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Indoor Ag-Con Co-Locating With NGA Show in 2021 - The Event Will Be Held In Las Vegas At The Caesars Forum Convention Center
By co-locating with Indoor Ag-Con, we bring our attendees a new resource to meet consumer demand for transparent food sourcing, delivering just-picked produce year-round and, for those on the cutting edge, access to in-store growing operational resources
November 26, 2020
Posted by Chris Manning
The NGA Show, a trade show and conference for independent grocers, and Indoor Ag-Con, a agriculture conference, and trade show for the indoor and vertical farming industry, announced that they will co-locate in 2021 for the first time. The combined event will be held May 16-18, 2021, at the new Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas.
“The NGA Show, entering its 38th year, has established itself as the world’s premier educational and supplier resource serving the independent grocer community,” said Courtney Muller, chief corporate development and strategy officer with Clarion Events North America. “By co-locating with Indoor Ag-Con, we bring our attendees a new resource to meet consumer demand for transparent food sourcing, delivering just-picked produce year-round and, for those on the cutting edge, access to in-store growing operational resources. Ultimately, that means additional value for all of our customers and the industries overall.”
Indoor Ag-Con, launched in 2013, provides exhibitors and attendees with the latest technology and business strategies for growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponics techniques, bringing together growers, investors, chefs, produce buyers, academics, policymakers, industry suppliers and advocates.
“Indoor farming is an important segment that’s been on the rise for several years,” said Brian Sullivan, co-owner of Indoor Ag-Con. “The great energy and audience The NGA Show has cultivated will be key to our combined success as we work together to better serve our industries. We look forward to welcoming The NGA Show visitors and exhibitors, and we can’t wait for a successful show.”
“This is an exciting opportunity and what’s bound to be a successful industry-first event that delivers much more value to our members, customers, partners, and the markets we serve,” added Greg Ferrara, president, and CEO of the National Grocers Association.
The NGA Show and Indoor Ag-Con visitors will have access to all exhibits, and discounts will be available for cross-over educational event attendance.
For more information, click here.
Health protocols for the event can be found here.
Tags: Retail Grocery Ag-tech Events Technology Blockchain Technology
Produce events Indoor farming events
Inside AgTech Startup Evergreens Farms' Scalable Vertical Farms
Unlike typical hydroponic farming, Evergreens has a unique irrigation system that allows plants to grow in dense environments, which speeds up their growth cycle. The plants are grown in stacks, either next to each other or vertically atop one another
By Emma Campbell
November 25, 2020
Sometimes, the grass is greener on the other side.
Just ask Evergreens Farms, an agribusiness that’s bringing innovation to the farming industry. With patented vertical farming technology, the startup has invented a way to increase crop production year-round, while reducing costs, waste, and lengthy supply chains.
Unlike typical hydroponic farming, Evergreens has a unique irrigation system that allows plants to grow in dense environments, which speeds up their growth cycle. The plants are grown in stacks, either next to each other or vertically atop one another.
“We can grow 300 to 400 times the amount of product at the same square foot as compared to a field farm,” said founder and CEO Ahmad Zameli. “That's because we stack everything up and because the cycles are a lot faster than field farming.”
The company, which grows everything indoors, currently has four products: baby arugula, baby kale, an arugula-and-cress mix, and a brassica mix. The ability to grow produce indoors also allows for an increase in crop production, since the plants aren’t dependent on the seasons. Instead, the produce is grown year-round.
Zameli, who studied industrial engineering at Northeastern University, founded Evergreens in 2017. He originally planned to set the company up in the Middle East; Zameli is Lebanese and grew up in Saudi Arabia.
“My dream was to take indoor farming and bring it to the Middle East, specifically to Saudi Arabia—take it home because 90 percent, if not 100 percent, of all of our fresh food in Saudi Arabia is flown in from outside the country,” Zameli said. “The supply chain is really, really crazy. There's a lot of waste in the product, and the carbon footprint is massive.”
He initially wanted to buy indoor farming technology and grow food locally through a network of farms across the region. However, the farming technology that existed couldn’t operate at a large enough scale to turn a profit.
“If you really want to break into the larger food space, you need to be able to meet cost—cost of production to compete at wholesale, and not just in a niche distribution channel,” Zameli said. “Our mission is to create a piece of technology that's profitable to operate at a large scale and able to distribute food in wholesale markets.”
The company will now be focused on New England. Evergreens’ business model has also evolved. Rather than exclusively building and owning farms, Zameli and his team decided that to be able to scale effectively, they would need to partner with growers.
Zameli partnered with Northeastern University three years ago and has since built three farms on the school’s innovation campus in Burlington, Massachusetts. Evergreens is currently building its fourth farm off of the Burlington campus. This new farm will be the company’s first commercial, revenue-generating farm.
“Our farms are going to be gradually larger, they're all going to be in New England, and they're all going to be serving the New England region,” Zameli said. “The portfolio of crops that they're going to grow is going to change, it's going to expand over time... And the point of building those three is to kind of prove our technology and prove our marketability...Once we get to that point, we will then switch over our model and begin to franchise, where we will partner with growers and investors who are interested in operating technology like this.”
During the past three years, Evergreens Farm’s technology has reduced costs, waste and lengthy supply chains. With the company’s patented technology and unique irrigation method, the company has been able to grow plants in a production line method, thereby saving money on a key growing component—light.
“We're not lighting unused space, essentially ever,” Zameli said. “All of the light that we're giving the plants is being used by plants. It's not being absorbed by sunlight materials elsewhere.”
Evergreens also reduces two types of waste: water and food. First, the company never washes its produce, because the plants are not treated with pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. Evergreens also recaptures and reuses water, including atmospheric humidity, which reduces the farms’ water use by up to 99 percent.
For Evergreens, reducing food waste goes hand in hand with reducing lengthy supply chains. Typically, in conventional farming, when produce is transported by trucks, it can take approximately five to eight days before it reaches the grocery store. The produce changes hands as many as five times before it reaches its final destination, each time increasing the chance of introducing foodborne illnesses, degrading the flavor, and decreasing the shelf life, Zameli said.
According to Zameli, about half of all food harvested is thrown away before it reaches its final destination, a “shrink factor” that contributes immensely to food waste in agricultural supply chains.
“By being close to where the stuff is consumed, by being close to all of the grocery stores, we can deliver directly to them right after we harvest,” Zameli said. “Within hours of us putting the stuff into boxes, we ship it directly to the store, and it's on the shelf within 24 hours. Consumers can pick it up, and it's freshly harvested. It lasts two weeks longer in your fridge.”
Evergreens won the Ahold Delhaize Supply Chain Innovation Pitch Award earlier this year. It was also part of MassChallenge Boston’s 2020 cohort. The startup has raised $750,000 in pre-seed funding.
Evergreens Farms is one of BostInno’s 2020 Inno on Fire. Celebrate Evergreens and the other winners at our virtual awards ceremony on Dec. 3. Register here.
Lead photo: Zameli at work on Northeastern's Innovation Campus in Burlington, Massachusetts.
Matt Modoono/Northeastern University
Emma Campbell is a contributing writer for BostInno.
Global G.A.P. World Consultation Tour Focus Controlled Environment Agriculture Partnership With UKUAT And The Farm Tech Society
November 26, 2020
Register for free today! https://globalgapsolutions.org/wct/
Virtual Design Discussion for the Revised
GLOBALG.A.P. Standard Version 6 to be launched in 2022
7th December 2020, 17:00 CET, 16:00 GMT
The GLOBALG.A.P. World Consultation Tour goes into its second round! Join the upcoming virtual meeting in cooperation with the Farm Tech Society and UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT).
We aim to deliver an impactful standard in line with producers’ practices. The unique challenges presented by vertical farming or produce grown in controlled environments will be addressed to ensure an appropriate user experience.
Participants will meet the expert working group behind the standard revision and will have the opportunity to join the ongoing discussion and process.
Details:
7th December - 1700 CET
Please register here
High-tech monitoring and control systems in commercial controlled environment agriculture farms and their supply chains enable the opportunity to capture automated measurements, support assessment and analyze a wide range of variables including water to energy to inputs, reducing costs and adding value for individual farms and across the industry. The ultimate goal of the partnership is the development and implementation of an impactful standard and certification process.
About FTS:
The Farm Tech Society (FTS) is an international non-profit industry association that unites and supports the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry, seeking to strengthen the sector through the development and implementation of resilient and future proof methods and technologies for indoor growing.
The FarmTech Society is enlisted in the EU Transparency Register with #469686733585-87
About UKUAT:
UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT) brings together the UK’s key players in modern agricultural technologies, in a cross-industry group devoted to promoting urban agtech as a solution for food and environmental crises.
About GLOBALG.A.P.:
GLOBALG.A.P. is a leading global certification program whose mission is to bring farmers and retailers together to produce and market safe food, to protect scarce resources, and to build a sustainable future.
cheers
Tom ZoellnerCo-Founder FarmTech Society ASBL Secretary-General
Resetting The Food System From Farm to Fork
Resetting the future of food is possible and with this aim, we will present in an international debate- concrete solutions to rethink our food systems from farm to fork
Barilla Foundation and Food Tank invite you to attend the online event “Resetting the Food System from Farm to Fork: Setting the Stage for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit” to be held on December 1st, from 2.00 PM CET.
Resetting the future of food is possible and with this aim, we will present in an international debate- concrete solutions to rethink our food systems from farm to fork.
The event will begin by highlighting the critical role of farmers in feeding the world and managing natural resources, food business in progressing towards the 2030 Agenda, and chefs in re-designing food experiences.
Here are details of the first three conversations of the day, which will feature, among others, the likes of Edie Mukiibi, Vice President, Slow Food International; Massimo Bottura, Chef and Owner, Osteria Francescana; Jeffrey Sachs, Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University; Director, U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network; Elly Schlein, Vice President, Emilia Romagna Region.
REGISTER FOR FREE NOW
The world needs urgent action on agriculture and food systems.
Let's make the future grow!
2030 is the deadline to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The next decade is a chance to remake our future. Through the “Decade of Action”, we all have a part to play in the transition towards sustainable economic, social, and environmental development—with sustainable food systems at its heart.
In a rapidly changing world, food systems face substantial challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic acting as a multiplier of food and nutrition insecurity. Globally, two billion people are malnourished. More than 700 million adults are obese while at least 820 million suffer from hunger—a statistic that will no doubt increase as a result of the pandemic. And some one-third of the global harvest is lost or waste. Biodiversity is declining, water and land are increasingly degraded, climate change is posing adverse impacts on agricultural production and livelihoods.
We must act now to address the impending global food emergency and avoid the worst impacts of the pandemic while seizing upon the opportunity of resetting food systems. Over the next 20 years, food systems will need to nourish 10 billion people while also protecting precious natural resources for future generations. The spread of COVID-19 has demonstrated the fragility of global food systems, but it also offers opportunities to transform the way we produce, distribute, and consume food.
Join the conversation
Distinguished speakers
Leading experts, world-renowned chefs, and international journalists will convene for this unique virtual event.
Lively discussions
Panels will cover diverse themes including the role of food as medicine, the new food economy, and the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy.
Trends spotlights
The latest food and agricultural technologies will be discussed, as well as how chefs are re-designing food experiences.
Concrete change
The event will generate recommendations that will help set the stage for the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit.
SPEAKERS
Greenhouse And Vertical Farming In New Jersey
Vertical and indoor farming ventures are versatile in the ways they can operate in the community by bringing fresh healthy foods, sustainable practices, and new opportunities for education and employment
New Jersey has a long agricultural history dating back to pre-colonial times, which is how it acquired its name as the “Garden State.” Traditional cultivation methods of NJ’s fertile land have earned New Jersey its spot as a top producer of several horticultural crops. New Jersey‘s cultivation of over 720,000 acres is thus seen as a vital part of a multi-billion-dollar industry totaling over $115 billion (2019). However, in recent years, the high cost of land and urban encroachment of farmlands has become a serious concern for the state. New Jersey has experienced the highest decline of farmland and rural open land in the United States.
Limited available farmland has pushed some producers into urban and peri-urban areas. Others have been enticed with investments and tax incentives to move operations to urban areas across the Garden State. Companies like AeroFarms, Bowery, and others have established themselves in New Jersey’s cities and are benefitting consumers with local fresh foods, offering employment opportunities, and championing urban development initiatives and partnerships.
In New Jersey, not only are we seeing an interesting mix of businesses large and small as part of a growing industry but also non-profits benefitting the populations they serve. Vertical and indoor farming ventures are versatile in the ways they can operate in the community by bringing fresh healthy foods, sustainable practices, and new opportunities for education and employment. We look forward to seeing how indoor farming continues to add to the rich history of agriculture in the state of New Jersey.
Read more about the New Jersey market on Indooragcenter.org
Tue 24 Nov 2020
CDC Updates E. coli Outbreak Numbers
There are now 39 cases in the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, according to a CDC notice on Nov. 23. The previous number of ill people was 16, according to the CDC. Cases have been reported in 18 states; there have been no deaths
By CHRIS KOGER November 25, 2020
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added 16 more people to an E. coli outbreak investigation of unknown origin.
There are now 39 cases in the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, according to a CDC notice on Nov. 23. The previous number of ill people was 16, according to the CDC. Cases have been reported in 18 states; there have been no deaths.
The CDC and Food and Drug Administration are not advising people to avoid any particular food at this time.
“State and local public health officials are interviewing ill people to determine what they ate and other exposures in the week before they got sick,” according to the CDC’s Nov. 23 update. “Of the 22 ill people interviewed to date, all reported eating a variety of leafy greens, like spinach (16), romaine lettuce (15), iceberg lettuce (12), and mixed bag lettuce (8). No single type or brand of leafy greens or other food item has been identified as the source of this outbreak. CDC is not advising people to avoid any particular food at this time.
“Experimentation, Learning By Doing And Listening To Others Is Key For Any Entrepreneur”: Interview With Infarm’s Co-Founder Osnat Michaeli
Osnat Michaeli is co-founder and CMO of the fast-growing German agritech scaleup, Infarm. Since 2013, the Berlin-based startup has grown to be one of the world’s fastest-growing urban farming networks
November 20, 2020
Where did the food on your plate come from? Was it from a neighboring EU region, or perhaps a vertical urban farm around the corner in your city?
Osnat Michaeli is co-founder and CMO of the fast-growing German agritech scaleup, Infarm. Since 2013, the Berlin-based startup has grown to be one of the world’s fastest-growing urban farming networks. In September 2020, Infarm announced a €144 million investment, raised in the first close of a Series C funding round, which is expected to reach around €169 million. Right now they’ve grown to a team of 400+ employees, an impressive feat in 7 years.
This scaleup has covered a lot of ground and has garnered new interest since the pandemic set in and we collectively started thinking more about our food systems. So let’s jump into the interview, to get her insights on scaling a fast-growing team, the future of foodtech, and advice for fellow founders.
Hello Osnat, thank you for being with us today. Could you please give us a short overview about how you became an entrepreneur as well as why you founded Infarm?
Just under a decade ago, my two co-founders (Erez and Guy Galonska) and I started Infarm with a mission: to help cities become self-sufficient in their food production while improving the safety, quality, and environmental footprint of our food. We had just moved to Berlin, bought a 1955 Airstream trailer, outfitted it with DIY growing shelves, and started experimenting with indoor farming. Soon we began to build modular, vertical farming units that could be installed in any urban environment, including supermarkets, restaurants, distribution centers, and other urban spaces, as close as possible to where food is consumed.
Infarm is based in Berlin. What is your opinion on the environment for creating a tech company there?
We owe a great debt to the Berlin community who received us and welcomed our vision to challenge the status quo in how we transport, plant and harvest our produce in cities.
Moreover, the growth of Europe’s most dynamic tech hubs – London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Helsinki, Dublin, and others along with the accompanying inflow of investment is driving a steady reorientation of talent, not only from Europe but from countries outside of Europe – including my native Israel – to help meet demand. Our business, which requires highly trained individuals in plant biology and plant science also benefits from the pool of Master’s and Ph.D. candidates so plentiful in European markets, including here in Berlin.
Infarm has announced recently closing a €144 million Series C funding round. What are your future plans with such capital?
We believe Infarm has the potential for mass expansion across the world. We have big ambitions, aiming to reach more than 5,000,000 square feet of growing facilities by 2025, and in doing so becoming the largest distributed farming network in the world.
This news comes amidst growing concerns about a second COVID-19 wave. What steps have you taken to safeguard your operations and teams?
What we found was that our farming model was quite resilient, allowing us to respond quickly to the needs of our clients, many of whom themselves were also moving quickly to establish procedures for producer and customer interaction within their retail spaces. We were able to alternate easily to direct delivery of fresh produce from our local hubs where needed if direct store access to our employees or our farms was limited. Across our global network, each of our farms is connected to the cloud, allowing us to monitor plant performance, growing environment, and make adjustments remotely. We developed a system to guide local teams through farm installation remotely when our installation teams were unable to travel, further minimizing any potential impact from the changing pandemic environment to our operations.
In our offices, as our work environment increasingly became more remote, we began to use office space more creatively, dedicating more space in our Berlin headquarters for example, to areas like marketing, packaging, and product design, while establishing a greater number of remote workstations so employees who needed to work on-site could easily do so. We also looked for and found more opportunities to communicate across our teams, not only in terms of regular updates relating to the changing environment, but through groups where we checked in on one another, shared playlists and successful lunchtime dishes, and participated in virtual get-togethers to maintain a sense of community.
Over the years, Infarm has grown to more than 600 employees. What tips would you give to someone who wants to build a solid team?
When starting out, it’s important to find the right partners who inspire you, partners whom you trust and you enjoy working with. My co-founders and I elevate one another. We each have a different area of focus and expertise, whether that be branding, operations or technology. We create more together than anything we could possibly produce apart. This is also true for the investors, mentors and employees you bring along. Today, we’ve grown our workforce to hundreds of employees and have brought together people from all kinds of backgrounds and disciplines—data scientists, designers, engineers, scientists and more— as inclusivity and diversity in talent is key.
In your opinion, how is the vertical farming ecosystem doing now compared to when you started?
Back when we first started out, vertical farming was intriguing as a concept for many, but we couldn’t have imagined that a few years later we would be partnering with some of the largest retailers in the world. Our assumptions at the time were that retailers and their customers would be attracted to the taste and freshness of produce that grew right in front of them in the produce section, in our farms. What we didn’t anticipate was how much and how quickly the demand for a sustainable, transparent, and modular approach to farming would grow as we, as society, begin to feel the impact of climate change and supply chain fragility upon our lives, our choices and our food. Of course, we also did not anticipate a global pandemic, which has underscored the urgency of building a new food system that can democratize access to high quality, amazing tasting food, while helping our planet regenerate and heal. The past few months have confirmed the flexibility and resilience of our farming model, and that our mission is more relevant than ever.
What is it like to build a company from the ground up with Erez and Guy?
It’s great to be able to work with someone you trust, and we’re all very lucky to have found one another to build this together.
What is your advice to young entrepreneurs looking to kick off their own agtech company?
Passion for what you’re doing is the best foundation. Being an entrepreneur is an ongoing learning process that involves lots of research, trial, and error. You have to love it and keep learning new things because the need to be open to learning and exploring just accelerates over the years as you grow. Experimentation, learning by doing, and listening to others is key for any entrepreneur. We learned so much by experimenting with the hydroponic systems we built ourselves. We also gained powerful insights from being active in the food and innovation community by hosting interactive installations, making food, conducting workshops, joining debates, and meeting with many inspiring urban planners, designers, food activists, bio-dynamic farmers, architects, chefs, and hackers.
It’s vital to stay focused and enjoy the journey. All entrepreneurs know that there is always the possibility that they might have set-backs, but it’s not constructive to concentrate on that. Stay positive, focus on where you’re going, choose your partners well and the right people and opportunities will cross your path.
New Modular Scalable Indoor Vertical Farm Design
In addition to our 20,000 sq. ft. farm, we now offer a modular scalable farm system that can “start small and grow big” to meet increased demand
Green Sense Farms has been an early adopter and pioneer when it comes to indoor vertical farming. We built our first 20,000 sq. ft. indoor vertical farm in 2012 in Portage, IN. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) has changed greatly since that first farm and so has our company. We started our journey focused on operating our indoor vegetable farm, selling lettuce, baby greens, herbs, and microgreens to grocery stores and produce companies in IN, IL, and MI. Since that time, we have leveraged our operating experience and evolved the company to provide contract research and farm design & build services on a global basis.
One of our recent innovations is the development of a modular scalable growing system using our proven grow technology. We found that our standard 20,000 sq. ft. farm can be cost-prohibitive in many parts of the world. We have also seen that many vertical farm companies “start big and grow small” making right-sizing a farm the key to being profitable.
In addition to our 20,000 sq. ft. farm, we now offer a modular scalable farm system that can “start small and grow big” to meet increased demand. After spending a year studying container farms to objectively understand their strengths and weakness, we came up with a better indoor grow design that includes:
• Touchless conveyance
• Improved IPM and automated sanitization
• Higher crop density and improved economics
• Can be operated with 2 employees plus a packing team
• Computer delivery of growing inputs and climate control with improved air circulation
• Can be housed in functionally obsolete industrial buildings with minimal tenant improvements.
Our modular scalable custom farms use shipping containers as a prefabricated low-cost structure to install the individual farm components. Components can be sold separately or as a system and include:
• Seeding line
• Germ / Nursery Room
• Grow Room
• Packing / Cooler
• Equipment Room, with CO2, fertigator, water treatment, water storage, and recirculation, HVAC, data collection, sensors, and automation controls.
It’s an honor and privileged to be part of CEA and watch it evolve from an idea into an industry. For more information on contract research or design and build services contact:
Robert Colangelo, Founding Farmer
SINGAPORE: High-Five: Developing “The World’s First Vertical Aquaculture Farm”
Singapore-based entrepreneur John Diener is committed to developing a series of urban aquaculture facilities that are able to produce shrimp, whitefish and seaweeds in high tech five-story farming systems
by Rob Fletcher
24 November 2020
Singapore-based entrepreneur John Diener is committed to developing a series of urban aquaculture facilities that are able to produce shrimp, whitefish, and seaweeds in high tech five-story farming systems.
John Diener aims to produce shrimp, tilapia, and seaweeds in five-tier facilities that can be fitted into the footprint of a standard warehouse. © Akualogix
The last decade of Diener’s career has seen him involved in a number of aquaculture-related ventures, as well as agritech startups, and the concept of a completely novel farming system came to him in 2016 when he was researching how machine learning could benefit aquaculture during a part-time MSc in aquaculture at St Andrews University.
“I have a lot of experience in data science and I wanted to find out what would happen if you reassessed the whole concept of aquaculture,” he explains.
Diener’s research led him to believe that vertical farms using cutting-edge technologies had the capacity to produce – for their footprint – an impressive amount of seafood, making them suitable for urban settings.
Three pillars
Diener describes the development of the system as resting on three pillars – biological, mechanical and digital. The biological side relates to investigating the most productive integrated-multitrophic (IMTA) system, with vannamei shrimp as the primary species.
“The business plan has been developed around shrimp – they’re a unique product in terms of their flavour profile, much like salmon are, which makes it very hard to produce substitutes. And they can also be raised at high densities,” Diener notes.
“We’ve also incorporated a filter-feeding fish – we’re currently using tilapia because they’re very robust, but will probably trial milkfish too,” he adds.
The bottom of the IMTA pyramid is taken up by sea grapes – called umibudo in Japan, where they are considered something of a delicacy.
“These are known as ‘the green caviar’ in parts of Asia, so have the potential to be sold as food. They can also be used as an ingredient in shrimp feeds, as we’re aiming to produce our own, sustainable feeds, while they also help to remove nitrates and phosphates from the water,” says Diener.
Technology
The second pillar consists of the engineering, and Diener intends to develop raceway systems four or five levels high, which are equipped with modular autonomous devices to optimise factors such as measuring water quality. The third pillar relates to the digital side of operations.
“We’re investing time and effort to develop advanced technology to manage feeding – both in terms of studying shrimp behaviour so we know when to feed and in terms of measuring the biomass in the systems, so we know how much to feed. We will also be looking to manage the water quality by feeding information into a deep learning algorithm that can control factors like pump speeds and the addition of minerals to the water,” he says.
The digital side also covers the farm’s “Aqua OS” [operational systems], ensuring all the technology works together, to simplify the management of all the tanks, Diener explains.
Launch
John Diener, founder of Akualogix
Four years after coming up with the concept Diener launched his own company, called Akualogix, in August, after finding a suitable site for a pilot-scale facility, in a building owned by the Marine Aquaculture Centre, on St John’s island in Singapore. This will, he notes, be perfect for securing proof-of-concept, before he looks to expand into a commercial-scale facility.
Initially self-funded, by Diener and the company’s co-founder, they are now looking into securing pre-series A funding in order to build a larger scale production unit.
Funding opportunities have remained robust in the agri-food sector, despite the outbreak of Covid. And as our systems are designed for an urban environment, and food security is increasingly important in Singapore and other cities around the world, we see strong investor interest
“Funding opportunities have remained robust in the agri-food sector, despite the outbreak of Covid. And as our systems are designed for an urban environment, and food security is increasingly important in Singapore and other cities around the world, we see strong investor interest,” Diener reflects.
The current farm has – he predicts – the capacity to produce 500-600 kg of shrimp per cycle, but he’s not yet sure what the yields of the tilapia or sea grapes will be – pointing out that no one has undertaken a mass balance study in such a system.
A juvenile shrimp at the pilot facility in Singapore. © Akualogix
“Our business economics is based on shrimp – making any money from the tilapia would be the icing on the cake – but the main reason we have the fish is part of the multi-trophic system and benefit the overall environment, they’re part of the filtration system,” he explains.
We will be looking at establishing commercial farms that can produce in the region of 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes of shrimp a year. It might not sound like much compared to some of the commercial salmon RAS that are now being established, but if we’re operating 20 or 30 farms that would make us one of the biggest shrimp producers in the world
Next steps
Once the pilot facility has fulfilled its potential Diener aims to establish a farm – and ultimately a network of farms – that use Akualogix’s design and equipment, establishing partnerships in a range of countries, primarily in Asia, as the concept takes off.
“We will be looking at establishing commercial farms that can produce in the region of 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes of shrimp a year. It might not sound like much compared to some of the commercial salmon RAS that are now being established, but if we’re operating 20 or 30 farms that would make us one of the biggest shrimp producers in the world,” he points out.
Diener is also looking to develop a unique, sustainable feed that’s designed specifically for producing shrimp in RAS facilities.
“The current range of commercial shrimp feeds are not great for use in RAS, and we’re looking to produce a next generation shrimp feed using sustainable ingredients. And we’re looking for a flavour enhancing additive as a finishing diet – potentially one that comes from algae,” he says.
Given the technology involved and the emphasis on sustainable feed ingredients Diener is aware that production costs are going to be considerably higher than conventional shrimp farms.
“We estimate that our cost of production will be 40-50 percent higher than shrimp produced in a pond in, say, India. But we’re close to market and can charge a premium for a fresh product that’s so sustainably produced,” he says.
Operational experience
The pilot facility holds 30,000 shrimp per cohort and 1,000 tilapia. The former are housed in a two-stage grow-out system and he aims to take them from the end of the nursery stage to harvest in 60 days, while achieving survival rates of roughly 90 percent.
However, as Diener admits, the design concepts of the system are still evolving, and there are other issues that have caused setbacks.
“It turned out that our first batch of PL [post-larvae] had pathogenic vibrio and we started seeing mortalities related to vibriosis,” he explains.
It was an unfortunate start, but a useful reminder of the importance of biosecurity.
“We decided to implement a full biosecurity package [once operating commercially], which will include our own hatcheries to prevent the introduction of pathogens,” he says.
Should the pilot facility prove productive, and investment forthcoming, Diener then aims to roll out the concept across some of Asia’s most populous coastal cities.
“There’s currently a lot of investment in salmon RAS and I think shrimp are the next species to go in that direction. If we can be a pioneer of shrimp RAS it will be a game-changer,” he concludes.
VIDEO: CubicFarms Systems Corp. Announces $2.8 Million Sale of Commercial Scale Systems to Customer in Abbotsford, B.C.
The Company's commercial agreement with Aright for the sale of 16 CubicFarms machines includes 14 growing machines, two propagation machines, and an irrigation system, representing a total of approximately Cdn$2.8 million (including installation and shipping) in sales revenues to the Company
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Nov 23, 2020
The customer intends to evaluate the performance of the Company's technology in B.C. with the potential for international use in other countries where the customer operates
VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 23, 2020,/CNW/ - CubicFarm® Systems Corp. (TSXV: CUB) ("CubicFarms" or the "Company"), a technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world, announced today that its automated, controlled-environment growing system has been selected by Aright Greentech Canada Ltd. ("Aright"), a British Columbia-based agriculture investor-operator, to grow commercial quantities of fresh produce (the "Abbotsford agreement") for retail markets in the Abbotsford and Chilliwack regions in British Columbia, Canada.
Aright is an international company with interests in environmentally-focused companies in India and other countries, and this B.C. launch is a soft pilot for a potential future international roll-out.
Abbotsford Agreement
The Company's commercial agreement with Aright for the sale of 16 CubicFarms machines includes 14 growing machines, two propagation machines, and an irrigation system, representing a total of approximately Cdn$2.8 million (including installation and shipping) in sales revenues to the Company. The system is expected to be installed in Abbotsford by August 2021.
The Company has received a deposit from Aright with respect to the commercial agreement.
The Company's patented CubicFarms technology will enable Aright to grow high-quality foods, with predictable crop yields indoors, all year round.
Aright also plans to expand its systems after the successful completion of Phase 1 in Abbotsford.
CubicFarms CEO Dave Dinesen commented: "We believe the Abbotsford agreement with Aright helps to further validate the commercial upside of our technology. We are equally excited that Aright, through its parent company, has agreed to develop the Abbotsford site to serve the local market, and commence learning for potentially significant expansion into India. We are looking forward to a seamless collaboration between our teams to successfully grow high-quality, great-tasting, local produce here at home, and potentially in India."
Tanya Mehta, Founder & CEO of Aright, commented: "We are a family of impact operators and investors who aim to have a net positive impact on people, the community and the environment. As next-generation growers, we are driven to be a key player in innovation of AgTech that can feed the rising population through technologically advanced farms that can adapt and operate with consistent results. Planting and harvesting existing croplands on technologically advanced farms that consistently deliver food production without requiring new land is at the heart of this plan to work with CubicFarms. After thoroughly evaluating all available indoor growing options, we determined that it is in the best interests of Aright and our stakeholders to work with CubicFarms, which we predict will be beneficial to launch our BC operations, and to foster further innovations both in B.C. and internationally."
Potential Commercial Opportunities in India
CubicFarms and Aright India will launch a pilot project at Aright's Abbotsford location to assess CubicFarms machine production capabilities for a number of crop types.
After the evaluation is complete, it could culminate in a significant roll-out of the technology in the upcoming years. The potential India commercial opportunity will enable development and commercialization of the CubicFarms' technology, and align to Aright's focus on achieving wide-scale environmental efficiencies for urban areas.
The pilot and the potential commercial agreement with Aright India are not related to the signed commercial Abbotsford agreement, and performance of those units, between the Company and Aright.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
About CubicFarm® Systems Corp.
CubicFarm Systems Corp. ("CubicFarms") is a technology company developing and deploying technology to feed a changing world. Its proprietary technologies enable growers around the world to produce high quality, predictable crop yields. CubicFarms has two distinct technologies that address two distinct markets. The first technology is its CubicFarms™ system, which contains patented technology for growing leafy greens and other crops indoors, all year round. Using its unique, undulating-path growing system, the Company addresses the main challenges within the indoor farming industry by significantly reducing the need for physical labour and energy, and maximizing yield per cubic foot. CubicFarms leverages its patented technology by operating its own R&D facility in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, selling the system to growers, licensing its technology, and providing vertical farming expertise to its customers.
The second technology is CubicFarms' HydroGreen system for growing nutritious livestock feed. This system utilizes a unique process to sprout grains, such as barley and wheat, in a controlled environment with minimal use of land, labour, and water. The HydroGreen system is fully automated and performs all growing functions including seeding, watering, lighting, harvesting, and re-seeding – all with the push of a button – to deliver nutritious livestock feed without the typical investment in fertilizer, chemicals, fuel, field equipment, and transportation. The HydroGreen system not only provides superior nutritious feed to benefit the animal but also enables significant environmental benefits to the farm.
For more information, please visit www.cubicfarms.com
Cautionary Statement on Forward-looking Information
Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, without limitation, statements with respect to CubicFarms' expected revenue recognition, and the completion of the sale and installation of the system by the customer. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of CubicFarm Systems Corp., or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information including the Company obtaining the approval of the Offering from the TSX Venture Exchange. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict", and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events, or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved.
These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance, and results and speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except as required by securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if the Company's expectations regarding future events, performance, or results change.
SOURCE CubicFarm Systems Corp.
For further information: Investor Information Contact: Adam Peeler, adam.peeler@cubicfarms.com
Phone: +1-416-427-1235, www.cubicfarms.com
AUSTRALIA: Roto-Gro Raises $1.53 Million To Launch Perishable Food And Vertical Farming Divisions
November 24, 2020
Roto-Gro aims to expand its presence in the vertical farming space across North America.
Agricultural technology specialist Roto-Gro International (ASX: RGI) is set to roll-out its perishable food and vertical farming divisions backed by a $1.53 million capital raising.
The Melbourne-based company this morning announced it has received firm commitments from a range of professional and sophisticated domestic investors for the placement of approximately 38 million shares at $0.04 to raise the funds.
Each share issue will have attaching options on a 2:3 basis exercisable at $0.05 and expiring at the end of 2023 (subject to shareholder approval).
Settlement of the shares is expected by month-end and Roto-Gro expects a general meeting of shareholders to approve the issue of options in the new year.
Peak Asset Management acted as lead manager to the placement and will work closely with the company to drive shareholder value.
Roto-Gro non-executive chairman Michael Carli said the raising is an “important step forward as [we] welcome a number of new shareholders to our register”.
Proceeds will be used to drive the roll-out of Roto-Gro’s perishable food division and expand its presence in the vertical farming space across North America.
Growing concept
Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically-stacked layers, often incorporating controlled-environment agriculture which aims to optimize plant growth.
An increased crop yield, the smaller unit area of land required and the ability to grow a larger variety of crops at once have seen the vertical farming concept take off in popularity.
Innovations in technology have been able to provide growers with year-round sustainability, operational efficiencies, and competitive costs of production when compared to conventional farming.
Market research shows the global vertical farming market was valued at $2.23 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach $12.77 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 24.6% from 2019 to 2026.
Europe’s vertical farming market currently accounts for over one-third of current global vertical farming production.
Garden systems
Roto-Gro’s rotational garden systems are at the core of the company’s technology and lead the charge in sustainable urban indoor vertical farming.
The technology has undergone constant innovation and optimization since 2003 to become a patented, commercial-scale cultivation system designed for the consistent production of high-quality crops.
The company claims the use of its garden systems can optimize space (stackable up to three-high) and significantly increase crop yield and quality while lowering operational costs.
The NGA Show And Indoor AG-Con To Co-Locate Events In May 2021
The NGA Show, the leading trade show and conference for independent grocers, and Indoor Ag-Con, the premier agriculture conference, and trade show for the indoor and vertical farming industry, announced today that they will co-locate in 2021 for the first time. The combined event will be held May 16-18, 2021, at the new Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Events Will Provide Retailers With Access To
Indoor Farming Resources
The NGA Show, the leading trade show and conference for independent grocers, and Indoor Ag-Con, the premier agriculture conference, and trade show for the indoor and vertical farming industry, announced today that they will co-locate in 2021 for the first time. The combined event will be held May 16-18, 2021, at the new Caesars Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas.
“The NGA Show, entering its 38th year, has established itself as the world’s premier educational and supplier resource serving the independent grocer community,” said Courtney Muller, chief corporate development and strategy officer with Clarion Events North America. “By co-locating with Indoor Ag-Con, we bring our attendees a new resource to meet consumer demand for transparent food sourcing, delivering just-picked produce year-round and, for those on the cutting edge, access to in-store growing operational resources. Ultimately, that means additional value for all of our customers and the industries overall.”
Indoor Ag-Con, launched in 2013, provides exhibitors and attendees with the latest technology and business strategies for growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aeroponic, and aquaponics techniques, bringing together growers, investors, chefs, produce buyers, academics, policymakers, industry suppliers and advocates. “Indoor farming is an important segment that’s been on the rise for several years,” said Brian Sullivan, co-owner, Indoor Ag-Con. “The great energy and audience The NGA Show has cultivated will be key to our combined success as we work together to better serve our industries. We look forward to welcoming The NGA Show visitors and exhibitors, and we can’t wait for a successful show.”
“This is an exciting opportunity and what’s bound to be a successful industry-first event that delivers much more value to our members, customers, partners, and the markets we serve,” added Greg Ferrara, president, and CEO of the National Grocers Association.
The NGA Show and Indoor Ag-Con visitors will have access to all exhibits, and discounts will be available for cross-over educational event attendance.
For updated information on all of The NGA Show and Indoor Ag-Con events, and to stay connected and educated, visit the websites at www.thengashow.com and www.indoor.ag.
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The NGA Show has been the place where independent grocers gather for more than 30 years, connecting supermarket retailers and wholesalers, food manufacturers and service providers from around the world to share innovative solutions and best practices that support and strengthen the independent supermarket channel. The NGA Show is produced and managed by Clarion Events as part of the Food & Beverage Group in partnership with the National Grocers Association (NGA). For more information and to register, visit www.theNGAshow.com.
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the premier trade event for vertical farming | indoor agriculture, the practice of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic techniques. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis |hemp, alternate protein, and non-food crops. In December 2018, three event industry professionals – Nancy Hallberg, Kris Sieradzki, and Brian Sullivan – acquired Indoor Ag-Con LLC, setting the stage for further expansion of the events globally. More information is at https://indoor.ag.
The National Grocers Association (NGA) is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for close to one percent of the nation's overall economy and is responsible for generating $131 billion in sales, 944,000 jobs, $30 billion in wages and $27 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers, state grocers’ associations, as well as manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
Clarion Events (www.US.ClarionEvents.com) produces 37 events across 13 sectors of both trade and consumer events. Clarion Events, which is the U.S. division of Clarion Events UK and backed by The Blackstone Group, has become one of the fastest-growing event companies in the U.S. with aggressive growth through both acquisition and launch. Clarion acquired PennWell in early 2018, bringing four Tradeshow 200 events into the U.S. portfolio and supercharging the already rapid growth. Clarion Events has offices in Trumbull, Conn.; Kennesaw, Ga.; Boca Raton, Fla.; Tacoma, Wash., and Fairlawn, N.J. www.US.ClarionEvents.com.
Indoor Ag-Con, 950 Scales Road, Building #200, Suwanee, GA 30024, United States
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the premier trade event for vertical farming | indoor agriculture, the practice of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic techniques. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis |hemp, alternate protein, and non-food crops. In December 2018, three event industry professionals – Nancy Hallberg, Kris Sieradzki, and Brian Sullivan – acquired Indoor Ag-Con LLC, setting the stage for further expansion of the events globally. More information is at https://indoor.ag.
The National Grocers Association (NGA) is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for close to one percent of the nation's overall economy and is responsible for generating $131 billion in sales, 944,000 jobs, $30 billion in wages and $27 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers, state grocers’ associations, as well as manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
Clarion Events (www.US.ClarionEvents.com) produces 37 events across 13 sectors of both trade and consumer events. Clarion Events, which is the U.S. division of Clarion Events UK and backed by The Blackstone Group, has become one of the fastest-growing event companies in the U.S. with aggressive growth through both acquisition and launch. Clarion acquired PennWell in early 2018, bringing four Tradeshow 200 events into the U.S. portfolio and supercharging the already rapid growth. Clarion Events has offices in Trumbull, Conn.; Kennesaw, Ga.; Boca Raton, Fla.; Tacoma, Wash., and Fairlawn, N.J. www.US.ClarionEvents.com.
Indoor Ag-Con, 950 Scales Road, Building #200, Suwanee, GA 30024, United States
Organic Germination Mats
The HollandBioMat is a lightweight bio-based germination mat that absorbs water in a perfect balance with air and retains it for healthy root development
VIDEOS: The Technologies Helping Move Agriculture Indoors
As more agriculture moves indoors, Israeli technologies are moving in with them to optimize lighting, watering, temperature, and other factors for an efficient and effective operation. Greenhouses and urban farm factories are expensive to set up but pay off in higher yield, quality, and market value, growing all through the seasons.
Greenhouses and urban farm factories are expensive to set up but pay off in higher yield, quality, and market value, growing all through the seasons.
A pick-yourself strawberry farm in China built inside an Azrom greenhouse. Photo courtesy of Azrom
Grain crops will always need large fields. But tomatoes, leafy greens, peppers, and strawberries are some of the many fruits and veggies that thrive indoors under precisely controlled conditions.
Though it costs more to raise produce in greenhouses or urban “farm factories,” the payoff is higher yield, quality, and market value. The plants can grow year-round with less fertilizer and pesticide.
As more agriculture moves indoors, Israeli technologies are moving in with them to optimize lighting, watering, temperature, and other factors for an efficient and effective operation.
Sarai Kemp, vice president of deal flow at Trendlines AgriFood. Photo: courtesy
“There is a growing trend for traditional greenhouse farming and indoor hydroponic and vertical farming for certain types of crops,” says Sarai Kemp, vice president of deal flow at Trendlines AgriFood based in Israel with branches in China and Singapore.
Kemp tells ISRAEL21c that most greenhouse-grown tomatoes go straight to consumers while most field-grown tomatoes go into items like ketchup.
“Growing indoors helps you produce more in a better environment than in open fields,” she says. “Farmers invest in technology for greenhouses because they can control the growing environment and sell the produce at a higher value.”
Kemp says a lot of indoor farming technology originated in Israel. “We have the experience, capability, and technology to provide monitoring solutions.”
Europe is the main market for Israeli indoor farming technology, and Kemp notes that a new market has opened closer to home.
“The United Arab Emirates is very interested in indoor farming because of the desert conditions that make it difficult to grow in open fields there.”
Let’s look at a few Israeli solutions for indoor farming.
Greenhouse experts
This 5.5-acre medical cannabis greenhouse complex in Greece is covered with f-CLEAN, a durable polymer offering exceptional light transmission and energy savings. Photo courtesy of Azrom
One of the oldest market leaders in the greenhouse farming business is Azrom, a family company that has specialized in designing, building, and installing fully customized greenhouse systems since 1979.
“That’s all we do,” says Zviki Porat, Azrom’s international marketing manager. “We started exporting in 1979 to Greece and since then we have done about 1,500 projects in more than 70 countries.”
In the old days, technology meant simple drip irrigation. Today, Azrom partners with Israeli research institutes and ag-tech companies to stay a step ahead of the greenhouse technologies curve.
“Now it’s a whole package of high-tech systems that lead to much higher yields and monitor processes better, including weather and topography, planning, designing, engineering, and remote controls,” says Porat.
Also in the early days, greenhouse crops were raised in the ground. Today, most farmers opt for hydroponics – growing in soil-free mediums.
“There are 10 kinds of platforms to choose from in hydroponics, so it’s much more complicated today to plan and price a greenhouse system,” says Porat.
Four kinds of crops growing under one greenhouse roof in Belarus. Photo courtesy of Azrom
“And every year more crops are being grown in greenhouses because land is in short supply. The main crops are vegetables, strawberries, ornamental flowers, and medical cannabis. But you can even grow watermelon, pineapple, and mango indoors where they stay warm and are exposed to fewer pests.”
In addition to Asia and Europe, Azrom has projects planned in Louisiana (US) and Dubai (UAE).
“Greenhouse growing requires a high investment. But you pollute less because you don’t spray as much, and you can collect and reuse water and even fertilizer,” Porat says. “So we have a lot to contribute to desert agriculture.”
Hydroponic greenhouse factories
A British-Israeli venture formed from a merger of two established companies about eight years ago, Growponics designs and builds automated hydroponic greenhouse factories in urban settings.
“You can grow vegetables all year round in greenhouses in many places, like in California’s Salinas Valley. But that is not where the population is,” says founder Lior Hessel.
Hessel says shipping costs today account for more than 80% of the landed cost of vegetables – that is, the total expense to get a product to its destination.
“Local greenhouse farming is expensive, but it pays off compared to shipping costs,” Hessel tells ISRAEL21c. “In the last 10 years, a new trend is local production with a lower landed price and lower carbon footprint.”
Still, for a massive greenhouse factory to be profitable, its steep capital and operating expenses must be offset by maximizing yield per square meter, Hessel explains.
“In Growponics we do this by using automation. The plants move on conveyers. We eliminate aisles, which normally take up 15 to 20% of greenhouse space; and we adjust the spacing between plants in different parts of the growth cycle. That alone can increase yield by more than 40% on top of the savings from eliminating aisles. It’s a gamechanger when you put them together.”
With funding in part from the Israel Innovation Authority, Growponics invests heavily in R&D in cooperation with institutes in Israel, the UK, and continental Europe.
One innovation is a data collection robot that supplements the data collection done by sensors in the greenhouses. Another is organic fertilizer produced via atmospheric nitrogen fixation, which uses bacteria to make nitrogen in the air available to plants. This technology won Growponics the European Union’s Seal of Excellence and €2.5 million in funding to implement it in Europe.
Growponics has three sites in Israel, accounting for more than 70% of domestic hydroponics.
“In Europe, we registered a new company in Greece to do more than $4 million in projects,” says Hessel, “and we are going to the UAE as part of an Israeli business delegation before the end of the year.”
Three years ago, Growponics established a two-acre greenhouse factory in Connecticut that sells its produce to New England supermarket chains. Further US expansion is planned with local partners as owner-operators to handle marketing and distribution.
Lighting and growing system
“Indoor growing demands scientific knowledge of what each plant needs and when,” says Daniel Levin, founder of Tel Aviv-headquartered Growor, whose indoor agriculture system can reduce overall costs up to 40 percent (up to 70% electricity saving alone) while increasing yield by about 30%.
The business started five years ago with a light-bulb idea, literally.
Pharma-grade cannabis thriving under Growor’s lighting system. Photo: courtesy
The smart LED light, which can manipulate outcomes such as tomato color and juiciness, was developed by Levin’s business partner Michael Naich, now CEO of Growor and its companion R&D company Group 1607 (so named because both their birthdays are on July 16).
But lighting alone wasn’t enough. Indoor farmers must control and monitor a variety of inputs such as water, nutrients, temperature, and humidity.
“Because we had so much data from our lighting system, we were able to develop a full dynamic protocol for any kind of indoor growing,” says Levin. “The protocols adapt to help each plant feel it is in the best conditions at any time and location.”
Energy-efficient LED lighting retains a starring role in the Growor system, which includes sensors, AI software, and a mobile app to manage cultivation remotely.
“We adjust the rest of the parameters to the light parameters because only light can manipulate the plant’s behavior drastically. More or less water, or more or less fertilizer, won’t change a tomato’s color.”
Growor has pilot projects in Israel, North America, Europe, and Asia for growing flowers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pharma-grade cannabis. The latter crop, says Levin, is raised in clean rooms and must be reliably stable and consistent because “there’s no room for surprises.”
Robotic indoor harvesting
The higher yield in indoor agriculture requires more farmhands, and that’s a problem.
“One of most the urgent issues today is a labor shortage because most activities are done manually,” says MetoMotion CEO Adi Nir.
MetoMotion is developing a robotic system that automates labor-intensive greenhouse tasks and simultaneously gathers actionable data to improve yield and quality.
MetoMotion’s GRoW robot picks tomatoes and performs other labor-intensive tasks in greenhouses. Photo: courtesy
This portfolio company of The Trendlines Group has been testing its unique GRoW robotic tomato harvester in Israel and in The Netherlands in partnership with Bayer Crop Science.
“Since March we haven’t been able to travel from our offices in Yokne’am,” says Nir. “Our team there works with the robot and the software is operated mainly from here. This reduces the amount of staff needed at the greenhouse.
“You always need people too, but the robots work autonomously and from the office, you can see yield and yield forecast and other actionable data collected and transmitted to the cloud.”
The first commercial GRoW units will be shipped to a few farmers in Europe for evaluation in the next eight months.
“We are currently focused on tomatoes, but the platform can be adapted to different vegetables,” says Nir. GRoW also can be adapted to perform pruning, pollination, and de-leafing.
Wall to fork
As ISRAEL21c previously reported, “green walls” can provide insulation, air purification, and aesthetic landscaping to the interior or exterior of buildings.
They can also produce salad greens, mushrooms, and strawberries in an urban space-saving way.
However, vertical farming is still quite limited because to be profitable “you have to either grow more or save on costs of labor or resources such as electricity,” Sarai Kemp from Trendlines tells ISRAEL21c.
Among several Israeli vertical farming startups working to make this model viable are Verticanna and Vertical Field.
Verticanna, in the seed investment stage with two medical cannabis pilots running in Israel, aims to revolutionize vertical hydroponic growing systems for crops including, uniquely, citrus fruit.
Vertical Field of Ra’anana makes the Vertical Farm, a modular, moveable soil-based platform that can grow 200 types of organic, pesticide-free crops and requires no special training to operate.
The Vertical Farm can grow hundreds of types of crops indoors or outdoors at a supermarket, restaurant or another retail outlet. Photo courtesy of Vertical Field
Vertical Farm can be placed in a 20-foot or 40-foot standalone container equipped with advanced sensors that monitor, irrigate, and fertilize crops throughout every growth stage.
Vertical Farms are up and running at some Israeli supermarkets and at Farmers & Chefs restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY, and at Evergreen Kosher Market in Monsey, NY. Expansion across other US cities is planned.
“We offer an easy-to-use real alternative to traditional agriculture,” CEO Guy Elitzur said. “Our urban farms give new meaning to the term ‘farm-to-table,’ because one can pick their own pesticide-free greens and herbs at supermarkets, restaurants, or other retail sites.”
The Israeli startup was cited by Silicon Review as one of “50 Innovative Companies to Watch in 2019” and named by World Smart City in 2019 as “Best Startup.”
Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and associate editor at ISRAEL21c. Prior to moving to Israel in 2007, she was a specialty writer and copy editor at a major daily newspaper in New Jersey and has freelanced for a variety of newspapers and periodicals since 1984.
Food Waste To Indoor Farming Input: Re-Nuble Raises $1.1m Seed Funding
New York-based Re-Nuble is adopting yet another strategy: turning food waste into a way to grow more food. The company’s technology ‘upcycles’ organic compounds from unrecoverable vegetable food waste, generating water-soluble, organic, hydroponic nutrients for soilless farms
November 23, 2020
Startups are taking a diversity of approaches to tackle the issue of food waste. Phood is using hardware and software to measure and address waste in restaurant kitchens, while Clean Crop is targeting post-harvest wastage. Ambrosia turned leftovers into a household cleaning product while Full Harvest connects food producers with buyers to sell what would otherwise go to waste.
New York-based Re-Nuble is adopting yet another strategy: turning food waste into a way to grow more food. The company’s technology ‘upcycles’ organic compounds from unrecoverable vegetable food waste, generating water-soluble, organic, hydroponic nutrients for soilless farms.
“We haven’t seen anyone applying this to indoor or controlled environment ag,” Tinia Pina, Re-Nuble founder, and CEO, told AFN.
Pina’s inspiration for the business came from her stint working as a teacher in 2012, when she noticed a serious lack of healthy food options for her students. In her view, this affected their productivity – which had downstream implications for their future success. She saw an opportunity to wrap her interest in tamping down food waste into the venture, too.
Re-Nuble recently closed a $1.1 million seed round led by Global Sustainable Future. She1K, SOSV, SVG Ventures, WOCstar, and others participated in the round as well.
The fundraising process involved some education, Pina explained. Investors at first considered Re-Nuble’s need for a constant supply of food waste as a risk – but the former teacher taught them that there’s certainly no shortage.
“The other thing we had to really educate investors on was how food waste is handled differently region to region,” she said. “Agricultural economies are going to have different regulations. Here in New York, by 2022 a lot of the industrial and commercial food scraps or food waste generators have to divert to an organic recycler within 20 miles.”
Pina said she met with prospective investors all over the US, but ended up having most success raising from investors on the East Coast.
“[That’s] because I think the sophistication of seeing the potential with agtech, especially in the NYC metropolitan area, helped us. And, to be quite honest, I think the diversity of seeing a woman of color in agriculture. That is an anomaly in some states based on what I have experienced.”
The new funds will be used for typical seed-stage tasks like hiring, R&D, manufacturing, and general acceleration. Pina estimates the product market pipeline is worth at least $2 million.
Thanks to a lot of upfront diligence, Re-Nuble is confident that it has reached product-market fit and that securing customers won’t be too much of a challenge. The startup spent seven years studying different food waste characterizations and their biochemical reactions when applied under different environmental controls for a group of specialty crop varietals.
“We’ve been really drilling down and making sure the product works consistently in each type of farm, which is very different,” Pina said. “Some use deep water culture systems, some vertical farming systems are using tray racking systems and ebb and flow. Others are nutrient film techniques. We really wanted to spend the time to make sure that it is consistent in all farm types.”
In addition to its core nutrients product, Re-Nuble has also developed what it calls its ‘On-Site Food Waste Recovery System.’ This captures residual product waste — such as plant matter like vines, leaf cuttings, and perishable produce — as well as a farm’s wastewater for conversion into sterilized biostimulants and potable water. These byproducts are then reused for reduced water and agricultural input consumption.
The startup has faced some serious Covid-related challenges, according to Pina. It had a $500,000 loan rescinded that caused the team to completely redesign its manufacturing process, while also trying to work with manufacturing equipment under a cash-strapped budget.
“We’ve overcome that and we are now on pace to continue working with the farms that we’ve been doing case studies with, which we will release Q1 of next year,” she said. “That will definitely lead to growth and allow us to accelerate more farms getting access to our product.”
Revisiting "The Vertical Farm" - Dickson Despommier’s Book
The concept he discusses is fairly simple. If we used hydroponic and aeroponic systems to grow fresh produce, indoors, in large cities, we could curb our environmental impact by letting our current farms return to their natural state
20-11-2020 | Linkedin
Listen to the 21st Talks podcast on Spotify
In 2010, author and emeritus professor of microbiology and public health, Dickson Despommier released his book, “The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century.” The concept he discusses is fairly simple. If we used hydroponic and aeroponic systems to grow fresh produce, indoors, in large cities, we could curb our environmental impact by letting our current farms return to their natural state. Being its 10th anniversary, I wanted to revisit the book and look at it in a new context.
The Problem
By 2050, it’s estimated that there will be two billion more human beings than there are today. To feed that many people, we’ll need a landmass the size of South America to account for the food production. Unfortunately for everyone, they don’t make new continents anymore, and if the lack of land isn’t enough to worry about, year by year, the planet is losing arable land due to the changing climate, intensifying weather conditions, air quality, and more.
Modern farming is also not without its issues. A large percentage of fresh produce never reaches your plate, whether that be due to harsh weather, unforeseen pests, or other factors. In some cases, transportation can be the problem, as most fresh options travel 1200 to 1500 miles to reach their final destination.
Insecticides, fungicides, and pesticides are commonly used to kill off threats to growing produce, but water runoff with these chemicals often end up contaminating rivers, ponds, lakes, and streams. This damages natural wildlife habitats and has adverse effects on human beings.
Despommier’s Solution?
Farm upwards in buildings and skyscrapers. Avoid the use of pesticides and other chemical agents that damage the environment. Without the potential of chemicals and weather effects, you can grow produce in a controlled, ideal environment--year-round--at a rate that today’s farms simply can’t match.
When you’re producing food at this accelerated rate, there is no need to transport it 1200 to 1500 miles, which means fresher, tastier options arrive at the customers’ homes. You can also cut out the CO2 that would get pumped into the atmosphere if the food were to be transported long distances.
Because hydroponics and aeroponics are closed-loop systems, we could conceivably use 70-95% less water to produce the same amount of food as is currently produced. Despommier also talks about using vertical farms to eliminate food waste that attracts vermin and millions of gallons of contaminated water that pollutes large cities every day.
An interesting omission from Despommier’s vision is the use of aquaponics. While it’s a closed-loop system like the aforementioned, aquaponic farmers cultivate fresh-water fish to provide nutrients to their plants. In a matter of months, a farmer who has produced tons of fresh, leafy greens, could also provide local restaurants or residents with high-quality fish.
What happens to old farms and farmers?
If we were able to successfully transition to growing products from vertical or urban farms, there would be little need for farms as we know them. We would have the opportunity to reforest hundreds of thousands of acres and combat a large percentage of harmful CO2 and chemical agents. That said, I’m not keen on essentially firing two million Americans whose main source of income is farming, but neither is Despommier. The author suggests a government-provided financial incentive for farmers who actively work to curb CO2 by reforesting their land. That this might cause frustrations for some, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Vertical farms could also give rise to hundreds of thousands of new jobs--many for those displaced farmers--from the managers who will keep the facilities running to the techs who will make sure no pest or pathogen breaches a micrometer of produce. You could also bet that the vertical farming industry would give rise to job opportunities in related industries and fields.
Why this is important.
It’s not lost on me that in the coming decades, as I reach my parents’ age, the quality of my life might be severely different from theirs. My children and their children will inherit a world with rising temperatures, intensifying weather patterns (like 2020’s hurricane season), environmental refugees, and--oh yes--the two billion more people that I mentioned above. The opportunity to innovate in the farming industry is, well, 10 years ago when this book came out. We’re making strides, but mainstreaming vertical farming would require a tectonic-like shift in our mindsets and priorities or at least a billionaire champion (looking at you, Bezos, Musk, Gates) to kick things off.
Not to alarm, but with every passing day, the climate crisis becomes direr, and while it’s easy to let your mind drift to the negative, I believe Despommier’s vision is that of hope and innovation. We have all the tools we need to make the shift. We just have to do it.
But there’s one more reason I think that this book is more important now than it was at the time of its release. The passage in the book that stuck out to me most is this:
“All life on the Earth is linked either directly or indirectly to each other in mutually dependent life-renewing cycles. It is the foundation upon which that science is built. Without our interference, life would go on in an equitable manner, with all forms living within a given eco-zone sharing their part of the energy budget provided to them each day by the sun.”
This quote needs to be seen with 2020 vision. At the time I’m writing this, there are more than 242,000 Covid deaths in the United States and 1.28 million worldwide. Some scientists suggest that Climate Change has played a role in the spread of Covid-19. Others suggest that the agony and anguish of Covid-19 pale in comparison to the devastation the Climate Change will inflict on us in the future.
As the quote suggests, everything is connected. When you've tampered with one thing (like the environment), you've tampered with everything. We are the planet’s stewards. I don’t blame anyone specifically for Covid-19, but perhaps if we take larger steps to tackle the climate crisis, it will help us prepare for the next pandemic, either directly or indirectly.
The Greater Impact
Despommier leaves no stone unturned. He discusses vertical farming's local, national, and global impacts on our health, habits, and societies. He explains that, with trial and error, vertical farming can produce any crop you can imagine, and he provides technological and architectural blueprints necessary for success. He provides a broad overview of the benefits, many of which I've mentioned, but in much greater detail. Honestly, if someone has the money and ambition to start a vertical farm, conceptually, he's done most of the heavy lifting for them.
He also gives you the sense that with vertical farming, the quality of life could improve for everyone, and makes a case for allowing financially or food-insecure countries to rely on foreign providers. Naturally, there would be major pushback from those opposed to globalization, but Despommier's position is to advocate for environmental equity and sharing resources. In some cases, vertical farming could become a significant tool in avoiding major world conflicts.
Final Thoughts
I’m no farmer. I'm certainly not a scientist. I’m just a guy concerned about the days ahead. Ten years ago I heard about an exciting, inspiring concept and wanted to revisit it. That said, I won't presume that a hypothetical shift toward vertical farming wouldn't be met with significant challenges and resistance--many for legitimate reasons.
Finally, I don’t know if New York City, Hong Kong, Dubai, Mexico City, or Shanghai will ever have sprawling districts with skyscrapers that produce millions of pounds of fresh, healthy food each day. It’s simply a hopeful future and in terms of solving tomorrow’s problems, I think vertical farms are an excellent place to start.
When it comes to vertical farming, urban farming, and modern farming techniques, here are just a few companies that are ahead of the game:
Published by Jonathan Haile, MA
Source and Photo Courtesy of Linkedin
Investment Projects On Construction And Modernization of Greenhouse Complexes Will Be Presented At The 5th Anniversary International Forum And Exhibition Greenhouse Complexes Russia & CIS 2020
The well-being 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
Date: 2 - 4 December 2020
Place: Moscow, Baltschug Kempinski
Organized by: Vostock Capital
Tel.: +44 207 394 3090
E-mail: Events@vostockcapital.com
Website: https://www.greenhousesforum.com/en/
The well-being 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, discussing 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 the 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 - specialized 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! Roadshow of innovative technologies and equipment by the global leaders
• Evening cocktails
Register now - https://www.greenhousesforum.com/en/registration/
Lettuce Losses Could Cause Shortage Across U.S.
Lettuce growers in central California experienced unseasonably high temperatures and crop disease that caused severe losses to iceberg and romaine varieties
Crop Losses Lead To Supply Chain Disruptions, Beyond COVID-19
NOVEMBER 13, 2020
Lettuce crop losses in California could affect availability and prices at Texas grocery stores and restaurants and highlights the fragility of the nation’s food supply chain, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
Twelve cultivars of bibb, loose-leaf, and romaine lettuce being grown hydroponically using the nutrient film technique. Most lettuce in Texas is grown in greenhouses like these. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo)
Lettuce growers in central California experienced unseasonably high temperatures and crop disease that caused severe losses to iceberg and romaine varieties.
David Anderson, AgriLife Extension economist, Bryan-College Station, said the shortage is another instance of the nation’s food supply chain being disrupted.
Anderson said lettuce is one product in a long list of perishable food items that are produced to serve a “just-in-time inventory” for retail grocers, restaurants and ultimately consumers.
“Consumers have dealt with shortages related to COVID-19 disruptions most recently, but it looks like this is weather- and disease-related losses that resulted in supply issues,” he said. “We grow accustomed to seeing lettuce at the grocery store year-round, but a lot of folks don’t know we rely on producers all around the country and beyond to serve that year-round availability.”
Lettuce is a cool-season crop and performs best at 60-65 degrees. The crop requires temperatures stay consistently below 80 degrees, accompanied by cool night temperatures.
Anderson said Texas and the rest of the U.S. rely on growers in specific microclimates domestically, but also in Canada, Mexico and other parts of the world, to produce certain products like lettuce and spinach to meet year-round demand. The heatwave in California accompanied by leaf spot disrupted the harvest that growers’ in Salinas provide to meet demand now.
“In a couple of weeks it’ll be another areas turn to meet that demand, and so on, but it just shows how delicate the system can be if there is an issue in the supply chain,” he said.
Fresh produce takes time and timing
Juan Anciso, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Weslaco, said Texas producers grow very little lettuce aside from niche-market growers who supply restaurants, specialty grocers and directly to consumers. But the region is part of the national supply chain for cool season produce.
Growers in the Rio Grande Valley, for instance produce thousands of acres of cool-season produce – mostly onions, leafy greens like spinach and kale, and carrots.
The planting window is critical for those cool season crops because of the time they take to mature, he said.
Onions take 160-170 days from seed to harvest. Cabbage takes 90-110 days, and carrots take 90-plus days for fresh market and 150-180 days for fields destined for processing.
“California is the breadbasket of America when it comes to many varieties of produce, including various kinds of lettuce,” he said. “The growing season moves north and south as seasonal temperatures dictate the crop, planting time and harvest.”
Anciso said these crops are also very dependent on timing because they are only marketable for a week or two once harvested.
“These are all extremely perishable foods,” he said. “They are grown, harvested and go directly to the stores, so timing the logistics of that is critical to supplying demand. We expect to see a head of lettuce when we go into a grocery store and take the process for granted until it’s not there.”
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Adam Russell
D.I.Y. Microgreens You Can Grow On Your Kitchen Counter
Think of The Rewards of Cultivating
The Tastes of Summer All Through The winter. You Can Do This.
New to microgreens? Start with something in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) that offers a quick payoff, like arugula (shown), radish or mizuna (a mild-flavored mustard). Credit...Kate Spring
By Margaret Roach
Nov. 18, 2020
Since Kate Spring and her husband, Edge Fuentes, founded Good Heart Farmstead in Vermont in 2013, she has cultivated not just mesclun, strawberries and tomatoes, but also the abundance of the patience required of a farmer. Plant parenthood reminds us: Living things take time. And sometimes they have minds of their own.
Lately, as mother to Waylon, a 7-year-old son she calls “our best crop ever,” Ms. Spring is occasionally asked to dig down even deeper, in a growing test of wills — as she did after three long days of carrot harvest. “There are those moments, like when all those root vegetables need to be washed,” she said, “and your child commandeers the hose and washes you instead.”
But there is one crop, whose time is now, that promises near-instant gratification, requiring little patience and exhibiting blessedly minimal rebellion.
Microgreens — fully developed seed leaves or cotyledons plus a true leaf or two, bigger than sprouts but smaller than baby greens — can be grown indoors in a small space, making them the ideal off-season do-it-yourself project for those who miss the vegetable garden and its in-season flavors. By investing a couple of weeks in each tray of tiny, leafy greens, root vegetables or herbs, you can enliven winter with concentrated bursts of nutrition and taste.
In the garden off-season, freshly harvested basil microgreens grown indoors punch up the summery quotient when Kate Spring, an owner of Good Heart Farmstead, serves red sauce she cooked and froze at peak tomato harvest. Credit...Kate Spring
Microgreens are a cusp-season crop at Good Heart Farmstead, an L3C, or low-profit limited-liability corporation, which means it’s “a mix between a nonprofit and for-profit business — a for-profit but with a social mission in the forefront,” Ms. Spring said. “We work on increasing food access for low-income Vermonters,” often in collaboration with the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont.
The small, certified-organic operation in Worcester (Zone 4a) focuses on farm shares, or CSA subscriptions, serving up to 100 subscribers in the summer season, one of four subscription periods each year.
As the last outdoor fall greens fade, Ms. Spring and Mr. Fuentes sow microgreens in greenhouse flats to add “a nice, fresh green item in the share,” she said, that is otherwise transitioning to roots and other winter storage vegetables.
So order some seed, clear a space on the kitchen counter and call the seed-starting light into service. It’s microgreen season.
Larger seed for microgreens like chard and beets can be scattered on a level surface of an inch and a half of tamped-down, seed-starting soil, with about six to eight seeds per square inch. Credit...Kate Spring
Why Grow Microgreens?
Besides the sheer awe inherent in any version of seed-starting, there are other motivating factors. Price, for instance.
Microgreens are what farmers refer to as a high-value crop. In plastic grocery-store clamshell boxes they may run $2 to $3 an ounce ($32 to $48 a pound) — “a really premium product,” Ms. Spring said.
Microgreens are also nutrient-dense. Researchers with the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the United States Department of Agriculture evaluated vitamin and carotenoid concentrations in a range of varieties in a 2012 paper. The findings, in brief: Microgreens contained up to 40 times the nutrients of the plants’ mature leaves.
And oh, the flavor. Yes, they brighten up salads and sandwiches, but cilantro microgreens on top of black bean and sweet potato tacos, anyone? They’re highly recommended by the Spring-Fuentes household, where there are always basil microgreens as well, for punching up the summery quotient of red sauce frozen at peak tomato harvest.
“Arugula or basil or kale microgreens are also really good on eggs in the morning,” said Ms. Spring, who tends to use them “as an additive, not the main ingredient.”
Organic field pea seeds will become pea shoots, a customer favorite at Good Heart Farmstead, in Vermont. They are sown very densely and pressed into the soil after the seeds are soaked overnight. Credit...Kate Spring
Start With These Varieties
The diversity of organic microgreen seed offerings in catalogs like Johnny’s Selected Seeds and High Mowing Organic Seeds can be intimidating. Start with something in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) that promises a quick payoff, Ms. Spring suggested, like radish, arugula or mizuna (a mild-flavored mustard).
“Our favorites are basil, cilantro, Red Russian kale and the arugula and mizuna,” Ms. Spring said.
Broccoli and chard are popular, too. Catalogs also offer mixes — like a spicy one of various mustards, selected to germinate and mature on a similar timeline.
While the fields are resting, there are usually microgreens growing on Good Heart Farmstead’s greenhouse benches, to add a fresh, green item to the wintertime CSA shares. Credit...Kate Spring
The Gear
Yes, you can upcycle a cardboard egg carton or plastic sushi container into seed-sowing service, and maybe that’s a good place to begin. But once you’re hooked, a couple of standard nursery flats with drainage holes, called 1020 flats, with trays that fit beneath, will optimize the process. (In the meantime, a plastic boot tray or a rimmed baking sheet could be called into action under ad hoc seedling trays.)
You’ll also need:
A spray bottle for watering (recommended: a one-hand pressure sprayer like the Solo 418)
A germination dome to fit your flats, or paper towels
A bag of seed-starting mix and a moisture-proof tub or other container to stash it in (after each harvest, the soil can be composted, and once the plant matter breaks down, reused two or three times)
A grow light with T5 high-output fluorescent tubes on an adjustable stand (microgreens grow faster and stronger with proper overhead light than they will on a windowsill)
A fan
And, of course, seeds
You can simply can upcycle a cardboard egg carton or plastic sushi container into seed-sowing service, but once you’re hooked, a couple of standard nursery flats with drainage holes, called 1020 flats, and trays that fit beneath will optimize the process. Credit...Kate Spring
Kate Spring’s Step-by-Step Instructions
There is no one-size-fits-all growing method. “It takes some guesswork and practice, so go into it with a trial mind,” Ms. Spring said.
Experimenting with varieties, sowing density and harvest timing — an extra day or two, a half-inch taller than the last batch? — will reveal what works for you.
Using more than one flat and tray will mean fewer gaps in your supply. You could try sowing a succession crop when the current one is within a few days of harvest, or sowing slower- and faster-growing varieties at the same time.
The key is taking notes and researching the catalog websites, where the “number of days to first true leaf” will indicate how fast one variety will grow relative to another. That is especially important if you want to grow partial flats of two things. A good match for a uniform harvest pairs crops with similar days to maturity — like broccoli and Red Russian kale (both 10 to 15 days to true leaf) or basil and cilantro (16 to 25 days).
Trays of microgreens at various stages of development in the Good Heart Farmstead greenhouse benefit from the circulation provided by a fan on low nearby, which helps prevent a fungal disease called damping off. Credit...Kate Spring
Start with the right location: 65 to 70 degrees, not adjacent to a heater or a drafty window. Moisten a supply of potting soil, either in its plastic bag or in a waterproof tub, by adding a small amount of water and mixing it with your hands or a trowel. Squeeze a fistful; it should be moist enough to hold its shape, but not so wet that water drips out.
Then line your tray with an inch or so of soil, tamped down so it’s compact, with an even surface. This will help ensure that seeds have equal soil contact for even germination.
To sow the seeds, scatter them thickly, according to the packet directions, aiming for 10 to 12 seeds per square inch for small seeds like basil, mizuna or kale and six to eight seeds for larger ones like beets or chard. Gently press them into the soil.
Lightly water the seeds with a mister or spray bottle.
Cover the tray with a germination dome or a damp paper towel. (If you use a paper towel, mist it daily so it stays moist during germination.) No supplemental light is needed yet.
As soon as the seeds germinate, usually in about three to five days, remove the dome or towel and place the uncovered tray under grow lights for 16 hours a day.
Water as needed to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Microgreens flatten easily, so use a mist or spray, or switch to bottom watering, adding a quarter of an inch of water to the tray below; the flat’s drainage holes will allow the soil to wick up water. For even watering, trays must be on a level surface.
Airflow is important, or thickly sown microgreens can suffer from a fungal disease called damping off. A fan set on low nearby helps.
Microgreens are harvested around the time the first true leaf appears — the one that resembles an older version of the plant, often between an inch or two tall. Use sharp scissors or a harvest knife (Johnny’s and High Moving both sell Victorinox serrated knives). Eat immediately or refrigerate in a closed plastic bag or container for two to three days.
Waylon, the son of Good Heart Farmstead owners Kate Spring and her husband, Edge Fuentes, is 7 years old and a lover of pea shoots and all things salad. This year, he grew his first garden. Credit...Kate Spring
Ready to Graduate to Pea Shoots?
Pea shoots, a CSA-subscriber favorite at Good Heart Farmstead, are grown indoors in spring from organic field pea seeds, a kind of pea used for cover-cropping beds to improve the soil.
There are subtle differences in the process, Ms. Spring said: “We soak the seeds overnight, so that they have a little head start, and we really pack them in there.”
After that, the seeds take 12 to 14 days to harvest, at two to four inches high. Ms. Spring likes them on the bigger side — as does Waylon, who has all too quickly gone from sprout to shoot stage himself, his mother noted.
SINGAPORE: Tampines Residents To Grow Vegetables From Vertical Hydroponic Kits
The scheme is part of an initiative called Our Green Hut, which also involves starting a vertical hydroponic farm to produce more than 15 types of vegetables
The kits - about 1m wide and just under 2m high - can accommodate about 20 plants. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
November 21, 2020
SINGAPORE - Tampines residents will soon be able to grow their own organic vegetables for personal consumption in a cleaner, more efficient way.
Rather than the traditional method of planting in soil, Our Tampines Hub is offering residents vertical hydroponics kits that can be used to grow veggies at home, it announced on Saturday (Nov 21).
About 600 Tampines residents have already indicated interest in the vertical hydroponic project.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
The kits - about 1m wide and just under 2m high - can accommodate about 20 plants.
A pilot project will give about 50 kits free to residents whose homes are suitable, such as having enough sunlight.
The scheme is part of an initiative called Our Green Hut, which also involves starting a vertical hydroponic farm to produce more than 15 types of vegetables.
Mr. Masagos Zulkifli told reporters at Saturday's launch event: "The bigger plan is to actually grow food within Tampines. We are releasing some carpark rooftop gardens that will not just be producing vegetables, but also for residents to get involved in growing a commercially viable rooftop garden."
About 600 Tampines residents have already indicated an interest in the vertical hydroponic project.
"This is only the beginning," said Mr. Masagos. "We don't want this to be a one-time endeavor and then they throw the equipment away.
"We want them to prove that they want to do this as a continuous endeavor to grow food at home, starting with simple vegetables, and then maybe later on with more difficult ones."
Ms. Tan Min Choo is one of the first residents to start growing vegetables using the vertical hydroponic kit. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
This also feeds into the bigger aim of Singapore meeting 30 percent of its nutritional needs by 2030, a plan that has been brought forward due to the coronavirus crisis, Mr. Masagos noted, adding: "We must also get involved in understanding what we need to grow food at home so that our children understand the technology involved, as well as the production and the growth."
Ms. Tan Min Choo, 64, a retired air traffic service officer and a volunteer at Our Tampines Hub, is one of the first residents to start growing vegetables like "chye sim" using the vertical hydroponic kit.
The structure was installed on her balcony about a month ago ahead of the pilot project.
She said: "I used to live in a kampung (village), so I always liked planting vegetables and I thought there was no harm trying something new."
The kit ensures nutrient-filled water is internally circulated so Ms. Tan does not have to water the plants daily but just monitor the nutrient level using a meter every few days and add more nutrients or water if necessary. The plants take about three weeks to harvest.
"This kit makes growing vegetables so clean, whereas soil can be dirty and dusty. It also saves space because of the vertical set-up," she added.
Lead photo: The kits - about 1m wide and just under 2m high - can accommodate about 20 plants.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH