydroponic and Hybrid-System Growing for Caribbean Schools and Modeling for Local Caribbean Entrepreneurship Project saw the construction of a hydroponics facility at NAREI in 2015 and the training of several local farmers.
Thanks to that initiative, Ramsundar is currently operating a successful agri-business at home. He was able to construct the hydroponics facility himself using PVC pipes, metal frames, pumps, reservoirs, and timers. The construction of a 60-ft long bed to accommodate 750 seedlings costs approximately $250,000. However, recouping the cost of the initial investment could happen within a short period, he noted.
Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, Dr Oudho Homenuath, during a recent visit, pointed out that the facility is a good example of urban agriculture. He noted that the farmer through the use of technology is demonstrating that producing high-quality food in an urban setting is possible.
In a district known for retail commercial activities, Ramsundar has converted a section of his concreted yard into a modern farm. Every 21 days, he harvests fresh disease-free green lettuce and celery. The majority of his crops are sold to two supermarkets on Sheriff Street. The remainder is sold to a resort and neighbours.
“Planting using hydroponics is better than farming in open fields…I find the crops to be of a better quality…My lettuce could last up to two weeks in the fridge…There is little or no disease or pest infestation…Also, there is no need for crop rotation or resting of the soil…I can plant continuously, which is important for me to supply my customers,” he noted.
Speaking on the day-to-day operations of the farm, Ramsundar said the hydroponics facility is not technical to operate. However, proper management of the crops from seedlings to harvest is essential. Because there is no weed and hardly ever any pests, he is able to manage the farm by himself.
Ramsundar’s next project is to construct a seedling nursery producing hydroponic seedlings. Currently, he is sourcing seedlings from private nurseries for his operations. However, since they are not hydroponic seedlings they take sometime to acclimatise to their new environment.
Mucci Farms, A $70M Investment In Huron, Ohio, Continues To Grow
Introduced, developed and entirely paid for by Mucci Farms, the Canada-headquartered company recently finished building its first of three greenhouses after breaking ground in spring 2017. Blueprints show each glass structure totaling 25 acres in size
Mucci Farms, A $70M Investment In Huron, Ohio, Continues To Grow
3/9/2018
HURON
Construction work continues on the first of three planned Mucci Farms greenhouses, each 25 acres large, in Huron near BGSU Firelands. Executives anticipate the process of planting environmentally conscious fruits and vegetables will begin later this month. After a 10-week growth period, the food will be ready for distribution and sent to several supermarket chains across North America. -- Register photo/ERIN McLAUGHLIN
HURON — They’re just days away from planting all-important seeds carrying great weight for the company’s, city’s and cultivation communities’ futures.
Construction work continues on a $70 million privately funded, groundbreaking agricultural venture in Huron.
Introduced, developed and entirely paid for by Mucci Farms, the Canada-headquartered company recently finished building its first of three greenhouses after breaking ground in spring 2017. Blueprints show each glass structure totaling 25 acres in size. There’s also a warehouse, for shipping and distribution purposes, connecting all three greenhouses.
By next week, workers can begin seeding non-GMO crops — namely for tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants and strawberries — in the first completed greenhouse. Crews should finish the other two greenhouses within a year’s time.
All food cultivated from the greenhouses will eventually get shipped to major supermarket chains contracting with Mucci across North America. This would include Kroger and Wal-Mart.
Sophisticated, energy-efficient systems for heating and electricity create an ideal environment to grow crops year-round, no matter if it’s 90 degrees and humid in July or 10 below zero in January.
“We have to make sure, especially in the wintertime, that we keep a consistent climate,” said Dave Loewen, Mucci Farms’ general manager who’s helping supervising efforts in Huron. “We are basically trying to create summer inside all year so the crops can grow optimally.”
Then there’s a computer-controlled irrigation program, which knows exactly when an individual plant needs more or less water. Sitting and growing in its own station, a “growing medium,” each crop receives an individual spigot to receive proper nutrients.
Mucci Farms, which operates five facilities and about 175 acres in Canada, incorporates a hydroponic process, meaning it relies on water and not soil to grow crops. With tomatoes, for instance, they need enough minerals so their vines can grow upward of 47 feet tall.
Yet the company doesn’t completely ignore the outdoor elements. Combining both systems, Mucci executives contend, produces better tasting and overall healthier foods.
“Mother Nature is still active in our greenhouse ecosystem,” according to a company statement. “Bees fly around to pollinate the plants and, rather than pesticides, we use a program … where ‘good bugs,’ such as ladybugs, prey on ‘bad bugs.’ Additionally, we’re able to use a fraction of the land and water that traditional farming requires with high yields and by sterilizing and recirculating our run-off water.”
Mucci Farms also does it best to protect the outside environment.
“By growing on elevated benches and troughs, we can achieve a high caliber of cleanliness,” the statement read. “We recycle all of our leachate irrigation water to reduce our footprint on the environment.”
During a recent tour with city officials, Loewen expressed his awestruck emotions for the project in Huron.
“To see this, knowing a year ago we were walking through trees, and being able to walk inside a greenhouse, and how everything else is accomplished, is pretty impressive,” Loewen said.
Many consider Mucci Farms the future of farming and agriculture. Local officials, meanwhile, couldn’t be happier the pioneering project is happening in Huron.
“This is so unbelievable and such a great opportunity to create partnerships for the city and others,” Huron city manager Andy White said. “We are so excited about this and the huge impact it will have on the local economy.”
More about Mucci
Q: What is Mucci Farms?
A: Since the 1960s, Mucci (pronounced moo-chee) Farms has grown non-GMO produce — specializing in tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants and strawberries — inside factory-size greenhouses.
A sophisticated, high-wattage lighting system helps products, in a matter of weeks, evolve from tiny seeds to fully grown crops dangling off upward of 47-foot vines.
Mucci Farms, headquartered in Kingsville, Ontario, directly north of Pelee Island, sells its hydroponic crops — a process incorporating mineral nutrient solutions in water and not soil — to wholesalers and major corporations, such as Kroger, Trader Joe’s, Costco, Wal-Mart and others.
“The whole locally grown concept has really taken off,” company CEO Bert Mucci previously told the Register. “That is what the wholesalers and retailers want.”
Q: Why would Mucci Farms want to locate a base in Huron?
A: Bert Mucci explained why Huron represents the perfect location for his company’s first U.S. base.
“It’s a unique opportunity for us because of (Huron’s) proximity to our markets and our headquarters,” Mucci said. “About 65 percent of our production right now is delivered across the border (from Canada to the U.S.). Because of that, being in the U.S. is really attractive to us.”
Q: Are there any other reasons Mucci is coming to Huron?
A: Mucci Farms came to the city because Huron Public Power could promise the company the least expensive electric rate for the greenhouses.
Huron’s publicly managed utility company can provide Mucci with extremely affordable electric rates associated with a large volume of consumption associated with greenhouse-grow lights, officials said.
The company will install blackout curtains to cut down on light pollution, ensuring people aren’t disturbed at night.
Q: Who else benefits from this deal?
A: Several entities stand to reap the windfalls of a $70 million investment.
For starters, Huron Schools would receive an injection of property tax money from new development.
Additionally, BGSU Firelands students could also enroll in special agricultural classes, learning firsthand how a specialized greenhouse operates.
The 100 initial jobs created would also lower unemployment levels and no doubt stimulate the local economy, according to area officials.
Plus retail giants purchasing Mucci-made produce would recognize Huron as a key location for their operations, a possible prelude to more development within the area.
Business brief: Mucci Farms
• What: In Huron, construction continues on the company’s first U.S. base, which focuses on growing crops hydroponically, an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly process incorporating water and not soil.
• Where: It’s being built on a plot of land wrapping around Rye Beach and Bogart roads, beside BGSU Firelands.
• When: The first crops should be planted next week. Workers will care for them over a 10-week period, ready for distribution and consumption this summer.
• How much: The investment in constructing and developing this facility totals $70 million, all paid by company ownership.
• Jobs: Upon starting, the company wants to hire 100 workers and wants to eventually increase the number to 250. People can apply for jobs by visiting muccifarms.com/careers.