New Restrictions On Lettuce

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Marc Fawcett-Atkinson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

October 22, 2020

Unprecedented federal import restrictions on romaine lettuce and salad mixes from California’s Salinas Valley point to problems in the U.S. agricultural system that supplies British Columbians with more than half their fresh vegetables, Canadian food safety researchers say.

Companies that import lettuce must now prove each shipment has been tested for E. coli, or was grown outside of California's Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties. The directive will remain in force until Dec. 31, to cover the harvest season for California lettuce producers.

Lawrence Goodridge, director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety at the University of Guelph, says repeated outbreaks of E. coli contamination from American farms precipitated the move.  There have been at least four outbreaks associated with romaine lettuce alone since 2016, Goodridge said. Investigations by American and Canadian authorities have also pinpointed the region as the source of several past E. coli outbreaks.

“The problem is nobody quite knows how the lettuce is becoming contaminated,” said Goodridge. “It could be the irrigation water, wild animals could run through the field and defecate. It’s hard to trace.”

Canada imported 183,300 tonnes of lettuce from the United States last year, and 64 per cent of that was from California. The remainder came from Arizona, Ohio and Florida. Between June 2019 and July 2020, more than 50,000 shipments of the vegetable crossed the border.

Lettuce is not the only vegetable that’s mostly imported to Canada outside the summer months. In 2018, about $2 million worth of vegetables flowed north, everything from kohlrabi to kale. Like lettuce, the majority was grown in California or other southwestern states.

Cattle are pastured on the hillsides surrounding the Salinas valley. That means manure can be washed downhill, gather in the bottom of the valley and possibly contaminate surface water and groundwater. This water is used to irrigate the hectares of lettuce and other vegetables growing in the valley bottom.

“The current temporary import requirements, implemented on Oct. 7, (are) a preventative measure due to the repetitive outbreaks linked to California romaine lettuce over the past four years,” the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in an emailed statement.

The decision has received a tepid reception from American lettuce producers.

“Our producers will do their best to comply (with the new testing requirement) in an effort to continue shipping romaine lettuce to our valued trade partners in Canada,” the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA), an association of shippers and handlers who adhere to shared food safety measures and are responsible for about 90 per cent of the leafy greens grown in the U.S., said in a written statement.

“However, this may not be feasible due to limited laboratory capacity. More importantly, product testing has not proven to be a reliable indicator of product safety.”

The organization is advocating for in-field testing instead of the post-harvest tests the Canadian government requires. It also said that recently implemented measures are sufficient to protect consumers.

The changes implemented by the LGMA classify irrigation water into categories depending on where it comes from, and how it will be used. Water used for overhead irrigation exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “recreational standard” - clean enough for swimming. Water used for ground level or buried irrigation systems can fall below that standard. 

However, that’s not enough, said Keith Warriner, a food security professor at the University of Guelph. He would like to see the water tested more frequently, similar to the weekly or daily water testing requirements many states require for water to meet their recreational standard - an unfair comparison said the LGMA. 

“Comparing recreational water use and irrigation water use is questionable because swimmers taking a drink of the water they are swimming in is a very different risk profile than irrigating a crop that will then be exposed to the environment...before a consumer eats that product,” the organization said in an emailed statement. 

Nor does post-harvest cleaning do much, Goodridge and Warriner agreed.

“We know that washing actually spreads bacteria,” Goodridge said. “You’ve got to think that these are big processing operations (that) could be receiving lettuce from many different fields all over the place. If you have one batch that’s contaminated, but you’re running other batches through (the same cleaning line) at the same time, they can all get contaminated.”

Tracing a leaf of contaminated lettuce from a Canadian consumer’s plate back to individual farms is impossible, he said, especially since it could be more than two weeks before someone gets sick from the lettuce.

Nor is the federal government’s approach perfect.

Lettuce from other parts of the U.S. could also be contaminated, especially if water standards for processing and irrigation aren’t any higher.

And testing isn't very accurate because it only captures a minute snapshot of the total lettuce shipment, Goodridge said. A better approach would be to push the industry to implement system-wide changes that would address the problems at their source, such as treating all irrigation water with chlorine, to help deal with the issue.

These are largely regulatory matters Canada can’t control, since water and growing standards fall under U.S. jurisdiction. Still, the economic pressure exerted by an import ban could help push the industry to implement changes of its own volition.

“You have to have regulation,” said Goodridge. “But, ultimately, it’s when the industry takes food safety seriously, as opposed to seeing it as a necessary evil, (that) we will really begin to address these ongoing outbreaks.”

Investment Projects On Construction And Modernisation of Greenhouse Complexes Will Be Presented At The 5th Anniversary International Forum And Exhibition Greenhouse Complexes Russia & CIS 2020

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Date: 2-4 December 2020

Place: Moscow, Baltschug Kempinski

Organised by: Vostock Capital

Tel.: +44 207 394 3090  

Wellbeing of our guests and participants is the top priority for our company, so this year “Greenhouse Complexes of Russia and CIS” Forum will be held in “hybrid format”.  The event will take place on 2-4 December 2020. We are delighted to welcome the participants at the traditional venue – Baltschug Kempinski hotel and on the online platform at the same time. Every delegate will be able to choose the most convenient format of networking.

We have already held a successful event in this format.

More testimonies to link.

 5th Anniversary International Forum and Exhibition Greenhouse Complexes Russia & CIS 2020 – is an established professional international platform for attracting investment in the Greenhouse Industry of Russia, discussion of industry development strategies, exchanging experience between key market players and signing new win-win contracts.

The Forum is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.

Silver sponsor: SVETOGOR. Bronze sponsors: Unitec, Pylot, FITO. Onsite Visit Sponsor: Osram.

Onsite Visits Partners: “Agrokultura Group” Greenhouse Complex, “Podosinki” Greenhouse Complex.

The Forum unites investors from Europe and the CIS, initiators of greenhouse projects for from all regions of Russia, senior executives from federal and regional agricultural holdings, representatives of Russian regulating agencies, heads of the regions, top managers from retail chains and service companies, presidents of national unions and associations as well as investors from Asia.

Among the confirmed companies 2020: ECO-Culture,  Stavropol Flavour, Greenhouse, Ovoschevod, Grow Group Azerbaijan, Yagodnaya Dolina, Tander, X5 Retail Group, Agricultural Complex Gorkovskiy, Agrocombine Moskovskiy, MC AgroPark Plody s Gryadki, Yug-Agro, ECO-farm Mazilovo, Trading House Vyborgec, Green Farmer, Sun Valley, Growth Technology, Yagodnaya Dolina, Udmurt Flowers, FITO, MWM RUS, Horti XS BV, Pylot, AgroBioTechnology and many others.

Register now - https://www.greenhousesforum.com/en/registration/

Forum Highlights 2020:

• 500+ senior executives of major commercial greenhouses and agriholdings from Russia and the CIS – Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, as well as investors, government officials, chief agronomists, heads of retails chains and service providers

• NEW! 2 ONSITE VISITS to state-of-the-art greenhouse complexes - “AGROKULTURA GROUP” (vegetable farming) and “PODOSINKI” (flower cultivation)

• Leaders debate: The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, agriholdings, investors, initiators. How will the greenhouse industry evolve after the pandemic?

• Greenhouse investment projects on construction and modernisation to be developed in 2021-2025 from all Russian regions and the CIS

• NEW! CITY FARMING. Development prospects of the city farming trend in Russia and the CIS

• FOCUS-SESSION: Diversification – MICROGREENS, LETTUCE, PARSLEY, DILL, AND OTHER GREEN CROPS. If not cucumbers and tomatoes, what else can grow in a greenhouse? 

• HOW MODERN GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGIES CAN OPTIMISE PRODUCTION? How can innovations boost the greenhouse industry?

• GREENHOUSE MARKETING. How to sell food from greenhouse properly? Success formula by major producers

• IMPORTANT! POWER SUPPLY IN THE GREENHOUSE INDUSTRY. How to cut power expenses?

• SELLING GREENHOUSE PRODUCTS How to build cooperation with retail chains?

• AGRONOMY DAY - specialised workshops on growing vegetables. How to boost plant fertility and resistance?

• Specialised exhibition of advanced equipment and technology for greenhouses by the lead companies from the Netherlands, Israel, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other countries

• Fast and efficient! Road show of innovative technologies and equipment by the global leaders

• Evening cocktails

Register now - https://www.greenhousesforum.com/en/registration/

E-mail: Events@vostockcapital.com

Website: https://www.greenhousesforum.com/en/

How The Pandemic Has Accelerated The Next Generation of Farming

Vertical farming has provided an innovative

way to serve customers and ensure clean food

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By Sumner Park FOXBusiness

Coronavirus puts farmers in 'dire need' of help from government: Farm Bureau president

Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall discusses how coronavirus is challenging farmers, trade with China, and reopening the economy.

The foodservice industry is betting big on vertical farming as the pandemic ushers in a heightened awareness of food safety and cleanliness.

Vertical farming, or the practice of cultivating crops in vertically stacked shelves and often in a controlled indoor environment, allows produce to be shipped to grocery stores, restaurants and other dining services in a matter of minutes.

EVEN WITH A STRONG CROP THIS YEAR, US FARMERS ARE SUFFERING

A new report by Allied Market Research shows that the global market for vertical farming crops is projected to reach $1.38 billion by 2027 with a compounded annual growth rate of 26.2% from 2021 to 2027. Last year alone, the industry was estimated to be around $212.4 million.

Amid the trajectory for growth, the coronavirus outbreak has accelerated the demand for fresh and locally grown produce. And as restaurants reopen, vertical farming has provided an innovative way to serve customers and ensure clean food.

“The pandemic has certainly shed light on the fact that everybody is very aware of cleanliness and safety, and food is no exception,” CEO of Kalera Daniel Malechuk told FOX Business. “What vertical farming can offer is something that is local, something that hasn’t been in a journey to get to the end  or touched by a significant number of people and something that is grown in a clean room where the product is not subject to harmful elements or exposure.”

TRUMP ANNOUNCES $13B WORTH OF NEW RELIEF FUNDING FOR US FARMERS

Kalera, an indoor vertical farming company with hydroponic technology, is on track for rapid growth, particularly in high dense urban markets. After opening the largest vertical farming facility in Texas, the ag-tech company has plans to expand to Atlanta where it will be the highest production volume vertical farm in the Southeast, as well as Denver by 2021. Aside from its typical operations providing lettuce and microgreens to theme parks and restaurants, Kalera has also entered the grocery space marked by a deal with Publix that went into effect in April.

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(Credit: Kalera)

“We love supporting our local growers—whether they are growing in a field or on top of a  hotel,”  Business Development Director Produce and Floral of Publix Super Markets Curt Epperson told FOX Business. “Our customers really appreciate hydroponically grown leafy greens, not only because they are flavorful  but because they are sustainable. We’re excited to see where vertical farming goes in the future. Wherever that is, you can be sure that we’ll be keeping in touch with our local hydroponic farmers, finding out what they’re doing, and talking about how we can work together.”

Hydroponically grown greens emerged in grocery stores prior to COVID-19, but the global health crisis has only accentuated the need to know where food comes from and how it is grown.

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(Credit: Kalera)

With technology that doesn't require soil to grow plants and consumes up to 10 times less water compared to traditional soil-based growth, hydroponic systems are not only sustainable but also can be controlled to minimize pesticides and other dangerous chemicals.

Additionally, the minimal transport involved allows produce to reach store shelves without traveling thousands of miles and being exposed to more touchpoints.

Global supply chain disruption has also forced retail chains like Publix to secure produce that does not conflict with restrictions on transportation, which particularly came to light during the first phase of lockdown and with varying state travel mandates.

US FARMERS SCRAMBLE FOR HELP AS COVID-19 SCUTTLES IMMIGRANT WORKFORCE

On top of that, more customers are turning to vertical farming solutions like Kalera for lettuce due to the shortage caused by the California wildfires, where the ash in the fields have affected the growth and safety of the traditional product.

And as vertical farming becomes more attractive in light of the pandemic, more cities will tap into these alternative methods, according to Kalera’s Daniel Malechuk.

“What Kalera is able to do is to offer and shed new light on farming is the backbone of American society and one of our strengths as a nation,” Malechuk said. And leading the wave of the ag-tech revolution is what vertical farming companies like Kalera are doing.”

Korean Smart Farm Company Farm8 Eyes IPO In 2022

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2020.10.23

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Photo provided by Farm8

Farm8, a South Korean agricultural firm with advanced technologies in indoor farming, is seeking to go public on the main Kospi in 2022 after gaining confidence from capital investment.

Farm8’s biggest backer IMM Investment is expected to play a pivotal role in the initial public offering and likely to remain as its No. 1 shareholder to drive the company’s global expansion.

The Seoul-based alternative asset investment firm first linked up with Farm8 in 2014 by investing 16 billion won ($14.1 million) and has since been an ardent supporter of the company, backing its financing, benchmarking and promotion efforts.

In March this year, it helped pulled 10 billion in outside capital, including 5 billion won from state-run Korea Development Bank.

Farm8’s valuation is estimated at 80 billion won after its rights issue.

Farm8 posted 47.2 billion won in revenue last year, up 7.5 percent from 2018. Sales this year are estimated to jump 25 percent to 58 billion won, according to the company.

The firm has been seeing robust growth despite the coronavirus slump, gaining recognition for its eco-friendly agricultural cultivation and processing technologies. It is the country’s leading smart farm factory, incorporating the latest technologies including artificial intelligence and internet of things to optimize and automate the cultivation process.

Farm8 has installed Metro Farms in five subway stations in Seoul and is planning to build a container smart farm in South Korea’s Antarctic research station by the end of this year. It aims to triple its smart farm capacity to 9,910 square meters next year.

The firm also plans to add more value-added crops such as ginseng and strawberries and is exploring options of using these ingredients for cosmetic and medical purposes.

Korea’s smart farm market is estimated to be worth 2.6 trillion won this year, with potential to grow even further amid pledges of government support.

Farm8 is also intent on taking its business global. It said it aims to build its presence in Asian markets including Mongolia, Singapore and Japan, and eventually break into North America and Europe.

By Park Chang-young and Kim Hyo-jin

Indoor Farmer Grows His Greens Vertically

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By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN

Capital Press  Oct 19, 2020

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Ken Kaneko, founder of Forward Greens, recalls the first time he saw a vertical farm.

Kaneko was a tech scientist for Intel at the time, on a business trip to Japan. When he stumbled upon a Japanese vertical farm — plants stacked high to the ceiling — Kaneko said he remembers being amazed.

Back in the U.S., he researched indoor vertical farming. In 2017, he incorporated in Vancouver, Wash., and in 2018, he started selling microgreens to grocery stores across the Pacific Northwest.

Kaneko said the business is an intersection of his passions. He said he loves salad and is able to use skills he learned from the tech world."

I'm not doing technology for the sake of technology. Every design has a reason," he said.

Kaneko's vertical farm is one of just a handful like it in the West.

Globally, vertical farming is taking root. "Plant factories" filled with vertically stacked shelves are gaining popularity in the Netherlands, Japan, Scotland, and other nations. But experts say the U.S. isn't likely to adopt vertical farming on a wide scale anytime soon."

The Netherlands and Japan are small countries with relatively high populations. Here in America, we've got all kinds of space. Especially here in the West, there's so much room. I'm betting for a while, it's still going to be easier and cheaper to go wide instead of going tall," said Mykl Nelson, instructor of urban agriculture at Oregon State University.

But for Kaneko and a few other pioneers in the Pacific Northwest, growing vertical has its perks.

The classic appeal, experts say, is that for urban dwellers, the greens are as local and fresh as it gets. Kaneko's greens are shipped from 1 to 150 miles, whereas greens from Arizona or California may be shipped more than 2,000 miles to Portland.

Advocates also tout vertical farming as more "sustainable." Kaneko said his greens use 95% less water, 99% less land, and 100% fewer pesticides than conventional greens grown outdoors.

Nelson of OSU added that vertical farms also have more control over "weather" conditions and shorter harvest turn-around times.

Consumers are taking notice.

Jeff Fairchild, grocery buyer for New Seasons Market in Portland, said he has seen an increase in interest from shoppers.

Fairchild said the total market share, however, remains small. The microgreens may be delicate, delicious, and locally grown, he said, but they still have to compete with big, crunchy heads of lettuce from places like Salinas, Calif.And vertical farming, experts say, has other downsides. OSU's Nelson said LED lighting, though decreasing in cost, is still expensive, and while vertical farmers are typically more sustainable in water use, their higher electricity use can translate into higher carbon emissions.

"Sustainability is kind of a nebulous thing because right now it's really vague," said Nelson.

Kaneko remains excited by the positive consumer response. His team produces about 500 pounds of greens a day, and Kaneko hopes to reach 1,500 pounds per day in the next few years as he expands into more stores.

Tags KenKaneko Farming Economics Agriculture Commerce Industry Greens 

Factory Vertical Farm Japan Grocery Nelson

"We Have Barely Scratched The Surface In The MENA AgTech Sector"

"Badia Farms is the first commercial vertical farm to launch in the GCC. We officially started operations in the heart of Dubai in 2016, but the seeds were planted further back. My background is in engineering and banking. I first took the entrepreneurial leap in Saudi Arabia in the hospitality sector by opening multiple unique restaurant concepts." That's how Omar Al Jundi, Founder & CEO of Badia Farms, introduces himself.

Mesmerized by hydroponics
When he decided to enter his next venture, he says "I knew it had to be both challenging and able to add value and make a difference to our society and communities. When I was introduced to the concept of hydroponics, I was mesmerized with this new technique of growing where we don’t require any soil, we can recycle 90% of the water, and it can be grown in a fully closed environment, without even sunlight!  Years before we launched I learned as much from experts, conferences, courses, and by working in a high-tech greenhouse facility in Holland."

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Sustainability
Food security is one of the main issues in the MENA region, and the development of sustainable farming is crucial. "We have seen this first hand during the early days of the Covid pandemic," Omar says. "Produce supply chains were halted, and many countries (especially in MENA) had to reassess their long-term plans and fast-track their commitment to AgTech models such as vertical farming."

The choice to go vertical
Vertical farming and AgTech is needed in the GCC. Why? Omar explains: "Over-dependence on imported produce and the simple fact that traditional framing does not work in our arid desert climate. I want to tackle an issue that will make a difference to society while preserving our natural resources such as water. Badia products are pesticide and herbicide-free. Since our crops are grown naturally in sterile, soil-free mediums, along with the controlled environment, it removes the need for harmful additives. We can also harvest fresh produce all year round. Our harvest yields 4-8 times the amount of crops in the same space compared to conventional soil farming. As a former restaurateur, it has been amazing to be able to work with the top chefs and restaurants in the UAE and be able to supply them with fresh, better than organic flavourful products that wouldn't be available to them otherwise. The journey from food to table is much shorter."

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Optimal growth conditions
In this vertical farming environment, Badia Farms is able to control every aspect of the ecosystem to ensure optimal growth conditions are provided for each crop. "For example, our facilities utilize LEDs, artificial lighting to replace the sunlight, we control and monitor all environmental inputs (humidity, temperature, CO2), and we use computer linked dosing units to schedule the irrigation and feed formulas," Omar points out. "Lastly, our hydroponic growing methods use 90% less water compared to open field growing, and since we recirculate our water there’s no wastage."

Support needed
There were also some challenges along the way to achieving this, as AgTech and modern farming are still very new to the region. "The biggest challenge is there aren’t off the shelf solutions that we can purchase and implement immediately," Omar says. "In the case of vertical farming, which is still at an infancy stage globally, we had to design our own grow system to form our IP and ensure we have a commercial operation that will yield high-quality products and profits to ensure we stay in business.

We surely need a lot more support from the government and private sectors for this industry to see the light. For example, the government can support the industry by introducing cost-effective initiatives that reduce the operational cost that will ensure the viability of the projects. Educating the public and consumers on the benefits of modern farming and vertical farming is very important to ensure the continuity of this new industry. We are seeing more regional and global VC's and investment funds interested in the AgTech sector in our region, but they haven’t made the big investments yet!"

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Opportunities in the Middle East
Asked what advice Omar would give to people looking into breaking into the UAE food/ag market, he says: "What's great right now is that we have barely scratched the surface in the MENA AgTech sector, so there are so many opportunities, which has been propelled by the pandemic. The UAE is an open economy, I suggest whoever is interested to enter the market to come and meet with the different governmental entities, to meet with distributors, understand the market dynamics, pricing, etc. Come and do the work themselves vs hiring a consultant to do the job. The journey won't be easy. But even with the advent of technology farming is still what it was hundreds of years ago: to grow something needs constant attention, passion, and patience."

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E-commerce platform
Badia Farms has a lot in store for the future, like increasing their product offering, expanding their facility in the UAE, and growing their team. "We are also excited about the launch of our own e-commerce platform! The crop will be harvested only once a customer places an order and will reach them within a couple of hours. We are also raising our next round of funding. So a lot is going on", Omar concludes.

Omar Al Jundi will be one of the speakers during the upcoming Agritecture Xchange. When registering, you can use the code 'HDaily10' to get 10% off tickets.

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For more information:
Badia Farms
www.badiafarms.com

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Publication date: Fri 23 Oct 2020
Author: Jan Jacob Mekes
© HortiDaily.com

US - INDIANIA - Vertical Farm Is On The Way Up In Nappanee

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by Steve Grinczel

October 23, 2020

It's harvest time throughout Michiana.

Then again, it's always harvest time at Micro Farms LLC in Nappanee, where growing season for tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and peppers includes every day from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.

No matter what the weather is outside, the inside of Micro Farms' futuristic, squared-off, Venlo Dutch greenhouse is as balmy as a pleasant summer evening. The facility covers just one-quarter of an acre of land, but the output of produce sustains the cash-and-carry business managed by Dion Graber.

"We have the best of all seasons in Indiana here inside, so that's what's really nice," he said.

Cucumbers and lettuce are harvested on a daily basis and tomatoes and peppers are picked three times a week.

"With most of your outdoor stuff, some things harvest earlier in the season, but basically, you have four months of harvest, so they're all done now. We have 12, and that's what really sets us apart," Graber said. "It is really hard to grow in winter, with a lot less lighting and stuff, so your production is down, but we're still able to produce fresh produce when it's snowing outside."

Evidence of greenhouse-like structures dates back to the 1400s, but Graber's facility—known as a vertical farm—has more in common with science fiction than archeology.

Micro Farms' hundreds of plants are grown in a high-tech, aeroponic-hydroponic system, which means their roots never touch a speck of dirt.

Seeds are germinated in foam cubes and eventually moved to the main growing area where they reach up to the underside of the pitched roof. Four varieties of lettuce grow in patented plastic cups, developed by Micro Farms, that fit into wide PVC tubes.

"Nothing is sitting in water," Graber said. "Our tubes are a combination of aeroponics and hydroponics. There's a nozzle that comes down the middle of each tube and sprays out. The cups hold the cube of lettuce, and then the water just drips down through and the roots grow into the middle of the tube."

Tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are rooted in rows of large, rockwool growing medium cubes set on the floor.

"With that, you have fewer chances for diseases," Graber said.

Non-stinging bumblebees are brought in to pollinate the plants and other natural means are used to control pests. No chemical growth or pesticide inputs are used, Graber said.

Tomato vines produce optimally for six to eight months and average about 45 to 55 feet in length. Cucumber plants average about 3 inches of growth per day and plants eventually stand 18 feet tall. Pepper plants get up to 15 feet.

While water is obviously key component of a hydroponic operation, greenhouses typically use far less water to grow the same plant cultivated outdoors.

"We also collect rain water off of this roof and the building next door to feed our plants," Graber said. "Close to 80 percent of our water is rain water. We have about 35,000 gallons worth of storage."

The watering system, located in the basement, is tailored to the needs of each crop with nutrients Graber compared to over-the-counter, human health supplements.

Graber grew up on his family's nearby farm that transitioned from dairy to spe-cialty beef cattle when he was a youngster. His father, Loren, became interested in hydroponics after reading an article about the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where they have been growing and abundance of vegetables indoors without soil or "fairy dust," according to FarmFlavor.com, since 1982.

"That really intrigued him so he kind of just stayed with it, and 25 years later he and his agronomist, Steve Kiefer, decided to go into the greenhouse business, and here we are, six years in now," Graber said. "I was working on the farm with the cows and doing custom hay, and helped build the greenhouse.

"I wasn't planning on working here, but then it just all came together and decided to give it a shot."

In addi-tion to being self-taught, Graber crammed his way through Arizona State University remote classes on growing tomatoes and peppers indoors.

As arable farmland continues to dwindle and populations grow, hydroponic agriculture has long been studied as a potential solution to increased demand on the world's food supply. Hydroponic plants are generally considered three to 10 times more productive than outdoor soil-based plants. According to Neil Mattson, of Cornell University's School of Integrative Plant Science, 20 to 50 times more lettuce per acre can be produced in a greenhouse than in a field.

In a recent LAist.com story, Plenty farms, a San Francisco-based startup, claimed its state-of-the-art vertical system can grow 350 times more produce per square foot than a conventional farm can.

In 2006, Epcot set a world record with 32,000 tomatoes produced by a single plant over a 16-month period.

"We're looking at how to grow things indoors and what works best in this area," Graber said. "This is basically a university for growing. I've tried close to 60-some different kinds of lettuce, four different kinds of tomatoes, six different kinds of peppers and four different kinds of cucumbers just to see what works best in this environment."

Graber makes due with whatever sunshine Mother Nature will provide, while supplementing minimally with artificial light.

"You actually have a little more wattage of sunlight in winter than you think with all the reflection," he said. "That's why everything inside of this greenhouse is powder-coated white because 1 percent more reflection creates 1 percent more yield, and you've got rays bouncing all over the place in here.

"It's definitely big for us to be able to grow fresh produce all year-round."

Graber's mature produce looks uniform and flawless, and he said it compares favorably with similar products grown outdoors.

"We feel we're pretty close to garden-taste," he said. "Some people prefer different flavors, and our lettuce definitely sets us apart just because of how fresh it is. It's harvested less than eight hours before you get it."

Graber sells his produce on-site on Wednesday and Friday afternoons with an order-and-drive-through set-up patterned after the one the Chick-fil-A fast-food chain has been employing during the pandemic.

"Even in the dead of winter, you never have to get out of your vehicle," Graber said. "We also supply some mom-and-pop grocery stores, a couple of restaurants and a bakery."

Micro Farms is also part of a start-up, online delivery service called Local Farms Direct (localfarms direct.com) that is designed to deliver fresh produce and a wide variety of fresh baked goods from Amish bakers and other private bakeries to work environments, such as office complexes.

"One of the best things about this job is you see new growth and progress every day with your plants, along with just being able to get your customers some healthy food throughout the year," Graber said. "We have a very loyal base of customers."

With advancements in LED lighting, hydroponic producers are able to grow produce in almost any enclosed space, including abandoned buildings, warehouses and even caves. Futurists have long envisioned the day when urban crops for big cities will be grown indoors in tall buildings occupying a real estate footprint that's a fraction of a farm field.

Indoor farming was a $23.75 billion industry in 2016 and expected to grow to $40.25 billion in 2020, according to MarketsandMarkets.com study.

"This is definitely just the beginning," Graber said. "I would have said, when this first was built, we were one of the most advanced facilities in Indiana if not the U.S. We've probably been way surpassed by now because this industry is growing very fast.

"It's food and people have to have food to live."

WEBINARS: Building Sustainable Triple Bottom Line Farms and More

SEE WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT:
 JOIN THESE CONVERSATIONS!

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Presented by the Center of Excellence For Indoor Agriculture,

this session will cover the concept of the Triple Bottom Line: People, Planet and Profits; the B-Certification process and reporting; contributions indoor farms can make according to the Triple Bottom Line; lessons learned from sustainable indoor farms, and more!

Moderator:

Eric W. Stein, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture and Associate Professor of Business at Penn State 

Panelists:

Dave Nichols, Director of Strategy, AppHarvest
Alexander Rudnicki, Senior Project Manager/Plant Manager, AeroFarms
Grant Vandenbussche, Chief Category Officer, Fifth Season

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

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Panelists:
Regina Gruell Cook, Vice President of Marketing & Operations, Symbiotic Aquaponic
Claudia Andracki, owner, Desert Bloom Eco Farm and Aftaz Growing Systems
Carlos Leon, Biotechnologist Engineer, Aquaponia – BoFish
Charlie Shultz, Lead Faculty, Controlled Environment Agriculture Program, Santa Fe Community College

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Moderator

Andy LaVigne, President & CEO, American Seed Trade Association (ASTA)

Panelists
Dr. Aaron Crawford, Lead, Technical Product Commercialization, Pairwise
Tracy Lee, Head, Controlled Environment Agriculture Department, Sakata Seed
Kees Roenburg, Hydroponic Sales Manager, Enza Zaden North America

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

And, look for details coming soon for other upcoming programs soon!

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

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US - FLORIDA: Orlando Vertical Farming Firm Kalera Eyes Funding Deal To Fuel More Growth

By Alex Soderstrom

Staff Writer, Orlando Business Journal

Oct 23, 2020

Like The Produce It Grows, Kalera Inc.’s

Growth Trajectory Is Going Vertical. 

The Orlando-based vertical farming company is working with Oslo-based investment firms ABG Sundal Collier and Artic Securities AS to complete a private offering of company stock that would raise Kalera up to $100 million. That money would be used to accelerate the growth of Kalera, which has recently expanded its local workforce and entered new markets. 

Corporate growth

Kalera plans to list up to 31 million shares on the Merkur Market, a trading platform for small and medium companies that’s part of the Oslo Stock Exchange. The first day of trading is anticipated to be Oct. 28, the company announced Oct. 21. The deal is a private placement, a sale of shares to pre-selected investors and firms. 

Kalera will use the funds to build new vertical farming facilities in both the U.S. and abroad. The firm operates two indoor growing facilities in Orlando, and Kalera expects to grow its corporate workforce in Orlando, CEO Daniel Malechuk told Orlando Business Journal. 

To see inside Kalera's HyCube in Orlando, check out the slideshow above.

"Our Orlando [growing] facilities are fully-staffed and hired out,” Malechuk said. “Our corporate office is where we’re going to see a lot of growth.” 

Companies may raise capital through a private placement deal in order to fund operations and planned growth, Michael Okaty, an Orlando-based business attorney and partner at Foley & Lardner LLP, told OBJ. Companies using a private placement deal to raise money face less regulatory scrutiny than an initial public offering (IPO), when stocks are offered on an open market, Okaty added.

Aggressive expansion

This is another step in Kalera’s rapid expansion since it was founded in 2010. The company’s vertical agriculture facilities grow quality-controlled produce year-round. Kalera in 2021 will open its newest facility, a roughly 75,000-square-foot building in Denver, and expand the company’s reach to four U.S. markets. The company employs about 75 people, mostly in Central Florida, but will grow its workforce to more than 300 companywide by the end of next year, Malechuk said. 

Many of Kalera’s customers, such as restaurants, hotels and Universal Orlando Resort, have seen a drop in business due to the pandemic. Still, Kalera was helped by striking a partnership with Publix Supermarkets Inc. earlier this year. Plus, it’s targeting new customers, such as school systems, Malechuk added. 

The global vertical farming industry has big potential, and it’s expected to be worth nearly $12.77 billion by 2026, according to industry analysis site Report Buyer. Plus, the food grown this way is less susceptible to bacteria and disease, and it boasts a longer shelf life, Malechuk previously said. 

Kalera anticipates to soon take on more growth in Orlando, across the U.S. and internationally, Malechuk said. “We’ve got a lot more aggressively coming.” 

Vintage Hospitality Group Expands Its State of The Art Hydroponic Farm

October 21, 2020

In partnership with Alabama Power, Vintage Hospitality Group recently expanded MGM Greens by adding Freight Farm’s Greenery, a fully climate-controlled hydroponic farm built inside of a compact 320 sq. ft. container.

This smart farm is self-contained, growing vertically and hydroponically without soil, getting its nutrition from water and light energy from powerful LEDs. Through these climate-controlled components, plants can thrive inside the containers offering the capability to harvest fresh produce multiple times a week and grow 365 days a year.

This addition lets MGM Greens work within multiple environments to grow additional produce allowing a diverse crop yield for its restaurants, Vintage Cafe and Vintage Year, both 50 feet away. With the Greenery expansion, the group is selling retail and also plans to host its own local neighborhood farmers market on a monthly basis. 

“Purchasing the second Greenery has allowed us to now be able to curate our menu based on new successful crops,” said Vintage Hospitality Group’s Executive Chef Eric Rivera. “It will further be maximizing growing potential as it also offers the capability for multiple test crops for upcoming menus at our new restaurant, Ravello.” 

While Vintage Hospitality Group’s flagship restaurant Vintage Year is a fine dining establishment, Vintage Café is a coffee shop, daytime eatery, and retail store. As the group also owns MGM Greens, it will be opening City Fed and Ravello restaurant in 2021.

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Vintage Hospitality Group’s national press accolades include receiving mentions in the New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, and Newsweek Magazines. In addition to being named a Smart Catch Leader, Executive Chef Eric Rivera has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation as a winner of its Blended Burger competition. Chef Eric has also led Vintage Year to be named one of OpenTable’s 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America and a Traveler’s Choice winner by Trip Advisor.

Vintage Hospitality Group is dedicated to providing guests with the finest culinary selections, premium coffees, specialty teas, outstanding wines, and spirits along with unparalleled customer service.

For more information about Vintage Hospitality Group, visit www.vintagehospitalitygroup.com. 

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October Indoor Science Cafe - Recording Is Now Available!

Indoor Ag Science Cafe October Recording

Learning Critical Control Point

For Hydroponic Food Safety

"Hydroponic Crops --

How Can You Produce Safe Vegetables?"

by

Dr. Sanja Ilic (The Ohio State University)  

This presentation 'Hydroponic Crops: How Can You Produce Safe Vegetables?' was given by Dr. Sanja Ilic (The Ohio State University) during our 23rd cafe forum on October 20th, 2020.

US - WISCONSIN - VIDEO - Appleton International Airport Starts Growing Its Own Greens In Hydroponic Garden

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By Emily Matesic

Oct. 23, 2020

GREENVILLE, Wis. (WBAY) - As part of renovations in the terminal, Appleton International Airport teamed up with ThedaCare to promote healthier travel. Even before the pandemic, the airport added hand sanitizing stations, healthier food options for on-the-go-travelers, as well as other upgrades. Now, some of the airport’s food will now be fresher than fresh.

Whether travelers are coming or going, at Appleton International Airport, they’re all greeted by a live plant wall. It’s not only aesthetically pleasing, but it also adds fresh air to the building. The restaurant menu has been upgraded to include more nutritious meals as well. It’s all part of ATW’s “Healthy Connection” partnership with ThedaCare.

According to Pat Tracey with Appleton International Airport, “We want to provide travelers with a safe and healthy traveling experience and we’re just always looking for how can we make the airport a safer and healthier place.”

It doesn’t get much healthier than farm to table.

“People are so sick and tired of getting food that’s traveled over 1500 miles, that only has a day or two of shelf life if any, and has lost a bunch of nutritional quality along the way. On top of all of the salmonella outbreaks with Romaine lettuces and things like that. We’re really getting tired of not having really fresh, high quality, affordable stuff,” says Alex Tyink with Fork Farms.

A recently-installed hydroponic garden, from Green Bay based Fork Farms, sits only about 15 feet away from the restaurant inside the airport terminal. The garden will produce 300 hundred pounds of fresh greens a year, food that will be harvested here and simply walked to the restaurant by its staff and incorporated in what they serve.

Tyink says, “These plants are only about a week old, just from planting the seed and so they have another two to three weeks left to go until they’ll be a nice big full head of lettuce and the staff here is going to put them into the sandwiches.”

While the hydroponics farm will produce enough leafy greens for sandwiches and burgers, the airport does hope to eventually expand the program,

Pat Tracey adds, “For business travelers who travel a lot on the road, the hardest thing is to eat healthy and so we’re trying to do our part and give people a good healthy option when they’re here in Appleton.”

New Smart Urban Farm Takes Root

Using New Tech, it Can Grow Up to 100 Tonnes

or About 1% of Leafy Vegetables Grown Here

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Shabana Begum

October 23, 2020

An urban farm that aims to produce high-yield greens without sacrificing any flavour by leveraging Internet of Things technology was officially launched yesterday.

Commonwealth Greens took root in Jurong in May. The forest-like farm consists of over 6,200 pillars, each of them 2.4m tall, that are reminiscent of the foliage of trees.

Positioned in six different rooms the size of Housing Board flats, the pillars in each room support one type of leafy green: lettuce, kale, chard or herbs. Hydroponics is used to grow the plants.

The farm can grow up to 100 tonnes of vegetables a year, which is close to 1 per cent of leafy vegetables grown locally.

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Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu (centre) viewing Just Harvest, the latest farm to table solution which will be announced soon for potential clients such as hotels, restaurants and cafes. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

During the launch yesterday, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu visited the farm as well as Archisen, the agri-tech firm that set up and manages Commonwealth Greens.

Archisen's co-founder and chief technology officer Sven Yeo said Commonwealth Greens is one of the highest-yielding indoor farms in Singapore and that it will support and contribute to the country's goal to self-produce 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030.

The farm's leafy greens are currently sold on online supermarkets such as RedMart and PandaMart, under the brand Just Produce. Each 100g salad mix that costs between $4 and $4.50 comprises a variety of lettuce and kale, along with either mustard greens, sorrel or mizuna.

From the middle of next month, the farm will start selling speciality herbs - mustard greens, ice plant and sorrel - in 20g boxes which will cost between $4 and $5.

Archisen has also developed a mini version of its farming system.

Shorter pillars brimming with full-grown veggies are stored in a glass cabinet and can be sent to restaurants for direct harvesting. From next month, the company will deploy those cabinets to five hotels, restaurants and food service companies.

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Walls of edible greens: This forest-like area is one of six grow rooms in a new urban farm called Commonwealth Greens. Leafy greens such as lettuce, kale, chard and sorrel are grown hydroponically along each 2.4m white pillar. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

It is not just its aesthetic that makes Commonwealth Greens unique.

To ensure optimal yield, fast growth and highly nutritious and flavourful greens, the vertical systems are powered by a smart cockpit that heavily leverages Internet of Things technology, data analytics and sensors.​Culinary uses for speciality herbs

ICE PLANT

The edible succulent is coated with tiny, crystal-like beads that give the unique vegetable a frosty, magical appearance.It typically grows in saline environments and its beads trap salt - hence its salty taste.

Archisen grew different sets of ice plant using nutrient solutions filled with either table salt, sea salt or Himalayan pink salt. It was discovered that table and sea salt made the taste too sharp for comfort but Himalayan pink salt was easier on the palate. The mildly salty succulent has a crunchy texture, and is juicy and refreshing.

MUSTARD GREENS

The dainty-looking leaf with the frilly edges can be a healthier substitute for wasabi.

The fierce wasabi heat hits you immediately, spreading down the throat and up the nose. You may tear up a little too.R&D was used to intensify the wasabi flavour.

RED-VEINED SORREL

The leaves can replace lemon juice or dressing in salads. On second bite, the citrusy flavour explodes, giving a sour surprise.Data is continually stored in the cloud, in real time, for the scientists to analyse and to drive automation. For example, if the pH of the nutrient for lettuce reaches unhealthy levels, sensors will alert a device to automatically restore the acidity level."

As we have more growth cycles over time, our data sets increase, and that enables us to construct mathematical models to predict the outcome of how we grow," said Mr Yeo.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

Tenders awarded to turn 9 HDB carpark rooftops into urban farming sitesWild teen to urban farmer: He wants to make Singapore a more sustainable and liveable city

Archisen's office, which is one level above Commonwealth Greens, also houses a research lab for conducting experiments and testing new solutions.In the near future, the company plans to build indoor fruit orchards or vineyards.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

Parliament: Encourage growth of urban farming to secure Singapore's food supplies, says Ang Wei NengFeeding cities of the future

Scientists in the lab are now growing black, red and green grapes in a controlled environment. In 10 months, the vines have started to bear clusters of grapes, each fruit about the size of a chickpea. Through traditional farming, it takes about three years to fully grow grapes.Although immature and smaller grapes tend to be sour, the black grapes from the lab taste sweet.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 23, 2020, with the headline 'New smart urban farm takes root'. 

Lead photo: Archisen co-founder and chief executive Vincent Wei (left) and chief technology officer and fellow co-founder Sven Yeo seen here with full-grown veggies from the mini version of its farming system, which will be deployed to restaurants and hotels.ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

AGRICULTURE AND FARMING TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH GRACE FU

BrightFarms Secures $100 Million Series E Round of Funding

Cox Enterprises assumes majority ownership

BrightFarms has secured more than $100 million in debt and new equity capital to support its expansion plans. The Series E round of funding was led by Cox Enterprises, which now owns a majority stake in the company, and includes a follow-on investment from growth equity firm Catalyst Investors. BrightFarms will use the funds to invest in its current farms and retail programs and expand its network of regional indoor farms across the U.S.

BrightFarms has raised more than $200 million in funding to date to build the nation’s first brand of locally grown produce and has established close partnerships with retailers such as Ahold Delhaize, Kroger, and Walmart. BrightFarms currently distributes its products to more than 2,000 stores in the U.S. and expects to expand its distribution to more than 15,000 stores by 2025. The company has indoor farming operations in Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, with three new farms currently under development in North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Texas.

“Our goal over the next five years is to make quality, locally-grown greens a staple on grocery shelves and in refrigerators nationwide,” said Steve Platt, CEO of BrightFarms. “We are thrilled to have the strong financial backing of Cox Enterprises, an organization that closely aligns with our mission to build a healthier and more sustainable future and to have the additional support of our long-term partners at Catalyst Investors. Together we are ready to scale our model for local indoor farming in every major market in the U.S.”

“Cox Cleantech’s goal is to build meaningful businesses that solve fundamental problems facing society and our environment,” said Steve Bradley, vice president of cleantech for Cox Enterprises. “BrightFarms provides this opportunity through its sustainable model of growing food in the same communities where it’s consumed, resulting in food that’s fresher, safer, better tasting, and better for the environment.”

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For more information:
www.brightfarms.com
coxenterprises.com/cleantech
www.catalyst.com 

21 Oct 2020

UAE: Smart Acres: Heights of Sustainability

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Rohma Sadaqat

October 19, 2020

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Smart Acres, the latest in UAE's hydroponic vertical farming industry, is now producing a line of the freshest, most nutrient-dense greens for UAE residents and businesses.

A growing focus on healthy food farmed sustainably and locally has meant that vertical hydroponic farms are finding a home in the UAE. The last few years have seen a marked increase in the number of companies that have launched their vertical farming facilities in the country, providing hotels, cafes, restaurants, and households across the emirates access to a growing portfolio of fresh greens.

Smart Acres, the latest addition to the UAE's hydroponic vertical farming industry, is now producing a line of the freshest, most nutrient-dense greens for UAE residents and businesses. The company has launched in collaboration with n.thing, a Korean-based technology company that designed the farm modules using an award-winning Internet of Things (IoT) based technology system to grow and monitor their greens - a system that not only consumes less resources but generates ultra-high quality crops.

Abdulla Al Kaabi, Founder and CEO of Smart Acres, revealed that vertical farming is a relatively new modern farming concept that was first proposed in the late 1990s. The main advantage of vertical farming technology, he explained, is that you can achieve a huge output in a limited space.

"Our container farms have a crop yield that is 20 times greater than traditional farming methods," he explained. "We currently harvest approximately 10,000kg a year from 120sqm of land, but to achieve the same output in traditional farming methods, you would require over 2,500 sqm of land."

Al Kaabi also explained that the hydroponics method has been around since the 1700s. With the advancement of modern-day technology, companies are now able to use this farming method to cultivate crops commercially. The biggest advantage of hydroponics comes from the decrease in water usage. Smart Acres' method uses up to 10 times less water than traditional farms to grow lettuce.

"We've lost over a third of our arable land on this planet in the past 40 years, and with the increase in population, we will face a great shortage of arable farmland to grow enough food for the world's population by traditional means," Al Kaabi said.

"Freshwater scarcity is also a serious issue that we face as a civilization, and it was listed as the largest global risk by the World Economic Forum in 2019. These two problems are a severe challenge in the UAE. In 2019, the UAE was ranked 10th out of 164 in a global rank of nations where water supplies are most stretched."

Looking ahead, he said that he believed that the future of farming will be a mix of different technologies. "Different crops require different farming methods and there is no one size fits all. For lettuce variety, we strongly believe that we have achieved great efficiency and commercial viability with the mix of vertical farming and hydroponics technology along with the advancement of IoT. The UAE's Food Security Strategy is multi-faceted with the core goals of identifying and diversifying food sources. Local production is a vital component, but it also needs to be supplemented with global imports. Even for local production, optimum farming methods for different crops may vary for rice, strawberry, lettuce, tomatoes, etc."

Currently, Smart Acres grows five different varieties of lettuce on their farm. They take six weeks to grow from seeding to harvest. The first step is to plant the seed in the growth medium which is placed in the germination room. After the seeds have been successfully germinated, they are transplanted into the growth area where light, temperature, airflow, and humidity are all micro-controlled to provide the most optimum environment for the plants to grow.

"We are currently testing many different varieties of lettuces in the UAE," Al Kaabi said. "At the same time, our research team is collaborating with other researchers around the world to develop the most optimum environment for some of the other crops. Our goal is to be able to introduce a new crop every year for the next five years and there is a very good chance that strawberries will be one of the five crops that we may cultivate in the next five years."

Asked about the response that the concept has received, Al Kaabi said that there has been a lot of support and interest from the restaurant and café industry in the region. Chefs have been using vertically farmed produce for a few years now, but the scope has only been limited to micro-greens because growing large lettuce heads at a consistent weight can be challenging.

"Sustainable farming practices are very much on the minds of most chefs here in the UAE," he said. "The industry is becoming more aware of how sustainable practices are vital to the safety of the environment and for our survival. We have received a lot of inquiries from restaurants and hotels across the emirates for our crops, which was the result of managing to successfully grow large and premium-quality lettuce heads with consistency. Currently, we have not focused on providing our produce to many outlets as we have set our sights on developing our R&D facility that will spur long-term growth for UAE food security."

- rohma@khaleejtimes.com

Purdue Study Addresses Environmental, Economic Impacts of Hydroponic, Aquaponics Systems

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October 22, 2020

Story by Brian Wallheimer

Hydroponics and aquaponics offer promise for growing produce and raising fish. But some may be wary of entering the industries because of perceptions about high capital and operational costs and environmental impacts.

Purdue University scientists compared the environmental performances of both systems and calculated their economic efficiencies in Indiana. Their findings, published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, inform those interested in entering hydroponic or aquaponic industries on how to get the most for their investment with the least environmental footprint.

Hydroponics and aquaponics are soilless systems. Hydroponic plants are grown in water containing chemical fertilizers as nutrients. Aquaponics adds the raising of fish and uses fish waste to replace chemical fertilizers. These indoor operations come with upfront capital costs and require use of significant amounts of energy for lighting, heating and water pumping, as well as fish feed and fertilizers.

For one month, graduate students Peng Chen and Gaotian Zhu raised six vegetables in a hydroponic system and those same vegetables with tilapia in an aquaponic system. Experiments were conducted in the lab of Hye-Ji Kim, a Purdue assistant professor of horticulture and landscape architecture, and in collaboration with Paul Brown, a Purdue professor of forestry and natural resources. Jen-Yi Huang, a Purdue assistant professor of food science and the leader of the project, worked with the students to conduct a life cycle assessment using the data they collected.

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Purdue University researchers conducted a life cycle assessment of hydroponic and aquaponic growing systems in Indiana to measure their environmental and economic impacts. (Photo provided by Peng Chen)

The researchers found that the aquaponic system led to 45 percent less environmental impact when considering fossil fuel use, global warming, water acidification and eutrophication created by resources used as well as waste and emissions released. Twice as much food is grown in the aquaponic systems with little added environmental cost.

“The aquaponic system is more environmentally friendly when you look at the total environmental footprint per US dollar of economic value of the products,” Huang said. “But that is based on using Indiana’s current energy mix. If we consider using more renewable energy sources, things start to change.”

Indiana currently gets almost 60 percent of its energy from coal-fired power plants, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, with about one-third coming from natural gas. The less electricity hydroponic and aquaponic growers source from fossil fuels, the more environmentally friendly their operations become.

Chen said that changing the mix and getting one-third of power from coal, natural gas and wind would reduce the environmental impacts of hydroponics by up to 48 percent. If an operation sourced its electricity solely from wind energy, hydroponic operations would be considered slightly more environmentally friendly than aquaponics.

“By using wind energy, which is largely produced in Indiana, farmers can reduce their environmental footprint enough to make these two systems essentially equal in terms of the economic output gained for the environmental cost,” Chen said. “By choosing more plant-based fish feed, the environmental impacts can be further reduced in aquaponic systems.”

5 Microgreen Types Packed With Nutrients You Should Be Eating

Microgreens are known for their nutrient-packed health benefits. But which microgreen types are the most nutritious and healthy to add to our diets? We are going to cover the top nutritious microgreen types and why you should add them to your eating habits now.

Arugula

In microgreen form, arugula has a nutty, peppery, wasabi-like taste. Arugula is one of the microgreen types that is nutrient-dense. It contains high amounts of vitamin C, copper, and iron, which help prevent illnesses like anemia. The phytochemicals also produce glutathione, which is an antioxidant. The combination of these health benefits help prevent and fight off toxins in the body.

Basil

The basil microgreen is a healthy addition to any salad since it has a crisp, citrus-like taste. This microgreen type has polyphenols that reduce oxidation and inflammation to promote gut health. It is high in vitamins such as A, B6, C, E, and it contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and potassium. Basil is one of the microgreen types that are rich and nutrient-dense and can be a beneficial additive to your diet.

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Pea Shoots

Pea shoots are one of the microgreen types that can be eaten raw or cooked. Add them to your salad or cook them in a stir fry to add nutrient-packed vegetables to your food. These microgreens have a plethora of vitamins such as vitamin A and C and folic acid.

Radish

Radish microgreens are known for their spicy flavor profile. You can top off your dishes with the raw radish sprouts to add some heat to any dish. These microgreens are rich in vitamins such as vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. They also contain high amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Radish sprouts contain amino acids and chlorophyll, which helps fight illnesses such as cancer.

Broccoli

Broccoli microgreens is another one of the microgreen types that are delicious and nutrient-packed. These popular microgreens contain a high amount of vitamin C, which helps our immune system fight off sickness. They also contain antioxidants and cancer-fighting compounds.

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Want to learn more?

Do you want to learn how to grow microgreens from the comfort of your home? We at the Nick Greens Grow Team use our in-depth knowledge to teach our subscribers how to grow microgreens at home!

Sign up for our microgreens class that takes place every Friday at 4:30 pm CST, and become a member of our FaceBook group to connect with others who are learning just like you. If you don’t want to take a class, subscribe to our blog and Youtube channel for weekly updates about growing microgreens and other farming related news!

#microgreentypes #microgreenstypes #microgreentype #microgreenstype #bestmicrogreenstogrow #bestmicrogreens #microgreenvarieties #microgreensvarieties #microgreenvariety #microgreensvariety #growingmicrogreen #growingmicrogreens #microgreen #microgreens

Gardyn Aims To Make At-Home Vertical Farming Small, Simple, and Stylish

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Jennifer Marston

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

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Thanks to disruptions in the food supply chain, panic-buying sprees, and the general uncertainty of the times, growing food at home seems like a pretty good idea of late. Trouble is, many consumers don’t have the know-how to cultivate their own leafy greens and other produce in the backyard. Even those who do often lack adequate space.

A company called Gardyn is addressing both of those issues with an at-home vertical farming system that requires minimal input from the user and can easily fit inside a small apartment if need be. The idea, as Gardyn founder and CEO FX Rouxel explained to me over the phone last week, is to make growing food in one’s own home as simple and straightforward as possible. To do that, the company has built a farm that relies on AI to do much of the heavy lifting in terms of monitoring and maintaining an edible crop of food. Or as Rouxel said, “The system is managing everything for you.”

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Gardyn’s system is made up of two parts: a compact vertical tower, which can grow as many as 30 plants, and an accompanying app powered by an AI assistant named “Kelby.” Users only have to order seeds and “plug” the seedpods into the vertical towers. The system automatically circulates water and nutrients to the plants, while Kelby monitors plant growth and sends reminders when it’s time to add water to the garden or harvest the plants. 

Right now, available crops from Gardyn’s site include mostly leafy greens and herbs, some flowers, cherry tomatoes, and jalapeños. Customers can also use their own seeds if preferred.

The system uses what Rouxel calls “a hybrid of different hydroponic technologies,” including the deepwater method and aeroponics. (The company brands its approach as “hybriponics.”) By themselves, these different methods have certain limitations in the at-home setting. Deep water, where plant roots are fully submerged in nutrient-enriched water, requires a lot of space. Aeroponics is a great setup for outdoors, but once indoors it requires lighting, which gets expensive very quickly. Gardyn pulled elements from both to create a system that takes up only two square feet of space and doesn’t require any extra hardware. “Within just two square feet, you can produce a lot of food,” says Rouxel, adding that Gardyn’s units have produced “over 25,000 pounds of produce” during the last few months.

That quest to grow a lot of leafy greens in a small amount of space is an area with plenty of competition these days. Farmshelf recently unveiled its first-ever farm for the home, and companies like Rise Gardens and Agrilution (the latter recently bought by Miele) also offer promising solutions for the consumer space.

And while historically, investment in vertical farming has mainly gone towards the industrial-scale indoor farms (think AeroFarms), at-home farms are fast becoming a lucrative area. Investors, Rouxel explained to me, see traditional agriculture as a risky business that’s less insurable because its success is in part dependent on the weather outside. With climate change triggering more extreme weather, investors will look more and more to alternative solutions in controlled-environment agriculture.

“I am absolutely convinced we are going to see in the coming two years a total disruption in the way we grow things,” he says. Chiefly, that will be growing the food in much closer proximity to consumers, whether through at-home systems like Gardyn’s, in-store farms at grocery retailers, rooftop gardens, and high-tech greenhouses. “In future, we’re going to have a spectrum of solutions,” Rouxel noted.

Getting these vertical farms closer to consumers and in their own homes will require bringing the price of the machines down. At the moment, Gardyn’s system is roughly on par pricewise with other systems out there that can realistically feed a family of four: $799 for the base model all the way up to $1485 for the “Plus” model.

Rouxel is aware that the cost is still too high for many consumers. “We don’t want this to be only for well-off people,” he told me. “It’s important that we find ways that anyone can afford this.”

Many companies, including Gardyn, offer financing options on their farms now. And more investment dollars going into the space in the future could mean companies have the time and space to innovate on ways to make their system cheaper for the average consumer.

While pricing remains a question, one thing that’s certain is that at-home vertical farming is on the path to becoming a regular part of the kitchen, rather than just a trend. “What we want is to develop solutions that will quickly change the way people access food,” said Rouxel. “We won’t solve everything, that’s for sure, but we want to be part of the solution for how we shape food.”

FILED UNDER: AG TECH BUSINESS OF FOOD EDUCATION & DISCOVERY FEATURED FOODTECH

MODERN FARMER SMART GARDEN VERTICAL FARMING

INDIA: Grounded Mumbai Pilots Use Hydroponics to Grow & Deliver Toxin-Free Veggies

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Mumbai based pilots Harsh Parekh and Ishan Modi

launched the hydroponics startup FarmJet

to provide fresh toxin-free exotic vegetables

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AUTHOR: HIMANSHU NITNAWARE

OCTOBER 20, 2020

What would you do if you’re cruising at 30,000 feet in the air daily and are suddenly grounded for months? Well, these pilots started a hydroponics business on their terrace. A long-held ‘project’ in the mind of Mumbai-based domestic airline pilot Harsh Parekh, the Covid-19 lockdown paved the way to bring this idea into reality.

In 2017, Harsh witnessed a lady harvesting coriander leaves opposite the Kurla local train station in Mumbai.

“The coriander and other greens were being picked up along the railway lines of the station. The visuals lingered in my mind making me think about where our food comes from,” says Harsh Parekh, a pilot.

When he learned about Hydroponics, the idea intrigued him. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil. The nutrients are mainly introduced with the water, while the plant is rooted in coco peat, vermiculture, or rock wool. Harsh then started researching on the topic and accessing all the details required to be such a farmer.

From pilot to farmer

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Hydroponics are grown in pipes where water flows through them

But it was only during the Covid-19 lockdown around March when he shared the idea with his friend, also a captain with another private airline, Ishan Modi.

“I discussed the idea with my wife Garima, and after feeling confident, shared the same with Ishan. He along with his wife Soumya agreed to come on board,” Harsh said.

The pilot said the duo worked for the entire month of April to plan and set up the startup. Living in Matunga, Harsh agreed to take the operational tasks under him, while Ishan from Borivali took up the responsibility of accounts and packaging.

“We did not have space and had to hunt one down. Luckily, a childhood friend in Chembur offered his terrace for setting up the farm,” Harsh said.

The pilot added they purposefully chose to take up outdoor farming. With the foundation in place and around Rs 10 lakh invested, the startup FarmJet officially opened in May.

“There are many indoor hydroponic farms, but that requires air conditioning and LED lights. We wanted to cut down on our carbon footprint and grow plants in a natural environment,” Harsh said, adding the farm got installed with A-structured UPVC pipes. The PVC pipes have lead in them, thus harmful to their health.

The duo decided to grow a range of vegetables like Pak Choi, Lettuce, Red Basil, Italian Basil, Kale, Iceberg, Baby Spinach, and rocket arugula.

To provide nutrients for the plants, the water runs across the UPVC pipes for 10 minutes with nutrients like magnesium, calcium, and potassium dissolved – every two minutes.

Freshness is the key

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Hydroponics facility set up at a friend’s house at Chembur.

Ishan says the only selling point of the company is guaranteed freshness. “We harvest the vegetables ordered in the morning and deliver it by noon. There are no harvests without orders and storing of the vegetables,” he adds.

The hydroponics grown do not get sprayed with insecticide or pesticides. “As the greens grow without soil, the need for such products does not arise. They are completely natural through the process,” he adds.

Ishan said the freshness is guaranteed at all times. “We often send videos of the harvest to the customers. One customer even did a litmus test on our produce for chemicals which turned out negative,” he adds.

The co-founder said the initial days were quite challenging for the duo. “We started around monsoon when the sunlight is not adequate at all times. The plants could grow better in other seasons,” Ishan said.

Speaking to The Better India, Ishan added that with no workforce permitted due to Covid-19 lockdown, the entire responsibility of setting up, maintaining, and cleaning the facility was upon them.

“Moreover, the market is not so open to exotic vegetables. It is only in recent times that people are aware of such vegetables and want to try them. The taste buds are yet to develop for a majority of the people,” Ishan says.

More potential to tap

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Hydroponics are grown in a germination tray before they are placed in hydroponic pots

Almost six months since its inception, the company is attending about 25-30 customers a week. “Our followers are growing by 200 a week and customers by 25 percent. However, we are still in a nascent stage to take commercial produce and build capacity,” Harsh says adding the company is catering to orders based in Mumbai for now.

However, with the resuming of flights the pilots are back in the skies. Ishan said that with their wives as stakeholders of the company, they ensure that operations do not get affected.

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“We plan the operations to see that at least one of the four members are present for the operations,” Ishan added.

Harsh adds the duo wants to expand in Navi Mumbai and Thane soon. “We are also open to assisting residential societies in setting up a facility on their terrace. The terrace only gets used on New Year parties and remains vacant for the other 364 days of the year,” he said.

When asked if they plan to quit their airline job, Harsh says, “We might think it in the future, but surely not for now.”

Harsh, however, adds, “The prospect is good and gives joy. The thought that the lettuce in my burger is grown in a toxin-free environment and harvested by me has an entirely different kind of satisfaction.”

Reciprocating the thoughts, Ishan says soon they plan for customers to visit the farm, harvest their produce and experience, and enjoy a fresh green salad beside the farm.

FarmJet accepts orders at +91 9867677779.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

POST CATEGORY: MUMBAI STARTUP

INDIA: Aquaponics Unit Gets Off The Ground In Ludhiana Vet Varsity

Was Inaugurated by Sanjay Dhotre,

Union Minister of State For Education,

Communication And Electronics And IT

CHANDIGARH

Oct 14, 2020, HT Correspondent
Hindustan Times, Ludhiana

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The aquaponics unit in Ludhiana. (HT photo)

Sanjay Dhotre Union minister of state for education, communication and electronics and IT, on Wednesday virtually inaugurated an ‘Aquaponics vertical farming system’ developed at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU).

The system was established by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Mohali, under the collaborative project funded by the ministry of electronics and information technology (MEITY), GOI.

Dhotre emphasized on the need to modernize food production sectors to double farmers’ income and enhance climate change resilience among the farming community.

He said that aquaponics is a promising technology for organic farming and there is a need to publicize such technologies for the wellbeing of the environment and humans.

Inderjeet Singh, the vice-chancellor of GADVASU, said that aquaponics involves a synergistic combination of aquaculture and hydroponics to promote vertical farming with enhanced nutrient utilization efficiency through recycling of water between the two components to produce fish and vegetables together.

He added that it offers potential future solutions to global warming, with only 10-12% water and land requirement compared to traditional fish and vegetable farming systems, fulfilling the concept of ‘More crop per drop’.The V-C said that the facility will help GADVASU take up required R&D for its optimized utilization under climatic conditions of the state, especially for stakeholders with small landholdings.

In the keynote address, Hemant Darbari, DG, C-DAC, said that the automated aquaponics system will serve as an excellent R&D and demonstration provision for skill development in aspiring stakeholders of the region to produce more food from less land.

Jyoti Arora, special secretary, MEITY, spoke on making the facility sustainable through innovative techniques to attract more youth into the technology-driven agriculture sector.

The project in charge, Jaspal Singh, joint director, C-DAC, and his team implemented the project at GADVASU with Meera D Ansal, dean, college of fisheries, and Kulbir Singh, principle olericulturist, PAU, under the leadership of JPS Gill, director research, GADVASU.

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