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MEET YOUR HOSTS
Kayla Waldorff - Business Development Manager
Growing up in a farming family, it was no surprise Kayla studied agriculture and went on to work as a grower in a hydroponic lettuce farm. As a Business Development Manager, she helps growers of all sizes optimize their greenhouses and crops.
Daniel Than - Field Trial Specialist
After spending more than 10 years in biotech studying the interaction between plants and microbes, Daniel spent three years succesfully managing a farm growing crops for the NZ market before joining Autogrow.
Fifth Generation Grower Follows In His Father's Footsteps
Worldwide LocalSalads is a new vertical farming company, currently raising funds to build their first fully commercial warehouse farm
Matthew, son of Grahame Dunling
Worldwide LocalSalads is a new vertical farming company, currently raising funds to build their first fully commercial warehouse farm. The company was started by Matthew Dunling, who is the 5th generation grower of his family and son of Grahame Dunling. He has a passion to follow in his father’s footsteps and is powered by the knowledge that he has been taught by a pioneer in the industry.
Building his own view
Matthew has been working quietly behind the scenes as he builds what he calls a game-changing view on how vertical farming should be operating. "For the past few years I have been watching how vertical farms are being set up and operated and I still believe that so far from a truly commercial perspective they are a long way from being what experienced growers would call a commercial farm." Matthew’s view stems from his family's long involvement in commercial horticulture and growing up surrounded by commercial glasshouses in Yorkshire in the 1990s.
"I think when we are talking about sustainability, we have to realize that there are three elements to sustainability – social, environmental, and economical. Each of these has to have a positive impact and be profitable to allow the business to survive on its own and not on needing a constant stream of investment to allow it to survive."
Project and business model
What is looking like an exceptional project and business model with huge scale for growth and expansion is an exciting venture for someone who has so much family history in the industry.
"This farm will consist of a minimum of 2000 square meters, containing a fully automated system where we can produce quality produce which will bring the flavour back to salads. We have the most advanced technology allowing us to track, trace, and control every element in our warehouses from any location in the world. We can do this by using our custom computer system which has all the control parameters integrated on-board to realize the required conditions from climate, CO2, irrigation to lights, and nutrition.
"This feedback will be presented in data and graphical overviews allowing us to make decisions according to the required circumstances, and then via dashboards, the required settings can be made. So, a unit in the UAE can be controlled from the UK and every measurement unit changed remotely. Our track and trace system will also allow me to see daily sowings, harvest, and sales from anywhere in the world, therefore allowing us to anticipate and measure every detail from seed to harvest. With all this data we can guarantee the perfect crop for every punnet.
"The exciting part of this technology is that it is constantly learning and adapting based on crop requirements and growing results in combination with our domain knowledge and AI. Our product line to start with will be a combination of baby leaf salads and triple head lettuce, we will then introduce other crops which we have run successful trials on. We can produce the same quality and quantity daily and this ensures a 365-day supply chain allowing the consumer to have confidence in our brand."
Partnering with other companies
Matthew has partnered LocalSalads with some of the largest horticultural leaders from commercial growing on large scale projects around the world. "We have joined together some of the best companies in the world of horticulture, each with decades of experience, to create a bespoke commercial grow system that is unique to the industry. The ability to fully understand the ins and outs of growing and supplying an exceptional standard of crop to supermarkets while reducing our impact on the environment is the most important factor to me."
Worldwide LocalSalads are currently seeking investment to establish a commercial warehouse and to begin their expansion phase.
For more information:
Worldwide LocalSalads
Matthew Dunling, CEO
matthew@localsalads.com
Publication date: Fri 14 Aug 2020
New Affiliates' Testbeds Project to Build Community Buildings From Discarded Architecture Models
New York City architecture studio New Affiliates has launched an initiative to reuse large-scale models for garden sheds and community spaces in the borough of Queens
July 31, 2020
New York City architecture studio New Affiliates has launched an initiative to reuse large-scale models for garden sheds and community spaces in the borough of Queens.
New Affiliates and architect and historian Samuel Stewart-Halevy created the Testbeds project to repurpose architecture models from luxury real estate projects in the city, which are often built of durable and high-end materials but soon discarded, and turn them into community projects like garden sheds and classrooms.
An architectural model envisioned for a narrow community garden in Manhattan
The concept was developed after they realized the similar sizes between such mockup structures and existing sheds around New York. They wanted to reuse the designs that typically go to waste for projects in underserved communities.
"While mockups often consist of high-end and resilient materials, they are usually discarded after undergoing a series of reviews," the team said. "A significant amount of waste results."
Testbeds has launched a pilot program with a gabled community center in Queens
The program is a way to funnel "architectural resources from New York's luxury real estate market to neighborhoods in the outer boroughs that have been historically disinvested," it added.
A pilot program is currently underway in Queens at Edgemere Coalition Community Garden with New York City Parks' GreenThumb division that supports over 550 gardens in the city.
The mockup model sourced from condominium building 30 Warren in Tribeca will be used to create a multipurpose building for the Queens center.
Renderings of the design show a gabled building with corrugated concrete panel walls and covered outdoor walkways that link a greenhouse, community room, and tool shed. A covered patio overlooks the garden, and a chain-link fence encloses the property.
One part of the building is clad in wood inside
"The idea that you could take a fragment from 100 feet up in the air in Tribeca and put it on the ground in the Far Rockaways and someone can actually walk up to it and access it and inhabit it is exciting to us," said New Affiliates.
The team is currently raising funds for construction for later this fall and is also seeking help to discover more models and build the projects. Another site is proposed for a garden in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan with a proposal to create a small white volume in a garden between two apartment buildings.
A portion of the model will be a new greenhouse
The Testbeds project provides an example of how to save waste from architectural and design construction. In a similar project in Senegal, a school was built using test facades originally created for a hospital.
Based in Brooklyn, New Affiliates is led by Ivi Diamantopoulou and Jaffer Kolb and in 2020, the studio was awarded the American Institute of Architects' New York New Practices Award. In addition to this project, the studio has also renovated Brooklyn loft with a plywood mezzanine and built an asymmetric cabin in Vermont.
Images are courtesy of Testbeds.
How Leafy Greens Growers Have Turned Food Safety Challenges Into Opportunities
Growing lettuce and other leafy greens in a controlled environment presents its own set of challenges and opportunities
July 30, 2020
Editor’s Note: This article is the second of a three-part series on food safety concerns in the production of leafy greens in a controlled environment.
Click here to check out Part One of the series, which covered the formation of the CEA Food Safety Coalition.
Growing lettuce and other leafy greens in a controlled environment presents its own set of challenges and opportunities. During United Fresh Live in June, Marni Karlin, Executive Director of the CEA Food Safety Coalition, moderated a discussion that outlined how indoor growers who make food safety a priority, rather than dismissing it as a problem unique to field-grown crops, can inadvertently create market opportunities for themselves. The panel featured growers of all types (greenhouses, vertical farms, and warehouses) and sizes. Here are a few insights from the discussion.
Don’t Overlook Irrigation and Growing Media
Jackie Hawkins, Senior Manager of Food Safety at BrightFarms, says irrigation water is likely potable if it comes from municipalities or wells. However, it can still be contaminated, so don’t assume it’s clean and forsake the necessary testing.“Test your incoming water, treat it if necessary, and test it again,” Hawkins says.
Growing media, as well, may not seem like a concern because many leafy greens producers are not growing in soil. “But the seeds might have been grown in media, so it’s important to do routine monitoring of your media as it comes into the greenhouse,” Hawkins says.
From Data Comes Solutions
Michael DeChellis, Co-Founder of Livingston Greens, a small indoor farm in Montana, says it’s critical for greenhouse producers to compile the data they’re able to collect from growing in a controlled environment to create a plan for developing a safer product.“
For small farms, working with other growers in the CEA Food Safety Coalition is a great opportunity,” DeChellis says. “Our members share data, and this culture of collaboration can help us identify ways to overcome challenges.”
For example, DeChellis cites a mold issue at Livingston Greens, which he addressed by using temperature and humidity data to highlight the problem area and the conditions that caused the problem.
Consider Design Upgrades
Simon Yevzelman, Managing Partner and Leader of Biosecurity at Planted Detroit, a vertical farm in the Motor City, says his company saw the concerns of food safety looming, so it opted to temporarily suspend production so it could enhance its production systems with food safety as a guiding principle.“
Thanks to those efforts, we are now in an expansion mode,” Yevzelman says.
Full Company Responsibility
Oscar Camacho, President of Superior Food Safety, a California-based consulting company, says any greenhouse production system should be designed to optimize best food safety practices.“
The system needs to work across the entire company,” Camacho says. “This means communication from one end of the production line to the other is critical.
Retailers and Consumers Care
Chris Livingston, General Counsel at Bowery Farming, a vertical farming company in New York, says the CEA Food Safety Coalition is currently developing a standard specific to controlled-environment production that addresses unique challenges such as water management and infrastructure.“
Our goal is to have a seal that members can use to show their customers they are complying with standards unique to our industry,” Livingston says. “We are also developing a research agenda based on food safety topics.”
Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series, which will focus on how the coronavirus pandemic added value to CEA-grown leafy greens.
This Week On Green Sense Show: Controlled Environment Agriculture
Featuring innovators that are changing the world with their sustainable ideas
As the Coronavirus touches nearly every aspect of life in nearly every part of the world, how we raise food continues to innovate.
Hear the interview with our longtime correspondent Chris Higgins of Urban Ag news as he talks about the latest developments in indoor farming- greenhouses and vertical farms and how they are presenting a solution to the food supply chain during this pandemic. #verticalfarming #greenhouses #sustainability
Is The Future of Farming Indoors?
The global population is predicted to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and to feed everyone, it’s estimated that global food production will need to increase by up to 70% in the next 30 years
July 14, 2020
Brian Kateman Contributor
I write about sustainable and ethical technology and consumer trends.
The global population is predicted to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 and to feed everyone, it’s estimated that global food production will need to increase by up to 70% in the next 30 years.
There are many challenges to overcome before fears of a worldwide food shortage can be allayed, including rising temperatures and more frequent droughts caused by global warming. These obstacles are making traditional farming methods increasingly inefficient and unpredictable.
Traditional farming has also been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the FAO, border closures, quarantines and disruptions to supply chains are limiting some people's access to food, especially in countries hit hard by the virus or already affected by high levels of food insecurity.
There’s an emerging consensus that the agriculture industry needs to adapt to use less water and chemicals, make crops less vulnerable to changes in the climate, and produce more reliable yields. Part of the answer may lie in the emerging start-ups growing produce in indoor environments, where growing conditions can be better managed.
The indoor farming technology market was valued at $23.75 billion in 2016, and is projected to reach $40.25 billion by 2022. Yields are typically much higher than traditional farming methods. Crops from indoor farming are grown in three dimensions, rather than two – and can be grown all year round, independent of external weather conditions.
Square Roots next-generation farmers growing basil. CRAIG VANDER LENDE
One of Square Roots’ indoor farms, for example, produces the same amount of food as a two- or three-acre farm annually, just from 340 square feet. This yield is achieved by growing plants at 90 degrees, and by using artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure the environment is optimal for each specific plant, including the day and night temperatures and amount of CO2 needed.
“Our indoor farms are living biosystems, constantly adapting to maintain optimal climates for growing specific crops. We’re then able to understand how changes in the climate can impact yield taste and texture,” says Tobias Peggs, Square Roots’ chief executive.
Not only could indoor farming help adapt to a warming planet, but it has the potential to help slow down climate change by being more sustainable – using less water and producing fewer emissions. While estimates vary widely, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, agriculture accounted for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2018; it is also highly dependent on, and a pollutant of, water.
Square Roots’ pop-up farms are built in shipping containers in cities, often in parking lots. They serve local communities, which means reduced emissions compared to traditional agriculture, which often involves transporting food much further. For example, it has 10 farms in Brooklyn that serve 100 retail stores all within five miles of the farm.
At the Plenty headquarters in South San Francisco, leafy greens use up one percent of the land and five percent of the water compared to traditional outdoor farms, says Matt Barnard, the start-up’s Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Founder.
AeroFarms’ indoor farm in New Jersey grows greens including baby kale, baby arugula, and baby watercress using 95% less water than conventional agriculture on just one percent of the land required. The crops grow under LED light with no pesticides and a fraction of the fertilizer used on traditional farms.
AeroFarms environmentally-controlled indoor farms can grow all year round independent of climate and ... [+] AEROFARMS
Marketing director Alina Zolotareva says being able to produce have ready-to-eat produce that doesn’t require rinsing helps to reduce water usage.
“This is a transformational innovation for agriculture at large,” she says, “as access to fresh water for growing food is one of the most pressing challenges of our time.”
As well as fewer miles and less water, indoor farming doesn’t require pesticides. This is better for the environment and human health as it eliminates the risk of water contamination due to run-off, and is in line with increasing consumer demand for non-GMO produce.
Plenty eliminates the need for pesticides with LED lights, which are synced with the crop’s growth, Barnard says, to provide the ideal spectrums and exposure and minimize energy usage.
“Our sensor system ensures each plant gets exactly the amount of purified water it needs, and any excess water is recycled through a closed-loop irrigation system resulting in greatly reduced water consumption and zero waste,” he says.
Nanobubbles super-saturates the water with oxygen, making the plant roots healthier. This promotes ... [+]
MOLEAER
Other farms are using nanobubble technology, such as Moleaer, which has allowed more than 100 indoor farms to connect their irrigation systems to generators that provide oxygen via sub-micron gas-containing cavities to the plant’s roots to provide chemical-free water. These nanobubbles result in healthier roots, more resilient plants, and increasing crop yields, says Nick Dyner, CEO of Moleaer.
“Our oxygen transfer efficiency provides the most cost-effective solution to elevate oxygen levels in the water, which in turn promotes beneficial bacteria and root development,” he says.
The company is also working on a new NASA-approved space farming research project, exploring how astronauts on the International Space Station can grow their own food in microgravity using nanobubble technology.
There are concerns that it’s an expensive investment, but Dyner says Moleaer has various systems so it’s accessible to all sizes of indoor farms, high- and low-tech. Some products do, however, require growers to connect an external source of oxygen, which must come from a gas supply company or an onsite oxygen generator, which Moleaer provides.
“In many cases, traditional farmers may have more to gain by using our technology, since the capital investment is significantly less than the most advanced growing technologies available today, which are often out of a typical farmer’s budget,” Dyner says.
“Nanobubble technology is a cost-effective, chemical-free, and scalable solution that allows growers to increase crop yields and shorten cultivation time - which will be much needed to feed our growing population in the future.”
Peggs says Square Roots is also focused on ensuring its technology makes farming an accessible career path for young people who live in urban areas.
“If you’re a new young farmer at Square Roots, our app will guide you through what to do; what’s growing, what state is in it, what do we need to do today based on where things are in the growth cycle. Through our app and our training program we’re able to bring new people into our team, even folks with zero horticulture experience, and get them ready to go in about six weeks.”
Indoor farming is putting the youth back in agriculture. PLENTY
But despite being an emerging option for youth in the city, Barnard predicts most will remain traditional farmers.
“The world still needs the field and will need the field forever. We support the field by growing in addition to the field. Over time, [indoor] farming systems will become more accessible and affordable. Both field and indoor farming will be necessary to support global food demand.”
Viraj Puri, Co-Founder, and CEO of Gotham Greens, a pioneer in urban indoor agriculture that operates over 500,000 square feet greenhouses in 5 U.S. states, echoes this sentiment: “Growing produce indoors certainly has an increasing role to play in the future of sustainable food production. While indoor farming may not represent the future of all fresh produce production, for certain types of crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens, and herbs, it will become more prevalent. Customers are increasingly recognizing the reliability, consistency, and high quality of greenhouse-grown produce that’s grown in close proximity to large population centers using fewer natural resources. Other agricultural commodities like grains or fruits or root vegetables, however, can’t yet be produced.”
However, Dyner predicts that, eventually, the majority of agriculture will move to indoors, in vertical farms— the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers—in urban areas.
“These settings enable traditional farming to shift to controlled growing conditions, using new technology and automation, and reducing the risk of exposure to harsh climate conditions,” he says.
Plenty's goal is to build vertical farms in urban hubs and distribute each farm’s harvest locally ... [+]
PLENTY
Start-ups like Square Roots, Plenty, and AeroFarms currently practice vertical farming, which is a form of indoor farming that relies on artificial lighting such as LEDs instead of drawing on natural sunlight.
Other indoor farming companies like Gotham Greens grow produce in high-tech glass-clad greenhouses that primarily rely on natural sunlight for plant photosynthesis. According to Puri: “vertical farming is a more nascent technology within the indoor farming sector and the costs of running a vertical farm with artificial lighting and air conditioning is currently not as cost-effective as relying on natural sunlight in greenhouses.”
Gotham Greens takes a different approach, relying on natural sunlight rather than the artificial ... [+]
GOTHAM GREENS AND JULIE MCMAHON
“Greenhouse indoor farming technology has been in operation globally for 20 to 30 years and is proven to be commercially viable. That being said, the costs around artificial lighting and other vertical farming technologies have been coming down significantly in the past few years,” he adds.
Nonetheless, indoor farm technology start-ups, broadly speaking, don’t see themselves as disruptive, but as being on the same side of traditional farms, for the wider cause.
“The common enemy is the industrial food system, shipping food from one part of the world to the other, rather than locally produced food,” Peggs says.
Indoor farms don’t work in competition with each other, either; they work collaboratively by forming a network that shares data. For example, AeroFarms is collecting data on a research project with the non-profit Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research to understand the sensory and nutritional characteristics of leafy greens for the benefit of the entire agriculture industry.
However traditional and AI-based indoor farming work together in the future, there’s little doubt that indoor farming is helping to meet the needs of a growing global population and support traditional farming, which is both at the mercy of and exacerbating a warming planet. Only one method will find itself in space – but there’s space for them both.
I am co-founder and president of the Reducetarian Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing consumption of animal products.
Lead Photo: The world’s current agricultural practices are unsustainable, and indoor farming may offer solutions ... [+] PLENTY
Calculating Optimal Equipment And a Settings, Before The Greenhouse is Built
“Our software calculates the best configuration of a closed greenhouse for any crop all over the world,” says Vincent Stauffer, director of Hortinergy, a French technology company
“Our software calculates the best configuration of a closed greenhouse for any crop all over the world,” says Vincent Stauffer, director of Hortinergy, a French technology company. It’s mostly used before the construction of a closed greenhouse to select and size the equipment. It helps to make sure that the right choices for energy-efficient equipment are made to reach the optimal climate with the lowest energy expenditures.
The greenhouse simulation software calculates energy consumption and expenditures (cooling, dehumidification, heating, and lighting). It models the inner climate like a virtual greenhouse, with specific parameters, and allows users to compare different technical solutions. Growers, consultants, and greenhouse designers use the software to know what the best settings and equipment are.
Orange Climate
Orange Climate, a Dutch supplier of climate technique, uses Hortinergy software to calculate the demands for the installation. Jeroen Verhagen, Business Unit Manager at the company talks about how the product works for them. “We have to know how many kiloWatts of heating and cooling we need, to have the requested greenhouse conditions, and we can calculate that with Hortinergy.”
When the company first started using the software, there were some issues and questions. “Vincent really cooperated with us on this, we discussed via Teams. He is very involved in the process.” Sustainable climate solutions for greenhouses and special concepts can be a big save in energy. “With Hortinergy, we can calculate what can be saved.”
For more information:
Hortinergy
contact@hortinergy.com
www.hortinergy.com
Publication date: Fri 3 Jul 2020
Author: Marlies Guiljam
© HortiDaily.com
Chicago-Area Greenhouse BrightFarms Expands As Pandemic Fuels Demand For Local Lettuce, Spinach and Other Greens
BrightFarms’ Rochelle greenhouse, which annually supplies 1 million pounds of lettuce, spinach, arugula, basil and other greens to Mariano’s and other regional grocery stores, is increasing production by 40% by adding more hydroponic ponds to the two-acre facility, CEO Steve Platt said
CHICAGO TRIBUNE | JULY 07, 2020
Silvia Penaran grabs a handful of spring mix to pack in a container at BrightFarms on July 1, 2020, in Rochelle. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
BrightFarms is boosting capacity at its Chicago-area greenhouse as the pandemic-driven rise in cooking at home fuels demand for locally grown greens.
BrightFarms’ Rochelle greenhouse, which annually supplies 1 million pounds of lettuce, spinach, arugula, basil and other greens to Mariano’s and other regional grocery stores, is increasing production by 40% by adding more hydroponic ponds to the two-acre facility, CEO Steve Platt said.
BrightFarms was seeing year-over-year sales growth of about 20% before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., but in March and April growth jumped to 40% as stay-at-home orders set in and customers flocked to grocery stores, Platt said. The at-home cooking trend has remained steady, with growth now leveled out above 30%.
“We’re seeing really great demand,” said Platt, whose company, based in Irvington, New York, has other greenhouses in Northern Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania and is building one in North Carolina. “The pandemic has supercharged that.”
Baby romaine lettuce fills sections of the greenhouse at BrightFarms on July 1, 2020, in Rochelle. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Greens grown indoors, either in sprawling sunlit greenhouses or under artificial lights in vertical farms, occupy a tiny niche of the market. But they have been gaining popularity in recent years in the Midwest as consumers opt for more local, pesticide-free produce that doesn’t travel thousands of miles from California or Arizona farms to reach their dinner plates.
In addition to addressing environmental and freshness concerns, growing year-round in a controlled environment guards against bacterial contamination that lead to illness and recalls.
Local greenhouses had an advantage as demand from grocery stores surged during the rush to stockpile food during the pandemic because they could pivot quickly while some of the large operators of field-grown produce couldn’t get enough product to stores shelves quickly enough, Platt said.
“When the customers needed product we were able to deliver it,” Platt said. BrightFarms added 800 stores to its distribution this year and now has 2,000 customers nationwide, he said.
Angelica Vasquez cleans the floors at BrightFarms in Rochelle on July 1, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
In Chicago, locally grown greens represented 11.5% of the tender leaf packaged salad market during the first half of this year, up from 9.4% last year and 7.9% in 2018, according to data from the market research firm SPINS provided by Bright Farms. Nationally the share is much lower, at 3.2%.
The growing interest fits with a broader trend toward more premium foods, with people willing to pay more for products they perceive as healthier. A clamshell of BrightFarms romaine or spinach is $2.99, twice the cost of the cheapest option though on par with field-grown organic produce, Platt said.
But Platt attributes the growth not only to consumer demand but also retailer demand, as stores try to avoid the disruption of recalls. Last month certain bagged garden salads from Jewel-Osco, Aldi, Hy-Vee, and Walmart were recalled due to suspected contamination of cyclospora, a bacteria found in human feces, and E. coli illnesses have prompted mass recalls of romaine lettuce in recent years.
Other indoor growers also are expanding in response to increased demand.
Gotham Greens last year more than doubled its capacity to serve the Chicago area when it opened a new 100,000-square-foot greenhouse in Pullman, a stone’s throw from its existing 75,000-square-foot greenhouse on the roof of the Method soap manufacturing plant.
MightyVine, which grows hydroponic tomatoes in a greenhouse in Rochelle, is doubling its footprint to 30 acres.
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz covers the food industry for the Chicago Tribune's business section. Prior beats include workplace issues, the retail sector and lifestyle features, plus stints at RedEye, the Daily Herald and the City News Service. Alexia grew up in Washington, D.C., and has her degree in international relations from Brown University.
Ground Broken on New Hydroponic Facility To Serve The Marginalized Communities in Torrington CT.
The mission of the farm is to provide entry-level, safe, clean “green jobs” to members of the community
Published on July 6, 2020
Joe Swartz
Vice President/Lead Horticulturalist at AmHydro - 36 years as Controlled Environment Ag Consultant and Commercial Grower
June 30, 2020, was an exciting day for the local Connecticut organization, New Opportunities. http://www.newoppinc.org/ After years of planning, the ground was broken on a new hydroponic farm project called "CT Food4Thought" that is going to bring fresh, nutritious, pesticide-free food to local food banks, shelters, soup kitchens, and schools to communities throughout Connecticut. In addition to that, the farm will also supply retail grocery stores and co-ops with fresh produce as a way to generate income for programs through selling the produce grown. New Opportunities partnered with industry-leading Controlled Environment Agriculture Technology company AmHydro of Arcata, CA. (https://amhydro.com/ )
The groundbreaking marked the start of three greenhouses, containing AmHydro’s soilless hydroponic growing systems, being constructed in partner with Borghesi Engineering with plans to expand up to 12 greenhouses in the future. AmHydro VP Joe Swartz and the Commercial Growing Team at AmHydro will provide on-going support and grower training to ensure a successful project and economic sustainability.
New Opportunities is a social service organization that serves marginalized and low-income communities throughout Connecticut. The mission of the farm is to provide entry-level, safe, clean “green jobs” to members of the community. Specifically, CT Food4Thought wants to offer these job opportunities to those with developmental disabilities, those who have been previously incarcerated, and those who are unemployed as a way to provide a path to higher-level employment opportunities in both this industry and others, such as: the field of nutrition, food safety, environmental management, and horticulture.
Dr. James H. Gatling, Ph.D., CEO of New Opportunities, speaks prior to breaking ground.
New Opportunities Foundation had a vision and worked directly with hydroponic industry leader AmHydro to develop the most optimum growing system and production methods available. This hydroponic farm will use 90% less water than conventional field agriculture and will be able to produce more than 10 times the amount of produce that traditional growing methods yield. The farm will also be able to operate year-round due to the environmental controls inside the greenhouse that can simulate the perfect growing conditions for plants even in the dead of winter. This will allow people in Connecticut to have access to fresh, local produce all year in comparison to the normal outdoor growing season in the area that lasts approximately 120 days.
Bill Rybczyk, New Opportunities, Joe Swartz, AmHydro, Jon Jensen, the Corporate Advisory at the project site this Spring.
AmHydro is proud to partner with New Opportunities on their new project CT Food4Thought and is excited to continue to be a part of and support the project through providing training to members of New Opportunities and members of the community.
Quote, from Bill Rybczyk, Director of Research, Planning, and Development for New Opportunities Inc : “We’re planting seeds for lettuce and other herbs, but we’re also planting seeds into people’s lives, and they can then take that, and they begin to grow….and that impacts not only their lives but their children’s lives and their grandchildren’s lives into the future…..and that’s what this project is all about."
For more information, please contact Joe Swartz, VP, AmHydro at Joe@AmHydro.com
Published by
Vice President/Lead Horticulturalist at AmHydro - 36 years as Controlled Environment Ag Consultant and Commercial Grower
Please check out this amazing project that American Hydroponics is proud to be a part of. New Opportunities will be producing fresh, pesticide-free food, local "green jobs," and economic empowerment to marginalized communities.
Truly wonderful. hashtag#LocalFood hashtag#LocalFarms hashtag#WeGotThis hashtag#HelpingOthers hashtag#SustainableFarming
Focusing On The French Market With Turnkey Greenhouse Projects
"Sustainability is really a theme in France," says Richard van Dijk with HortiNed. The company is focused on the French market, although they do projects in other countries as well.
"Sustainability is really a theme in France," says Richard van Dijk with HortiNed. The company is focused on the French market, although they do projects in other countries as well. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the concrete was poured at a 4-hectare project in Nîmes. Hortined prefers to do the whole project, from greenhouse and heating to screening and gutters.
French market
In the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pricing in France was under a lot of pressure. There was a great deal of uncertainty on the market for, among others, vegetables, flowers and plants. "France always needs some import to meet the demand, and little goes abroad."
"The French appreciate the French product more than the Dutch appreciate the Dutch product," explains Richard. "French people like to eat food from their own country." The country tries to keep its own market up, by putting only French products in the supermarkets. The pricing is influenced positively by this, and most vegetable growers have been able to have decent results. The flower and ornamental industry has been hit pretty hard, though.
The projects were allowed to continue during the corona crisis, luckily. With the necessary adjustments, forms were required, for instance, and extra obligations had to be met. "Fortunately we were in regions where the virus didn't hit as hard as in other regions." In the cafeteria, everyone had to sit a bit further apart and cleaning was done more often. The projects are large and spacious, and everything is outside, which makes it easier to work further apart. "We did let the local security officer check everything."
Projects
A good example of sustainability in the French projects is also the project which HortiNed did in Égletons. HortiNed took care of the greenhouse, the heating and the screening here, in cooperation with French company Divatec. The project is run by two young growers and an experienced one who already runs a project nearby. Tomatoes are grown here, and at the end of 2019, it was time for the first harvest. "At least one, probably two seasons will be grown here, and then the next 4 hectares will be built." There's air treatment units in the greenhouse, that ensure that the customer can efficiently manage the climate and dehumidify.
Residual heat
The greenhouse in Égletons is connected to a waste incineration plant. "Up until now, most of the heat from the plant was not used, but now we can heat the greenhouse with it." There still is a boiler room at the company, but that's only used as a back-up, or when the incineration plant is in maintenance. In France, it's quite common to connect greenhouse projects to residual heat, for instance geothermal, waste heat, or wood boilers. A project like this, with a waste incineration plant, is also not uncommon. "With our heating experts, we can determine what the best way of using the heat is, and prepare and execute this technically. With this, we help clients as much as possible."
Brittany
HortiNed also recently started with a new project in Brittany. "That wasn't easy, the labor inspection didn't allow the start of the work due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We sat around the table with them and explained the situation, upon which they allowed us to start. That is the advantage of focusing on a certain market, we know the people and where we have to go, which enables us to take care of these kinds of cases more easily. That is good for the customer and for us."
The project in Brittany is also four hectares in size. It is an existing nursery of eight hectares, of which half will be removed by greenhouse demolishing company Olsthoorn. This will be recycled, and four hectares will be built back.
For more information:
HortiNedJogchem van der Houtweg 5
2678 AG De Lier
The Netherlands
info@hortined.nl
www.hortined.com
Publication date: Mon 29 Jun 2020
Author: Marlies Guiljam
© HortiDaily.com
Food Insecurity Rates Vary Across States
USDA monitors the extent of food insecurity in U.S. households at the national and State levels through an annual U.S. Census Bureau survey
USDA monitors the extent of food insecurity in U.S. households at the national and State levels through an annual U.S. Census Bureau survey. Food-insecure households are defined as those that had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all of their members due to a lack of resources.
Food insecurity rates vary across States because of differing characteristics of the population, State-level policies, and economic conditions. Data for 2016-18 were combined to provide more reliable State statistics than one year alone would provide.
The estimated prevalence of food insecurity during 2016-18 ranged from 7.8 percent of the households in New Hampshire to 16.8 percent in New Mexico with a national average of 11.7 percent. In 12 States, the prevalence of food insecurity was higher than the 2016-18 national average, and in 16 States, it was lower than the national average. In the remaining 22 States and the District of Columbia, differences from the national average were not statistically significant.
This map appears in the Food Security and Nutrition Assistance section of the Economic Research Service’s Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials.
Horti Daily | Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Hort Americas Expands Services With Canadian Branche
Supported by GE Current’s grow lights, designed and engineered in Montreal, Hort Americas Canada has the resources and knowledge to enhance production capacity in vertical farms and greenhouses
Speaking French and English
An exciting new step for Hort Americas. Since 2009 the company, headquartered in Bedford, Texas, has been providing leading knowledge in commercial hydroponic production, vertical farming, greenhouse production, urban agriculture specifically on topics like engineered substrates, fertilizers and LED grow lights.
Now they cross borders and expand their business with a Canadian branche. The new local team in Montreal will help Canadian growers out. "We're providing local support on horticultural lighting, growing systems and whatever growers might be dealing with. Either in French or in English", the team says.
The team explains how the Quebec expansion and their physical presence in Canada is their effort to deliver the best personalized service for growers across the border. "Our Canadian team will offer the same value-added services and products while bringing to the table deep technical skills in horticulture lighting solutions", they say.
Supported by GE Current’s grow lights, designed and engineered in Montreal, Hort Americas Canada has the resources and knowledge to enhance production capacity in vertical farms and greenhouses. "Our team advises and supports growers with their projects through light plans, design optimization, energy savings evaluation and crop-specific DLI and spectrum selection."
Hort Americas Canada also partners with Grodan by distributing their stone wool growing media solutions. "We are pleased to work with a team who is dedicated to creating the optimal environment for roots resulting in healthy and strong plants. In fact, most recently, Grodan launched the new NG2.0 substrate technology optimizing yield growth while using less water, nutrients and space," says the team.
"We're passionate about horticulture and strive to assist growers in their quest for hydroponic solutions enhancements and technology advancements. If that is in English, or if it is in French!"
For more information:
Hort Americas Canada+1 438 521 3752
canada@hortamericas.com
www.hortamericas.com
Publication date: Mon 25 May 2020
Dr. Anu Rangarajan From Cornell University Joins The GLASE Webinar Series - Thursday, June 18 - 2 PM EDT
CEA Workforce Development Study: What Makes a Successful Indoor Farmer Operations Manager?
June 12, 2020
The National Science Foundation-funded research project entitled “Strategic FEW (food, energy, water) and Workforce Investments to Enhance Viability of Controlled Environment Agriculture in Metropolitan Areas” (CEA Viability in Metro Areas) seeks to help the CEA industry develop a skilled workforce that will allow it to scale.
As part of this project, Anu Rangarajan’s team has conducted research to understand the workforce/labor needs of the broader hydroponics industry (greenhouse and indoor vertical farms). The project has surveyed dozens of stakeholders. In 2019, twelve industry members were brought together in an intensive Designing a Curriculum (DACUM) workshop whereby participants reflected on the skill sets required to be an Indoor Farm Operations Manager.
The chart is currently being reviewed by peer growers worldwide, who are being asked to respond to how important each skill set is and how frequently it is conducted. Based on stakeholder input the chart will be used as a starting point for prioritizing training modules.
Next, a deeper analysis of each skill will be conducted in order to translate this research into a teachable vocational curriculum. In this presentation, we will share preliminary research findings, outline our ongoing efforts to develop a solid empirical basis for CEA workforce development training programs and invite GLASE webinar audience members to participate in this important study.
Title: CEA Workforce Development Study: What Makes a Successful Indoor Farmer Operations Manager?
Date: June 18, 2020
Time: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. EST
Presented by: Anu Rangarajan and Whyte Marschall
Click here to register
Erico Mattos
Executive Director
Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE)
Phone: +1 302-290-1560
Email: em796@cornell.edu
TAGS Business GLASE Greenhouse Greenhouse Technology Indoor Farming Technology
Vertical Farming webinar
Special thanks to our Industry partners
Indoor Soilless Agriculture Could Supplement US Food Supply While Decreasing Environmental Impact of Food Production
WWF Report Examines the Environmental and Economic Viability of Scaling Indoor Agriculture Systems
WWF Report Examines the Environmental and Economic Viability of Scaling Indoor Agriculture Systems
WASHINGTON, DC – WEBWIRE
May 18, 2020
The Markets Institute at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released an Innovation Analysis examining the environmental impact of various systems of indoor soilless farming. These systems include hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics in greenhouse and vertical settings. At scale, this method of farming could have positive effects on the environment by decreasing pressures on land, biodiversity, natural habitat, and climate. However, the industry also faces hurdles that prevent it from moving beyond its current specialization in high-end leafy greens.
“Indoor soilless farming could have a significant impact on how we grow food in the future, in certain categories. Right now we are looking at whether or not it can be viable—both economically and environmentally—to grow more fruits and vegetables in these systems at a large scale,” said Julia Kurnik, director of innovation start-ups at WWF’s Markets Institute. “If we can address the challenges and make this happen, it could be a real game-changer for communities that do not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables for much of the year, or places that are food insecure.”
While these systems make efficient use of land and water, the energy footprint from lighting and cooling can depending on the local energy source, increase the overall environmental footprint. Indoor soilless farming is also considerably more expensive than traditional agriculture. However, there are several innovations under development that could significantly change the cost and environmental footprint to drastically alter the mid-to-long-term viability of the industry. These include progress in lighting, fiber optics, AI and machine learning, gene editing, renewable energy, co-location and co-generation, and waste and recycling.
The report details the next phase of the project, which aims to help solve the challenges identified in phase I. WWF will explore using stranded assets—large infrastructure investments such as power plants and postal hubs that have depreciated in value but will continue to be used in a limited capacity for 10-50 years—and build a robust coalition of local partners, including The Yield Lab Institute, to launch a pilot farming system in St. Louis.
“The Yield Lab Institute, working with World Wildlife Fund and the McDonnell Foundation, is proud to be a part of a distinguished, local team of community volunteers who are working to bring local, indoor and sustainable food production to the St. Louis area,” said Thad Simons, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Yield Lab Institute. “It will also spark innovation among our ag-tech entrepreneurs and is intended to provide access to nutritious food to the underserved areas of our community.”
What's In Store For The Horticulture Industries After COVID-19?
Mariska Dreschler (GreenTech) and Annie van de Riet (AVAG, Association of the Dutch greenhouse construction and technology industry), discuss how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the greenhouse sector, and what is the outlook for the industry.
The current status of the several horticulture industries and EU projects
How long will we feel the consequences in the greenhouse industries
What measures should be taken now and in the future
Where do the opportunities lie for the horticulture industries
How are the chains affected and how will they need to change
For more information:
GreenTech
www.greentech.nl
By Horti Daily | May 5, 2020
This Vertical Farm Idea Promotes Beekeeping, Aquaponics and Algae Production. Can It Take Off in Asia?
Instead of salad vegetables, French designer Nicolas Abdelkader’s Superfarm would produce a wide range of food such as honey, fish, insects and algae. The structure will be sited on water so as not to compete for land in cities.
Instead of salad vegetables, French designer Nicolas Abdelkader’s Superfarm would produce a wide range of food such as honey, fish, insects and algae. The structure will be sited on water so as not to compete for land in cities.
In the wake of last year’s fire that tore through France’s Notre Dame Cathedral, design studio founder Nicolas Abdelkader was one of many designers and architects who came up with ideas for a new spire and roof for the Parisian landmark.
He proposed turning the top of the iconic cathedral into a greenhouse complete with beehives.
Now, Abdelkader has come up with an idea for vertical urban farms of the future. Instead of producing salad vegetables, his vertical farms would produce a wide range of food with high nutritional value such as honey, fish, insects and algae.
The Superfarm project would also strive to recreate an ecosystem in an urban environment through features such as beekeeping and an aquaponics system.
Fish such as tilapia would be reared in a recirculating aquaculture system where water is largely reused after treatment. The waste produced by fish would be used as nutrients for plants.
Algae such as spirulina and chlorella would be produced in bioreactors, and plants such as goji berries, aloe vera and ginseng would be grown. The farm would be powered by wind and solar energy.
Consumers would be able to buy produce directly from the farm and deliveries to households, restaurants and other customers can be done on tricycles, Abdelkader said in his pitch.
The French national is still refining the idea to make it more economical, consume less energy and use less raw materials in its construction. The six-storey structure, 12 metres in both length and width, will be sited on water in order not to compete for land in cities. It is likely to be anchored in the seabed but a floating farm might be possible, he said.
Asked where the Superfarm might be sited, Paris-based Abdelkader said it would ideally be set up in a “sufficiently populated coastal city” in places such as Scandinavia, the United States or Asia.
The varieties of plants and animals cultivated on the farm would also be adapted to the places in which it is set up.
“Superfarm could be a real game-changer for coastal cities, I am sure,” said Abdelkader, who is self-taught. He worked first as a designer and then a project manager for various architectural agencies, gaining experience in complex engineering projects before founding Superfarm a few months ago.
Urban farms have emerged as one of the solutions to boost food security, promote the farm-to-table movement and make better use of available pockets of land, such as rooftops, in cities. Urban farming and the shoring up of local food supply have also gained prominence as global supply chains are disrupted by coronavirus-induced lockdowns and border closures.
Abdelkader declined to provide a cost estimate for the Superfarm project. “For the time being we have been approached by potential investors, especially in the Gulf countries but I cannot say more at this stage,” he said.
Asked about the feasibility of the project in Southeast Asia, fish farmer Shannon Lim said the concept may not produce enough food economically on a commercial scale.
Going by Superfarm’s illustrations, he reckoned it would be able to produce a maximum of a few tonnes of food a year.
The idea “definitely works as far as fish production goes”, said Lim, the owner of Singapore firm OnHand Agrarian, which operates and provides consultancy on land and sea-based farms. “But it would have to be cheap freshwater fish that Asia already produces in abundance. Whether or not it’ll have enough plant mass to capture all the nitrogen compounds the fish produce is questionable.”
Lim felt the Superfarm concept would work better as part of an integrated office building that produces food for employees at an in-house café.
“It looks like a great live-work-play space that can customise production of different types of food. It would be a shame to not have it as part of a business ecosystem,” he said.
By Neo Chai Chin | Eco-Business | May 8, 2020
Nature Fresh Farms Proudly Announces The Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre
The Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex is a multi-use facility used by the public for sports, fitness, and community events
Leamington, ON (May 14th, 2020) – On Tuesday, May 12, 2020, the Municipality of Leamington approved sponsorship and naming rights for Leamington’s recreational complex to Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre.
Nature Fresh Farms is a greenhouse grower with over 200 acres of greenhouse facilities. Growing in the Leamington community for the past 20 years, Nature Fresh Farms has become one of the largest independent, vertically integrated greenhouse vegetable farms in North America. Along with their new partnership with the Municipality of Leamington, the current Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex will now be named the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre, helping to support the programs and activities offered at the complex.
Nature Fresh Farms is thrilled by the renaming and their future involvement with the facility. “Our partnership with the recreational complex fits perfectly with our ideals of promoting a healthy lifestyle and nutritional eating,” shared Vice President, John Ketler. “We are thrilled to support a centre that is committed to providing the community with services and programs encouraging healthy and active lifestyles.”
John Ketler, Vice President, Nature Fresh Farms
The Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex is a multi-use facility used by the public for sports, fitness, and community events. The 179,000 square foot facility, originally opened in 1985, has a 25-metre swimming pool; two ice rinks; a full gymnasium; fitness studio, training rooms, and meeting rooms, including a variety of programs for all ages available to the public.
Peter Quiring, Founder and President, Nature Fresh Farm
“As a family-run business, we understand the value of family and the importance of community facilities that help bring them together,” said Founder and President, Peter Quiring. “The recreation centre is the heart of a town, a place for the community to gather for sports and activities and enjoy each other’s company. It is an important part of our community and we’re very excited to be a part of it.”
The sponsorship by Nature Fresh Farms was confirmed by Leamington officials Tuesday evening.
“We are very pleased to partner with Nature Fresh Farms,” said Mayor Hilda MacDonald. “Our recreation complex is a vital gathering place for Leamington residents, and with the support of Nature Fresh Farms, we will be able to enhance recreational offerings for the community in a facility they’ll be excited to use.”
-30-
About Nature Fresh Farms -
Continuously expanding, Nature Fresh Farms has become one of the largest independent, vertically integrated greenhouse vegetable farms in North America. As a year-round grower with farms in Leamington, ON, Delta, OH, and Mexico, Nature Fresh Farms prides itself on consistently delivering exceptional flavor and quality to key retailers throughout North America, while continuing to innovate and introduce more viable and sustainable growing and packaging solutions.
SOURCE: Nature Fresh Farms | info@naturefresh.ca T: 519 326 1111 | www.naturefresh.ca
Superior Fresh's Brandon Gottsacker Discusses Future of Leafy Greens
At just 34 years old, Brandon’s journey to the sector is impressive. Taken under the wing of renowned scientist, Dr. Steve Summerfelt, Brandon traveled the world, learning various aspects of aquaculture and hydroponics. Returning to Wisconsin, he quickly began developing Superior Fresh alongside Todd and Karen Wanek
Tue. May 12th, 2020
- by Anne Allen
NORTHFIELD, WI - Although I have only been writing about the produce industry for just over two years, I’ve seen some truly incredible things. The word innovation holds more weight for me now, and I take care when I use it. But nothing quite prepared me for the innovative minds behind Superior Fresh, a one-of-a-kind aquaponics operation in the heart of Wisconsin. Using the nutrients from its Atlantic salmon farm to grow—what I personally can attest to—superior organic leafy greens, this up-and-coming company is about to take the produce industry by storm. I had the opportunity to sit down with Brandon Gottsacker, President, to learn more about how this company is changing the way the world grows food.
At just 34 years old, Brandon’s journey to the sector is impressive. Taken under the wing of renowned scientist, Dr. Steve Summerfelt, Brandon traveled the world, learning various aspects of aquaculture and hydroponics. Returning to Wisconsin, he quickly began developing Superior Fresh alongside Todd and Karen Wanek.
Brandon Gottsacker, President, Superior Fresh, LLC“
Todd and Karen lived overseas for many years and were fortunate to see first-hand how food is grown and how unsustainable certain methods of agriculture can be. They wanted to make a difference in the daily lives of so many people by ensuring a clean and healthy food supply and working to fix our broken food system. My passion for aquaculture and their vision for sustainable food led us to develop Superior Fresh. Our mission is to bring the best products to market. They procured some farmland in Northfield, Wisconsin, with this vision in mind. While they were at it, they wanted to restore the surrounding land to its native habitat of prairie, savanna, and woodlands,” Brandon told me.
Next to Superior Fresh’s organic greenhouse lies its fish house, in which nearly 600,000 Atlantic salmon swim in clean, fresh water being fed a non-GMO organic diet. Through a closed-loop water system, water from the fish is cleaned and filtered to remove impurities while maintaining its nutrient-rich benefits. The water is next circulated to the greenhouse, where plants absorb those benefits and the clean water is returned to the fish house. The two operate in a symbiotic fashion where they act as each other’s cover crop in an extremely efficient model.
Utilizing responsible, sustainable methods, the team behind Superior Fresh grows certified-organic produce that adheres to the highest food safety standards
“We focused on creating value from what otherwise is considered a waste stream in the world of aquaculture,” Brandon explained. “Utilizing the nutrient-rich water from the fish gives us the ability to grow high-quality, certified organic vegetables. We’re using 1/30 the amount of water in comparison to soil farming, growing the healthiest, best-tasting products while restoring the surrounding ecosystem.”
Although Superior Fresh is a relatively new company—its farm was built in 2017—it already has its eyes set toward expansion. Currently, the company has two phases of greenhouses with six acres under glass.
Superior Fresh continues to advance its operations through partnerships, such as its distribution deal with c-store Kwik Trip
“Our phase three greenhouse is an additional seven acres, which will bring us to thirteen acres total and continue to bump our production of certified organic leafy greens,” Brandon noted. “What's nice about our facility is that everything is very consistent. We're harvesting organic product from our greenhouses daily, and we do that year-round. If we're harvesting out of our facility every day, it should be getting to the consumer every day. We want to make sure that the end consumer gets the best quality product possible and get the benefit from a maximum shelf life. That's a huge bonus to being local.”
One of Superior Fresh’s first customers was indeed close to home, as it supplied its products to c-store Kwik Trip.
Superior Fresh has two phases of greenhouses with six acres under glass and is working on its phase three greenhouse, which will add another seven
“There are a lot of small towns in Wisconsin, which means that quite a few people rely on places like Kwik Trip for their food. Being able to provide organic products that are fresh, healthy, and delicious to so many consumers that would normally have to drive many miles to get that opportunity speaks volumes to the mission of Superior Fresh,” Brandon remarked.
Brandon’s enthusiasm for sustainable, organic farming is infectious and led us to a discussion about regenerative ag reimagined and what the company's next steps are. (Hint: We're diving into which new products Superior Fresh is trialing.) Intrigued? Stick around next week for Part Two of our discussion—you won’t want to miss it.
Superior Fresh
Successful CSA Strategies For Small Farms
With grocery store shelves empty in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, customers all around the United States are beginning to consider their regional food systems in a new light
BY ALLIE HYMAS
With grocery store shelves empty in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, customers all around the United States are beginning to consider their regional food systems in a new light.
“We have never seen this kind of demand,” Vera Fabian of Ten Mothers Farm near Hillsborough, North Carolina, says. “If ever there was a time to be getting into the CSA business, this would be the moment.”
For the last ten years, Fabian and her husband, Gordon Jenkins, have been raising organic vegetables using the Community Supported Agriculture model. Today, Ten Mothers Farm supplies boxes of vegetables on a seasonal subscription basis to 184 households, and they’re pleased with how this format has allowed them to feed their local community, both in good times and bad. “Something that gives me hope in this time is that people are trying to figure out how to have more resilient communities, whether we’re talking about climate change or the coronavirus.”
Ten Mothers Farm’s CSA strategy and offers timely lessons for farmers who wish to build their business around this model and those who simply want to try this approach to reach customers during the stressors of a health crisis. For Fabian, running a CSA is more than just a method of moving her products. “We are more motivated than ever to feed more people and spread the word. If more businesses were run like a CSA then the world would be in a different place!”
Gordon Jenkins, Vera Fabian and Luke Howerter run Ten Mothers Farm. Photo credit: Scott Kelly.
The Ten Mothers Farm Story
The Ten Mothers Farm website explains their name: “there’s an old saying from India that ‘garlic is as good as ten mothers,’ which to us means that food is medicine, as nourishing and powerful as ten whole mothers.” Having met as employees at the Edible Schoolyard in Berkley, a school started by Alice Waters, Fabian, and Jenkins bonded over a mutual love for cooking and an interest in farming, both as a means of social justice and for supplying food.
While Jenkins’ food journey began in the restaurant industry, Fabian discovered gardening with the intent to participate in agricultural relief work in sub-Saharan Africa.
“I wanted to save the world, but simultaneously I found that I loved cooking, which felt like a frivolous thing, and I felt conflicted between the two of them,” Fabian says. “I studied abroad in West Africa in a women’s garden cooperative and I observed these women solving these huge problems of hunger and education through growing food.” Upon her return, Fabian was gripped with the sense that organic agriculture would be her opportunity to make an impact. “I thought maybe my love of food and desire to fix problems could come together.”
The couple took a diligent, methodical approach to begin their farming journey. After working for food-related nonprofits for five years, Fabian and Jenkins took their saved resources and years of research and apprenticed themselves to Bob Cannard at Green String Farm and then to Eliot Coleman at Four Seasons Farm.
“These were two farmers that we really looked up to and knew we would get a great education from. We learned a ton and shook the city life off,” Fabian says.
Having weighed their options between finding land in Jenkins’ home state of California and Fabian’s of North Carolina, the couple chose the more affordable land prices and water accessibility of North Carolina and spent two years working at Maple Spring Gardens, learning how to farm there.
In 2015 Fabian and Jenkins felt prepared to start their own operation and began renting land from a local family. “For our first three years we started really small,” Fabian says. “Farming is definitely an expression of your personality, and we are pretty careful, methodical people. Farming is so risky and we wanted to reduce as much of the risk as possible.” With Fabian working halftime off their farm for a nonprofit agricultural organization serving refugees from Burma, the initial Ten Mothers Farm endeavor was rolled out with the bigger timeline in mind. “We had thought we would be a market farm, but the markets around here are difficult to get into, so we said ‘Okay, I guess we’ll be a CSA!’” Fabian says. Having operated the CSA successfully for five years, she is grateful that circumstances dictated this model for this business. “It’s especially great during this moment in time!”
“We started with 34 CSA families, and we’ve gradually increased it as we felt ready,” Fabian says. Ten Mothers Farms served 54 households the second year, 74 the third year, followed by 125, and this year they will feed 180 families. “We sold a little bit to restaurants too, but the demand for the CSA has felt strong, so over time we’ve focused more on the CSA and less on restaurants.”
Junie with the whole farm and rows of green in early November. Photo credit: Scott Kelly.
Collaborative Land Purchasing Success
The first iteration of Ten Mothers Farm was on a rented quarter acre. “It was really just a big garden,” Fabian says. “Those first three years we stayed at a quarter acre — but we got better, so we were able to grow more food.” Throughout Ten Mothers Farm’s early years Fabian and Jenkins were searching for land in a pricey real estate market. Aware that they could access a more suitable property by joining forces with other buyers of a similar mindset, the couple chose to search for land with several friends. “It was challenging,” Fabian says. “We almost gave up.”
Their search became more heated when the owners of their rented land sold the property. “At the eleventh hour, when our lease was almost up in the summer of 2018, we happened to find a piece of land that was perfect both for us and the friends we were searching with, and we all bought it together!” To make the purchase, Fabian, Jenkins, and their friends formed an LLC through which the purchase was made and then subdivided the land with a parcel for each of them and a parcel held in common. “We’re all folks that want to have a land-based life but also people who want community out there and not be isolated.”
In the winter of 2018, Ten Mothers moved to its new location. “It was a bare field!” Fabian says. “There was no electricity, no water, no infrastructure of any kind. We quickly did the work of turning this field into a farm.” Fabian and Jenkins are currently building a house on the land and hope to move in June. “There are a lot of wonderful things about sharing the land,” Fabian says. “What we were able to afford as just the two of us would have been really small and unsuitable for farming. ”
Fabian says their space-saving strategies at Ten Mothers Farm have come from limited access to land, but their efficiency can actually offer encouragement to others who might never be able to afford a large property. “For our 180 shares, we farm only one acre of land. Being able to farm on such a small footprint means that it’s so much more accessible to people.”
Selecting Varieties to Offer in a CSA
In choosing varieties, Ten Mothers Farm started with what they enjoyed cooking and eating. “For a CSA, we have to grow a ton of different things to keep our customers happy,” Fabian says. “We grow 60 different vegetables.”
Fabian recommends CSAs keep close tabs on what their customers want.
“Every year, towards the end of the year, we send out a survey and use that survey directly to crop plan for the coming year. That way we’re growing more of what people want and less of what they don’t want.” Always mindful to make sure their products pencil out financially, Fabian notes that there are vegetables they can’t offer because the numbers don’t work, or their methods won’t allow them to grow or harvest those offerings. “For example, we don’t grow potatoes because we’re not a tractor farm,” Fabian explains. “The labor just doesn’t work out.”
As long as a vegetable offering can be produced with financial, space, and labor efficiency, it’s just a matter of taste.
“We are into strange vegetables!” Fabian says with a smile in her voice. “One year we tried molokhia, or Egyptian spinach, which does beautifully in the hot, humid summers that we have, but people hated it! It’s just too weird!”
They’ve found at Ten Mothers Farm that customers enjoy experiencing one or two new vegetables occasionally among a steady offering of recognizable staples. “Most of the time people want to see the things they love and know how to cook.”
Amid the changing climate, Fabian thinks about how certain varieties of vegetables offer more resilience and have adapted to their bioregion better than other foods that may enjoy customers’ favor. Using their weekly newsletter, Fabian is constantly working to educate CSA members on how to use new foods or varieties that are particularly hardy to their bioregion.
“We’re constantly explaining why we grow things and when, and as people have that kind of background information they become more open to trying things and more understanding when they don’t have broccoli in July.” They also host events at Ten Mothers Farm to teach their customers about the farming process. “That really brings it all to life; some of our CSA members haven’t been to the farm yet, and it’s our goal to get them all out here.”
Overcoming Challenges
Fabian encourages farmers to consider starting a CSA to be aware of its unique quirks. “It’s a lot of logistics: lots of crop planning and then executing to make sure you have enough vegetables for everybody. It’s a lot of different crops.” Fabian recommends that potential CSA farmers get used to staying aware of details and putting in place good tools to help keep abreast of the various tasks and considerations. “Making sure you’ve packed the right boxes and didn’t pack boxes for people on vacation.”
The second element Fabian brings forward is marketing and customer service. These elements are both critical to this direct-to-consumer, subscription-based model and will either make or break the business. “When we talk to new and beginning farmers we recommend you go with your personality,” Fabian says. “We happened to really like customer service stuff. We like answering our questions and writing the weekly newsletter. But if you don’t like customer service, you probably shouldn’t do a CSA.”
Fabian also recommends that new CSA operators pad their estimated timeline and hold it loosely. “Everything has taken longer than we’ve planned.” She says. “We try to be patient and not too hard on ourselves when things haven’t happened as quickly as we’d hoped.”
Jenkins and Fabian had part-time off-farm work and slowly built up their customer base before making a big land purchase – an excellent example of how being flexible with the timeline is necessary for smart business planning. “Farming and land are so long-term. We’re talking about either the rest of our lives or at least the next 30-40 years. You have to have a long-term vision or else you’ll get frustrated that it’s not all happening in a year or two.”
Collaboration has been another winning strategy of Ten Mothers Farms. While Jenkins’ and Fabian’s landmates are not partners in the farm, they are working on adding another business partner, Luke Howerter. Fabian says adding additional opinions and voices must be done thoughtfully, but such collaborations can make big things happen on the farm. “You have to keep reminding yourself what can we do together that we can’t do alone: it’s a lot of things! We’re more resilient as three people than just as two of us.”
Regenerative Farming is Giving Back
“Farming regeneratively for us means giving back more than you take,” Fabian says. “ We try to think about how we can give back more both in terms of the land and the people. We often leave humans out of the equation when we talk about sustainable agriculture. One doesn’t really work without the other.”
In addition to structuring Ten Mothers Farming practices and land-use strategies around environmental considerations, Jenkins and Fabian are mindful of how their farm can care for those who work there. “A lot of customers ask ‘is this GMO’ or ‘is this sprayed,’ and our methods address those issues, but they might not be asking if the person who grew their food is making a living.”
Given the legacy of extractive agriculture, both of the soil in extensive tobacco farming and of humans in the enslavement of African families, Jenkins and Fabian are hyperaware of how their farming model needs to put nutrients back into the soil and resources into the community. “If you’re going to farm organically in NC you have to be giving back a lot more than you’re taking because you simply can’t grow anything if you’re not giving back a lot.”
In their first year on their current property, the Ten Mothers Farm team amended their soil according to soil test results and found their soil nutrition was still so low that their spring crops would not grow. “We spent the past year doing so much to increase soil fertility.”
No-till farming is another aspect of how Ten Mothers is practicing regenerative agriculture. “We started out no-till for practical reasons: we heard it reduced weed pressure, we didn’t have money for a tractor, we weren’t particularly interested in tractors and we preferred small hand-scale tools. It turns out doing those things is really great for the soil!”
Thanks to their small footprint and their on-the-ground approach, Ten Mothers Farm has been able to improve their soil quickly through major additions of compost and close observation of soil and plant health.
“I think a lot of growers hear about no-till and they’re skeptical. They assume it wouldn’t be too labor-intensive or just wouldn’t work. We’re so used to tillage it’s hard to give it up.” Fabian says. “A turning point for us was when we were able to visit Singing Frogs Farm. They were a small, no-till operation and their soil and vegetables were beautiful and they were making it work. Then, we knew it was possible! Now, so many small farms are switching to no or low-till. We visited Singing Frog Farm in California just to see an example of how it was done, and they have such great soil. It’s so productive. They made it feel totally possible, and now we’re seeing so many farms doing no-till.”
Fabian recommends the No-Till Growers podcast to hear directly from farmers practicing no- or low-till methods.
Building Trust is the Best Strategy
Fabian is always excited to hear about farmers who want to try the CSA model. “Make sure it’s something you’re excited about – you’re asking people to become a member of your farm, and that’s a big commitment,” Fabian says focusing on just one or maybe two sales strategies have worked for them. “We’ve been able to build a loyal customer base through the CSA because we weren’t trying to do a bunch of markets or different income streams. It takes a lot to keep customers engaged each year. If you spread yourself thin, your CSA members will notice and your retention rate will decrease.”
Fabian’s secret sauce for CSA success is gratitude, trust, and sharing. “Your members are making it possible for you to farm,” she says. “Part of them coming back the next year and the next year is giving them the feeling that they’re deeply appreciated members of the CSA. They have to learn a whole new way of meal planning, cooking, and eating, and you have to be their coach. You have to share your love for your produce and the farm with your customers. Part of what they’re buying when they join a CSA is you, your story and your passion for the food and the work.”
To this end, Fabian says it’s tempting to take on too many members at once, but this should be avoided. Doing well with a small batch and working out the kinks in production and distribution will establish the trust that will lead to more customers. “Build a loyal customer base and they will be your marketing; they will get their friends and neighbors on board.”
Having established trust also helps when crises like the COVID-19 pandemic arise. Showing customers online and in a newsletter the additional sanitation practices should be a reinforcement to the work that’s already been done all along in maintaining a good relationship between producer and consumer. Fortunately for Ten Mothers Farm, while farm sales outlets like restaurants and farmers’ markets are drying up, the boxed CSA model is already compliant with increased health restrictions.
Fabian says, “I’m very inspired to see how farmers around here are figuring out ways to cooperate more to sell their goods during these uncertain times.” In addition to their partnership with additional local farms to include a flower and grain share in their boxes, Ten Mothers Farm is working on adding meat and maybe eggs from other local sources, both to help their fellow farmers and to safely provide customers with more local food. Fabian and Jenkins are also working out ways to offer boxes to unemployed members for little to no cost. “Everything’s happening so fast, and we certainly haven’t figured this all out yet, but it’s clear that we’re all going to have to cooperate more and be more generous in the days ahead.”
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Nature Fresh Farms Hires New Marketing Director
Nature Fresh Farms has hired seasoned marketer Stephanie Swatkow as its new director of marketing
MAY 07, 2020
Nature Fresh Farms has hired seasoned marketer Stephanie Swatkow as its new director of marketing.
Beginning her career in advertising with Young and Rubicam, Swatkow worked with global agencies, including MacLaren McCann and JWT (Enterprise Creative Selling) before joining the design firm Mamone & Partners. Bringing over 20 years of advertising and marketing experience to Nature Fresh Farms, Swatkow has worked with many brands including Ford, Kraft, Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Airmiles, LCBO, Fairmont, HomeSense, and Birks. Through her experience in consumer-packaged goods, automotive, and retail sectors, Swatkow has a deep knowledge of brand development and management.
“I am happy to welcome Stephanie to our management team and look forward to working together in further developing the Nature Fresh brand. The depth of her marketing knowledge and leadership will benefit our entire organization,” said Director of Business Development Ray Wowryk. “We have experienced some tremendous growth recently, and we are excited to have Stephanie guide us toward continued success in growing the Nature Fresh Farms market.”
With its recent growth, Nature Fresh Farms identified the need to reinforce its marketing team with the addition of seasoned leadership. In her role as director of marketing, Swatkow will work strategically alongside the senior management team to redefine marketing plans and drive major marketing initiatives.
“Stephanie is a welcomed addition to our marketing team and has proven to be a wonderful asset to our company,” said Vice President John Ketler. “We look forward to her sharing her insight and creativity, so we can continue to enhance our operations and exceed our customer’s expectations.”
About Nature Fresh Farms
Continuously expanding, Nature Fresh Farms has become one of the largest independent, vertically integrated greenhouse vegetable farms in North America. As a year-round grower with farms in Leamington, ON, Delta, OH, and Mexico, Nature Fresh Farms prides itself on consistently delivering exceptional flavor and quality to key retailers throughout North America, while continuing to innovate and introduce more viable and sustainable growing and packaging solutions.