Localization is Seeding Innovative Produce Supply Chains

A Key Theme of These changes is Localization – An Increasing Reliance on Local Growers to Supply Produce To Retail Outlets.

By Chris Mejia Argueta, Alexis H. Bateman, & Ken Cottrill · June 12, 2020

Editor’s Note: Chris Mejia Argueta is a Research Scientist at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics and directs the MIT Food and Retail Operations Lab. Alexis H. Bateman is a Research Scientist at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics and directs MIT Sustainable Supply Chains. Ken Cottrill is the Editorial Director at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics.

The COVID-19 crisis is shining a light on the vulnerabilities of food supply chains, as well as opportunities to develop inventive ways to deliver fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables from farm to table.

A key theme of these changes is localization – an increasing reliance on local growers to supply produce to retail outlets. The movement has gained momentum as a result of shifting consumer buying preferences and the need to make food supply chains resilient to a wide array of risks.

What is localization?

From a global perspective, localization can mean reorienting supply chains towards suppliers in specific countries or regions in any market. In this article, we focus on the localization of fruit and vegetable supply chains in the United States.

There are several definitions of what constitutes a “local” food supply in the US. The United States Department of Agriculture maintains that although “local” connotates short geographic distance between producer and consumer, there is no consensus on what products meet the definition. A government definition assumes that a product can be considered locally or regionally produced if it is less than 400 miles from its origin or within the state in which it was produced. A consumer survey carried out by the research firm Nielsen found that most buyers classify products across various food categories made 50 miles or less from the store, as local.

Local sources of produce are not confined to farms or small-size plots of land; They also include specialist operations such as high-tech commercial greenhouses and urban gardens. The enterprises sell directly to consumers or to retail customers such as supermarkets.

The size of the market for local food is unclear. From an industry standpoint, research from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimates that direct-to-consumer food sales account for about 3% of the total US agricultural production value. Up to one-half of the produce industry relies on sales to supermarkets and other chain stores, and the remainder serves foodservice companies (e.g., restaurants) and large consumers of produce such as schools and other institutions.

Pre-pandemic drivers

The localization movement was gathering steam in produce markets before the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the drivers is the need to make produce supply chains more resilient to disruptions, like market volatility and labor shortages. Local sourcing avoids the risks associated with shipping perishable product long distances from growers to consumers. Also, shorter supply chains are more flexible, require fewer product touches and intermediaries, reduce wastage, and minimize potentially costly and delay-prone cross-border movements. There are cost advantages as well, mainly in the form of reduced transportation and warehousing costs.

Localization is finding support among consumers. Trust in food crops grown on distant, large-scale factory farms has declined as consumer interest in the safety and origins of food products has increased. Another component of this trend is the increased demand for sustainable products. For example, research by The Center for Food Integrity suggests that concepts such as “food miles” are becoming more relevant to consumers, as they place more value on shorter, more carbon-efficient supply chains.

The localization movement also aligns with the need to provide underserved communities with sources of fresh, nutritious food. One way to combat the spread of so-called food deserts – communities where access to fresh fruit and vegetables is limited – is to connect these communities with local growers.

These forces drive demand for locally grown fruits and vegetables and increase the premium that consumers are willing to pay for “locally produced” and “farm to table” product labels.

Coronavirus-related market shifts

Today, the COVID-19 crisis is reinforcing many of these market changes by illuminating weaknesses in produce supply chains. The pandemic shuttered restaurants and other places where large numbers of people congregate such as schools – effectively depriving fruit and vegetable producers of a primary market.

An obvious response was to pivot to other customers, notably supermarkets and other retail outlets. However, these are different channels with distinct specifications for product packaging and unit sizes. Reorienting supply chains geared to foodservice and institutional buyers towards customers in the retail business proved extremely challenging. To solve this issue, some farmers turned to selling their produce directly to the consumer, highlighting the value of locally produced foods as a source of revenue for farmers during supply chain disruptions. Some farmers may never go back to the original model.

The pandemic also exacerbated the labor shortages that plague growers in agricultural regions of the US. Restrictions on migrant workers crimped the supply of labor before the pandemic. The coronavirus’s health threat made it even more difficult to recruit the workers that growers need to harvest and pack food crops.

While localization does not address all pandemic-related supply chain issues, it does promote the flexibility, agility, and resilience needed to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19 disruptions. This is one reason why the pandemic has underscored the advantages of local sourcing, especially for perishable products such as fruit and vegetables.

Moreover, preference for neighborhood markets may grow beyond food deserts. A recent study from mathematician Elena Polozova indicates that buying in corner stores is less risky than in big retail formats.

Innovations hone local models

The localization movement also benefits from a number of supply chain innovations in the agricultural industry. Here are some notable examples.

Local supply programs. As NPR reported recently, the movement known as community-supported agriculture (CSA) is experiencing growth in various parts of the country. Members of CSA programs typically commit to buying regular deliveries of fresh produce from local growers. The coronavirus pandemic has raised the profile of CSAs for the reasons described above, although the model is mainly growing in wealthy communities. 

Veggie box models. The so-called veggie box model is an evolution of the CSA movement. In this variation, groups of farmers create boxes of produce items in accordance with consumer preferences. 

Commercial veggie box models such as HelloFresh are expanding, and provide a new buying channel for fresh produce. However, they do not offer the variety and quantity that most customer segments need. In addition, these services are configured for middle-to-high income population segments and assume that there is enough last-mile delivery capacity to perform dozens of deliveries effectively. However, the capacity is not always available, a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis.

Dr. Chris Mejia, Dr. Lars Sanches, along with master’s students Jamal Taylor and Luiz Barreto from the MIT Food and Retail Operations Lab have collaborated with colleagues from Tufts University, and the City of Somerville, MA, to explore the veggie box model, in underserved communities. The options under review use neighborhood markets as pickup points for veggie boxes, analyze the impact of ride-sharing systems, and extend the impact of grocery delivery models in the city. Despite its complex design, the researchers found that the veggie-box model can support a local economy, decrease food insecurity, and address shortages of healthy food items. However, neighborhood market owners or managers need to widen the choice of produce, promote the veggie box service to the appropriate customers, and allocate space to store the boxes of produce.

A future article in this series on food supply chains will give a detailed account of the veggie box research described above.

Innovative growing models. Growers are harnessing novel agricultural methods such as hydroponics, advanced sensing, and information technologies to develop alternatives to traditional farms. An example is BrightFarms, a company that grows produce sustainably in high-tech, hydroponic greenhouses located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and Virginia. The greenhouses typically supply local supermarkets. In January 2020, the company opened a 280,000 sq. ft facility in Selinsgrove, PA, that can deliver over 2 million pounds of fresh, local produce year-round in PA and the PA-NJ-DE tri-state area. It has partnered with local supermarkets, including the Giant chain.

Urban and Container Farms. Small urban farms that sell to retail, food service, or restaurants have also become increasingly common with open fields, rooftops, brownfields, and other open spaces being utilized in cities to grow fresh fruits and vegetables. Urban farms that serve public demand reduce product transit and storage needs and increase food freshness in most cases.

Container farms use shipping containers to create self-contained growing environments for fresh produce, often in urban settings. One example is FreightFarms, which provides the container and set up that enable people to grow produce anywhere in the world.

Diversity programs. Traditional farmer’s markets allow residents to shop for a variety of produce items at specific locations in city locations at weekly times. However, these markets may not cater to the fruit and vegetable needs of ethnically diverse communities. World Farmers Organization in Massachusetts is implementing an innovative strategy to support culturally diverse farmers who grow their preferred products in small parcels and connect them to retail outlets. Some of these outlets are located in neighborhood markets. 

Small growers, big potential?

While the localization of fruit and vegetable supply chains is attracting interest, most conventional, large-scale growing operations are not under threat.

Not all food crops are viable candidates for small, local suppliers. Moreover, the competitive advantages of localization are subject to tradeoffs between economies of scale, the capital cost of growing facilities, and transportation costs. Also, more emphasis on locally grown produce increases the importance of supply chain transparency. Consumers who buy local produce want to be reassured that their purchases are sourced locally, and this will require relevant sourcing information at the point of sale.  The availability of investment funds also influences the commercial success of localization – a factor that could become more critical while the US economy remains mired in recession.

Still, consumers switching to local growers pre-COVID, in combination with the changes wrought by the pandemic, are creating a significant market for locally sourced produce that poses new supply chain challenges and opportunities. Researchers across MIT CTL are working on research projects to better understand this trend.

A Guide To Vertical Farming Techniques

If you don’t already, chances are you’ll be eating more produce from indoor farms in the near future. Learn what that means.

Our ancestors first learned to farm nearly 12,000 years ago. By cultivating and domesticating seeds, these once hunter-gatherers broke away from their nomadic lifestyles, settled down to produce controlled and reliable food sources (weather permitting, of course) and, little did they know, change the course of the planet’s future.

Fast forward to the 20th century when a group of architects started planning to alter food production in their own way. They aimed to decreased dependency on traditional land-based farms and harness spatial efficiency in our dense built environment; think less wide-open spaces with tractors and more structures growing stacked layers of crops. This practice—widely referred to as “indoor” or “vertical farming” (taken from Gilbert Ellis Bailey’s 1915 book of the same name)—is alive and booming today, and especially in the New York metro area.

Columbia University professor emeritus and ecologist Dickson Despommier helped to envision the modern vertical farm and indoor agriculture while teaching a graduate-level course in 1999. His students realized that simply using rooftop gardens would been grossly insufficient to feeding the population of Manhattan so inline with urban agriculture predecessors, he began researching different techniques and structures. Despommier is among several academics and vertical farming thought leaders who see vertical farming today as part of the answer to a range of global problems (many partly caused by agriculture) including climate change and water scarcity.

There are a lot of ways to farm indoors and below are three different soilless processes recommended by Despommier. Done properly at various scales, they’re as effective as at growing crops in skyscrapers as they are in 500 square foot studio apartments:

HYDROPONICS

One of the oldest and most common methods of vertical farming, hydroponics includes growing plants without soil and in a water solvent containing mineral nutrients. The simplest hydroponic method (called the floating raft system) suspends the plants in soilless raft like a polystyrene sheet and lets the roots hang to absorb the oxygen-aerated solution. Another common method is the nutrient film technique, which is popular for growing lettuce. Here, a stream of the nutrient-dissolved solution is pumped into an angled channel, typically a plastic pipe, containing the plants. This runs past the plants’ root mat and can then be recirculated for continuous use. New York’s Gotham Greens and Square Roots use hydroponics.

AEROPONICS

It’s no surprise that NASA has been backing research on aeroponic growth for the past two decades as it’s free-floating-roots aesthetic is typically used in futuristic sci-fi movies. With aeroponics, the dangling roots absorb a fine mist comprised of an atomized version of the nutrient solution sprayed directly onto the roots by a pump. Although aeroponics enables plants to grow much more quickly than hydroponics, it requires more solution and therefore is more costly. Newark’s Aerofarms uses aeroponics.

AQUAPONICS

Like hydroponic systems, an aquaponic system contains a soil-free plant bed suspended over a body of water containing nutrients necessary for plant growth. But within the body of water is a population of fish (typically herbivores) that produce waste that function as fertilizer for the plants. In turn, the plants help purify the water to make the water suitable for the fish.

Given that a balance must be achieved to ensure the system of both life forms, aquaponics requires greater attention than hydroponics or aeroponics although filtration and aeration systems can help manage these complications. Furthermore, the types of plants one can grow are much more limited as the necessary plant nutrients must be compatible with those necessary for the fish. Brooklyn’s Edenworks and Oko Farms use aquaponics.

By Matthew Sedacca | Edible Manhattan | May 3, 2017

Lead Illustration by Chamisa Kellogg

Growing Quality Food and Meeting Nutritional Requirements

By Murali | May 23, 2020 | City Today

Can climate-controlled freight containers help in farming or can plants grow without any soil? The answers to these questions can be found in Urban farming. It involves indoor cultivation under controlled conditions with up to eight (8) harvests in a year. It offers an ideal solution for regional or community-specific food needs, for local crops that would not be economically viable for full-scale cultivation. It can also help cities become sufficient in their produce demand while getting fresh food year-round. Vertical urban farming whether with soil or hydroponics-based increases the space utilization by 3-4 fold with lower water and nutrient usage.

Therefore, it allows the farmer to have a 3-4 fold higher area with a 20 percent faster growth rate, leading to 3-4 fold higher harvests. Multiple harvests in a year would lead to higher profits compared to traditional farming. Indoor farms may use drip-irrigated pots, hydroponics, aeroponics, or hydrogel-based polymers for growing vegetables depending on the growth requirements of the plant.

To View the Full Article, please Click Here

The Best Growing Mediums For Microgreens

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Growing microgreens is an easy and sustainable process that you can do from the comfort of your home. You can grow all kinds of nutritious microgreens that will enhance the flavor of your foods. These special vegetable-like plants grow from 1-3 inches and are vibrant additions to your foods. They are also jam-packed with vitamins and antioxidants. We're going to discuss the different growing mediums you can use for your microgreens.

Soil

Using soil as your growing medium is a popular and effective choice. Soil will provide you with the best yields over any other medium. We believe the Sunshine #4 by Sunshine Aggregate is the best, and the Black Gold Potting Mix is a close second. Each of these soils are extremely sterile, which is ideal for indoor growing. While these soils can cost more (about $1 per 10x20 tray), they provide the best results. But, don't worry. You can compost and sterilize your soil to re-use it for future grows.

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Burlap

Burlap is another popular growing medium because it's cheap. For .25 cents a tray, you can't beat the price. It is made from the jute plant, which is used to make nets and ropes. But burlap is an incredibly difficult growing medium to use. The perfect growing conditions for burlap include 72 degrees Fahrenheit, 65% humidity, and a good micro-dose fertigation plan (fertilizer + irrigation). If you can populate these results, then you can achieve yields and results that match soil mixes.

But be mindful that this takes a lot of practice and time, which is why using burlap is better for expert growers. If you don't get the growing conditions right, then your yields will suffer. We recommend using larger seeds like Pea Shoots and Wheatgrass when using burlap. These seeds will thrive with a burlap growing medium, and you will get bountiful results.

Coco Coir

This growing medium comes from coconut fiber. It's perfect for holding in moisture and is difficult to over-water. It is cheaper than soil (about .60 cents a tray), but it's just as messy. Coco coir has a better yield average than burlap, about a 25% to 30% better average. You will find this growing medium in dehydrated blocks. When you add water, they will expand way past their original size. You can use coco coir with an ebb and flow hydroponic method.

Jute Pads

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This growing medium is derived from jute fiber. It's able to transport water evenly through your microgreens and maintain a near-perfect water/air ratio. It holds in water very well, which means you'll have to feed your microgreens less. Kale and broccoli grow especially well in jute pads.

What's the Best Growing Medium?

This entirely depends on your growing intentions. What are you planning to grow and how much effort are you willing to put in? We're going to cover the main questions you should ask yourself that will help you make this decision.

• Feeding Your Plants: If you want to water your plants by hand, then we recommend soil and coco coir. But if you're able to feed your plants on a timer, then go for burlap or jute pads. It can be a better option because it's cost-effective and can still get the job done.

• Choosing Your Seeds: What kind of microgreens do you plan to grow? If you're growing broccoli or kale, then we recommend buying jute pads. Do you want to grow a wide variety of seeds? Then choose soil or coco coir as your growing medium.

• Messy Vs. Clean: Do you hate cleaning up messes? Then it's best to steer clear of soil and coco coir. Go with jute pads since they're easy to handle and clean.

Choosing your growing medium ultimately boils down to what you're planning on growing and how much effort you want to exert. We hope this list helped you understand what kinds of growing mediums there are and how they can help you yield the best results.

We are the microgreen growing experts. We're even working with NASA to help figure out how to get microgreens safely into space for astronauts to use! We meet once a month to discuss a variety of topics about microgreens. So, keep reading our blogs and watching our informative YouTube videos. There will always be exciting news coming your way.

#growing #medium #growingmedium #growingmedia #microgreeneducation #microgreensfarmer #microgreens #microgreen #bestmediatogrow #SmartNaturals #growmedia #growmedium #growingmicrogreens

WEBINAR: How A College Thesis Became A Farming Career

Town to Table wants to connect communities

to sustainable farming and local food

When Jack Levine first arrived on campus and saw his university's Freight Farm, he had no idea he was encountering his future career. After graduating in 2019, Jack launched Town to Table, a concept born from a business plan he developed for his undergraduate thesis. At its core, T2T aims to connect communities to farming on multiple levels.

Beyond providing local greens to distributors in the Boston area, Jack and his team work with schools and non-profits to develop interactive school gardens, engaging lesson plans, field trips, job training programs, and more. Hear from this young entrepreneur during our upcoming webinar–RSVP today!

Live Webinar

Thursday, May 28th, 2020

12:00 - 12:45 PM EST

VIDEO: "Farmers Bringing Their Field Indoors"

BBC has a series called People fixing the world, in which one episode was called 'The farmers bringing their fields indoors'. In this episode about vertical farming, Guy Galonska, Co-founder & CTO of InFarm and Shani Leiderman from Beba restaurant in Martin-Gropius-Bau were featured. 

Source and video: Infarm LinkedIn.

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Publication date: Thu 30 Apr 2020

50th Anniversary of Earth Day - 25 Earth Day Facts - Plus, How To Help The Planet Even While 'Social Distancing'

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! Every year on April 22, people around the world mobilize to address some of the most urgent threats facing our environment, from climate change to deforestation to plastic pollution. We’re taking a look at what you need to know about this year’s Earth Day events, as well as looking at some fascinating Earth Day facts. In light of the coronavirus crisis limiting large, in-person gatherings, Earth Day celebrations will be going digital this year, according to the Earth Day Network, the organization that coordinates official Earth Day events around the world.

“At Earth Day Network, the health and safety of volunteers and participants in Earth Day events is our top concern. Amid the recent outbreak, we encourage people to rise up but to do so safely and responsibly—in many cases, that means using our voices to drive action online rather than in person,” Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network

“Whether it be coronavirus or our global climate crisis, we cannot shut down,” she added. “Instead, we must shift our energies and efforts to new ways to mobilize the world to action.”

Related: Inspiring Quotes for Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day’s milestone anniversary, here are 25 facts about the history of Earth Day, as well as facts about the environment that may serve as a wake-up call for action.25 facts about Earth Day

1. Gaylord Nelson, a senator from Wisconsin, founded Earth Day in 1970 to raise public consciousness about environmental concerns such as pollution, oil spills and vanishing wildlife. He tapped into the energy of the anti-war movement, framing Earth Day as a “national teach-in on the environment.”

2. April 22 was chosen as the date for Earth Day because it fell between Spring Break and final exams, and organizers wanted to maximize student involvement.

3. Twenty million Americans, or about 10 percent of the country’s population at the time, took part in events and demonstrations on the first Earth Day.

4. The first Earth Day pushed environmental concerns onto the national agenda. That same year, Congress authorized the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

5. The first Earth Day in 1970 inspired the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts, according to the EPA.

6. The theme for Earth Day 2020 is Climate Action.

7. Around 1 billion people take part in Earth Day activities around the world every year.

8. In the lead-up to Earth Day this year, millions of people worldwide will participate in Earth Hour on March 28. At 8:30 p.m. local time, people will participate in events and demonstrate their commitment to the planet. In past years, Earth Hour gatherings have contributed to real policy changes, including the creation of a marine protected area in Argentina and environmental protection legislation in Russia.WWF’s Earth Hour is the world’s largest grassroots movement for the planet that gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the planet. In light of the coronavirus crisis, Earth Hour will be celebrated digitally this year.

9. On Earth Day in 2011, people planted 28 million trees in Afghanistan as part of a “Plant Trees Not Bombs” campaign.

10. Since the first Earth Day, average annual temperatures in the contiguous United States have been warming at a rate of 0.45°F per decade.

11. Humans today use about 50 percent more natural resources than we did 30 years ago, according to a report from Friends of the Earth.

12. Animal species populations saw an overall decline of 60 percent worldwide between 1970 and 2014, due to habitat loss, pollution, climate change and other factors, according to the WWF.

13. 2019 was the second-hottest year on record worldwide, just behind 2016, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

14. Twenty of the warmest years on record worldwide have occurred in the past 22 years, according to Climate Central.

15. Scientists estimate that dozens of plants and animal species go extinct each day due to human activity.

16. Rising global temperatures are leading to more extreme weather events, including more intense wildfires and more frequent, high-intensity hurricanes, according to the Earth Day Network.

17. The world’s population is expected to increase from 7 billion today to 9 billion in 2020, which will only increase the impact of human activity on the environment, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

18. Today’s average American generates about 4.5 pounds of trash per day, compared to 2.68 pounds in 1960, according to the EPA.

19. Food accounts for 10 to 30 percent of a household’s carbon footprint, due to the emissions involved in food production and transportation, according to the Center for Sustainable Systems.

20. U.S. automobile fuel economy increased 24 percent between 2004 and 2017.

21. You can improve your car’s fuel economy by 7 to 14 percent simply by obeying the speed limit.

22. Electronic devices plugged in on “standby” mode can account for 5 to 10 percent of a household’s energy use.

23. Using a dishwasher is more eco-friendly than hand-washing dishes, according to a recent study from the University of Michigan.

24. Nearly 80 percent of all plastic waste ever created by humans is still in the environment, according to Recycle Now.

25. More than 30 countries and regions have introduced bans on disposable plastic bags to fight plastic waste, according to Greenpeace.

Parade | By Lindsay Lowe | April 19, 2020

April Indoor Science Cafe - Tuesday April 14th 12:00 PM EDT Photons = Flavor The Case Study of Basil

April Indoor Science Cafe
If you already signed up -- Thank you!

Tuesday, April 14th, 12:00 PM EDT

Photons = Flavor
The case study of basil

Presented by
Dr. Roberto Lopez & Kellie Walters (Michigan State University)

• Please sign up so that you will receive Zoom link info.

• Indoor Ag Science Cafe is an open discussion forum, organized by Chieri Kubota (OSU), Erik Runkle (MSU), and Cary Mitchell (Purdue U.) supported by USDA SCRI grants.

Sign up for April 14th Cafe

Cafe Q&A Forum

Please visit the Indoor Ag Science Cafe Q&A Forum at Public Good Ag website. OptimIA team is collaborating with Penny McBride to develop an information-sharing site with a lively discussion platform for indoor farmers and scientists. 

Submit Your Questions for 'Indoor Ag Sci Queries'!

Please submit your questions (anonymously if you wish) about the sciences and technologies of indoor farming to this submission site.  Any questions are welcome! The site is always open for your questions. Selected questions will be discussed in our future Indoor Ag Science Queries series.

Previous café recordings are available on this YouTube channel and OptimIA project website.
Please contact for more info: kubota.10@osu.edu

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Upcoming Cafes:

• April 14th, 12 PM EST [Dr. Roberto Lopez and Kellie Walters, Michigan State University]

• May 26th, 11 AM EST [Nicola Kerslake, Contain Inc.]

Interested in giving a talk to share your thoughts and experiences? Please contact us!

Related Events:

• July 10, 2020 - Plant Empowerment Workshop - Advanced learning to optimize crop production (Columbus, OH) [More Information]

• July 11-14, 2020 - Cultivate '20 (Columbus, OH) [More information]

• July 29, 2020 - OptimIA Annual Stakeholder Meeting (East Lansing, MI) [more information TBA]

• September 13-17, 2020 - NCERA-101 Committee on Controlled Environment Technology and Use Annual & International Meeting (Tucson, AZ) [More Information]

• May 31-June 4, 2021 - ISHS International Symposium on Light in Horticulture (Malmo, Sweden) [More Information]

Risk of E. coli In Hydroponic And Aquaponic Systems May Be Greater Than Once Thought

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Hye-Ji Kim (left), pictured with graduate student Seunghyun Choi, found the presence of E. coli bacteria in aquaponic and hydroponic growing systems, suggesting the bacteria could reach produce consumers. (Agricultural Communication photo/Tom Campbell)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A spate of foodborne illnesses in leafy greens and other produce in recent years has sickened consumers and disrupted growers and supply chains. It’s been thought that hydroponic and aquaponic systems could reduce these issues since there is little opportunity for pathogens like E. coli to contaminate the edible parts of plants.

A Purdue University study, however, has found the presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) – the same bacteria that have made consumers of several produce products ill – in hydroponic and aquaponic growing systems. Hye-Ji Kim, an assistant professor of horticulture and the study’s corresponding author, said the findings suggest growers using these systems should be careful in handling and harvesting to avoid contamination.

“Many people think that there is no chance that E. coli could be present in these systems and that risk of contamination is low,” said Kim, whose results were published in the journal Horticulturae. “Our findings suggest there is some potential for food safety concerns. We’re not saying that these foods are unsafe, but that it’s important to handle these plants properly and carefully.”

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Aquaponic and hydroponic growing systems are thought to have little risk of containing bacteria that can sicken produce consumers. After finding E. coli in both types of systems, Hye-Ji Kim suggests growers to use caution to not introduce the bacteria to their operations. (Agricultural Communication photo/Tom Campbell)

The E. coli outbreaks that have occurred in recent years tend to happen in leafy greens and other vegetables grown in irrigated fields. Potential sources could be from E. coli in manure or groundwater that reaches the edible portions of plants, or from those contaminants getting to plants after root damage by wild animals.

Proponents of hydroponic and aquaponic systems suggest their growing methods would reduce or eliminate any risk of contamination. Both soilless systems, hydroponic plants are grown in water and chemical fertilizers or nutrient solutions, and aquaponic systems include the raising of fish, with fish wastewater utilized as water and nutrient source for the plants.

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The fish used in aquaponic growing systems may introduce E. coli to water and potentially produce crops, and accidental contamination is possible in hydroponic systems. Hye-Ji Kim and Yi-Ju Wang (pictured) suggest growers take careful steps to ensure that these bacteria don’t reach plants that could sicken consumers. (Agricultural Communication photo/Tom Campbell)

Kim, Yi-Ju Wang, a graduate student in Kim’s lab, and Amanda Deering, a Purdue clinical assistant professor of food science, set up both hydroponic and aquaponic systems for growing lettuce, tomatoes, and basil for about two months. The scientists found E. coli in both systems at the time of harvest.

In the aquaponic system, the authors believe the E. coli was introduced by the fish. The bacteria was found in the water, on plant roots, and in fish feces.

“Our separate aquaculture system confirmed that fish feces were a major source of contamination with STEC in the aquaponic system,” the authors wrote. “These results indicate that introducing contaminated fish can be a source of foodborne pathogens in aquaponics.”

The presence of E. coli in the hydroponic system, in which fish were not used, suggests that the bacteria was introduced accidentally. Kim believes it could have splashed from a nearby aquaponic system or have been introduced by a visitor who brought it in from outside the greenhouse. Either way, the presence in the system suggests that accidental contamination is a real risk.

E. coli was also found on plant roots in both systems, but the bacteria did not internalize in the plants. In other words, even with the bacteria present in water and on the roots, the edible portions of the plants were still safe to consume.

The key, Kim says, is proper handling to ensure that E. coli or other pathogens don’t make it to the edible parts of plants. Damaged roots would allow bacteria into the plants, potentially making it to edible portions internally. And the splashing of water during growing or harvesting could introduce bacteria to the edible portions of the plants.

“The best way to manage these issues is to not touch roots or water throughout production cycles. If you do, you should thoroughly wash your hands before touching the edible parts of the plants,” Kim said. “Proper sanitization of equipment is also important. And acquiring fish that do not contain E. coli would also be beneficial.”

Kim’s lab is continuing to investigate food safety risks in hydroponic and aquaponic systems. Projects include damaging roots and simulating splashes to understand how much contamination can occur.

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Purdue University College of Agriculture funded this research.

Writer: Brian Wallheimer, 765-532-0233, bwallhei@purdue.edu

Source: Hye-Ji Kim, 765-496-0122, hjikim@purdue.edu 

Note to Journalists: A portrait of one scientist, a picture of another scientist in the lab and a picture of a growing system are available for journalists to use via Google Drive.

ABSTRACT

The Occurrence of Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli in Aquaponic and Hydroponic Systems

Yi-Ju Wang1, Amanda J. Deering2, and Hye-Ji Kim1

1. Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

2. Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Food safety concerns have been raised over vegetables and herbs grown in aquaponics and hydroponics due to the reuse of wastewater and spent nutrient solutions. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of foodborne pathogens in greenhouse-based aquaponic and hydroponic systems. Fish feces, recirculating water, roots, and the edible portions of lettuce, basil, and tomato were collected at harvest, and microbiological analyses were conducted for the bacterial pathogens Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. Enrichments and selective media were used for the isolation, and presumptive positive colonies were confirmed by PCR. STEC was found in fish feces, in the water of both systems, and on the surface of the roots of lettuce, basil, and tomato regardless of the system. However, contaminated water did not lead to the internalization of STEC into the roots, leaves, and/or fruit of the plants. Meanwhile, L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were not present in any samples examined. Our results demonstrated that there are potential food safety hazards for fresh produce grown in aquaponic and hydroponic production systems.

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu  

Unfazed By Covid-19, Infarm Arrives In Japan And In Canada

March 26, 2020

Richard Martyn-Hemphill

Photo credit: Infarm

Strictly speaking, vertical farming has been with us since the dawn of agriculture; it would be interesting to see wheat growing any way other than vertically. But the term, despite its ambiguity, is now recognized shorthand for vertically stacked farming, where layers of crops are grown on top of each other, and where conditions like light, temperature, water or nutrients are artificially controlled indoors to allow for year-round growing.

There are two predominant visions of vertical farming: centralized and distributed. Proponents of centralized systems argue that large-scale production—and financial viability—depends on ever-bigger and higher farms. These farms, or plant factories as they are sometimes called, are proliferating, aided by huge sums of capital. Plenty scooped up a whopping $200 million in Series B funding back in 2017. US-based AeroFarms raised $100 million in late-stage funding in 2019, for example, while Fifth Season secured $50 million last year.

While centralized facilities have generally dominated the vertical farming venture capital domain, distributed and decentralized business models are gaining pace, according to AgFunder’s 2019 industry report. One in particular—Germany’s Infarm—nabbed $100 million last year to deploy its connected growing cabinets in supermarkets.

AFN has been keeping tabs on Infarm as a high-profile case study of the distributed vertical farming model. The company’s footprint already includes more than 600 cabinets in many European and US cities. During the first quarter of 2020, Infarm has been busy making progress on its global expansion strategy as well. In February, for instance, East Japan Railway Company (JR East) partnered with Infarm to deliver fresh produce grown and harvested in retail stores starting in summer 2020 (pending circumstances around the Covid-19 pandemic, of course). The partnership is Infarm’s first in Asia.

Infarm has also inked an agreement with national food distributor Muroo, which will support a phased roll-out of the Berlin-based company’s farms across Japan in 2021. Infarm has launched a new affiliate, Infarm Japan, to support its expansion in the country.

Similar plans are also afoot in Canada, where Infarm will soon launch its first fresh produce harvests at Safeway stores in Vancouver, with eventual expansion to Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Toronto, Victoria, and Winnipeg.

Roll-out timelines in both countries could yet be disrupted, as both Canada and Japan grapple with the Covid-19 outbreak. City lockdowns, movement restriction, and global logistics disruption may bolster the case for distributed urban growing models like Infarm’s, however.

“Urban farming by Infarm has the potential to drastically change the common practice of logistics,” Shunichiro Yamashita, the CEO of Muroo, wrote to AFN. “For produce to be consumed in large cities, such as Tokyo, we must rely on supplies from the suburbs and distant locations. By eliminating the distance between the customer and the place of origin, customers will be able to acquire fresher produce with peace of mind and safety.”

AFN caught up with Emmanuel Evita, global communications director at Infarm, (virtually, of course) to learn more about the company’s expansion strategy and the impact from Covid-19.

AFN: So how is Infarm progressing in light of the Covid-19 outbreak? How has that affected expansion, sales, and day to day operations?

Emmanuel Evita: We’re finding that the demand from many of our partners and consumers for fresh produce is increasing. In the past few weeks, for example, we were able to increase deliveries to stores with higher demand across our markets. With our hubs located in cities, as close as possible to many of the supermarkets and restaurants we serve, we’re able to keep growing and stay responsive to the needs of our partners throughout this period, whether we are growing fresh in-store or from our hub.

What did you have to adjust in your expansion strategy when thinking about Japan?

Overall, we are showing our capacity to build an operation quite quickly—from a single farming unit to hundreds of farms in supermarkets and distribution centers in cities around the world.

Japan is a nation of advanced robotics. Which synergies have you identified here with your own vertical farming offering?

There are a lot of synergies. IoT technology and Machine Learning are core to our farms, and it’s exciting to strengthen the relationship between technology and sustainable food in Japan.

In the popular imagination, Canada is a land of sweeping prairies, a place of vast outdoor agricultural production. Where would vertical farming be needed in this context?

We believe vertical farming is needed in diverse countries and cities all around the world. Modern agricultural production places an incredible burden on our environment. Not only are these processes responsible for 17% of total global CO2 emissions, but they sap plants of 45% of vital nutrients by the time they arrive in the supermarket. As climate change, soil degradation and the loss of natural ecosystems threaten to worsen these effects, we want to find another way.

Our mission is to help cities become self-sufficient in their food production while significantly improving the safety, quality, and environmental footprint of our food. We want to practice a form of agriculture that is resilient, sustainable and beneficial to our planet. And, we want to make fresh, pure, tasty and nutritious produce available to everyone.

By choosing Canada and Japan, you’re expanding simultaneously into two very different time zones, let alone cultures. How do you plan to handle and react to your growing data in real-time?

Japan and Canada mark our eighth and ninth countries, respectively, and we have more than 600 farms in stores and distribution centers around the world. Our machine learning and IoT technologies make it possible to collect huge amounts of data from our farms around the world in real-time.

With a decentralized strategy, keeping up unified growing conditions becomes difficult. How do you prevent infections at your vertical farms?

Infarm controls the farms remotely using sensors and a centralized, cloud-based platform that adjusts and improves itself continuously, so each plant grows better than the one before – providing plant seedlings with an ideal combination of light spectrums, temperature, pH, and nutrients for optimal growth. From the cloud at our Berlin headquarters, we’re able to gather up-to-the-minute information about how our plants are growing and how they respond to different growth environments on a minute scale. We can make many of the needed adjustments remotely. Our growers also offer support for the farms on-site as needed.

Infarm is the first hydroponic farming company to receive the Global G.A.P certification for the standard of quality and agricultural best practices and follow these best practices to maintain healthy plants for sale and consumption.

Is 2020 the year of hydroponics or aeroponics?

We specialize in hydroponic farms and that’s what we’re passionate about. But the Infarm approach is only one way to tackle the urgent agricultural and ecological challenges of our time.

What has been the biggest hurdle to driving down the price of indoor-grown fresh produce

Retailers set the price for the produce we provide in-store. The price does not tend to be significantly higher than their other produce offerings.

What is the ideal size of a vertical farm?

It depends on the environment. Our modular farms are easily scalable and rapidly deployable and can transform any space and fulfill any market demand, whether it’s a single unit in a restaurant or thousands of farming units chained together in a distribution center.

What can you grow? What’s been the hardest thing to grow? What’s been the craziest?

We have more than 65 herbs, micro-greens, and leafy greens as part of our catalog—from Italian Basil to Crystal Lettuce, to more special varieties like Peruvian Mint or Wasabi Rucola.

Are you collaborating with crop breeders to improve traits for indoor growing, boosting yields, taste and nutritional profiles? Can you mention any joint projects and what you have learned?

Yes, we are working with a range of responsible partners. However, we are more focused on optimized growing conditions and growing recipes than genetics at the moment as we see a huge untapped potential in improving yield, quality and consistency with that alone.

Where do you think AI will prove most useful in vertical farms by 2021?

AI can help collect and analyze data at a granularity that is remarkable for the agricultural industry. This data can be used to better plan and anticipate the growth patterns, yields and response of produce to different environmental circumstances in a way that allows farming to be implemented in a more strategic, efficient and ultimately sustainable way than ever before. Over the next several years, the marriage of real-time data capture and farming will truly revolutionize the agricultural industry.

Where will you expand to next?

We will continue to expand our operations in markets that will host the megacities of the future.

Vertical Farming: How Plant Factories Stack Up Against Field Agriculture

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March 31, 2020

By Jeff Jurgens, AEM Director of Product Stewardship

With the world's population expected to reach nine billion by 2050, estimations project that food production must increase by 70 percent to keep up with worldwide demand. This means farmers will be required to grow more foodstuff in the next 35 to 40 years than the last 10,000 years combined. There is presently not enough farmable terrain to meet this constraint, and due to the negative environmental impacts of global deforestation (including desertification and flooding), clearing more forest for cultivation is not a sustainable option. Vertical farming, with its potential benefits, may play a major role in addressing the growing food demand while minimizing environmental impact.

VERTICAL FARMING DEFINED

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), commonly known as vertical farming, is a growing system designed to weather- and climate-proof the production of food crops. CEA grows crops indoors in stacked, or standing, layers using growing systems such as hydroponics, aeroponics or aquaponics, all of which use a method of nutritious liquid delivery with minimal soil. CEA uses enclosed growing practices, controlling the environment’s temperature, illumination, gases and humidity with the goal of maximizing crop output in limited space.

CEA has become an attractive alternative to traditional farming in areas where arable land is inaccessible or scarce, including metropolitan areas where citizens wish to bring food production nearer to home. Rather than growing crops on a single level, such as in the ground or a greenhouse, CEA produces crops in vertically stacked layers, which can frequently be incorporated into other constructions like high-rise buildings, intermodal (shipping/Conex) containers or repurposed industrial space.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

NASA reports that the majority of the world's freshwater supplies are draining faster than they are being replenished with freshwater demand set to increase by 55 percent by 2050. Currently, agriculture is responsible for 92 percent of the global freshwater usage, creating a challenge for even developed countries such as the United States, China and Australia.

A 2017 report found that more than 75 percent of Earth’s land areas have suffered from erosion and water degradation. The continual plowing of fields, combined with heavy use of fertilizers, has degraded soils across the world with erosion occurring at a rate 100 times greater than soil formation. This results in 33 percent of the world’s adequate or high-quality food-producing land being lost at a rate that far outstrips the pace of natural processes to replace diminished soil.

Collectively, this means arable land is decreasing, and poor soil health is contributing to less healthy agriculture, while water demands continue to rise. 

COMMON GROUND

Approximately 1.3 billion tons of food destined for human consumption gets lost or wasted each year globally, discarded anywhere along the supply chain, from farmland to supermarkets, restaurants and home consumers. But crops for human consumption only accounts for 55 percent of all crops grown. Nine percent are used for biofuel and 36 percent used as livestock feed. Feed crops, such as hay and soy, are land and water-intensive to grow and the animals that consume them require high levels of water to thrive. Additionally, many types of livestock occupy the grazing land, which constitutes 70 percent of all agricultural land, which is not arable.    

BENEFITS OF VERTICAL FARMING

Some of the obvious benefits of vertical farming for is year-round crop production for both human and livestock consumption, consistent quality, and predictable output. CEA holds other environmental benefits, requiring less fertilizer being applied to plants, reducing water usage up to 95 percent and, through weather-proofing, eliminating the need for chemical pesticides. CEA technology allows for faster growth cycles and quicker harvests, meaning more food can be grown every year, in a much smaller space than on a conventional farm. One of the highest-yielding farms grows over 350 times more food per square yard than a conventional farm. 

In urban settings vertical farms utilize a farm-to-table order-based system, drastically cutting down on food waste, packaging and the fuel consumption used to transport food—known as food miles—as well. However, the carbon savings are relatively minor even with these novel approaches as at least 80 percent of the emissions for agriculture happens on the farm—not in the processing, not in the transportation. Urban gardening and vertical systems have many benefits, but it doesn’t presently have the scale that’s needed to meet human food demand or reduce environmental impact on a massive scale.

CHALLENGES OF VERTICAL FARMING

Economics is a major obstacle for the broad implementation of CEA practices. Plant factories are currently not the solution to feeding the world's increasing population as competition with crops grown in traditional systems will not be economically viable in the coming years. Plants – not just growers – will need to adapt to CEA growing conditions. Meaning, new crop genetics will need to be designed specifically for vertical farm production that addresses five traits of interest: easy and uniform fruiting; rapid biomass and multi-harvest capable crops; photoinduced quality; auto-harvest friendly traits; and dwarf plants with yield efficiency. It remains to be seen if created, the genetically modified plants would be attractive to an end consumer given the movement of non-GMO products.

CEA approaches require huge capital to launch, as they're high-risk businesses given the cost of production can be quite high per pound of product. Vertical farms are more feasible because of LEDs, but they are still energy-intensive.  Proponents of vertical farms often say that they can offset the enormous sums of electricity they use, by powering them with renewable energy —, especially solar panels — to make the whole thing carbon neutral.  But just stop and think about this for a second. These indoor “farms” would use solar panels to harvest naturally occurring sunlight, and convert it into electricity so that they can power…artificial sunlight? In other words, they’re trying to use the sun to replace the sun.  With current technology, it makes no sense to grow food staples, such as wheat, indoors. A Cornell professor calculated that if you grew wheat indoors, just the electricity cost per loaf of bread made from that wheat would be $11.  

Even if a vertical farm boom were to ensue, the output would only be a small percentage of the vegetables and fruits grown on traditional farms and none of the wheat, corn, soy, or rice, at least not in the foreseeable future. Nor will vertical farms raise livestock or grow oil palms, which are mainly what people are clearing hardwood forests to make room for.

THE FUTURE OF FIELD AGRICULTURE

The contribution of vertical farms to overall food production and environmental concerns is to be determined. The greatest potential impact is the implementation of technology in agriculture, partly due to new possibilities with data analysis. Vertical farms have a multitude of sensors measuring many parameters (from, temperature, to nutrient levels). The plants are analyzed with cameras and sensors, which monitor plant health in real-time. As a result, vertical farms are hiring data engineers and sensor specialists as a significant percentage of their workforce. Artificial Intelligence already plays a key role in many vertical farm operations. As sensors continue to get cheaper and more capable, the opportunities for field farms increases considerably. 

Farmers will solve agricultural problems — like developing new methods for drip irrigation, better grazing systems that lock up soil carbon, and ways of recycling on-farm nutrients. Organic farming and high-precision agriculture are doing promising things, like the use of artificial intelligence for detecting disease, sensor-activated irrigation systems, and GPS-controlled self-driving tractors.

From the plummeting cost of robotics to the new frontiers of bioinformatics, the future landscape of farming may well look very different, indeed. While this isn't going to happen immediately, growth in the sector will accelerate as technological improvements drive down investment and operational costs. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

While civilization wouldn't be where it is today without agriculture, it's a big factor in a number of society's greatest challenges. If farming practices continue unabated, the likely outcome is having to cut down more remaining forests for acreage, destroying even more land and freshwater habitats in the process. Current projections make a global water crisis almost certain. 

In light of these challenges, AEM members are looking at every way to reduce the negative impact of current agricultural methods and existing equipment technology.  Manufacturers are becoming technology balanced and interdisciplinary, utilizing designers, engineers, horticulturalists, and sustainability managers.  AEM members can provide service from concept development to feasibility studies to education and workshops. 

IoT devices are guiding precision farming to increase yields. Advanced machine communication is allowing the implementation to control the tractor for optimum efficiency. And manufacturers are developing many alternative power sources, such as advanced battery technology, cable-powered machines, and tractors powered by methane gas. Some concept machines are small enough to fit between rows, using lasers to destroy pests one by one. That is precision farming. If constraints are the catalyst for innovation, then AEM and its member companies are already rising to meet the challenge. 

Subscribe to our AEM newsletters for more perspectives from AEM staff.

• Agriculture Safety Regulatory & Standards

US: Pennsylvania - Hope Street Learning Lab Opening Aquaponics Classroom This Summer

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Lindsay C VanAsdalan York Dispatch

Mar 2, 2020

Hope Street Learning Lab will be opening a community aquaponics classroom this summer, following plans announced in November to install a hydroponics lab.

"We are super excited about it, and the ability to partner with somebody like Dr. Bracey-Green — it really is phenomenal," said Blanda Nace, executive director of York City's Redevelopment Authority. Jamie Bracey-Green, director of the Center for Inclusive Competitiveness at Temple University's College of Engineering, is partnering with the Hope Street nonprofit to donate shipping containers for its aquaponics and hydroponics in York City.

The partnership comes through a local chapter of MESA — Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement — housed in the center, to bring more of those studies to underserved areas.

Hope Street lab looks to buy a stretch of York City property

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Jamie Bracey-Green, director for the Center of Inclusive Competitiveness at Temple University, is providing shipping containers for a new aquaponics classroom for Hope Street Learning Lab. She announced the proposed classroom along with Hope Street officials in February. The addition to the York City community learning center will involve soil-less hydroponic and aquaponic growing techniques. The classroom is slated to be open this July. Pictured, L to R: State Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York City, Jamie Bracey-Green, Lincoln Charter Director of Community Outreach Anne Clark. Submitted, c/o Randy Flaum

Hydroponics and aquaponics are two urban farming techniques in which plants are grown in water without soil and fertilized with fish waste. These techniques often help provide fresh produce in food deserts.

Groundbreaking for the classroom is expected to commence March 31, and with it will be other additions to the Hope Street property, including a greenhouse next to the lab on the east side and a mint and herb garden on the west side.

The produce would be donated to the community. One shipping container is the equivalent to planting on 2 acres of ground, said Hope Street Executive Director Anne Clark.

Clark said the learning lab has been offering produce to residents in the city's west end for years, and the goal is to expand those efforts.

"It really is a neighborhood asset," Nace said of the planned farming technology, noting that the west end is definitely a priority in the city, but the need for food is even broader.

"The city in its entirely is a food desert," he said. "Anything we can do that change that is a step in the right direction." 

York College and Temple will work with Hope Street on design to allow some natural light in the shipping containers so they'll fit in with their environment, Clark said.

"I really want the indoor classroom to be part of outside," she said, but the challenge will be also keeping them dark enough to allow the artificial light needed for the hydroponic and aquaponic farming techniques.

West Shore aquaponics supports urban agriculture, STEM education

Clark, who is also the director of outreach for Lincoln Charter School, said Hope Street is also working with the state Department of Education to match standards for the new classroom with each grade level.

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Lincoln Charter School president and CEO Leonard Hart speaks at the announcement of a new aquaponics classroom for Hope Street Learning Lab in February. Lincoln Charter School is a founding partner of the learning lab, and its students often use the facility. The addition to the York City community learning center will involve soil-less hydroponic and aquaponic growing techniques in two shipping containers. The classroom is slated to be open this July. Submitted, c/o Randy Flaum

It would be available to all York County schools, as well as adult residents.

The cost of the project is about $10,000, which Clark plans to cover through financial or material donations of items such as paint, desk chairs, and solar panels.

The nonprofit is also looking at partnerships with Crispus Attucks York and York County School of Technology on some building elements and possible student mentoring.

Annual maintenance costs of Hope Street Learning Lab, which will increase about $5,000 with the new additions, would be offset in part by giving students the opportunity to plant and sell flowers.

Clark also plans to meet with the RDA in May to purchase the lab's property. Hope Street has an agreement with the authority to operate for a year, but does not own the property. 

Nace said it will be up to the RDA's board to decide, but the authority has been working to assemble all the Hope Street properties into one parcel. The RDA owns several, one is privately owned and two are owned by the city.

The new aquaponics classroom is slated to open by July.

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Pennsylvania Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York City, speaks at the announcement of a new aquaponics classroom for Hope Street Learning Lab in February. The addition to the York City community learning center will involve soil-less hydroponic and aquaponic growing techniques in two shipping containers. The classroom is slated to be open this July.

Submitted, c/o Randy Flaum

How To Start A Container Farm Business

Have You Ever Wondered How To Start A Container Farm Business?

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Vertical farming continues to grow with increased interest for both beginners and seasoned professional farmers. In this guide, Pure Greens helps new growers navigate the business side of container farming, with helpful steps to get started, such as:

• How to create customer personas

• Investment planning and funding

• How to grow and harvest your crops

• How to sell and brand your container farm business

  Check Out The Guide Here

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Living Wall Garden Bringing Tranquility To Historic Downtown San Bernardino

'This green area will be somewhere people can go and breathe fresh air,' Viva La Boba owner David Friedman says

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By BRIAN WHITEHEAD | bwhitehead@scng.com 

San Bernardino Sun

A garden is being planted in San Bernardino, but not where you might expect.

Here, there is no lush green space, no playground nearby for children to burn off energy. The spot gets, at most, four hours of sunlight a day and can easily be missed by even the most observant passersby.

And yet, San Bernardino-born-and-raised sisters Adrienne Thomas, Vanessa Dean, and Nedra Myricks could not have found a better place for their nonprofit’s latest community project.

Thanks to a grant from the Arbor Day Foundation in conjunction with BNSF, SistersWe and Viva La Boba owners David Friedman and Tansu Philip are planting a living wall garden on the side of a vacant brick building near the Breezeway in the heart of downtown San Bernardino.

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David Friedman, Viva La Boba owner, right, looks back while mounting vertical wall planters to a 100-foot-long, 18-foot-tall brick wall with SisterWe sisters, from left, Nedra Myricks, Vanessa Dean, and Adrienne Thomas during The Historic Downtown San Bernardino Living Pocket Park Project in downtown San Bernardino on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. (Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

“Bringing San Bernardino back to life (with this project) is what I’m looking forward to, making it a little more people-friendly,” said Thomas, SistersWe president. “I’m really excited to see the wall coming in and things happening around San Bernardino. It’s been too long without anything to do or places to go.“This wall will bring and attract people to San Bernardino.”Pitched in 2018 as an environmental beautification project, “The Historic Downtown San Bernardino Living Pocket Park Project” and a second SistersWe project in Muscoy received grant funding last year, in part, for their health and environmental benefits.

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, a handful of volunteers and about two dozen fifth-grade students from nearby Jones Elementary School helped Thomas, Dean, Myricks, and Friedman bolt vertical planters to a 100-foot-long, 18-foot-tall brick wall near Fourth and E streets.

In the coming weeks, a hydroponics system will be woven through the felt planters and succulents and other plants will take their place in the living wall garden, a stone’s throw from the Rosa Parks State Memorial Building.

And keeping with the art theme permeating the area, local artist Nathaniel Gelston plans to paint a mural in the alleyway.

Friedman, who owns several buildings downtown, sees such investment in the once-bustling entertainment corridor as the catalyst for the revitalization of San Bernardino.“My generation, we want to live in an urban culture, one that’s more sustainable,” he said. “We want to walk, bike. You see the youth rallying around downtown, and with the preservation of historical artifacts, historical buildings, comes a sense of art, and artists seem to want to congregate around this area.“

This green area,” Friedman added, “will be somewhere people can go and breathe fresh air. Somewhere they can take a break and go back to work or go back to their house. That’s important to have in any urban environment.”

In addition to their work this week, Thomas, Dean, and Myricks will add 15 more trees to green space at California and Nolan streets in Muscoy at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22.

The trio’s “Muscoy Pocket Park Project” includes plans to add 20 raised-bed family garden plots, a farmer’s market, movie nights and other family activities throughout the year.

Myricks, the oldest sister at age 71, joked Wednesday she and her siblings are busier now, in retirement, than they ever were as professionals.“These are things all of us need to really embrace,” Thomas said. “San Bernardino really needs something. It needs a spark of life, and with all the young people involved in this, I’m really looking forward to the future.”

Growing In Space Touches Down In May

'Growing In Space' Panel Joins May 18-20, 2020

Las Vegas Educational Line-Up

'GROWING IN SPACE' PANEL TOUCHES DOWN AT MAY 2020 EDITION OF INDOOR AG-CON LAS VEGAS  

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Dr. Joel Cuello will moderate "Growing In Space With Help From Industry, Academia and Government," on Wednesday, May 20 during Indoor Ag-Con Las Vegas. 

Ahead of his panel, Cuello has shared a blog post observing that while the world’s space programs were instrumental in spinning off vertical farming, today’s vertical farming industry will likely enable NASA  - and other space programs -  to realize their future food production systems on the Moon, Mars and beyond.
As Cuello writes, "Just as Elon Musk’s Space X, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic have partnered with NASA to innovate on and advance space transportation, it is highly likely that partnerships with NASA for the design and operation of its future Lunar and Martian space farms will be brokered with the likes of AeroFarms, Plenty, Bowery Farming, CropOne Holdings, Gotham Greens, 80 Acres Farms, BrightFarms, AEssense, Seven Steps to Heaven and/or other indoor farming companies, some of which have yet to be formed."

Read Full "Growing In Space" Post >

 OH,  HELLO NEW EXHIBITORS!

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You come to conferences to see what's new.  And Indoor Ag-Con will deliver!  Our show floor is filling up with new companies every week.  Whether you're looking for horticultural lighting, irrigation systems, greenhouse manufacturers, or  IT solutions and more, you'll find the latest innovations here in May!

Show Floor Sneak Preview ›

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SWEET DEAL|SAVE UP TO $300 PER DELEGATE WITH EARLY BIRD RATE!

Conference pass includes access to all educational sessions, the expo floor, cocktail receptions and hospitality features, the Indoor Ag-Con library, new White Paper, and the welcome gift bag.

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INSIDE INDOOR AG |  INDUSTRY NEWS HARVEST

DESIGNBOOM:  A Tree Assembles In Brooklyn With Framlab's Vertical Farming Solution, 'Glasir'
CNET: Robots Are Changing The Future of Farming
CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS : Former Founders Chairman Pursues Future of Farming With Hydroponic Lettuce Company

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INDIA: Top 5 Agritech Startup That Helps You Set Up Soil-Less Indoor Farming

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Feb 11, 2020

Hydroponics or growing plants in water or sand, rather than soil, is done using mineral nutrient solutions in a water flush.

 This indoor farming technique induces plant growth, making the process 50 percent faster than growth in soil and the method is cost-effective.

Only an expert gardener knows how tough it can be to grow plants and how much extra care it takes with special attention to soil, fertilizer, and light. One can’t get the process right and expect good yields without getting his/her hands dirty. But, to make their work a lot easy and convenient, many start-ups in India are working on hydroponics farming.

Hydroponics or growing plants in water or sand, rather than soil, is done using mineral nutrient solutions in a water flush. Moreover, this indoor farming technique induces plant growth, making the process 50 percent faster than growth in soil and the method is cost-effective. Mineral nutrient solutions are used to feed plants in water.

 Here’s a list of five start-ups in India that are innovating agriculture methods and leading the way in indoor farming.

Barton Breeze: Gurgaon based Barton Breeze is a commercial hydroponic farm specialist, using controlled sustainable technology and modern farming techniques, to create highly productive agri-models for the new-age farmer. Barton Breeze is not just a hydroponic farm developer, but also a farmer, growth consultant and a retailer. We provide end to end farm management solution and execute projects on a turnkey basis from the development of climate-controlled Polyhouse/Polycarbonate house to Aeroponic set up and training resources on how to run the farm efficiently and impart technology training. Barton Breeze combines sustainable technology and modern farming techniques, to create highly productive models for the new-age farmer. We pride ourselves on providing knowledge and the best available products to our customers. Carefully chosen and tested equipment and nutrients ensure our customers have maximum results with their microgreens.

Future Farms: Chennai based Future Farms now grows 16 crop varieties, classified under English Exotic, Asian Exotic and Indian Exotic, across 15 acres of land spread over 10 states. It recorded a $1 million turnover last year. Their primary focus is on leafy vegetables with farms spread across the country from Delhi to Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat.

Acqua Farms: Chennai based Acqua Farms grows everything from Italian basil to carom (ajwain), mint, spinach, lettuce and a host of leafy greens and herbs. Moreover, he grows these vegetables using planters made of PVC pipes. “Besides a starter kit, Acqua Farms also provides setups for larger planter systems with 24, 48, 72, 96 and going up to 1,000, depending on what the user needs. They also have a subscription-based service to those who have no knowledge of hydroponics, where, against a monthly amount, they assign the user an agronomist who takes care of their plants and monitors it once a week.

Letcetra Agritech: Goa-based Letcetra Agritech in the Mapusa area of Goa is the first such indoor hydroponic farm, which grows good quality, pesticide-free vegetables. Their farm, measuring 150 sq meters, produces tons of leafy vegetables like lettuce and salad greens, besides cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and basil. “Letcetra has expanded to include two more farms with an overall area of 2,300 square meters. The combined fresh produce from all three farms put together is about 6-8 tonnes of different varieties of lettuce and other leafy greens, per month.

BitMantis Innovations: Based out of Bengaluru, this IoT and data analytics start-up have developed its IoT solution GreenSAGE, which allows individuals and commercial growers to grow fresh herbs throughout the year with the minimum of fuss. Under GreenSage, you have the Micro Edition and Greens Edition kits that use hydroponics methods for efficient use of water and nutrients.

US: Florida - Making Microgreens A Household Word

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January 30, 2020

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These broccoli microgreens are 40 to 50 times higher in nutritional value than the conventional form of broccoli. LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS

Farmer Seeks To Make Microgreens

A Household Word

By LOIS KINDLE

Eco-farmer Dario Rodriguez shows the container he uses to sell a variety of microgreens he sustainably grows at The Box Eco-Farm in Ruskin.

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Dario Rodriguez wants the whole world to know about the nutritive value of microgreens, but for now, he’ll settle for South Shore and surrounding areas. LOIS KINDLE PHOTOS

The owner of Sustainable Eco-System LLC began his quest to make organic microgreens more mainstream by establishing The Box Eco-Urban Farm and setting it up at the Circle Pond Tiny Home Community in Ruskin last December.

In The Box, which is a completely retrofitted shipping container, Rodriguez sustainably grows an assorted variety of herbs and microgreens, using a minimal amount of water, energy, and soil.

“(The Box) allows for the maximum production of highly nutritional food in the smallest amount of space,” he said. “That’s what makes us eco-farmers.”

As part of his sustainability mission, Rodriguez sells only locally to individuals, restaurants, nutritionists, and chefs. His service area is South Shore, Brandon and some parts of south Tampa.

“To avoid the use of fossil fuels, I would rather place another box in Wesley Chapel, for example, rather than make deliveries there,” said Rodriguez, 49. “We do not ship what we grow.”

Microgreens are green, tiny vegetables with high concentrations of flavor and nutritional value. For example, broccoli microgreens are 40 to 50 times higher in nutritional value than the conventional form of broccoli, Rodriguez said.

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Rodriguez’s wife, Iliana, helps him sell microgreens at the Firehouse Cultural Center in Ruskin.

Currently, he is growing broccoli, basil, red cabbage, peas, cilantro, arugula, parsley, kale, radish, sunflower, wheatgrass, and fennel Greek and mustard kohlrabi – all as microgreens. About 48 veggies can be grown as microgreens, Rodriguez said.

“When you buy microgreens from us, I like to tell you about their nutrients and health benefits, which have been acknowledged by the FDA,” he said.

The farmer also likes to tell you about their uses.

“Microgreens can be used in salads, sandwiches and as a topping for soups, pasta, eggs, and rice,” he said. “You don’t cook them; they’re tender without heat.”

Although Rodriguez and The Box are new to the area, he already has many satisfied customers.

“I bought four boxes last week: salad mix, broccoli, arugula, and radish,” said Dee Hood of Ruskin. “I use them on salads, and they’re so good, I just cut and eat them on their own.

“My teenage granddaughter and her boyfriend had some for lunch and loved them,” Hood continued. “I knew they were good for you, but I had no idea they would taste so good.”

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Wheat grass, foreground is one of many microgreens Rodriguez currently grows in The Box.

Rodriguez uses high-density seeds in an organic growing medium like jute. In The Box, he’s able to control all of the production parameters: temperature, airflow and the humidity content of the air. The urban farm has a capacity of 720 10-inch by 20-inch trays of microgreens.

Rodriguez and his family moved to Ruskin from Argentina in 2016, when one of his three daughters began studying international business at the University of Tampa.

“We came as a two-year adventure,” said Rodriguez, who earned a master’s degree in global sustainability in 2018 from the University of South Florida. “But we’ve been here almost four years now, so we’ve decided to stay.”

He has invested $124,000 thus far between the Ruskin location and another at Fat Beet Farm in Oldsmar, where he grows mushrooms.

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This is the completely retrofitted shipping container Rodriguez located at the Circle Pond Tiny Home Community in Ruskin to grow his microgreens. The Box allows him to produce the maximum amount of highly nutritional food in the smallest amount of space.

Rodriguez sells his microgreens for $3 per box, which is well below what you’d pay at a commercial establishment, and because they’re grown in an organic medium you can harvest as needed and they last longer.

Every Friday, you can find him set up at the Firehouse Cultural Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Microgreens can be preordered, paid for and picked up there.

To do so, call 813-416-5444, email sustainableecosystems@gmail.com or visit www.sustainablemicrogreens.net.

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Is Vertical Farming Here to Stay?

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Posted on April 11, 2019, by Jodi Helmer - Story

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Unprecedented investments in indoor agriculture are no guarantee the high tech plant factories will be key players in the future of food.

Almost two decades after vertical farming pioneer Dickson Despommier first introduced the idea of growing food in buildings, not fields—and later published his seminal book, The Vertical Farm—indoor farms are in more cities than ever before.

Vertical farming—so-named because the produce sprouts in floor-to-ceiling racks to grow more food in less space—uses less water and fertilizer than conventional “soil” farming and the climate-controlled environments allow growers to harvest crops regardless of the temperatures outside.

Technologies like LED lights, micro-sensors and data analytics help maximize growing conditions and improve yields. Most vertical farms are located in urban areas, minimizing the environmental impacts of shipping produce thousands of miles from farm to plate.

With a global population expected to hit 9 billion in 2050—and 74 percent of the residents of developed nations living in cities—proponents of vertical farming argue that agriculture requires high-tech reinvention. Record numbers of vertical farms are sprouting up to address the perceived need. In cities from Singapore to San Francisco, startups are growing food in shipping containers and warehouses that know no seasons.

The industry has a number of cheerleaders, including the venture capitalists bankrolling the promise of vertical farms. Investments in indoor agriculture increased by 653 percent between 2016 and 2017.

Despite significant investments, Stan Cox, research coordinator for The Land Institute, a nonprofit agriculture research organization, and vocal opponent of vertical farming believes the model is doomed to fail.

“[Despommier’s] original version of growing food in buildings 30 stories tall has never come close to happening,” he explains.

The mismatch between concept and execution, according to Cox, can be attributed to limitations on the crops that can be grown indoors; ongoing investments in infrastructure and technology; and high costs of energy.

Powering Plant Growth

On conventional farms, crops depend on sunlight to grow. Without the energy from the sun, farmers must use huge amounts of electricity to provide enough light to trigger growth.

In a recorded seminar, Louis Albright, emeritus professor of biological and environmental engineering at Cornell University and pioneer of controlled-environment agriculture ran the numbers: Growing wheat in a vertical farm would generate 20 cents per square foot in annual income and growers would need to charge $23 per loaf of bread just to cover the power bills, he estimated.

In a 2016 TED Talk, Astro Teller, head of research for Google, admitted that the tech giant started—and later shuttered—its vertical farm because it was impossible to grow staple crops like grains and rice via indoor agriculture.

Limited crop production is one of the major criticisms of vertical farming.

Most vertical farms grow leafy greens such as arugula, kale and watercress because the crops require less light than other fruits or vegetables. But even with the most efficient LED bulbs, Albright found that it took 2.72 kWh per head of lettuce to grow the crop in a vertical farm—more than three times the energy required to grow lettuce in a greenhouse.

Last fall, Metropolis Farms constructed a 500-kilowatt solar array on the rooftop above its fourth floor vertical farm in Philadelphia that is reported to generate enough power for its 100,000 square foot indoor farm. (Albright questioned whether solar powered indoor agriculture was feasible, explaining that a one-acre crop of lettuce would require 9.3 acres of solar panels).

“The more technology is involved in something, the more fascinated we seem to be with it but the products produced in these high-tech operations have to be pretty expensive to cover energy and other costs,” Cox says.

A panel discussion at the Agritecture conference in Atlanta called An Examination of Shuttered Vertical Farming Facilities led Chris Michael, co-founder of Bright Agrotech, to pen a post, 9 Reasons Vertical Farms Fail. Competing with retail pricing was among them.

In the article Michael notes, “Your pricing should match the quality of your product, not the status quo. With the right system and distribution strategy, the local product you produce should be better than anything else on the shelves and it should be priced to reflect the increase in value.”

Fresh Direct sells 4.5-ounce clamshells of Dream Greens from AeroFarms for $3.99. The price is on par with other packaged organic greens but more than two times the price of Fresh Express brand romaine lettuce sold at Safeway stores.

Despite promises that vertical farming can address food deserts, the premium prices for the leafy greens grown in these high-tech environments often mean those who struggle with food insecurity won’t be able to afford to buy the fresh vegetables growing in their urban neighborhoods.

Cox notes that indoor agriculture makes sense for a high-value crop like cannabis that commands upwards of $8 per gram, but it’s not feasible for a lower value crop like lettuce, which clocks in at one cent per gram.

“Indoor leafy green production can survive if growers sell to more affluent areas of big cities,” he says. “But we’re not going to see [crops from vertical farms] expand into larger segments of the food market.”

Cultivating Job Opportunities

The proliferation of vertical farms has led to a bumper crop of job opportunities.

A CivilEats article declares, “Millennials look to high-tech farms for careers,” noting that Gotham Greens had seen 400 percent growth in its team from 2015 to 2016, creating jobs in the historic African-American Pullman neighborhood of Chicago; and BrightFarms planned to double its staff in 2016 with future expansions potentially creating up to 500 new job openings.

Vertical Harvest in Jackson, Wyoming, employs 15 staff with developmental disabilities to manage tasks ranging from growing and harvesting to retail sales and deliveries.

Unlike conventional agriculture, which depends on a seasonal labor pool, the 24/7 nature of vertical farms can provide regular, long-term employment—and the opportunities extend beyond cultivating and harvesting leafy greens.

The job openings at AeroFarms include mechanical design engineer, plant scientist, research associate and commercial grower with experience in vertical controlled environment agriculture.

Assessing the Impact

Vertical farms have captured the collective interest of investors, academics and foodies alike but will these high-tech plant factories contribute significant volumes of fresh, local foods to our diets? Cox says no.

“There are not enough warehouses and shipping containers to grow that volume of produce indoors,” he explains. “Vertical farming will never be able to supply a significant percentage of our food.”

The challenges haven’t prevented startups from pushing forward or stopped investors from writing checks to back the potential promise of large-scale indoor food production.

In July, San Francisco-based startup Plenty raised $200 million in Series B funding to expand its operations with a goal of “[producing] Whole Foods quality at Wal-Mart prices.” It was the largest agriculture technology investment in history.

Concerns about climate change and farm labor shortages coupled with the need to figure out how to feed nine billion people have helped drive investments. Venture capitalists know we need solutions and see vertical farming as a potential change-maker. Investors also see opportunities related to the technologies used in vertical farms. One investor cited the high-tech indoor farms (and associated advances in robotics, sensors, and software) to be massive opportunities to disrupt conventional farming methods as his reasons for investing in vertical farms.

But significant cash infusions are no guarantee of success.

FarmedHere was considered a national leader in indoor farming when it launched in 2011 but the commercial-scale hydroponic farm in Chicago declared bankruptcy last year, citing unsustainable labor and energy costs. Atlanta-based PodPonics raised $15 million in startup capital but liquidated its assets and shuttered operations in 2016. Labor costs were a factor.

The high-profile failures don’t surprise Cox. Rather than investing millions in vertical farming, he advocates looking to vacant lots and rooftops where sunshine and water can turn seedlings in raised beds into fresh produce for a fraction of the cost of powering indoor agriculture.

“The closer we can produce fresh produce to densely populated urban areas, the better,” Cox says. “Agricultural production has plenty of problems but we’re not going to solve them by growing food indoors.”

Photo: Marcus Spiske Unsplash

Tags: startups, vertical farming

AeroFarms Plans Largest Indoor Vertical Farm of Its Kind

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At 150,000 square feet, the new farm more than doubles the size of AeroFarms’ last major commercial farm in New Jersey.

RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam today announced that AeroFarms will invest $42 million to build their largest, most sophisticated indoor vertical farm to date in the Cane Creek Centre, a joint industrial park for the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County.

Just recognized by Time Magazine as one of the Best Inventions of 2019 for Food & Beverage, AeroFarms is an award-winning farming company with proprietary aeroponic growing technology, enabling year-round local commercial production with over 390-times more productivity for leafy greens on a per-acre basis vs. field farming, while using up to 95% less water and no pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Virginia successfully competed with North Carolina for the project, which will create 92 new jobs.

“AeroFarms is a leader in agricultural innovation with farming technologies that make high-quality, local produce available to more communities,” said Governor Northam. “We are bringing capital investment and economic opportunity to rural Virginia by recruiting innovative companies like AeroFarms. I thank the company for choosing Virginia for this important venture and commend Danville-Pittsylvania County for helping to secure this project.”

With global headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, AeroFarms is a Certified B Corporation on a mission to grow the best plants possible for the better of humanity. Hiring locally and creating year-round employment, AeroFarms is able to disrupt traditional supply chains to nourish its communities with locally-grown, sustainably-sourced, pesticide-free produce that delivers peak nutrition and flavor, all year round. Proud to be named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company two years in a row, AeroFarms has grown over 800 different varieties by creating the perfect conditions for healthy plants to thrive, taking agriculture to a new level of precision and productivity with minimal environmental impact and virtually zero risk. AeroFarms indoor vertical farms use specialized growing algorithms leveraging custom LED lights and precision plant nutrition, calibrated to the needs of each plant, to produce baby leafy greens and microgreens that can be grown in up to a third of the time that it takes out in the field by giving the plants exactly what they need when they need it.

“Agriculture is Virginia’s largest private sector industry, and the Commonwealth continues to be on the forefront of agricultural advancements,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring. “I look forward to working with AeroFarms as they expand the use of agriculture technology to strengthen Virginia’s food system and provide increased access to healthy foods.”

“AeroFarms has an important objective to ensure our growing population has year-round access to healthy food, and we are proud to support its first Virginia operation in Danville-Pittsylvania County,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “The company’s decision to establish a vertically integrated facility in the Commonwealth is a strong testament to the advantages of our location and transportation and logistics infrastructure, which attract industry-leading companies from around the world seeking expansion into new markets. We welcome AeroFarms to Virginia and look forward to our future corporate partnership.”

“We are excited to expand to Virginia, an incredible state with a strong farming tradition, and we have been honored by the amazing reception at all levels,” commented David Rosenberg, Co-Founder & CEO of AeroFarms. “We want to thank everyone for helping bring our 10th farm to life to create new jobs and increase access to healthier foods with better flavor that top chefs like native Virginian David Chang have embraced. With the property developer RealtyLink, we are building out the largest, most advanced indoor vertical farm of its kind with our next generation of growing technology. Locating in the Danville area also specifically highlights how our innovative indoor growing approach works in both rural and urban environments. At 150,000 square feet, our new farm more than doubles the size of our last major commercial farm in New Jersey that will help us meet the strong consumer demand for safely grown produce that delivers peak flavor always. We are also excited about the future collaboration opportunities with The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) to build on our Strategic Partnership work with Fortune 100 companies to solve broader ag-related supply chain issues.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Pittsylvania County, the City of Danville, and the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance to secure the project for Virginia. Governor Northam approved a $200,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund, as well as a $200,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund, to assist Danville-Pittsylvania County with the project.

The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission has approved a grant for $190,000 from the Tobacco Regional Opportunity Fund for the project. AeroFarms qualifies for state benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Funding and services to support the company’s job creation will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP).

“We’re pleased that AeroFarms has selected the Cane Creek Centre for their new mid-Atlantic facility”, said Robert “Bob” Warren, Vice-Chairman of the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority and member of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors. “It is only appropriate that the largest county in the Commonwealth by land area will soon be home to the world’s largest and most advanced vertical farm. The region has placed a heavy emphasis on attracting technology-based agribusiness firms through strategic investments in our workforce, and we thank AeroFarms for their commitment to Southern Virginia and its people.”

“AeroFarms is a perfect example of how blending technology with agriculture can provide an environmentally responsible solution to growing nutritious food,” said Fred Shanks, Chair of the Danville Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority. “Given the history and importance of agriculture to this region, I cannot think of a better place for AeroFarms to locate. We are delighted to welcome them to this great community.”

“The Tobacco Commission has always supported Virginia’s agriculture industry, the backbone of our state’s economy, and attracting AeroFarms to Danville-Pittsylvania County is a big win,” said Senator Frank Ruff, Tobacco Commission Vice-Chairman. “AeroFarms’ technologically advanced approach to farming is an example of how the industry is adapting to meet the demands of modern consumers and I am pleased that they chose to grow their business here in Southside Virginia.”

“It is exciting to see an innovative company like AeroFarms open their first Virginia location here in Southside,” said Delegate Danny Marshall, a Tobacco Commission member. “Attracting a company like this to our region shows that the effort we have put into developing a top-notch business climate is paying off. I welcome AeroFarms and their team to Danville-Pittsylvania County and wish them the best as they get hiring underway.”

Tagged greenhouse, indoor farming, vertical farm

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Local Produce for the Masses | The Kalera Vision

The Golden Question: “What’s the price?”

“We don’t want to be exclusive or elitist. We want to deliver fresh & local lettuce at a price where people don’t have to break the bank to buy it.”

Kalera’s CEO, Mr. Daniel Malechuk

Such is the vision painted by Kalera’s new CEO, Mr. Daniel Malechuk, in his exclusive interview with iGrow News.

Mr. Malechuk went further, expounding a vision of food production coming full circle. He spoke of a technological evolution that has enabled humans to enjoy avocados in Michigan, or more generally, to consume massive amounts of food thousands of miles away from where it was produced.

The technology of today however is enabling the return of a simpler, time-tested model. Tersely put: local farms are making a return.

Mr. Malechuk spoke further on Kalera’s undergoing transition. In their past, they helped build the beautiful HyCube at the Orlando World Center Marriott, — in the future he sees the company perfecting their own production processes in their new state of the art facility. His goal: local produce at a price affordable to the masses.

Kalera’s Beautiful Indoor Vertical Farm at the Orlando World Center Marriott

An iGrow News Exclusive

Written by Spencer Hoff