Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
Recently, FOX Business Aired A Segment About Full Spectrum LED Grow Lights And Spectrum King LED
Spectrum King LED, the pioneer of full spectrum LED Grow Lights (patent No.10238043), specializes in designing, manufacturing and selling professional-grade LED grow lights for indoor grows and greenhouse applications.
Spectrum King LED, the pioneer of full spectrum LED Grow Lights (patent No.10238043), specializes in designing, manufacturing and selling professional-grade LED grow lights for indoor grows and greenhouse applications.
The company started after the founder Rami Vardi, was looking for a more efficient solution for indoor growing. He wanted a light that would produce high-quality yields like the “old school” lamps, but with a much lower electric bill.
Now, Spectrum King LED has customers and fans all over the world, in both the cannabis and the food production industries.
If you grow indoor, contact Spectrum King LED at +1 (888) 654-0737 or email sales@spectrumkingled
Hamilton’s Large Indoor Growing Operation is So Advanced They Want it Around The World
By: Eric Schwartzberg, Staff Writer
80 Acres Farms is taking steps to broaden the reach of the state-of-the-art vertical farming operation it already employs in Cincinnati and Hamilton.
The company this week launched Infinite Acres, an independent joint venture aimed at providing large-scale indoor farming facilities worldwide.
The venture also includes UK-based online grocery retailer Ocado Group and Netherlands-based Priva Holding BV, a leading provider of technology solutions, services and automation systems to horticultural and other industries.
Infinite Acres will use 80 Acres Farms’ technology-assisted vertical farming techniques to grow clean, pesticide-free vegetables, leafy greens and fruits near population centers throughout the world. That includes places where year-round nutritious produce is in short supply because of adverse climate and growing conditions or locations where food must be transported “considerably long distances.”
The partnership will utilize Ocado’s predictive analytics, automation and comprehensive system development and its Ocado Solutions division’s cutting-edge software and hardware systems, robotics and artificial intelligence.
It also will use Priva and 80 Acres Farms’ “extensive horticulture, engineering, operational and food industry expertise,” according to Mike Zelkind, CEO of 80 Acres Farms.
The Infinite Acres venture is “an amazing combination of best-of-breed companies,” that will provide customers state-of-the-art facilities with “uniquely developed” crop recipes, yield guarantees, product packaging, branding, marketing and distribution, Zelkind said.
Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions, told this news outlet Wednesday that vertical farming is “a very exciting area within farming” because it’s a way of growing that is “ecologically incredibly efficient compared with traditional farming in terms of use of water and use of energy.”
“It involves no pesticides, fungicides … so it’s an absolutely great way of growing fruit and (vegetables),” Jensen said.
The joint venture will help grow a model aimed at delivering to the marketplace produce harvested minutes before an order.
“That’s why it’s an area that’s of interest to us, both because our technologies are relevant and because ultimately it could be relevant to the customer proposition, but that’s not an immediate preoccupation,” Jensen said. “It’s part of our vision for the long terms.”
The collaborative venture will have “a considerable impact” on the profitability and competitiveness of food service industry customers everywhere — from growers and distributors to retailers and governments, according to Tisha Livingston, CEO of Infinite Acres.
France: Carrefour Inaugurates A New Urban Farm On The Boulevard de Charonne In Paris
It was at 103-105 boulevard de Charonne in the 11th arrondissement of Paris that the Carrefour Group’s second urban farm was installed
It was at 103-105 boulevard de Charonne in the 11th arrondissement of Paris that the Carrefour Group’s second urban farm was installed.
The 800 M2 store run by Cédric Lobo was opened in August 2018. The store was created on the site of a former biscuit factory. As part of a partnership of the Carrefour group with the start-up Agripolis, the terraces (300 M2) of the store were developed by Agripolis. T
The company headed by Pascal Hardy is specialized in the transformation of roofs or flat surfaces into an urban farm. On the terrace of the Boulevard de Charonne store, two techniques were favoured to grow about fifty varieties of fruits and vegetables.
The first, hydroponics, allows tomatoes to grow on a substrate – in this case, glass wool – and in a closed hydraulic system. The second, the aeroplane, used for leaves (salads, spinach, aromatic, strawberries …) favours a column system. The roots develop in the open air column.
Since last week, the first strawberries grown on the terrace of the store are offered for sale at a price of € 3.90 for a tray of 250 grams. “All our trays left very quickly. Our clients followed the progress of our project on social networks. The promise of these strawberries is clear: they are grown without pesticides and are picked at maturity because they are not transported, “enthuses Cédric Lobo.
The production of strawberries but also salads, herbs, tomatoes, aubergines, peppers are maintained by Camille, a young market gardener from Agripolis who, in close collaboration with the head of the store’s fruit and vegetable department, takes care of the harvest.
In a few weeks, Cédric Lobo has the project to open the terrace of the store to customers to show them closely how these fruits and vegetables are grown. “By next year, we hope to grow melons,” says the store manager. From one day to another, production exposed to climatic hazards can vary. “This is the main difficulty, but as long as you explain it, customers are ready to accept it,” says Cédric Lobo.
Source: lsa-conso.fr
US (FL): Aeroponic Tower Gardens Introduced to Student Learning Experience
By using aeroponic Tower Gardens created by LA Urban Farms, Gator Dining Services is exploring how to do food production in or around the dining halls
Urban agriculture can provide healthy, local food in more populated areas through home vegetable gardens, farmer’s markets, backyard poultry, and other production methods. This growing trend has extended to the University of Florida’s Gator Dining Services in a partnership with the Field & Fork Campus Food Program.
By using aeroponic Tower Gardens created by LA Urban Farms, Gator Dining Services is exploring how to do food production in or around the dining halls. The vertical towers pump water through the center to bathe plant roots as plants grow in small pots. The design is meant to be space, energy and water efficient. The towers were donated by LA Urban Farms, a Gator-owned business, to the Field & Fork Farm and Gardens for a class in the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) in spring 2018.
CALS student Garrett Noonan with the Field & Fork aeroponic tower at Gator Dining Services. (Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS)
“It’s using the campus as a living laboratory and collaborating with UF and industry partners,” said Anna Prizzia, director of Field & Fork. “We’re meeting an educational need while exploring the potential of a long-term project.”
Gator Dining Services visitors can see the aeroponic Tower Gardens now. Four towers are installed at the following locations: one at Fresh Food Company (near Broward Hall), one at Gator Corner Dining Center (near North Hall) and two at the Otis Hawkins Center near Pugh Hall. The herbs and leafy greens will be donated to the Alan and Cathy Hitchcock Field & Fork Pantry.
“Since this is a new project, we plan on seeing how the summer goes before making future plans,” said Kayla Caselli-Bido, sustainability manager for Gator Dining Services. “Growing food in the aeroponic towers exemplifies Gator Dining Services’ responsible sourcing and waste minimization pillars as part of our Green Thread sustainability platform.”
Before graduating in 2018 from CALS as an animal sciences major, Caselli-Bido interned with Field & Fork for a year and a half. Growing up in the suburbs of Miami, Florida, Caselli-Bido said her hands-on experience with agriculture came from the Field & Fork Campus Food Program. In addition to her internship, she took an Urban Agriculture and Food Systems experiential learning course based at the Field & Fork Farm and Gardens. These opportunities positioned her well for her current role at Gator Dining Services.
“Without Field & Fork, I would not have found my passion for agriculture and sustainability,” Caselli-Bido said.
The aeroponic towers project has provided an additional internship experience for a CALS student. Garrett Noonan, a senior plant science major, came to UF after serving 13 years in the U.S. Army.
“In my experiences in all the countries I visited, I saw how food security was used as a political weapon,” Noonan said. “This had a profound effect on me as a soldier. What I saw first-hand pushed me to choose this career path in sustainable crop production.”
As an intern with Field & Fork and Gator Dining Services, Noonan conducts basic maintenance on the aeroponic towers. His tasks include measuring the growth rate of plants, refilling the tower with water, checking for insects and collecting data to help Gator Dining Services assess the long-term viability of the towers.
“I’m most excited for the future that this project could bring as far as fundamentally changing the way we grow food,” Noonan said. “These kinds of innovations can change the landscape of agriculture.”
FarmTech Society Held First Constitutional Annual General Meeting
The Farm Tech Society (FTS) is an international non-profit industry association that unites and supports the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry, seeking to strengthen the sector through the development and implementation of resilient and future proof methods and technologies for indoor growing
The Farm Tech Society (FTS) is an international non-profit industry association that unites and supports the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry, seeking to strengthen the sector through the development and implementation of resilient and future proof methods and technologies for indoor growing.
The FarmTech Society (FTS) held its first constitutional annual general meeting at Greentech Amsterdam 2019. Also, FTS entered into a partnership with the vertical farm institute (vfi). Both organizations focus on value generation for the CEA industry and help the sector to grow together.
FTS members also elected a new board of directors, as well as its new board of advisors. The new boards are elected for a period of two years, and the board of directors also appointed the daily management team:
Board of Directors
Chairman: Gus Van der Feltz (founding member)
Vice-chair: Yanni Garcia (founding member)
Vice-chair: Penny McBride (founding member)
Director: Adam Rosenbaum (founding member)
Director: Daniel Podmirseg - vertical farm institute
Director: Wythe Marschall - PhD candidate Harvard University
Director: Stefan Frey - FREYconsult
Board of Advisors
Maren Schoormanns - PRIVA
Nicole Thorpe - Cultinova
Enrico Costanzo - ILab AirLiquide
Stefanie Linzer - Valoya
Pierre Grootscholten - Grootscholten Consultancy
Ian Kanski - INTAG Systems
Daily management
Secretary-General: Thomas Zoellner (founding member)
Treasurer: Yanni Garcia (founding member)
Communication: Mark Horler - Soya Project / UKUAT
For more information:
FarmTech Society
Tom Zoellner
The Future of CEA And Urban Farming
Gearing up to the second Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit on June 19-20 in New York, the event organizers found out what the summit’s Research Partner Cornell University has been working on, with insights from Neil Mattson, CEA Director & Associate Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture.
Gearing up to the second Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit on June 19-20 in New York, the event organizers found out what the summit’s Research Partner Cornell University has been working on, with insights from Neil Mattson, CEA Director & Associate Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture.
What’s been your focus this year about CEA and Urban Farming?
A key project has been a collaboration between our FCEA group and Cornell economists Charles Nicholson and Miguel Gómez. Together we’ve produced a report focused on the economic and environmental footprint and viability to scale urban farming.
We looked at scenarios of producing leafy greens locally in New York and Chicago. For each city our three scenarios were:
Field production in CA and shipping to the city
Greenhouse production in a hypothetical facility with 1-acre crop canopy
Vertical farm production in a hypothetical warehouse facility with 1-acre crop canopy
In the New York City scenarios, we considered CEA production in the middle of the city and in the Chicago peri-urban CEA production about 50 miles outside the city.
The comparison led to some interesting discussion points around bottlenecks and priorities for the sector to scale. I’ll share more on that below, and in my presentation at the summit.
Aside from that important study, from a plant-science standpoint, Cornell CALS has also continued its work to improve energy-efficient leafy greens, tomatoes and strawberries using LED lighting strategies and CO2 enrichment to photosynthesize through its Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) research efforts.
We’re also collaborating with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to understand the nutritional content of CEA-grown kale vs field-grown kale.
How do the Greenhouse and Plant Factory compare economically with open field farming?
In terms of economics, our study found it was cheapest to produce in a field and ship thousands of miles with a landed cost of $3 per kilo of lettuce. The New York city greenhouse scenario cost $8 per kilo, including production and short shipping distance. Plant factory was slightly cheaper. In peri-urban Chicago, with cheaper land rates, greenhouse production gave a cost of $7 per kilo. Again, the plant factory cost came in slightly cheaper.
The lower plant factory cost in both scenarios unlocks potential opportunities in urban areas where a high land cost is a significant contributor to the overall cost. Plant factory is more efficient use of land due to its vertical stacking, with a smaller footprint overall.
Labor costs are a significant 50% of the high cost in our un-automated CEA scenarios. As a follow up to this study we’re looking at a scenario with automated production for seeding plants, moving channels through the greenhouse and harvest. We can reduce labor cost by two thirds to three quarters, bringing us much closer to field production costs overall.
Another option is to move to cheaper land rural production within a couple hundred miles outside the city. In this scenario, we can reduce cost of production by a further $1 per kilo. Taking automation and site selection into account CEA greenhouse production down to $4 per kilo may be possible which is very close field-grown and cuts 2,800 miles from transportation.
In all scenarios, CEA was much more water-efficient than any other field, of course really important in this time of climate change. Hydroponic systems are far more water-efficient by design, with water recapture and reuse.
Pentair Is Closing Urban Organics, A Pioneering Aquaponics venture That In Six Years Had Become A Darling of Minnesota’s Sustainable-Food Community
The water-filtration company said the fish and greens business didn't meet expectations
The water-filtration company said the fish and greens business didn't meet expectations.
By Kristen Leigh Painter Star Tribune
MAY 14, 2019
Pentair decided to close Urban Organics, an 87,000-square-foot indoor fish and produce farm in a former brewery in St. Paul. File photo of employee Nancy Espinosa placing plants into their pods at the facility in June 2017.Urban Organics raised fish and grew salad greens year-round in a closed-loop system in the former Schmidt Brewery in St. Paul. Fish excrement nourished the plants and the plants cleaned the water for the fish, a process known as recirculated aquaculture.
A Pentair spokeswoman said “the realization of the business model did not meet our expectations,” but declined to explain whether the concerns were financial, operational or both.
The company notified employees last week of the decision to shut it down. The final produce will be harvested this week and the last fish will be removed, killed and sold by late next week, a Pentair spokeswoman said.
The news shocked the Twin Cities food community. Tracy Singleton, owner of Birchwood Cafe in Minneapolis, bought winter salad greens for her restaurant from Urban Organics.
“For us, it’s a disappointment. We don’t know why it is closing,” Singleton said. “It just seems like yesterday we catered their grand opening. Everyone was so excited about the potential to scale this supply. It fit our standards and we felt this was a good addition to our local food shed.”
RICHARD SENNOTT • STAR TRIBUNE
An employee checked a row of cilantro being grown in soil fertilized by nutrients from live fish at Urban Organics. The aquaculture operation is closing.
The company was founded in 2013 in the old Hamm’s Brewery by Dave Haider, Kristen Haider, Fred Haberman and Chris Ames. It was a smaller facility, and well-known local chefs were eager to buy the product from the operation. Pentair approached the Haiders, a husband-and-wife duo, several years ago about a potential partnership.
This led to the massive expansion at the Schmidt Brewery, which was heralded as one of the world’s largest commercial aquaponics systems when it opened in 2017. Pentair bought out the founders, becoming the sole owner, a year ago.
Pentair, based in England but largely managed from Golden Valley, has undergone immense change in the past two years.
Last April, it spun off its electrical business into a new entity, nVent. Like its predecessor, it too is officially based in England but largely run out of its U.S. headquarters in St. Louis Park. Last May, Pentair promoted John Stauch to chief executive.
The company declined to outline specifically how Urban Organics failed to meet its expectations, but the water-filtration company has been working to refocus itself.
Urban Organics was its only food-based business and fell outside its core capabilities. Pentair has an interest in seeing indoor aquaponics and aquaculture succeed. It began supplying Urban Organics’ equipment in 2013.
“Our combined goal was to help incubate an industry, and Pentair invested in the venture through technological and scientific expertise, and financial resources,” a Pentair spokeswoman said via e-mail.
Birchwood Cafe bought tilapia from Urban Organics before Pentair’s ownership, Singleton said. In the new facility, Urban Organics focused on arctic char and rainbow trout, but she saw some problems emerge.
“It doesn’t seem like they were ever able to get their fish program online and we don’t know why,” Singleton said. “We were excited about that option and it didn’t materialize.”
The sudden closure raised questions, though, about the viability of the industry.
“We were very supportive of Urban Organics from day one,” said Mike Higgins, chief executive of the Fish Guys, a key Minneapolis-based distributor of fresh, sustainably grown fish to restaurants and retailers in the Upper Midwest. “Globally, people are pursuing [recirculated aquaculture] at a vigorous rate; the science is indeed there.”
There are large facilities being built around the U.S., he said, including massive indoor farms in Maine and South Florida.
He expects aquaponic companies that farm salmon, like Superior Fresh of Hixton, Wis., will be successful given the high demand. That company is financially backed by the Wanek family, owners of Ashley Furniture.
As a buyer, Higgins said, the feasibility of the business comes down to the quality and the selling price of their products to make it accessible to more than a small niche audience.
Pentair said this decision isn’t an indictment on indoor aquaculture as a whole. “We continue to believe there is a long-term strategy for aquaponics in urban areas, however the realization of the business model did not meet our expectations,” Pentair said in an e-mail.
The company doesn’t yet know what it will do with the $12 million, 87,000-square-foot facility at the old Schmidt Brewery in St. Paul. The operations will be completely shut down by June 14, and 27 employees will be affected. Pentair said it is offering transition resources to those workers.
Dave Haider, who became general manager under Pentair’s ownership, declined to comment.
Kristen Leigh Painter covers the food industry for the Star Tribune. She previously covered growth and development for the paper. Prior to that, Painter was a business reporter at the Denver Post, covering airlines and aerospace. She frequently writes about sustainable food production, consumer food trends and airlines.
Indoor Farming Technology
Indoor farming technology creates an artificial environment inside an enclosed facility using technologies that help plants grow and become more nutritious in a short span of time as compared to traditional farming
Enclosed facilities used in indoor farming create optimum growing conditions for farmers to grow a crop from the seed to its harvesting stages in lesser time and obtain higher yields in each cycle with limited land area.
Indoor Farming Technology
Narendran B | MarketsandMarkets
04/25/19
Indoor farming technology creates an artificial environment inside an enclosed facility using technologies that help plants grow and become more nutritious in a short span of time as compared to traditional farming. The growth, productivity, and quality of plants depend on technologies such as climate control, air purification, lighting systems, and pump & irrigation systems. Indoor farms are located close to the point of sale or where efficiency can be maximized. One of the main advantages of indoor farming is its higher yield compared to traditional farming, which makes it a viable option.
Enclosed facilities used in indoor farming create optimum growing conditions for farmers to grow a crop from the seed to its harvesting stages in lesser time and obtain higher yields in each cycle with limited land area. According to the USDA data, in 2016, the average yield of tomatoes grown in greenhouse hydroponics was 10.59 pounds per square foot, and that of traditionally grown tomatoes was 1.85 pounds per square foot.
Therefore, indoor farms can help in increasing the overall crop yield per unit area with the usage of stacked layers of potted seeds. According to MarketsandMarkets the indoor farming technology market was valued at USD 23.75 Billion in 2016, and is projected to reach 40.25 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 9.65% during the forecast period.
Global Protected Cultivation Area, 2016
Source: ResearchGate Publications, FAO, FICCI, NAIP (ICAR), International Horticulture Congress, and MarketsandMarkets Analysis
The aeroponics segment is projected to grow exponentially during the forecast period for its effective use of growing conditions and crop inputs
In aeroponics, the plant roots are inserted in containers filled with plant nutrients, instead of soil, which is ideal for oxygenation and moisture and helps the plant absorb nutrients effectively, thereby aiding faster development and cultivation. This system can be controlled externally through computers or timers for the release of moist air at regular intervals and does not require frequent use of pesticides, weeding, and other maintenance processes as compared to conventional farming. Thus, with a high adoption rate of this technology, the market for aeroponics is projected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period.
INDOOR FARMING TECHNOLOGY market, BY GROWING SYSTEM, 2017 (USD million)
Source: Secondary Research, Expert Interviews, Related Research Publications, Government Publications, Company Press Releases, Company Websites, Company Publications, and MarketsandMarkets Analysis
The rise in demand for fresh foods with higher nutritive value is expected to increase the demand for indoor farming technology
Indoor farming is used for growing crops or plants suitable for both large- and small-scale farming. On a larger scale, indoor farming is followed to bolster local food supplies and provide nutritious, fresh produce to urban and suburban consumers. This method of farming controls the input of plant-fertilizing nutrients, so the food that is grown using this technique is highly nutritious. Indoor vertical farming systems provide organic food that is not contaminated with the use of agrochemicals. Hence, the driving forces for indoor vertical farming are the increasing consumer demand for pesticide- and herbicide-free food and the growing requirements to reduce the carbon footprint of traditional agricultural practices.
The key players in the indoor farming technology market include Philips Lighting (Netherlands), Argus Controls Systems (Canada), Netafim (Israel), LumiGrow (US), Illumitex (US), and EVERLIGHT Electronics (Taiwan). These companies are developing new processes or products to help improve productivity and achieve overall market growth. For instance, Philips Lighting (Netherlands), which provides lighting solutions for indoor farming, has been undertaking R&D operations for providing energy-efficient lighting systems. In January 2018, Philips Lighting introduced GreenPower LED top lighting at IPM Essen, Germany.
This new version offers higher light efficacy, longer lifetime of 35,000 burning hours, and high energy efficiency compared to the former top lighting module. Furthermore, companies are focusing on investments, partnerships, and agreements. For instance, in July 2017, Softbank (Japan) invested USD 200 million in Plenty (US), a Silicon Valley start-up for vertical farm technology. In August 2014, FarmedHere LLC (US) partnered with Illumitex, Inc. (US), a leading lighting solution provider, to cultivate crops using less energy and lighting systems provided by Illumitex, Inc.
Future opportunities through the production of biopharmaceutical products can intensify the adoption of indoor farming technology
The cultivation of crops such as tobacco and cannabis for large-scale production of biopharmaceutical proteins is a recent development in indoor vertical farming. Biopharmaceuticals are proteins or compounds produced by a living organism, used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in human or animal health. Conventional methods of manufacturing biopharmaceuticals involve the usage of organisms that are highly expensive.
However, using existing agricultural technologies such as indoor vertical farming to produce biopharmaceuticals in plants is cost-effective, requires less time and efforts, is pollution-free, and easy to produce. Indoor vertical farms are being used not only for food production, but also for aiding in applications that can support human health. For instance, Caliber Biotherapeutics, LLC (US), the world's largest plant-made pharmaceutical facility that has an 18-story, 150,000-square foot warehouse facility, which contains a 2.2 million tobacco-like plants, stacked 50-feet high. These plants are grown for making new drugs and vaccines. These indoor vertical farms are carefully monitored and controlled by technicians, thus eliminating the chances of possible diseases and external contamination.
About Narendran B
Narendran currently holds the role of Team Lead with an experience of 4.5 years in research and consulting practice for Food & Agriculture domain in MnM. He has provided influential market solutions involving market sizing, supply chain analysis, opportunity analysis, and market & competitive intelligence to clients in support of their strategic decision making.
He has authored 50+ business reports related to agrochemicals, fertilizers, seeds, biologicals, equipments, feed, and feed ingredients. He has been an integral part of successful consult studies conducted for leading market players such as Monsanto, Elanco, Arysta, and Vilomix (Danish Agro Group).
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AgriTechTomorrow
04/25/19, 08:52 AM | Indoor & Vertical Farming | Analysis and Trends
First Clarke Freight Farm Harvest in Massachusetts Exemplifies the Importance of Fresh Food and Superior Food Preservation
May 7, 2019
MILFORD, MASS. (PRWEB) MAY 06, 2019
Clarke, New England's Official Sub-Zero/Wolf/Cove Showroom and Test Kitchen, innovates again by investing in a 40-foot Freight Farm to grow produce year-round in Massachusetts.
Clarke's Culinary Team will use the produce for cooking demonstrations, events and daily tastings to exemplify the importance of fresh, healthy food and the fact that Sub-Zero refrigeration provides superior food preservation.
Every showroom visitor will enjoy a gift of fresh lettuce and the entire effort is powered by solar atop the Clarke headquarters complex in Milford, MA.
Clarke's 40-foot solar-powered Freight Farm will harvest produce year-round in Massachusetts.
Clarke, New England’s Official Sub-Zero/Wolf/Cove Showroom and Test Kitchen, once again exemplifies kitchen industry innovation with its investment in a 40-foot self-contained hydroponic farm to exemplify the importance of fresh food as part of a healthy lifestyle. “Our farm was delivered outside our Milford, Massachusetts showroom eight weeks ago and our farmer Francesca Mazzilli has been planting and tending to our crops inside the corrugated shipping container ever since,” said Sean Clarke, president of the family-owned company. “We are really excited about our first harvest happening on May 7th.”
“When I learned about Freight Farm I could think of no better way to exemplify Sub-Zero's superior food preservation.”
Built by Freight Farms, an innovative Boston-based company launched in 2010, Clarke’s exciting initiative will allow every showroom visitor to go home with a gift of fresh butter bibb lettuce. The farm will also supply fresh produce (delicately preserved in Sub-Zero refrigerators) to be used by the Clarke Culinary Team for cooking demonstrations, events and daily tastings in all three of its showroom locations (Boston Seaport, Milford, MA and South Norwalk, CT.) In addition, every Clarke employee will enjoy a weekly share of the produce to take home for their own families.
Farmer Francesca’s first harvest will include a lettuce mix, mint, parsley, thyme, swiss chard, mixed radishes, red veined sorrel, sorbet mix viola and arugula. She will continue to add new crops to the mix and harvest fresh vegetables every week throughout the year.
“When I learned about Freight Farms, I could think of no better way to exemplify the Sub-Zero and Wolf mission of superior food preservation and preparation than launching a year-round Freight Farm right here,” said Clarke. “As New Englanders, we crave fresh food year-round and many of our own employees can’t wait to get back into their gardens each year. Now we will have fresh produce all year round to cook with in our showrooms and share with customers and employees.”
The arrival of Clarke’s Freight Farm launched their “Live Deliciously” initiative to encourage all members of the design community and the homeowners they serve to remember that kitchens are about gathering to enjoy fresh, delicious meals. As the icing on the cake, Clarke is powering the farm with the solar panels that provide electricity for their entire Milford complex.
“We achieved net zero electrical consumption in Milford when we installed 2304 solar panels on our Milford headquarters in 2011,” said Clarke. “It makes it all the more satisfying that we are now also able to power a hydroponic farm from this source.”
For more information on Clarke’s “Live Deliciously” campaign featuring Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove appliances, visit clarkeliving.com.
About Clarke
Clarke is New England's Official Sub-Zero & Wolf Showroom and Test Kitchen, with locations in Milford, MA, Boston Seaport and South Norwalk. Clarke's hallmark is an exclusive Appliance Test Drive, where homeowners can actually cook on Wolf appliances to best select the models that will enhance their lives.
Visitors can see more models of Sub-Zero and Wolf at Clarke than anywhere else in New England. Clarke sells its brands through a network of authorized retail dealers in all six New England states. In addition, the company also offers Clarke Customer Care, a dedicated Sub-Zero, Wolf, Cove and ASKO repair service that has earned them top customer satisfaction ratings in the U.S. For more information, visit clarkeliving.com.
Scientists Are Gene-Editing Tomato Plants For The International Space Station
Using CRISPR technology, California researchers have developed a tinier tomato plant for growth in space
Martha Orozco-Cárdenas/University of California, Riverside
Using CRISPR technology, California researchers have developed a tinier tomato plant for growth in space.
May 3rd, 2019
by Sam Bloch
Go tiny or get out. Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, have gene-edited tomatoes to have tinier leaves and stems, which could make them more a productive crop for farmers with limited space to grow food. That could be, for instance, a small-scale farmer who thinks that gene-edited plants are still organic. It could be an indoor, vertical farmer, who’s got a whole lot of height but not a lot of acreage. Or it could be a space farmer—thrusting utilitarian, hearty vegetative matter into the harshest conditions known to man.
And that’s exactly what’s happening. The university announced Thursday that Robert Jinkerson, an engineering professor, and Martha Orozco-Cárdenas, director of the university’s Plant Transformation Research Center, have landed a two-year, $800,000 grant from NASA’s space health wing to make those tomatoes grow in space—specifically, for astronauts on the International Space Station, who subsist on what’s largely a not-so-fresh diet.
“When I first saw those tiny tomatoes growing in Martha’s lab, I just knew we had to get them onto the space station,” Jinkerson wrote.
One astronaut who’d grown zucchini and sunflowers refused to eat his, because he considered them crew members.
So why is NASA keen to get these particular tomatoes in space? Orozco-Cárdenas used CRISPR technology to gene-edit the plants in such a way that the size of the fruit would stay the same, but the overall leaves and stems shrank. Without all that biomass, the tiny tomatoes produce fruit more quickly than a conventional counterpart—or, put another way, they take less time to grow the same amount. Additionally, with real estate at a premium on the space station, you can squeeze in more plants if you reduce their overall size.
Like a lot of innovations in farming technology, a significant part of the project’s goal is to increase efficiency. These days, that impulse is wrapped in climate-friendly rhetoric. The typical line goes something like this: There will be 9 billion people on the planet by 2050, and with only a limited amount of arable land left for farming, farmers need to max out the land they have. In the release, Orozco-Cárdenas said her goal, all along, has been to develop plants that could “feed a growing population on less farmland.”
But plants that grow quickly, on less energy, would be great in space, too. As our Jesse Hirsch reported for Modern Farmer, on the International Space Station, arable “land” consists mostly of a plastic bag shuttled between windowsills. Growing food in space, Hirsch reported, potentially represents major savings for a notoriously underfunded agency. Sending food to the space station costs roughly $10,000 a pound, and there’s a heavy emphasis on densely caloric, shelf-stable foods. Astronauts devour fresh produce upon arrival.
Time was, farming in space was unthinkable. The first space plants—flowers that were related to cabbage and mustard—were grown by Soviet cosmonauts in 1982, but the yield was too small to be food. Thereafter, when American astronauts grew vegetables, they were largely academic experiments that quantified the effects of zero gravity on plant growth, and the viability of different kinds of artificial light. One astronaut who’d grown zucchini and sunflowers refused to eat his, because he considered them crew members.
Using CRISPR technology, California researchers have developed a tinier tomato plant for growth in space.
The first crop of space veggies was harvested in 2014—heads of burgundy-red lettuce that were tucked in grow rooms, officially referred to as Vegetable Production Systems, or Veggies. The greens grew in “plant pillows,” under red, blue, and green LED lights. At 14.5 inches deep, the system was, at the time, the largest farm in the history of space.
More recently, the crew aboard the space station grew batches of mixed greens—mizuna, red romaine, and Tokyo Bekana cabbage—in two Veggies. Some of the harvest was consumed in space, while the rest was brought home for testing, according to NASA. That’s similar to other space farming experiments, like the Tomatosphere, which is an effort to cultivate seeds in space, and let schoolchildren grow them back on earth.
As part of the NASA funding, Riverside scientists will modify the tomatoes to speed up photosynthesis—which, besides helping the plants grow faster, will also replace carbon dioxide in the space station with breathable air. The money will also go towards creating space-like grow rooms back on earth and to conduct more tests. Also? They want to make the plants even tinier.
Gene-engineered tomatoes—even those with less biomass—haven’t yet caught on with vertical farmers, largely because they need more infrastructure, like a trellis or cage, than leafy greens. But for aspiring space farmers, the benefits of growing tomatoes may transcend mere utility. To quote Alexandra Whitmire of the NASA Human Research Program in the Huffington Post, growing plants in space could raise crew morale. “Plants can indeed enhance long-duration missions in isolated, confined and extreme environments — environments that are artificial and deprived of nature.” Buck up, astronaut: You’ve got fresh tomatoes!
Pentair Shutting Down Urban Organics Aquaponics Facility In St. Paul
Urban Organics grows leafy vegetables like Swiss Chard at its aquaponics facility, but the venture will close next month
NANCY KUEHN | MSPBJ
Urban Organics Grows Leafy Vegetables Like Swiss Chard At Its Aquaponics Facility, But The Wenture Will Close Next Month.
By Mark Reilly – Managing Editor, Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal
May 15, 2019
Urban Organics, a startup that had established an ambitious fish-and-produce aquaponics venture in the former Schmidt Brewery in St. Paul, has lost the support of corporate partner Pentair and will close next month.
The Star Tribune has a report on the announcement from Pentair (NYSE: PNR), which surprised local restaurateurs who had become some of Urban Organics' biggest evangelists, touting the benefits of sourcing food locally.
Pentair, which is legally based in England but has its operational headquarters in Golden Valley, said only that the aquaponics business "did not meet our expectations."
Urban Organics will close by June 14, laying off 27 workers.
Urban Organics, launched by by Dave Haider, Kristen Haider, Fred Haberman and Chris Ames, opened its first operation in the former Hamm's Brewery five years ago, growing produce and raising fish in a venture designed to showcase the potential of urban farms. The idea behind aquaculture is that both fish and plants can be grown in a nearly closed-loop system, with fish providing fertilizer for plants and plants cleaning the water for the fish.
Urban Organics unveils aquaponic fish and vegetable farm in old Hamm's Brewery
Urban Organics unveiled its aquaponics farm in the old Hamm's Brewery. The facility raises fish and grows vegetables.
The Schmidt Brewery location aimed much higher: At 87,000 square feet it was 10 times the size of Urban Organics' first venture, and Pentair's participation, in theory, lent more resources and a bigger name to the concept. Pentair bought out Urban Organics' other owners a year ago, the Star Tribune notes, though Haider stayed on as general manager.
The facility may have encountered production problems. Though it turned out produce, Tracy Singleton, owner of Birchwood Cafe in Minneapolis, said Urban Organics never began harvesting arctic char and rainbow trout as expected in the Schmidt site.
Pentair said it didn't know what it would do with the Schmidt Brewery facility.
Boston, MA - It Happens Here: Hands-Off, Year Round Farming At Little Leaf Farms In Devens
By Kate Merrill April 26, 2019 Filed Under: Boston News, Devens News, It Happens Here, Little Leaf Farms
DEVENS (CBS) – It happens here in Devens, a region made up of sections of Shirley and nearby Ayer. It’s a decommissioned army base named for Union Army General Charles Devens. It is now a residential and business community that is home to a small company helping New Englanders eat fresh, locally grown greens year-round.
Welcome to Little Leaf Farms. It’s not what most of us picture when we think of farming.
“It’s an automated system,” explained founder and CEO Paul Sellew.
It’s a massive greenhouse where green leaf, red leaf, and arugula are neatly planted in gutters. They are irrigated with rainwater collected from the roof, and an automatic shading system on the roof makes sure it doesn’t get too hot.
Lettuce grows in gutters at Little Leaf Farms in Devens. (WBZ-TV)
Each gutter slowly moves across the massive greenhouse at a pace so slow, you don’t even notice it. After about three weeks, the gutter drops onto a conveyer belt where it heads into the packing room where it feeds through a pair of circular cutters and then through a sorting system before it’s packaged into plastic bins.
While not officially organic, Sellew says there are no chemical pesticides.
“We use something called biological control,” he explains.
Little Leaf Farms uses lady bugs to eat the insects that threaten crops. (WBZ-TV)
They use lady bugs to eat the insects that threaten the crop.
“Because no human hands touch it, there’s no need to wash it. It’s ready to eat,” Sellew said.
With a farming background, (he also created Backyard Tomatoes from Maine) Sellew built a massive greenhouse back in 2015. His goal was to provide New England shoppers with an alternative to produce that’s shipped from the west coast.
“They were relying on stuff that’s grown in California that is trucked across the country and by the time we get it, it’s 10 days old,” he said.
Little Leaf Farms products are boxed at their Devens facility. (WBZ-TV)
The company believes the hydroponic method of growing also cuts down on the risk of disease like the romaine E.coli outbreak last fall.
“What we are doing has nothing in common with that is being done in California where they have cattle ranches and dairy farms next to lettuce fields,” Sewell said.
Greens from Little Leaf are packaged within minutes of harvest and can be at the store that same day.
Sellew says customers are loyal and demand is constantly increasing which is why they are building another massive greenhouse on their Devens campus.
Their next project? A new romaine variety. No word on when you’ll see it in your local supermarket.
KATE MERRILL
Emmy award winning journalist Kate Merrill is a news anchor for WBZ-TV News weekday morning and noon newscasts.
UCD Sells Surplus Land To Rooftop Greenhouse Company
The 33.6-acre agricultural parcel that UC Davis sold to Gotham Greens in Dixon abuts I-80 and is zoned A40, which means it is suitable for rural residential, with an existing agricultural well and ample irrigation water. Courtesy photo
By Tanya Perez
A recent story in the Sacramento Business Journal about the sale of UC Davis-owned land inspired some questions — namely, how does UCD ever have surplus land?
The April 4 story noted that “Brooklyn, New York-based indoor farming company Gotham Greens Holdings LLC has bought 33.6 acres of (agricultural) land just west” of the campus. The sale price, which went to the highest bidder, was $954,000, or approximately $28,400 per acre.
The Sacramento Business Journal said the land had been donated to UCD “decades ago.”
The property, at 9113 Olmo Lane in Dixon, is described by Realtor.com as “Nearly 34 acres of prime irrigated row crop land with a two acre mature homestead, enclosed by chain-link fencing. … Within the fenced-in yard is an old boarded-up dwelling (circa 1920), an old storage shed and an occupied office building.”
It is zoned A40, which means it is suitable for rural residential, with an existing agricultural well and ample irrigation water.
The Enterprise talked with UCD’s Grant Rockwell, the executive director of real estate services to understand how and why land such as this would be sold.
In a nutshell, this land had been gifted to UCD, with any proceeds from the rental or sale of it allocated to benefit Intercollegiate Athletics, or ICA.
“When properties like that are gifted to the university,” Rockwell said, “there are key beneficiaries.” In this particular case, “Rental or sale income is funneled to ICA.”
A boarded-up and uninhabitable house, circa 1920, comes with the property, as well as an office building and an old shed. Courtesy photo
He continued, “(This property) didn’t generate a lot of rental income,” because the house was uninhabitable and the leased farmland and office building were not bringing in much revenue. “Selling it was more lucrative, and the endowment goes back to ICA.”
Rockwell noted that the money was “earmarked for specific scholarships for ICA — off the top of my head, for men’s football, men’s and women’s basketball, and women’s volleyball.”
While Rockwell’s office is involved in this type of transaction, he said that the UC Office of the President “technically runs the process.”
In the case of the Olmo Lane property, sealed bids were opened on Jan. 15, and Gotham Greens was the highest bidder.
Rockwell explained that “If we think the property could sell for over $1 million, it goes through a sealed bid process.” When the university has properties such as single family residences that are expected to sell for less than $1 million, “They don’t go through a bid, and it’s a more traditional” sale process.
Gotham Greens might seem like an unusual choice to buy prime ag land. The company touts itself as growing “pesticide-free produce … using ecologically sustainable methods in technologically sophisticated, 100% clean energy powered, climate-controlled urban rooftop greenhouses.” As well, it says they are “farmers that live in apartments. We see green fields where others see rooftops.”
Rockwell said he believes that “Gotham Greens is trying to make inroads in to this market.”
As for UCD’s real estate services office, it handles “a full spectrum of real estate activities,” Rockwell said, which ranges from acquiring land and buildings to property management and off-campus tenant improvement coordination.
His goal for his team is “Effective asset management, (with consideration) of what the campus needs.”
Rockwell added, “When donors gift property to the university, they are often very specific with regard to the recipients. … With the current real estate market, there are opportunities to provide proceeds to the (beneficiaries).”
— Reach Tanya Perez at tperez@davisenterprise.net or 530-747-8082. Follow her on Twitter at @EnterpriseTanya
Students Compete For Plant Growth Chamber
Plantae and Conviron have collaborated to launch the Seeding Discovery Competition.
The competition is aimed to equip a successful university or college student with a high-performing GEN1000 plant growth chamber that will enable them to fulfill a meaningful research program in the field of plant sciences, biology, and biotechnology.
The Seeding Discovery Competition provides students with the opportunity to define and submit a proposal for a study that:
Aligns with personal and departmental objectives
Enables them to work with faculty and administration on planning and logistics
Contribute to their institution’s infrastructure with new research equipment at no cost
To be eligible, applicants must be students enrolled in a post-secondary program related to plant science. For further eligibility criteria and competition rules visit www.plantae.org/seedingdiscovery.
For more information:
Plantae
plantae.org
Conviron
Publication date: 4/10/2019
Unlocking The Potential of Indoor Farming in Cities of The Future
22-23 May in Oslo, Norway @ Urban Future Global Conference
Association for Vertical Farming (AVF)
Announces Partnership With Urban Future Global Conference
AVF brings Indoor Farming Forum to Europe’s Largest Conference On Sustainable Cities
After successful annual conferences in Beijing, Amsterdam and Washington, D.C., the AVF is excited to host the 2019 edition at Oslo’s Urban Future Global Conference on May 22-23. The AVF and Urban Future look forward to welcoming entrepreneurs, companies, technologists, growers, city planners, research institutions, governmental bodies and enthusiasts from all over the globe to Oslo, the 2019 European Green Capital.
Adding to Urban Future’s already extensive audience, the AVF will host a gathering of over 200 experts to discuss developments and propose solutions for the future of indoor and vertical farming. The AVF will facilitate keynote speeches, roundtable discussions and workshops over two half-day time slots. This conference-within-a-conference will touch on all of Urban Future’s main thematic areas but will be the only forum to specifically focus on food production.
Entitled “Unlocking the Potential of Indoor Farming in Cities of the Future,” this conference will give citizens and stakeholders alike unparalleled access to the most pressing topics in the indoor farming industry.
Keynote speakers include:
Dr. Joel Cuello, Professor of Biosystems Engineering and Director of the Global Initiative for Strategic Agriculture in Dry Lands (GISAD) at The University of Arizona.
Dr. Leo Marcelis, PhD., Head of Chair Group Horticulture and Product Physiology, Wageningen University
Josef Schmidhuber, Deputy Director, Trade and Markets Division, FAO
Gertjan Meeuws, Co-Founder, Seven Steps to Heaven
More speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Workshop Sessions
Establishing High-Tech Urban Food Systems in Cities of the Future
How can cities keep pace with the rapidly-evolving value chain
The next decade will bring rapid change in the technologies and techniques used to grow food in cities. How can businesses and entrepreneurs keep pace with this level of innovation? Join us in guided workshops to learn how to manage this influx of new technologies and apply them successfully to drive down costs, integrate renewable energy, and improve citizens’ access to healthy, sustainably-produced food.
Topics:
A. Can Blockchain technology advance the vertical farming industry? Moderator: Bernhard Hecker
B. Potential of renewable energy sources in the industry and energy efficiency in indoor farms. Moderator: Ramin Ebrahimnejad
C. Indoor/Vertical Farming Designs and Strategies. Moderator: Joel Cuello
Roundtable Discussion
The Science of Food Production in the City
Food and future cities -- growing food where the people live: what, why and how
Moderated panel discussion with public Q&A session.
Food production meets all of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals; accordingly, it also touches on all of Urban Future’s thematic areas. Why then is food production so often left out of city planning? This roundtable discussion will cover the importance of placing food at the centre of city planning, and the best ways to go about doing so. Hear unique industry perspectives on what is working and what needs to change, and then take the opportunity to ask questions in a 20-minute public Q&A session.
Event info and tickets are available here: https://pretix.eu/associationverticalfarming/urban-future-2019/
Student tickets are available at a reduced price of €220. Please contact kb@vertical-farming.net for a voucher code.
Please send any questions or special requests to info@vertical-farming.net
22-23 May in Oslo, Norway @ Urban Future Global Conference
Zuri Humblet, Fospan Worldwide CEO “Growing Cannabis In Large-Scale Operations Demands Knowledge"
Fospan Worldwide is a Dutch-Spanish solution provider for the horticulture and specialized in the medicinal cannabis industry with many years of cannabis experience. Zuri, Fospan CEO, points out that “One of the most crucial issues in starting a horticulture business, is to look for and rely on specialized companies and products that aim at supporting growers in being successful”.
According to him, most of the time, setting up a growing facility reveals itself to be trickier than initially expected. “Growing cannabis, especially in large scale operations, demands knowledge on what is available on the market. In the recent past, a lot of starting growers jumped into the cannabis industry based on experience gained in small-scale operations from the days where cannabis was mainly cultivated for own usage”, explains Zuri.
For Fospan worldwide it has always been important to be a developing company whose mission is to support growers in being successful. “We help growers with their projects in every possible way. From designing complete facilities, advising or providing growing systems, custom-built aquaponic, aeroponic, natural substrates and hydroponics systems and equipment up to providing Magnus light (Fospan’s brand LED) solutions. But also our Optimus specialty substrates, nutrients and exclusive CBD seeds and award winning Sumo seeds are part of our portfolio”, says Zuri.
A regulation for lighting
Differently from traditional horticulture, cannabis greenhouses need a more careful management of lighting and, as a result, of climate control, especially with regards to the compliance with pharmaceutical standards. Zuri mentions “There are many fields in which we support our customers. A good example is the lightning which is needed in a farm. We were recently informed that the Danish agency responsible for licensing medical cannabis producers issued regulations on lamps that are allowed to be used. Apart from requirements like easily cleanable (for active cooling, no fans and for passive cooling, no cooling fins) and made from non-toxic materials, the output must be of high quality to ensure that yields and cannabinoid profiles are consistent. Further it is mentioned that the luminaires and parts must be of high quality so that their light output and spectrum does not decay quickly, dramatically affecting the yields. This also concerns the wavelength distribution of the spectrum which must remain without significant changes throughout the luminaires’ lifespan to ensure consistent yields and cannabinoid expressions”.
On the left: water-cooled ML-365 in a medical cannabis facility. On the right: water-cooled ML-700 in a medical cannabis facility
Zuri continues: “Such a regulation disqualifies HPS lamps from being used in GMP/GACP compliant cannabis production. Their light rapidly loses intensity, creating differences among growth cycles, while constancy is a key requirement. The regulations also mention that there is a product safety risk due to braking of the bulb of the HPS fixture as the entire facility would be compromised as the sodium and mercury inside the bulb would get dispersed all over the canopy”
With an eye for future developments, Zuri states: “I am rather convinced that the rules and regulations developed by the Danish authorities will be guiding for a lot of other countries, in and outside Europe, that are in the process of licensing medical cannabis production and whose government agencies will for sure demand GMP/GACP standards.”
As Fospan is the developer and exclusive provider of Magnus LED lights, Zuri understands some Danish regulations, even on the use of LED technology, which in fact support his advices. Most LED luminaires have deep fins which are used for heat dissipation. While good at removing excess heat, those lamps are very difficult to clean, which is seen as an important issue by the Danish regulator, according to him. “Even with a special set of tools and a high effort to get inside the ridges and remove the dust particles and pathogens from within, it would be hard to be absolutely sure and prove that these have been properly sterilized.”
Multiple solutions available
Zuri explains other consequences of the Danish ruling: “LED luminaires with active cooling such as fans cannot be completely closed as they need to circulate air. This means having a device that is even more difficult to clean than a passively cooled LED i.e. one with deep fins. Furthermore, the quality of spectra inside LED luminaires - while better than HPS - varies significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer. In some brands of LED lights, parts of the spectrum will start to diminish already after 10.000 hours of operation, starting with the blue peak and other shorter wavelengths resulting in taller plants with less cannabinoid accumulation (similar to HPS grown plants). This is dependent on the quality of the LED chips the manufacturer uses. The best quality chips will sustain the same spectrum quality with minimal variation over its entire lifespan”
ML-270 & ML-365 COB LED Lights with farred control | available in air or water-cooled fixtures
Zuri is more than happy that Magnus Lights anticipated on such regulations. “These are examples where our experience and partnerships played a major role” he says. Fospan worldwide developed water-cooled Magnus LED (100.000 light hours = 22 years of flowering) specifically for the medicinal cannabis industry and GMP standards. “For instance, some positive points are that the fixtures are totally closed, made of full aluminum parts and available in different wattage, voltage or type fixtures like linear or COB top-lights. The lights are developed in close collaboration with Parus who is one of the leading horticulture LED manufacturers in the world. To underline the quality and durability of the LED’s manufactured by Parus: in a project for the largest Russian lettuce producer which they installed in 2008 has not occurred a single LED fail or output decay until today”, he explains.
All in one
One of the pressing problems within this industry is the lack of a common knowledge that everyone can resort to. “There are so many products and there is so much information published – which is also an indication of how this industry is blooming. At the same time, it is hard for growers to understand what the best way to do things is, and who and what to rely on”. Zuri reacts to those development saying: “That is why we prefer to be completely honest to our clients, and share our experiences and everything we know about this industry with them – as we have been in this business for over 17 years and love what we are doing”.
Zuri explains that Fospan support its clients with tailor-made solutions and in every step of the process, starting from designing and building the facility to growing the plants. “One of trickiest aspects in cannabis growing facilities is lighting, and especially keeping it equal throughout the facility.” Zuri explains that it is crucial to design a lighting system that takes the complete lay-out of the facility into consideration and calculates the amount of micromoles required. “We distribute Magnus Light solutions and design a light plan specifically for each growing facility.”
Multi-layer solutions
According to him, Magnus Light solutions are a solution for both for the vegetative as well as the flowering state. Additionally, Magnus Light solutions support growers in keeping the growing facility as cool and efficient as possible: “We indeed offer lights with a water-cooling system, thus reducing the heat generated up to 20%” not even to mention that this effects also the lifespan positively.
Bringing the industry together
“Through Fospan Worldwide, we try to help growers in every possible aspect of their cannabis projects. For instance, we can supply them with genetics. Our strain portfolio is very diverse, from high THC/low CBD, to high CBD/low THC. With regards to our specialty substrates Optimus portfolio, we can, if requested, provide a made-to-measure mixture for a client who has already a personal mixture in use”.
Zuri underlines: “Fospan’s job is not finished after a project is completed. We take care of our clients, and we really like to follow up with them, exchange ideas and provide them with new developments. Success is the best advertisement. We have been active in this industry for a substantial amount of time, and therefore we have quite a number of connections. This allows us to support growers also in other types of activities and plans, as we can point them to the right direction, company and/or person. There is still a lot to learn in this industry and market, and we think it is important to support each other.”
For more information:
Fospan Worldwide
fospan.com
Magnus Light
magnuslight.com
Publication date: 4/12/2019
Author: Andrea Di Pastena
© MMJDaily.com
Ag Foundation Funds Groundbreaking Indoor Farming Research
April 08 , 2019
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is pushing the boundaries of traditional agriculture with a new public-private partnership that will develop crops specifically suited for indoor environments.
To achieve this, the Precision Indoor Plants (PIP) Consortium is studying the environmental and genetic factors that help agriculture thrive indoors, says FFAR’s executive director Sally Rockey.
According to Rockey, this research will provide unique insight for the industry as most other studies on this type of farming focus on design elements for indoor systems, such as vertical productions facilities and lighting, rather than the plants themselves.
The PIP collaborative has joined together world-class indoor growers, breeders, genetics companies, and agricultural equipment leaders, including AeroFarms, BASF, and Benson Hill Biosystems, among others. These participants are pooling resources to fund research on the best means to present nutritious, flavorful crops that can grow anywhere, year-round, profitably.
Specifically, PIP says its research will explore how to improve nutrient content and yields, decrease the amount of energy needed for production, and help crops perform their best in indoor conditions.
So far, FFAR has committed to investing US$7.5 million in PIP, and with matching funds from participants, the consortium will grant a minimum of US$15 million to its studies.
This move is just part of the growing trend of indoor agriculture, also called controlled environmental agriculture (CEA).
The “booming” interest in this type of agriculture has been attributed to the new needs of our growing world. The challenge of feeding a rapidly rising global population in a sustainable way has influenced researchers to examine innovative food production approaches, says PR Newswire.
Producing crops indoors could also be a solution for challenges arising from a changing climate, adds the company.
Today, lettuce and other leafy greens have successfully become profitable CEA, while PIP’s research seeks to expand this to include a variety of other crops, such as herbs, tomatoes, strawberries and blueberries.
Initial PIP projects will focus on increasing nutritional content and changing the size and shape of the plant.
“This research has implications for a wide variety of agricultural environments, including outdoor agriculture and space,” the entity said.
“For farmers planning outdoors, PIP’s research has the potential to reduce strain on the environment, make crops more resilient to stresses, bolster food and nutritional security and shorten the supply chain for producers.
“The research is also useful for government agencies and corporations interested in growing food in space for long-term space exploration.”
US (SC): Indoor Urban Micro Farm Could Be Coming To Myrtle Beach
“I think my family will be glad to have me out of the dining room,” Margot Tennant smiled after getting the nod from Myrtle Beach’s Planning Commission to start an indoor urban micro farm.
Tennant has been operating Seedside Greens from her home in Plantation Point but she’s “kind of at max capacity.”
The business involves growing vegetables on vertical racks under grow lights, she explained. The vegetables are sold to restaurants such as Kindbelly Cafe and Fire & Smoke Gastropub.
Tennant said she is hoping to lease an 850-square-foot facility in the St. James Square area near the Food Lion off 38th Avenue North.
Her micro farm could be the first of its kind inside the city, if approved by the Myrtle Beach City Council. Tennant had to get the planning commission’s approval because micro farming was not included in any zone.
The planning commission is recommending it be allowed in mixed use medium density zones. It is also recommending a one-year pilot program so any negative impacts can be addressed. The pilot program is limited to six permits for urban micro farming and it includes a two-year amortization limit in case the city would decide they do not want micro urban farming allowed in the city.
Other limits in the pilot program include the production and growing has to be done indoors and the space can’t be more than 2,000 square feet.
Germany: Infarm Installed Greenhouses At 2 Edeka Stores In Münster
Berlin start-up brings "small garden in the supermarket" to NRW
Grow herbs and salads locally in the market and get them, freshly harvested, in the shopping cart. With the "small garden in the supermarket", the word "freshness" takes on a new dimension. The department stores in Loddenheide and Gievenbeck welcome a new farmer in the city: start-up company Infarm from Berlin has entered the markets with its high-tech greenhouses.
With its modular farm system, the cultivation of herbs and salads is moving to the Münsteraner's shopping center, catering to a trend that is becoming increasingly important today: buying fresh local produce.
Image: Infarm GmbH
Alternatives for local cultivation
"You can hardly find these products locally," says Uwe Marx, market leader in Loddenheide. "We want to offer our customers Infarm's herbs an alternative to basil, mint or coriander, which are currently imported from other countries. The special twist is that customers can watch the herbs being grown."
The herbs grow without the use of soil in a multi-storey facility. In the so-called vertical farms, the processes of nature are reproduced. Temperature, light and nutrients are matched to the plants. Pesticides are not used. Other negative influences such as heat, cold or drought are excluded from the small ecosystem.
On the 7th of May, customers can taste the new harvest for the first time.
For more information:
InFarm – Indoor Urban Farming GmbH
Glogauerstr. 6
10999 Berlin
Phone: +49 (30) 9919165 90
E-Mail: info@infarm.com
www.infarm.com
Syngenta Adds New Director To The Board
April 15, 2019
BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Following the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on Friday, April 12, it was announced that Louise O. Fresco will join the Board of Directors as an Independent Non-Executive Director, effective April 12, 2019.
Fresco is currently President of Wageningen University & Research in The Netherlands. She combines a long academic career as a professor at both Wageningen and Amsterdam universities with extensive involvement in policy and development in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
“We are delighted to have Louise join the Syngenta Board,” said Frank Ning, Syngenta Chairman. “Her experience and expertise in sustainable healthy food production together with her ability to engage people in the benefits of science and agriculture will be greatly valued.”
This appointment comes just days after Syngenta announced it will accelerate its innovation to address the increasing challenges faced by farmers around the world including climate change, soil erosion and biodiversity loss, as well as changing consumer expectations and views on agricultural technology. Syngenta has made this commitment in response to listening sessions held at the end of 2018, during which there was a clear call for innovation and more action to address these challenges.
“Joining the Board will give me a chance to work towards more sustainable food production and reducing the environmental impact based on the latest scientific insights,” said Fresco. “I am particularly interested in how the best science can help smallholders increase yields sustainably.”
Fresco spent 10 years of her career as Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. She is a member of eight scientific academies, and has served on the boards of Rabobank and Unilever. Her book “Hamburgers in Paradise, the stories behind the food we eat,” has been translated into 13 languages. She has published multiple books and writes a bi-weekly column in NRC, the leading evening newspaper of The Netherlands. She has also presented a 6-part documentary on food and development for Dutch public television, and in 2009 she was a speaker at the TED Conference in Palm Springs, California.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is one of the world’s leading agriculture companies. Our ambition is to help safely feed the world while taking care of the planet. We aim to improve the sustainability, quality and safety of agriculture with world class science and innovative crop solutions. Our technologies enable millions of farmers around the world to make better use of limited agricultural resources. With 28,000 people in more than 90 countries we are working to transform how crops are grown. Through partnerships, collaboration and The Good Growth Plan we are committed to improving farm productivity, rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities.
To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta and www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as ‘expect’, ‘would’, ‘will’, ‘potential’, ‘plans’, ‘prospects’, ‘estimated’, ‘aiming’, ‘on track’ and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from these statements. For Syngenta, such risks and uncertainties include risks relating to legal proceedings, regulatory approvals, new product development, increasing competition, customer credit risk, general economic and market conditions, compliance and remediation, intellectual property rights, implementation of organizational changes, impairment of intangible assets, consumer perceptions of genetically modified crops and organisms or crop protection chemicals, climatic variations, fluctuations in exchange rates and/or commodity prices, single source supply arrangements, political uncertainty, natural disasters, and breaches of data security or other disruptions of information technology. Syngenta assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors.