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Growing Along With The Ferns
Ellen Kraaijenbrink celebrates 20th anniversary at Vitro Plus
A big part of all commercially sold ferns globally originates from Vitro Plus in Burgh-Haamstede, the Netherlands. The answer to the question 'how did they manage that?' is of course not straightforward, but if there is someone who can give us a slight insight, it is Ellen Kraaijenbrink. At the company, Ellen is not only co-responsible for sales and marketing, but she also celebrated her 20th-anniversary last month.
Ellen in one of the growing rooms of the company
A lot can happen in twenty years. The company was already doing well back then: they were growing ferns, selling them globally and the company was not yet in Burgh-Haamstede, but close to Renesse. "We were in Portacabins, next to a farmhouse in which the company was established back then and we grew from there. When I joined the company, all sales, apart from owner-director John Bijl, were done by one woman. By now, the sales team has expanded to eight people led by Vincent van Vuuren, and in that time the company has also grown from about 10 FTE to around 60 FTE now."
Streamlined
Soon the move to Burgh-Haamstede followed, where a hall was purchased. This is where an important part of the production took place and where 'the production line' was introduced, a more streamlined manner of working in which the whole process from Petri dish to plant tray became one fluent movement. At first, a part of the production remained in Renesse, which was not very practical due to the continuous travel back and forth of plant material. Eventually, this problem was solved by moving the entire company to the new location.
Inside and outside
Good housing is a requirement for growth, but it obviously takes more than just that. For example, the product range has grown strongly as well. Twenty years ago, the product range was much smaller and only consisted of tropical ferns. Recently they added hardy ferns, a whole different story, as propagation happens from spores instead of tissue culture. Due to both practical and hygiene considerations, both processes have since recently been completely separated.
Things can change
Now, they have more plants than customers. "Twenty years ago we had about 100 varieties," Ellen says, "now the amount tripled." This is, apart from the undoubtedly terrific sales skills of Ellen and her colleagues, due to a special reason: the market has completely changed. "We can barely keep up now, everything sells really fast, but it has not always been this way. It has been years of pulling and dragging and it usually does not happen on its own. These past four, five years, demand is increasing and boomed by the pandemic."
Ferns for mothers
So far, as the entire plant market will agree, this shopping craze remains. This is not just the case in Europe, but also in the US, where Vitro Plus has many customers. "The market in the US is less sensitive to trends, the consumer buys more traditionally. Ferns are often in hanging baskets, big and people are eager to pay for it. The fern is also, surprisingly, a popular product around Mother's Day. Recently, however, we have been noticing some shifts. Orders are becoming larger and people want to diversify. The demand for new varieties, for striking looks, for something unusual, is growing hugely, in the US as well."
Ellen has not always worked in this industry. After the local tourist office, a job as a receptionist at an architectural company, and several years at home with the children, she eventually knocked on John's door. "For just 15 hours a week at first, which continued to become more. Flexibility was never a problem. I practically had no knowledge concerning ferns. After about seven years in the office, I attended a trade fair and that is how everything started. Now I arrange our participation in the different exhibitions, I am responsible for our marketing and I am in sales. Along the way, I discovered that I really enjoy the actual selling, as well as bringing in new clients and maintaining our network. My parents used to own a supermarket, so that might be where I got my commercial instinct from."
Mobile climate cells serve as a temporary solution to produce more
Expansion
To this day, John is still the Sales Director. His previous companion, Kees Zevenbergen, has been retired for quite some time, and about twenty years ago Ard Stoutjesdijk joined the team as codirector-owner. This past year was 'the best year so far' concerning sales. They never have sold this many ferns and never have had this many orders, re-orders, and after-orders to process. This is wonderful, of course, but it does mean the production capacity has to increase. For now, this problem can be solved by using extra climate cells, which are a type of containers in which ' LED-vehicles' are driven into and in which the production can be increased by two million extra plants during peak time. Yet this is merely a temporary solution, which is why, Ellen concludes, construction will start soon. A piece of the neighbors’ land has been bought, the paperwork is being done at the moment and the construction will start next year.
For more information:
Vitro Plus B.V.
Ellen Kraaijenbrink
+31 (0)111 46 80 88
ellen@vitroplus.nl
www.vitroplus.nl
6 May 2021
Widespread Investment In CEA Is An Important Piece of The Food Security Puzzle
It has become increasingly clear that traditional agriculture is simply not meeting the food demands of the future
Sky Kurtz, CEO, and Co-Founder, Pure Harvest Smart Farms
There is a commonly quoted statistic estimating that by 2050, we will have nearly 10 billion people on the planet and, in turn, 10 billion hungry mouths to feed. Aside from population factors, the world’s climate is changing in ways human beings have never seen before. Across the globe, our water sources are being diminished and arable landmasses are shrinking. Food security and sustainability is becoming an ever-more pressing issue. There are a number of pioneering companies worldwide working hard to address these critical issues.
The Problem with Traditional Agriculture
It has become increasingly clear that traditional agriculture is simply not meeting the food demands of the future. Food production is heavily driven by significant freshwater consumption and can be both labour intensive and inefficient. Alongside this, changes in climate are negatively impacting yields. This is being witnessed across the board by the food production industry, investors, and governments alike.
The Power of the Consumer
Increased awareness of these issues has led to changes in consumer demands. Consumers have become more discerning about the quality of the products they buy, specifically when it comes to pesticide use, sustainability, freshness, food safety, variety, and brands. They are ever more interested in having knowledge of and creating a relationship with the foods they consume. This is evidenced by the huge organic growth rates of organics over the past 10 years. People care about quality and are voting strongly with their wallets.
Cultural and socio-economic demographics heavily influence what can and should be grown. Some crops such as premium quality leafy greens tend to target more affluent demographics and palates, whereas tomatoes, cucumbers, and a number of other greenhouse vegetables are staples of many diets and can be produced affordably in most places in the world.
The Promise of Controlled-Environment Agriculture
Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA) facilitates the growth of sustainable, high-quality produce but not at the expense of the consumer. CEA allows for consistent, high quality production by eliminating the environmental impacts on food production, allowing for more localized production, and reducing, or even eliminating, the use of pesticides.
Reducing Risk
Since early 2020, COVID-19 has woken the world to the risks and fragility of global fresh fruit and vegetable supply chains. Given perishability, the fruit & vegetable market is uniquely vulnerable vs. other crops e.g. the likes of corn, wheat, rice which can be stored & siloed. Controlled-environment agriculture is a solution that addresses these issues facilitating more localized production and supply, offering high output, resource-efficient production capabilities, while meeting the consumer’s changing demands.
In March, the world’s gaze turned to the Suez Canal where a container ship, the Ever Given, became lodged, blocking the canal. On a daily basis, the Suez Canal carries 12% of global trade, around one million barrels of oil and roughly 8% of liquefied natural gas. The cost of the blockage was reportedly $14m-$15m every day!
The Local Promise
The local unique selling point (USP) is now possible pretty much anywhere. Solutions like ours at Pure Harvest Smart Farms have made it possible to affordably produce year-round, even in the harshest climates in the world for example, the UAE, Kuwait, and Malaysia serving Singapore.
Large-scale solutions are necessary for the food to be economic, due to economies of scale in what is ultimately a manufacturing process. Large-scale greenhouses are particularly suitable for dense urban populations, as just 1 or 2 large production sites within 100 – 500 kilometers of the city or town can serve a large group of people affordably.
Unfortunately for more distributed, rural populations, this becomes more challenging. If you scale-down the solutions to hyper-localize, you often lose efficiency (in terms of both capital expenditure/ m2 and operational expenditure/ m2 for production. With more of the world’s population urbanizing, this is another trend that supports widespread investment in CEA as an important piece of the puzzle to serve future food demands.
The Future
The challenge of feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050 MUST be solved on both the supply side and demand side. From the supply side, adopting technologies that augment output and resource-efficient growing methods. From the demand side, via changing what we consume, reducing waste, and environmental consciousness. Addressing these issues means we can produce more food with less and less resources.
High-tech agriculture presents a multi-decade investment opportunity to contribute to food security, water conservation, economic diversification, and a more sustainable future for all.
Join Sky at the virtual Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit on June 24 and tune into his live panel discussion on ‘Scaling at Speed: Delivering the Promises of a Mission-Led Industry’ at 16.50 EST.
For more information about Pure Harvest Smart Farms, follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
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AppHarvest Hopes To Build A Garden Of Eden In America's Appalachia
AppHarvest (NASDAQ:APPH) is building large commercial greenhouses in Kentucky to primarily grow tomatoes indoors
May 15, 2021
Summary
AppHarvest is building out commercial indoor farms in Appalachia.
APPH, which recently went public via a special purpose acquisition company, has seen its stock price collapse on the back of the flight of capital from growth to value.
With revenue growth increasing, the company's next challenge is growing into its valuation profitably.
Photo by IP Galanternik D.U./E+ via Getty Images
AppHarvest (NASDAQ:APPH) is building large commercial greenhouses in Kentucky to primarily grow tomatoes indoors. The benefits of this approach would see the company use up to 90% less water than traditional farms, have the ability to attain harvests year-round, use no chemical pesticides, and attain at least 30x more food per acre than conventional farming methods. Essentially, indoor farms allow modern farmers to carefully control the environment to indefinitely allow for near-perfect growing conditions.
This has brought the future of farming forward, a critical need in a world still facing significant population growth rates while beset by the uncertainties of climate change.
However, while AppHarvest's ESG credentials are undoubtedly strong with the company using recycled rainwater for its circular irrigation system, there remains uncertainty over whether its business will be able to profitably grow commodity fruit and vegetable produce. This would be against a domestic market increasingly dominated by Mexico. Imports of tomatoes from Mexico to the USA grew by 125% from 1.6 billion pounds to 3.6 billion pounds between 2002 and 2017. This subsequent decline in US production of tomatoes is a trend AppHarvest hopes to reverse with its indoor farm in Kentucky. This is able to reach 70% of the US population within a day's drive.
This means produce should not only arrive at grocery stores fresher, but they would also do so with a lower carbon footprint. AppHarvest longs would consider this an important point as consumers become increasingly aware of the importance of the food chain to managing climate change and the damaging impact of pesticide use on the natural environment. For example, surface runoff from farms into lakes and rivers have potentially damaging effects on aquatic ecosystems.
AppHarvest September 2020 Investor Presentation (Source)
While AppHarvest inaugural 60-acre Morehead facility primarily grows tomatoes, the company expects to be able to produce leafy greens and cucumbers in the near future with two new facilities planned for 2022.
Strong Geographic Reach And Improved Revenue Visibility
AppHarvest expects revenue to ramp up materially over the next four fiscal years from 2021 on the back of an expansion of its indoor greenhouses. The company has guided revenue to reach $376 million in 2025, a four-year compound annual growth rate from 2021 of 97%. To achieve this, AppHarvest expects to hit 12 active facilities across Appalachia by 2025. The company also expects to attain greater diversification by expanding into growing other fruits and vegetables.
AppHarvest September 2020 Investor Presentation (Source)
Of course, the main barrier to an investment in AppHarvest would be its ability to scale revenue growth profitably. Capital expenditure in new greenhouses should very well see the company increase total acreage and annual production, but its ability to do this profitably would be challenged by the unique costs of indoor growing. From increased electricity consumption to the use of more skilled and variable labour.
Hence, AppHarvest's focus on robotic harvesting emphasised with its recent acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Root AI points to a potentially profitable scale-up.
Virgo, Root AI's Tomato Picking Robot (Source)
AppHarvest does not expect Virgo to entirely eliminate its use of labour. However, the robot can evaluate crop health, precisely predict yield and optimise overall operations by handpicking tomatoes. This will be a material factor in efficient and profitable operations especially if it can work without a high degree of human intervention.
Indeed, the company expects to reach EBITDA profitability in its fiscal 2023, generating positive free cash flow during the same year. With its shares currently trading at $11.91, AppHarvest holds a $1.12 billion valuation. This would place its forward 1-year market cap to sales at 45x. While still high for a farming company, it is down from 162x when it reached all-time highs in February. Further, this multiple drops to 19x using revenue guided for its fiscal 2022. Investors would be right to be wary about paying almost 20 times revenue for a greenhouse farming company so might be prudent to wait for any further potential pullback in shares.
Turning Appalachia Into America's Own Modern Farm
AppHarvest will not be immune to the gyrations of selling a commodity product to a domestic market that has tilted towards cheaper imports over the last decade. The company will not only have to compete adequately on price with traditional farmed fruits and vegetables, but it would also have to do so with a high-tech setup that while big on ESG credentials offers up avenues for increased costs that could eat into any potential profits.
AppHarvest is a long-term somewhat speculative play on a better more modern method of farming. Hence, just as the green revolution of the mid 20th century saw increased agricultural production worldwide. This more modern ESG-focused method of farming promises to usurp the old order.
This article was written by
Unleashing The Potential of Seed Optimization | Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit, June 24-25
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Vertical Future And Crate To Plate Plot Fleet of Shipping Container Farms In London
Each of the 'container farms' will be able to produce up to five tonnes of leafy greens and veg each year with zero carbon footprint, the firms claim
Jessica Rawnsley
14 May 2021
Credit: Vertical Future
Each of The 'Container Farms' Will Be Able To produce Up To Five Tonnes of Leafy Greens And Veg Each Year With Zero Carbon Footprint, The Firms Claim
Urban farming specialists Vertical Future and Crate to Plate are together gearing up to rollout a fleet of indoor container farms in London, with each capable of producing zero carbon fresh salad and vegetables for swift delivery across the UK capital city, they announced yesterday.
Crate to Plate, an urban farming start-up, plans to use the 'container farms' designed by Vertical Future - a technology company focused on controlled-environment-agriculture (CEA) - across several new sites in London's Bermondsey and Stratford.
By using the container farms, Crate to Plate said it would be able to produce up to five tonnes of fresh produce - including lettuce, kale, and rocket - per year, and then deliver it to customers within 24 hours with a zero-carbon footprint, all without any use of pesticides or toxic chemicals. The firm counts Ollie Dabbous, chef-patron of Michelin-starred restaurant, HIDE, as well as independent grocers such as The Notting Hill Fish Shop and Artichoke in Hampstead among its customers.
Vertical Future's innovative farms, built within 40ft shipping containers, allow for highly-controlled indoor growing conditions, harnessing LED lighting, full climate control, and dual irrigation in order to create the optimal conditions for cultivating leafy salad and vegetables.
Proponents of vertical farming argue producing crops in such circumstances can reduce the amount of countryside land used for farming, better protect crops against the impacts of increasingly volatile outdoor climate conditions, and cut down on transport and logistics typically needed to ferry food from farms to urban centres. They also require far less water and zero pesticides.
"Our Container Labs create the optimal growth environment for growing fresh produce and can be deployed close to point of consumption, using minimal space," said Jamie Burrows, Vertical Future's CEO. "Using zero chemicals and growing crops in a controlled environment enables our partners to meet demand all-year-round, as opposed to regular food production systems which are reliant on seasonal limitations."
By shifting towards using Vertical Future's 'Container Labs', Crate to Plate's founder Sebastien Sainsbury said the firm would be able to scale up its systems across the UK while offering more efficient growing capabilities to improve both output and product quality.
"It's been incredibly encouraging and exciting to align with other dynamic, innovative, and enterprising British business, which will help us to scale up our vision and execute our exciting opportunities both nationally and internationally," Sainsbury said.
Mexico Is Experiencing One of The Most Widespread And Intense Droughts In Decades: NASA
According to the space agency, 85% of the territory is facing these conditions, which has affected the drinking water resources for drinking, cultivating, and irrigating. "Dams throughout Mexico are at exceptionally low levels."
As of April 15, 85% of the country was facing these conditions, explained the space agency.
ENTREPRENEUR STAFF
May 11, 2021
This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.
NASA published a statement in which it explains the drought situation in Mexico and ensures that the country is experiencing one of the most widespread and intense in decades.
According to the space agency, 85% of the territory is facing these conditions, which has affected the drinking water resources for drinking, cultivating, and irrigating. "Dams throughout Mexico are at exceptionally low levels."
You may be interested: Avocado, the 'green gold' that could harm the environment?
In this report, NASA shows images of the levels of the Villa Victoria dam, one of the main water supplies in Mexico City, one taken on March 27, 2020, and another on March 30, 2021, and exposes:
March 27, 2020. Photo via NASA.
March 30, 2021. Photo via NASA.
“The most recent images, although more cloudy, show that the water levels have continued to decrease. Villa Victoria is at approximately a third of its normal capacity ”.
Mexican dams at their lowest levels
According to what was exposed by the space agency, 60 large dams located in the north and center of the Aztec country are below 25% of their capacity. This has caused some government administrators to regulate the flow of the liquid from the reservoirs so that some inhabitants have been left without running water.
On the other hand, in the following map NASA shows the areas in which the vegetation is most stressed due to drought, through data on the Evaporative Stress Index (ESI, for its acronym in English).
Photo via NASA.
The ESI indicates how the evapotranspiration rate, water evaporates from the earth's surface and from plant leaves, is compared to normal conditions. The space agency explains that the negative values are below normal rates, which is why plants are stressed due to inadequate soil moisture.
No rain
From October 1, 2020, to April 18, 2021, the National Meteorological Service of Mexico said that the country had about 20% less rainfall than normal. He also explained that the northeast of the territory has gone from severe drought to an extreme one.
The report also adds that in the wet months of last year, little rainfall was also received due to the La Niña phenomenon, in which cold water from the Pacific Ocean inhibits the formation of rain clouds over Mexico and the southern United States.
“Mexico is approaching one of the worst widespread droughts on record. In 2011, drought conditions covered 95 percent of the country and caused famines in the state of Chihuahua. In 1996, the country experienced the worst drought on record and suffered huge crop losses, ”concludes NASA.
Lead Photo: Image credit: Depositphotos.com
'Food As Medicine Should Play A Larger Role In Society's Health'
TAMU Urban Farm United (TUFU) is a small-scale farm project based at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and uses vertical aeroponic techniques to demonstrate the benefits of hyperlocal food production. TUFU is located in a 20 ft by 50 ft greenhouse that was built in the 1980’s
Although Lisette Templin has long understood the benefits of healthy living, she immersed herself into local food production after a family illness highlighted the importance of micronutrients and macronutrients in fresh produce. Lisette, an instructional assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M, then began her research into local food production. One thing led to another, and Lisette discovered vertical aeroponic gardening and applied for Aggie Green Fund Grants to bring the concept to Texas A&M. Thus, TAMU Urban Farm United was created.
TAMU Urban Farm United (TUFU) is a small-scale farm project based at Texas A&M University (TAMU) and uses vertical aeroponic techniques to demonstrate the benefits of hyperlocal food production. TUFU is located in a 20 ft by 50 ft greenhouse that was built in the 1980’s. The greenhouse is equipped with a wet wall and shade cloth to moderate temperatures on Texas’ 100°F days, instead of keeping the greenhouse around 90°F. The greenhouse is also equipped with a heating system for cooler days.
With respect to TUFU’s vertical aeroponic system, the farm uses Juice Plus+ Tower Garden systems. According to Lisette, producing through vertical aeroponics reduces space and water requirements by 90% when compared to traditional agriculture, while also reducing labor requirements. Tower Gardens are individual aeroponic towers, which allows Lisette and her students to treat each tower as its own microcosm.
Lisette Templin
“Each tower is in its separate microcosm of growing; if one tower is contaminated with something, we can address the issues within that tower and know with certainty that it will not contaminate other towers,” explains Lisette.
The same is true for both pest and nutrient management, as each tower can be managed separately according to the specific crop. However, Lisette mentioned that the major challenge with TUFU’s current set-up is the distribution of light between the top and bottom of the tower. To address this, TUFU is looking to work with lighting companies to create more uniform light conditions along the tower’s length and provide lighting on cloudy days.
TUFU has many goals, all centered on demonstrating the use of sustainable food production methods to improve personal and community health.
Health impact of local food production
Lisette explains urban farming’s benefits first in respect to physical health, with hydroponic farming allowing growers to deliver highly nutritious, fresh products to the immediate local community. Moreover, Lisette believes that “food as medicine” should play a larger role in the health of children and society as a whole.
“Micronutrient- and macronutrient-dense food grown locally can effortlessly replace food that is highly inflammatory to the human body while providing the phytochemicals necessary to health. This way, indoor hydroponic farms can play a pivotal role in transitioning people off of medication from chronic diseases and in strengthening their immune systems,” says Lisette.
Urban farming can also benefit mental and emotional health, the domain in which Lisette specializes. According to Lisette, the food that we eat significantly affects both our physical and emotional heart, which both seem to people increasingly strained throughout society.
“The burden of sickness in the United States is leading to high suicide rates among adults, young adults, and children. I truly believe that bringing the community together to grow food while creating entrepreneurial potential can play a huge role in shifting people’s consciousness towards health and happiness with purpose,” explains Lisette.
The same is true for both pest and nutrient management, as each tower can be managed separately according to the specific crop. However, Lisette mentioned that the major challenge with TUFU’s current set-up is the distribution of light between the top and bottom of the tower. To address this, TUFU is looking to work with lighting companies to create more uniform light conditions along the tower’s length and provide lighting on cloudy days.
TUFU has many goals, all centered on demonstrating the use of sustainable food production methods to improve personal and community health.
Further development ahead for TUFU
Moving forward, the vision is to build a new greenhouse that is 100% off-grid and self-sustaining. Once built, the greenhouse would be two-storied with Tower Gardens on the top floor integrated with a meditation space. The first floor would include a seeding area, commercial kitchen, and community classroom. This, according to Lisette, will allow TUFU to have a greater impact both locally and on a larger scale.
Envisioning a sustainable urban farm model
Lisette’s work with TUFU is centered on her personal vision for sustainable living, which she hopes will drive urban farm models. Her vision includes having a livelihood model that she truly feels good about and that is environmentally sound. On the business side, Lisette explains that she envisions a business large enough to support a growing community and build connections within said community by providing training, creating jobs, and fostering personal growth and spiritual transformation.
For more information:
Lisette Templin, assistant professor Health and Kinesiology
Texas A&M, Texas Urban Farm United
lisettetemplin@tamu.edu
www.agrilifetoday.tamu.edu
Publication date: Thu 6 May 2021
Author: Rose Seguin
© VerticalFarmDaily.com
U.S. Secretary of Education Names May Ranch Elementary School 2021 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School
May Ranch has reduced its environmental impact and utility costs through installation of solar structures, removing significant amounts of turf, composting green waste and food scraps, and planting indigenous, water-wise plants
The U.S. Department of Education announced today that May Ranch Elementary School in Perris, California is among the 2021 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award honorees.
May Ranch Elementary School was nominated by The California Department of Education and exemplified achievement across the three pillars of the award. May Ranch has reduced its environmental impact and utility costs through installation of solar structures, removing significant amounts of turf, composting green waste and food scraps, and planting indigenous, water-wise plants. Students in Transitional Kindergarten through 5th Grade participate in a sustainable agriculture program leading to cross-curricular, real-life application, and hands-on learning. The school garden extends both indoors and outdoors and consists of a 2,737 square-foot outdoor garden with multiple garden beds and fruit trees as well as indoor aeroponic towers and a Nutrient Film Technique vertical farm. To support school-wide health and wellness, students maintain and grow lettuce in the aeroponic towers and vertical farm and provide the lettuce to the cafeteria salad bar.
“May Ranch is inspired by the students and community it serves and will continue to grow school-wide sustainability. Understanding the need to combat obesity and the City of Perris’ status as a food desert, we will relentlessly continue to expand our garden and sustainability education, hands-on learning opportunities, and outdoor experiences for our students,” states May Ranch Elementary Principal, Aimee Conwell.
Quote from other local officials or partners, as appropriate.
Across the country, 27 schools, three early learning centers, five districts, and five postsecondary institutions are being honored for their innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, improve health and wellness, and ensure effective sustainability education.
The honorees were named from a pool of candidates nominated by 20 states. The selectees include 24 public schools, five charter schools, one magnet school, and three nonpublic schools. Over half of the 2021 honorees are in communities where over 40 percent of the student body are eligible for free and reduced lunch.
The list of all selected schools, districts, colleges, and universities, as well as their nomination packages, can be found here. A report with highlights on the 40 honorees can be found here. More information on the federal recognition award can be found here. Resources for all schools to move toward the three Pillars can be found here.
A Note on the Award Name for Communications
ED's award is called "U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools" and has "District Sustainability Award" and "Postsecondary Sustainability Award" categories, in addition to the original school award. It is abbreviated ED-GRS. "Green Ribbon Schools" without the "U.S. Department of Education" is not ED's award, but instead is a separate program overseen by another organization. A selected school is a "2021 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School." A selected district is a "2021 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School District Sustainability Awardee." A selected postsecondary institution is a “2021 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School Postsecondary Sustainability Awardee. There is no "National," “Award,” or "Program" in the title. There is no apostrophe or hyphen after Education.
Meet The Extra-Terrestrial Aquaponics Pioneer
Former salmon farmer Dr. Carl Mazur aims to design an aquaponics system that could one day be used on Mars. In the meantime, he aims to use it to produce high-value fish and flowers on Earth
Rob Fletcher
May 8, 2021
Former salmon farmer Dr. Carl Mazur aims to design an aquaponics system that could one day be used on Mars. In the meantime, he aims to use it to produce high-value fish and flowers on Earth.
Can you tell us a bit about your aquaculture experience?
Dr. Carl Mazur, founder of Terra-Mars
My aquaculture experience is primarily with saltwater salmon production on the east and west coast of Vancouver Island, in Canada. I gained hands-on experience immediately after graduation from McGill University with a degree in marine biology. This was in the mid-1980s and the issues we had with fish loss due to bacterial kidney disease at the time lead me to pursue a master’s and then a Ph.D. at UBC, focused on the effects of rearing and environmental fish stressors on their immune systems and disease susceptibility.
The Terra-Mars project may be ambitious in the long run but it aims to start with more modest goals
Why did you decide to return to the sector and what inspired you to look into aquaponics specifically?
I returned to the sector after owning and operating a national licensing, sales, and distribution in Canada focused on providing human tissue regeneration products to dental and medical specialists across Canada for 15 years. I returned as I had always intended to do so and had gone to the biotech sector to support my family and to learn business lessons that I could then bring back to the aquaculture/aquaponics sector. My first love is “all things marine” and it’s great to be back in a sector where I feel at home.
The reason for migrating a short step from aquaculture to aquaponics is that I feel aquaponics is more holistic in that a well-conceived aquaponic system can essentially be near-closed and self-sustaining. Aquaponics systems today do need external input in the form of fish feed which then provides carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous (and other trace elements) for plant growth. The next step in closing the loop will be to produce fish feed from the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous delivered from the system in the form of human food, fish offal, and the inedible stem and root plant products.
From aquaponics to aquaponics on Mars, that sounds like quite a leap. What's the logic?
The simple premise behind developing an aquaponic system for use on Mars [as part of the Terra-Mars project] is that a system advanced enough to be on Mars will be able to grow food anywhere on Earth, with modifications. The ultimate goal is to have a system that can provide food security for any environment on Earth and thereby end the suffering that still occurs in some developing countries. Having the ambitious goal of developing a food production system for Mars should provide ample PR exposure which can then be leveraged to promote the project and help to carry it forward.
It must be noted that the initial systems will be produced on a small scale and will be developed to produce high-value fish for the ornamental aquarium fish sector and high-value plants for the fine dining and floral industries. The technologies developed for these high-valued products will later be used for larger projects which will produce higher volume, lower value products for middle class consumers. Eventually, we will transition to industrial-scale operations for low price, mass consumption products. This model is borrowed from the automotive industry, as demonstrated and proven by Tesla motors.
What species of fish are you thinking of growing in your system on Mars?
The three species of fish we’ve shortlisted to date for Mars are tilapia, barramundi and Arctic char. We’ll need to test many species under the simulated Earth environment that we’ll attempt to create in our simulated Martian environment.
Are you able to apply the skills that you gained in the conventional aquaculture sector for the project?
Yes, many of the skills gained in the conventional aquaculture sector (especially related to fish health and nutrition) can certainly be used with this project.
Who are your key collaborators and what do they bring to the project?
The key collaborator for this project is Dr. James Rakocy, known worldwide as the “father of aquaponics”. Dr. Rakocy has had a distinguished 30-year career at the University of the Virgin Islands and his UVI aquaponic system is known worldwide as the best researched and established system for growing tilapia and a variety of greens including lettuces and herbs. Dr. Rakocy is the author of the seminal book Aquaponic Q&A. His educational aquaponic systems are used in over 1,100 high schools across America for foundational teaching in the STEM areas of biology, chemistry, math, and food systems.
Other key collaborators are Garth Wardell, CEO / owner of Allsite IT, a digital intelligence firm currently dedicated to the advancement of intense data solutions for the hospitality and healthcare sectors. Garth is very keen about this project and has been a trusted advisor since 2018. Several other advisors in the areas of law, engineering, computer science, multimedia technologies, education, urban farming, and accounting are also on standby and eager to begin work on this project.
The other noteworthy collaborator is Dr. Christopher McKay, an astrobiologist at the NASA Ames research centre in California, who has offered assistance at the academic level and must sit as an unpaid advisor, as is mandated for all full-time NASA employees.
How have your plans been received to date?
The plans have been very well received to date, most notably by Elon Musk who was informed of the intentions several years ago and stated that “this will be very important down the road”. Mr Musk was presented the concept for informational uses only and was not approached for funding or resources, as he had intense funding and resource requirements at Tesla and SpaceX at the time.
How the system might one day appear
How much money are you hoping to raise for the project and what will you use this for?
The initial round of financing for this project will be for $2.6 million and will be used to:
Develop a first aquaponic system prototype.
Secure an IP patent portfolio of aquaponic patents.
Build a physical model of the Space Exploration Theme park
Develop a mixed reality (VR&AR) tour of the park
Perform an extensive feasibility study for the project.
What are the key milestones for your project?
Obtain the initial round of seed funding.
Become cash-flow positive with the acquisition of existing ancillary businesses in the fish, vegetable and floral, growth, packaging, distribution, retail, media and entertainment sectors.
Building global brand recognition for Terra-mars products and entertainment facilities.
Acquisition of real estate (primarily distressed suburban shopping malls) where the aquaponic facilities will be installed to grow the fish and plants for local distribution to populations in North America and Europe.
Series A financing round to raise $100 million in 2023 or 2024 at the latest.
What is the end goal for your project and do you think that this is feasible to achieve in your own lifetime?
The end goal for phase one of the project is to have four Space / Mars exploration theme parks – one in North America, one in Europe, one in MENA, and one in China. These will have the dual purpose of entertainment and providing research facilities for Mars colonization technologies, featuring the aquaponic food production system. Other technologies for Mars colonization will be in the fields of transportation, communications, housing, healthcare, and recreation.
If you don’t make it to Mars, where will you target using your aquaponics systems on the Earth?
If we don’t make it to Mars, the aquaponic system will first be used to produce high value fish and plants for Western markets and eventually be developed in for larger commercial operations to be used anywhere on earth.
What are the major challenges that you still need to overcome?
The major challenges which we need to overcome are to raise the initial round of financing and to become cashflow positive in the shortest time possible.
Rob Fletcher
Senior editor at The Fish Site
Rob Fletcher has been writing about aquaculture since 2007, as editor of Fish Farmer, Fish Farming Expert and The Fish Site. He has an MA in history from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in sustainable aquaculture from the University of St Andrews. He currently lives and works in Scotland.
Square Roots Expands Premium Herbs Range With Fresh And Aromatic Cilantro, Dill, And Parsley Grown In Climate Controlled Local Farms Across The Country
Indoor farming company takes the next step in bringing local, real food to cities using modular farm technology that empowers both farmers and consumers
Indoor farming company takes the next step in bringing local, real food to cities using modular farm technology that empowers both farmers and consumers
May 17, 2021 (New York, NY) — Square Roots, the technology leader in urban indoor farming, is expanding its herb range by introducing three premium fresh offerings - Cilantro, Dill, and Parsley - to complement its widely successful signature Basil. Co-founded by Kimbal Musk, Square Roots’ herbs are grown across the company’s network of cloud-connected and climate-controlled indoor farms in New York and Michigan and are now available in more than 200 retail stores - including Whole Foods Market, Fresh Thyme Market, SpartanNash, and FreshDirect.
“COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of locally grown indoor produce”, said Raji Margolin, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Square Roots. “The habits of at-home cooking and using fresh, local produce are here to stay. Now more than ever, people care about the food they eat, and where it's grown - and our goal is to make sure that fresh and local food is available to consumers year-round. These herbs are just the beginning of our product offerings and we can’t wait to expand into additional categories.”
Square Roots has a strategic partnership with Gordon Food Service (GFS), one of the country’s leading food service providers, to deploy farms across the country together and provide fresh, high-quality, local food to consumers across cities, year-round. Square Roots broke ground on its latest indoor farm in Grand Rapids, Michigan in December 2020 and began planting seeds just three months later, in March 2021. This rapid deployment capability is enabled by the company’s modular farm-tech platform.
“We’re using technology a little differently at Square Roots farms”, said Tobias https://www.igrow.news/igrownews/indoor-ag-science-cafe-may-18th, Co-Founder, and CEO at Square Roots. “Food, farmers, and consumers are all connected at the center of our system. We surround our farmers with data, tools, and insights to help them grow more, better-tasting food with fewer resources. At the same time, with features like our unique Transparency Timeline, we help our consumers understand exactly where their food comes from and who grew it.”
The expanded herb range is available in both the New York City area and the Great Lakes Region.
About Square Roots
Square Roots is the technology leader in urban indoor farming. Its mission is to bring local, fresh, real food to people in cities around the world - setting new standards for transparency and responsibility while empowering the next generation of leaders in agriculture. Founded by serial entrepreneurs, Kimbal Musk and Tobias Peggs, its range of fresh produce is available in more than 200 retail locations around the country including Whole Foods Market, Fresh Thyme Market, SpartanNash, and FreshDirect. Square Roots’ strategic partnership with Gordon Food Service reinforces a larger shared ambition to build commercial scale, climate-controlled indoor farms together across the continent - enabling local food at a global scale, year-round.
For more information, please visit www.squarerootsgrow.com.
What’s A Hydroponic Farm Start Up Cost? Know What To Expect
Is a typical hydroponic farm start-up cost very steep? Or is it something that’s affordable and easy to manage? If you are looking into starting with hydroponic farming, you may be quite eager to know the overhead and upfront cost
Is a typical hydroponic farm start-up cost very steep?
Or is it something that’s affordable and easy to manage?
If you are looking into starting with hydroponic farming, you may be quite eager to know the overhead and upfront cost.
So, get to know more about the necessary cost you should include in your budget as you read along. Here are the typical expenses to take note of when starting a hydroponic farm.
Hydroponic Farm Start Up Cost You Should Know
When determining an average hydroponic farm start up cost, you need to also take into account having a greenhouse. you can buy or even build. The size of your greenhouse impacts the overall cost of your hydroponic farm.
Moreover, the size depends on how many crops you are planning to cultivate and grow.
If you want to build a greenhouse that’s about a few thousand square feet, you can expect to pay about $11,000 USD. But this is the standard size for commercial greenhouses.
The price significantly goes down the smaller your greenhouse gets.
Read more: Is PVC Safe for Hydroponics? Behind the Safety of These Plastics
Materials and Equipment
Next up, let’s talk about the equipment you need. These include your growing tunnels, water solvent, racks, lighting, nutrient reservoirs, UV filtration, and seeds.
For these items, we are looking at a few thousand dollars in addition to the figure we have mentioned earlier for the greenhouse price.
Recurring Expenses
Setting up a hydroponic farm is not all about the upfront cost. There are also recurring bills to think about, which are basically your electric and water expenses. Expect to pay about $500 per month since your farm would need ample light and water to sustain the growth and development of your crops.
Lettuce plant growing in vegetable hydroponic farm.
Indoor Hydroponic Farm Cost
There are some people who may opt to do indoor hydroponic farming. The cost is also dependent on the size of the farm and any other materials you need.
For instance, a 500 square feet hydroponic farm should cost about $110,000, which is just for the unit and the components such as 192 towers, 15 racks, 2 lighting racks, 48 lighting units, and a 330-gallon reservoir for nutrients, complete with automated nutrient management and UV filtration.
With all of these things in place, you already have a very production hydroponic vertical farm that you can place indoors – measuring 500 square feet.
Hydroponic Systems
There are different tiers for hydroponic systems, which include the low-tech or DIY, which should cost you about $50 up to $200.
But if you opt for mid-tech, you can easily purchase these at suppliers. They come with higher-end lighting technology and even water flow control in some cases. The cost can go from $300 to as much as $1000, and it all depends on the features and size.
As for the high-tech ones, there is complete system control for higher volume production. In this case, we are talking tens of thousands of dollars upfront.
Bringing The Cost Down
Is it possible to bring down the cost of a hydroponic farm?
It is possible but this all depends on the equipment you use. If you opt to create a DIY farm, then it will be cheaper but may be risky if the systems are not working well.
Thus, you should determine your goals, your budget, and what your intentions are for setting up your hydroponic farm. You can also start small, if you are uncertain if you want to go in it full time. Or, you can choose low-tech hydroponic systems at the onset and slowly invest in higher tech systems.
The choice is all up to you, so go ahead and consider these tips, run the numbers in your head, and enjoy the world of hydroponics!
Pure Harvest Is Not Just A Vertical Farm, But A ‘Veridical’ One, Says CEO
With desert making up the vast majority of its land – and most of the rest taken up by urban development – it’s easy to see why the UAE imports as much as 90% of its food from abroad. Just 5% of the country is considered cultivable
May 7, 2021
With desert making up the vast majority of its land – and most of the rest taken up by urban development – it’s easy to see why the UAE imports as much as 90% of its food from abroad. Just 5% of the country is considered cultivable.
The story is the same across much of the arid Middle East. But with the emergence and continued improvement of technologies in areas like indoor farming, irrigation, and water desalination, the region is beginning to contemplate a future in which it no longer relies as desperately on imports from more temperate, fecund climes.
While they’re short on arable land, something that the UAE and several of its neighbors do have in abundance is the money needed to invest in these technologies – or bring them in from overseas.
Pure Harvest “grows 26 commercial varieties of tomatoes, including six that have never before been seen,” according to CEO Sky Kurtz. Image credit: Pure Harvest Smart Farms
In 2019, the government of UAE constituent Abu Dhabi committed $272 million in financing and tax incentives to the development of a local agtech ecosystem. In April last year, the emirate’s Abu Dhabi Investment Office pumped $100 million of grant funding into startups including local controlled environment agriculture (CEA) grower Pure Harvest Smart Farms, with the startups sharing in a further $41 million injection last December. Also in April 2020, nearby Kuwait invested $10 million in Pure Harvest to bring the company’s desert-customized smart farming solutions to its own shores.
In March this year, Pure Harvest announced that it had closed a $60 million growth funding round, including a $50 million sharia-compliant, structured sukuk financing led by SHUAA Capital and anchored by Franklin Templeton. Sancta Capital made a “sizable” investment in the round, the startup said at the time.
AFN recently interviewed Pure Harvest founder and CEO Sky Kurtz about the company’s funding frenzy, its plans for expansion in the Middle East and beyond, and how it has managed to grow ‘green gold’ in the desert. Read on to hear more from Kurtz.
AFN: Pure Harvest recently raised $60 million in growth funding. How will Pure Harvest use this capital?
SK: This complements our earlier $29.3 million Series A capital to fund capital expenditures that will complete three new high-tech hybrid greenhouse projects, including two in the UAE and a beachhead in Saudi Arabia. The two farms in the UAE are nearly complete and will harvest late-Q2, while the Saudi Arabian farm is to be completed by Q3 and harvesting in Q4.
[We’re also making] additions to headcount, including key functions that further our capabilities, such as data science, machine learning, agronomists with specializations in new crops such as leafy greens and berries, and other high-skilled personnel.
The funding complements sizable R&D incentives received from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office to fund and further develop pilots of new technologies, enhancements to our climate control systems, and product development of new tools, equipment, and sub-systems that will improve the efficiency of our production systems.
AFN: What makes Pure Harvest different from competing indoor farming players in the market
SK: Pure Harvest Smart Farms designs, constructs, and operates high-tech growing systems equipped with proprietary climate management technology to enable year-round production of local, affordable, premium-quality fresh fruits and vegetables in the world’s harshest climates. We are also committed to supporting public initiatives focused on improved food security, water conservation, economic diversification, and sustainability. Through constant engagement with governments, schools, and research institutions, we believe that together, we can lead the Middle East into the next generation of sustainable agriculture.
Our representative differentiators are our proprietary climate management system design and system integration. We buy what we can build what we must. This is heavily informed by data from nearly three years of continuous production and operation in the UAE’s extreme heat and humidity. This is an extreme laboratory and we have unmatched insight into how to design systems to operate here and how to actually grow in this environment.
We have an exclusive design and IP [intellectual property] partnership with Larssen Greenhouse Consulting. [Its CEO Thomas Larssen] is a world-leading design consultant to the high-tech horticulture industry with over 30 years of experience and 1,000 successful projects worldwide. We co-develop designs and solutions; however, Pure Harvest maintains the IP. Thomas Larssen also serves as a director on our board and is a significant investor in the company.
We have regionally exclusive technology licenses with certain sub-suppliers that supply equipment or solutions that we deem to be head-and-shoulders above comparable solutions providers. With these partners we enter mutually exclusive relationships for [our] markets [and collaborate on R&D] efforts to modify their solutions for extreme climates.
We leverage our incumbency [in terms of] data, knowledge, and learning curves to both inform our future designs and procurements, but also to train agronomists. We can deploy them into existing assets within the extreme environment to train them before inserting them into new farms, benefiting from our institutional know-how and de-risking new projects and new market entry.
AFN: What differentiates Pure Harvest from a tech perspective?
SK: The technologies being utilized in Pure Harvest’s growing systems differ from existing systems used by growers in the Gulf region and abroad. Pure Harvest’s solution features an overpressure climate control system that not only serves to maintain the most optimal growing conditions but also helps to keep insects and diseases from breaching the growing area.
As pressurized air escapes from the rooftop vents [it] resists entry from particles and insects. This is a first-of-its-kind in the Gulf region but indeed exists in other parts of the world.
We also recapture condensation water created by our system to ‘create’ water, reducing our reliance upon groundwater and municipal water.
To maximize yields, carbon dioxide dosing is injected into the greenhouse which stimulates the photosynthesis process. Advanced hydroponic irrigation systems recirculate 100% of excess water, while sensors and advanced data analytics provide climate management. Many of these solutions are used in the Netherlands or the US, but are truly novel for the markets that we serve.
AFN: Are Pure Harvest products already available on general sale to the consumer? At what price point?
SK: Pure Harvest products are found in some of the most respected and far-reaching retailers in the Middle East — such as Spinneys, Waitrose, and Carrefour — as well as numerous reputable hotels and restaurants in the UAE. The company currently grows 26 commercial varieties of tomatoes — including six that have never before been seen — and six varieties of strawberries. Leafy greens, baby spinach, and much larger production of strawberries are coming by mid-year.
By early next year, upon completion of the company’s Kuwaiti facility, the product portfolio will broaden even further, including raspberries, blackberries, additional vine crops, and additional lettuces.
Pure Harvest’s products are typically at 20% to 40% lower cost versus comparable quality European imports, but a modest premium to lower cost, lower quality, seasonal regional production. We’ve created a new ‘premium local’ category that did not exist in our markets previously.
AFN: Can you explain what a structured sukuk financing is and why it was necessary in this instance?
Sukuks are a novel financial product whose terms and structures comply with Islamic [sharia] law, with the intention of creating risks and returns similar to those of conventional fixed-income instruments like loans or bonds.
Unlike a conventional bond, which represents the ‘debt’ obligation of the issuer, a sukuk technically represents an interest in an underlying funding arrangement structured according to sharia law, entitling the holder to a proportionate share of the returns generated by such arrangement and, at a defined future date, the return of the capital. It’s more like a sale-leaseback transaction, resulting in ‘profits’ being generated from leasing the property, plant, and equipment as opposed to ‘interest’ on capital, which is not permitted in Islam.
For a corporation tapping the sukuk market, there is a potential marketing benefit for issuers active in Islamic markets, if they are seeking investments in those markets. The investor base represented by sharia-compliant investors is still largely untapped and there has traditionally been significant unmet demand for products.
AFN: What is the biggest challenge that Pure Harvest has faced so far – and how has the team overcome that challenge?
The early challenge was securing capital – to convince investors to believe this was possible in unprecedented markets due to the extreme climate + deploying ‘unproven’ assets in an emerging market.
We have now raised approximately $45 million from the US, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East over the past four years. To do so has taken significant time, energy, and conviction in our vision. The GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] region is a relatively new venture market with a limited number of venture investors, with smaller ticket sizes. We are pioneering agtech in an asset-intensive sector within an emerging market – it’s very, very hard being first. Now that we have proven our solution and our product-market fit, we are able to tap more established institutional investors and capital markets. Early on, however, there were no successful reference cases or analogs to point to. We entered truly uncharted territory.
Now, we are that analog, which new competitors are pointing to when pitching to investors [as to why they] should trust them to enter the GCC markets.
I cannot underscore just how hard it has been to be first. Even with consumers, convincing them that a premium local offering could be better than European imports – it was previously thought impossible, and ‘local’ was looked down on rather than celebrated.
[Operationally] the most difficult issues to overcome in the region are related to heat and humidity during the long summer months, to be able to deliver European product standards to customers. Developing and integrating world-leading horticulture technology has helped us to overcome the challenges presented by the extreme climate.
AFN: Pure Harvest appears to have raised quite a substantial amount of funding to date. What is the total funding figure and how is it all being deployed? Is building indoor farms in the UAE and Saudi Arabia more capital intensive than, say, Europe or the US?
Total funding commitments secured exceeds $216 million, including a performance-contingent $100 million commitment from our Series A lead investor, Wafra International Investment Company. This also includes the sizeable, non-dilutive incentive package received from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, the exact value of which we can’t disclose.
Our core use of proceeds is indeed capex. Building these high-tech, ultra-high productivity farms is expensive – but it works [because] we have tremendous amounts of sunlight. We are able to harness that light to deliver world-leading yields, which helps absorb that capital and results in a favorable — often much more favorable — unit cost of production versus similar high-tech growing systems in the US, Europe, and Australia, for instance.
We call our solution ‘veridical’ farming rather than ‘vertical’ farming – ‘veridical’ meaning ‘truthful,’ or ‘realistic.’ We actually meet our claims to investors and to our customers, achieving about 10x to 15x the yield per square meter versus incumbent lower-tech CEA solutions while using a seventh to a tenth of the water.
AFN: What’s next for Pure Harvest?
We aim to be a regional leader in agribusiness in five years and to have expanded into at least two to three foreign markets, including within Southeast Asia. We will have advanced our solution to be 20% to 40% cheaper to build, build it in half the time, and deliver 20% to 40% greater output per unit of ‘light — that is, solar energy — that we can harvest. We will standardize our integrations with renewable infrastructure for our power and CO2 requirements, while utilizing treated wastewater in our cooling systems to reduce our environmental impact, and thus that of our customers when they buy our products.
The future of sustainable farming is here. We wish to serve the underserved billions who live within an eight-hour flight of Abu Dhabi and within 2,000 miles of the Equator, who have historically relied upon imports from other markets. Delivering to these nations is a true and tangible food security solution, and contributes to water conservation, economic diversification, and more sustainable, high-quality, safer, and tastier food.
Lead Photo: Pure Harvest founder and CEO Sky Kurtz. Image credit: Pure Harvest Smart Farms
Comment? News tip? Story idea? Email me at jack@agfunder.com or find me on LinkedIn and Twitter
Polygreens Podcast Episode 25 Julie Gilbert-Vijverberg
G&V Greenhouse Solutions has been meeting customer needs all over the world for 16 years. We are focused on providing greenhouse structures, greenhouse construction greenhouse project supervision, and all greenhouse installation services. We are proud of our knowledge and experience thru our Dutch heritage and American business style. We employ highly qualified supervisors who have experience building/installing every style of greenhouse to ensure we can bring you the quality and solutions your company deserves. We work with reputable companies in the United States & Holland to bring you the supplies you need when you need them. We listen to your needs as every greenhouse is different and know your solutions are needed quickly.
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CANADA: ‘Made In Quebec’ Strawberries Offer Hope For Food Autonomy
The pandemic, with its broken supply lines and closed borders, has been a worrying reminder of Quebec’s dependence on imported food. Roughly 75% of its fresh fruits and vegetables, in fact, come from elsewhere
10-05-2021 | Msn News
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
CANADA- The pandemic, with its broken supply lines and closed borders, has been a worrying reminder of Quebec’s dependence on imported food. Roughly 75% of its fresh fruits and vegetables, in fact, come from elsewhere.
Inside a windowless metal cube in a building on the outskirts of the province’s largest city, Montreal, Yves Daoust is trying to make a dent in those numbers.
The cube houses some 3,800 strawberry plants arranged in vertical gardens, pollinated by bumble bees, and brushed by morning dew. The carefully controlled environment is tracked by sensors and attempts to mimic ideal summer conditions year-round in a city where the average outdoor temperature in January is 13.6 degrees Fahrenheit (-10.2 degrees Celsius) and the winter cold doesn’t let up until May.
When Daoust’s company, Ferme d’hiver -- the name is French for “winter farm” -- started selling batches at C$5.99 ($4.80) a pack at nearby supermarkets in December, the pesticide-free berries were snatched by customers accustomed to Mexican or U.S. produce that often costs a bit less. Now it’s signing up farmers to install the technology and make Quebec winter strawberries viable, helped by C$1.5 million in financing from the government.
Quebec’s history -- it harbors a strong nationalist movement -- has long reinforced a preference for homegrown businesses, but after the pandemic disrupted labor migration and prompted some countries to restrict exports, local sourcing became an urgent matter for the government.
“The pandemic made Quebeckers a lot more sensitive to the importance of supporting local companies,” Agriculture Minister Andre Lamontagne said in an interview. “Every time we increase consumption of Quebec food products by a notch, it has considerable effects on the Quebec economy.”
The government earmarked C$157 million in November to boost food autonomy. In addition, its investment arm, Investissement Quebec, supports individual projects like Ferme d’hiver’s. Two recent projects it financed were greenhouse expansions that together received C$60 million.
The initiative aligns with themes dear to Premier Francois Legault, who was elected in 2018 on a nationalist platform. Quebec, a majority French-speaking province, is protective of its culture and businesses and considers any goods that come from outside Quebec, even from other Canadian provinces, to be “imported.”
Fruits and vegetables aren’t the only problem. Only about half of the all wholesale food purchased by grocers and hospitality companies is grown or transformed locally. To improve that ratio, Quebec is banking on greenhouse production, which it wants to double over five years with C$112 million in aid programs.
Another weapon is state-owned Hydro-Quebec’s cheap and abundant electricity, a key incentive for an industry that requires large amounts of artificial lighting during dark winter days.
© Bloomberg A Strawberry Harvest At Ferme D'Hiver Vertical Farm. The grow room at the Ferme d’hiver.
Photographer: Christinne Muschi/Bloomberg it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
In Compton, a town two hours east of Montreal, organic vegetable farmer Frederic Jobin-Lawler is modernizing his 36,000 square feet of greenhouse space with a geothermal heating system, a dehumidifying unit and artificial lighting. After subsidies and other aid, he’ll pay only about 40% of the upgrade costs.
Success or failure of the food autonomy effort will depend on whether small farms like Jobin-Lawler’s can overcome grocers’ general preference for large suppliers or whether they can get institutions like hospitals to buy their produce, he said.
“If we produce more in winter, will our local markets be able to take it in?” he said. “We don’t want to do this to export, we want to do this to sell locally.”
In theory, the province produces enough to supply two-thirds of its fresh and transformed greens, but consumption and production don’t match up perfectly. Quebec grows enough cabbage to cover twice over what it eats, so it exports some. But it meets only 17% of its population’s demand for spinach and 44% for strawberries.
Climate and seasonality have a lot to do with it. As a country, Canada imports the most vegetables and fruits between March and June, followed by the December to February months.
Daoust, the founder of Ferme d’hiver, said he offers a tastier substitute. “It’s not that imported products aren’t good originally, but they are treated to be transported for days,” said Daoust, an engineer by training who grew up on a farm but spent most of his career in the tech industry.
Imported Workers
Not everyone in Quebec is persuaded by the government’s push. Patrick Mundler, a professor at Laval University in Quebec City, says a rush to produce more fruits and vegetables risks increasing demand for other imports, chiefly farm labor.
“The massive production model is totally dependent on labor,” said Mundler, who published a paper on food autonomy last year. “Workers come from Mexico, Guatemala -- I have a hard time accepting we use our electricity to produce cucumbers in heated tunnels rather than buy them from Mexico or Guatemala directly, where they grew in the sun.”
If small farmers manage to get their goods onto grocery shelves where a few giant producers dominate, a big question remains whether consumers will get into the habit of buying local.
“The consumer has the last word,” said Catherine Brodeur, a vice president of economic studies at Groupe Ageco, a consultancy in Quebec City. “The share of consumers who want to buy locally and are ready to pay more grows over time. But a lot of consumers buy the product that’s 5 cents cheaper.”
Photo © Bloomberg A Strawberry Harvest At Ferme D'Hiver Vertical Farm
Strawberries are harvested at the Ferme d’hiver.
Photographer: Christinne Muschi/Bloomberg
Purdue Student Farm Offers Vegetable Season Pass
"The Boilermaker Vegetable Season Pass directly supports the student farm's foundation: to teach students about small-scale agriculture, from growing it to selling it,” said Grace Moore, president of the Purdue Student Farm Club
May 13, 2021
Boilermaker Season Pass provides community participants with fresh vegetables. (iStock photo)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue University Student Farm will provide fresh locally grown vegetables to community members for a second year.
The Boilermaker Vegetable Season Pass will provide Purdue and West Lafayette subscribers with Purdue student-grown vegetables each week from July to November. The 22-week program will include whatever is freshly grown and picked that week.
The Purdue Student Farm started the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in 2020 to support the local community and in response to the closure of the student dining halls, its primary customers. According to Steve Hallett, professor of horticulture and co-director of the student farm, the farm’s students have always wanted to learn about direct sales in local agriculture by selling to the local community.
The Boilermaker Vegetable Season Pass provides an educational experience for students and fresh vegetables to the community. The farm’s goal for the 2021 season is to enlist 50 subscribers for the 22-week program.
"The Boilermaker Vegetable Season Pass directly supports the student farm's foundation: to teach students about small-scale agriculture, from growing it to selling it,” said Grace Moore, president of the Purdue Student Farm Club. “Not only does this program sell fresh, local vegetables to the community, but it also expands the possibilities for students like myself in the Purdue Student Farm Organization to get hands-on experience with local food systems. The support we've seen from the community already is so encouraging to us, and we're very excited to roll out this program."
Petrus Langenhoven is a horticulture and hydroponics crop specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and the farm’s co-director.
"Student education is the heartbeat of the farm, and the pandemic has brought a lot of things into perspective for all of us,” he said. “We realized once again how important it is to have locally grown fresh produce when supply chains are broken and that teaching the next generation of growers and horticulturalists is one vital aspect of sustainability. Students, staff, and faculty are working hard to increase our community's resilience. The Purdue Student Farm is grateful to be an integral part of this.”
Hallett said, “We hope to establish new relationships with our local community as a trusted supplier of healthy, safe, and nutritious food. It’s exciting to be reconnecting after this last year; meeting people as they pick up their fresh food and knowing that our programs are reaching the local area. I am very proud of our students and their farm. It’s a very exciting time.”
Julie Huettman, Purdue Extension coordinator, was one of the first subscribers for the 2020 CSA program.
“The Boilermaker Vegetable Season Pass was a great experience,” she said. “Easy to order online, convenient pickup and produce already selected and put in a bag. The variety of produce helped motivate me to try out new recipes. I’m looking forward to subscribing again this year.”
The student team has already received over half of the subscribers for the 2021 season! People can sign up before the end of May for a 20% discount. More information is available online.
Writer: Nyssa Lilovich, 765-494-7077, nclilovi@purdue.edu
Sources: Steve Hallett, halletts@purdue.edu
Chris Adair, ctadair@purdue.edu
Petrus Langenhoven, plangenh@purdue.edu
Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;
Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu
Growing Lettuce Under Transparent Solar Cells
A team of researchers at North Carolina State University has shown that using semi-transparent organic solar cells (OSCs) can help greenhouse growers generate electricity and reduce energy use while still cultivating viable crops of lettuce
A team of researchers at North Carolina State University has shown that using semi-transparent organic solar cells (OSCs) can help greenhouse growers generate electricity and reduce energy use while still cultivating viable crops of lettuce.
The research found that red lettuce can be grown in greenhouses with OSCs that filter out the wavelengths of light used to generate solar power. The researchers grew crops of red leaf lettuce in greenhouse chambers from seed to full maturity under constant conditions, apart from the lighting regime.
A control group of lettuces was exposed to the full spectrum of white light, while the rest were dived into three experimental groups. Each of those groups was exposed to light through different types of filters that absorbed wavelengths of light equivalent to what different types of semi-transparent solar cells would absorb.
To determine the effect of removing various wavelengths of light, the researchers assessed a host of plant characteristics, such as leaf number, leaf size, and lettuces weight, as well as how much CO2 the plants absorbed and the levels of various antioxidants. “Not only did we find no meaningful difference between the control group and the experimental groups, but we also didn’t find any significant difference between the different filters,” said study co-author Brendan O’Connor.
“We were a little surprised – there was no real reduction in plant growth or health,” added Heike Sederoff, co-author of the study and professor of plant biology. “It means the idea of integrating transparent solar cells into greenhouses can be done.”
Lead photo caption: The study suggests transparent solar panels will not affect lettuce crop growth
Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, FreshDirect Step Up Distribution From AeroFarms
Newark, N.J.-based AeroFarms said Thursday that it plans to double its product offering at Whole Foods and, for Amazon Fresh, has expanded from one to five distribution centers, increasing availability throughout the New York metropolitan area
Indoor Vertical Farmer Pilots Leafy
Green Offerings With Walmart in Mid-Atlantic
May 13, 2021
AeroFarms grows all of its leafy greens in New Jersey at one of its commercial indoor vertical farms.
Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh, and FreshDirect will be receiving a bigger distribution of leafy greens from indoor vertical farmer AeroFarms, which also has introduced its products at Walmart.
Newark, N.J.-based AeroFarms said Thursday that it plans to double its product offering at Whole Foods and, for Amazon Fresh, has expanded from one to five distribution centers, increasing availability throughout the New York metropolitan area. Both Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh are part of Amazon.com Inc.
Related: Albertsons adds Bowery vertically farmed produce
AeroFarms said its leafy green products are ready-to-eat and don’t require washing.
Related: Kroger brings 80 Acres Farms vertically farmed produce to more stores
Meanwhile, AeroFarms greens have become available for same-day delivery through online grocer FreshDirect’s Express service, following an expansion from one to three distribution centers. And in the Mid-Atlantic region, AeroFarms said it’s piloting its products at selected Walmart stores in Virginia. The Walmart distribution comes after AeroFarm’s ground-breaking last month for a 136,000-square-foot vertical farm in Danville, Va., which the company said will be the world’s largest indoor aeroponic indoor vertical farm when it goes into operation in mid-2022.
In addition, AeroFarms said it has teamed up with Bronx, N.Y.-based fresh produce specialty foods wholesaler Baldor Specialty Foods on retail and foodservice distribution in the Northeast. The vertical farmer also partners with ShopRite in the region.
“Our company is committed to our long-term retail partners, and we are excited to expand our distribution and penetration with them,” David Rosenberg, co-founder and CEO of AeroFarms, said in a statement. “Our leafy greens are consistently praised for their quality, texture and flavor, and our customers connect with our brand because of our authentic and transparent approach to sustainable farming. We’re looking forward to giving our customers more choice and flavor options as we continue to scale the business and broaden our reach.”
A a Certified B Corporation, AeroFarms grows its leafy greens using proprietary aeroponics and indoor vertical-farming technology. The company said its model yields annual productivity up to 390 times greater than traditional field farming and uses up to 95% less water and zero pesticides, in turn providing optimal quality, color, nutrition, texture and taste for its produce.
AeroFarms noted that all of its leafy greens are grown indoors in New Jersey at one of its commercial indoor vertical farms, which are certified for USDA Good Agricultural Practices, SQF Level 2 Good Manufacturing Practices, Non-GMO Project Verification and OU Kosher. The company said its 10 leafy green products — including micro arugula, broccoli, kale, rainbow mix, spicy mix, and super mix plus baby arugula, bok choy, kale and watercress — are ready-to-eat and don’t require washing, providing more safety and convenience to customers. Earlier this month, the vertical farmer announced a rebranding of its Dream Greens retail brand to the AeroFarms label.
Several large U.S. grocery retailers have announced expanded vertically farmed produce offerings at stores this year, including Albertsons Cos. with Bowery Farming in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; The Kroger Co. with 80 Acres Farms in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky; and Giant Eagle with Fifth Season in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
TAGS: SUSTAINABILITY
California Grower Groups Respond To California’s Emergency Drought Proclamation
By TOM KARST
May 11, 2021
California grower groups applauded the state’s May 10 expansion of emergency drought measures but urged caution in their implementation.
“Governor Newsom took a measured step in the right direction, but caution is needed in implementation of this proclamation,” Dave Puglia, Western Growers President, and CEO, said in a statement.
State action
On May 10, California Governor Gavin Newsom significantly expanded his April 21 drought emergency proclamation to include Klamath River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Tulare Lake Watershed counties. In total, 41 counties are now under a drought state of emergency, representing 30% of the state’s population.
Newsom also proposed a $5.1 billion package of immediate drought response and long-term water resilience investments to address immediate, emergency needs, build regional capacity to endure drought and safeguard water supplies for communities, the economy, and the environment, according to the governor’s office.
Reaction
Puglia said the declaration provides regulatory flexibility for water transfers to mitigate water shortages, and parallel executive action allocates $200 million to repair some damaged sections of key water delivery systems.
“However, the emergency authority granted to the State Water Board to curtail water deliveries should give all water users pause,” Puglia said in the statement. “Water curtailments disproportionately impact rural and disadvantaged communities. During the last drought from 2014-2016, regulatory restrictions on water deliveries resulted in the fallowing of half a million acres of productive San Joaquin Valley farmland and cost farms nearly $4 billion in economic activity. With many South-of-Delta farmers slated to receive between zero and five percent of their water allocations, 2021 is shaping up to be another catastrophic year for rural farming communities in the Valley.”
Puglia urged state water officials to lead with voluntary transfers and curtailments, which he said would give public and private water agencies the space they need to maximize limited water supplies and achieve a balance between the environmental and economic needs of the state.
“Beyond the immediate crisis, state agencies must help mitigate the impacts of changing hydrology by removing the red tape that has long prevented meaningful investments in water storage infrastructure,” he said in the statement.
California’s agricultural and rural communities can’t continue to survive without a reliable water resource, Ian LeMay, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association, said in a statement. “While drought is not an unfamiliar foe to Californians, it should be
acknowledged that this will be the first drought in the era of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), with the circumstances intensified and the solutions more complex,” LeMay said in the statement. “It is the hope of the Association that today’s announcement is a step to address California’s short and long-term water resiliency.”
The governor’s approach is a “positive step,” Federico Barajas, executive director of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, said in a statement.
“The historic drought conditions have negatively impacted nearly 1.2 million acres of farmland, over 2 million people, many of whom live in economically disadvantaged communities, and 200,000 acres of critical habitat and managed wetlands are reliant on the water provided by members of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority.”
“Years like this only reinforce the need for improved water conveyance and increased water storage – so that water can be moved in the years when it’s available and stored for those years when nature fails to provide adequate water for all of California’s needs,” Barajas said in the statement.
The realities of a changing climate mean California must prepare for longer, hotter droughts that can only be effectively mitigated through collaborative approaches that “focuses equally on our state’s economic and environmental sustainability,” Tom Birmingham, Westlands Water District general manager said in a statement.
“We applaud Governor Newsom’s action to mitigate the impacts of a second year of drought in the Central Valley, which has already manifested itself in fallowed fields and lost jobs due to lack of water,” Birmingham said in the statement. “In particular, his move to streamline water transfers and provide $200 million in funding for critical water infrastructure repairs as outlined in Senator Hurtado’s Senate Bill 559 will both help local communities manage drought impacts in the short term and improve drought resiliency by maximizing the beneficial use of every drop of water in the long term. “
Lead photo: (File image)
USA: INDIANA - CASS Housing Is Growing, In More Ways Than One
A local organization keeps growing, in more ways than one. CASS Housing is adding CASS Gardens, an opportunity for residents to grow produce and create jobs
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – A local organization keeps growing, in more ways than one. CASS Housing is adding CASS Gardens, an opportunity for residents to grow produce and create jobs.
The mission of CASS Housing is to create and maintain customizable, affordable, sustainable, and safe living arrangements for individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities that promote independent living skills.
These residents will now have the opportunity to work in shipping containers transformed into a garden. Each container will grow 2.5 acres of leafy greens and herbs. The idea was grown from a parent of a future resident and the partnership with Freight Farms was developed. The containers can grow produce year-round and only use 5 gallons of water a day, saving 95% over traditional farming. The LED technology grows the plants on panels inside the containers.
Currently, CASS Housing has two containers and has plans to add 15 in the future. Each container will supply two part-time jobs that residents with CASS Housing are able to walk to.
Planting begins Thursday. The produce will be harvested, processed and sold or distributed to customers individually or through wholesale.
“We believe that this employment program could change the national discussion for people with disabilities, starting here in Fort Wayne,” Executive Director David Buuck says.
This is the second Freight Farm in the state of Indiana.
To find out more or to donate, visit casshousing.org.
Polygreens Podcast Episode: 26 Gene Giacomelli
Gene Giacomelli is a Professor in Biosystems Engineering for interdisciplinary education, research, and outreach program for greenhouse and other advanced technology systems. He received a Ph.D. in Horticultural Engineering from Rutgers University in 1983
Gene Giacomelli is a Professor in Biosystems Engineering for interdisciplinary education, research, and outreach program for greenhouse and other advanced technology systems. He received a Ph.D. in Horticultural Engineering from Rutgers University in 1983. He also has a Master's degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of California-Davis and two bachelor's degrees in Horticultural Science and Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Rutgers University.
Here at the University of Arizona, he teaches Controlled Environment Systems which is an introduction to the technical aspects of greenhouse design, environmental control, nutrient delivery systems, hydroponic crop production, intensive field production systems, and post-harvest handling and storage of crops. His research interests include controlled environment plant production systems [greenhouse and growth chamber] research, design, development, and applications, with emphases on: crop production systems, nutrient delivery systems, environmental control, mechanization, and labor productivity.