Leading European Vertical Farming Company Retains Strategic Advisor to Explore Strategic Options

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Contain Inc

May 19, 2021

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Urban Crop Solutions Tech

Vertical farm & contract research co Urban Crop Solutions has retained Contain to explore strategic options to elevate its status as a tech leader in indoor ag.

We have long realised that we would need to decide between remaining independent and joining a larger organization to scale...this is the optimal time to make this move.”— Frederic Bulcaen, Chairman and founder of UCS

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Urban Crop Solutions Container Farm

RENO, NV, UNITED STATES, May 19, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Award-winning Belgian vertical farming and contract research company, Urban Crop Solutions (“UCS”) has retained Contain, Inc., to explore strategic options to elevate its status as a leading European technology player in the fast-emerging global indoor farming space.

“We are delighted to have been awarded this mandate by UCS”, says Nicola Kerslake, founder of Contain. “It is a mark of the UCS management’s professionalism and dedication that they are open to exploring options from merger or acquisition to adding strategic investors to take this industry-leading firm to the next level.”

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Urban Crop Solutions Grow System

UCS’ clients range from global billion-dollar companies to research institutions and start-ups across multiple industries in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. The growth of the business is attributed to a strong management and scientific team who have created best-in-class products and services made possible by application expertise and trade secrets. UCS expects to more than triple its revenues and reach breakeven profitability this year.

UCS offers two key solution and product channels:
-Plant biotechnology research: capabilities to simulate any growth environment and create growth recipe applications to address business and market opportunities in all crop verticals for use across numerous industries. UCS has developed innovative research applications such as growth performance of wheat, tobacco and cotton plants in controlled environments, growth recipe for green roof succulent plants on substrates and use of residual flows from waste to grow food.

-Vertical farming technology: indoor growing installations of hydroponic modules with growing surface areas ranging from 70 to over 5,000 square meters with an end-to-end customer support model. UCS has 4 different classes of product size that can be customized to meet the size or configuration requirements of any customer.

Maarten Vandecruys, founder and CTO of UCS, comments, “Now that we have our solutions and services in place, it is important that we pursue the best strategic options for the future of our organisation and team.”

“As a Board, we have long realised that we would need to decide between remaining independent and joining a larger organization to scale. There is such great momentum in indoor farming that this is the optimal time to make this move”, explains Frederic Bulcaen, Chairman and founder of UCS.

Contain Contact info:
Marilyn Jentzen
marilyn@contain.ag
+1.404.353.3754

About Urban Crop Solutions
Urban Crop Solutions BV is a privately held Belgian company founded in 2014. It offers end-to-end solutions for indoor hydroponic vertical farming via full-service customized and scalable solutions to multi-industry customers in two key product and service areas. Plant research products and services help customers select the right plant varieties or create new growth recipes for specific client needs or market opportunities. Indoor plant growing solutions and services range from concept design through business planning, manufacturing, installation, training, and after-sales servicing and support.
https://urbancropsolutions.com

About Contain, Inc.
Contain Inc is a US-based fintech platform dedicated to indoor agriculture, growing crops in warehouses, greenhouses and container farms. The Company serves the controlled environment agriculture industry in several capacities; it works with leading equipment vendors and with a wide pool of lenders to aid indoor growers in finding funding for their farms. It is also home to microlearning platform Rooted Global, which works with majors such as Danone and Dole to enable employees to grow a little of their own food at home. Most recently, the Company launched a used equipment trading platform, Equipped, to take the drama out of buying and selling used indoor farming equipment. The Company graduated from the 2019 Techstars Farm to Fork program, backed by Cargill and Ecolab.
https://contain.ag

Marilyn Jentzen
Contain Inc
marilyn@contain.ag
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'Acute' Pallet Shortages Putting Fresh Produce Supply At Risk

A Pallet Shortage Is Affecting

The Produce Industry In Many Ways

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By AMY SOWDER

May 19, 2021

Severe pallet shortages are inflicting a widespread effect on the produce industry — including the availability of produce to consumers.

The shortages are "acute," according to United Fresh Produce Association’s letter to the industry in a news release.

The association detailed a multitude of issues that are impacting pallet availability, including:

• Efforts of wholesalers, distributors and retailers to ensure sufficient inventory of non-perishables given previous pandemic-related impacts;

• Availability of lumber to repair and build new pallets;

• The escalating price of lumber when it is available;

• Nonperishable inventory dwell time increase; and

• Lack of available trucks to relocate pallets.

“The lack of pallets is adding stress to a supply chain that is already facing significant challenges, which include a lack of available trucks and shipping containers, ongoing labor challenges, fluctuating fuel costs, pandemic-related challenges, and a pending shortage of resin used to make reusable containers and pallets,” according to the release. “At this time, expectations are that the pallet shortage will continue for months, perhaps for the balance of 2021 – all at a time when many North American produce items are just beginning seasonal harvests and shipments.”

Listen to United Fresh’s John Hollay discuss this pallet issue with retail and Produce Market Guide editor Ashley Nickle in our Tip of the Iceberg podcast episode.

The issue has a wide and deep scope of negative impacts, according to United Fresh:

• The shortage of lumber and wood products has increased the cost of raw lumber 200% to 350% and is making the cost of wood pallets increase incrementally;

• In one example, in the past few weeks, pallet costs have increased more than 400%, if the pallets are even available, and often they are not;

• One farmer was told by one pallet supplier that they are not taking any new customers due to an inability to fill even existing customer demand;

• Companies are forced to bring pallets from other jurisdictions, thereby incurring border and transportation costs; and

• Pallets are being held in-house due to delayed and canceled orders from pallet services, leading to higher storage charges and increased congestion within operations.

Company leaders along the supply chain need to collaborate to balance organizational goals relative to overall availability of goods with availability of food.

“If there is not a concerted effort across the supply chain to ensure pallet availability for shipment of produce, there is little doubt that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for the grower-shipper community to meet buyer, and ultimately consumer, demand for produce,” according to United Fresh. 

Also, growers and shippers are trying to comply with pallet requirement specifications, but this is even more challenging.

United Fresh’s stance is that temporary modifications or exceptions to pallet requirements — as long as those exceptions don’t jeopardize safety — would help greatly until this pallet shortage is resolved.

All partners in the supply chain should have regular conversations with their pallet suppliers to understand the situation and pallet inventories and availability, according to the release.

“We welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with all parties within the supply chain to mitigate the impacts of the current shortages and will reach out to stakeholders to identify a path forward that provides solutions to this increasingly disruptive threat and enables the continued flow of goods,” according to United Fresh.

Learn more details with this interview.

Lead Photo courtesy Michael Gaida/Pixabay

Hydroponic Farming: Need of The Hour During Pandemic And Its Growing Trend In India

May 19, 2021

According to the World Economic Forum, the global population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, making the requirement of food 60 percent higher than it is today.

Agriculture in India has always been governed by variables - weather, quality of soil and seed, availability of water, skilled labour, etc.

By Shivendra Singh,

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has made everyone housebound. Right after the announcement of the lockdown, people rushed to grocery stores to stock up shelf-stable items like packed, frozen food and other essentials. That’s when many Indians realised the need for nutrition, health outcomes of food and how vulnerably it is dependent on supply chain and climate change.

On the other hand, scientists are stressing over the past decades that human actions are pushing life towards disaster. The steep surge in the demand for food production, transportation and processing are putting enormous pressure on the planet. According to the World Economic Forum, the global population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, making the requirement of food 60 percent higher than it is today. The report also suggests that there will be a shortage of arable land to meet this burgeoning demand for food production.

The anticipated scenario of food requirement and shortages spurred many Indians to consider planting vegetables in their backyard or rooftop. This has enabled people to invest in high tech urban farming systems and produce fresh vegetables more efficiently.

The Revolution of Hydroponic Farming

Agriculture in India has always been governed by variables – weather, quality of soil and seed, availability of water, skilled labour, etc. Additionally, the increase in food production in India has always been at the expense of the water supply. As per the estimates, around 70 percent of the world’s freshwater is used for agriculture, on the other hand, the 70percent of water contamination also comes from agriculture. With the integration of technology in agriculture, it has become easier to grow food in cities through urban farming or high-tech hydroponic farms. This is becoming key to improving nutrition and dealing with the disruptions in the food supply chain.

Hydroponic has been around for decades but with the efforts of new-age agritech startups, it is evolving into innovative urban farming methods. Hydroponic farming which simply means growing fresh vegetables and fruits in nutrient-rich water instead of soil requires less space and resources. Based on modernised techniques, soil-less farming results in higher productivity in a controlled climate and with no risk of the attack of the pests and insects. Agritech startups in the market are providing every possible support for hydroponic farming set-up. For the first time in India, few agritech startups are providing Buy Back option for hydroponic produce as well as Bank Guarantee. It will further boost the hydroponic farming technique in the country.

Given the present ‘stay at home’ scenario, hydroponic farming is gradually becoming a household trend in India. The hydroponic systems are designed in a way that provide healthier, fresh and more nutritious produce with longer shelf life. The technology helps in saving valuable water, land and labour resources that further creates an efficient ecosystem. Moreover, the controlled growing system enables the production of food with no use of harmful chemicals resulting in 100 percent residue-free farming.

Immunity has become the new buzzword

The pandemic had made it necessary to understand the importance of adequate nutrition to maximize their health, boost immunity and reduce the risk and impact of the virus. Having a strong and resilient immune system is the need of the hour. Thus, the devastating aftermath of the pandemic should be a catalyst to expand our taste, knowledge and awareness and contribute to building a more efficient and sustainable food system.

Usually, human beings underestimate the power of good choices and individual behavioural change in creating a healthier food system. Adopting a hydroponic farming system helps align the food habits with the wellbeing of the planet and helps people turn from being ‘junk foodies’ to genuine chemical-free food lovers. As a result, it helps consumers become more concerned about the environment and reshape their eating habits to reduce the vulnerability of the disease.

Bottomline

Hydroponic farming is thriving in India. One of the major factors driving its growth is also the technology curve that diminishes costs and helps in scaling its operations. Further, integration of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics measure important indicators that help in food/crop planning and hence help connect in the food security ecosystem. Besides the technological factors, the need for creating a smarter and green market in highly populous nations also creates space for hydroponic farming (rooftop or vertical farming) to grow as a trend.

(The author is Founder, Barton Breeze, India’s Fastest Growing Commercial Hydroponic Farm Specialist. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)

Upward Farms Launches First Organic Vertical Farm In The US Northeast

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MAY 19, 202

BY DAVID EDWARDS

Upward Farms, An Aquaponics Vertical FarmingCompany,

Has Opened Its New Headquarters

In Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York

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The innovative new facility – which is Upward Farms’ first – utilizes the company’s next-generation technology in both commercial production and research and development.

The operation, powered by breakthrough end-to-end automation, is USDA Certified Organic, making Upward Farms the first and only Certified Organic vertical farm in the Northeast region.

It includes a fishery that is Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch “Best Choice” rated, and it sustainably farms mercury-free, antibiotic-free and hormone-free striped bass.

Upward Farms’ ready-to-eat microgreen mixes are currently available in all Brooklyn Whole Foods Market locations and are expected to be available in all New York City Whole Foods Market locations in the coming months.

Jason Green, Upward Farms CEO and co-founder says: “Upward Farms’ new facility successfully scales our vertical farming model. Controlled environments and ecological farming are not at odds, but are powerful compliments for the next generation of farming.

“We’re delivering higher yields, disease resistance, safety, and sustainability in a platform that can be deployed anywhere in the world, regardless of climate.

“The pandemic underscores the importance of shoring up supply chains to be more local for transparency, safety, and efficiency. Localized produce is especially important from a food safety standpoint.

“As vertical farms scale, we can create a supply chain that’s fundamentally more resilient than shipping produce around the country, if not around the world.”

As consumers continue to gravitate toward fresh, organic produce and purchase more groceries online, Upward Farms offers consistent product availability, quality, and scalability for locally grown greens.

According to the Organic Produce Network, US organic produce sales rose by 14 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, outpacing growth in conventional produce and highlighting the increased demand in a post-Covid world for organic fresh produce.

Previously sold under the brand names Seed & Roe and Edenworks, Upward Farms microgreens are a best-selling product in the salad category where sold.

Two Upward Farms’ microgreen blends – Mighty Microgreens Mix and Spicy Microgreens Mix – will soon be at Whole Foods Market stores across New York City.

The Company anticipates further growth to answer demand in the US Northeast and beyond. The Company has raised approximately $150 million to date from investors that include Prime Movers Lab, Tribe Capital, and strategic investors from the food, agriculture, and consumer packaged goods spaces.

Edmonton Startup’s Simulated Sunlight Aims To Help Producers Grow More Food With Less Energy

MAY 17, 2021

Sunlight, water and nutrients, in varying degrees depending on the plant, are the foundation of all plant life, but if you want to see them really grow, one University of Alberta graduate says threaten them with a little shade.

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Michael Taschuk

Michael Taschuk, the founder of G2V Optics, explained plants growing in a field are always competing with each other for sunlight, so if a neighbour starts growing over them, plants can actually “see” this optically.

“There’s a change in the quality of the red light that they observe, so they will grow taller and they will grow bigger,” said Taschuk.

“That’s what we do with our lighting—we can mimic that light that they would interpret as shading so that they grow bigger.”

This “Engineered Sunlight™” is at the heart of a food security revolution aimed at finding ways to produce more food with less energy, often in extreme settings.

And not unlike the plants they grow, it is a crowded field of scientists hunting for the next breakthrough.

Innovation rooted in U of A research

That’s why Taschuk and his G2V team have never strayed very far from their U of A roots.

Taschuk, who spent 20 years moving from undergrad to PhD being trained as an optics and electronics researcher, previously collaborated with engineering professor Mike Brett and chemistry professor Jillian Buriak, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Nanomaterials for Energy, to build organic photovoltaic devices. 

“Through the course of that collaboration, it became clear that there was an opportunity as LEDs developed to mimic sunlight really precisely, and then make a really good test instrument for the work that Jillian and her group were doing around solar cells,” said Taschuk.

“There are colours beyond what humans can see, both in the ultraviolet and into the infrared, which solar cells and plants care about.”

More recently, Taschuk joined forces with R. Glen Uhrig, a plant functional genomics professor in the Faculty of Science, who is studying the interaction of plants and light.

And like the first collaboration that helped launch G2V, Uhrig made an immediate impact.

“Glen took a look at our lights and found a mechanism to decrease the energy costs by 30 per cent,” said Taschuk. “Plants grow 30 per cent better if you get the lighting right.

“This is just game-changing for vertical farms, or indoor farming under controlled environment agriculture, as you can imagine.

“Without any additional inputs, we were getting 30 per cent more plant yield.”

Now, G2V Optics and the Uhrig Lab have been awarded a joint Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada Alliance grant and an Alberta Innovates Campus Alberta Small Business Engagement grant totalling $720,000 over two years to research light’s impact on the genetic response and phenotype of horticulturally relevant plants.

University of Alberta Release. This material comes from the originating organization and may be of a point-in-time nature, edited for clarity, style and length. View in full here.

Tags:Agriculture, breakthrough, business, Canada, Engineering, environment, genomics, innovation, Professor, research, Scientists, security, Small Business, ultraviolet, university, University of Alberta

Ohio State Graduates Find Success With Hydroponic Farming

By Dennis Biviano, Columbus

May 18, 2021

COLUMBUS, Ohio — James Hu and Andrew Herczak attended Ohio State, both starred on the fencing team and now the friends are business partners, co-owning Columbus Artisan Growers. 

To View The Video, Please Click Here

What You Need To Know

• The OSU grads said there were a lot of challenges in growing their business
  

• The farm grows fresh exotic and artisan greens
  

• The vegetables are harvested for seven Columbus restaurants

The small hydroponic farm grows fresh exotic and artisan greens from around the world. 

Although the start-up has experienced some ups, downs, and pivots during the pandemic, past experience taught them there's no quitting in this team. 

“There's a lot of things that we learned at Ohio State, especially on the fencing team, is I think really, is really a driving factor of why we are doing what we are, especially how we survived through the pandemic, just fighting through everything. That was one of the things our coach really drilled into us,” said Hu. 

Herczak, who is originally from Poland, said he's always grown up with a passion for plants and gardening. 

He said everyone is looking for quality and organic these days.

The best part for him harvesting for seven local restaurants for edible foods and garnishes. 

'These are native to South and southern America. We also harvest them for their flowers as well — has a little kick of spice. A lot of restaurants like that, that unique flavor, plus the unique texture on it,” said Herczak. 

Even though hydroponic farming is their new labor of love, Herczak still practices fencing during his downtime at their downtown Columbus facility. 

Just like many competitors and competitions both have faced in the past, Herczak and Hu said they have aspirations of advancing well beyond the Buckeye State. 

“We definitely want to reach everywhere in the United States, even go international. We think the business model of a small hydroponic farm is more viable then we see some of the larger, big players in the field,” said Hu. 

For more information on Columbus Artisan Growers, click here.

NYC’s Bowery Farming Unveils Farm X - A Science, Breeding Hub

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By AMY SOWDER

May 18, 2021

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(Photos courtesy Bowery Farming)

New York City-based vertical grower Bowery Farming has opened Farm X, an innovation hub for plant science in Kearny, N.J., next to Bowery’s original R&D Center of Excellence and first commercial farm.

Farm X will accelerate the commercialization of products specifically designed for Bowery’s indoor system, according to a news release. The hub will expand the company’s research and development capacity by almost 300%, including cultivation of strawberries, root vegetables, tomatoes, and peppers.

“From day one, our R&D team has been working tirelessly to unlock the next frontier in agriculture, and Farm X enables us to expedite the discovery of new vibrant crops and pioneering technological advancements that will further accelerate our momentum as the category leader,” founder and CEO Irving Fain said in the release.

At Farm X, Bowery’s plant breeders, plant physiologists, biochemists, and others will be able to test more, faster—ultimately accelerating the discovery of new crops, growing recipes, and efficiency improvements that can be replicated at scale across the company’s network of commercial farms.

Farm X also features a sensory lab where Bowery will seek ideal cultivars for indoor growing, as well as launch an onsite breeding program. In that program, Bowery’s team will develop varieties that thrive in its unique growing conditions and evaluate each one for optimal taste, quality and yield. Bowery’s controlled indoor environment and around-the-clock crop monitoring should increase the speed and efficiency of these goals.

Researchers are also developing new greens, such as the Farmer’s Selection category, which launched in January. Bowery plans to release a new, small-batch green every four months under this new category. The first, Bowery Mustard Frills — “hearty mustard greens with a tingly start and a fiery, wasabi-style finish,” according to the release — was available through April 2021. Green Sorrel, bright, tart baby greens with a zing and the next release in the series, is now available from May through August.

Farm X also serves as an experimental space for innovation in farm design, data science, computer vision, autonomous robotics, hardware, and software that can be deployed in Bowery’s growing network of commercial farms.

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To further that mission, Bowery hired Injong Rhee, formerly vice president at Google and chief technology officer of Samsung Mobile, as its chief technology officer. Rhee will work on ensuring that every farm continues to benefit from the collective intelligence of the BoweryOS, the company’s proprietary operating system which integrates software, hardware, sensors, computer vision systems, machine learning models and robotics to orchestrate and automate the entirety of operations. The technological learnings discovered at Farm X will be integrated and applied at scale across Bowery’s network.

Bowery has experienced more than 750% brick-and-mortar sales growth, and more than quadrupled sales with e-commerce partners, including Amazon, since early 2020, according to the release. Bowery’s newest commercial farm in Bethlehem, Pa., will bring local produce year-round to a surrounding population of 50 million people within a 200-mile radius.

Vertical Farming: Sustainable Food Never Tasted So Good

Richard Howells | Brand Contributor

May 5, 2021

There’s a lot of good press these days about the potential of vertical farming to help address climate change. The idea is to use hydroponics and other techniques to grow food “soil-lessly” (if that’s a word) in vertically stacked layers.

Vertical farming enables the ability to grow food closer to large population centers and also reduces the “food miles” associated with distribution thus reducing the carbon footprint.

But not so fast.

Mark Korzilius from &ever GmbH – a vertical farming startup with a farm in Kuwait and one coming in Singapore – disagrees with the food miles argument. Here’s why.

Quality first: Iceberg no more!

In a recent interview on the Climate21 podcast with Tom Raftery, Korzilius urges us to “forget about transportation in order to justify vertical farming.” Instead, the focus needs to be on bringing the best product to the consumer. Quality, in this case, means healthy, leafy greens.

“You want to have high nutrients, high in secondary metabolites, everything that is extremely valuable for your body,” said Korzilius.

To most of us, the antithesis of healthy leafy greens is iceberg lettuce. However, as Korzilius explained, it tends to be cut, bagged, and refrigerated for distribution.

“This is where a lot of the carbon footprint comes from,” said Korzilius. “And let’s be honest, iceberg in foul-smelling bags is less than appetizing.”

Instead, &ever follows a “harvest on demand” process. It distributes its leafy greens as potted plants – like you might see with basil or other herbs in your grocery store. Korzilius claims that the customer receives the best-tasting, locally grown leafy greens available, without plastic or refrigeration needed. The chef at the Four Seasons in Kuwait, reportedly, thinks the coriander is the best he’s ever tasted!

Greater control and higher yield, too

&ever’s operations are entirely indoors, where the climate is controlled. This is crucial for successful yields. Growing spinach, for example, is notoriously difficult with vertical farming. But by experimenting with the right seeds, lighting, and temperature, &ever has found the right recipe.

One key advantage is that &ever can grow without pesticides – which, in the end, is just another form of energy. It can also optimize light spectrums to achieve desired results. Many of its crops run on 18 hours of light and six hours of darkness.

The result is higher yields over the course of a year. &ever can grow 18 cycles a year, compared to maybe seven for a traditional greenhouse. And, says Korzilius, it can do it with 85% less water.

Complexity managed

Korzilius also makes the point that tracking all the variables – such as light, temperature, water, production cycles, energy costs, growing recipes, and more – makes for a lot of complexity. SAP is working with &ever to help manage it all. Vertical farming is a high-tech endeavor where control is the key to success. We’re proud to help be part of the solution. Hopefully, this approach to growing food will help minimize carbon output while also delivering delicious food – from (vertical) farm to table.

Listen to the podcast here and be sure to check out the latest research from Oxford Economics on how to “Build a Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chain.”

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Richard Howells

I've been working in the supply chain management and manufacturing space for over 25 years, and I'm responsible for driving the market direction and positioning of SAP’s Supply Chain Management and IOT solutions. Prior to joining SAP in 2004, I spent 15 years with Marcam Solutions where I was VP of Marketing for the companies Process ERP solutions. I have also implemented ERP and SCM systems at companies such as Nestle, Gillette, Colgate Palmolive, Rohm & Haas, Wyeth, Royal Worcester Spode and Dairy Crest. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Mid Glamorgan in the UK. Follow me @howellsrichard

Lead photo: Vertical farm and its employees taking care of plant growth. Plant food production in vertically stacked layers. GETTY

Modular Hydroponic Growing Spaces In Freight Containers For Local Food Production

May 17, 2021

Art Petrosemolo

Southeastern Pennsylvania Correspondent

A Massachusetts company has developed a unique, hydroponic growing environment in closed 40-foot freight containers that are being used world-wide to grow produce in areas with bad soil or weather conditions not conducive to outdoor growing.

Bay State natives Jon Friedman and Brad McNamara were developing rooftop greenhouses in the early 2000s when they realized a modular, hydroponic container might be a more viable solution.

Hydroponics wasn’t something new. Historians believe this soilless gardening can be traced back to hanging gardens of Babylon in Iraq built by King Nebuchadnezzar about 600 BC. Nutrient-rich water was pumped to the gardens from the Euphrates river to sustain its plants. A water-based growing thread continued through history and in the 1930s a University of California scientist, William Gericke, coined the term from the Greek word “hydro” (water) and “ponics” (work).

Friedman and McNamara, who were building outdoor, roof-based gardens on older residential buildings, looked outside the box, and turned their focus to widely available shipping containers.

They thought they could provide the equivalent of 2 acres of growing space in traditional 40-foot-by-8-foot containers and extend growing seasons year-round everywhere — especially in areas that couldn’t support traditional outdoor agriculture or in parts of the world affected most by climate change.

They named their company Freight Farms and placed their first container less than a decade ago. Now the concept is catching on worldwide.

View Photos From Freight Farms

Freight Farms’ design was the first containerized vertical growing environment using hydroponic technology. It was initially funded by a Kickstarter campaign in 2012, where they raised the funds to build a prototype to allow local food production to be available to everyone, anywhere.

The first commercial unit was installed at Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in the U.S., to produce fresh produce for the school cafeteria as well as serving as a teaching classroom for high school students.

“The company has placed 350 units in 48 states and 32 foreign countries,” Friedman said.

The company also introduced proprietary software called “farmhand” to help automate many farm processes, and is manufacturing its 10th generation container, the Greenery S, incorporating the latest technology and automation for vertical, hydroponics growing.

Growing Strong

SOUTHERN REGION

Hydroponic Operation Supplies High-End Restaurants

• Art Petrosemolo, Southeastern Pennsylvania Correspondent

Although the Freight Farms container units are capable of growing a variety of produce, leafy greens are its specialty and the best choice for farmers looking to sell their harvests year-round.

Containers also have been embraced by educational institutions to supply fresh vegetables for cafeterias and serve as learning and teaching space.

St. Joseph College in Standish, Maine, has been operating a Freight Farms unit for years to both supply fresh vegetables to its dining facilities as well as for student employment.

The site also has been a tool for community involvement with St. Joseph students working with a town Institute for Local Food System Innovation utilizing the Freight Farms container in partnership with a large hydroponic farm and commercial processing kitchen for events and agritourism.

With a decade head start in the business, Freight Farms does not have major competition in hydroponics container gardening production, although, in recent years, it has seen significant growth in multiple indoor soil- and water-based farming formats including warehouses, greenhouses and pods that are addressing growing produce year-round.

Climate change has increased concern about food production for growing populations worldwide with extreme weather conditions and higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Friedman and McNamara have always been aware that the challenge to expansion for stand-alone, container gardening is the cost of power and each new rendition of their growing units has addressed both power consumption and automation to be more efficient.

Their latest Greenery S model uses growing lights that are 50% more efficient than previous models and the technology allows farmers to choose pre-set growing modes to maintain higher yields — 20% higher than earlier models — while prioritizing energy use.

Addressing affordable and clean power for customers, Freight Farms recently partnered with Arcadia, a Washington, D.C., energy company to offer affordable, renewable power options for customers.

Going forward, Friedman said growing container units will continue to become more efficient, allowing owners to increase their growing yield while having more control of their energy use to power the unit.

Slide Show Photos:

Lights and plant arrangements in Freight Farms new Greenery S model container.

• Photo provided by Freight Farms

Leafy greens grow in Freight Farms’ own Greenery Farm container.

• Photo provided by Freight Farms

This Freight Farms container is ready for shipment.

• Photo provided by Freight Farms

Freight Farms' containers under construction in their Vermont facility.

• Photo provided by Freight Farms

Lexy Basquette, Freight Farm’s on-site farmer, checks on some of her growing plants.

• Photo provided by Freight Farms

MAIN EDITION

Greenhouses, Vertical Farming and Urban Ag: Controlled-Environment Agriculture Has Growth Potential

• Paul Post, New York Correspondent

USA-VIRGINIA: New Moneta Farm Redefines Method of Growing Fresh Produce

Its Growing 6,000 Greens A Month In A 40-Foot Box

To View The Video, Please Click Here

MONETA, Va. – A new veteran-owned farm in Moneta is revamping traditional farming with advanced technology to serve up the freshest greens all year long.

Ditching the soil and bringing in a laptop, there’s a new hydroponic farm in Moneta.

Using selective lighting, balancing pH and nutrient levels, and releasing water through a bar of foam, Vittone Farms is growing 6,000 greens a month in a 40-foot box.

“365 days a year is what we can do,” Jeff Vittone, owner of Vittone Farms, said. “Which is also busting some paradigms. Like, ‘how do you do this and why is it ready and why is it so green?’ And it’s like well, it’s all grown here.”

The farm also uses green power by using a solar panel to produce a variety of foods stemming from lettuce to radishes to even carrots.

A lover of salads, Vittone said he got into hydroponics after noticing major food waste after E. coli scares.

After serving eight years active duty in the Air Force and a total of 12 years in the Virginia Air National Guard, Vittone turned his hobby into a business to put more fresh food on local tables.

“I believe if you ask any veteran they will say that after my duty to my country was served,” he said. “It’s like going without water. You still want to serve to some capacity.”

Now, he is calling on other veterans to get into the business.

By using only about five gallons of water a day, he encourages people to try container farming if they don’t have much land.

“If you have two, three acres of land that is just not enough to produce to make money but that’s enough for this to be there…small local communities and food deserts need this kind of technology.”

Hosting the Smith Mountain Lake Farmer’s Market, Vittone plans to highlight other local businesses from now till the week before Thanksgiving.

The farmer’s market is open on Fridays from 2 p.m to 6 p.m and Saturdays from 10 a.m to 2 p.m.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alexus Davila

Alexus joined 10 News in October 2020.

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Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved.

Chinese Produce Platform Dingdong Maicai Raises $1bn From SoftBank, Coatue

May 17, 2021

Jack Ellis

Dingdong Maicai, an e-commerce platform for fresh fruits and vegetables, has raised $1.03 billion in Series D funding across two tranches.

Last week, Cygnus Equity, an investment bank that advises Dingdong Maicai on fundraising and is itself an investor in the startup, said the Shanghainese e-grocer had secured $330 million in a “Series D-plus” round led by SoftBank‘s Vision Fund.

This followed a $700 million Series D injection last month which was co-led by US investment giant Coatue Management and London-based internet investor DST Global.

Other international investors participating in that round included Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, MassAve Global, and General Atlantic. APlus Partners, Aspex Management, 3W Fund Management, Capital Today, CMC Capital, Ocean Link, and Lenovo-affiliated Hony Capital were among the Greater China-based investors to take part in the round.

In an announcement on social messaging platform WeChat, Dingdong Maicai said it will use the funding for regional expansion, enhancement of its supply chain capabilities, and to hire more personnel.

The online-to-offline platform sources fresh produce from farmers and agribusinesses and delivers it direct to consumers, who can order groceries via a mobile app. According to local newspaper 21st Century Herald, Dingdong Maicai handles 900,000 orders each day, clocking monthly revenue of ¥1.5 billion ($233 million). It operates around 1,000 warehouses across 27 of China’s biggest cities.

China’s largest ag platform reports bumper growth as founder quits for foodtech opportunity – read more here

In its WeChat statement, it said it “strives to move closer towards the source of ingredients and agricultural production,” to bring greater efficiencies to the fresh produce supply chain, maintain high quality standards, and to “allow consumers to eat fresher and safer food.”

Dingdong Maicai added that it will continue in its efforts to “promote modern planting and breeding industries” and to encourage “modern agricultural development and rural revitalization” throughout China.

According to AgFunder and AFN‘s China 2021 Agrifood Startup Investing Report, the ‘eGrocery’ category – comprising companies selling produce and other groceries online and delivering them to consumers – raised $3.6 billion in total last year, making it the country’s single highest-funded category. [Disclosure: AgFunder is AFN‘s parent company.]

But while it dominated in dollar terms, eGrocery saw just half the number of deals it did in 2019. This points to the relative maturity of the category compared to others in China, with investors answering the high capital demands of more established players. Among these are Dingdong Maicai and key competitors like Missfresh — which is backed by Goldman Sachs and Tencent and raised over $800 million in funding last year — as well as ‘super app’ Meituan‘s grocery service Meituan Maicai, Pinduoduo‘s Duo Duo Maicai, and Alibaba‘s tech-enabled supermarket chain Hema. Several of these larger e-grocers are seeking to extend their reach across multiple regions of China, driving consolidation in the industry.

Dingdong Maicai was one of the top 20 highest-funded agrifood startups last year according to AgFunder data, banking $300 million in a General Atlantic-led round that valued it at around $2 billion. This came just after the company reported a 14% spike in user activity in January 2020 as Covid-19 took hold in China.

FRANCE: Designs Unveiled For The World's Largest Single-Domed Greenhouse

14-05-2021 | CNN Style

Written by: Leah DolanMegan C. Hills, CNN

French architecture firm Coldefy has revealed its latest ambitious project: the largest single-domed greenhouse in the entire world. Spanning over 20,000 square meters (215,278 square feet) the gigantic energy self-sufficient structure, christened "Tropicalia," is set to be completed in 2024 in the Cote d'Opale, or Opal Coast, in France.

Designs will be on display from May 22 to November 21 at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, where Coldefy and interdisciplinary not-for-profit Zuecca Projects will showcase architectural models, sketches and videos detailing the grand plans for the dome.

Renderings revealed ahead of the international exhibition show a sleek dome nestled into the lush, rolling plains of France's natural landscape. Described by Coldefy on its website as a "bubble of harmony," the structure -- which will house a tropical forest featuring a range of flora and fauna, from orchids and butterflies to fish and reptiles -- was built to incorporate the natural environment. As such, the 35-meter-high (115-foot) design is partially embedded in the ground and blends into the landscape with the addition of a second outer wall of greenery.

The roof will be crafted from pressurized thermal pillows set into an aluminum frame -- they are similar to the cushions used in a grouping of domed greenhouses at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. Inside, the dome will be heated to 82.4°F, a temperature that ensures "luxuriant vegetation," according to the press statement. A technology called Terraotherm will recycle the structure's thermal energy, with surplus heat siphoned to surrounding buildings.

The "bubble of harmony" will blend into the natural landscape of the French coast. Credit: Octav Tirziu/Zuecca Project Space

Like many exhibiting at the Venice Biennale this year -- which follows the altruistic theme "How will we live together?" -- Coldefy's founding architect Thomas Coldefy designed Tropicalia with the health of the planet in mind. For Coldefy, the data surrounding climate change is too often consumed "unwillingly," he said in a press statement, and its oversaturation means the data can quickly become "a new source of anxiety." Tropicalia, however, is meant to be a place of wonder as well as education, providing an opportunity to experience the fragility of the earth's ecosystem up close.

Elsewhere in the biennale, environmental concerns are set to dominate the show. The Nordic pavilion will be transformed into an experimental co-housing project aiming to reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions by architects Helen & Hard. Meanwhile, the Taiwan pavilion will spotlight five existing architectural projects that explore the island's ongoing dialogue with nature and investigate how Taiwan's current population of 23 million can be sustained inside its ecologically diverse landscape.

Lead Photo: Credit: Octav Tirziu/Zuecca Project Space

Save The Date!

OptimIA Stakeholder Meeting

August 20th, 2021

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Eastern

Plan to join our annual stakeholder meeting online to learn about our collaborative research update!

More information available on our website

OptimIA (Optimizing Indoor Agriculture) is a USDA-funded Specialty Crop Research Initiative project to support the indoor farming industry through critical research and extension activities.

Czech Startup Introduces New Container Farm To The Market

Delivering To Prague, Dubai, And Shanghai

A container farm supplied by GreeenTech will soon be parked in Prague's Smíchov district. The hydroponic container farm will grow herbs, vegetables, and small fruits. The other two containers will go to Dubai and Shanghai. 

"We bring a unique and modern approach to agriculture. With vertical hydroponics we will start food self-sufficiency not only in the Czech Republic," promises co-founder of GreeenTech Karolína Pumprová, who three years ago was at the birth of the Prague urban hydroponic farm HerbaFabrica, which supplies herbs to Prague restaurants. 

The co-founders of Greeentech

She was later joined by entrepreneur Dmitrij Lipovský, who, after a year-long working stay in China, where he focused on ecology and sustainability issues, saw a TV report about the HerbaFabrica farm, and was so intrigued by it that together with Karolína Pumprová and technology director Milan Souček, they created the concept of GreeenTech, a technology, and cultivation company that was officially established last July. Dmitry Lipovsky invested six million crowns of his own money in the start-up and became CEO of the company. 

Modular solution
GreeenTech currently has three divisions, each with its own unique product and business and marketing direction. Urbanio is a modular system whereby the company builds an urban hydroponic farm according to the customer's requirements. The price in this case starts at one and a half million crowns and depends on the number of modules purchased and the environment where it will be built. The technology was to be officially launched at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

GreeenBoxes are containers coming with GreeenTech's technology. The price for the smallest size supplied, 13 x 3 x 3 meters, is in the lower units of millions of crowns. The third division is HerbaFabrica, which sells crops to distributors and end customers. The company intends to offer its franchise in the future.

These containers make it possible to grow crops practically anywhere and anytime, even in the desert. According to Lipovský, the company will produce three containers this year, the first of which will be located in Prague's Smíchov, while the others will also be presented at the EXPO in Dubai. It is to Dubai and also Shanghai that the company wants to expand in the medium term.

"The goal is to build full container farms and to continuously improve our technology. But we are a startup, so we are constantly in a turbulent process," smiles the CEO of the company over the next plans and reveals that the final investment round with external investors is also now underway.

Everything from the container design to the software solution is being developed in-house. Some of the technical equipment is supplied by Siemens CR, which is also a long-term technology partner.

GreeenTech wants its technology to contribute to a sustainable solution to a potential future crisis around food shortages. The founders of GreeenTech promise a recurring harvest of local vegetables full of vitamins and intense flavor. Since the crops do not undergo protective spraying, they are suitable for children and allergy sufferers. 

The business model for GreeenBox and Urbanio technologies work on both a sales and rental basis. "For both options, there is an 'after-sales service, where we supply seeds, substrates, fertilizers, as well as spare components for the technology and remote farm management," Lipovský explains.

He adds that GreeenTech also started offering the HerbaShare service to businesses, shops and restaurants a month ago. This is a structure with a cold box for preserving produce, where the company regularly delivers microgreens and vegetables. "Now we want to focus more on businesses as people come back to the office. We believe this is a really interesting employee benefit and a way to have a vitamin bomb right in the workplace," he concludes. 

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Source: StartupJobs

For more information:
Greeentech
info@greeen.tech 
www.greeen.tech 

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18 May 2021

KYOTO, JAPAN: Spread Develops Technology For Mass Production of Pesticide-Free Strawberry In Vertical Farms

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Spread Co., Ltd. Produce 

May 18, 2021

Kyoto, Japan. — Spread Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Japan; CEO: Shinji Inada, hereinafter “Spread”) succeeded in developing the technology for mass production of pesticide-free, high-quality strawberries in vertical farms using artificial lighting.

This was made possible by applying Spread’s cultivation know-how to strawberry production.

The technologies include proprietary environmental control, stable indoor pollination, and pesticide-free, clean cultivation.

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Spread is considering the deployment of strawberry vertical farms in Japan and overseas, targeting North America, Europe, and Asia.

Spread will also work on product design and a vertically farmed strawberry brand.

DEMAND AND CHALLENGES
Strawberries are globally in high demand, with both yields and production value on the rise. *1 In particular, Japanese strawberries are sought after, which is shown by the steady increase in exports. *2 However, strawberry production is known for heavy pesticide use, and significant food miles.
According to USDA’s data, on average, strawberries in USA carry the residue of 7.8 different pesticides, compared to 2.2 for other crops *3, while over 90% of all strawberries are produced in California. *4

SPREAD’S SOLUTION
Until now vertical farmers have struggled to ensure stable production, with challenges in indoor pollination and high cost.

Spread is able to achieve a year-round stable harvest of pesticide-free strawberries indoors through proprietary environmental control technologies, and stable indoor pollination.

Applying them to large-scale production and adding automation will allow for a move towards accessible prices.

SPREAD’S MISSION
Spread’s strawberries are a part of a larger “Global Food Infrastructure” concept that imagines a world where everyone has free access to fresh and nutritious produce.

CEO Shinji Inada comments “Mass production technology of delicious, pesticide-free strawberries is an important step towards a sustainable society where future generations can live with peace of mind.”

Recognizing the need to feed the Earth, Spread is widening its product range by working on grains, mushrooms, fruits, and more.

*1 FAO Database “World’s Strawberry Yield and Gross Production Value” 2019
*2 JETRO “Nihonsan Shokuzai Pikkuappu Ichigo” [Highlighted Japanese
Ingredient: Strawberry]
*3 EWG “Dirty Dozen Strawberries” 2020
*4 Samtani et al. “The Status and Future of the Strawberry Industry in the United States” American Society for Horticultural Science, 31 Jan 2019

N.Thing To Export Smart Farms To UAE After $3 Million Deal

By Kim Byung-wook

May 17, 2021

South Korean agriculture technology company N.Thing said Monday that it has recently inked a $3 million deal with Sarya Holdings in the United Arab Emirates to export smart farms.

The contract, set to proceed next month, will allow the firm to construct vertical smart farming containers in the UAE by December this year. The container can reduce the use of water up to 98 percent compared to a typical farm and cultivate crops in any environment, whether that is in Siberia, the Middle East, or Seoul.

“The UAE reached out to N.Thing as food security emerged as a key issue amid the coronavirus outbreak,” a company official said.

In February last year, Sarya Holdings conducted a proof of concept test on N.Thing’s container to verify the technology. During the test, Sarya planted four different vegetables -- batavia, kale, Boston lettuce, and oakleaf -- in eight test containers and observed their growth cycles, nutrients, quality, and more.

The test proved that N.Thing’s smart farm containers built in the UAE can produce up to 1.5 metric tons of crops per container, which was 42 percent more than initial estimates.

N.Thing received the best innovation award at the Consumer Electronics Show last year.

Lead photo: The interior of N.Thing’s smart farm container (N.Thing)

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)

Life In 2050: A Look At The Homes of The Future

Rapidly Accelerating Technology And The Need For

Sustainable Living Will Revolutionize

How People Live by 2050

By Matthew S. Williams

May 15, 2021

Stefano Boeri Architecture¨

Welcome back to the "Life in 2050" series! So far, we've looked at how ongoing developments in science, technology, and geopolitics will be reflected in terms of warfare and the economy. Today, we are shifting gears a little and looking at how the turbulence of this century will affect the way people live from day today.

As noted in the previous two installments, changes in the 21st century will be driven by two major factors. These include the disruption caused by rapidly accelerating technological progress, and the disruption caused by rising global temperatures, and the environmental impact this will have (aka. Climate Change).

These factors will be pulling the world in opposite directions, and simultaneously at that. Rising seas, hotter summers, wetter winters, increased flooding, drought, pandemics, desertification, and shrinking supplies of fresh water will likely lead to all kinds of scarcity, humanitarian crises, and increased levels of mortality.

Meanwhile, technological advances in terms of renewable energy, fusion power, materials science, blockchains, smart technology, additive manufacturing (3D printing), commercial space exploration, and biotechnology are set to lead to a new era of abundance in terms of energy, wealth, health, and new resources.

In an age where Climate Change and technological change will essentially be competing for control of our future, the challenge will be how to leverage one to address the other. All told, there are four areas where this will really come into play:

• Growth of Urban Centers

• Machine Learning and AI

• Decentralization of Everything

• Sustainable Cities

• Rising Seas and Sinking Coastlines

The growth of cities

As we addressed in the second installment, the global population is projected to grow considerably by 2050. In fact, according to the "World Population Prospects 2019" report compiled by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the global census rolls will account for about 9.74 billion people by mid-century.

Furthermore, a 2020 report by the International Institute for Environment and Development estimates that by 2050, roughly 68% of the population will live in urban centers. That works out to 6.6 billion people, or an increase of 2.2 billion from today. You might say that almost all of the population growth between now and 2050 will happen in cities.

This will result in an increased demand for housing, electricity, water, food, basic services, education, transport, and medical services in these places. The infrastructure and resources needed to meet this demand will place added stress on the surrounding environments, which are already heavily stressed as it is.

Urban expansion means that more land needs to be cleared to build infrastructure, more water needs to be diverted for utilities, more electricity needs to be generated, and more agricultural land needs to be set aside for growing food.

Luckily, there's an upside to all this growth. While more people means more in the way of need, it also means more in the way of production. And if there is one thing cities are very good at, it's fostering innovation, the creation of new industries, and cultural expression - and all through the act of bringing people together.

As a result, cities in 2050 will be built (or rebuilt) to provide for the basic needs of their populations in ways that absolutely must be sustainable. This means finding ways to do more with less, not to mention eliminating waste as much as possible. All of this will be possible through the art of...

"Smart" living

The idea of "smart homes" is one that has really taken off in the past decade. The concept builds on the idea of "smartphones" and other such devices, which are accessible anywhere there is an internet connection. In the case of smart homes, a person will have access to everything in their home (appliances, devices, utilities, etc.) through Bluetooth and wireless internet.

In the future, this will extend to the point where the "Internet of Things" (IoT) becomes a reality. This concept refers to the way in which the digital world and real world will become intertwined like never before. On the one hand, this will be driven by the trillions of devices, sensors, and geotags that connect countless points in the real world to the internet.

On the other, people's experience of the real world will be increasingly mediated throug augment tedh  reality, virtual reality (AR/VR), and the help of artificial intelligence. On top of that, the ability to connect with just about anyone and everything will revolutionize the way we live. And strangely enough, many of us have had a preview of this due to the recent pandemic.

Source: Alex Knight/Unsplash

For one thing, people in 2050 will be used to being able to have just about everything delivered to their doorstep. Door-to-door delivery services will likely become increasingly automated and involve smart cars, shuttle pods that drive around on their own tracks, and aerial drones.

Similarly, just about everything will be doable from the comfort of home, especially when it comes to working. Home offices with high-speed internet will become the norm, meetings will be virtual, and traveling for the sake of business or attending conferences will be largely unheard of.

Even education will take place in the home or within individual apartment blocks and tenements. Similar to distance education, children will log in to virtual classrooms where they are guided (with the help of a teacher or AI) through various lessons. Haptics will provide the sensation of "hands-on" education, eliminating the need to be physically in a classroom.

An explosion in the use of household robots is also projected to take place by 2050. These could take the form of mobile units or next-generation appliances that are integrated directly into a room. These robots will be able to handle everything from regular household maintenance, cleaning, preparing food, and other such tasks.

Moreover, the concept of the "smart home" will achieve literal proportions. Household AI 'managers' are sure to become a common feature of future homes, connected to all your devices, running your household robots and your appliances, and monitor your habits to ensure that you are remaining within your budget.

Distributed systems

Another interesting change is the way in which energy, money, goods and services, and even politics and administration will be distributed in the coming years. Whereas the industrial revolution brought about greater centralization of work and economics that is still in use to this day, the world of tomorrow will be almost entirely decentralized.

For example, in the previous installment, we looked at how increased reliance on renewable energy will affect the global economy. Given that the majority of demand for electricity will still be coming from urban centers, the shift will be visible in terms of how and where power is generated. In short, energy concerns of the future will be moving away from the centralized grids and become more localized.

Today, the infrastructure for providing electricity (aka. the electrical grid) consists of the following connected elements:

• power stations located away from heavily populated areas, which are connected

• electrical transmitters to carry power over long distances

• electrical substations that transform voltage from high transmission to low distribution

• distribution transformers to individual homes and buildings

The term "grid" is fitting because the electricity is generated in a central place, then routed through a gridlike network to where it is needed. In contrast, by 2050, cities will have distributed power stations that run on solar, wind, piezoelectric, geothermal, biomass, and other "green" sources of energy.

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Source: Inhabitat

These localized centers will provide power for a specific area, and large buildings are likely to provide their own power using built-in solar arrays, turbines, and biofuel generators. However, power grids will not disappear, as the development of fusion power and Tokamak reactors will still require distribution centers and nodes.

The proliferation of wireless internet, satellite internet, and blockchain technology will also mean people can connect anywhere at any time. As a result, politics could look more like "town hall meetings" that will be virtual events that far more people will be able to participate in. In the same way that video conferencing will mean that most business is conducted virtually, local politics will also be affected.

Green megacities

Due to the ongoing loss of arable land, cities will also become greener spaces, where architecture and ecology come together for the sake of healthy living. This concept, known as "arcology," was coined in 1969 by architect Paolo Soleri, who proposed the concept as a means of addressing urban sprawl and the consequent destruction of green spaces.

In designs featuring arcology, agricultural operations and green spaces co-existed alongside residential and commercial centers, and space was to be used more creatively. Whereas most cities are two-dimensional, with individual highrises dotting the landscape (or clustered in the central business districts), arcologies are three-dimensional and built into the surrounding environment.

This thinking has become revitalized since the turn of the century, thanks to the escalating problem of climate change. Today, there are countless architectural firms and design studios that specialize in the creation of urban spaces that are reminiscent of the principles of arcology or similarly governed by the same principles of efficiency and sustainability.

Common features include urban farming, where local residents tend to community gardens, vertical farms, hydroponics, insect farms (high-protein!), and aquaponics (where plants and fish live symbiotically, and both are a source of nutrients). These operations will be helped along with the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and microbial engineering.

To prevent stress on the existing water supply, most of what is needed for irrigation will come from rainwater capture, grey-water recycling, and water reclamation units. It's also a safe bet that by 2050, many homes and domiciles will have a 3D food printer dedicated to manufacturing nutritious meals tailored to specific tastes and dietary requirements.

Another recent innovation is carbon capture, which city planners are incorporating into modern urban development plans for the sake of combating climate change and urban pollution. While foliage has always been a means of cleaning city air, future cities may include large numbers of artificial trees, bioreactor facilities, and carbon-absorbing structures built right into their facades.

As an added bonus, carbon dioxide that is scrubbed from the air can be easily converted into biofuels using Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECSS) technology. Buildings equipped with a carbon capture apparatus will therefore be able to create biofuel, perhaps as a backup power source, but also as a local supply of fuel for vehicles that still run on biodiesel.

Powering it all will be a number of renewable energy sources, such as the aforementioned solar arrays, vertical wind turbines, piezoelectric surfaces, and heat-exchange technology (for the sake of climate control). Each building that contains multiple dwellings is likely to be its own grow-op, power plant, and fuel station, providing the basic necessities of life locally.

Crystal Island: This arcology was proposed by Norman Foster, founder of the architecture firm Foster and Partners. True to its name, Crystal Island would be a tall, spire-like compression structure that would appear crystalline. The entire structure would be wrapped in a breathable "second skin" that would be sealed in winter to prevent heat loss and opened in summer to cool the interior.

The planned arcology was to be integrated into Nagatinskaya Poyma Park in central Moscow. Standing 1,476 ft (450 m) high and containing 27 million ft² (2.5 million m²) of floor space, it would have been the largest structure on Earth. Construction was postponed in 2009 due to the global economic crisis and has remained in limbo since.

Masdar City: Named after the design firm building it, Masdar City is a planned project for the city of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Also designed by Foster and Partners, the city will be a hub for clean energy companies as well as the location of the International Renewable Energy Agency's (IRENA) headquarters.

Based on the goal of a carbon-neutrality, Masdar is powered by a combination of solar energy, wind power, and all lighting and water are controlled by movement sensors to reduce consumption. Much of the city's water is rainwater or captured by condensers, and up to 80% of wastewater will be recycled and reused as many times as possible.

As of 2016, the city's official website reported that 2,000 people are employed in the city and that only 300 students reside there. However, expansion is expected to continue until it reaches its planned capacity of 50,000 residents, 1,500 businesses, and 60,000 workers making the daily commute.

Cities at sea

In an age of climate change, many designers have incorporated rising sea levels and the loss of coastlines into their arcological concepts. A number of designs have been proposed already, examples of which include:

Boston Arcology: Also known as BOA, this concept for a sustainable megastructure in Boston Harbor was conceived by Kevin Schopfer. Designed in the shape of a rectangle with crisscrossing structures in its interior, this city would house 15,000 people and include hotels, offices, retail spaces, museums, and a city hall.

Consistent with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, it would draw its power from a combination of solar, wind, and other renewables and would serve as an expansion of the city without adding to the environmental impact of urban sprawl.

Harvest City: The Haiti earthquake of 2010 left 250,000 people dead, 300,000 people injured, and about 1.5 million people homeless. In response, Schopfer (in collaboration with Tangram 3DS) conceived Harvest City, a floating complex made up of tethered floating modules - 2 mi (3.2 km) in diameter - off the coast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The city would be capable of housing 30,000 residents within four communities - dedicated 2/3 to agriculture, 1/3 to light industry - all of which would be interconnected by a linear canal system. The entire city would float and be anchored to the ocean floor, reducing its vulnerability to plate tectonics and earthquakes considerably.

Lilypad City: Otherwise known as just Lilypad, this concept for a floating city was proposed by Vincent Callebaut. Essentially, Callebaut anticipated that rising sea levels and disappearing coastlines would give rise to a new phenomenon known as "climate refugees." As coastal cities sink into the ocean in this century, people will need to be relocated to new facilities.

Hence the Lilypad concept, a completely self-sufficient floating city that could accommodate up to 50,000 people. Power would be provided through a combination of solar, wind, tidal, and biomass, while the entire structure is able to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through a titanium dioxide outer skin.

New Orleans Arcology Habitat: Located off the coast of New Orleans, where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico, the NOAH concept was another design proposed by Kevin Schopfer (the same architect who thought up BOA). The design was largely inspired by Hurricane Katrina and the understanding that recurring storm activity in the region is only going to get more severe.

"The first challenge is to overcome both the physical and psychological damages of recurring severe weather patterns," they wrote. "Though re-population has begun, the need to provide a stabilized and safe environment is paramount to a long-term recovery and economic well-being of New Orleans."

This triangular city would be able to house as many as 50,000 New Orleans residents within its 20,000 residential units - each measuring 1100 ft² (100 m²). To ensure that it kept the tourism industry alive, it would also have up to three hotels (200 rooms each), 1500 time-share units, and three casinos.

Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid: This megastructure (aka. the TRY 2004 Pyramid) was proposed by Shimizu Corporation in 2004 as a solution to Tokyo's problem of overpopulation. Inspired by the Great Pyramid of Giza, the structure would be built in Tokyo Bay, measure 6,575 feet (over 2000 m) high, and house 1 million people.

However, the design relies entirely on the future availability of super-materials (such as carbon nanotubes). This is due to the weight of the pyramid, which would be the largest structure ever built and exceed the stress tolerances of existing building materials. While the original plan was to commence construction by 2030, Shimizu remained determined to complete it by 2110.

Summary

As the 21st century unfolds, the world will be forced to suffer through two major opposing phenomena. Technological development will continue to accelerate, with serious implications for the way we live, work, play, and even eat. At the same time, climate change will be ramping up, causing severe disruptions to the very natural systems humans are dependent on for their survival.

Luckily, there's an upside to this mess of contradictions. While rising tides and increased drought, storms, wildfires, etc., will be a humanitarian nightmare, they will also pressure us to find solutions. And while the rapid advance of technology will be a constant source of stress, it will also bring about innovation that addresses environmental problems.

It will be a strange time, where the entire world will be caught between surviving and thriving, scarcity and abundance, recession and growth. Nevertheless, the potential for positive change is there and could lead to a whole new era of better living and sustainability.

Lead photo: Stefano Boeri Architecture¨

CANADA: Salad Days Vertical Farming Company Growing Business With Microgreens Subscription Program

For Scott Hyndman and Adam Dudek, the entrepreneurial learning curve has been as steep as their vegetable farm is tall — that is to say, very.

Years ago, the friends were sitting on Dudek’s Osborne Village balcony on a sunny summer day, admiring his tomato plants and grumbling about how difficult it was to find high-quality local produce year-round. The conversation became the catalyst for 3 Guys Greens, an urban vertical farm founded by the duo in 2016.

"If we’re frustrated with it, I’m sure there’s a lot of people who are frustrated with this too," Dudek says of Manitoba’s short growing season. "So we started looking into: how can we do this? There’s gotta be a way to grow this stuff indoors year-round."

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Adam Dudek, right, and Scott Hyndman of 3 Guys Greens, a local vertical farming company, are offering a mixed greens subscription program. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

They rented warehouse space and started experimenting with vertical gardening and aquaponic systems to grow microgreens for local restaurants. Dudek is a plumber by trade and Hyndman is a trained chef — backgrounds that made up for what they lacked in business and agricultural experience. "This sort of farming is pretty much all plumbing," Dudek says with a laugh. "We’re consistently learning and consistently growing."

Until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, 3 Guys Greens sold microgreens — young, nutrient-packed vegetable sprouts — directly to restaurants as a garnish. The public health crisis has thrown the industry into turmoil and cut off a major revenue stream for the entrepreneurs.

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Nutrient-rich micro greens can be used on a sandwich, in salads or cooked as a side dish.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

"With the restaurants being shut down, there’s no real desire for them to have the added cost of garnish when they’re just putting it in a takeout box," Hyndman says. "That’s kind of why we wanted to go towards (selling) direct to the consumer."

This month, the company launched a salad subscription program that will see Winnipeggers getting greens and dressing delivered to their door once a week. The salads include a base of sunflower and pea shoots and a rotating blend of garnish mixes made from micro arugula, radish shoots, brassicas and mustard greens. They’ve also partnered with local catering company Loaf and Honey to create specialty salad dressings.

A monthly subscription costs $80 and each salad kit is expected to be enough greens for three to five days worth of meals, depending on how customers use the product. The microgreens can be eaten solo, added to other dishes or cooked as a side.

"The greens on wraps and sandwiches are absolutely amazing," Dudek says. "The pea shoots and sunflower I like to sauté with a little bit of lemon juice and some garlic."

Hyndman is a big proponent of the nutrient value of microgreens. One 2017 study out of Idaho State University found that broccoli sprouts had larger quantities of certain beneficial nutrients compared with their fully grown counterparts.

"You can eat your whole entire (microgreen) salad and you’ve eaten your 30 pounds of greens for the week," Hyndman says. "(Or) you can replace your normal lettuce on your burgers and in your tacos or whatever, and you still get to eat what you love, but now you’re incorporating these highly nutritious, nutrient-dense microgreens into your diet."

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Operations manager Michelle Lecnik checks the status of the towers of basil.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

The microgreens take 10 days to mature and are grown to order.

Since 2016, 3 Guys Greens — which was named when there was in fact a third business partner — has moved three times and now operates out of 26,000-square-foot building with rows upon rows of heavy-duty growing racks and four staff members. The system uses energy-efficient LED grow lights and minimal water, which gives traditional agriculture a run for its money, according to Hyndman.

"One of our towers grows roughly 50 plants on it, so basically in one square foot of our growing space we’re able to do roughly 100 feet of row farming," he says.

The company started growing basil last year and hopes to raise different kinds of produce in the future. They’re also working to develop vertical farming systems within northern Manitoba communities.

Visit 3guysgreens.com for more information and to sign up for their salad subscription program.

Twitter: @evawasney

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Eva Wasney
Arts Reporter

Eva Wasney is a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press.

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Florida Native Brick Street Farms Takes On Global Agriculture With Multi-Million Dollar Investment

The Ag Tech Innovator Scales its Local Approach to More Sustainably Feed Urban Communities

St Petersburg, FL (May 19th, 2020)- Brick Street Farms announces their new investors, Lykes Bros., a milestone championed by Florida Department of Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried, Mayor Rick Kriseman, St. Petersburg, FL, and Mayor Jane Castor, Tampa, FL. With Lykes Bros financial commitment to Brick Street Farms, the AgTech leader will scale its mission to lead the way in disrupting agriculture and reinventing possibilities to sustainably feed more people from urban locations, offer Brick Street Farm’s expertise so we can bring farm to fork in cities and contribute to healthier lives.

COVID-19 and climate change have accelerated existing strains in global food accessibility and supply chains, highlighting the need to rethink the world’s agriculture systems, particularly in dense city areas. In response to this crisis, Crunchbase News has cited that agriculture technology investments have grown 250% in the past 5 years alone. Brick Street Farms has been at the forefront of this industry because of their unique experience in both design and manufacturing of their THRIVE Containers as well as the operation of those farms for financial sustainability.

The AgTech’s ground-breaking approach is to bring to life cultivation centers, also known as Brick Street Farms hubs, which will serve as an all-inclusive onsite farming and retail shopping experience in urban cores. Brick Street Farms is reinventing urban farming with our self-contained, environmentally sustainable THRIVE Containers placed in Hubs. These hubs will grow between 16-20 acres of farmland on 1/3 acre lots. This Climate-Controlled Agriculture (CEA) maximizes output and minimizes water resources.

Brick Street Farms Founder and CEO, Shannon O’Malley observed “We could not be more honored to have Lykes Bros. as our newest investor. Brick Street Farms hubs will be the first of its kind and we can’t wait to share this innovation with the world. Our farming expertise combined with Lykes 121 years of experience in agriculture brings unparalleled leadership to feed more people ‘farm to fork’.”

“Lykes Bros. is excited to be advancing and investing in the future of agriculture. We see Brick Street Farms’ leadership and innovation in the controlled environment sector as the perfect fit for our company. They share our commitment to pioneering the future, and their hub innovation is a bold blueprint for producing healthy food locally and sustainably,” says Mallory Dimmitt, VP of Strategic Partnerships, Lykes Bros.

For more information about Brick Street Farms visit www.brickstreetfarms.com.

About Brick Street Farms

Brick Street Farms produce is grown and sold out of its St. Petersburg, Florida headquarters with a mission to ignite a sustainable farm revolution by dramatically reshaping the global population’s ability to access to clean, healthy food. Built for farming in all environments, Brick Street Farms provides healthy, fresh greens, year-round.

About Lykes Bros.:

Founded by Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes and his seven sons in 1900, Lykes Bros. Inc. is a leading Florida-based agribusiness with cattle, citrus, farming, forestry, hunting, and land and water resources operations as well as major landholdings in Florida and Texas. www.lykes.com.

More Than Simply Housing

While “Housing” is in our name, CASS isn’t just about building homes. CASS is about holistically partnering with people with developmental disabilities to create opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise exist.

Employment for people with disabilities is one of the largest hurdles that many folks will ever face. Whether it is obtaining a job, the workplace environment, or transportation to and from the workplace, the enjoyment, meaning, and income that comes from a job is not available to millions of people with disabilities across the nation.

In Summer 2020, we were introduced to a company called Freight Farms out of Boston. Freight Farms converts shipping containers into hydroponic gardens. In these 10’x40’ climate-controlled boxes, over an acre’s worth of produce can be grown year-round. Leafy greens, herbs, root vegetables, and flowers grow extremely well in these containers.

image courtesy of freightfarms.com

As we looked further into Freight Farms, we realized that not only would these container gardens create employment opportunities for our Core Members, but they would give them access and working knowledge of produce, local food, gardening, and more.

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image courtesy of freightfarms.com

By the end of April, our first 2 containers will be delivered to our existing neighborhood on Constance Ave. (just north of Turnstone). We expect produce to be available by mid to late summer 2021.

Are you a restaurant, business, or grocery store interested in sustainable, year-round, local greens and herbs with a greater cause? Reach out to us by emailing robert@casshousing.org today.