Virginia Researchers Are Studying ‘The Sound of Plants Dancing’ To Better The Future of Agriculture

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By Katherine Hafner

The Virginian-Pilot  9/7/2020

What Do Dancing Plants Sound Like?

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© Virginia Tech/The Virginian-Pilot/TNS Some of the pepper plants being studied by researchers at Virginia Tech. The researchers record the plants' long-term movements — sped up into \"dances\" — then convert those patterns into sound as a way to evaluate plant health based on responses to environmental conditions.

It seems like the start of a philosophical essay question. But researchers at Virginia Tech think the answer could be one tool wielded in the future of agriculture in the commonwealth and beyond.

Using experimental technology, the scientists are trying to figure out how the sonification of plant movements could be used to assess plant health and aid farmers who need to monitor their greens at an industrial scale.

They are focused on indoor or so-called controlled-environment agriculture. Think greenhouses with LED lights and plants in hydroponic systems, using liquid nutrient solutions instead of soil.

“When you grow a plant inside a building, you really control ... introducing any insects or pathogens, minimizing the use of pesticides” and the like, said Bingyu Zhao, the lead researcher and associate professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. “But you can still have disease problems or sometimes they could have environmental stress.”

Maybe the temperature’s too high, he said, or the nitrogen levels are off. “It’s all not good for the plant growth.”

Imagine a grower using an indoor facility with dozens of rows of plants. Unlike in a small backyard garden, they can’t continuously check on every individual plant to monitor the effects of all those variables.

So Zhao got the idea to set up cameras to do it instead, using a small number of pepper plants for observation.

The high-resolution cameras capture the continuous movements of the plants. Over times, patterns develop.

These “micro movements” are mostly naked to the human eye, Zhao said. But they become apparent when sped up in time-lapse videos.

The even more unconventional part comes next.

The researchers take the data they’ve collected on plant movements and convert it into sound in a process called sonification.

In that way, a human could hear patterns present among the plants. The idea is to eventually be able to link certain sounds to indicators that a plant needs better light, for example.

Computers, analyzing the data at a large scale, could learn “what is a good sound and what is a bad sound,” Zhao said.

He works with professors across other disciplines in engineering and in the School of Performing Arts to bring together the different elements.

The plant movement project is just one part of the university’s new statewide SmartFarm Innovation Network, said Susan Duncan, associate director of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station.

Two years ago, the school brought together stakeholders in the agriculture and food processing fields from around Virginia to hear their concerns and interests, she said.

One big takeaway: technological innovation was on everyone’s mind. In order to maintain a future workforce and catch up with evolving needs, they needed to think outside traditional agricultural techniques, she said.

So the decentralized network was born, consisting of 11 off-campus research centers including the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research And Extension Center in Virginia Beach. Though the center in our region isn’t involved in the “dancing plants” project, it has plenty of its own areas of study, including water quality and boxwood blight disease.

There are more than 100 research projects connected to the network delving into the future of agriculture.

With growing plants indoors, for example, “you can’t just say, ’I’m going to put this LED light over my plant and see how it goes,’” Duncan said. “There’s a science behind it.”

In the operating room, surgeons often use sound to be able to keep track of routine measurements such as blood pressure while performing surgery, Duncan said.

Applying that to plants, she said, is “how they can help guide us to make decisions for them.”

“It’s kind of a cool concept. If they start ’screaming,’ whatever that sounds like, we can pay attention.”

©2020 The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.)

Visit The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) at pilotonline.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

VIDEO: It's A 2-Acre Farm, Packed Into A Shipping Container That Doubles As A Farm Building

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By Derek Markham

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Farm From A Box

The Farm From A Box system is designed to feed 150 people per year and includes drip irrigation, all of the tools, and its own renewable energy setup.

This plug-and-play farming system combines water-smart irrigation, renewable energy, and precision farming technology in a single shipping container that is said to be capable of supporting the cultivation of almost two and a half acres, using regenerative agriculture practices.

We've covered a few different approaches to the "farm in a box" concept, but all of them so far have been built around the idea of growing the crops inside a shipping container, using hydroponics or aeroponics, and artificial lighting. The Farm From A Box is quite a bit different in that the farming takes place outside of the box (or shipping container) and after the contents have been unpacked and deployed, the box itself becomes the hub of the farm infrastructure.

According to the company, this is a "turnkey farm kit" that can be used to build a stronger local food system, especially in food deserts and in the developing world, where infrastructure can be spotty and unreliable at best, and possibly even non-existent. The system is described as being “food sovereignty in a box" that can be a “Swiss Army Knife” for off-grid farming, and while there is a basic template, each unit can be customized to fit the particular situation."

We want to develop this as a rapid response transitional food production system. The box is really infrastructure for places that are struggling with a lack of infrastructure." - Brandi DeCarli, co-founder of Farm from a Box. While the units are designed to be complete systems with all of the core components (minus the land and water rights and labor, of course), the company doesn't just stop there, but also includes a training system to help "new farmers tackle the steep learning curve of permaculture technique." To me, this is one of the critical parts of the venture, because if you've ever tried to grow food on a larger scale than your own backyard, without having any formal training or guidelines to follow, it can be a humbling experience that is full of failures learning opportunities."

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Based on extensive field research, we found that rural communities often lack the resources and infrastructure needed to access nutritious food. We developed a toolkit that contains all of the core components needed to grow your own food, on a two-acre plot of land, without the need for an existing grid. Imagine the good it can do by growing local, organic food for a school, or helping jumpstart food production after a disaster. ‘Farm from a Box’ enables and empowers communities to provide for themselves." - DeCarli

Currently, Farm In A Box has a prototype unit operating in Sonoma, California, and a second version is in the works for deployment in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Basic units will cost about $50,000, which includes a 3 kW solar PV array, a battery storage system, a drip irrigation system and water pump (which can be fitted to a well or to a municipal water supply), basic farm tools, a sensor package, a seedling house, and a WiFi connectivity package, all packaged into a single shipping container. Other options are available as well, including a water filtration system, an advanced sensor suite, remote monitoring capabilities, and more.

Pure Harvest Invests In Kuwait

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BY TOM JOYCE

8th September 2020

The Abu Dhabi-based agri-tech company has entered into an agreement to supply fresh fruit and vegetables to Kuwaiti retailer the Sultan Centre

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Pure Harvest co-founder and chief executive Sky Kurtz

Abu Dhabi-based agri-tech firm Pure Harvest Smart Farms has announced plans to invest over €30m (Dh130m) in the construction of a hi-tech, climate-controlled farm in Kuwait.

The facility will supply locally grown, premium quality fresh fruit and vegetables all year round to the Sultan Centre (TSC), one of Kuwait's largest independent retailers, which also has stores in Oman, Jordan, and Bahrain.

A shared visitor's center will demonstrate Smart Harvest's technology to customers, showing how produce can be cultivated in harsh environments, utilizing up to 90 percent less water than conventional agriculture.

“There has never been a more pressing time to invest in food innovation in the region," said Khadija Oubala, chief executive at TSC. "The region’s longstanding dependence on imports paired with a growing demand for fresh produce highlight the importance of local farming. Pure Harvest is developing a state-of-the-art local farm that can provide organic fruits and vegetables fresh from the farm to TSC stores. We are committed to providing quality, variety, value, and services that customers demand, and investing in homegrown fresh produce is the way forward.”

Even prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, food security had become a major priority for Gulf nations. According to Chatham House, GCC states presently import up to 90 percent of the food they consume.

“We are investing heavily to reinvent our offering to better serve our customers," explained Nicolas Allan, chief operating officer at TSC. "TSC’s commitment to this off-take partnership with Pure Harvest is designed to meet the demands of our customers to deliver premium quality, locally-grown, and pesticide residue-free fresh produce at affordable prices. We are investing before the growing system is built, which enables our partner to scale but also helps to eliminate waste in the value chain, including freight costs, which ultimately benefits our customers in the form of value-for-money."

In 2018, Pure Harvest produced its first greenhouse tomatoes and has since been experimenting with greens and berries.
Sky Kurtz, co-founder and chief executive of Pure Harvest Smart Farms, commented: “Through this partnership, together TSC and Pure Harvest further food security, water conservation, economic diversification and sustainability within Kuwait and the region.”

Pure Harvest recently secured a multi-stage investment commitment worth more than US$100m from Wafra International Investment Company to drive the research, development, and deployment of advanced controlled environment agriculture solutions in Kuwait and across the region. The company is also currently expanding its capacity in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Smart Acres CEO On The Latest Addition To The Hydroponic Vertical Farming Industry In Abu Dhabi

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September 13th, 2020

Smart Acres is here with lettuce at the helm. In an exclusive interview with Abu Dhabi World, Smart Acres CEO Abdulla al Kaabi reveals what this means to Abu Dhabi and the farming community on the whole. 

If you love healthy produce, and who doesn’t, then this news is going to please you and your tastebuds no end. The only drawback at the moment is they’re not for sale in supermarkets just yet, but it won’t be long before they are.

The launch of Smart Acres, the UAE’s latest addition to the hydroponic vertical farming industry, this week means that a line of the freshest, most nutrient-dense greens for UAE residents and businesses alike is now being produced in containers on the Armed Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi, with the aim to expand across the UAE.

So we headed over to the St. Regis Abu Dhabi to meet Smart Acres CEO Abdulla al Kaabi to find out more.

Tell us about your background?

I am from a tech and farm background. My father has a passion for farming and gardening; he’s very  strict about anybody who messes around with his garden or farm. My father has a few farms across the UAE, where he grows crops and dates.  When he heard that I was pursuing a project in the agriculture sector he got excited and actually gifted me a farm, which I am grateful for and will keep. However, Smart Acres, rather than the farm my father gifted me, is an urban farm.

How was Smart Acres first developed?

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CEO Abdulla al Kaabi (centre)

Smart Acres was founded in 2017 and local testing began in July 2019. Smart Acres was developed by a team of experts,  including myself, Director Sean Lee, and Lead Project Manager, Aphisith Phongsavanh with the aim of improving food security within the United Arab Emirates and developing the country’s farming capabilities, providing a solution to potential socioeconomic threats such as pandemics and climate limitations the Middle East currently endures.

Tell us more

We planted lettuce and after a few harvests, we decided to expand from two containers to eight containers. From the two insulated containers, the yield was 3.5 tons annually, which was our proof of concept. For the proof of concept, our target weight for each lettuce head was 140g. However, we have reached an average of 200g per head. I don’t think any other vertical farm here reached that quality or weight in terms of vegetables at this size.

How would you describe Smart Acres?

It is a one-of-a-kind agriculture system that is designed to produce some of the highest yields of crops within the UAE’s vertical farming industry while introducing a new future for clean foods and allowing both business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C ) sectors to locally sourced produce.

Tell us about the containers

We invested heavily in the containers, not just financially, and it took us a while to partner up with n.thing, a South Korean vertical farming technology company, to bring the best vertical farm here in the UAE. We had talks with other companies before and we decided to go with this one, in terms of risk, in terms of technology they are using. And the system we are using in the containers is hydroponics (growing plants without soil)  which has been used by growers for hundreds of years. 

Techno advancements mean we were able to implement the Internet of Things for operations, which helps us to monitor the entire farm in terms of humidity, temperature, and even the nutrients that go inside the plants. Now we have our expansion plan from eight to 78 containers, which eventually will produce more than 140 tons of produce annually. We are currently in talks with private and public entities in terms of the expansion. We are also planning to have a research and development center in order to start growing our own potato seeds in a controlled environment.

Will Smart Acres just be growing lettuce?

In our current eight containers, we grow four types of lettuce;  Lolo rosso , green glace, oakleaf Batavia, but we are able to grow 30 types of lettuce.  Currently, we are testing new methods to improve the quality and weight of the existing lettuce. The results of last month’s test resulted in lettuce whose individual heads weighed more than 200 grams on average. However, we aim to grow more than just lettuce. We have plans to eventually grow baby spinach, mature spinach, and baby arugula. Smart Acres’ vision is to expand to meet the demand of popular produce in the region such as strawberries,  and, as I previously mentioned, a shift and emphasis on cultivating potato seeds.

Where can we buy your smart lettuces? 

We are now supplying restaurants and hotels for free to get ourselves known, and we have had great feedback from them. We have also partnered with several restaurants and cafes around the country including Inked and Fae Cafe, and have plans to have our produce in the kitchen of dozens of other F&B outlets. The recent initiative by HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), stating that all major grocery stores in the capital must allocate space for local produce mean we are perfectly poised to enter local supermarkets. We have had lots of offers from Abu Dhabi Holding and other government entities that are members in the food security committee to buy our whole produce. Currently, we are focused on our actual produce itself, in terms of quality, weight.

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Posted in Features, Food, Life, News

Tagged agriculture system Abu Dhabi, CEO Abdulla al Kaabi, Clean foods UAE, food security UAE, SMART ACRES Abu Dhabi, st regis abu dhabi, UAE Climate Change Risks and Resilience, UAE farms, UAE’s vertical farming industry, vertical farming Abu Dhabi

USA - (COLORADO) Rooftop Greenhouse Sets Arvada Restaurant Apart

At Lot One, Produce Is “As Fresh As It Gets”

July 13, 2020

Casey Van Divier
cvandivier@coloradocommunitymedia.com

When residents Jaime Miles and Josh Timon opened their first restaurant, the plan was to source their produce as locally as possible — right from the rooftop.

On restaurant Lot One's opening day, July 9, 2019, the restaurant's so-called “Roof to Table” operation — growing produce for the restaurant in a greenhouse rooftop — was just a concept. The business-owners had yet to build the greenhouse on top of the building, begin the growing process and find a way to keep their business open during a then-unforeseen pandemic.

But on July 9, 2020, Roof to Table wasn't just a plan anymore; on the restaurant's first anniversary, Timon found himself giving a tour of the rooftop greenhouse to four customers, explaining everything from climate-controlling the greenhouse to sourcing unconventional herbs and greens.

“People want to know where their food is coming from,” he said. “At Lot One, we produce a fresher product. It doesn't sit in a warehouse.”

And he added that the greenhouse is about more than how Lot One's food tastes — it is the restaurant's story.

Located at 13730 W. 85th Dr., Lot One boasts of popular sandwiches, a flavor profile drawing from across the globe, and its Roof to Table efforts.

As of July 9, the greenhouse was not yet at full capacity, Timon said, with the business-owners planning to further fill the greenhouse and expand growing efforts to other parts of the roof.

Timon estimated the plants grown in the greenhouse — which includes a long list of vegetables and herbs, from cherry tomatoes to lettuce to Swiss chard — accounts for about 20-25% of the produce used in Lot One's dishes and some of its cocktails. Eventually, the business owners hope to grow enough produce to donate to community organizations, as well.

The greenhouse operates year-round, with the types of ingredients available to the kitchen rotating throughout the months, said executive chef Ray Clinton.

“It's fun because we get to play with a lot of things you don't normally see,” Clinton said. “With the food trends now, people are getting away from mass-produced food, and this is as fresh as it gets.”

For Arvada residents Lyle and Beth Williams, “the food is what brings you back” to Lot One, Lyle said. But it's many components of the restaurant that have made it a favorite spot for the couple, with both the restaurant's ambiance and greenhouse included on that list.

The couple toured the greenhouse on July 9 with Les and Keri Williams, family members visiting from Tennessee.

“The idea of fresh from the roof, that's an appeal to everyone,” Les said. “And the business's philosophy of wanting to give back to the community is heartwarming.”

This summer, despite health regulations related to the pandemic, the restaurant is now able to operate at 100% of its usual capacity after working with the city and the nearby homeowners' association, Village of Five Parks Master HOA, to set up a tent and other outdoor seating right outside its space.

And it's a good thing, too, Timon said — because even as the pandemic continues, the restaurant has needed all the seating it can get.

“Last night, it was packed here,” he said. “The Arvada community has truly supported us. We were able to survive because of them.”

IF YOU GO

WHERE: 13730 W. 85th Drive

PHONE: (720) 949-0808

WEBSITE: eatatlotone.com

Keywords

Lot One, rooftop greenhouse, Josh Timon, Casey Van Divier, Arvada Colorado

Food Revolution With Dubai Vertical Farms

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Zubina Ahmed

September 4, 2020

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An Al Quoz-based indoor vertical farm is setting a new template for food production. (Photo: Shihab/KT)

Imagine an ultra-modern, high-tech farm right in the middle of a desert, where fresh vegetables are being grown without soil or sunlight. Al Quoz-based facility Uns Farms is an indoor vertical farm that is growing high quality, pesticide-free, farm-fresh local produce in a controlled, indoor environment using hydroponic technology and LED lights. Produce includes greens like kale, mustard, basil, lettuce, eggplant, and capsicum, as well as a wide variety of crops ranging from leafy to microgreens. The farm, which began production in January last year, is on a 3,000 sqm plot of land in one of Dubai's main industrial areas and produces crops equivalent to 5,000 sqm of land. The idea is to create natural, healthy, and safe food options that can be produced with optimal resources throughout the year, even during peak summers.

"Agriculture has progressed drastically over the decades," says Mehlam Murtaza, executive director of Uns Farms. "It went from field farming to greenhouses, but both these models demand nature's aid. The Middle East is challenged in terms of the weather. It's hot, humid and there's a scarcity of water. Vertical farming, on the other hand, is a model that can be adopted anywhere in the world. It is resource-efficient and the climate and temperature are controlled, which, in the context of the GCC, is perfect.

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"The sprawling indoor facility in Al Quoz uses three stages of farming to grow crops. Mehlam explains the first stage as being one where seeding is done. "That's where we are more efficient because we put one seed per plug." In the subsequent nursery stage, the seed grows into a small baby plant, which is then ready for transplanting. "That's when the root has developed into a certain amount as the plant requires more space to grow," says Mehlam. The final stage is when the crops grow. After the harvest, the plants are processed and packaged for distribution.

An indoor farming environment demands appropriate lighting. "In terms of light, the farm has energy-saving LED spectrums, which have different biological effects on the plant. For example, the red spectrum elongates the plant, the blue spectrum makes it thick, the green spectrum aids in health and immune system of the crop," says Mehlam

.Vertical farming also has a solution to concerns related to water. "What you see in soil farming is that you would drip-irrigate or spray water on the floor. A lot of that water goes into the earth and is lost. Hydroponics feeds the root and drains out into a tank and goes into a circular system, where the water is reused and that's how we save 90 percent of water." 

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There is a growing need for local produce to be safe and fresh, and warehouse farms like Uns are responding to that demand. As the CEO of Uns Grahame Dunling puts it, "We are very local and centralized with no outdoor influences. So, if there is anything in the atmosphere, it doesn't affect our crops." In fact, Covid-19 has brought about a renewed focus on vertical farming. "In pre-COVID times, we had difficulty in explaining to consumers what indoor farming really is, but the pandemic made us realize the fragility of the supply chain.

A lot of our customers had issues importing food, and with the UAE being a major food importer, it seemed to be a very big challenge. Because of COVID, we were able to expand and show people the importance of locally-owned produce," says Mehlam.

Today, Uns produces anywhere between 1,000 to 1,500kgs of vegetables every day and supplies to gourmet chefs, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and hypermarkets. Much to his gratification, Grahame notes that his modern farm is a 'choice for the future'.
zubina@khaleejtimes.com

PODCAST: Controlled Environmental Agriculture

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Future Tense

with Antony Funnell

Vertical farming is a bit of a buzz term. Despite the hype, it’s an important part of a growing approach to food production known as Controlled Environmental Agriculture.

Controlled Environmental Agriculture promises to be cleaner and greener. It’s focussed on technology and it’s essentially about bringing food production closer to the point of consumption.

We examine the potential and the pitfalls.

Original broadcast on November 3, 2019

Duration: 29min 38sec

Broadcast: Sun 13 Sep 2020, 10:30am

Guests

Dr. Asaf Tzachor – Lead Researcher for Food Security, Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, Cambridge University

Viraj Puri – CEO and co-founder, Gotham Greens

Jeffrey Landau – Director of Business Development, Agritecture

Dr. Paul Gauthier – Senior Agricultural Scientist, Bowery Farming

Dr. Pasi Vainikka – CEO, Solar Foods

Credits

Presenter Antony Funnell

Producer Karin Zsivanovits

Further Information

external link Asaf Tzachor - profile

external link Gotham Greens

external link Agritecture

external link Bowery Farming

external linkSolar Foods

The Basis, A Homogeneous Climate, Is Already There" Artechno Doing New Cultivation Tests In VF Chamber

"Together with another colleague, I am adding green thumbs to the team that is full of technicians here", Rick van Schie laughs. As the son of a tomato grower and next year's fourth-year horticulture student, he  started cultivation research in the industrial hall of Artechno in De Lier. In a AVF+ Junior climate chamber Rick researches irrigation strategies for four different substrates and the effect that far-red light has on the stretching in lettuce.

Previously, the Artechno industrial hall was mainly the place to build complete water management systems for the greenhouse or harvesting lines and turnkey systems for vertical farms and deep-float systems. “The cultivation space with deep-float facility provided insight into growth and also important key figures for the business case. By testing and growing ourselves, we can now also better serve our customers in the vertical farm industry and provide them with better data and growth recipes.”

Rick started growing in the climate chamber in mid-June. "It is often wise for a grower to first do tests in a small chamber and to collect as much information as possible about lighting, climate and irrigation before scaling up to a larger system. That is why we also offer our chambers for rent to growers."

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Cameras and LED
The AVF + Junior with which Rick is currently doing tests is equipped with Philips GEN3 LED luminaires, whereby both the spectrum and the light intensity are adjustable. The chamber is also equipped with special hyper-spectral cameras (and sensors), making it possible to monitor the crop and climate without having to enter the chamber.

Homogeneous climate
Anyone who would enter the chamber will notice, according to Rick, that the climate is remarkably homogeneous. "Or actually you do not notice that much and that is positive. To demonstrate that there really is air circulation, I have hung up an A4 sheet, but you do not notice it."

Art, general director: "The aim was to realize a delta T difference of less than 1 degree Celsius difference in a 10-layer climate chamber of about 8 meters high, and we succeeded."

All this is possible thanks to the air treatment units that were developed by Artechno itself. "You want to exclude as many variables as possible in your research, so a homogeneous climate is essential."

Study 1: irrigation strategies
The first study examines the effect of different irrigation strategies on four different substrates (stone wool, foam plug, glue plug, and soil mix with 10% wood fiber). This should become the basis for other studies with various types of lettuce, Rick says.

Study 2: far-red light
The second research is conducted into the addition of far-red light. Lighting is applied with 180 micromoles for a total of 18 hours and in the last hour, far-red light is added with 10%. There is also a control group (DRB LB) without the addition of far-red light.

"The purpose of the addition of far-red light is to achieve more stretching in the leaves so that the plant makes better use of the growing surface after transplanting. This could possibly also influence the bringing forward of the growth curve."

Germination
Rick is very satisfied with the results of the sowing tests in comparison to the tests carried out in the previous two years. "96-98% germination on the various substrates is a good result, but maybe this might be surpassed by an upcoming germination chamber."

Low input, high output
The results of the tests are assessed, among other things, by measurements of fresh and dry weight, growth percentage, quality, and kilo/m2. "From these results, certain trend lines are emerging, from which the crop growth rate can be calculated. This trend line also gives us insight into the smarter use of the LED light (grams of fresh weight per mole). The ultimate aim is to be consistent with the lowest possible input to achieve the highest output (kilo/m2/year)."

Rick knows that kg/m2/year is an important factor for customers to determine the profitability of their business case. "The results of our tests are used for this, among other things. The results and experiences with certain products we always provide feedback to our suppliers and customers, so that they remain up-to-date."

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Soft fruit
Meanwhile, Rick and Artechno see that, in addition to demand for research for herbs and leafy crops, there is also an increasing demand for soft fruit. "This includes, for example, growing strawberries indoors and testing with the rooting phase in, for example, the propagation of blueberry plants.

We also want to be proactive in this, so we will certainly carry out tests ourselves. For ourselves, but also for growers or suppliers to whom we rent the chambers. In addition, I can mentor them and, in consultation, help to draw up a good research plan, always with a lot of literature as a foundation, so that you are not wasting time doing research that has already been done."

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For more information: 
Artechno
www.artechno.nl
info@artechno.nl

Rick van Schie
rick@artechno.nl

Publication date: Fri 24 Jul 2020
© HortiDaily.com

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Is Hydroponic Farming Actually Sustainable?

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September 4, 2020

According to the UN, the world is on the brink of its worst food crisis in 50 years.

The global food industry is searching for a more sustainable and accessible system for producing healthy food, particularly fresh fruit and vegetables. Techniques such as hydroponics and vertical farming may provide the solution by maximizing overall output and minimizing the use of space, soil, and other resources.

But what exactly is hydroponic farming? And is it actually sustainable?

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Gotham Greens grows fresh produce such as leafy greens in urban greenhouses. | Image/Gotham Greens

What Is Hydroponic Farming?

There are a variety of different approaches to Hydroponic Farming. But they all involve growing plants and fresh produce minus the soil.

There are several main styles of hydroponic systems. One uses an absorbent wick to transfer nutrients from a water reservoir up to the roots of the crop. While others leave an air-gap, allowing part of the root system to absorb nutrients directly while the remainder is exposed to oxygen in the air.

Plants may also be positioned on a floating raft, or grown through a medium, into which water is regularly pumped. Top feeding also requires regular water circulation, while aeroponics involves leaving the roots completely exposed but frequently filling or misting the space with nutrient-enriched water.

Whatever the precise method used, hydroponics involves regular exposure to both air and nutrient-rich water. According to Vertical Roots, a South Carolina-based Indoor Hydroponic Container Farm, there are five core elements to hydroponic farming. These are freshwater, oxygen, root support, nutrients, and light.

By growing crops in water, vertically, and in climate-controlled greenhouses, Vertical Roots and other similar farms are able to produce nutrient-dense food anywhere in the world, at any time of year, and using fewer resources than traditional methods.

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Hydroponic farming is more resource-efficient than traditional methods. | Image/Shawn Ang via Unsplash

Is Hydroponic Farming Sustainable?

Soil-less farming techniques, in general, are typically more resource-efficient long term than traditional methods. According to the National Parks Service (NPS), hydroponics can use up to 10 percent less water than field crop watering.

By operating a closed-loop system and recycling rainwater, high-tech greenhouse developer AppHarvest uses up to 90 percent less water than traditional methods.

Most hydroponic farms utilize closed-loop systems, like AppHarvest, that contain and preserve water. This control over the water system also allows for delicate adjustments to the environment. PH levels, amount and type of light, and quantity of nutrients can all be modified to enhance the growth of crops.

Emphasizing perennial agriculture—particularly in combination with vertical farming and hydroponics—can further maximize both production and nutritional content per-plant. Many perennials, which can be maintained all year round with no replanting, are extremely nutrient-dense.

Start-up costs for hydroponic systems are typically greater than for traditional farming. But overall, it produces far greater output with fewer resources. It also allows growers to produce food anywhere in the world. Thereby reducing the carbon emissions generated through transportation, and allowing for year-round production in even inhospitable environments or weather conditions.

In general, hydroponic systems can produce a greater yield of fruits and vegetables. This is in part due to the controlled environment, but also because plants can be housed much more densely than possible using traditional methods. This both increases the overall output and reduces the quantity of land required.

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Vertical farming can decrease the amount of land used for fresh produce even further. | Image/Markus Spiske via Unsplash

What Is Vertical Farming?

Vertical farming involves the growing of vegetables in stacked layers, frequently in a controlled environment.

Vertical farming also requires much less land than traditional methods. Typically, it incorporates controlled-environment systems such as hydroponics to maximize output. The primary goal of vertical farming is to increase the crop yield while reducing the space required, much like hydroponics itself.

Vertical farming firm Infarm recently partnered with supermarket chain Marks & Spencer to grow fresh herbs in select stores. The company is also working with several retailers and chefs across Europe who aim to add small vertical farms to their restaurants and stores.

“Our vertical farms can be installed directly in any urban space,” said Emmanuel Evita, global communications director at Infarm. “Which is where the majority of the global population will live in the next few decades.”

It is particularly useful for growing produce in areas where there is a lack of arable land. In Abu Dhabi, where there are extremely high temperatures and increasing water scarcity, the government is investing $100 million in indoor farming.

Inner-city gardening, in general, also lends itself to vertical farming. While harder to create a controlled environment, guerilla gardening and other community-based projects have also made use of the vertical system. This enables greater access to fresh produce and reduced mileage overall, even with rudimentary systems in place.

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Emphasizing perennial vegetables could also maximize nutrients, increase production, and reduce the consumption of resources.

Why Do We Need Alternative Farming Methods?

Studies indicate that the suburbanization of major supermarkets has led to food deserts within cities. This disproportionately impacts low-income people and those who live in urban areas. Traditional malnutrition affects around two billion people worldwide. But the Standard American Diet (SAD) and lack of access to fresh food is also responsible for chronic deficiencies.

Access to fresh fruit and vegetables is likely to become even more restrictive in the recession following the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. And even in countries with plenty of food, there will likely be further disruptions in the food supply chain.

In order to provide enough vegetables for the global population to maintain a healthy diet, food production would need to triple. Alternative methods such as vertical farming and hydroponics could provide a resource-efficient and accessible way of revolutionizing the global food industry.

Gotham Greens, a fresh food farming company, specifically choose to build sustainable greenhouses within cities. Local cultivation helps the company deliver products quickly and with minimal energy expenditure. This also allows those who live within urban areas access to fresh, nutrient-dense food, and to agricultural jobs.

AppHarvest is also creating jobs, minimizing its carbon footprint, and increasing its output with its choice of location. By opening a new facility in Morehead, Kentucky, the company is both tackling high local unemployment rates while placing itself less than one day’s drive from 70 percent of the U.S. population. This reduction in travel for delivery has dropped its overall diesel costs by 80 percent.

“It’s time for agriculture in America to change,” said Johnathan Webb, the founder, and CEO of AppHarvest. “The pandemic has demonstrated the need to establish more resilient food systems, and our work is on the forefront of that effort.”

Liam Pritchett

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STAFF WRITER | BRISTOL, UNITED KINGDOM | CONTACTABLE VIA: LIAM@LIVEKINDLY.COM

Liam writes about environmental and social sustainability, and the protection of animals. He has a BA Hons in English Literature and Film and also writes for Sustainable Business Magazine. Liam is interested in intersectional politics and DIY music.

Lead photo: How sustainable is hydroponic farming? | Image/Gotham Greens

• TAGS vegan food vegetables gardening Sustainable Farming growing food

LIVE Virtual Tour - Inside the Greenery Container Farm with Freight Farms' Lead Designer - Thurs, Sept 10, 2020 - 4:30 PM EST

Take a Virtual Tour of the Freight Farms Greenery™

Explore the technology behind our Greenery container farm that allows farmers to grow food anywhere in the world!

Farm expert Derek will explain the ins and outs of the Greenery using a live video stream inside the farm. He’ll cover the basics of controlled environment agriculture, hydroponics, vertical farming, and how all those work together inside the Greenery to create the perfect conditions for crop growth regardless of geographic location.

To Register For This Free Zoom Virtual Live Tour

Thursday, September 10, 2020 - 4:30 PM

Please Click Here

Sakata Seed America Announces Formation of CEA Department

Sakata Seed America announced the formation of a Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) department. This new department will focus on indoor agriculture, a growing segment of the produce industry that focuses both on traditional greenhouse production as well as specialized vertical farming.

According to Justin Davis, Sakata’s Director of Sales & Marketing, this new group is designed to bolster the company’s role in developing varieties for controlled environment ag. “We have been focused on this segment for a number of years, especially in the leafy greens category. The timing is ideal for Sakata to create this group to hone our efforts on CEA in order to bring more products to the market for Indoor ag.”

Leading the new division will be Tracy Lee, an 11-year veteran of Sakata Seed America with an extensive background in agriculture. At Sakata, she has played active roles specializing in product development for multiple categories, as well as handling the company’s home garden and farm market vegetable seed sales.

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“I think there is tremendous growth opportunity in serving the Controlled Environment Agriculture segment, and I’m very pleased that Sakata is continuing its leadership in the market. This is something that I’m passionate about and have been active in for the past several years,” says Lee.

Lee completed her BA at Clemson University and earned a Master of Science in Horticulture from her alma mater. Her field of study focused on sustainable vegetable production. Prior to her work at Sakata, she held product management, marketing, and sales positions at vegetable and flower seed companies for an additional 10 years.

“I feel that my background and specific work with indoor growers gives me unique insight into the market’s needs. My goal is to harness my experience in the field and bring the right mindset back to Sakata as we develop new products created specifically for CEA,” says Lee.

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For more information:

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Sakata Seed America www.sakata.com

Mon 7 Sep 2020

54 Million People In The U.S. May Go Hungry During The Pandemic — Can Urban Farms Help?

 Independent Media Institute

Sep. 07, 2020

By Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner

When I call Chef Q. Ibraheem to discuss urban farming in her own cooking career, she's in the middle of placing an order for microgreens from a small farm in Lake Forest, a ritzy suburb just north of downtown Chicago. Now's a great time for her to chat, actually, because the Chicago-based chef is immersed in what she loves, sourcing ingredients as locally as possible."

It's really important we know where our food is coming from," she says. "I know my farmers by name. I can go to the farms, see how they are growing everything, see it in the soil. It's always nice to have something within reach and know your produce." Chef Q runs supper clubs and chef camps throughout Chicagoland, sustaining the local economy by purchasing ingredients from urban gardens and farms within miles of her pop-up experiences."

As a chef, you realize you have a responsibility to your guests," she says, and for her, that responsibility means being transparent about ingredients, and even educating diners about what's on their plates. Growing up spending summers on a farm in Georgia, Chef Q has an innate curiosity about where and how her food is grown, and she recognizes the importance of farms in both urban and rural areas.

Commercial urban agriculture is on the rise, with small-scale farms in New York City like Gotham Greens, which reduces the amount of energy, land use, and food waste in tight, underutilized spaces to produce herbs and roughage for the masses. In Austin, Texas, backyard farms and urban gardens sell ingredients to restaurants and markets throughout the region, as do similar projects in Los Angeles. In fact, innovations allowing farmers to grow without soil or natural light expand the potential for food sourcing in urban areas. Urban farming has increased by over 30 percent in the past 30 years, with no indication of slowing down. Urban land could grow fruit and vegetables for 15 percent of the population, research shows.

While the COVID-19 lockdowns have inspired a burst of urban farming as people have been starting to grow their own fruits and vegetables at home, a renewed interest in culinary arts, plus a nostalgia for simpler times in many fast-paced big cities — just look at all the mid-century-era diners popping up in Manhattan right before the pandemic — may be accountable for the steady rise in urban farms. More consciousness about the environment, too, may lead small growers to want to reduce transportation emissions and take charge of the use of pesticides and fertilizers in their foods, but there's another great reason for urban farms to continue growing: feeding the masses. And with 68 percent of the world's population expected to live in urban areas by 2050, it's time to take urban farming seriously as a viable, primary food source.

Despite being the wealthiest nation in the world, the United States had more than 37 million people struggling with hunger in 2018. Since the pandemic, that number is expected to rise to up to 54 million people. And while systemic changes may one day be able to greatly reduce this number, a planting cycle is quicker than an election cycle. Bureaucracy may not immediately solve fair wages, but vegetable seeds may help communities when times are tough.

Urban Farming as a Social practice in her work, Chef Q has helped turn empty lots and abandoned buildings into urban farms, which allows neighbors to "take ownership in their communities" and also become educated consumers. In neighborhoods where the fancy grocery store is referred to as "Whole Paycheck," Chef Q has seen seed exchanges help folks start growing new produce, and regain agency over their food budgets and eating habits. Programs like the Chicago Food Policy Summit, a free annual event on Chicago's South Side, help popularize urban farming and education and help provide Chicagoans with grants to start growing their own food. Though gentrification may bring relief to previously dubbed food deserts — neighborhoods without a nearby source of fresh food — the slew of problems attached to gentrification, including higher costs of living, can easily make these new, more nutritious food options completely unaffordable to residents of the neighborhood.

As seen in smaller cities, urban farming may be the key for cities to be less reliant on rural areas, and also help achieve food security. As Dr. Miguel Altieri, professor of agroecology at the University of California, Berkeley, has shown, diversified gardens in urban areas can yield a large range of produce and efficiently feed nearby residents.

Of course, land in cities is often at a premium, with many people living in little space. Shifting public land use to incorporate food growth and getting creative with rooftops, basements and unused buildings can seriously change the way cities consume fresh ingredients. In fact, renewed efforts by the conservation organization World Wildlife Fund to boost indoor farming may revolutionize some sources of produce, particularly in cities. Repurposing unused indoor space, such as warehouses, can create direct sources of ingredients for restaurants or community-supported agriculture for neighbors. Indoor farming, while potentially more expensive, also allows urbanites from all walks of life to connect to the food system, repurpose food waste into compost and expand knowledge on growing food. Greenhouses like Gotham Greens' rooftop spaces can supplement indoor and outdoor spaces, adding even more potential healthy food to local ecosystems.

Urban Gardening With Neighbors in mind when she's not hosting pop-up dinners with culinarily curious Chicagoans, Chef Q volunteers with Foster Street Urban Agriculture, a nonprofit garden that aims to help end food insecurity in Evanston, the Chicago suburb home to Northwestern University. In the garden, Chef Q teaches kids how to water, plant, weed, and grow to produce. She'll notice a multigenerational interest: "Once kids taste zucchini, it's over," she jokes, of little ones bringing in parents and grandparents to learn to cook with more fresh produce. "They'll start [the program] eating hot Cheetos, and they're eating something green and leafy and won't go back."

Kids also just love being able to eat something that comes out of the ground and will take their passion back home, growing tomatoes in their windowsills or trying other small gardening projects in spaces available to them near home. Harvests from Foster Street are donated to food pantries and also sold at a local farmers market, where kids learn community-based entrepreneurial skills.

"Everyone eats, it's a common denominator," she says. "When food is on the table, people will have conversations."

Now, in the wake of COVID-19, urban farms have become more essential than ever. Chef Q has partnered with farms that would otherwise throw away produce without their major restaurant and hotel clients, to redistribute food to Chicagoans in need. She's noticed a spike in the price of fresh food, thanks in part to the expensive early May crops — peas, leeks, and spinach. "It's been imperative," she says, of feeding the community with a local bounty of eggplant, microgreens, cheese, and more farm-to-fork provisions.

Chef Q emphasizes that urban gardens still have to grow food to feed communities. Across the nation, we've seen victory gardens pop up in yards of homebound upper-middle-class Americans, planted with hope, thriftiness, and a creative outlet in mind. But for those who don't have yards or ample space, shared urban gardens can still serve a local population. When people don't have money, growing food is a solution to provide nutrition, and perhaps even income. And it starts with advocacy, volunteers, and outreach. "Plant something in the windowsill," Chef Q suggests, as an entryway into small-scale gardening. "It's essential. We can't stop."

Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner is a writer based in New York. She is a writing fellow at Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute. She's written for the New York Times, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Glamour, AlterNet, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, Architectural Digest, Them and other publications. She holds a bachelor's degree in creative writing from Columbia University and is also at work on a novel. Follow her on Twitter: @melissabethk.

This article was produced by Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute.

Lead photo: An example of urban farming is seen on this Chicago rooftop. Linda / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 2.0

Urban Farming Is Revolutionizing Our Cities - EcoWatch ›5 Examples of Creative Urban Agriculture From Around the World ... ›

Urban Farming Booms During Coronavirus Lockdowns - EcoWatch ›

The real value of urban farming. (Hint: It's not always the food.) - Vox ›

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: This Vertical Farm Was Born In The Pandemic. Sales Are Up

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The Vegetable Co. in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, grows vegetables under LED lights in a shipping container. “We were a nascent product in an uncertain market,” one of its founders said.Credit...Ian Teh for The New York Times

The Vegetable Co. Sits In A Shipping Container On The Edge of A Malaysian Parking Lot. It’s One of Many Small Farms Around The World Selling Directly To Consumers.

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By Ian Teh and Mike Ives

Sept. 3, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The setup of the two friends’ agricultural venture was unusual. Their farm sat next to a gas station, inside a shipping container where the plants grew in vertically stacked shelves. And the timing of their first sales — during the early days of Malaysia’s coronavirus outbreak — seemed less than ideal.

“We were a nascent product in an uncertain market,” said Shawn Ng, 28, a co-founder of the vertical farm, the Vegetable Co. “We weren’t too sure if it would take off.”

“But somehow,” he added, “the market kind of played in our favor. ”As in-person shopping wanes during the pandemic, Mr. Ng’s Malaysia-based operation is one of many small farms around the world that are selling fresh produce directly to consumers in ways that bypass brick-and-mortar grocery stores.

Some farms sell on e-commerce platforms like Amazon or Lazada, Alibaba’s online emporium for Southeast Asia, or through smaller ones like Harvie, a Pennsylvania-based website that connects consumers with individual farms across the United States and Canada.

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ImageShawn Ng, one of the Vegetable Co.’s founders, loaded freshly harvested produce into a car for delivery.Credit...Ian Teh for The New York Times

Others, like the Vegetable Co., sell directly to customers. “I was very ‘kan cheong’ during the lockdown period,” said one of Mr. Ng’s regular customers, Ayu Samsudin, using a Cantonese word for anxious. “Having fresh vegetables delivered to your doorstep was such a relief.”

The Vegetable Co. consists of a 320-square-foot shipping container on the edge of a parking lot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s largest city. It opened for business, with just a handful of customers, about a month before the country’s restrictive lockdown took effect in mid-March.

Revenue grew by 300 percent in the first few weeks, and the shipping container is now approaching production capacity because of high demand, said Mr. Ng’s business partner, Sha G.P.Apart from the gas station, the shipping container’s other neighbors are a driving range and an oil palm plantation. Inside, tightly packed shelves with hydroponic lettuce, sprouts and other vegetables grow under LED lights.

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Mr. Ng on a delivery run in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has weathered the pandemic relatively well, at least compared with other Southeast Asian countries.Credit...Ian Teh for The New York Times

The wallpaper outside the growing chamber shows blue sky and clouds, evoking the view from an old-fashioned farm. But employees pace the chamber’s narrow corridor wearing rubber gloves, surgical masks and white lab coats, as if it were a hospital ward.

The founders have scant experience with traditional farming, and they speak about their work with Silicon Valley-like jargon.

Mr. Sha, who has a master’s degree in management, said he first became interested in vertical farming after watching “The Martian,” the 2015 film in which an American astronaut played by Matt Damon is stranded on Mars and learns to grow his own food.

“I was lost in awe about the degree of precision in the technology along with the elegance of the solution to grow vegetables in a zero-gravity environment,” he said. “Since then, I have gone down the rabbit hole of independent research.”

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Gudrun Olafsdottir, a Kuala Lumpur resident from Iceland, said the Vegetable Co. was one of the local businesses she was supporting with a “financial hug” during the pandemic.Credit...Ian Teh for The New York Times

The coronavirus took off in Malaysia in March, after an Islamic revivalist group’s gathering there became one of the pandemic’s biggest vectors in Southeast Asia. Since then, the country of about 32 million has weathered the outbreak relatively well, at least compared with some of its neighbors. As of Thursday, it had reported fewer than 10,000 confirmed cases since the pandemic began, according to a New York Times database.

Malaysia’s initial lockdown allowed only one person per household to go outside for essential errands, and the police enforced local travel restrictions with roadblocks.

But even though the rules were gradually loosened to let most businesses reopen, many urban Malaysians have maintained the online shopping habits they developed during the initial lockdown, said Audrey Goo, the founder of MyFishman, an e-commerce platform that connects fishermen from villages along the country’s west coast with consumers in Kuala Lumpur.

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Gudrun Olafsdottir, a Kuala Lumpur resident from Iceland, said the Vegetable Co. was one of the local businesses she was supporting with a “financial hug” during the pandemic.Credit...Ian Teh for The New York Times

“Not many end users are willing to go back to the wet market,” said Ms. Goo, adding that her company’s sales had roughly doubled during the pandemic. “So I think the whole business model will continue to change.”

Mr. Ng said the Vegetable Co.’s parent company, Future Farms, was now seeking seed capital to finance an expansion into a larger facility. He recently hired an architect and a software developer to design it. For now, though, the operation remains modest. On a recent afternoon, Mr. Ng climbed into his car for a delivery run that snaked through low-rise residential neighborhoods, as the sun sank below Kuala Lumpur’s hazy downtown skyline.

One of the customers on the 40-plus-mile route, Gudrun Olafsdottir, said that along with yoga and meditation, greens from the Vegetable Co. were part of a routine that helped her keep physically and mentally fit during the pandemic.

Ms. Olafsdottir, who is from Iceland and works in retail, found the farm on Facebook through a local chef who specializes in raw and vegan cooking. She said it was one of several local businesses that she was supporting these days with a “financial hug.”

“I think that we could do so many things to support those in need if we just consciously choose how we spend our time and money,” she has written on her blog. “A hug and a squeeze.”

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The farm is in a 320-square-foot shipping container near a gas station, a driving range and an oil palm plantation.Credit...Ian Teh for The New York Times

Ian Teh reported from Kuala Lumpur and Mike Ives from Hong Kong.

INDIA: Indoor Farming: From Vertical Trays To Your Table Within Hours, How Veggie, Salad Market Has Gone Hyperlocal

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Kirti Pandey

Sep 04, 2020

As climate change worsens due to long-haul transportation as one of the factors, going hyperlocal on production and supply makes indoor farming a lucrative business. What are the dynamics involved? Check here.

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Call it indoor farming, Hydroponics or vertical farming, this green nursery method is gaining popularity | Photo Credit: iStock Images

The lack of space in urban locales, people's preference for fresh vegetables that have not been tossed and battered in transit through wholesale markets, and some bit of out-of-the-box thinking has helped create businesses based on an indoor green revolution within Delhi.

A Times of India report brings one face-to-face with a number of nouveau farmers who have made thriving businesses by nursing their newly developed green fingers.

These new-age farmers are growing romaine lettuce, oak leaves, mint, kale, basil, etc in their vertical plants in urban localities like Lajpat Nagar in Delhi, etc.

Not convinced how one can grow vegetables in crowded, chaotic market areas, the TOI journalist confesses he went to the plants to verify. 

Himanshu Aggarwal of 9Growers showed around his farm on the second floor of a building that houses a bank and an electronics store on floors below. His hydroponic farm houses shelves and shelves of microgreens, herbs, and leafy vegetables growing in rows of white, laboratory-like ambiance.

The indoor green revolution of soil-less farming:

There are Petri dishes that hold plants, there is artificial light and the setup has its humidity and temperature monitored and strictly controlled. This soil-less farming is called hydroponic (sustained on water and nutrients) farming, not a new idea at all, but one that is now being widely adopted.

TOI also mentions a visit to farmingV2, a hydroponic farm being run by Rohit Nagdewani in the National Capital Region. Nagdewani says that the need to follow social distancing and to get clean veggies - a demand of the precautions against the coronavirus pandemic has made people appreciate this form of produce more. People want vegetables and salads that are hyperlocal, fresh, and not loaded with pesticides or fertilizers.

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What is Hydroponic farming?

Hydroponics is the art of gardening without soil. The word originates from the Latin word meaning “working water.” Instead of using soil, water is deployed to provide nutrients, hydration, and oxygen to plant life. One can grow anything from watermelons to jalapeños to orchids under the careful regimen of hydroponics. It requires very little space, 90 to 95% less water than traditional agriculture, and helps grow a garden full of fruits and flowers in half the time. 

Hydroponics helps the cultivation of plants in a manner such that the yield reflects rapid growth, stronger yields, and superior quality. 

When nutrients are dissolved in soil-less water beds, they can be applied directly to the plant’s root system by flooding, misting, or immersion. Since no soil is used, there are no pests and therefore no insecticide/pesticide is required. Grown in an environment that is controlled in terms of water at the plants' roots, moisture in the air, humidity in the air, ambient light (same spectrum as of sunlight) etc, the food thus grown is cleaner in physical, chemical, and biological nature.

AI-based Indoor farming will support traditional farming:

The global population is predicted to reach 9.7 billion by the year 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. This method will decentralize supply chains and give more business to local suppliers, thereby cutting fuel costs and carbon emissions that long-haul transportation creates.

The indoor farming technology market was valued at $23.75 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $40.25 billion by 2022, as per a report in The Forbes. Indoor green farms may be an idea whose time has come.

The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way represent those of Times Network.

Plants That Can Be Grown In Hydroponic Greenhouse

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Abhijeet Banerjee 

31 August 2020

Most of us will know that Hydroponics is a type of “Soil-less” culture, which is a method of growing plants without soil, by using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. It comes under the Horticulture discipline and has many advantages, one of them being a decrease in water usage. This method is considered as superior methods of cultivation when compared with the traditional soil-based cultivation method. In comparison to farming on the soil, the Hydroponic cultivation method requires about 80-90% lesser quantity of water.

Vegetables grown under Hydroponic set up are in high demand, and the trend for seeking vegetables/fruits grown through this method is rising every year.  This system is beneficial in enabling growers to produce fresh and healthy vegetables on a controlled and consistent basis. When compared with cultivation under the soil, Hydroponics is one of the most water-efficient methods. Since the system can be designed and built according to the space available, it can be inferred that in case of lesser space, it is not a matter of concern generally. If you believe in experimenting with farming, then growing plants with the hydroponics method is most likely to catch your attention.

If new to hydroponics then is advisable to select those vegetables and plants that most growers have produced successfully. Studies and feedback from successful growers convey the possibility of larger yields through Hydroponic greenhouses than a traditional greenhouse. Here it will be important to consider that in order to maximize the chances of successful production the grower must understand which plants to grow under this method.

One should be aware of some facts that few plants may spread out too much to grow properly in a hydroponic greenhouse, and few others may be suited to cooler weather, hence may not survive under high temperatures. Also, one should also have knowledge about plants that need special attention, when growing in a Hydroponic greenhouse. There is the easy availability of the raw materials and supplies for hydroponic systems in the online and offline markets. Hydroponics not only helps a grower in designing its own system, but it also offers the opportunity to produce fresh and healthy vegetables for the entire year. Now let us know which plants can be grown in a Hydroponic Greenhouse:

Related Links

• Is Hydroponics a Better Cultivation Method than Aeroponics?

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Strawberries

This type of cultivation environment is suitable for strawberries. The usual layout of the hydroponic greenhouses comfortably accommodates the fruit. Depending upon the size of the berry and desired sweetness level, there are lots of varieties to choose from.

Potatoes

Hydroponic systems can support the growth of potatoes and other root crops as well.  But they should be provided sufficient depth to grow adequately. This is because there is a lot of growth in the root area, in addition to growth in stems and foliage. So if these plants are grown in lesser space, overall growth will be restricted. One can prefer smaller varieties of the root crops, in order to provide sufficient depth.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes grow well under this method.  In the case of tomatoes, it is necessary to provide them a support system, similar to when cultivated in a traditional greenhouse or home garden set up.

Mint

Mint needs wet weather to grow therefore in Hydroponic greenhouses one has a greater option to choose lot many varieties. Mints should be given enough space as they spread quite a bit. With this method you can easily grow any type of mint – be it peppermint, spearmint, ginger mint etc.

Basil

Basil is a herb and can be grown in the hydroponic setup. The moist conditions provided to the herb through this system are beneficial in enhancing the herb’s flavor. Like other plants, the yield is most likely to increase using hydroponic methods of cultivation.

Lettuce

There are various types of lettuce providing different flavors. Normally the iceberg is commonly produced variety but when it comes to growing hydroponically, once can think of growing romaine, sweet butter and many more varieties, to be used in your salad menu.

Cabbage

Cabbage needs cooler temperature for proper growth, hence suitable for growing hydroponically. One may be required to adjust growing conditions for the cool weather vegetables. This would imply that it will be necessary to grow the plants according to their natural seasons. One can change the temperature settings in your greenhouse as per the crops decided for cultivation.

Green Beans

Normally the Bush-style green beans adjust quite well with the typical conditions set up in a hydroponic system, although pole beans can be grown as well. Also, the size of bush-style beans is convenient to manage versus pole beans.

Plants that require Additional Care in Hydroponic Greenhouse  

Watermelon, other melons, squash, and corn are some of these vegetables which occupy greater space to grow, making it difficult to thrive well in Hydroponic greenhouses. Therefore these plants need growers addition care like pruning on a regular basis. Few varieties of pumpkin varieties allowed for the space they need. This is done by planting them outside where they can spread and increase in size accordingly.  

Many plants have both male and female flowers on them therefore need the bees to pollinate them. Hydroponic setups do not have bees inside the structure, so cultivating these plants are a bit labor-intensive. Nevertheless, if the task of pollinating these plants is done by the grower himself, then chances of proper growth will be higher.

Could Urban Agriculture Feed The Cities of The Future?

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03 Sep 2020

By Agency

Vertical farms, rooftop farms, and computer-controlled growing environments are an emergent phenomenon in cities around the world, which are eager to take advantage of the many benefits of urban agriculture.

Drawing on new technologies and enthusiasm for locally sourced organic produce, these promising initiatives have raised hopes for greater sustainability that will reduce the environmental impact of cities and agricultural production required to meet the needs of their citizens.

However, the question remains: will urban farms be able to produce enough food to make cities self-sufficient?

The vast majority of fruit and vegetables sold in cities are picked before they are ripe, and are produced using intensive farming methods, which do extensive damage to the environment.

In contrast, urban agriculture offers the hope that we will one day be able to meet the global challenge of feeding cities in a much more sustainable manner. At the same time, it also provides a solution to the need for high-quality and locally sourced fresh food.

Recent successes in the field speak for themselves, notably the US$4mil (RM16.6mil) in funding raised by IFarm, which provides software and technology to the vertical farming sector.

The Helsinki-based company manages heavily automated indoor farms in which produce is grown in vertically stacked beds with a host of technologies that include a wide range of sensors, computer vision, and machine learning.

It currently has some 50 farms that are in development and is hoping to manage one million square meters of vertical farms and provide support for 500 different crops by 2026.

Is food self-sufficiency within reach?

It could be, notably with regard to vertical farms and certain crops. A recent publication in the interdisciplinary scientific journal PNAS has drawn attention to the potential of vertical farming to generate enormous yields of wheat.

Researchers have calculated, on the basis of theoretical values for the growth of wheat under optimal conditions, that a 10-story building on a one-hectare site could provide up to 1,940 tonnes of wheat per year, 600 times more than the average yield from traditional agriculture.

One of the reasons for this is because vertical farming provides conditions that would allow for five harvests per year instead of one. With the added advantages of doing away with the need for herbicides and pesticides, low water use, and land depletion, vertical farms may well fulfill their promise.

Questions remain about the viability of projects

However, as it stands, urban farms are very expensive to set up, and only a very few are actually profitable. Taking advantage of their situation in cities, most of those that are now operating are sustained by revenue from sources other than food production: notably income generated by cultural events, workshops, and renting plots to private individuals. – AFP Relaxnews

Related stories:

Community farm brings residents together

Getting ready for Agriculture 4.0

Lead photo: Urban agriculture is increasingly common in cities. This picture shows one of six farms created by the New York City Housing Authority in Brooklyn, New York. Photo: Leticia Barboza/AFP

TAGS / KEYWORDS: Urban Farming , Food Security , Vertical Farming , Rooftop Farms

Urban Vertical Farming: The Key To A Sustainable Future

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Living in a dense city population can make you wonder, "where does our food come from?" When you live in urban areas like Houston, New York City, or Seattle, it's rare that you notice farms on your drive to work.

The idea that our food is grown hundreds to thousands of miles away can be worrisome. What if something were to happen to those farms? Our resources would cut off and we would have limited access to foods. This is why vertical farming in urban areas is critical to ensure cities can be sustainable food leaders.

What is vertical farming?

Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops/foods in vertically stacked layers. This is usually done indoors and in a controlled environment. This method optimizes plant growth and allows the use of soilless techniques such as hydroponics.

How does vertical farming work?

Vertical farming needs several things to work. We'll cover each one below:

1. Physical Layout - The purpose of farming indoors is to maximize volume. We do this by maximizing the output efficiency per square meter. This is why you will see physical layouts in the form of skyscrapers or vertical tower-like structures.

2. Lighting - To optimize crop growth, a need for artificial and natural lights are essential.

3. Growing Medium - There are several different growing mediums for vertical farming. These methods include hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. Coco Coir, Rockwool, ,Biostrate, Vericulite, Perlite, SunShine #4 and Black Gold are great mediums used in indoor farming.

4. Sustainability Features - Sustainable features often used with vertical farming feature rainwater tanks, wind turbines, and spaces with low energy costs.

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Automatic Indoor Grow System

Why is urban vertical farming important?

By 2050, the forecast is that we will have an extra 2 billion people on the planet. Many of these people will live in urban areas. And we have already used a third of arable farmland in the past 40 years.

We need to come up with other sustainable ways to grow food to ensure we can feed everyone. Vertical farming allows us to grow healthy, accessible foods within a few acres of land, close to home.

This is critical for urban areas because they will become more populated over time. Instead of relying on faraway food sources, we need to take matters into our own hands. By establishing urban vertical farming settings, we'll be able to control and grow our own food sources.

Vertical farming also uses 95% less water than traditional farming methods. The use of water needed to grow crops traditionally is wasteful. To be able to handle an influx in population, vertical farming is a sustainable solution.

How does vertical farming benefit us?

There are many reasons why vertical farming is the future of farming. By building vertical farms, there will be an increase in job opportunities. There will be easier access to healthier and attainable foods. With food grown close to home, we will always be aware of where our food comes from.

Because of the controlled environment, there is a higher chance of growth success. We will be able to grow crops year-round and have larger yields. Crops will not be exposed to harsh weather conditions since they'll be grown indoors. Urban vertical farming methods should start being adopted right now.

The Takeaway

To prepare for the upcoming increase in food demand, urban areas need to adopt sustainable policies. People should start growing their food indoors as well as increasing the demand for high-tech farming methods.

FREE WEBINAR: Food Safety Opportunities & Challenges Unique To Controlled Environment Agriculture - September 9, 2020

Join the CEA Food Safety Coalition and its panel of food

Safety Experts From

Bowery Farming, BrightFarms, Plenty & Planted Detroit 

for our next Indoor Ag-Conversation:

RESERVE YOUR FREE SPOT!

 MODERATOR:
 Marni Karlin, CEA Food Safety Coalition Executive Director

PANELISTS:
Chris Livingston, General Counsel, Bowery Farming
Jackie Hawkins, Senior Manager of Food Safety, BrightFarms

Isabel Chamberlain, Senior Manager of Food Safety, Plenty
 Simon Yevzelman, Director of Operations, Planted Detroit

DURING THIS 60-MINUTE SESSION, YOU'LL:

• Learn about food safety opportunities and challenges specific to CEA leafy greens production - including areas such as system design and recirculating water

• Hear from food safety experts from CEA leafy greens producers representing a variety of production practices, sizes, and geographies

• Gain an understanding into the role of technology in CEA food safety

• Learn why consumers and retailers should care - and the work the Coalition is doing to develop a CEA-specific food safety addendum

LEARN MORE

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR INDOOR AG-CON 2020

EXHIBITORS, SPONSORS, MEDIA ALLIES &
INDUSTRY PARTNERS

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Indoor Ag-Con, 950 Scales Road, Building #200, Suwanee, GA 30024, United States

IDTechEx Identifies Innovative Companies Changing The Face of Vertical Farming

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IDTechEx 

Sep 02, 2020

BOSTON, Sept. 2, 2020,/PRNewswire/ -- Vertical farming, the practice of growing crops indoors under tightly controlled conditions, is continuing to expand rapidly. By using LED lighting tailored to the exact needs of the crop, alongside advanced hydroponic growing systems, and growing crops in vertically stacked trays, vertical farms can achieve yields hundreds of times higher than the same area of traditional farmland.

Investors and entrepreneurs alike are excited about the potential of vertical farming to revolutionize the global food system and some vertical farming companies have raised dizzying amounts of money. Plenty, a San Francisco-based start-up, and the most well-funded vertical farm, has raised $401 million in funding, with backers including SoftBank, Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt, and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Fellow US start-ups AeroFarms and Bowery Farming are not far behind, with $238 million and $167.5 million in funding, respectively.

While there has been much attention on these companies and their exploits, there are dozens of other companies in the industry developing their own approaches to vertical farming. Here, we explore some of the most innovative vertical farming start-ups, based on the recent IDTechEx report, "Vertical Farming 2020-2030".

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Freight Farms

Freight Farms is a Boston-based vertical farming company that manufactures "container farms", vertical farming systems installed into 40' mobile containers. Alongside its container farms, Freight Farms provides the farmhand software, a hydroponic farm management, and automation platform that also connects users with other Freight Farms customers. Container farms have many advantages - they are easy to transport, compact, and relatively cheap to set up in comparison to other vertical farming systems. Container farms are often turnkey systems, too, meaning that they require much less experience and expertise to operate than either a factory-scale vertical farm or indeed a traditional farm.

Freight Farms recently released its most advanced container farming system, the Greenery, which it believes is the most advanced container farming system in the world. The Greenery is a turnkey system that uses an array of sensors to continuously monitor the growing conditions inside the farm, with the farmhand software automatically making adjustments and planning watering cycles in order to provide the optimum environment for growing crops and allowing users to control their Greenery remotely from a smartphone.

80 Acres – Collaboration, Food Experience

Despite their potential, many vertical farming start-ups have struggled over the years with the labor costs and power requirements for running a high-tech indoor farm. This has often forced producers to sell their crops at a much higher price than conventionally farmed leafy greens. Additionally, many founders of vertical farming companies have little experience in the food industry and can struggle with the day-to-day realities of running a food production industry.

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80 Acres is an Ohio-based vertical farming start-up aiming to overcome these challenges by constructing the world's first fully automated indoor farm. The company was founded in November 2015 by Tisha Livingston and Mike Zelkind, who between them have over 50 years' experience in the food industry. Collaboration is also important to 80 Acres. The company believes that vertical farming is a very multidisciplinary field, requiring collaboration between partners who are experts in their own discipline. Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) developed the LEDs used in the facility and Dutch greenhouse automation company Priva developed the control and fertigation systems, with 80 Acres using its experience in food to bring the system together and integrate the technology.

The company currently operates a 75,000 square foot facility in Hamilton, a suburb of Cincinnati, which is set to expand to 150,000 square feet in summer 2020 following a $40 million investment from Virgo Investment Group. When completed, 80 Acres claims this facility will be the world's first fully automated indoor farm. The farm will be automated from seeding to growing to harvesting, using robotics, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and around-the-clock monitoring sensors and control systems to optimize every aspect of growing produce indoors.

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Jones Food Company

Jones Food Company is a British vertical farming start-up that operates Europe's largest vertical farm out of a warehouse in Scunthorpe, UK. It was founded in 2016 by James Lloyd-Jones and Paul Challinor, who wanted to build the largest vertical farming facility that they could in order to help overcome some of the operational problems plaguing the industry and bring vertical farming to the mainstream. After visiting several vertical farms in Japan, they decide that the only way to make vertical farming a success is to focus on scale and automation.

Jones Food Company focuses on maximizing automation and robotics in their facility to minimize operating costs, with its facility being modeled on a car factory, with the growing process resembling a production line - over the 25-day growing period, plants move from one end of the facility to another. Much of the work is done by machines, helping to reduce labor costs. Harvesting is carried out by bespoke machines and the heavy lifting is performed by a robot called Frank. This focus on automation means that only six employees are required to operate the Scunthorpe facility.

Jones Food Company has partnered with UK online grocery company Ocado, which currently owns about 70% of the business. Through this partnership, Jones Food Company is aiming to set up vertical farms next to Ocado's grocery depots, meaning that fresh produce could be delivered to shoppers within an hour of being picked.

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Infarm

Infarm is a Berlin-based start-up that sells modular, hydroponic vertical farms for growing leafy greens and herbs in supermarkets, schools, and offices. A single two-square meter unit can grow 8,000 plants in a year, with the company claiming its farms use 95% less water than soil-based farms, take up 99.5% less space, use zero chemical pesticides, need 90% less transportation, and use 75% less fertilizer.

Infarm has partnered with several major supermarkets across Europe, where it has currently deployed over 500 farms in stores and distribution centers. The company is also beginning to expand in the USA, having recently partnered with Kroger to trial its indoor farms in two QFC stores in Seattle. In the UK, it has partnered with supermarket chain Marks & Spencer, which is trialing in-store urban farming in seven locations in London, growing Italian basil, Greek basil, Bordeaux basil, mint, mountain coriander, thyme, and curly parsley.

The company's business model is based around an "agriculture-as-a-service" model. The modular farms remain the property of Infarm, which receives income per harvested plant. Infarm then coordinates with clients such as retailers and takes care of the farm including installation, cultivation, harvesting, and maintenance. Aside from the regular visits by service personnel to plant new plants, the farms are controlled remotely. This modular, data-driven, and distributed approach — a combination of big data, IoT, and cloud analytics — sets Infarm apart from competitors. From a price point, Infarm is attractive for supermarkets, which get a better product at the same price. In addition, the plants, especially herbs, are harvested fresh, preserving color, smell, flavor, and nutrients.

For more information about the vertical farming industry and the innovative companies operating within the space, please see the recent IDTechEx report, "Vertical Farming 2020-2030", www.IDTechEx.com/VertFarm or for the full portfolio of related research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research.

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy, and Event products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information on IDTechEx Research and Consultancy, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

USA: SOUTH CAROLINA - $314 Million Agriculture Technology Campus To Bring 1,500 Jobs To Hampton County

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by Cody Thomas

September 3, 2020

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The project is expected to be operational by 2022 (Credit: Cody Thomas)

HAMPTON COUNTY, Sc. (WTGS) — On Wednesday, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced a new agriculture technology campus in Hampton County.

The massive project will bring more than 1,500 jobs to the community.

“This is the largest agricultural announcement in South Carolina history, according to commissioner Weathers who’s been working on this project for years,” Governor McMaster said.

Governor McMaster and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture say the 1,000-acre project will use controlled environment agriculture, an indoor farming technique to minimize space and conserve water.

“As we bring food production to the East Coast and not bring those trucks across the country and have that cost involved, there’s only just potential for additional growth,” Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said.

The $314 million investment is expected to bring in 1,500 jobs by 2025, but there was concern about the small farmers who are already there.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue says there is room for partnership.

“It’s going to be a long, long time before our great agriculture producers are not needed. I don’t ever envision that happening at all,” Perdue said.

Governor McMaster says project investors with the GEM Opportunity Zone Fund could have taken this project anywhere, but the area’s environmental advantages are what secured the deal.

“This kind of innovation represented by these companies and the people that we have here that can do this work, and these are high paying jobs, these are careers, you end up with a great announcement like this,” he said.

He also says the additional 1,500 jobs are exactly what the economy needs during the pandemic.

The project is expected to increase the total economic output in Hampton County by more than $550 million per year.

The new agriculture technology campus is expected to be operational by 2022.