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VIDEO: Israeli Agtech Firm Offers A Vertical Solution To A Lateral Problem
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest global challenges we face is feeding a rapidly growing population over the next several decades
The ongoing pandemic threatens to disrupt global food chains. Food shortages might have moved from fear to future. This Israeli startup aims to bring vegetable farming a little closer to home...
Dor Schwartz / 10 Jan 2021
Undoubtedly, one of the biggest global challenges we face is feeding a rapidly growing population over the next several decades. It is estimated that in 50 years, the world is expected to find at least two billion new residents added to the global population numbers. Urbanization is a big blame for this, bringing on a major lack of accessible and arable farming land, creating even further food scarcity.
Since becoming a global pandemic, COVID-19 has impacted global food systems, disrupting regional agricultural value chains, and threatening the household food security of even working families. As a result, producers, businesses, governments, and consumers today have a heightened awareness of food safety. With borders closed and quarantines in full effect again, supply chain and trade disruptions could restrict people’s access to sufficient and nutritious sources of food.
From Israel to Ukraine
Vertical agriculture and farming have become one of the hottest trends aiming to solve the potential food shortage scare. Israeli Agtech company Vertical Field has developed vertical urban farms and active living walls, which provide crucial solutions for smart cities and how they support the ever-growing population of hungry mouths.
“In times when most of the world’s population is aware of what they are eating, with increasing demand for healthier, more sustainable, and safer foods, agriculture needs to reinvent itself to be fit for purpose,” emphasizes Guy Elitzur, the company's CEO.
Last year, the company piloted urban farms next to several branches of the Rami Levy supermarkets in Israel, as well as EverGreen supermarkets and several restaurants in New York. In those branches, the supermarket grows, harvests, and sells leafy greens and herbs. This was just the start, as Rami Levy supermarkets took the pilot one step further and signed a multi-million dollar deal to implement the Vertical Field growing technique at dozens of the supermarket chain's locations.
After securing the Rami Levy deal, Vertical Field also announced that it would initiate a similar deployment of vertical farms, this time in the Ukraine. By teaming up with Moderntrendo S.R.O, which is one of the country's largest agricultural distributors, Vertical Field will begin an initial pilot with Varus - a Ukrainian supermarket chain with over 95 stores. The in-house farm pilot will begin early this year before expanding to other supermarket chains.
“We are extremely excited about our partnership with Moderntrendo S.R.O which has led to the project with Varus and will lead to more projects in the near future with more chains in Ukraine. One of the realizations that have surfaced during the COVID-19 crisis is the need to develop solutions that allow urban residents access to healthy food, with minimal human handling and without depending on transportation and shipping from remote locations. We are delighted to be able to provide- and expand access to- healthy, and high-quality vegetables grown right outside the consumer’s door," said Guy Elitzur, the CEO of Vertical Field.
The Vertical Field platform allows maximum yield from a small growing area. Its fast plant growth cycle provides a consistent and frequent supply of agricultural products to the supermarket’s customers, who can walk up to the vertical wall and purchase ultra fresh produce that is ready to eat.
Vertical Field's green solution provides customers a direct "farm-to-table" channel that not only helps lower prices, but also helps eliminate what has become a source for many environmental concerns along the process. Just imagine living in an apartment building that not only adds a more pleasant visual aspect to the urban landscape, but a wall where residents can literally reap the benefits, in form of fresh nutritional veggies.
Source: Allan Chapelski
"One of our main goals is to provide supermarkets, restaurants, hospitals or any other institution with the ability to grow their own produce and to provide it onsite right where it’s consumed,” notes Elitzur. "We see supermarkets struggling with the high costs of the supply chain and longer growing cycles dependent upon unpredictable weather conditions. With our solution, they never have to worry about the weather or external conditions. They can get a consistent in-house supply and reduce and monitor their inventory waste. We are offering a completely new business model in which they will not have distribution costs and at the same time create a unique shopping experience for their customers. The real challenge is to show corporations the economic and health benefits so they will be motivated to change the way they are operating."
The Israeli agtech startup has developed a number of vertical soil-based solutions that help cities and institutions worldwide green-up their spaces. The company's main product is a vertical, soil-based system for urban farming for both indoor and outdoor use. Vertical Field’s geoponic growing method produced a unique platform comprised of a container with built-in sensors, irrigation, and lighting, as well as in-house monitoring software that automatically manages crop growth cycles. By significantly minimizing human intervention, the system's AI farmers optimize the plant's growth cycle from seed to pick. It also ensures a sterile and kosher environment for fresh and healthy produce to grow pesticide-free all year long.
Vertical Field was founded in 2006 by VP Product & Project Design Guy Bar-Ness, who claims to be motivated by a green thumb, and ambition to bring sustainable nature-based solutions into the urban lifestyle.
VIDEO: Vertical Farms Heading For Mars
In this video interview, Paul Millett, Co-Founder, and COO at Invertigro talks about the main trait he looks for in new hires, what their vision is for 2021, and the incredible applications vertical farming has not just on this planet
In this video interview, Paul Millett, Co-Founder, and COO at Invertigro talks about the main trait he looks for in new hires, what their vision is for 2021, and the incredible applications vertical farming has not just on this planet.
Check it out here:
What is InvertiGro ?
Fully-integrated, cost-effective, and flexible indoor vertical farming solutions that enable sustainable and reliable production of fresh and healthy produce. Everywhere.
InvertiGro indoor vertical farming solutions apply innovative design and leading-edge technologies to profitably and pragmatically solve the real-world challenge of sustainable and affordable food production.
We design, build, supply, and support cost-effective and flexible indoor vertical farming solutions that enable customers around the globe to quickly convert indoor spaces into highly efficient fresh produce farms.
InvertiGro indoor vertical farms are capable of growing a vast number of different crops; from herbs and leafy greens to microgreens, berries, fruits, vegetables, fibers, feed-stock, and more. Our hydroponically grown produce is also herbicide- and pesticide-free.
Modular growing units and their supporting smart technology systems are able to grow (and switch between) a variety of crops with superior yields, consistent quality, and greater resource efficiencies (water, land, labor, and capital).
InvertiGro’s fully integrated indoor vertical farming solutions provide everything required to quickly begin producing hassle-free, profitable, and reliable supplies of quality fresh produce well into the future.
Our indoor vertical farming systems are available in two different configurations:
The fully-integrated and supported InvertiCube system is designed to enable businesses to produce reliable rural-scale fresh produce. InvertiCube indoor vertical farming systems are modular and scalable by design making them equally well-suited to purpose-built warehouses or manufacturing spaces as to under-utilized existing spaces such as disused carparks and basements – of any size, shape or location. Unique pallet-size modular growing units can be configured for (and easily switched between) horizontal or vertical growing to suit a variety of different crops and applications. Their supporting smart technology operating and monitoring systems ensure clients benefit from our on-going R&D advancements.
The InvertiWall system is a productive green-wall designed for smaller-scale commercial and community applications. The space-efficient and aesthetically pleasing design also lends itself to installation in shared indoor spaces (such as foyers, food courts, and restaurants).
Both InvertiGro indoor vertical farming systems are designed to be scalable, flexible, affordable and smart, enabling businesses and communities to become successful and sustainable modern farmers.
Contact InvertiGro: info@invertigro.com
VIDEO: CubicFarms Systems Corp. Announces $2.8 Million Sale of Commercial Scale Systems to Customer in Abbotsford, B.C.
The Company's commercial agreement with Aright for the sale of 16 CubicFarms machines includes 14 growing machines, two propagation machines, and an irrigation system, representing a total of approximately Cdn$2.8 million (including installation and shipping) in sales revenues to the Company
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Nov 23, 2020
The customer intends to evaluate the performance of the Company's technology in B.C. with the potential for international use in other countries where the customer operates
VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 23, 2020,/CNW/ - CubicFarm® Systems Corp. (TSXV: CUB) ("CubicFarms" or the "Company"), a technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world, announced today that its automated, controlled-environment growing system has been selected by Aright Greentech Canada Ltd. ("Aright"), a British Columbia-based agriculture investor-operator, to grow commercial quantities of fresh produce (the "Abbotsford agreement") for retail markets in the Abbotsford and Chilliwack regions in British Columbia, Canada.
Aright is an international company with interests in environmentally-focused companies in India and other countries, and this B.C. launch is a soft pilot for a potential future international roll-out.
Abbotsford Agreement
The Company's commercial agreement with Aright for the sale of 16 CubicFarms machines includes 14 growing machines, two propagation machines, and an irrigation system, representing a total of approximately Cdn$2.8 million (including installation and shipping) in sales revenues to the Company. The system is expected to be installed in Abbotsford by August 2021.
The Company has received a deposit from Aright with respect to the commercial agreement.
The Company's patented CubicFarms technology will enable Aright to grow high-quality foods, with predictable crop yields indoors, all year round.
Aright also plans to expand its systems after the successful completion of Phase 1 in Abbotsford.
CubicFarms CEO Dave Dinesen commented: "We believe the Abbotsford agreement with Aright helps to further validate the commercial upside of our technology. We are equally excited that Aright, through its parent company, has agreed to develop the Abbotsford site to serve the local market, and commence learning for potentially significant expansion into India. We are looking forward to a seamless collaboration between our teams to successfully grow high-quality, great-tasting, local produce here at home, and potentially in India."
Tanya Mehta, Founder & CEO of Aright, commented: "We are a family of impact operators and investors who aim to have a net positive impact on people, the community and the environment. As next-generation growers, we are driven to be a key player in innovation of AgTech that can feed the rising population through technologically advanced farms that can adapt and operate with consistent results. Planting and harvesting existing croplands on technologically advanced farms that consistently deliver food production without requiring new land is at the heart of this plan to work with CubicFarms. After thoroughly evaluating all available indoor growing options, we determined that it is in the best interests of Aright and our stakeholders to work with CubicFarms, which we predict will be beneficial to launch our BC operations, and to foster further innovations both in B.C. and internationally."
Potential Commercial Opportunities in India
CubicFarms and Aright India will launch a pilot project at Aright's Abbotsford location to assess CubicFarms machine production capabilities for a number of crop types.
After the evaluation is complete, it could culminate in a significant roll-out of the technology in the upcoming years. The potential India commercial opportunity will enable development and commercialization of the CubicFarms' technology, and align to Aright's focus on achieving wide-scale environmental efficiencies for urban areas.
The pilot and the potential commercial agreement with Aright India are not related to the signed commercial Abbotsford agreement, and performance of those units, between the Company and Aright.
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.
About CubicFarm® Systems Corp.
CubicFarm Systems Corp. ("CubicFarms") is a technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world. Its proprietary technologies enable growers around the world to produce high quality, predictable crop yields. CubicFarms has two distinct technologies that address two distinct markets. The first technology is its CubicFarms™ system, which contains patented technology for growing leafy greens and other crops indoors, all year round. Using its unique, undulating-path growing system, the Company addresses the main challenges within the indoor farming industry by significantly reducing the need for physical labour and energy, and maximizing yield per cubic foot. CubicFarms leverages its patented technology by operating its own R&D facility in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, selling the system to growers, licensing its technology, and providing vertical farming expertise to its customers.
The second technology is CubicFarms' HydroGreen system for growing nutritious livestock feed. This system utilizes a unique process to sprout grains, such as barley and wheat, in a controlled environment with minimal use of land, labour, and water. The HydroGreen system is fully automated and performs all growing functions including seeding, watering, lighting, harvesting, and re-seeding – all with the push of a button – to deliver nutritious livestock feed without the typical investment in fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, field equipment, and transportation. The HydroGreen system not only provides superior nutritious feed to benefit the animal but also enables significant environmental benefits to the farm.
For more information, please visit www.cubicfarms.com
Cautionary Statement on Forward-looking Information
Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements with respect to CubicFarms' expected revenue recognition, and the completion of the sale and installation of the system by the customer. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of CubicFarm Systems Corp., or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information including the Company obtaining the approval of the Offering from the TSX Venture Exchange. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict", and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved.
These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if the Company's expectations regarding future events, performance, or results change.
SOURCE CubicFarm Systems Corp.
For further information: Investor Information Contact: Adam Peeler, adam.peeler@cubicfarms.com
Phone: +1-416-427-1235, www.cubicfarms.com
Abu Dhabi’s AgTech Ecosystem Expands Across Land, Sea And Space
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) announced today individual partnerships with Pure Harvest Smart Farms (Pure Harvest), FreshToHome, and Nanoracks that will see the companies receive financial and non-financial incentives totaling AED 152 million (USD 41 million)
ADIO partners with Pure Harvest Smart Farms, FreshToHome, and Nanoracks
AED 152 million (USD 41 million) incentives for ‘land, sea and space’ projects to increase AgTech capabilities for food production in arid and desert environments
New partnerships part of ADIO’s AgTech Incentive Programme, established under Ghadan 21, Abu Dhabi’s accelerator program
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 10 November 2020: Three innovative agriculture companies will develop cutting-edge projects in Abu Dhabi to boost the emirate’s agriculture technology (AgTech) capabilities across land, sea, and space. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) announced today individual partnerships with Pure Harvest Smart Farms (Pure Harvest), FreshToHome, and Nanoracks that will see the companies receive financial and non-financial incentives totaling AED 152 million (USD 41 million). The research and technologies developed by these companies will expand existing capabilities in Abu Dhabi’s AgTech ecosystem and promote innovation in the sector to address global food security challenges.
The new partnerships are a continuation of ADIO’s efforts to accelerate the growth of Abu Dhabi’s AgTech ecosystem through the AgTech Incentive Programme, which was established under Ghadan 21, Abu Dhabi’s accelerator program. The Programme is open to both local and international AgTech companies. The partnerships follow ADIO’s AED 367 million (USD 100 million) investment earlier this year to bring four AgTech pioneers – AeroFarms, Madar Farms, RNZ, and Responsive Drip Irrigation (RDI) – to the emirate to develop next-generation agriculture solutions in arid and desert climates.
H.E. Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, Director General of ADIO, said: “Abu Dhabi is pressing ahead at full steam with our mission to ‘turn the desert green’ and solve long-term global food security issues. We have created an environment where innovative ideas can flourish and this has enabled the rapid expansion of our AgTech sector. Innovations from the companies we partnered with earlier this year are already propelling the growth of Abu Dhabi’s 24,000 farms. Partnering with Pure Harvest, FreshToHome and Nanoracks adds a realm of new capabilities to the ecosystem across land, sea, and space.”
Bin Hendi continued: “We are driving innovation across the entire agriculture value chain and this is producing a compounding effect that is benefiting farmers, innovators, and companies in our region and beyond.”
Pure Harvest, FreshToHome, and Nanoracks have been awarded financial and non-financial incentives to expand operations in Abu Dhabi. The competitive incentive packages include rebates on innovation-linked high-skilled payroll, high-tech CAPEX, as well as land, utility, and intellectual property support.
Since the beginning of 2020, ADIO has attracted seven AgTech companies to Abu Dhabi, each bringing a complementary skill to expand the ecosystem. ADIO’s new partnerships with Pure Harvest, FreshToHome, and Nanoracks will build on the achievements made by AeroFarms, Madar Farms, RNZ, and RDI, the AgTech pioneers ADIO partnered with earlier this year to establish R&D and production facilities in Abu Dhabi.
Partnerships with Pure Harvest, FreshToHome, Nanoracks
Pure Harvest is a home-grown, tech-enabled farming venture that uses cutting-edge food production systems to grow fresh fruits and vegetables in a climate-controlled environment, enabling year-round production anywhere, while using seven times less water compared to traditional farming methods. Pure Harvest will invest in smart farming and infrastructure technologies at its new farms in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, to optimize growing conditions through hardware design innovations, artificial intelligence, autonomous growing and robotics, plant science research, and desert-optimized machines. The company will also progress R&D and deployment of a commercial-scale algae bioreactor production facility that will grow higher quality, healthier Omega-3 fatty acids without the limitations and challenges of traditional animal sources.
Sky Kurtz, Co-Founder, and CEO of Pure Harvest, said: “We are delighted to have received the support of ADIO to further invest in our home-grown, innovative growing solutions. It also serves as a powerful endorsement of our business case and mission as we pursue innovation to address food security locally and internationally. As one of the pioneering champions in the region’s emerging AgTech sector, this commitment will give us the resources we need to drive and expand our R&D capabilities and will position us for international expansion from our strategic base in Abu Dhabi. This partnership further demonstrates how committed the government is in supporting and enabling innovative technology companies, providing them with the tools, resources, and support to thrive and make a large-scale impact in the region.”
FreshToHome is an e-grocery platform for fresh, chemical-free produce. The company maintains complete control over its supply chain, inventory, and logistics by obtaining produce directly from the source through an AI-powered auction process. ADIO’s partnership will aid the expansion of FreshToHome’s land and sea operational and processing capabilities in the UAE, bringing expertise in aquaculture, contract farming for marine and freshwater fish species, and precision agriculture to Abu Dhabi. It will also invest in innovative fish farming technologies and cold chain.
Shan Kadavil, CEO and Co-Founder of FreshToHome, said: “At FreshToHome we use cutting-edge research in AI and precision aquaculture for furthering food security in a sustainable manner while also giving better value to consumers, fishermen, and farmers. To this end, we intend to bring our US patent pending AI-powered Virtual Commodities Exchange technology, our e-grocery platform, and our nano farm aquaculture technology to Abu Dhabi, enhancing food production and distribution for the region. ADIO has been a terrific partner to us and we are thankful for their support in helping us be part of the vision.”
US-based Nanoracks, the single largest commercial user of the International Space Station, opened its first UAE office in Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, Hub71, in 2019. Nanoracks is building the first-ever commercial AgTech space research program, the ‘StarLab Space Farming Center’, in Abu Dhabi as a commercial space research facility focused on advancing knowledge and technology for organisms and food produced in space and in equally extreme climates on Earth. The space-based technology will be applied to desert agriculture to address pressing environmental and food security challenges and to benefit long-term human space exploration.
Allen Herbert, SVP of Business Development and Strategy, and Head of Nanoracks, UAE, said: “Much of today’s technology used for vertical, urban and closed environment agriculture initially came from space research from 30 years ago, and Nanoracks is ready to synergize these technologies back to in-space exploration. We firmly believe that space research holds the keys to solving major challenges on Earth from climate change to food security. And our StarLab Space Farming Center in Abu Dhabi is just the beginning. We’re building a global research and development team that will produce and commercialize organisms, technology, and innovative products that will not only revolutionize farming in Earth’s deserts and harsh environments but also change the way humans are able to explore deeper into our universe.”
![Bishop greenhouse node 3-release[9].png](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57c8695d5016e11e71be1d83/1605455646106-3SFP8ZAB64F42DKMZ4F0/Bishop+greenhouse+node+3-release%5B9%5D.png)
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S. Korea’s Indoor Farming Technology Helps Crop Production In The Middle East
This may look like a regular shipping container, but in fact, it’s an indoor vertical farm exported to the United Arab Emirates by a South Korean company. The 12-meter long container is filled with vertical racks of crops, including Romaine lettuce. Named ‘Planty Cube’, the farm replaces conventional farming methods with digital technology
2020-11-12
This may look like a regular shipping container, but in fact it’s an indoor vertical farm exported to the United Arab Emirates by a South Korean company. The 12-meter long container is filled with vertical racks of crops, including Romaine lettuce.
To View The Video, Please Click Here
Named ‘Planty Cube’, the farm replaces conventional farming methods with digital technology.
Natural sunlight is replaced with artificial lighting and water levels, air temperatures, and humidity can be adjusted with just a few clicks.
"It also operates under a hydroponic system, where nutrients are mixed into water so that crops can grow without soil."
Farms can also be monitored remotely from South Korea, even from a smartphone, and conditions can be adjusted to optimize plant growth.
This way of farming can produce quality food all year round, without being affected by the weather, natural disasters, or disease.
There has been high demand for South Korean indoor vertical farms in the Middle East.
Two indoor vertical farms were first set up in July 2019 as part of a pilot project.
Now a total of 10 are stationed in Abu Dhabi with more planned to be shipped next year.
"We are actually planning to export our farm in the next first quarter about 50 cultivation modules… Also, we're getting a lot of requests from other GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) areas, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait. "
South Korea launched a set of programs last year to export its smart farm technologies.
It aims to become a key player in the industry, along with the U.S. and the Netherlands.
Min Suk-hyen, Arirang News.Reporter : shmin@arirang.com
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Featured Project: Jakob Factory Saigon
Proposing an environmentally friendly alternative to the typically horizontally spread manufacturing buildings, the Jakob Factory offers an innovative vertical densification strategy, stacking the usable zones on superimposed slats
November 10, 2020
Jakob Factory Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Approximately 39,288 of
Living Walls & Green Façades
Greenroofs.com Featured Project November 10, 2020
When referring to acting responsibly and specifying green architecture, don’t we all say, “Put your money where your mouth is?”
Well, Jakob Rope Systems has certainly done that with its beautifully and sensitively designed second factory in the former Saigon. Plus, it’s a great way to showcase your own products!
Image: Jakob Rope Systems
Taking its cue from nature, the factory has been designed to increase workers’ comfort and decrease its environmental footprint by creating the first project in Vietnam with completely naturally ventilated manufacturing halls. Kudos to Jakob Rope Systems and its designers!
Image: Oki Hiroyuki, courtesy G8A Architects and rollimarchini Architekten
Excerpt from Greenroofs.com Project Profile:
Located in the center of an industrial park 50 kilometers north of Ho Chi Minh City, the new Jakob Factory Saigon opened in late 2019. The factory houses steel rope producers Jakob Rope Systems, specializing in custom made steel meshing.
Designed by rollimarchini Architekten and G8A Architects, the highly innovative manufacturing space boasts completely naturally ventilated manufacturing halls.
Image: Oki Hiroyuki, courtesy G8A Architects and rollimarchini Architekten
Ever since Vietnam’s economic reform in 1986 the country has experienced industries and populations moving from a primarily agricultural industry to a focused industrial practice. Priorities have focused on economic gain rather than environmental impact and the past ten years have seen the doubling of industrial parks.
The design of the new Jakob Factory Saigon offers an alternative to these detrimental practices, presenting a strategically land saving project with focus elements of passive design.
Image: Oki Hiroyuki, courtesy G8A Architects and rollimarchini Architekten
Proposing an environmentally friendly alternative to the typically horizontally spread manufacturing buildings, the Jakob Factory offers an innovative vertical densification strategy, stacking the usable zones on superimposed slats. This robust design avoids unnecessary ground usage negating needless land development, while also offering workers agreeable outdoor spaces.
Taking reference from the traditional tropical architecture of the region, the design has a porous façade devised as a lush-planted skin. The suspended structure is supported by a two-layer rope network stretched from the ground to the roof. The horizontal planters not only filter rain and sun, but also contribute to lowering the atmospheric temperature through evaporation, acting as air purifiers and dust particle binders as well as allowing the air to circulate.
Image: Oki Hiroyuki, courtesy G8A Architects and rollimarchini Architekten
Image: Jakob Rope Systems
More
Covered in a wide variety of tropical plants, two types of greenwalls are found at the Jakob Factory Saigon. The multilayer system on the façades of the production and office building are sustained by Jakob ropes and stainless steel RHS frames, and living walls are planted in custom horizontal planters consisting of a geotextile, HDPE, and Jakob Webnet. Green façades cover the parking area using Jakob Webnet with climbing plants planted in the ground.
Based on passive climatic strategies adapted to its tropical region, amenities for staff, and the intelligent distribution of work spaces, the pioneering initiative of the Jakob Factory Saigon is set to become a design reference for sustainable, tropical living architecture.
Image: Oki Hiroyuki, courtesy G8A Architects and rollimarchini Architekten
Year: 2019
Owner: Jakob Rope Systems
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Building Type: Industrial
Type: Living Walls & Green Façades
System: Single-Source Provider
Size: Approximately 32,292 sq.ft. Living Walls & 6,996 sq.ft. Green Façades
Slope: Living Walls: 1-2% & Green Façades: 100%
Access: Private
Image: Oki Hiroyuki, courtesy G8A Architects and rollimarchini Architekten
Credits:
ARCHITECTS:
G8A ARCHITECTS & ROLLIMARCHINI ARCHITEKTEN
STAINLESS STEEL, WEBNET, STAINLESS STEEL ROPES AND ACCESSORIES FOR LIVING WALLS & GREEN FAÇADES:
JAKOB ROPE SYSTEMS
WATER SAVING APPLIANCES:
DELABIE
Image: Oki Hiroyuki, courtesy G8A Architects and rollimarchini Architekten
See the Project Profile
See the Jakob Factory Saigon Project Profile to view ALL of the Photos and Additional Information about this particular project in the Greenroofs.com Projects Database.
Image: Oki Hiroyuki, courtesy G8A Architects and rollimarchini Architekten
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Love the Earth, Plant a Roof (or Wall)!
By Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA, LEED AP, GRP
Greenroofs.com Publisher & Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summits Host
Watch #VirtualSummit2019 Speaker Videos and EXPO and Speaker Q&A Videos on demand through 2020 with FREE Registration!
Tags: ARCHITECTURE, BIODIVERSITY, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, GREEN WALLS, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, SUSTAINABILITY
VIDEO: We Use An Exceptional Amount of Land To Grow Food For Sows. Vertical Farms Could Change That If We Used Them To Grow Cow Feed
While most other vertical farms focus on growing salad greens for city dwellers, the new system is designed to tackle another challenge: the environmental footprint of growing feed for livestock
[Photo: Grōv Technologies]
Inside a new tent-like building on a large dairy farm west of Provo, Utah, tall towers stacked with trays of wheatgrass grow food for the cows outside. While most other vertical farms focus on growing salad greens for city dwellers, the new system is designed to tackle another challenge: the environmental footprint of growing feed for livestock.
A single tower in the growing system, from a startup called Grōv Technologies, takes up a little more than 850 square feet on the ground. But it can grow as much wheat or barley grass as 35 to 50 acres of farmland, the company says. Right now, an inordinate amount of land in the contiguous U.S.—around 780 million acres, or 41% of the total area—is used to grow feed for farm animals, either on pastures or through growing crops. And the demand continues to grow. “The availability of arable land, especially for animal feed, is shrinking,” says Steve Lindsley, president of Grōv Technologies.
[Photo: Grōv Technologies]
In some areas, that means forests are being cut or burned down to make room for crops to feed cows or chickens. “There’s clearly an environmental benefit that we think can be profound when you think about deforestation around the world,” Lindsley says. Grōv’s technology also significantly saves water, using around 5% of what is used in conventional farming. Additionally, it can reduce the distance to transport animal feed—China, for example, which has been buying agricultural land all over the world to grow food for its own animals, including in the U.S., is one of the startup’s key markets. The company plans to sell its systems to farms raising dairy and beef cattle to grow feed directly for their own animals.
[Photo: Grōv Technologies]
The farm in Utah, called Bateman’s Dairy Farm, is the first to test the new technology. Inside the new building, 10 towers, each around 25 feet tall, are filled with wheatgrass. Everything is automated: A robot plants four pounds of seeds in each tray and then sends it into the system, where sensors monitor conditions to give the crop the light and water it needs until it’s harvested automatically. “In an average of six and a half days, we have the crop,” Lindsley says.
Grōv provides support, but the system is designed to operate on its own, without any additional labor needed from the farmer. The system is also designed to minimize operating costs. The startup’s custom lights, for example, don’t put out heat, avoiding the large air-conditioning bills that are necessary in some other indoor farms. (The company says that the system can also run on renewable energy, and it plans to reach net-zero emissions by 2025.)
In early tests with hundreds of cows in 2019, the dairy found that the feed was more nutritious than its standard feed; the cows ate less, helping save money while producing the same amount of milk. Grōv estimates that farmers can break even on their investment in the technology in three years. As climate change progresses, growing indoors can also help mitigate risk from increasing droughts, heatwaves, floods, wind storms, and other extreme weather conditions.
The technology isn’t intended to fully replace conventional farming, but to provide one portion of the mix of food that cattle eat. At the farm in Utah, the new pilot system will provide 15% of the food for around 2,000 cows. But even replacing a fraction of conventional farming has the potential to make a meaningful difference. (That’s especially true if some farmland could be reforested, helping suck up excess carbon from the atmosphere to fight climate change.)
Lindsley argues that the environmental benefits could help dairy and beef farmers compete in a world where an increasing number of consumers are turning to plant-based foods. “The industry can utilize this technology as a counterpunch, really, to some of the lab-based protein efforts or the competitive efforts that are trying to pull people away from beef and/or dairy products,” he says.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adele Peters is a staff writer at Fast Company who focuses on solutions to some of the world's largest problems, from climate change to homelessness. Previously, she worked with GOOD, BioLite, and the Sustainable Products and Solutions program at UC Berkeley, and contributed to the second edition of the bestselling book "Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century."
Thrive Containers Launched Operations With Its New Intelligent Container Technology - Shipping Container Farm
Our vision is to not only bring accessibility to farming but to offer a great return on investment for the AgTech industry.”
Thrive Containers launched operations today with its new intelligent container technology, aiming to disrupt the commercial farming industry. COVID-19 and climate change have accelerated existing strains in global food accessibility and supply chains, highlighting the need to rethink the world’s agriculture systems.
Our founder and CEO Shannon O'Malley has been at the forefront of this change through six years of container farm innovation here at Brick Street! O’Malley observed “Thrive Containers is redefining shipping container farming technology.
Our vision is to not only bring accessibility to farming but to offer a great return on investment for the AgTech industry.” Thrive Container's farm system uniquely excels in software automation, customer experience ease of use, and adaptability engineered by industry-leading experts. The result is maximized, year-round crop growth, reducing up to 90% of freshwater resources used in traditional agriculture practices. Shannon Quotes
Thrive Launch
“Thrive Containers is redefining shipping container farming technology. Our vision is to not only bring more accessibility to farming but to offer a great return on investment for the AgTech industry.”
“We want to bring this cutting-edge technology to the masses, to build a farm whose technology is firmly centered on the grower experience.”
Ohio Container
“The Ohio Container is the first breakthrough container model that focusses on leafy greens and herbs providing industry leading yields to the shipping container farms market.”
“Rivers are the inspiration for our model naming convention. Since Thrive container technology supports cleaner, healthier waterways, we want to celebrate, acknowledge, and highlight our commitment to our planet.”
Industry Evolution
“The Agtech industry is currently situated where the .com legacy once was. We are in an industry that is in a race to define who the main players are.”
Investment opportunity
“In the Agtech industry, shipping container farming is wide open, with key competitors that are raising and looking for market share. Each competitor has its own unique business model and approach, focused on different paths to success. Our focus is decentralizing the commercial food system at the point of consumption while utilizing large scale grocers in minimal spaces.”
Supply chain
“By growing the highest producing yield containers, we are bringing production to the point of consumption to provide access to the masses. We are mobile and focused on the urban core. Vs competitors buying large acreage and trucking produce out.”
THE LINE-UP
Thrive Containers provide a multitude of container farm systems for all types of growing solutions. Our in house manufacturing continues to explore the endless possibilities of technology + agriculture.
The most efficient leafy green hydroponic container on the planet. Built for ROI, Ohio’s production efficiencies and low reliability on resources yield higher, while maximizing profit and planet.
COMING SOON: The most efficient micro green hydroponic container on the planet. Built for ROI, Yukon’s production efficiencies and low reliability on resources yield higher, while maximizing profit and planet.
COMING SOON: The most efficient cannabis/hemp hydroponic container on the planet. Built for ROI, Colorado’s production efficiencies and low reliability on resources yield higher, while maximizing profit and planet.
Thrive Container Website!
Follow us on Instagram @thrivecontainers
Click the link below to check out the Thrive website!
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Andaz Dubai The Palm Launches Hydroponic Container Farm
Andaz Dubai The Palm has partnered with Green Container Advanced Farming to grow its own fresh produce on site
It will grow produce including lettuce, herbs, and microgreens
November 04, 2020
Andaz Dubai The Palm has partnered with Green Container Advanced Farming to grow its own fresh produce on site.
The boutique lifestyle hotel will host a 400 sq ft hydroponic organic container farm on its Palm Jumeirah terrace, allowing them to harvest fresh produce such as lettuce, herbs, and microgreens.
Kifah Bin Hussein, general manager of Andaz Dubai The Palm, said: “At Andaz we strive to be more sustainable in everything that we do, using resources responsibly to help address today’s most pressing environmental issues.
With this partnership our goal is to bring the freshest and finest ingredients from their natural environment straight to our guests’ tables. We have a dedicated grower who visits the farm daily.
They work within sterile conditions and get to know every single crop within the unit. Once the crop is ready to consume it is delivered straight to our kitchens where our dedicated chefs prepare it ready to be served to our guests. It really take the farm to table concept to the next level.”
The hydroponic container system uses 90% less water than traditional farming methods, while the short distance from farm to fork ensures a large reduction in carbon footprint caused by typical distribution methods.
Guests visiting Andaz’s dining venues, including The Locale and Hanami, will be able to enjoy dishes made with ingredients sourced daily from the farm.
Tags: ANDAZ FARMING SUSTAINABILITY
80 Acres Farms Raises Funding Round Led by Barclays to Accelerate Growth in Automated Vertical Farming Technolog
80 Acres Farms addresses both sustainability and food security through growing food differently with vertical farming technology and reducing water usage by 97% on less than 1% of the land, with 300x the yield
HAMILTON, Ohio - November 2, 2020 Newswire.com
80 Acres Farms, the sustainable solution for fresh, pesticide-free food, announced that it added Barclays as a strategic investor in the business, joining Virgo Investments, Orange Wings Capital, QuietStar Capital, and other family office investors.
80 Acres Farms is a 2019 fellow from the Unreasonable Impact Americas program and award winner recognized for their work addressing the global pandemic's effects. 80 Acres Farms addresses both sustainability and food security through growing food differently with vertical farming technology and reducing water usage by 97% on less than 1% of the land, with 300x the yield.
Mike Zelkind, CEO of 80 Acres Farms, said: "There has been an explosion in demand for fresh, locally grown, nutritious food, and this investment round enables us to continue to meet that demand at the right unit economics. We look forward to developing our relationship with Barclays and their global network through our shared passion for enhancing sustainability in this industry."
Andrew Challis, Co-Head of Principal Investments at Barclays, said: "80 Acres Farms can shorten the vulnerable, carbon-intensive supply chain and secure retailers and consumers with consistent, safe, fresh, sustainably grown food. This is an exciting investment proposition for Barclays as it supports our clients' and consumers' transition to a low-carbon economy and underpins our ambition to take a leading role in tackling climate change."
80 Acres Farms operates eight indoor farms in the US, including a new state of the art facility in Hamilton, Ohio - built by an affiliated company, Infinite Acres - that will deliver 10 million servings in its first year. You can find 80 Acres' product of just-picked salads, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and microgreens at Kroger, Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Dorothy Lane Markets, Jungle Jim's Markets, and key National Foodservice Distributors including Sysco and US Foods.
About 80 Acres Farms
80 Acres Farms is a vertical farming leader providing customers with the freshest and most nutritious fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. Utilizing world-class technology and analytics, the Company offers customers a wide variety of pesticide-free food with a longer shelf life that exceeds the highest food safety standards
Lead photo: 80 Acres Farms'. Fully-Automated vertical farm located in Hamilton, OH.
For further information, please contact us at:
rebecca.haders@eafarms.com / +1 513-910-9089
About Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital initiative
As part of its broader commitments, Barclays will invest £175m of its own capital, led by the Principal Investments team, in fast-growing, innovative, environmentally-focused companies whose values are aligned with those of Barclays and which target the goals and timelines of the Paris Agreement. Investments will be strategic to Barclays, its clients, and the communities it serves, with clear scalable propositions that deliver both environmental benefits and economic returns.
For further information, please contact us at:
Investment Enquiries: PITeamInbox@barclays.com
Media Enquiries: emily.stead2@barclays.com / +44 (0) 7796 706166
Related Images
80-acres-farms-newest-location.jpg
80 Acres Farms Newest Location
80 Acres Farms'. Fully-Automated vertical farm located in Hamilton, OH
Related Links
Ground-Breaking Companies Join the 10th Unreasonable Impact Program
80 Acres adds Walmart, Dole execs to leadership team as it gears up for growth
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/67308
VIDEO: Net Zero Festival: Vertical Farming - Food For Thought In A Net Zero World?
In the first of three Glimpses reports looking at potential net zero gamechangers, BusinessGreen looks at the role for vertical farming in delivering a more sustainable food system
To view the video, please click Here
VIDEO: In the first of three Glimpses reports looking at potential net-zero game-changers, BusinessGreen looks at the role for vertical farming in delivering a more sustainable food system
One of the most devastating and direct ways in which the climate crisis impacts on society is on our food and farming system: water scarcity, drought, and soil degradation are just a few of the problems that are being exacerbated by the planet's rising temperatures. Meanwhile, our unsustainable food production system is also a major contributor to climate change, accounting for around a quarter of humanity's greenhouse gas emissions.
But the demand for change from consumers, policymakers, and businesses is growing, as shoppers seek greater transparency over where their food comes from, and more and more people cut down on their meat and dairy intake.
As a result, businesses are being forced to respond in increasingly innovative ways. In the first of three of 'Glimpses' videos produced for the world's first Net Zero Festival last week, BusinessGreen takes a look at the challenges facing the food and farming system, and also visits Vertical Future, a company developing indoor farming technologies that could be set to play an increasingly integral role in the future net-zero economy.
All of the panel debates, keynote speeches, and presentations from the world's first Net Zero Festival - which took place over three days from 30 September featuring hundreds of top speakers from business, politics, and academia - are now available to watch again on demand through the Net Zero Festival website.
RELATED ARTICLES
VIDEO: Urban Fresh Farms Launches New ZipGrow Facility In Dubai
A 1,000 square foot ZipGrowTM ZipFarmTM was recently installed in Urban Fresh Farm’s facility in the Industrial center of Dubai and will soon be producing pesticide-free fresh herbs and leafy greens for the local market
October 8, 2020
ONTARIO, CANADA & DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - With more than 80% of food being imported into the UAE, Urban Fresh Farms, Dubai’s newest indoor vertical hydroponic farm from ZipGrowTM, is doing its part to contribute to a more sustainable local food system.
A 1,000 square foot ZipGrowTM ZipFarmTM was recently installed in Urban Fresh Farm’s facility in the Industrial center of Dubai and will soon be producing pesticide-free fresh herbs and leafy greens for the local market. Urban Fresh Farms is a new company, founded by people who always had an interest in sustainable agriculture but thought they did not have the knowledge or financial backing to get into the industry.
“We, as a group, always found vertical farming really interesting and knew there would be a strong demand for it in the Dubai area”, said Scott Naude, co-founder of Urban Fresh Farms. “We were hesitant to jump in at first, but the combination of ZipGrow’s technology and ongoing training, the increasing demand for higher quality and fresh produce, and the Middle East’s booming tech sector all aligned perfectly for us to begin this venture.”
As with the rest of the world, COVID-19’s impact on the local supply chain has also impacted the Dubai area, with food selections being limited in local grocery stores during the peak of lockdowns.
“Around the world, we are hearing from all our growers that food retailers are actively looking for local food goods to supply”, explains Eric Lang, President of ZipGrow Inc. “We are also hearing from government’s around the world, including in the UAE, who want to actively seek out ways to reduce supply chain lengths to ensure a more consistent and high-quality food stream.”
Hydroponic growing, as an industry, is still recently new to the Middle East region. The UAE government is a leader in the Middle East region, and in 2018 launched a National Food Security Strategy 2051, led by the Minister of State for Food and Water Security, Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Al Mheiri. This strategy aims to increase local food production in the UAE, while simultaneously maximizing the use of modern technologies to bring fresh and sustainable food to the region.
“There's also a demand for healthy eating options and this has given rise to a number of excellent meal plan services and all-in-one meal ingredient boxes which in turn is creating a need for the best, freshest vegetables to be readily available” adds Naude. “We’re planning on starting out growing primarily herbs such as basil, parsley, and coriander, and hope to have our first crop available in December.”
Urban Fresh Farm and ZipGrow Inc. plan to use this new facility to showcase this vertical farming technology to the UAE and the wider Middle East region. Naude adds; “We’re excited about our ongoing partnership with ZipGrow Inc. There is so much educational content available, as well as a fantastic team. So even for someone like myself who is new to all of this, ZipGrow provides all the tools needed to get growing.”
ZipGrow Inc. is an international leader in indoor, vertical farming technology. Our flagship product, the ZipGrowTM Tower, is a core component of many of the world’s most innovative farms; from indoor hydroponic warehouses to vertical aquaponic greenhouses and high-density container farms.
For more information contact:
Gina Scandrett at hello@zipgrow.com or at 1-855-ZIPGROW.
425F Fourth Street West, Cornwall, Ontario K6J 2S7, Canada www.zipgrow.com 1-855-ZIPGROW
VIDEO: UNS Farms - First World Congress For Vertical Farming - Grahame Dunling
Grahame has been in the GCC for over 7 years growing crops inside Greenhouses in Bahrain to Vertical Growing inside warehouses in Dubai and he is now the CEO of Uns Farms a 6,000m2 warehouse farm
Grahame Dunling gave a talk on Hydroponics last week at the World Congress for Vertical Farming. His subject was ''The Future of Hydroponics''
Grahame gave an insight into the complex world of Commercial growing by going back on his 40-year career in Horticulture. In this time Grahame has overseen changes from Greenhouse soil crop growing right through to the latest technology in Warehouse growing. From opening vents by hand in a greenhouse right through to controlling operations via a mobile phone in multiple countries.
Grahame has been in the GCC for over 7 years growing crops inside Greenhouses in Bahrain to Vertical Growing inside warehouses in Dubai and he is now the CEO of Uns Farms a 6,000m2 warehouse farm.
VIDEO: IGS Intelligent System Design – FTS Finds Out More
IGS has, as a company, focused from the outset on automation, intelligent system design, and the energy equation of CEA vertical farming
July 6, 2020
IGS has, as a company, focused from the outset on automation, intelligent system design, and the energy equation of CEA vertical farming. This has garnered them a reputation as one of the leading and most innovative companies in the industry. We took some time to have a chat with them and find out a bit more about how this all works in practice.
FTS: Hello and thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Can you briefly introduce IGS, its history as well as its outlook?
IGS: IGS was founded in 2013 bringing together decades of farming and engineering experience with a vision to revolutionize the indoor growing market. The two founders, farmer Henry Aykroyd and our CTO Dave Scott had an appetite for innovation and realized that there were significant gaps in the provision of scalable technology for the sector.
Henry knew how to grow and understood the challenges which faced traditional farming: Dave knew how to manage automation and power controls in an industrial environment. The opportunity to bring greater climate control to a growing environment was significant. The ability to manage power consumption was revolutionary. The simplicity of its implementation and use is pivotal.
We opened our first vertical farm demonstrator in Scotland in 2018. Artificial intelligence determines optimal nutritional input and the exact combination or ‘recipes’ of weather: lighting, watering, and ventilation. Data is collected continuously and machine learning used to make iterative adjustments, all of which is monitored through a web-based app. The whole Intelligent Growth platform is IOT-enabled to automate system control and management. Our degree of control is so fine that each 6m2 growth tray has its own microclimate. Technical simplicity is at the heart of our mechanical design.
Our commitment to innovation has continued apace and we have evolved the applications of our technology beyond agriculture to create solutions for a wide variety of indoor environments, developing the Intelligent Grid platform.
The Intelligent Grid uses the same IOT-enabled power and controls platform to manage and monitor lights, sensors, cameras, and communications for complete climate control and reporting. It too has a very simple, clean, and elegant design for application in any commercial building, greenhouse or livestock shed. In contrast to the vertical farm, we use our same core technology through the Intelligent Grid to create whole-space macroclimates.
Both IGS demonstrators are based at the James Hutton Institute, a world-renowned crop, and plant science research facility. IGS and the Hutton collaborate closely to help advance the understanding of plant science for indoor growing.
Until 2018 IGS had invested approximately £7m in R&D to ensure that its platforms offered the greatest levels of control and achieved levels of economic viability, scale, and minimal environmental impact compared to other systems on the market. In 2019 IGS raised £7 million in institutional capital to enter production and take its systems to global markets. We continue to invest over £1m per annum in R&D.
FTS: You have recently shared news of two reseller partnerships – one in the Middle East and one in the UK and Italy with TEP Renewables. Can you tell us briefly a bit more about them?
IGS: We have been talking to International Real Estate Partners (IREP), the international facilities management firm for some time in the Middle East, and we’re really pleased to recently sign this referral agreement which is specifically focused on indoor vertical farming for the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets.
We also have an opportunity to extend into Asian markets in the future. It gives us a greater capacity to service the Middle East market and secure and deploy vertical farming platforms across the region. IREP’s presence in this market is well established with many existing customers across agriculture, retail, and construction and it is a very positive development for both companies we believe.
The agreement with TEP Renewables is an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) or a reseller-type partnership if we identify customers who would like to operate solar-powered vertical farms in Italy or the United Kingdom that we will work with them.
FTS: Fantastic! In the end, any vertical farm (indeed any farm!) is only as environmentally sustainable as its energy equations. But it is also only as financially sustainable as its energy cost. You have focused quite intensely on this energy cost question. As we see this dramatic collapse of fossil fuel energy production return on investment, it seems that NOW is the time to have renewable energy options on hand for CEA. Do you believe that renewable energy can be cost-competitive – both in terms of installation, sustainable life-cycle and with regard to the price of the final product for the consumer?
IGS: We consider a variety of power distribution and supply methods. Renewables can have considerable benefits from an environmental perspective and also specific to grants and other financial support for utilizing renewable energy resources.
The “virtual power plant” capabilities of our systems indicate strong Demand Side Response (DSR) potential. We can manipulate our growth cycles to respond to power availability and respond to inherent instabilities in power networks. This is already having an influence on our engagement in circular energy projects to utilize spare energy for growing and allows for more renewable power sources to be adopted.
FTS: Labor cost is the other biggest outlay for any vertical farm. You have invested heavily in automation. Is the trade-off of increased capital expenditure for automation worth the reduction in operational expenditure for labor, in your experience?
IGS: Absolutely. Driving down the farm gate price is the ultimate goal and while labor costs vary from region to region, we believe that this investment in the automation (and indeed the associated patents) within our growing operations is imperative and differentiates our systems considerably.
FTS: You’ve set about designing modular and intelligent systems. Such a bespoke system offers advantages of course, as we’ve seen above. But it can also present challenges if it cannot be integrated with other equipment and systems later. Do you future-proof your systems to be able to accommodate such updates and integrations over time?
IGS: We have thought about this from the outset, and our systems are designed in a plug and play model, rather than being bespoke as such. Scalability is paramount for our customers and this has been a consideration throughout our R&D development. Rather than using proprietary systems for processes such as sowing and harvesting, we use off-the-shelf equipment and components. This means we can keep startup and maintenance costs down by providing items with which farmers are already familiar. If a section of the vertical farming system needs to be replaced or upgraded, such as a water filter, a lighting panel or a tray, it can be done with almost no interruption.
However, what is also imperative to think about in terms of future proofing, and a hugely important part of our approach, is how we work so closely with the science community to better understand plant light interactions. The level of control we have designed into our hardware systems allows us to flex and adapt as we need to deploy the most up to date plant light information through our software development, which is continuously evolving.
The approach of our software development has also involved maximising security of our systems and ensuring simplicity of operation. This will be continuously updated, but with seamless integration for our customers.
FTS: Along with FTS, you’ve joined a number of other associations and similar collaborative groups. Why is this important to you as a company, and how do you balance the proprietary needs of your company against this desire to cooperate?
IGS: Collaboration and cooperation across this sector is essential. Our vision is that sustainable change will only be delivered not only when we collaborate, but when we are all open and honest about the limitations, as well as the opportunities for this sector. We want to work alongside technology vendors with complementary products, and with growers and producers, supported by science and greater understanding of growing plants indoors, all backed by far-sighted investors.
We firmly believe that through innovation, collaboration and investment we can create an economically and environmentally sustainable global indoor food industry.
FTS: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us today. We wish you every success and look forward to working with you in the future.
IGS: Thanks very much indeed. We look forward very much to be part of Farmtech Society as we all move forward in the development and innovation of agricultural technology.
For IGS
David Farquhar
CEO
VIDEO: Indoor Farming Emerges As A Reliable Source For Fresh Food As Coronavirus Wreaks Havoc On Traditional Food Supply Chains
The coronavirus has laid bare many issues in America's food supply chain. Could indoor farming be the solution? Irving Fain, CEO of Bowery Farming, joined Cheddar to discuss
WEBINAR: Stephen Ritz In Conversation With Charles Platkin - Wed, June 17 - 9:30-10:30 AM EST
Free webinar with NYC Food Policy Center - Wednesday, June 17, 9:30 - 10:30 am EST - talking all things health, education, wellness, school garden to school cafe, policy and urban farming
Free Webinar with NYC Food Policy Center
Wednesday, June 17, 9:30 - 10:30 AM EST
Talking all things Health, Education, Wellness, School Garden to School Cafe, Policy and urban Farming
Registration is required in advance and there will be a live Q/A
Please join me this Wednesday, June 17, at 9:30 - 10:30 for a free, LIVE, virtual event with NYC Food Policy Center moderated by Dr. Charles Platkin - the Diet Detective.
We’ll be talking all things equity, policy, public education, life in the age of COVID, school food, school nutrition, school garden to school cafe, health, wellness, nutrition and the role of non-profit organizations. We will be highlighting what works and why, what needs to change and how, and each and every one of us can make a difference and get involved. Let’s go from a tipping point to a turning point! I’ll even be highlighting my living room urban farm 12 stories up - in the Bronx. There will be LIVE Q and A as well.
The event is FREE and open to all - so feel free to share - registration is required for internet safety.
Click here to register
Stephen Ritz is the Founder of Green Bronx Machine and self-proclaimed CEO – Chief Eternal Optimist – of Bronx County
VIDEO: May 2020 - Indoor Science Cafe Recording is Now Available - How to Fund Your Indoor Farm
This presentation 'How to Fund Your Indoor Farm' was given by Nicola Kerslake (Contain Inc.) during our 19th cafe forum on May 26th, 2020. Indoor Ag Science Cafe is organized by the OptimIA project team funded by USDA SCRI grant program.
This presentation 'How to Fund Your Indoor Farm' was given by Nicola Kerslake (Contain Inc.) during our 19th cafe forum on May 26th, 2020. Indoor Ag Science Cafe is organized by the OptimIA project team funded by USDA SCRI grant program.
Over Thirty Years Ago Leo and Suzette Overgaag Left Santa Barbara For The Beautiful Coachella Valley To Start Their Own Family Farm
Their dream was to raise their family, support the community and grow the freshest living produce on the market
Over thirty years ago Leo and Suzette Overgaag left Santa Barbara for the beautiful Coachella Valley to start their own family farm. From a shoestring budget and borrowed equipment to break ground, our greenhouses have grown into more than 10 acres of hydroponically grown greenhouse space.
Their dream was to raise their family, support the community, and grow the freshest living produce on the market. Originally growing European cucumbers, the Overgaag’s enjoyed cooking with fresh herbs but noticed the cut herbs available at the grocery store often wilted in a day or two. In the mid-1990’s they delivered the first full line of living herbs sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery store lasting up to three times longer than their fresh-cut counterparts.
Delivering a premium culinary experience with our fresh, living herbs from our family farm to your family’s table is our passion. We have spent years creating the ideal environment to grow culinary herbs with detail to tenderness, exquisite flavor, enticing aroma, and enhanced shelf life. From our deliciously sweet peppery basil to our velvety smooth sage, fresh herbs are a simple and healthy way to make any beverage, appetizer, meal or dessert extraordinary. Enjoy some of our family’s mouth-watering recipes shared or add to your favorite recipes at home.
We are proud to be the first culinary herb grower in the United States to be certified as a sustainable grower by a recognized third party certifier. In order to receive this honor, standards on earth-friendly and labor-friendly practices must be met. We utilize renewable resources such as solar power energy to help power our production and geothermal energy to heat our greenhouses on cool winter nights. A hydroponic growing method enables us to use up to 70 percent less water than field grown crops at a time where the current drought in California is top of mind to so many of us. All our employees are treated with respect, have opportunities for growth, and competitive benefits. North Shore offers tuition reimbursement for higher education or language classes as well as an annual college scholarship for the children and grandchildren of our team.
We are passionate about educating children on where their food comes from and how to cook with fresh, healthy ingredients as well as utilizing agriculture to improve test scores.
In our own community we partner with the YMCA and local schools to donate products, provide monetary donations, educate, and provide greenhouse tours.
BrightFarms Offering Free Virtual Tours Around Pennsylvania Greenhouse To Help Show Where Leafy Greens Grow
Seeing empty shelves at the grocery store lately may have you thinking a lot more about where our food comes from. Our Vittoria Woodill takes us to a local place where they grow those healthy leafy green
May 19, 2020
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Seeing empty shelves at the grocery store lately may have you thinking a lot more about where our food comes from. Our Vittoria Woodill takes us to a local place where they grow those healthy leafy greens.
You may have seen their label in the grocery store but do you know where BrightFarms greens grow up before they make it to your house?
BrightFarms is a national indoor farming startup with four major greenhouses around the country. And in our backyard, their Selinsgrove greenhouse in Synder County is the largest greenhouse for leafy greens in the state of Pennsylvania.
It’s also the place they’ve picked to film their free virtual tour since their school tours have stopped. Kids and adults can learn how their leafy greens are grown hydroponically with grower Charlie Gagne.
BrightFarms is also doing some really cool stuff for the community.“Each of our farms has partnered with a regional food bank,” Gagne said. “I know our farm has donated 1,000 pounds of lettuce so we think that’s really exciting, being able to give back when we can.”
So, don’t let this chance go to waste to learn more about where our food comes from and support local farms.
Watch the video to learn more about BrightFarms.
VITTORIA WOODILL
VIDEO: Growing Healthy Food Indoors
How many of us live in apartments or townhomes and long for a big backyard to start a garden?
How Many of us Live in Apartments or
Townhomes And long For a Big Backyard to Start a Garden?
Well with new technology, indoor herb growers give anyone the chance to grow their own food. You don't even need a backyard anymore to grow healthy foods.
Now, you can do it all from the comfort of your home. In this article, we're going to talk about our favorite indoor herb grower right now and why you should try it for yourself!