Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
Idrologica Proposes New Anti-Hail/Anti-Bugs System
V5: Anti-Hail System That Prevents Ice Accumulation
Increasingly devastating weather phenomena are now threatening even the anti-hail/anti-bug nets. Often, heavy hailstorms damage not only the nets but also break the poles. To avoid this, the European patented V5 system is a type of anti-hail cover characterized by an innovative ice discharge method which prevents the formation of dangerous build-ups on the nets.
Looking at the net's profile, you can notice two different slopes: the first one is relatively flat, while the second one has a strong slope so to make a funnel.
The technician continued, “Therefore, the net has great flexibility. In the case of a hailstorm, the slope increases thus immediately discharging the ice. The two net-cloths are tied in two parts: through an elastic between the intermediate supports, and through plaques between the external supports”. Eventually, the net looks like a triangle pointing downwards, where the hail is collected and discharged. It is also possible to close the net so to isolate it from the Asian bug.
“The Idrologica company proposes, develops and installs farming plants and machinery, for private and public gardens and for industries and large sports facilities. We contribute to the improvement of the agricultural and agri-food productions and to the increase of green areas. This is thanks to the experience of our specialised human resources who are capable to constantly support in specific technical matters”.
Info
Idrologica srl
via Soldata, 1
48018 Faenza (RA) - Italy
Mark Servadei
Technical office
Tel.: +39 0545 906274
Tel.: +39 333 9365933
Email: impiantistica@idrologica.it
Web: www.idrologica.it
City Farms To Rise Up In Russia
BY TOM JOYCE @tomfruitnet
10th October 2018 - London
TealTech Capital is investing in a network of vertical city farms in major Russian cities, with the first set to launch in Moscow
The TealTech Capital venture fund is creating a network of city farms in Russia dubbed Local Roots, according to GreenTalk.ru.
In the next three years, ten sites are reportedly planned for Moscow and other major Russian cities, for the cultivation of lettuce and greens.
The total capacity of the ten sites will reach around 1,000 tonnes per year, with an annual turnover of RUB1bn (€13m).
Such vertical farms employ aeroponic technology, where the plant roots are sprayed with a nutrient solution. For TealTech Capital, this will be its first agribusiness-related project.
Local Roots LLC was established in Moscow in August. TealTech has so far invested RUB6m (€78,500), but the project’s total investment has not been disclosed.
By the end of the year, the first phase of the Moscow farm is expected to be launched, with 8 tonnes of basil and rocket cultivated per year. By next March, the farm is expected to reach a capacity of 160 tonnes.
Initially, Local Roots will supply exclusively to food retailer Vkusvill, selling under the brand Local Roots. In the future, around half of the produce will be delivered to other chains and restaurants.
“It is extremely important to have an efficient supply chain, since the optimal sale time for salads does not exceed three days,” explained Mikhail Glushkov, executive director of the National Fruit and Vegetable Union.
In the off-season, he said, imported greens from Israel and Lebanon can take several days to reach the market, leading to losses of up to 60 per cent.
The potential of the Russian market for greens grown on city farms is estimated at 140,000 tonnes annually, with a turnover of around RUB70bn (€0.9bn).
Abundant, Nutritious Food, Available Close By And Year-Round
A Q&A with Skyscraper Farm founder Nick Starling
By Nick Starling - Wednesday, October 10, 2018
U.S. Army Ranger, economist and real estate developer Nick Starling is founder and chairman of Skyscraper Farm LLC. Below is a conversation he had with Washington Times Special Sections Manager Cheryl Wetzstein about his company and his vision for worldwide vertical farming that is conducted in very tall buildings — with residential and commercial space as well as dozens of floors for aeroponic and hydroponic crops — and relies primarily on sunlight for the crops. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What attracted you, an economist, to the concept of vertical farming?
I first came up with the idea of Skyscraper Farm during my freshman year taking “Intro to Human Geography” at Hawaii Pacific University. A professor put up a map of America, pointed to the coasts and said, “This is where everybody lives,” and then pointed to the center and said, “And this is where we grow our food.” That’s when I had my light bulb moment, and I made this really crude drawing trying to figure out how to get sunlight into the center of the building.
Q: What kind of innovations distinguish Skyscraper Farm from other types of vertical farming?
You can’t feed 9.6 billion people with field farms. And we, at Skyscraper Farm, are betting that sunlight is better than LED lights. Sunlight is like dinner to the plants, and LED lights are like protein bars.
Also, Skyscraper Farm is the only vertical farming solution that can maintain its “alpha,” which means it will keep a return on investment above the industry standard. The reason why we’re able to do that is due to low cost of goods sold — 90 percent of costs in other vertical farms are their electric bills because they’re running LED lights 24 hours a day. We cut that out completely; we use sunlight. Judging by its track record, we’re pretty confident in betting that sunlight can grow plants.
Q. You have an overarching concept you call HIDDEN WAFER about your project. Can you explain this?
The acronym stands for health, infrastructure, diplomacy, development, energy, national security and water, agriculture, finance, environment and real estate.
With health, the shorter time to table has massive implications for health and nutrition. When you can get a vegetable right from a bush, it’s so much more nutritious and it just tastes better. If you can get food from farm to table in less than an hour — or within an hour to everyone within a 15-mile radius, which is a goal of Skyscraper Farm — then that’s great. And for those who buy our condos, it’s farm to table in less than five minutes.
On infrastructure: There’s a 55,000-trucker shortage so that means it costs even more to get fruits and veggies across the country to your table. With a vertical farm right in the center of the city, you can reduce the number of what’s called “food miles” — and reduce wear and tear on the nation’s highways and byways. There’s also a reduction in the need for water infrastructure or to get water to remote fields where those farmers are farming.
Development refers to the elevation of economic conditions. The global average farm yields are 50 percent; with vertical farming, there’s greater yield of 92 percent or better at a cheaper cost. Engel’s law says that the less money you make, the greater proportion of your income you spend on food, which is why people in Haiti are spending 60 cents on the dollar for food while Americans spend 6.7 cents on the dollar for food. Furthermore, if people can spend less money on high-quality, high-nutrition foods — like kale and other vegetables — it will help fight malnutrition.
Diplomacy means vertical farms will permit diplomats to pull certain levels in their diplomatic relations with countries; no more food or water riots.
Energy: Around 20 percent of U.S. oil demand is for agriculture, and a full 60 percent of that is for production. People may see 16-wheelers hauling produce, but they don’t see the combines and tractors running in the field. Vertical farming can make countries more energy independent.
And national security is critical: Armies march on their stomachs. So having a Skyscraper Farm in the world’s largest Navy base means fresh produce can be delivered from farm to ship almost immediately before departure as well as provide a stable source of fresh crops. Moreover, field farms are absolutely indefensible and subject to constant threat of bio and chemical attacks; a Skyscraper Farm is the only defensible option.
And W-A-F-E-R?
Then with water: We don’t have a water crisis, we have a water allocation crisis. Seventy percent of the world’s freshwater is used on agriculture. With the current 50-percent yield globally, there’s a lot of water wasted on food that doesn’t even make it to harvest. Vertical farming recycles 95 percent of the water it uses. Furthermore, the quality of water is greatly affected: With regular farming, you have agricultural runoff [with pesticides and herbicides] that get into the watersheds and ultimately into the oceans, creating nitrogen hypoxia, algae blooms, ocean acidification and other deleterious effects.
Regarding agriculture, we are able to do 17 to 20 harvests a year with speed breeding or selectively breeding a crop such as wheat that grows shorter and faster, with more wheat and less chaff. You can imagine that one of the things we’re going to be working on with Skyscraper Farm is developing fast-growing lettuces, arugulas and spinaches — with the proteins of lentils and quinoa bred into them and as many vitamins as we can pack in there. Our produce will maintain the highest nutrient content out there. People on diets could eat just one bowl of Skyscraper Farm salad and have everything they need for the day, which is also huge for the developing world where people might only be able to afford one bowl a day. No messing with genetics. Non-GMO. No pesticides. No herbicides. No fungicides. Just fresh, clean food for your family.
For finance, we will be able to finance buildings off of clean, nutritious and safe commodities. For example, there was news in April of soil-based spinach crops being attacked by algae. If this were to try to happen in a Skyscraper Farm, we would clean out the buildings and have new harvests in 18 to 22 days. Also, in times of scarcity of a crop, with enough scale and quantity, we can push the price back down. That way poor people who could barely afford to buy spinach would be able to buy it again.
Another financial impact occurs through the leasing options that can be instituted with American farmers. Hydroponic and aeroponic growing systems will make such large quantities of food that field farmers will not be able to compete. So, if our farmers don’t move inside and start using vertical farming technologies, within 10 years almost all of our produce is going to come from China because they will be able to outprice us. China is watching and learning everything that Singapore, the world capital of vertical farming, is doing and will likely be close behind in vertical farming technology.
Environmental impact: Once Skyscraper Farm is to scale, there will be an elimination of agricultural runoff. There’s a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico from Houston to Pensacola because of runoff from the Mississippi River. In the Chesapeake Bay, 45 percent of the nitrates, 44 percent of the phosphates and 55 percent of the sediment come from agriculture. That’s why we want to put Skyscraper Farms all around the Bay — to prove the point about agricultural-runoff elimination.
Going into real estate, we need to feed 9.6 billion people in several decades — which could mean needing an extra 8.5 million square kilometers of farmland! That’s the size of Brazil. So, we need to be able to grow up instead of growing out.
Q: What is your vision for Skyscraper Farm in terms of number, timeline, etc., in the next decade?
I would like to see at least 75 52-story Skyscraper Farms built in the United States in 10 years. To maintain energy neutrality, we must have at least 200 sunlight days a year; if there are more sunlight days, we can actually add energy back to the community.
Q: Are there likely to be differences by country? Or is a Skyscraper Farm in Dubai likely to function the same as one in Manila?
No, it’s all the same building. Any differences would relate to height variances that are allowed.
Q: What kinds of jobs — and how many jobs — do you anticipate being associated with a Skyscraper Farm?
Tons of jobs: engineer, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, software developers, all kinds of jobs. And, of course, training farmers on indoor harvests year-round.
• U.S. Army Ranger Nick Starling is a Harvard-educated economist and Virginia-based real estate developer who has been researching vertical farming since 2011. For more information, please follow @SkyscraperFarm, visit skyscraper.farm or email info@skyscraper.farm.
Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
CO2 GRO Is Pleased To Announce The Exercise of 6,214,035 Warrants For Proceeds of $1.24 Million Dollars
TORONTO, ON – October 15, 2018 – Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. (“GROW” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF) is pleased to announce that long term shareholders, holders of 6,214,035, $0.20 warrants with an expiry date of October 12, 2018, have exercised the warrants, raising proceeds of $1.24 million.
The use of proceeds will be employed to accelerate the Company’s business plan on its CO 2 Foliar Spray technology roll-out in California, Colorado, Florida and Michigan, to initiate planned trials and commercial installations and for general corporate purposes. GROW's current annual burn rate is approximately $300,000.00 following the engagement of a project engineer and a bioscientist. The Company believes it is on track to realize first revenues in Q4 2018.
John Archibald, CEO of GROW commented "We are very pleased with the exercise by long term shareholders of warrants generating proceeds of over $1.2 million for GROW. The vision of the long term shareholders is aligned with those of senior management who own approximately 30% of the shares outstanding. We feel it is endorsement of our CO2 Foliar Spray technology and its global potential. The use of proceeds will be employed to advance the Company’s business plan, rolling out trials and commercial installations in high value markets in the United States and Canada, all activities we believe will accrete to long term shareholder value.”
Capitalization Table Post Warrant Exercise
After the exercise of the above-noted warrants, the Company has the following securities outstanding:
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patented advanced CO2 foliar technologies. GROW’s global target plant markets are retail food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017), retail non-food plants at an estimated $1 trillion per year and legal retail cannabis that may reach $50 billion per year by 2022 (Bay St Analyst estimates).
GROW's CO2 technologies are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems. GROW's proven crop yield enhancements and revenue model are compelling for growers and Agri-industrial partners.
GROW's sole focus is working with its plant grower and Agri-industrial partners in proving and adopting its CO2 technologies for specific growers’ plant yield needs.
The CO2 technologies work by transferring CO2 gas into water and foliar spraying across the entire plant leaf surface area, which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved concentrated CO2 then penetrates a leaf's surface area naturally like nicotine naturally dissolves through human skin from a nicotine patch.
Foliar spraying natural nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor plant growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor use of CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years. However, over 50% of the CO2 gas is typically lost through ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are also not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW's safer dissolved CO2 foliar spray can be used by indoor and outdoor plant growers with minimal CO2 gas lost.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Business Development at 416-315-7477.
First GLASE Meeting Is November 5th
September 19, 2018
GLASE gears up for their first meeting:
Guidelines for new Controlled Environment Agriculture energy-efficient technology adoption
November 5, 2018
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Statler Hotel, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
Lighting control is the last frontier in controlled environment agriculture. Well-designed horticultural lighting systems can reduce energy use and increase profits for greenhouses and indoor farms. GLASE is bringing together New York Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) growers with local utility companies, USDA officials and service providers to provide CEA growers with all the resources available for energy-efficient lighting and control systems technology adoption.
CEA growers attending the conference will have the opportunity to learn about all the opportunities available on the market to support new technology adoption:
• Financial opportunities
• State rebate programs
• Federal incentive programs
• Utility energy rebate programs
Speakers
• Gary Pereira – USDA Rural Development
• Dale Gates – USDA National Resources Conservation Service
• Robert Muller – National Grid
• Dustin Broderick – NYSEG
• Damon Bosetti – DesignLights Consortium
• Owen Raymond – Farm Credit East
• Neil Mattson – Cornell University
• Tessa Pocock – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• A.J. Both – Rutgers University
• Erico Mattos – GLASE consortium
For more information and to register: https://glase.org/conference/
CO2 GRO Is Pleased To Announce The Appointment of Dr. Matt Julius as Acting Chief Science Officer Effective January 2019
TORONTO, ON – October 10, 2018 – Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. (“GROW” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: GROW, OTCQB: BLONF) is pleased to announce that Dr. Matt Julius, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, St. Cloud State University, has agreed to take a nine-month sabbatical from his Professorship to work exclusively with GROW as Acting Chief Science Officer starting in January 2019. Dr. Julius’ appointment is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.
Recently Dr. Julius has overseen the CO2 GRO Foliar Spray trials and plant physiology experiments conducted on lettuce and peppers at St. Cloud State University, which saw significant improvements in CO2 conductance and demonstrated that CO2 conductance on plant leaf top surfaces was almost as effective as the bottom leaf surface, as well as dramatic (4x) gains in chlorophyll A growth. This has significant benefits to all agriculture producers, both indoors and outdoors.
Dr. Julius obtained his Pd.D., from the University of Michigan in 2000 and from 2000 has been a Professor of Biology at St. Cloud State University. Dr. Julius has authored and co-authored numerous papers with manuscripts appearing in many phycology focused publications along with non-algae based journals including Aquatic Toxicology and the Journal of Zoology. He was/is also an associate editor for Phycological Research and an associate editor for Diatom Monographs.
John Archibald, CEO of GROW stated "We are delighted to have Matt devote his entire sabbatical to focus exclusively on our North American client plant growers and agri-industrial partner relationships, advancing the commercial roll out of the CO2 Foliar Spray technology. Building our team of professionals, is another key piece of our plan and effort to accomplishing our paramount goal; accreting value to our shareholders.”
About CO2 GRO Inc.
GROW's mission is to accelerate all indoor and outdoor value plant growth naturally, safely, and economically using its patented advanced CO2 foliar technologies. GROW’s global target plant markets are retail food at $8 trillion per year (Plunkett Mar 2017), retail non-food plants at an estimated $1 trillion per year and legal retail cannabis that may reach $50 billion per year by 2022 (Bay St Analyst estimates).
GROW's CO2 technologies are commercially proven, scalable and easily adopted into existing irrigation systems. GROW's proven crop yield enhancements and revenue model are compelling for growers and Agri-industrial partners.
GROW's sole focus is working with its plant grower and Agri-industrial partners in proving and adopting its CO2 technologies for specific growers’ plant yield needs.
The CO2 technologies work by transferring CO2 gas into water and foliar spraying across the entire plant leaf surface area, which is a semi permeable membrane. The dissolved concentrated CO2 then penetrates a leaf's surface area naturally like nicotine naturally dissolves through human skin from a nicotine patch.
Foliar spraying natural nutrients and chemicals on plant leaves has been used for over 60 years by millions of indoor and outdoor plant growers. To date, outdoor growers have not had any way to enhance plant CO2 gas uptake for faster growth.
Indoor use of CO2 gassing has enhanced plant yields for over 60 years. However, over 50% of the CO2 gas is typically lost through ventilation. Current greenhouse CO2 gassing levels of up to 1500 PPM are also not ideal for worker health and safety. GROW's safer dissolved CO2 foliar spray can be used by indoor and outdoor plant growers with minimal CO2 gas lost.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on CO2GRO's expectations, estimates and projections regarding its business and the economic environment in which it operates. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements and readers should not place undue reliance on such statements. Statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them publicly to reflect new information or the occurrence of future events or circumstances, unless otherwise required to do so by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Sam Kanes, VP Business Development at 416-315-7477.
Truss Support Tape For Strawberry Tabletops Gutter System
NALTSEN is a specialists in high quality technical textiles and associated products for horticulture, agriculture, landscape, amenity and outdoor advertising.
NALTSEN truss support tape is manufactured from a tough, durable, non-fray material and is used for tabletops gutter growing systems in greenhouse or tunnel. It has a number of unique qualities below.
Helping to protect your crops
The advantages of NALTSEN truss support tape for tabletops gutter growing systems :
* No sharp and rough edges
* UV treated
* Water and wind flow through
* High strength and ripstop
* No kinking and breaking
The strength of this vented tape has been tested under varied conditions and it has proved to withstand cold and heat without breakdown. Some growers have installed this vented tape, leaving it out in the field throughout the winter, and it is now entering its fourth year without breakages occurring.
The vent holes allow pesticides and fungicides to penetrate through the tape removing the hiding place for pests and disease. The vent holes also allow the air to flow through the truss tape helping to prevent too much tug from the wind and allowing the tape to dry hence further preventing disease. When under tension the tape forms a gentle curve providing the perfect support for the trusses helping to prevent kinking and breaking allowing an uninterrupted supply of nutrients through each truss.
HEBEI NALTSEN TRADING CO., LTD.
Add: No.9-1-1105, Phase 2, Jinzeyuan,
Fuxing district, Handan City, Hebei Province
Email: jasen@naltsen.com
http://naltsen.en.aftrade.com/
Tel: +86 186 17576096
US (MA): Horticultural Lighting On Show At Tech Festival
October 8-14 Boston
OSRAM will bring its technology to Boston’s City Hall Plaza in early October as the Gold Sponsor of HUBweek, a weeklong festival and civic initiative that explores the intersections of art, science and technology.
OSRAM will showcase smart horticulture lighting solutions, Human Centric Lighting (HCL) glasses and an HCL light ceiling in its shipping container; and will include pop-up experiences and exhibit participation with collaborative partners such as Workbar, Dan’s Power Plant, Corner Stalk Farm and FreshBox Farms. OSRAM technology experts also will take part in panel discussions and other events throughout the week. OSRAM will be centrally located at The HUB, across from the Hall of the Future, during HUBweek, held Oct. 8-14, 2018, on Boston’s City Hall Plaza.
“HUBweek has proven to be a hot spot for innovators. This year OSRAM is showing how some of its coolest technologies are at the heart of it all, including smart horticultural lighting for urban farms and human centric lighting glasses, which have been used by BMW M Motorsports race car drivers and the German ski team during the 2018 Winter Games,” said Lori Brock, OSRAM Head of Innovation, Americas Region. “Ten years ago, nobody could have predicted the impact of such technologies. Today, Urban Farming and HCL are increasingly making their way into the mainstream, providing a critical first step in fundamentally changing how we live our lives and build a healthier, more sustainable future.”
Brock will take part in a curated panel focusing on the impact of technology on health, along with other notable experts. The panel discussion will take place at Center Stage at The HUB at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018.
Horticultural lighting solutions
Due to limited natural resources, indoor farming soon will become more prevalent, providing fresh produce closer to urban environments like Boston. Visitors of the OSRAM showcase at HUBweek will learn how growing plants indoors with smart LED-based lighting technology can save water and energy.
The horticultural lighting solutions also can help growers improve flavor and nutrition profiles, better manage the growth cycle, and increase yield – either on-site or remotely. LED technology and advanced sensors ensure plant growth 365 days a year and supports local food production while helping to significantly reduce the environmental footprint.
OSRAM will be located across from the Hall of the Future in The HUB during HUBweek, held Oct. 8-14, 2018, on Boston’s City Hall Plaza. For more information about OSRAM, visit www.osram.us, and for more information about HUBweek 2018 and to purchase one of three pass types to unlock all types of experiences during HUBweek, visit hubweek.org.
Publication date : 10/1/2018
Capturing The Spectral Composition of Light Sources
Light management is a critical factor in commercial greenhouse and growth chamber efficiency. "Growers can gain enhanced control of desired plant characteristics by accurately measuring and optimizing the composition of your supplemental light", Abby Brooke with LI-COR Biosciences explains. That's why the company has released a Spectrometer to capture the spectral composition of light sources. In addition, they also offer a light sensor package for use in greenhouses and growth chambers. The new spectrometer and light sensor will be shown at the Canadian Greenhouse Conference next month in Niagara Falls.
PAR
"Plant growth and reproduction is driven by photosynthetically-active radiation (PAR), which occurs at wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers. Not all light contains PAR, and PAR requirements vary between types and growth stages of plants", Abby Brooke with LI-COR Biosciences shows.
"As the intensity of natural light in your greenhouse changes throughout your photoperiod, so do your artificial light requirements. Understanding when and how to apply artificial light allows you to consistently hit your target daily light integral (DLI) for optimal growth without wasting energy. "
The team developed the LI-190R Quantum Sensor to solve this. The sensor measures the PAR inside greenhouses and growth chambers with the same precision in sun, artificial lighting, or both, without the need for calibration or correction factors. "Compatible artificial sources include incandescent and high-pressure sodium lamps, high-intensity fluorescent lights, and the rapidly emerging range of LED light systems."
Spectral composition
In addition, now there's also the LI-180 Spectrometer This one captures the spectral composition of light sources. "Not all light affects plant growth and reproduction the same way. As said photosynthetically-active radiation (PAR) occurs at wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers. This interval covers three distinct “color” bands of light, and modifying the intensity of these red, blue, green wavelengths, and additional near-UV (380-400 nm) and far-red (700-780 nm) bands can provide control over a variety of plant characteristics including growth rate, chemical composition, taste and nutrition, and more. The LI-180 spectrometer allows you to capture and optimize the spectral composition of your supplemental lighting which can add significant value to your greenhouse or growth chamber operation."
The measured parameters including color-specific photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), photon flux density (PFD) at 1-nm intervals between the entire 380 and 780 nm interval, irradiance (W/m2), and more, are all visible in the mobile application and desktop software.
The Spectrometer is to be introduced at the Canadian Greenhouse Conference. Met Li-Cor at booth 1015.
For more information:
Li-Cor Biosciences
402-467-0617
www.licor.com
abby.brooke@licor.com
Publication date : 9/25/2018
Author:
© HortiDaily.com
Farmshelf Brings Indoor Mini-Farms To Sustainable Chain Oath Pizza
September 24, 2018
Photo: Patrik Hellstrand, Oath Pizza
Earlier today Farmshelf CEO Andrew Shearer announced on Linkedin that the new Upper West Side location of Oath Pizza, set to open this Thursday, will feature one of their indoor growing units.
Farmshelf builds turnkey hydroponic mini-farms, about the size of a bookshelf, for use in restaurants and hotels. Their systems are equipped with sensors which can automatically manage the growing process, so all users have to do is plug in the device and harvest.
By growing produce 15 feet from the kitchen instead of, say, 1,500 miles, Farmshelf units can dramatically reduce food packaging, waste, and carbon footprint. It’s also is a pretty cool marketing gimmick for restaurants which put emphasis on local ingredients.
Oath Pizza is one such restaurant. The fast-casual pizza chain, which started in Nantucket, specializes in local and ethically sourced ingredients. So it’s a natural fit for them to install a grow unit which will let them take the leap from “farm to table” to “restaurant to table.”
According to their website, Farmshelf units can currently support over 50 leafy greens, herbs, and edible flowers. Judging from the Linkedin photo, the only thing the indoor farms will be growing at Oath Pizza is basil. However, their menu also features oregano and spinach, so maybe those will make an appearance at some point down the road.
This could be just the beginning of the Farmshelf-Oath Pizza partnership. Last month, the pizza chain partnered with Aramark to bring their ethical ‘za to new, larger venues, such as college campuses, sports arenas, and office buildings. Oath currently has locations in Boston, D.C., and New York, and this partnership opens them for some pretty massive expansion. It would be a smart idea to bring Farmshelf along with them; their mini-farms provide very visual publicity. Not to mention a great Instagram opportunity.
The Upper West Side outpost will join Farmshelf’s current location lineup, which includes several restaurants in Washington, D.C., as well as The Great Northern Food Hall in New York’s Grand Central Station. Maybe soon college students and baseball fans will be able to see their basil growing right next to their Crazy Caprese pizza — and then Instagram it.
Food-Insecure Schools Are The Next Major Frontier For Indoor Farming
September 17, 2018
Tech startups and pundits alike are considering the many places (anywhere, really) in which indoor agriculture can become a reality. But an organization in the Bronx, NYC provides the most obvious clue as to where this type of farming can make its biggest impact.
Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) is a nonprofit dedicated to training youths on hydroponic farming techniques, health and nutrition education, and entrepreneurship skills. In real life, that translates to working with schools in NYC to build and maintain indoor hydroponic farms that provide fresh produce to school cafeterias on a daily basis.
By TFFJ’s estimates, their farms yield around 22,000 pounds of fresh produce annually at each location, including bok choy, herbs and lettuces, hot peppers, and cucumbers. At some locations, the yield is even greater. Thanks to a donation from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, DeWitt Clinton high school produces over 25,000 pounds of produce per year. The 1,300 square-foot indoor farm lives in a former chemistry lab in the high school, and feeds not only the students but also the surrounding area — which happens to be one of the most food-insecure communities in NYC.
TFFJ grew out of Students for Service, a nonprofit created in 2009 to involve at-risk-area teens in community service projects. A focus on food justice and sustainability developed a few years later, in 2013, when the first TFFJ model raised over $90,000 to build its first hydroponic farm in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. A second farm launched in 2016, and TFFJ now operates in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn at Title 1 schools. These schools typically serve low-income areas, many of which are also food-insecure zones.
Roughly 42 million Americans, including 13 million children, are considered food insecure. Lucy Melcher, director of advocacy and government relations for Share Our Strength, last year described food insecurity as “a family that has enough money to buy groceries three out of four weeks; it’s a mom skipping dinner; it’s having to choose between buying groceries and paying rent.”
It’s also a vicious cycle. As anyone who’s ever skipped a meal knows, hunger throws both brain and body out of whack and can severely impact things like the ability to concentrate and even make sound decisions. In a school setting, that usually means lower academic performance, higher dropout rates, and lower-paying jobs as an adult — all of which can perpetuate the food insecurity cycle for any given individual.
TFFJ’s mission has the potential to halt that chain of events early on: in the classroom. You might say the organization is trying to build a new cycle, one that focuses heavily on getting hands-on with the food-growing process, education oneself, then taking those lessons to others in the communities:
It’s obviously quite a bit more complicated than an infographic can show, but getting indoor agriculture into more schools is definitely becoming a legitimate movement. Consider “Growing Brooklyn’s Future,” a $2 million initiative to create hydroponic classrooms in a dozen schools across Brooklyn neighborhoods Brownsville, Bushwick and East New York. Or Princeton University’s Vertical Farming Project, which this past May announced a partnership with Hopewell Elementary school in Hopewell, NJ, to develop a vertical farm-to-cafeteria program.
Right now, however, most of these programs rely on donations and grants, and literal and figurative growth will depend on much more funding in future. This is where indoor agriculture companies could really step in. There are plenty of high-tech farming startups out there, all hoping to play a role in the $27 billion indoor agriculture market. But as I wrote last week, these companies have an opportunity to expand their reach from the farmer’s market and the upscale grocery store to areas in greater need of both fresh food and better nutritional education.
One other advantage of schools: if indoor agriculture is going to be the force many hope it becomes, the world will need more people who actually know how to grow the food using hydroponics and other indoor farming techniques. Bringing these programs into schools is effectively training an entire generation on skills that will soon be critical for us all.
VividGro® Announces Happy Sprouts Farm Partnership
August 22, 2018
CHICAGO
Brian Turner’s cancer diagnosis ignited the flame for Happy Sprouts Farm. Passionate about health and fitness, the former personal trainer focused on improving his nutrition to speed his recovery. While conducting intense research, Brian discovered the healing powers of microgreens, a nutrient-dense food that previously had been considered just a simple garnish.
Given their scarce supply, to meet his personal consumption needs, Brian began growing his own greens in his basement. After gaining experience as a grower, he was ready to branch out and did so by founding Happy Sprouts Farm, delivering samples to local restaurants and soon earning his first accounts. Located just outside Louisville, Kentucky, a food Mecca, Brian found a ready market in innovative chefs eager for fresh, locally grown produce.
But Brian’s primary challenge to achieving financial success became the expense of lighting. True to form, Brian began researching lighting products, and he settled on two brands that were generally considered the best available at the time. Not satisfied with his farm’s large energy consumption, further research brought Brian to VividGro® and their GroBar™ fixtures. Brian was wary that he would obtain the same yields from bulbs that required only 30 watts (versus his existing 108 watt bulbs) but impressed with VividGro’s industry-leading three-year warranty and supportive customer service, Brian decided to try the GroBars.
The test results were immediate. Based on these positive results, Brian decided to completely convert his entire grow space to GroBar lighting. Throughout the process, VividGro customer service team was incredibly easy to work with at every step. “The customer service has been amazing,” Brian said. “They are always there to answer my questions. They have made it so easy. I really appreciate that.
As his business and passion continue to flourish, Brian is preparing to expand his operations, adding more grow space and cultivating new crops, including edible flowers and mushrooms. And of course, VividGro products are prominently included in his design. Brian is now perfectly positioned to make a lasting impact as a grower of healthy, nutrition-filled, locally sourced products and to generate financial success for his family and workers.
About VividGro
VividGro®, the groundbreaking horticultural LED division of Lighting Science, is a pioneer in the AgTech space. Tailored to the automation and efficiency within indoor agriculture and horticultural markets, VividGro® implements solutions that help Growers grow in the most efficient way possible. Our state-of-the-art VividGro® lighting product line delivers optimized PAR to maximize plant growth and PAR efficacy, while also providing light suitable for the human visual system and excellent color penetration. In addition, unlike other LED grow lights, VividGro distinguishes itself from its industry peers by helping growers learn how to use their resources. It’s not the lights you use it is how you use them. Learn more about VividGro on our website at www.VividGro.com and join us on social media at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Happy Sprouts Farms
Happy Sprouts Farms, located in Taylorsville, KY, offers delicious nutrient-packed microgreens and shoots to restaurants and chefs in Louisville, Lexington, and the surrounding areas. Happy Sprouts Farms is a member of Kentucky Proud, an organization that supports and promotes Kentuckian “foods, nursery items, crafts, agritourism sites, farmers’ markets, state parks, and many other products and destinations with roots in Kentucky soil.”
Filed Under: VividGro Tagged With: LED, LED Lights, Press Release
Come And Be A Part of Agrilyst’s Annual State of Indoor Report!
By urbanagnews
September 28, 2018
Survey to provide insight on emerging indoor farming trends and challenges now live.
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Agrilyst today released their third annual State of Indoor Farming Survey. This survey will give Agrilyst and growers insight on emerging trends and challenges in the greenhouse and vertical farming industries.
Last year, Agrilyst received over 150 responses from indoor farmers for the 2017 State of Indoor Farming report. The report shared insight on the benefits and challenges for growers. According to the report, 25% of growers responded that their biggest challenge is capital – from access to working capital to expansion capital to cost of production. Even though they faced these challenges, 51% of growers reported operating profitably.
Allison Kopf, CEO of Agrilyst said, “this year we are digging even further into the costs of operating an indoor farm. We hope that the report will give everyone insight on the industry and help new growers get up and running faster.”
More and better data collected means more insights for growers. Growers can participate in the 2018 State of Indoor Farming survey here. The survey takes approximately 25 minutes to complete.
About Agrilyst
Agrilyst is the leading provider of software solutions for the greenhouse and vertical
farming industries and is used by growers in more than 10 countries.
AUTOMATION
AUTOMATION
AeroFarms
Green Automation Americas LLC Expands Markets in North America
The company claims its hydroponic systems use little water and create large yields.
Wellington, Florida – The average American consumes 27.2 lbs. of leafy greens per year – a staggering number when you multiply that figure with the latest US census figures. The Green Automation hydroponic greenhouse systems were developed over ten years ago in Helsinki, Finland and are now producing fresh, pesticide-free leafy greens and herbs here in North America.
“With feet on the ground now, here in the U.S. where more than ever the end customer seeks nutritious, locally-produced fresh food, the timing is perfect. Consumers are more exacting about consuming food that is produced naturally, without pesticides and on a year-round basis. Our fully automated and inclusive seed-to-harvest system not only uses 95 percent less water than traditional field farming but can achieve tremendous product yield for a fraction of the labor costs,” says Tero Rapila, co-Founder and CEO of Green Automation Export in Finland.
Over 70 percent of the lettuce sold in the U.S. grows in California, an area of the country plagued with water-shortage issues. With traditional farming methods, over 15 gallons of water is required to grow one pound of lettuce. The labor force required to harvest, package and ship lettuce throughout the country has become more and more cost prohibitive. The Green Automation system tackles all these issues, and provides an extremely efficient and profitable solution for the investor and greenhouse growers.
Green Automation systems are up and running in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Illinois. The size of these vary from 1-3 acres, producing more than one ton lettuce per acre each day and can provide the local grocery stores with fresh lettuce within twelve hours of harvest.
Merida Capital Funds VividGro
August 17, 2018
By Iris Dorbian - NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)
VividGro, a spin-out from Lighting Science Group Corporation, which is backed by Pegasus Capital Advisors, has secured an undisclosed amount of funding. The investors are Merida Capital and LSG. Based in West Warwick, Rhode Island, VividGro is a provider of controlled environment agriculture LED lighting solutions and services for the indoor horticultural and cannabis industries.
VividGro, LLC, a portfolio company of private equity firm Pegasus Capital Advisors (Pegasus), today announced it has tapped investment firm Merida Capital Partners (Merida) as its strategic partner. VividGro, a spinout from Pegasus-funded Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSG), offers products based on LSG’s origins in developing lighting for NASA and the International Space Station and currently focuses on distributing controlled environment agriculture (CEA) LED lighting solutions and services to the indoor horticultural and cannabis industries.
The Company will initially be funded by investments from LSG and Merida Capital. Merida Managing Partner Mitchell Baruchowitz will join the VividGro Board and work with VividGro CEO David Friedman, former CEO of MJIC, as well as Board Chairman and Pegasus Operating Advisor Abraham Morris, to aggressively grow VividGro, including through acquisition of innovative CEA technology and service providers.
VividGro CEO David Friedman commented, “With the rapid growth of indoor cultivation in both the indoor horticultural and cannabis industries, the need for energy efficient and ‘smart’ lighting products has multiplied. We are excited to partner with leading cannabis investor Merida Capital, and their sophisticated portfolio of ancillary companies, to help drive VividGro’s strategy of creating a world-class suite of CEA technologies and services.”
Mitchell Baruchowitz, Managing Partner of Merida, remarked, “Merida is humbled by the opportunity to partner with a seasoned investment firm such as Pegasus and top technology provider, VividGro, which has a great management team in David Friedman and Abe Morris, to execute on our shared vision of creating a connected ecosystem of leading companies to drive the indoor horticultural and cannabis industries forward.”
Addressing the partnership with Merida, Joel Haney, a Principal at Pegasus said: “With its focus on responsible investing and governance, Merida is the perfect partner for Pegasus to rely on to assist VividGro in navigating the emerging investment landscape in its core areas of growth.”
About VividGro
VividGro is a pioneer in the AgTech space. Tailored to the automation and efficiency needs of the indoor agriculture and horticultural markets, VividGro implements solutions that help growers maximize yields and reduce costs. Our state-of-the-art VividGro lighting product line delivers optimized PAR to maximize plant growth and PAR efficacy. VividGro distinguishes itself from its industry peers by helping growers learn how to use their resources more efficiently. It is not the lights you use it is how you use them.
Learn more about VividGro at www.VividGro.com and join us on social media at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Merida Capital Partners
Merida Capital Partners is a private equity fund targeting fundamental growth drivers which accelerate the rapid development of the cannabis industry. Our motto is Responsible Investing in the Emerging Cannabis Industry. For more information, please visit www.meridacap.com or follow us on Twitter @meridacap.
About Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P.
Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P. is a private equity firm founded and led by Craig Cogut. Since inception in 1996, Pegasus has invested across five private equity funds and currently manages approximately $1.9 billion in assets. The Firm invests in companies within the sustainability and wellness sectors that are seeking strategic growth capital.
Urban Farming Flourishes In Paris
Sidney Delourme and Sarah Msika, winners of a public call for urban-farming projects in Paris, on the future site of one of the biggest urban farms in France. (Cultivate)
City of Lights is one of the least green among major cities; some Parisians want to change that
September 18, 2018
PARIS—Sidney Delourme gets really passionate when showing pictures of his ambitious project. For now, it is just a huge rooftop in Paris overlooking rails and old towers with the Montmartre hill in the background, but his drawings show plans for green and wooden spaces.
The 31-year-old is developing a huge urban farm in the heart of Paris, which is often cited for its lack of green space compared to its large population size. A study by MIT’s Sensible City Lab published in January found that Paris is the least green city among 10 major cities studied.
An employee of urban farming start-up Aeromate checks on vegetables and aromatic herbs growing on the rooftop of a building owned by French public transport group RATP, as part of a rooftop farming project in Paris on Aug. 24, 2017. (Benjamin Cremel/AFP/Getty Images)
People like Delourme want to change that. With his working-partner and co-founder Sarah Msika, they are in the process of securing further funding to turn the rooftop of a former railway site into an innovative urban farmcovering 7,000 square meters (1.7 acres).
The duo intend to plant purple basil, chocolate mint, ancient lettuce, and edible flowers in the farm. The facility will have many innovative features, including a greenhouse that gets its heat from a data center located below, hydroponics cultures—a method of growing plants in water rather than in soil—and space for permaculture. Plans are also in place to include a store to sell some of the produce, as well as areas for educational activities.
Samples of Oyster mushroom grown by urban farming company La boîte à Champignon in the basement of a supermarket in Paris. (La boîte à Champignon)
“It will be the biggest urban farm in France and Europe when it opens, hopefully in the third quarter of 2019,” Delourme said.
It will be one of the biggest, at least. There are other similar projects under development in France, among them a project to develop a 10,000-square-meter (2.5 acres) urban farm on the rooftop of a large logistic platform in Ivry-sur-Seine in the south of Paris.
A Boom
There has been a dramatic increase in urban farming in France over the past few years.
“I remember that two years ago, when we started to get organized and worked with Agroparitech—a prestigious French school and research center in life science and agronomy—we were only seven project developers,” said Grégoire Bleu, co-founder and president of the French Association of Urban Farming (AFAUP).
Grégoire Bleu (L), CEO of La Boîte à Champignons and president of the French Association of Professional Urban Farming, talks with fellow company co-founder Arnaud Ulrich in their office at Les Grands Voisins in Paris. (Alexia Luquet/Special to The Epoch Times)
“Today, we can estimate that there are anywhere between 200 to 300 projects under development,” he added.
Bleu said the figures only account for professional projects, meaning those that have at least one full-time employee. To get closer to the real number of sizeable urban farming projects, he said the figure has to be doubled to account for those that may not have full-time employees. That doesn’t even include the not-for-profit and smaller-scale initiatives such as community gardens, which are much larger in number.
Paris Leading the Trend
Bleu himself is co-founder and CEO of an urban-farming company, La Boîte à Champignons, with multiple operations between Paris and Rennes in the region of Brittany.
“The trend is everywhere in France. From what I know, 45 percent of the projects are based in Paris and 55 percent outside. Cities such as Marseille, Lyon, Rennes, Lille, Strasbourg are very dynamic, but I must admit the phenomenon, at least regarding its news coverage, started in Paris,” Bleu explained.
Inside one a “cooltainer” close to Bercy in Paris, where the start-up Agricool grows strawberries (Alexia Luquet/Special to The Epoch Times)
Delourme concurs: “Paris has been the driver of the movement.” Their rooftop project won a major urban-farming competition in February, one of several introduced by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo under an initiative called Parisculteurs.
“Paris has a very structured approach: They started with auditing all underexploited or empty public buildings, and within three years, they had prepared a hundred sites so that they could accommodate urban farms,” said Delourme.
The Parisculteurs jury panel that chooses the award-winners boasts many experts, including the internationally-renowned Italian architect and urban planner Stefano Boeri, who designed the famous Bosco Verticale, or vertical forest, in Milan.
A conceptual image of the iconic Tour Montparnasse in Paris after renovations with a greenhouse at the top. (Nouvelle AOM)
There are more initiatives to encourage urban farming in Paris as well, including incentives for construction projects.
“Since 2016 in Paris, city planning rules have been allowing us to construct beyond the maximum height limitations only if we build an agricultural greenhouse,” said Frédéric Chartier, who co-founded the architecture studio Chartier Dalix along with his wife Pascale.
Their firm is part of the Nouvelle AOM consortium, which won the bid to oversee a 300-million-euro ($350 million) project to renovate the iconic Tour Montparnasse skyscraper ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Part of their design is a 59-foot-high biosphere greenhouse on top of the skyscraper to grow vegetables, which will partly be consumed by occupants of the building.
Once done, Tour Montparnasse would become the highest urban farm in Paris, visible from different locations in the city. “A strong symbol,” Dalix said.
Frédéric Chartier, co-founder of Chartier Dalix Studio, in his Paris office. He is reading the booklet presenting one of his delivered projects incorporating urban farming, the Biodiversity School and Gymnasium at Boulogne Billancourt, near to Paris. (Alexia Luquet/Special to The Epoch Times)
It’s no surprise to Dalix that the City of Lights is leading the trend in urban farming.
“Paris is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with few green areas, so it makes sense that people want to reverse the situation.”
Still, business-focused urban farms in the Paris area currently account for just 5 percent of total urban cultivated areas, according to Maison de l’Agriculture Urbaine—or the House of Urban Farming. The vast majority of the farms are driven by non-profit projects, a gap that points out the largest challenge for taking urban farming to the next level: creating a profitable business.
Successful Business Models
According to Bleu, efficient business models still need to be developed further for urban-farming companies to prosper.
Bleu said their own secret for success lies in employing circular economy principles, such as re-using waste and unused urban residue in their operations.
Vegetables and aromatic herbs being grown on the rooftop of a building owned by French public transport group RATP, as part of a rooftop farming project by urban farming start-up Aeromate in Paris on Aug. 24, 2017. (Benjamin Cremel/AFP/Getty Images)
For example, they use coffee grounds to cultivate oyster mushrooms in the basement of a supermarket, and offer their products to nearby supermarkets and restaurants. They further diversify their operation by selling growing kits that can be ordered online, and offer educational kits for school students.
This is what Bleu calls “an ecosystemic approach” to urban farming: their project aims at reconciling social, economic, and environmental issues through different initiatives such as recycling urban waste, air purification through green space, the creation of social unity using the economic cycle, and providing educational programs for children.
“Our cities are in a poor condition from an ecosystemic perspective. So what matters to us is to understand how we can cleverly integrate urban metabolism,” he said.
Agricool
One of France’s urban farming startups that has succeeded in attracting millions in funds is Agricool, which grows fruit and vegetables in containers.
Agricool founders Guillaume Fourdinier and Gonzague Gru, 31 and 30 years old, respectively, and both sons of traditional farmers, managed to turn a personal challenge into a promising business venture in three years.
Guillaume Fourdinier, CEO and co-founder of Agricool, in his La Courneuve office, near Paris, in front of a “cooltainer,” dedicated to research and development. (Alexia Luquet/Special to The Epoch Times)
The initiative started when Fourdinier broke his leg and decided to kill time by challenging himself to grow strawberries in his apartment. Today, their startup employs 53 full-time employees, and has raised 12 million euros ($14 million) from private investors, a first in French urban-farming history.
Agricool uses refurbished shipping containers—called cooltainers—to grow strawberries using hydroponic methods, specially designed LEDs, air conditioning, and bumblebees for pollination.
“We collect strawberries every morning except Sundays and then we supply our distributors, all located in the neighborhood, and some supermarkets and gourmet food shops,” Charlotte Mignol, a “co-oltivator” at Agricool, said while completing her daily harvest in a white jumpsuit to follow hygienic precautions.
The company has built four operating boxes in Paris region and wants to build more in the near future and expand to other types of products such as tomatoes.
Fourdinier touts their company as an environmentally responsible organization. “By purchasing and eating this type of strawberry—GM [genetically modified]—free, pesticide-free, transport-free—instead of a basket full of GM [strawberries grown with] pesticide and [requiring] transportation, don’t you think it makes sense for the environment and for your health?”
Currently, the company sells an average of 200 boxes of strawberries a day, which is not yet enough to turn a profit. But Fourdinier is confident that their business model will work.
“It can be summed up in a single word: sales-volume.” They have set an objective to be profitable by 2021.
Feeding Cities?
Fourdinier’s ambition for urban farming isn’t limited to his operations alone. He believes urban farming could one day supply one-third of the nation’s produce needs.
“Can urban farms feed our cities? I believe they can,” Fourdinier said enthusiastically.
Bleu is more conservative in his assessment.
“In France, urban farming is still more focused on projects driven by associations that tend to meet local needs and create social unity,” he said.
For him, there is no competition between rural and urban farming. “It’s like a bear being scared of a hamster,” he said.
In his assessment, food produced by urban farming is still very negligible, and will remain that way, except for niche products such as high-quality mushrooms or micro-green projects.
But he raises a question: “Can Parisians—city people in general—afford not to have agricultural areas downtown? I don’t think so.”
Smart-Farming Startup Grow Computer Has Just Launched Their First Product - A Digital Growing Platform Called GrowStrip
BROOKLYN, NY, September 26, 2018
GrowStrip offers a user-friendly way for growers of all kinds to make their grows smarter through a simple hardware and software platform. GrowStrip gives any farmer, student, home grower, or researcher the ability to collect environmental and energy data, build automation, remotely monitor, and receive alerts.
The system was designed for usability and takes only minutes to setup, requires no tools, and is totally plug and play.
Indoor farming is an exciting global trend and is empowering anybody to grow almost any plant in their own homes. Hydroponics and other indoor systems conserve water, remove the need for pesticides, and allow a year-round growing cycle. Around the world, hydroponic systems are being used to build amazing indoor farms, empower entrepreneurs, and teach STEAM education in K–12 classrooms.
The company grew out of two communities of agtech startups, one in Brooklyn, NY, and the other in Sacramento, CA. Co-founders Dan Nelson (CEO) and Ian McEachern (CTO) met online through MIT’s Open Agriculture forums, and built out the rest of team at the urban farming co-working space AgTech X in Brooklyn.
McEachern is a medical device engineer with over fifteen years’ experience developing exciting products and, cutting-edge medical devices, including artificial hearts. Nelson is an experienced startup founder and has worked with dozens of companies as a for-hire virtual CFO.
Grow Computer’s vision is to empower people around the world to connect and share plant growing “recipes” and new ideas. They hope this will democratize critical technologies and techniques. In Nelson’s words, Grow Computer may unlock a new urban farming revolution by providing access to better hardware around the world. If we can get a distributed community of growers working together, the potential for scientific, educational, economic, phenotypical, genetic, or operational innovations becomes incredible.”
Grow Computer is proud to launch our crowdfunding campaign in conjunction with Agritecture Xchange, taking place in Brooklyn from September 24–29.
The Xchange conference is a week-long series of events in New York City that will explore agriculture’s role within the sustainable city movement.
GrowStrip will launch exclusively on Indiegogo starting on Wednesday, September 26.
GrowStrip retails for around $600 US and ships with a thermometer and camera, as well as the free, open-source software platform. Indiegogo buyers can purchase GrowStrips at a significant discount.
Why Indoor Growing is Important
Urban populations are growing, bringing with them a growing need for high-quality, sustainably produced food.
To meet global demand, the world needs more farmers, and farms that are more efficient than ever.
We believe that indoor agriculture is the answer. Hydroponics, rooftop greenhouses, and vertical farms are proliferating in major cities and in people’s homes around the world. But, the available technology is still either prohibitively expensive or stuck in the 1980s.
press@growcomputer.com
40 Bushwick Ave
C/O AgTech X
Brooklyn, NY 11206
###
2nd Urban Agri Africa 2018
The world’s population is expected to increase by about 3 billion by 2050 and it is forecasted that nearly 80% of that population will live in urban centers.
Africa’s urban growth rate is at 3.5% the highest in the world and doubles the world average. The challenge of growing enough healthy food for Africa’s growing cities is enormous. At the same time, the stresses of climate change, and the declining availability of arable land and fresh water are challenging conventional agriculture as never before.
Many countries and companies are expressing strong interest in vertical farming business and urban agriculture. It is a solution to the weather and pests problems, food security, climate change and environmental preservation. Commercialization of vertical farming is catching on in Asia, Europe, USA, Russia and now Africa.
Many private companies are interested in growing crops in hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics systems in warehouses, greenhouses, containers and high scrapers. There is also a burgeoning interest in the production of medicinal plants in vertical farms.
Africa has unique opportunities for vertical farms. Feeding Africa’s rapidly growing urban population will continue to be a daunting challenge, but vertical farming – and its variations – is one of the most innovative approaches that can be tapped into as part of an effort to grow fresh, healthy, nutritious and pesticide-free food for consumers.
Learn more at 2nd Urban Agri Africa 2018 to be held on September 25-26 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The latest joint ventures and partnerships will be highlighted, case studies shared and strategies robustly debated. New trends, opportunities, and technologies will be showcased, once again providing the perfect platform for extraordinary networking opportunities for all Summit participants.
Find out more at 2nd Urban Agri Africa 2018.
To register or request event details... Contact
Jose at +65 6846 2366 or jose@magenta-global.com.sg today.
"Economic Benefits With CO2 Foliar Spray Integrated Into Irrigation Booms"
CO2 GRO announces additional scientific evidence of superior plant leaf surface CO2 conductance results using dissolved CO2 foliar spray versus CO2 gassing. Dr. Matt Julius of St. Cloud State University has proven that dissolved CO2 conductance on the top surface of a lettuce leaf is essentially the same as the proven 800% plus dissolved CO2 conductance on the bottom surface of a lettuce leaf relative to CO2 gassing.
The importance of this scientific discovery to lettuce and other high value greenhouse growers is twofold; one, CO2 Foliar Spray delivered to the top as well as the bottom of a lettuce leaf is more effective in stimulating faster plant growth and plant size/mass than CO2 gassing and two, proves why GROW’s CO2 Foliar Spray technology integrated into advanced irrigation boom trials are showing sharply faster and larger plant growth.
This SCSU discovery confirms GROW’s technology potential using existing commercial irrigation booms for accelerating plant growth by spraying dissolved CO2 on the tops of plant leaves as effectively as the bottom of the leaves. Two large ongoing CO2 foliar spray trials use onsite commercial irrigation booms for micro greens in Ontario and flowers in Michigan.
John Archibald, CEO noted “This additional SCSU discovery and success integrating our CO2 technology into irrigation spray booms provides further evidence of the commercial potential of our technology. Our revenue generation model is long term site technology licenses and lease of our integration equipment in both indoor and outdoor boom spray systems.”
For more information:
Meet CropKing’s Nick Greens And Jake Emling
The two New Hires At CropKing Bring A Variety Of Experiences To the Lodi, Ohio-Based Operation.
September 18, 2018
CropKing, based in Lodi, Ohio, recently announced that it has expanded its team, with the addition of Nick Greens in the role of horticulturist/consultant, and Jake Emling in the role of horticulturist. The two new hires recently shared with Produce Grower their backgrounds and excitement about their new roles.
Nick Greens, horticulturist/consultant, based out of Lodi, Ohio
Horticulturist/consultant Nick Greens began his growing career in 2002 as an apprentice grower for a hydroponics shop. In 2007, Greens moved to Humboldt County, California, to work as an assistant grower for a collective of greenhouses, where he began experimenting with a vortex brewer to develop several recipes for compost teas.
In 2010, Greens moved back to Chicago to start growing produce for Blue Star Produce, where he perfected his compost tea recipes and became a pioneer in organic microgreens and leafy greens production. When he started growing microgreens in 2010, Greens used CropKing systems. He worked for and advised many Chicago indoor farms, including BrightFarms, Garfield Produce, Plant Chicago, Windy City Greens and Nick Greens Grow Team.
Greens has created many growing opportunities for youth in urban Chicago. He installed an indoor growing system at Kipp One Academy Charter School, and helped design and build the Food Science Lab at Schurz High School.
Having helped different microgreens operations get off the ground, Greens says he knows what it takes for small farming businesses to succeed. Now that he’s working at CropKing, Greens says he is excited to help customers solve their problems.
“Now that I’ve been at CropKing for a few months, I’ve really enjoyed the workshops,” Greens says. “Getting to meet potential growers and talk through their questions while also teaching about ways to provide heathy and sustainable food is one of the things I like best.”
Jake Emling, horticulturist, based out of Lodi, Ohio
Horticulturist Jake Emling developed a love of nature and the outdoors while growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he received both a bachelors and masters of science in horticulture. While at Michigan State, Emling researched various fruit crops in intensive growing systems. He also has worked in the fertilizer industry as well as with greenhouses, grower education and entomology.
Emling has worked throughout the United States with numerous crops and growers, and he says he is excited to pull from those experiences to help CropKing customers. “It is always interesting to me how the different cultural practices are used to produce the same crop in different locations,” he says.
In his spare time, Emling works in his one-third-acre vineyard. Additionally, he has experience working with computer-aided design. “Over the last few years I have been able to use my knowledge of engineering principles and horticulture to help improve different designs and layouts of greenhouses. I have been building things and tinkering all my life, so applying this skill with my background in horticulture has allowed me to solve problems for growers.”
At the end of the day, Emling says he is drawn to controlled environment agriculture (CEA) because of the range of experiences it presents. “I like the flexibility of different tasks that are needed to successfully produce a crop,” he says. “Also, [I like] the wide range of plants that you can grow in CEA. You are only limited to how much time you want to spend taking care of the needs of those specific plants.”