Welcome to iGrow News, Your Source for the World of Indoor Vertical Farming
High Hopes For Aquaponics System Inspired By Sewage Treatment
“Our work shows that this type of cultivation is not only more sustainable, but it is also capable of providing nutrients in a form that is easily accessible to plants
by The Fish Site
30 June 2021
A novel water purification system inspired by sewage plants has been shown to be effective at optimizing fish waste for use as fertilizer for plants in aquaponics facilities.
In a recent study, researchers demonstrated that the system could improve nutrient remineralization for the plants, while removing excess nitrogen and carbon from the system, creating a healthier environment for fish.
The study, published in Frontiers in Plant Science, was undertaken by researchers from the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Gothenburg and involved the production of rainbow trout and lettuce.
As lead author, Victor Lobanov explained to Frontiers Science News: “Fish sludge is a waste product made up of uneaten food and fish feces and is normally broken down by bacteria in the water. In addition to physically harming fish gills, excess carbon in the solids leads to excessive bacterial growth – diminishing oxygen in the water and hampering the ability of the fish to breathe. We wanted to find out whether this waste could be used to fertilize plants in aquaponics systems by removing the excessive carbon, yet preserving the minerals needed for growing crops.”
The researchers investigated a potential solution inspired by sewage and wastewater treatment plants found around the world, called enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). They adapted it so that the risk of bacteria build-up in the water was reduced, but the minerals from the fish waste were soluble in the water and could therefore be biologically available for plants to take up.
They found that their solid treatment system was as effective at delivering nutrients from the fish waste to the aquaponic system as a commercial nutrient solution. Although the fertilizer did not meet plant needs entirely, as some nutrients such as manganese were missing, the researchers hope to optimize this system in future studies.
“Hopefully we can scale the system more efficiently in the future, not just for lettuce as used in this study but as well as for other plants, with the right number of fish corresponding to the size of the system. By further optimizing the breakdown of fish solids by the solid treatment system, we can also achieve a faster treatment rate and make the whole process more efficient,” explained Lobanov.
Commercial fertilizer solutions often have very high levels of nitrogen, stimulating crops to swell and absorb large amounts of water and giving the appearance of improved growth but often decreasing the amounts of minerals in the plant. Despite the fertilizer created by the solids treatment system containing lower levels of nitrogen than commercially available chemical fertilizers, plants were not nutrient deficient. This suggests that the high nitrogen levels commonly used are in excess of what the plants need. The authors hope that this finding will stimulate further research into the connections between plant nutrients, health, and taste,
“Our work shows that this type of cultivation is not only more sustainable, but it is also capable of providing nutrients in a form that is easily accessible to plants. Farmers can take this system and optimize it for their specific crops and production volumes, potentially even supplementing with additional nutrients if required,” said Lobanov.
Lead photo: The aquaponics facility where the trial took place. © Victor Lobanov
Urban Crop Solutions SpaceBakery Project Wins First Place At Global Space Exploration Conference
The winning SpaceBakery project is an interdisciplinary cooperative research project between seven partners, of whom, Urban Crop Solutions is the lead vertical farming technology and research partner
The Global Space Exploration Conference (GLEX) took place in St. Petersburg in June 2021. The conference brought together several leaders and decision-makers in the international science and space exploration community. Urban Crop Solutions and partners were selected to present two projects of the 250 that were presented during the conference. The SpaceBakery project was awarded the first-place prize.
Organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and Roscosmos (the Russian space agency responsible for space flights and aerospace research), the conference gathered several international stakeholders from the science and space exploration community, on a year which marks the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s spaceflight.
The winning SpaceBakery project is an interdisciplinary cooperative research project between seven partners, of whom, Urban Crop Solutions is the lead vertical farming technology and research partner. The objective of the consortium is to develop the next generation of bread products to support future space missions and aid the long-term survival of settlers on Mars, in addition to being applicable for modern agriculture. The overall goals and objectives of the consortium were presented by the Puratos Group (Belgium), the leading commercial partner of the SpaceBakery project.
Urban Crop Solutions also presented another joint project, the ‘variable climate biosphere’ that they have designed. The variable climate biosphere is a macro life support system that aims to create the best-suited environment for humans and plants to thrive together during extended periods of isolation, either on another planet – namely, the moon and Mars – or on earth in an underground shelter. The presentation showcased the 3D renderings, as well as the results that have so far been obtained.
“Our approach to partner with ambitious global industrial groups and research institutions for controlled indoor farming solutions is finally paying off. We feel that we are at the cutting-edge with our technology, products and services in the fast-emerging urban farming industry – whether it is in space, in cities, on the surface or beneath it.” – Maarten Vandecruys, CTO and co-founder of Urban Crop Solutions
ABOUT UCS
Urban Crop Solutions is a Belgium-based pioneer in the fast-emerging technology of indoor vertical farming. It has developed over the past six years, 220+ plant growth recipes in its research centre in Waregem, Belgium. To date, UCS has delivered over 25 projects in multiple global locations. Their farms are being operated both for commercial and research purposes. Uses range from the production of leafy greens, microgreens, and herbs for food retail, service and industrial use, and scientific research across multiple institutions.
Website: www.urbancropsolutions.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/urbancropsolutions
Twitter: www.twitter.com/U_C_Solutions
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/urbancropsolutions
For more information on this press release, on Urban Crop Solutions and their products and services, or the SpaceBakery project, you may contact Maarten Vandecruys, Serge Ameye or Lucie Beckers.
Maarten Vandecruys
Founder & CTO, UCS
maarten.vandecruys@urbancropsolutions.com
Serge Ameye,
Space, Tunnels & Special Projects, UCS
serge.ameye@marsbakingsociety.space
Lucie Beckers,
Research Manager Agronomy, Puratos Group
LBeckers@puratos.com
Is Vertical Farming Cost Effective?
The technological change caused a shift in farming from conventional to container farms. Currently, farming is turning to vertical farms
The technological change caused a shift in farming from conventional to container farms. Currently, farming is turning to vertical farms.
The more exciting part is that this time round, key economy participants such as Amazon, Google’s Eric Schmidt are pumping money into the trending farming method.
Since it is a new technology, many investors are still unsure about its profitability. They have several questions on vertical farming’s viability. That is to enable them to have a better understanding of the technology.
One of the most typical questions is whether vertical farming is cost-effective. The most straightforward answer is yes. Vertical farming is cost-effective if done on a large scale.
Here, you will find out differences among the core farming technologies in terms of
initial investment,
operating costs,
appreciation, and
profit margins.
You will find it easier to decide whether to continue your current farming methods or switch to vertical farming after reading this article. Find out more below.
What Is Vertical Farming?
Understanding vertical farming requires finding out milestones of farming.
The traditional form of farming is open field farming. Here, the crops grow under direct sunlight, temperature, and humidity. Also, it does not entail artificial fertilizers.
The second milestone of farming is conventional farming, mainly called greenhouse farming. Here, you design appropriate growth conditions for the crops. For example, you introduce artificial seeds, fertilizers and shield the plants from harsh weather conditions such as an extreme cold.
The increasing scarcity of farming lands and demand for more food has caused many farmers to implement container farming. In container farming, you grow crops in soils in vessels instead of letting them grow in the open fields.
The growing technology has resulted in vertical farming. Vertical farming entails packing and growing crops indoors with the help of vertical farming lighting.
Here, you incorporate energy efficiency and customizability of LED lights— to set color, temperature, and humidity conditions for plants to thrive.
Factors that Lead to Changing Farming Criteria
The core reason for farming evolution is market demand and supply. For example, most consumers need tasty and healthy food. The plants’ growth conditions should not hurt consumer health in the long run.
They should be assured of the availability of food whenever and wherever they need it. Most importantly, the supplier should provide competitive prices.
It is on the price that many farmers question the viability of vertical framing, bearing in mind the massive cost of material needed to operate vertical farms.
Here is a summary of recent findings on vertical farming costs.
Cost Determination
Research tells that vertical farming costs three times to implement than conventional farming. The prices inflate when you cater to initial investment and operating costs.
On the other hand, you can produce twice on a vertical farm than on a convention farm. For example, investing in 70000 feet vertical farm is likely to output 1 million kilograms of vegetables annually.
Depending on market location and pricing, you are likely to propel your profit margin when you sell than in the case of conventional farming.
The more exciting part is vertical farming value appreciates twice a year compared to greenhouse farming.
So, Is Vertical Farming Effective in the Long Run?
From the above figures, you can realize that vertical farming is more profitable on a large-scale application. The appreciating value proves that the market demands its products.
The best part is that it is becoming cheaper due to smart lighting technology that becomes less expensive. What do the above findings imply?
Key Takeaways
The best time to invest in vertical farming is now. Chief economic players are channeling a wealth of money into it.
For example, leading investors such as SoftBank Vision Bank, AeroFarms, and BrightFarms recently pumped more than $200 million into vertical farming.
Large-scale investment, crops’ quick turn, and increasing food demand for the growing population make vertical farming cost-effective.
Lead photo: Image by BrightAgrotech from Pixabay
VIDEO: What's In The Bag: Zoomin' Along
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We're sure you won't miss it. We're saying goodbye to gas for good with this all-electric car. With this new mode of transportation, we'll be able to expand our local delivery range and keep our zero-carbon footprint deliveries. We'll continue to deliver by bike, foot, and public transportation!
August 20th - 2nd Annual OptimIA Research Collaborative Update
Plan to join our annual stakeholder meeting online to learn our collaborative research update
Registration is now open!
2021 OptimIA Research Collaborative Update
August 20th, 2021
10 AM - 3 PM Eastern
Plan to join our annual
stakeholder meeting online to
learn our collaborative research update!
Meeting Information & Agenda
OptimIA (Optimizing Indoor Agriculture) is a USDA-funded Specialty Crop Research Initiative project to support indoor farming industry through critical research and extension activities.
Register
How Much Are You Willing To Pay For The Perfect Strawberry?
One of Japan's most coveted strawberry varietals is now being grown in a high-tech farm in Newark. And you can get a taste for a cool $50
One of Japan's most coveted strawberry varietals is now being grown in a high-tech farm in Newark. And you can get a taste for a cool $50.
BY LEENA KIM
JULY 2, 2021
MICHAEL STILLWELL
Of the reasons for which Newark is famous—namely its reputation as a former murder capital of America—there is a high likelihood that it will soon be known for something a little more savory: as the epicenter of the agricultural revolution, 2.0.
Over the past few years, New Jersey's gritty port city has become ground zero for a burgeoning vertical farm movement. First, what is a vertical farm? It's basically an indoor farm that uses aeroponics (or hydroponics) systems, artificial intelligence, robots, LED lights, and other forms of technology to grow produce in a controlled environment sans sun, soil, and pesticides. Newark is currently home to the world's largest vertical farm, the 70,000-square-foot AeroFarms, which has 8 others in this city alone (plus facilities in Virginia and Abu Dhabi) and is slated to IPO this month at a $1.2 billion valuation.
Nearly all of the vertical farms that have sprung up around the country specialize in leafy greens (kale, watercress, spinach, arugula, etc.). Why? It's the easiest crop to grow—and the cheapest ticket into the business. But Hiroki Koga, co-founder and CEO of Oishii, a 4-year-old vertical farm near Newark, had far grander ambitions. He didn't want to open yet another outfit for lettuce and spinach that, to be honest, can't taste so radically different from lettuce and spinach shipped in from California. He was going to go straight for Goliath on the first try: the strawberry.
Most vertical farms specialize in leafy greens because they are the easiest to grow. Not Oishii, which went straight for the holy grail in vertical farming: strawberries. OISHII
"They are one of the most sophisticated crops with an extremely complicated plant physiology, and one of hardest to grow in a vertical farm," says Koga, whose former life in Tokyo as a consultant to large corporations making headway in this agricultural category provided an early education in the business. (Not surprisingly, Japan has been way ahead of the curve on this trend, mastering the tech long before the term even entered the modern lexicon—today, many vertical farms use machines made by Japanese corporations like Sony and Panasonic.) "So while other companies started with something easy, we decided to invest all of the money we raised into something that was harder and might take longer to succeed, but that once we cracked the code to it, it would let us unlock other crops, like tomatoes, melons, and grapes, much more easily."
Hiroki Koga, co-founder and CEO of Oishii.
OISHII
Another key reason that deters vertical farms from graduating beyond leafy produce: the bees. Or rather, the lack of them. Greens don't need pollination but fruits do. The problem is, though, bees are sensitive. Put them in an artificial environment and they'll soon realize it's a setup and stop functioning properly. Koga has cracked this, too. "We were the first in the world to figure out how to trick the bees into believing they are in Mother Nature," he says.
Mind you, Koga certainly hasn't gone through this much trouble for just any kind of strawberries. His are a replica of Japan's Omakase berries, a unique, highly prized, and rare varietal grown in greenhouses in the foothills of the Japanese Alps only during wintertime (from January to March). They are characterized by an intensely fragrant, almost floral, bouquet, and a flavor profile that is juicy and creamy, soft and buttery, and, above all, super sweet. In other words, like nothing that is found in America. Oishii's Omakase berries tick all of these boxes, plus one more: they are perfect every time. Because even Japan's most meticulous strawberry growers can't control sun and temperature. "In our vertical farm, we can control for temperature, humidity, even levels of carbon dioxide, to optimize for this specific variety to thrive every single day," Koga says.
The strawberries grown in Oishii’s vertical farm in New Jersey. ZI JIAN/OISHII
So, about that price tag. Oishii's Omakase berries—at first only supplied to Michelin-starred restaurants, they are now available for delivery in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Jersey City, and at select purveyors like Eli's on the Upper East Side and Carissa's in East Hampton—are $50 for a box of 11 medium-sized strawberries (or 8 large). While these are exponentially more expensive than your average Driscoll's, even traditionally grown Omakases command a similar cost back in Japan, where they are considered treasured gifts for special occasions and celebrations.
But they are hardly Japan's most expensive strawberry. That distinction is held by the Bijin-hime varietal, grown exclusively by a veteran farmer named Nichio Okuda, who spent 15 years perfecting the berry and produces only 500 a year. A single Bijin-hime strawberry retails for 50,000 yen, or $448. (It ought to be noted that the Japanese are unrivaled in the realm of status produce: in 2019, for example, two Hokkaido melons sold at auction for $5 million yen, aka $45,000.)
Of course there are far more reasonably-priced Japanese varietals as well—the country has 250 different strawberry cultivars, which account for more than half of the global supply—and Koga plans to introduce them to the U.S. market, and eventually, the rest of the world. Thanks to a recent $50 million infusion of investor capital, Oishii has begun its expansion, first with the construction of a second vertical farm the size of a football field. "We're not just a small strawberry farm in New York selling fancy strawberries. We're offering a new way to grow, experience, and access food," he says. "We hope to bring a really big paradigm shift to the agriculture industry. Vertical farming is the way forward."
LEENA KIM Associate EditorLeena Kim is an associate editor at Town & Country, where she writes about travel, weddings, arts, and culture.
BrightFarms Launches Multimillion-Dollar R&D Hub in Greater Cincinnati
BrightFarms, a New York-based grower of indoor leafy greens since 2013, is forming BrightLabs, a new innovation and research hub, at its Wilmington greenhouse. BrightLabs, overall, will represent a tenfold increase in the company’s research capabilities, while increasing profitability and delivering new product innovations.
By Liz Engel - Staff reporter
June 24, 2021
An indoor farming company is investing millions in Ohio with the debut of a new research and development hub.
BrightFarms, a New York-based grower of indoor leafy greens since 2013, is forming BrightLabs, a new innovation and research hub, at its Wilmington greenhouse. BrightLabs, overall, will represent a tenfold increase in the company’s research capabilities, while increasing profitability and delivering new product innovations.
Steve Platt is the CEO of BrightFarms. (Jenn Erickson)
CEO Steve Platt declined to disclose the exact investment but told me it’s in the multimillions. The project is being launched as part of the company’s $100 million Series E funding round in October led by media conglomerate Cox Enterprises.
“BrightFarms as a company has been growing very consistently, and the indoor farming industry is at an inflection point,” Platt said. “We’ve perfected how we grow – among competitors, we’ve developed the most profitable model for the production of indoor leafy greens – but now’s the time to invest behind R&D to secure an advantage for the future. It’s essential to stay ahead of the curve.”
Like others in the indoor farming space, BrightFarms lauds the fact that its lettuce is healthier, tastier, looks better, is more nutritious, and, particularly for customers in Ohio, fresher than field-grown produce hauled in from states like California and Arizona. Today the company’s five greenhouses in Ohio, Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania produce 9 million pounds of produce each year.
But unlike several outfits, particularly vertical farms that use purple-hued LED lighting, BrightFarms leverages natural sunshine. Its souped up, high-tech greenhouses grow spinach, romaine, arugula and more using a hydroponic system, or water instead of soil.
Wilmington, which celebrated its first harvest in 2018, isn’t the company’s largest greenhouse in terms of size or production, but Platt said it made a good host for the innovation hub because of its centralized location. It’s close to customers and easily accessible from its other farms. He also credited the workforce and level of academic talent available from universities nearby.
BrightFarms celebrated its first harvest in Wilmington in 2018. BrightLabs is investing millions to build out an innovation and research hub at the site. (Brian Mollenkopf)
Phase one for BrightLabs includes a new, approximately 1,350 square foot lab that has been built at the Wilmington greenhouse site. BrightFarms will also dedicate space on the farm for the BrightLabs team to work.
Platt said BrightLabs will focus on three key areas:
Biotech. BrightFarms wants to study the environments in which plants grow to increase yield, flavor, and texture.
Agtech. BrightOS, the company’s proprietary AI software system, acts as the company’s central nervous system, Platt said, collecting millions of data points from its fives farms to streamline operations. How can the company improve that technology?
Product innovation. BrightFarms recently launched NutriGreens, a new lettuce packed with antioxidants – double the amount, Platt said, found in a serving of blueberries. BrightFarms wants more advances like that.
BrightLabs itself will be led by Matt Lingard, a former Bayer plant scientist and Ph.D. with over 15 years of experience, who joined BrightFarms in May as its VP of agriculture and science. Platt said the BrightLabs team will include four employees to start.
“We’re the leading grower of indoor spinach – in the U.S. we grow 90% of the indoor spinach that’s sold – but we want to double our production on that. How do we come out with new types of spinach that can grow even better in a hydroponic system?” he said.
“We’re taking on a massive industry and a complicated, broken system – where greens are grown all in one location, shipped thousands of miles across the country, generally with pesticide reside, there’s a food-borne illness, and the product isn’t that good,” Platt added. “We have a simpler system and a better product, but we need to deliver that at a price point and at a volume that competes with what’s coming out of California. If we’re trying to unseat this big gorilla, we can’t be this niche that’s only affordable to people who drive Teslas.”
Overall, there’s billions being invested in the industry. New York City-based Bowery Farming, in late May, announced a $300 million funding round with a $2.3 billion valuation. Kentucky-based AppHarvest merged with a special purpose acquisition company in February, an IPO approach that’s gaining ground in 2021, and is now worth $1.5 billion.
BrightFarms, with its Series E, has raised more than $200 million in total. In addition to launching BrightLabs, it plans to use the funds to expand its network of regional indoor farms – new farms are currently under development in Massachusetts and Texas – and grow its retail footprint. Locally, BrightFarms is available at Sam’s Club, Walmart and Pipkin Produce as well as Food Lion and Kroger in other markets.
The company said by the end of 2021 its leafy greens will be available at over 3,500 stores.
“It’s amazing. Even when I joined the company two years ago, we were convincing people this was the future. Now customers are coming to us saying, ‘We want to replace field grown with indoor-grown,’” he said. “We think the future is here.”
Lead photo: BrightFarms grows leafy greens like spinach, romaine, and arugula in high-tech, computer-controlled greenhouses.
Signify Announces New Philips Horticulture LED Partner Hortipar
“We are excited to be a partner of Signify and offer the range of Philips GreenPower LED grow lights to our customers”, said Aad van Ruijven, director at Hortipar
June 28, 2021
Eindhoven, the Netherlands – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, has signed a partnership agreement with Hortipar, an expert in realizing lighting projects for the horticultural sector worldwide. Hortipar is based in ‘s Gravenzande, the Netherlands, and operates mainly in North America, Canada, Eastern Europe, and the Netherlands.
Hortipar will now add Philips GreenPower LED grow lights to their global portfolio. Focussing on quality, flexibility, knowledge, and expertise, Hortipar offers their customers a complete solution for their greenhouse from the beginning till the end of a lighting project. With their independent advisors and team of dedicated experts, Signify is proud to add Hortipar to the global partnership network of Philips Horticulture LED.
“We are excited to be a partner of Signify and offer the range of Philips GreenPower LED grow lights to our customers”, said Aad van Ruijven, director at Hortipar. “Sustainability and innovation are of great value to us and to our network. Our customers expect the highest quality, and that we offer them the full package for their lighting installation, together with high-end advice and project management. The expertise of the team at Signify and their Philips GreenPower LED grow lights fit perfectly within these expectations and in our ambitions for the future.”
“Adding Hortipar to our global network of certified Philips Horticulture LED partners is something we are proud of”, said Udo van Slooten, Business Leader Horticulture at Signify. “According to our estimates, about 30% of the world’s greenhouse surface will be lit by 2025, and LED technology will light more than half of that surface. Therefore, we are continuously pursuing further development of our Horti LED partnerships worldwide, and Hortipar is a valuable addition.”
Signify continues to expand its Horticulture partner network, further demonstrating its commitment to lead the horticulture industry as the innovative LED lighting systems provider for greenhouses and indoor farming.
--- END ---
For further information, please contact:
Global Marcom Manager Horticulture at Signify
Daniela Damoiseaux
Tel: +31 6 31 65 29 69
E-mail: daniela.damoiseaux@signify.com
www.philips.com/horti
About Signify
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. With 2020 sales of EUR 6.5 billion, we have approximately 37,000 employees and are present in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We achieved carbon neutrality in 2020, have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for four consecutive years and were named Industry Leader in 2017, 2018 and 2019. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.
VIDEO: Is Hydroponic Produce Organic?
The organic farming standards were created by the USDA in the 1990s when there was increased public awareness of the health and safety of our food. However, at that time, hydroponic farming wasn't as widespread as it is today
Aaron Fields, Eden Green Technology's Head of Horticulture
Photo from Eden Green Technology
The organic farming standards were created by the USDA in the 1990s when there was increased public awareness of the health and safety of our food. However, at that time, hydroponic farming wasn't as widespread as it is today. That leads us to question: is hydroponic produce organic?
Check out this great video from Eden Green Technology, a hydroponic farm based in Texas. Aaron Fields, their Head of Horticulture, explains what organic really means and how hydroponic growing can be sometimes cleaner and safer. (Did you know? I hate to burst the organic bubble, but produce that is grown organically can still have some level of pesticides.)
AeroFarms Commences Construction On AgX Research Center
AgX will bring innovative research and development to the UAE and the Middle East to advance sustainable controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and vertical farming and help address broader global agriculture supply chain issues
AeroFarms Wholly-Owned Subsidiary AeroFarms AgX LTD Has Started
Construction Focused On Some Recent Developments
03 Jul 2021
AeroFarms, a certified B Corporation, and specialist in indoor vertical farming announced that AeroFarms AgX LTD, its wholly-owned subsidiary in the UAE, has started construction in Abu Dhabi on the company’s Research Center focused on the latest developments for indoor vertical farming, innovation, and AgTech.
AgX will bring innovative research and development to the UAE and the Middle East to advance sustainable controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and vertical farming and help address broader global agriculture supply chain issues.
Last year, ADIO announced that it is providing $150m in incentives to bring global AgTech pioneers to Abu Dhabi, including its partnership with AeroFarms to build a vertical farming facility dedicated to developing next-generation agriculture in arid and desert climates.
The transformational R&D conducted at AeroFarms AgX is expected to enable new business lines, technologies, and growth of the AeroFarms platform while serving as a hub for regional expansion. AeroFarms AgX is expected to be completed and operational in the first quarter of 2022.
HE Dr Tariq Bin Hendi, Director General of ADIO, said: “This important milestone for AeroFarms AgX is another step in the realization of Abu Dhabi’s mission to ‘turn the desert green’. In line with this goal, ADIO is supporting innovative technology that has the potential to impact farming practices across the globe and improve the food production value chain worldwide. AeroFarms AgX will add to the growing capabilities of Abu Dhabi’s agriculture ecosystem while benefiting from the emirate’s plentiful land, natural heat, competitive energy prices, access to research universities, and skilled talent.”
AeroFarms AgX will be the largest indoor vertical farm of its kind for research and development in the world, leading the way in breakthrough innovation to solve some of the world’s most pressing agriculture challenges.
AeroFarms AgX will employ a projected 60 highly skilled engineers, horticulturists, and scientists and will have high-tech laboratories conducting organoleptic research and precision phenotyping, phytochemical analysis, advanced speed breeding, as well as next-generation machine vision, machine learning, robotics, and automation. AeroFarms AgX will also play a key role in Abu Dhabi’s AgTech ecosystem by working with local universities on research projects to tackle problems of agriculture within desert and arid climates.
David Rosenberg, Co-Founder, and CEO of AeroFarms commented: “This is an important development for AeroFarms as we expand globally and leverage our R&D and growing expertise. AeroFarms has been the global leader for controlled environment agriculture since 2004, and we will utilize this cutting-edge R&D Center to conduct the latest research in plant science, vertical farming, and automation, accelerating innovation cycles and commercializing products.
Our vision has always been to leverage our expertise in plant biology and build on our successful history of collaborating with government, universities, industry and major international companies. We are pleased to take this step forward and proud to be a catalyst for helping to establish the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as a global hub for AgTech innovation.”
Lead photo: AeroFarms to build world's largest indoor vertical farm in Abu Dhabi. AeroFarms
Vertical Farms Hold Promise For Local, Sustainable Produce
Vertical farming uses controlled environmental agriculture techniques, like hydroponics or aquaponics, to grow crops in vertically stacked rows with 90% less water than traditional soil-based farming
Technique Uses Small Footprint,
Less Water To Provide Year-Round Crops
Beth Edwards
June 30, 2021
A former grocery store or an empty strip mall might not be the first images that come to mind when thinking of places to grow food. But around Indiana, many of these spaces are being turned into vertical farms to help alleviate farmland shortages and greenhouse gas emissions linked to traditional farming practices.
Vertical farming uses controlled environmental agriculture techniques, like hydroponics or aquaponics, to grow crops in vertically stacked rows with 90% less water than traditional soil-based farming. It also uses 75-90% less land than traditional farms and is able to be conducted in industrial areas. It allows the grower to have total control over the grow cycle of the crop.
Courtesy of Green Sense Farms
The technique allows for year-round income for farmers and fresh, healthy, local produce for consumers regardless of climate.
With the world’s population expected to grow to 9.7 billion people by 2050, agricultural production will need to increase by 70%. Vertical farming offers an alternative to scarce farmland and to traditional farming techniques, which cause 22% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.
A controlled environment
Krishna Nemali, assistant professor of controlled agriculture at Purdue University, said controlled environmental agriculture is driven by both plant science and engineering, with the purpose of growing crops in managed environments year-round.
In Indiana, farmers can do little outdoors between fall and spring because of low light levels and temperatures, he said.
“But with controlled environmental agriculture, you can produce year-round because you artificially manage the ideal environmental conditions for plants,” he said.
The farmer controls the lighting, temperature, nutrients, water and sometimes even carbon dioxide, but needs to understand plant science to know what is best for the plant being grown, as well as the engineering behind how best to deliver those resources without waste.
Professor Krishna Nemali at a workshop held by Purdue Extension to show participants how researchers use hydroponics to grow crops. Photo by Tom Campbell
“Our research shows that we use about one-third of the water used to grow the same crop in the same acreage outdoors. That’s because we recycle the water; we don’t just add water on top of the plants. In controlled environmental agriculture, the water is recirculated and is delivered to plants in a closed-loop system, where there is no runoff or leaching,” said Nemali.
While such systems do require a large amount of energy use, Nemali said research has enabled farmers to optimize energy use and lower consumption.
But there are limits to what can be grown using these methods.
“Because your investment is high, your return should also be high in order to make profits. There is a technology piece and usually, there is high-intensity cultivation that happens; therefore, growers want to grow high-value crops like vegetables and those that have direct impact to consumers,” said Nemali.
The time for harvesting the vegetables is more condensed as well. For instance, it will take about a month to grow leafy greens, around six to eight weeks for tomatoes and eight weeks for strawberries, instead of an entire season like in traditional farming.
The industry is growing rapidly and creating new jobs in many urban areas because it doesn’t require soil to produce fresh produce.
“A grower can purchase an old warehouse, let’s say 10,000 square feet or a quarter of an acre. But then they can grow 10 or 11 levels vertically, and in doing so, that’s a quarter of an acre times 10. So they are actually producing crops that would normally require two-and-a-half acres of land on this quarter of an acre simply by going vertically,” said Nemali.
Nemali said there is a huge amount of interest in vertical farming in Indiana. Indiana currently imports around 95% of its vegetables from outside the state. That means there is potential for large profits in vertical growing.
For example, USDA estimates that each person in the US consumes around 11-13 pounds of lettuce each year, which would roughly equal a salad each week. Nemali estimates Hoosiers consume about $60 million in lettuce each year, but Indiana farmers grow only a fraction of that amount.
Courtesy of Green Sense Farms
“We probably won’t produce $1 million worth of lettuce this year. So there’s a huge demand for local production,” Nemali said. “I’m just giving you one crop; imagine all those vegetables we are importing from outside. If it’s grown locally, that money stays with our growers and our farmers, and that will improve their livelihoods. That is why there is a huge interest in this industry.”
A pioneer in northwest Indiana
One company that has been a leader in the vertical farming industry for a while is Green Sense Farms in Portage.
Before he founded Green Sense, Robert Colangelo spent many years working on a wide variety of environmental issues, from research at Argonne National Laboratories to cleaning and repurposing brownfields. He said he was looking for something new when a friend approached him with an idea to start a vertical farm.
“I became very passionate about it, and I thought this would be a next great step in my environmental career, getting involved in agriculture,” he said.
He said he wished he had gotten involved in agriculture earlier in his career.
“We are not here to put field farms or greenhouses out of business,” he said. “I think as the population grows, we really have to look at what crops grow best outdoors and what crops grow best indoors and just rethink agriculture based on water and soil conservation. When we approach it that way, everyone feels comfortable with vertical farming.”
Robert Colangelo, head farmer of Green Sense Farms. Courtesy of Green Sense Farms
Green Sense began as an owner-operated farm. Colangelo grew leafy greens and herbs, which he mainly sold in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana markets. However, he now helps other companies or growers develop and build their farms.
Colangelo said while the business side of Green Sense was harder to learn than the growing itself. Knowing where to locate the farm and find the right talent, having the right operating procedures in place, and finding the right customer base took longer to learn, but now Green Sense helps others with exactly those issues.
It also designs farms specifically for the crop that the company or individual wants to grow, customizing growing techniques and economic data.
Vertical farming extends to other industries
Green Sense is currently working on several projects, including a casino in Las Vegas that would showcase a vertical farm in its restaurant so the diners could see the food they are eating. It has partnered with a company in Spain to offer combination greenhouses and vertical farms, and it also is considering a project that would turn old grain silos into a combination vertical farm, restaurant, and market.
“We’ve learned a lot about what doesn’t work, and we keep striving each day to figure out what works better,” said Colangelo.
Vertical farming isn’t limited to growing food. Green Sense has worked on projects for many different industries, including pharmaceutical companies, tree growing and many others that may seem surprising.
Colangelo believes the future of vertical farming will be highly automated.
“They will still require smart people to run them, but (with) a lot of the menial, repetitive tasks being done by machines. I think the future for farming is bright, and this is a great opportunity for young, smart people to get involved with,” he said.
Piper Halpin agrees. She worked with Colangelo for four years at Green Sense, starting out harvesting and seeding crops before becoming an operations manager. She now is involved in vertical farming in Boston.
“It’s exciting to be a part of and addicting because it is so technology forward, innovative and new,” she said. “Also, you don’t have to live in a rural area in order to be successful.”
Courtesy of Green Sense Farms
Colangelo and Halpin agree the technology aspect is attractive to younger people and helps to engage their interest in the field.
“It’s a great way to get young people reinvolved in agriculture,” Halpin said. “It’s been a cool bridge between old agriculture and new agriculture. I think it’s going to jumpstart a whole new interest level in ag that was kind of dying off before.”
Nemali said younger people are also interested because vertical farming is environmentally sustainable.
“They also see the importance of this industry in terms of feeding millions with fresh food, making sure it’s safe and done in a responsible way,” he said.
Nemali would like to see an increase in the variety of crops that can be grown in controlled environmental agriculture, technological improvements that lower energy consumption, and more university programs to train workers and researchers for these farms.
“This area is growing, and I want people to see, admire and provide support for it,” Nemali said.
Support from scientists, policymakers, marketers, and the government will enable a new workforce to develop the industry in the next 10 to 15 years
Polygreens Podcast Episode: 32 - Mark Thomas - Garfield Produce
Mark's background in operations and finance, mixed with his entrepreneurial spirit, makes him a dynamic leader. He always takes the time to get to know both his employees and customers, adding a personal touch to the company
Mark's background in operations and finance, mixed with his entrepreneurial spirit, makes him a dynamic leader. He always takes the time to get to know both his employees and customers, adding a personal touch to the company.
Latest Episode
Why Does Energy Efficiency Matter When Selecting LED Grow Lights?
Learn the 3 things to consider when choosing energy-efficient lighting in your greenhouse or vertical farm.
Before we get started, let’s set some ground rules for this article.
1. I want to believe that everyone wants to do what’s right for the planet as long as they think their business can afford it, so we will not focus on energy efficiency and its impact on sustainability.
2. In this article I will not post the name of suppliers or the price of the lights. The price of the light will definitely impact people’s decisions and will vary widely based on the volume of lights being purchased and the supplier providing it.
3. This article is not about light quality or light spectrum. To look for information on spectrum please read this article: Why I Still Believe in Red/Blue LED Grow Lights
4. This article is written with commercial greenhouse produce growers in mind, but we do include a model which shows high output led grow lights running for long hours per day which could imply a greenhouse cannabis crop.
5. We are fully aware that when you change the amount of energy going into the light as well as the type of electric light (HPS vs LED) one is using, it will have an impact on the climate in the growing/production area. Factors like heat and relative humidity would need to be taken into consideration if one was taking a holistic approach to energy savings on the farm.
6. All lights have different output (measured in PPF.) In this article we are going to make the assumption that a grower is using the same amount of fixtures per acre regardless of output. For simplicity we are also going to assume that the grower is running the lights for the same amount of time. We are fully aware that this will have an impact on the potential yield of the crop.
7. All greenhouses can require a different amount of lights per acre to achieve the target light intensities. I am using an average of the amount of lights per acre. Height of the greenhouse, width of the bays, placement of walkways, crop layout, crop density, as well as many other variables will impact the exact number of lights per acre.
__________
There is a growing amount of discussion around the environmental sustainability of a greenhouse or a vertical farm. Much of this discussion is being driven by two or three big energy hogs inside these production facilities. This includes the grow lights and climate management equipment like heaters and cooling units.
We all know that LED grow lights are more efficient than the older HPS lights that growers have used for decades, but do we know just exactly how to measure that? And do we understand how that will have a direct impact on not only energy savings but the operational cost at the farm? For those growing in a greenhouse, understanding these numbers during dark winter months can have a huge impact on electricity bills.
3 FOCUS POINTS
1. Start by understanding the amount of light you need.
Urban Ag News recommends going to websites like Suntracker or the ESRI DLI maps site. These websites allow anyone to determine the historical DLI monthly averages for their individual locations. For this example I am going to use the area where my grandparents farm is located in southwestern Michigan. As one can see this is an area of the United States that has very dark winters.
2. Work with a trusted advisor or extension specialist to determine the amount of hours your crop needs to grow consistently year round. Remember not all crops have the same light requirements and some crops have very specific photoperiods which can determine the amount of hours one can light their crops. Use all of this information to see when you will need supplemental light and how much light you will need to supplement with.
For this example I am going to use 1 acre of greenhouse tomatoes in a glass greenhouse located in southwestern Michigan.
3. Now let’s calculate how much it’s going to cost you to run the grow lights for the estimated hours you and your advisor determined were needed per year to get the desired yields.
a) To provide a baseline, we started with traditional 1000w HPS lights which are highlighted in yellow.
b) Then we chose six different LED grow light fixtures. Because the light spectrum has an impact on how efficiently the lights run, we chose three broad spectrum fixtures and three that are red and blue only.
c) Since HPS is the baseline, the final column labeled “savings” shows how much the total savings per year one would achieve when replacing traditional HPS with the latest LED grow light technology.
d) We made a few important assumptions in this example. First, the cost per kwh is around the USA national average of $0.09/kwh. Second, the same amount of grow lights would be used even though there would be some relative differences in umols/m2/s measurements for two of the samples. We decided not to change them because that would have an impact on uniformity (the even spread of the light over one’s entire crop) and associated capital cost not addressed in this article.
IMPORTANT NOTES!
It’s important to remember the 7 assumptions made at the beginning of this article and that lights are not equal. This chart only compares ppf (output) and w (watts). We elected to account for the difference in output by changing the amount of hours we estimated you would need to run the lights. Another way to look at this would be to remember the Golden Rule of Light in which 1% increase in light is equal to 1% increase in yield.
Running these simple calculations will show you why you need to look at energy efficient lighting and in general the importance of researching energy efficient equipment in general. What these calculations do not show is the quality of some fixtures over others. Buyers must always be aware of the value of warranties, ease of returns, durability and quality of product plus accuracy of your vendor to create detailed information on the best way to use and install fixtures. We understand that this topic is intimidating for most, but this is a major purchase for your farm. Make sure to take the time to learn the math and do your homework before purchasing.
Diving into these calculations will also highlight how much energy will be required to grow a wide variety of crops consistently with uniformed yields year round in climates with low light. Hopefully in articles to come we can discuss what this means for our environment and how we might develop additional ways to lower that ecological footprint.
For help in calculating the energy efficiency of grow lights you are considering, please email us and we will connect you with professionals capable of helping you make an informed decision.
Chris Higgins is the founder of Urban Ag News, as well as General Manager and co-Owner of Hort Americas, LLC a wholesale supply company focused on all aspects of the horticultural industries. With over 20 years of commercial horticulture industry experience, Chris is dedicated to the horticulture and niche agriculture industries and is inspired by the current opportunities for continued innovation in the field of controlled environment agriculture. Message him here.
Tagged GreenhouseGreenhouse TechnologyIndoor Ag TechnologyTechnologyVertical Farming
USA - GEORGIA - Giant Photovoltaic Canopy Tops Net-Positive Kendeda Building In Atlanta
US firms Miller Hull Partnership and Lord Aeck Sargent have designed a highly sustainable building at Georgia Tech university that generates more electricity and recycles more water than it uses.
US firms Miller Hull Partnership and Lord Aeck Sargent have designed a highly sustainable building at Georgia Tech university that generates more electricity and recycles more water than it uses.
The project – officially called The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design – is located at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a public research university in central Atlanta.
The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design is in Georgia
The educational building was designed by Seattle's Miller Hull Partnership in collaboration with local firm Lord Aeck Sargent, which was purchased by tech startup Katerra in 2018.
The project was backed by the Kendeda Fund, a private family foundation that supports a range of social and environmental initiatives. Skanska served as the general contractor.
The project is a highly sustainable building
The facility recently earned certification from the Seattle-based International Living Future Institute under its Living Building Challenge – one of the most rigorous green-building certification programmes in the world. The facility is considered to be a "regenerative building."
"Regenerative buildings create more resources than they use, including energy and water," the team said.
Classrooms and a design studio are included in the design
"The project's goal is to support the educational mission of Georgia Tech while transforming the architecture, engineering and construction industry in the Southeast US by advancing regenerative building and innovation."
The facility – which totals 47,000 square feet (4,366 square metres) – holds a range of spaces for students and faculty.
These include a design studio, two large classrooms, several laboratories, a seminar room, an auditorium and office space. There also is a rooftop garden with an apiary and pollinator garden.
The building's rooftop garden
Certain areas of the building are open to the public for special events.
While designing the facility, the team took inspiration from vernacular architecture – in particular, large porches that are commonly found on Southern homes.
"The project reimagines this regionally ubiquitous architectural device for the civic scale of the campus," said Miller Hull.
Rectangular in plan, the building is topped with a giant white canopy supported by steel columns. On the west elevation, the roof extends 40 feet (12 metres) to form a large, shaded area below with steps and seating.
A white canopy tops the building
In addition to providing shade, the canopy generates electricity. Its 900-plus solar panels form a 330-kilowatt array that produces enough power to exceed the building's energy needs.
For the exterior cladding, the team incorporated a mix of accoya wood, metal, glass and recycled masonry. The foundation walls are made of concrete.
Materials such as metal form the exterior cladding
Mass timber was used for the structural system due to it having a smaller embodied carbon footprint compared to concrete and steel, the team said.
In large-span areas of the building, the team used glue-laminated trusses with steel bottom chords.
Details on the building's exterior
"This hybrid approach reduces the quantity of wood required while making routing of building services more efficient," the team said.
For the structural decking, nail-laminated timber panels were made off-site and craned into place. A local nonprofit organisation, Lifecycle Building Center, sourced the lumber from discarded movie sets in Georgia.
Large windows flood spaces with natural light
Structural elements, along with mechanical systems, were left exposed so they could serve as a teaching tool.
Salvaged and recycled materials are found throughout the facility. For instance, stairs in the building's atrium are made of lumber off-cuts, and countertops and benches are made of storm-felled trees.
Mechanical systems were left exposed
Water recycling is also part of the building's sustainable design. Rainwater is captured, treated and used in sinks, showers and drinking fountains. In turn, that greywater is channelled to a constructed wetland, where it is treated and used to support vegetation.
The facility is also fitted with composting toilets, which nearly eliminate the use of potable water. The human waste is turned into fertilizer that is used off-site.
The rooftop has a pollinator garden
The building recently earned its Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification following a year-long assessment, in which it needed to prove it is net-positive for energy and water usage.
"It generates more energy from onsite renewable sources than it uses," the team said. "The building also collects and treats more rainwater onsite than it uses for all purposes, including for drinking."
The LBC programme evaluates buildings in seven categories – place, water, energy, health and happiness, materials, equity and beauty.
The Kendeda Building is the 28th building in the world to achieve LBC certification and the first in Georgia. The state's warm and humid climate poses a particular challenge when it comes to energy efficiency, the team said.
A large classroom
A communal workspace
"In spite of this, over the performance period the building generated 225 per cent of the energy needed to power all of its electrical systems from solar panels on its roof," the team said.
"It also collected, treated, and infiltrated 15 times the amount of water needed for building functions."
Students gather under the canopy outside
Other American projects that are designed to meet the LBC standards include the wood-clad Frick Environmental Center in Pittsburgh, designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. It achieved certification in 2018.
Photography is by Jonathan Hillyer and Gregg Willett.
Project credits:
Design architect: The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP
Collaborating and prime architect: Lord Aeck Sargent, a Katerra Company
Contractor: Skanska USA
Landscape architect: Andropogon
Civil engineer: Long Engineering
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer: PAE and Newcomb & Boyd
Structural engineer: Uzun & Case
Greywater systems: Biohabitatssolar panels
INDIA: Gourmet Garden Raises Over USD 3 Million Funding
Gourmet Garden, the first full-range zero-contamination F&V brand in the country, has announced its latest round of funding of Rs 25 Crores led by Beyond Next Ventures, M Venture Partners, and existing investors Incubate India & Whiteboard Capital among others
Gourmet Garden aims to expand their zero-contamination farming operations, broaden their portfolio with additional fresh categories, boost customer experience by deploying India’s first end-to-end B2C tech-enabled cold-chain, and improve ease of ordering with a mobile app and refreshed website.
01 July, 2021
Arjun Balaji Co-founder and Director Gourmet Garden and Vishal Narayanaswamy Co-founder Gourmet Garden.png
Gourmet Garden, the first full-range zero-contamination F&V brand in the country, has announced its latest round of funding of Rs 25 Crores led by Beyond Next Ventures, M Venture Partners, and existing investors Incubate India & Whiteboard Capital among others.
Established in early 2019, Gourmet Garden is known for offering the widest range of zero-contamination vegetables and fruits and other curated essential offerings. They stand out on quality and safety owing to their patented naturoponic farming operations, certified organic farming extensions, and a lean 1-day & 2-touch supply chain. Already a leading brand in Bengaluru and Chennai, the start-up is founded by Arjun Balaji, erstwhile a Partner at McKinsey and Company, and Vishal Narayanaswamy who launched among the first hydroponic farms in India.
With this funding, Gourmet Garden aims to expand their zero-contamination farming operations, broaden their portfolio with additional fresh categories, boost customer experience by deploying India’s first end-to-end B2C tech-enabled cold-chain, and improve ease of ordering with a mobile app and refreshed website.
Arjun Balaji, Co-founder, and Director, Gourmet Garden said, "We are fulfilling the consumer need-gap for a brand offering wholesome, distinctly fresh and safe food essentials for everyday consumption. Most other offerings are aggregating commodity supply, however, our focus has been to operate end-to-end and focus disproportionately on source quality and safety, which is at the core of overall customer experience and differentiation.”
"We wish to be the favoured brand destination for all things wholesome, fresh and curated. Our patented Naturoponic farming yields the highest quality vegetables and is our customers’ most loved offering. Essentials grown in certified organic farms along with an assortment of imported fruits make up our extended safe F&V range. In addition, we also offer a selection of authentic spices and dry fruits, and will soon be launching wholesome breads and organic sauces & dips for a wider range in fresh” said Vishal Narayanaswamy, Co-founder, Gourmet Garden.
The company now spans 60,000 customers in Bengaluru and Chennai alone. Over 75% orders, every month come from repeat customers, a testimony to their loyalty-building quality.
Tsuyoshi Ito, CEO, and Akito Arima, Agri/FoodTech Lead Capitalist, Beyond Next Ventures said, “We are delighted to see that their sustainable cultivation techniques and quality of succulent vegetables are comparable to those in Japan. The focus on affordable, high-quality and safe fruits and vegetables is rising in urban India. Gourmet Garden possesses a full basket of high-quality produce, delivered in shortest time keeping their loyal customers happy.”
“Simply put, we partner with great founder entrepreneurs,” commented Mayank Parekh, Founder - M Venture Partners, a Singapore-based venture capitalist. “The distinctive talent combination of Arjun and Vishal is the perfect formula to scale this incredible offering for consumers”
The existing investors are very excited by the progress thus far and have extended their commitments further. Nao Murakami, Founder - Incubate Fund India, said, “Since our initial investment in the start-up a few months ago, the founders and the team have shown a very strong execution capability. Even under COVID-19 pandemic and the series of lockdowns, the team managed to operate with full intensity despite a leaner covid-impacted team, showing agility to solve challenges. This is clearly backed by their passion and conviction”
"We continue to be very excited by the organic growth and customer love that has become the cornerstone of Gourmet Garden's promise. The offering has scaled well and is all set to become the largest clean and contamination-free fresh essentials D2C brand in India and we are looking forward to the journey ahead with Arjun, Vishal, and our co-investors" said Anshu Prasher, General Partner at Whiteboard Capital.
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Gourmet Garden fundraising fund investment investment investors Covid 19 zero-contamination vegetables Organic Farming
Q&A, Expert Source: Viraj Puri, Co-Founder And CEO of Gotham Greens, An Indoor Farming Company With Hydroponic Greenhouses Located In Cities Across America
Gotham Greens is focused on building a more sustainable food system and we are drawn to adaptive reuse projects in cities across America
A Q&A with Viraj Puri, Co-Founder, and CEO of Gotham Greens
For those that do not know Gotham Greens, please tell us a little bit about the company and when the company was formed?
Viraj Puri, Co-Founder, and CEO of Gotham Greens
Viraj: We are on a mission to transform how and where fresh food is grown. Gotham Greens is a pioneer in indoor greenhouse agriculture and a leading producer of fresh and sustainably- grown salad greens, herbs, dressings, dips, and cooking sauces. By using hydroponic systems in 100% renewable energy-powered greenhouses, our farms use 95% less water and 97% less land than conventional farming. Since our launch in 2011, Gotham Greens has grown from a single urban rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn, N.Y., to a multi-state greenhouse operator and one of the largest hydroponic leafy green producers in North America.
How many farms do you operate? And where are those farms located? What do you grow?
Viraj: Gotham Greens currently operates 500,000 square feet of greenhouses across five U.S. states (and growing), including locations in New York City, Chicago, Providence, R.I., Baltimore, and Denver. Through our national network of high-tech, hydroponic greenhouses, Gotham Greens produces fresh, long-lasting, and tasty leafy greens and herbs along with a line of plant-based salad dressings, dips, and sauces, available in more than 2,000 retailers in 40 states, restaurants in select cities, and foodservice customers all year-round.
Why did you choose a greenhouse over a vertical farm?
Viraj: Gotham Greens is focused on building a more sustainable food system and we are drawn to adaptive reuse projects in cities across America. Gotham Greens has a track record of established, robust and proven operations and technology compared to vertical farming, which is still a relatively young industry. Our hydroponic greenhouse technology uses less energy than vertical farming. While vertical farming is an innovative extension of modern greenhouse farming with overlapping principles that has garnered quite a bit of interest, there are still questions surrounding the technology and financial viability of this farming method. In theory, fully indoor environments that rely on artificial light and HVAC systems can offer very high yields and levels of climate control, pest management, and food safety, but these benefits can be outweighed by significantly higher capital and operating costs than our hydroponic greenhouses.
What are your predictions for the future of controlled environment agriculture?
Viraj: For many parts of the country, it’s difficult to get fresh, locally-grown produce all year round. Since more than 95% of lettuce grown in the United States comes from California and Arizona, by the time it reaches other markets, it loses its quality, taste, and nutritional value – and has a much shorter shelf life. Gotham Greens, and controlled environment agriculture at large, provide an opportunity to transform our food system for the better by growing more fresh foods closer to where consumers live — all while using fewer natural resources.
Consumers, retailers and foodservice operators are increasingly recognizing the reliability, consistency and high quality of greenhouse-grown produce that’s grown in close proximity to large portions of the population and we only expect this model to continue to grow as consumers pay greater attention to the food they eat and its impact on the planet. While indoor farming may not represent the future of all fresh produce production, for certain types of crops, it will become much more prevalent in the coming years.
You can hear Viraj Puri speak at the virtual Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit June 24-25, 2021.
Register Now!
Learn more: @gothamgreens or gothamgreens.com
Hydroponics Giant Hydrofarm Plans New Northern California HQ After IPO, 3 Acquisitions
Becoming a publicly-traded company, moving its headquarters from Petaluma temporarily to the East Coast, spending $343 million to acquire three more companies, prepping to return to a larger North Bay hub. It’s been a busy seven months for indoor farming equipment maker and distributor Hydrofarm
THE NORTH BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL
June 25, 2021
Becoming a publicly-traded company, moving its headquarters from Petaluma temporarily to the East Coast, spending $343 million to acquire three more companies, prepping to return to a larger North Bay hub. It’s been a busy seven months for indoor farming equipment maker and distributor Hydrofarm.
On Dec. 14, nearly 10 million shares of Hydrofarm Holding Group stock started trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “HYFM,” harvesting proceeds of $182.3 million, according to the March 31 annual report. The company did a follow-on offering of 5.5 million shares ended May 3, netting $309.8 million more.
After peaking at $92 in mid-February, the share price was $56.96 at the close of trading Friday.
Then early this year, Hydrofarm shifted its headquarters to its Philadelphia-area distribution center. It’s one of nine totaling 900,000 square feet that the 4-decade-old company operates in the U.S., Canada, and Spain. Hydrofarm also has offices in China.
That happened because Hydrofarm was lining up a larger location elsewhere in the North Bay, something it has been looking for over the past few years.
Hydrofarm had planned to relocate its headquarters from Petaluma to the 250,000-square-foot Victory Station warehouse south of Sonoma, but that deal didn’t materialize amid the rapid cooling of demand for real estate from the newly legal cannabis industry, according to real estate sources.
Hydrofarm couldn’t be reached for comment on its North Bay plans.
While cannabis has become a key driver of demand for controlled environment agriculture products, Hydrofarm got its start in Marin County during the disastrous drought of 1977-1978, the Business Journal reported in 2010. Founder Stuart Dvorin developed water-saving hydroponics that gained traction among gardeners.
The product line expanded to energy-efficient grow lights and germination kits. Then Hydrofarm moved into manufacturing and distributing indoor gardening equipment for both professional growers and hobbyists.
Today, key markets are growers of cannabis, flowers, fruits, plants, vegetables, grains and herbs. The portfolio now includes 26 internally developed, proprietary brands with about 900 product variations under 24 patents and 60 registered trademarks. The company also has over 40 exclusive and preferred brands totaling another 900 stock-keeping units.
Company brands account for about 60% of sales. The total catalog, which carries products from over 400 suppliers, includes over 6,000 SKUs.
“Our revenue mix continues to shift towards proprietary brands as we continue to innovate, improving overall margins,” the annual report said. “Further, our revenue stream is highly consistent as, in our estimation, we believe that approximately two-thirds of our net sales are generated from the sale of recurring consumable products including growing media, nutrients and supplies.”
Net sales last year were $342.2 million, up 45.6% from 2019. The company speculated in its annual report that the coronavirus pandemic shelter-at-home public health orders contributed to this jump in sales. Net revenue the previous year grew only 11.0% from 2018.
First-quarter net sales were $111.4 million, up 66.5% from a year before. The company attributed that to a 59.6% increase in the volume of products sold plus a 6.9% increase in price and mix of those products.
A sign of its commitment to remain in the North Bay, Hydrofarm earlier this year secured a lease for a 175,000-square-foot new distribution warehouse at 2225 Huntington Drive in Fairfield. Meanwhile, Hydrofarm founder Stuart Dvorin was preparing to sell the 110,000-square-foot main Petaluma facility at 2249 S. McDowell Blvd. Extension, a $17.5 million deal that closed June 7.
“We also intend to relocate our existing distribution operations in Northern California from the existing Petaluma building to a larger distribution center in the surrounding area,“ the company wrote in its annual report.
Started in Marin County in 1977 as Applied Hydroponics, Hydrofarm moved the headquarters to Petaluma in 1994, employing 65 at the time. It gradually expanded to 150,000 square feet there with a staff of more than 150 employees by 2010 and then to 195,000 square feet in the city in 2017. The company employed 327 full-time in all locations as of the end of February, it reported.
2017 is when Hydrofarm made a big expansion into Canada with the acquisition of Eddi’s Wholesale and Greenstar Plant Products. That deal helped Hydrofarm become a top supplier of hydroponics gear in Canada, the company said.
This year, Hydrofarm has acquired three more companies. Los Angeles-area premium nutrient maker Heavy 16 was picked up for $78.1 million, and Humboldt County’s House & Garden portfolio of brands for $125 million. A $161 million deal was announced this month for Aurora International Inc. and Gotham Properties LLC, Oregon-based manufacturers and suppliers of organic hydroponic products.
“We view M&A as a significant driver of potential growth as the hydroponics industry is fragmented and primed for consolidation,“ Hydrofarm wrote in its annual report.
Hydrofarm also has been fertilizing its C-suite with acumen in the past couple of years. At the beginning of 2019, Bill Toler came in as CEO, bringing with him over 3 decades of senior executive experience at major consumer packaged goods companies, including most recently seven years as CEO and president of Hostess Brands. B. John Lindeman came in as chief financial officer in March 2020 with 25 years of agriculture and finance executive experience.
Inside The Deals
Lease: Fairfield Commerce Center, 2225 Huntington Drive, Fairfield
Property type: Industrial
Size: 175,404 square feet
Tenant: Hydrofarm
Owner: TreaJP Venture Fairfield LLC
Date: Early 2021
Sale: 2249 S. McDowell Blvd. Extension, Petaluma
Property Type: Industrial
Size: 110,000 square feet
Buyer: Scannell Properties 531 LLC
Seller: Stuart Robert and Emily Alice Dvorin LDGT Grantor Trust
Agents: Cushman & Wakefield represented the buyer, and Meridian Commercial the seller.
Date: June 7, 2021
Price: $17.5 million
Sources: Cushman & Wakefield and Business Journal research
Lead photo: Hydrofarm's former headquarters on South McDowell Boulevard Extension in Petaluma (Facebook.com/Hydrofarm)
Jeff Quackenbush covers wine, construction, and real estate. Before the Business Journal, he wrote for Bay City News Service in San Francisco. He has a degree from Walla Walla University. Reach him at jquackenbush@busjrnl.com or 707-521-4256.
FRANCE: In The Jungle Vertical Farm, The Aromatic Herbs See Life In Pink
Founded in 2016 by former financier Gilles Dreyfuss and a founder Nicholas Segui, this young growth launched the first site in chateau-theory. It plans to open two more by the end of 2022 and become the number one vertical vegetable farm in the country
June 26, 2021
Pascal Mollard-Chenebenoit
France Media Agency
Founded in 2016 by former financier Gilles Dreyfuss and a founder Nicholas Segui, this young growth launched the first site in chateau-theory. It plans to open two more by the end of 2022 and become the number one vertical vegetable farm in the country.
This agriculture works on hydroponics, i.e. without soil, the plants grow on a surface and receive water rich in nutrients. In all warm and humid weather, the garden is lit by LEDs.
Two production “towers” operate with platforms ten meters high. “By the end of this year, we will have nineteen,” Jungle president Gilles Dreyfus told AFP.
A tower can produce 400,000 plants a year. When all is said and done, the 38-year-old former financier explained that the annual production would be 8 million plants.
Taste
Jungle grows aromatic herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro, chives), microgreens (mustard, ple da radish, red shiso, wasabi) and salads (lettuce, arugula).
Playing in Ultra-Fresh its products are intended for mass distribution and its herbs are already available in some Parisian stores.
“Keeping the power of industrial innovation in the service of plant life”: this is the motto of the Jungle. “With pesticide-free plants we meet consumer uses and new needs, they taste, they are alive, they are recognizable and most of all they are produced very close to where they are sold and eaten,” says Gilles Dreyfus.
In the warehouse, the seed course, mounted on a tray, begins on an automated belt. Sow them accurately in a small container filled with surface.
Then to the germination rooms, with tropical climates, the plants stay for a few days. Before joining cultivation tours to thrive and reach maturity.
In the tower, a computer controls all the parameters (water, nutrients, lighting, temperature, humidity, CO2, Ventilation) and constantly adjusts them according to the desired target.
“By playing with the light spectrum and different color ratios, we can make a plant flower faster, more compact, have larger leaves, and change its morphology,” explained Michael Mittrand, agronomist and research and culture administrator.
Robot
A robot has the maneuver to manipulate the trays set up at fifteen levels and control their health condition.
“We have a lot more productivity because we optimize all the parameters,” Gilles Dreyfus stressed. “On earth, you will have a maximum of 3 to 5 crops of basil a year. We have 14 ”.
It aims for profitability by the end of 2022, with the second site at half its capacity.
Jungle also relies on plant production for perfume manufacturers and cosmetic brands. This activity already represents 30% of its turnover, but the company is silent on the flowers produced.
Product area is hidden from visitors. It grows there “rare flower”, which enters into the recipe for perfume, Gilles Dreyfus has the content to say.
After ten years in finance, he decided to change his life in 2015 after reading an article about vertical farming and went to New York to meet the “Father of Concept”, Professor Emeritus Dixon Despomier at Columbia University. He goes to a world conference on vertical agriculture in California.
“When I got back to Paris, I quit my job. I went all over the world to see what was already there ”. On the way, he meets Nicholas Dupuy, who has become his partner.
The Jungle raised just 42 million euros for takeoff.
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CEA Producers Join To Support Data-Driven USDA Project
AppHarvest (Ky.) and Revol Greens (Texas) are vanguards of modern greenhouse cultivation, while Elevate Farms (N.J.) and Fifth Season (Penn.) are pioneers in vertical farming
Four agricultural producers have joined with nonprofit Resource Innovation Institute (RII) under the banner of its USDA Conservation Innovation Grant-funded project: Data-Driven Market Transformation for Efficient, Sustainable Controlled Environment Agriculture.
AppHarvest (Ky.) and Revol Greens (Texas) are vanguards of modern greenhouse cultivation, while Elevate Farms (N.J.) and Fifth Season (Penn.) are pioneers in vertical farming. The producers will serve as initial pilot partners in support of the USDA-funded project that aims to transform the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) market sector toward more efficient production through coordinated research on energy and water practices spearheaded by RII and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
“We are thrilled to unite with these categories in the name of innovation and agricultural resilience,” said Derek Smith, Executive Director of RII. “Working together with these initial pilot partners and others to follow, we can unlock basic knowledge about performance metrics that will serve as beacons of efficiency and productivity for CEA producers globally.” In addition to geographic diversity, the producers represent an expanding global market growing a range of crops in indoor environments, from microgreens to tomatoes to berries.
Resource Innovation Institute’s PowerScore resource benchmarking platform enables CEA producers to confidentially validate their innovative practices. Using standardized key performance indicators, PowerScore helps producers gain powerful insights into their operational performance while protecting strategic business interests.
“RII is trusted throughout the supply chain to provide data analysis and peer-reviewed guidance to producers, vendors, governments and utilities. Our consortium of members and partners are committed to collaboratively study the most sustainable horticultural practices across climate zones, building types, technologies and techniques to guide decision-makers on how to advance agricultural resilience,” said RII’s Smith.
To ensure the highest level of PowerScore data protection, RII has engaged Management Science Associates (MSA), global companies in data security and analytics, with expertise in HIPAA compliance and benchmarking for associations across industries. Together with producers, investors, and supply chain partners, RII continues to develop protocols that clearly define access, use, and ownership of data.
“We believe that the only way to fundamentally build an industry starts with data capture and accountability,” said Travis Kanellos, Chief Strategy Officer, Elevate Farms. “Our approach from day one has been to drive yields and profitability through metrics and KPIs. We believe RII will validate our approach."
For more information:
Resource Innovation Center
www.resourceinnovation.org
23 June 2021
USA - WISCONSIN: Kenosha Plan Commission Backs Plans For Indoor Garden Facility Near City Airport
The Plan Commission on Thursday reviewed and advanced a proposed year-round standalone indoor garden facility adjacent to the existing Gordon Food Service distribution plant at 10901 38th St. GFS plans to partner with Square Roots, an organization specializing in urban farming, in the development. A new 8,715-square-foot facility will be used to grow fresh produce, greens, and herbs
DAVE FIDLIN
Kenosha News correspondent
June 27, 2021
A food distributor’s plans for a year-round indoor garden facility on Kenosha’s northwest side moved one step closer to reality, following a city panel’s favorable recommendation.
The Plan Commission on Thursday reviewed and advanced a proposed year-round standalone indoor garden facility adjacent to the existing Gordon Food Service distribution plant at 10901 38th St.
GFS plans to partner with Square Roots, an organization specializing in urban farming, in the development. A new 8,715-square-foot facility will be used to grow fresh produce, greens, and herbs.
Gordon has forged similar partnerships with Square Roots at other distribution centers within the U.S., the first taking place two years ago near the company’s Michigan-based corporate headquarters.
At a Thursday’s meeting, GFS representatives indicated the indoor garden facility would serve a variety of purposes, with about 60 percent of it going toward direct-to-consumer retail sales and the balance toward distribution.
Down the road, company officials have indicated the new operation could have an educational component, such as workshops on how basil is grown. Partnerships with nearby colleges and universities also were discussed as a possibility.
During deliberations, several members of the panel lauded the plans for the site. Commissioner Lydia Spottswood said she viewed Square Roots’ addition as an example of forward-thinking development.
“It seems like a brilliant opportunity for more and more (of this type of development) to happen, given the proximity to Lake Michigan,” Spottswood said. “We’re trying to brand this as a city of innovation, and this is an innovative process.”
Commissioner Charles Bradley said he, too, was pleased with the proposal, though he did weigh in on the proximity of the development, which is near the Kenosha Regional Airport.
“I’m happy, but I am a little surprised by the location,” Bradley said.!
Commissioners also discussed GFS and Square Roots’ planned building materials for the new facility, which include the use of metal shipping containers on a portion of the facility.
According to information commissioners reviewed, the shipping containers will be accessible from inside the building and will include windows cut into the ends of the containers, alongside perforated architectural metal screens along the exposed sidewalls.
The companies’ tentative plans state the shipping containers will be stacked two rows high, 10 containers wide. A portion of the facility also will be constructed with more traditional building materials, including a concrete foundation and exterior walls made of insulated metal.
“This is a really interesting, adaptive reuse,” Spottswood said.
The City Council, which has final say on the proposal, will take up the Plan Commission’s recommendation and could act on it in July.
Meeting in person
Thursday’s Plan Commission meeting was the first time the appointed body gathered in-person, since COVID-19 lockdowns forced an abrupt pivot to virtual meetings in March 2020.
As is the case with all Kenosha municipal meetings, the Plan Commission is reverting back to its pre-pandemic practices.
“I’m very excited about it,” said Ald. David Bogdala, who serves on the Plan Commission. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, and I’m glad to see, for the most part, that we’re back to normal.”
Lead photo: A concept rendering of the southeast view of the proposed Square Roots and Gordon Food Service indoor garden facility adjacent to the existing GFS distribution plant at 10901 38th St.