FI Report Preview: Vertical Farming Concept Experiencing Immense Growth

By Kelly Beaton

July 19, 2021

Vertical farming is growing by leaps and bounds. In fact, the evolving form of agriculture has become a multibillion-dollar industry and is expected to reach $12.77 by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 25%, according to Allied Market Research.

Quite simply, the concept “has gone viral,” said Dr. Dickson Despommier, a professor at Columbia University.

And Despommier should know. After all, he’s credited with conceiving the concept, back in 1999, during an especially spirited Medical Ecology course.

The Food Institute recently interviewed Despommier at length, in advance of its in-depth report on vertical farming, which is set to be published Tuesday (you can eventually download the report here). Here’s some exclusive content from that interview, which discussed numerous aspects of indoor farming, also known as controlled-environment agriculture (or CEA):

HOW WOULD YOU PERSONALLY DEFINE INDOOR FARMING AND VERTICAL FARMING?

Despommier: “Indoor farming includes all indoor farms, including vertical farms, and it also includes greenhouses. The only difference between a vertical farm and a greenhouse is height, because you can’t just set greenhouses on top of each other.

“Vertical farms have grow lights. If you use grow lights … you get more nutritious plants as a result of that, because you can tweak those lights to cause the plants to produce more things that we need, like vitamins.”

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT’S A KEY BENEFIT PROVIDED BY VERTICAL FARMING?

Despommier: “By manipulating the indoor lighting systems … you can create plants that you could never grow outside. That’s one of the advantages.”

WHICH COUNTRIES ARE EMBRACING VERTICAL FARMING THE MOST?

Despommier: “The country that’s really got the most [vertical farming facilities] is Japan – Japan now has hundreds of vertical farms throughout the country, and they’re doing quite well. Taiwan has about 150, last I heard. Singapore has countrywide demand for locally produced food. The United States has a fair number, I would say in the neighborhood of 100, to 150.

HOW DO YOU ENVISION VERTICAL FARMING GROWING IN THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS?

Despommier: “I think the next issue will be, how can we franchise ourselves into a complete grocery store. And I know companies that are already doing that, so that’s in the wings. And, I think in another 5 years you’re going to see a versatility of crop selection that will force everything else into competition, and therefore [vertical farming] will succeed. That’s in the next 5 to 10 years.”

Take Action: Schools Must Provide And Encourage Organic Food

July 19, 2021

As yet another study, “Early life multiple exposures and child cognitive function: A multi-centric birth cohort study in six European countries,” draws attention to the benefits of organic food for the learning young mind, it is important that schools provide organic food to students. The study, conducted by Spanish researchers based at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, looks at a totality of all environmental hazards that children encounter, rather than individual lifestyle factors. As study co-author Jordi Júlvez, PhD, notes, “Healthy diets, including organic diets, are richer than fast food diets in nutrients necessary for the brain, such as fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants, which together may enhance cognitive function in childhood.”

Tell your governor and USDA/Food and Nutrition Service to provide organic school lunches and information for parents.

Researchers find that children who eat organic food display higher scores measuring fluid intelligence and working memory. Lower scores on fluid intelligence tests are associated with children’s fast food intake, house crowding, and exposure to tobacco smoke. Lower scores on working memory tests were associated with exposure to poor indoor air quality.

This study adds to prior research finding that eating a conventional, chemical-intensive diet increases the presence of pesticides and their metabolites in an individual’s urine, including higher pesticide body burden from eating foods grown in chemical-intensive systems. In fact, because of their smaller size, children carry higher levels of glyphosate and other toxic pesticides in their body. Coupled with this research are multiple studies showing that many common pesticides result in developmental problems in children. Most recently, a 2019 Danish study found that higher concentrations of pyrethroid insecticides corresponded to higher rates of ADHD in children. There is also strong evidence that organophosphate insecticides, still widely used on fruits and vegetables in the U.S., are dropping children’s IQs on a national and global scale, costing billions to the economy in the form of lost brain power.

Studies show children’s developing organs create “early windows of great vulnerability” during which exposure to pesticides can cause great damage. This is supported by the findings of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which concludes, “Children encounter pesticides daily and have unique susceptibilities to their potential toxicity.”

Switching from a conventional diet of food produced with chemical-intensive practices to organic diet drastically reduces the levels of pesticides in one’s body, with one week on organic food showing a 70% reduction in glyphosate in the body, according to one study. Socio-economic factors play a large role in access to heathy organic foods, and the ability to provide the sort of environment that allows a child’s brain to flourish, so it is important that school lunches, which provide nutrition across socioeconomic classes, help to equalize learning potential. Pitting access and cost against the long-term success of a child’s development puts many parents in an untenable position. The preponderance of evidence points to organic food providing the nutrition needed to give young minds the start they need in life. But eating organic should not be a choice to make – all food should be grown with high quality standards that reject the use of brain-damaging pesticides and protect the wider environment. 

Remembering Ed Harwood: AeroFarms Co-Founder, Chief Science Officer

By AMY SOWDER

July 26, 2021

Ed Harwood, co-founder, and emeritus chief science officer at AeroFarms, has died, leaving a legacy of patented innovative agriculture technology and expansion beyond his expectations.

A framed photo of Harwood’s smiling face greets those who arrive at the indoor, vertical aeroponic farm company’s headquarters in Newark, N.J., said Marc Oshima, chief marketing officer, and co-founder with Harwood and David Rosenberg. The company began in 2004.

Whenever someone schedules a meeting in the conference room, they do so at “Ed’s Garage.”

It was in his dining room and then garage where Harwood tinkered with the nozzles that transport water and nutrients to leafy greens. He patented a way to keep them unclogged, Oshima said.

Harwood also patented a new clean, inert, reusable growing medium: cloth. It’s lighter than water and soil, making it more suitable for vertical farming in urban areas where space is scarce. And it’s a growing medium made from recycled water bottles plucked from the waste stream.

“Ed’s early work led us on that path of a circular economy, sanitary design, performance and measuring that performance. Ed’s spirit of inquiry helped foster the same in our team and in our practices,” Oshima said. “His legacy is part of our culture today.”

Harwood’s focus and early discoveries helped commercialize the urban vertical farming movement, he said.

Today, AeroFarms is a Certified B Corporation striving to feed more people on less arable land by using breakthroughs in indoor agtech, artificial intelligence, and plant biology to improve the food system’s way of growing and distributing produce, locally and globally. The company is on its way to going public and has expanded with several locations including commercial farms, community farms and research and development farms, like the newest one in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The company’s awards surpass the dozens. Harwood won United FreshTEC Achievement Award in 2018, a kind of lifetime achievement award for driving innovation in agriculture.

“I was really excited for Ed to be recognized for that by the broader produce community,” Oshima said. “I mean, 15 years ago he was having these conversations.”

Harwood’s training and prior experience provided the foundation of this success.

He earned his doctorate degree in dairy science with a minor in artificial intelligence. He was able to translate the dairy sector’s leading food safety principles and practices into procedures that work for indoor agriculture at AeroFarms, Oshima said.

Harwood was the associate director for agriculture at Cornell Cooperative Extension, where he worked for nine years.

Preferring to be called "Ed" rather than "Edward," Harwood was a man with a sense of fun, a soccer coach, and a family man.

Family members were by Harwood’s side when he died from cancer. He had stepped back from his duties gradually in recent years, serving as emeritus chief science officer and continuing to consult with the company, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and in academia.

Harwood lived with a positive outlook, a smile, and a sense of wonderment about the world, Oshima said.

“He was not one for titles or pretenses. It was just about the work. It was about ‘How can we do something for the greater good, have a greater impact?’” Oshima said. “He would say where we’ve gone has blossomed far beyond his dreams.”

“But it was his principles of curiosity, acting with a sense of urgency and responsibility — those have been the hallmark of our organization.”

Those who wish to send anecdotes or photos can do so at EdHarwoodTribute@AeroFarms.com.

Lead Photo: (Photo and logo courtesy AeroFarms; graphic by Amy Sowder)

Up On The Roof, Residents at Allegheny General Hospital Tend Vegetable Garden

By Anya Sostek

July 19, 2021

Fresh off a morning seeing patients in clinic, resident Deanna Huffman started her afternoon shift at Allegheny General Hospital with a list of tasks: sweep around the garden beds, prune the tomatoes, harvest the snap peas.

Up on the roof of the hospital’s Hemlock Parking Garage, doctors and residents have planted eight raised garden beds as part of an initiative designed to relieve stress for residents and provide food to patients in need.

“It’s pretty well known that there’s a burnout crisis in medicine, and we’re a residency program, training future doctors,” said Dr. Anastasios Kapetanos, director of the residency program. “It was an opportunity to get our residents outside the building, get some sunlight and some wellness benefits of gardening, and we could tangibly give something back.”

Dr. Kapetanos first proposed the idea in an email in February 2018. From there, it was a two-year journey to find the right spot in the hospital’s North Side campus. A courtyard that was identified — and even leveled during the wintertime — ended up being too shady during the summer. A rooftop that looked promising turned out to need tens of thousands of dollars in reinforcement to work as a garden.

“The chief operating officer would go on like, three, four hour walks with us, just on campus,” said Dr. Kapetanos, describing the search for a plot. “Finally he said, why don’t we go check out the parking garage, and that’s how we ended up here.”

Dr. Deanna Huffman, left, and Divya Venkat and other doctors at Allegheny Health Network harvest vegetables from their garden atop the Hemlock Street parking garage at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side.(Post-Gazette)

For busy residents, the parking lot ended up being the perfect spot, he said, because they can park their cars on the top floor and check in on the garden as they come and go from work each day. And the vegetables couldn’t be happier.

In late June, residents had already begun to harvest lettuce and kale. Plump sugar snap peas hung from a trellis ready to go.

“It’s thriving even more than our home garden,” said Dr. Kapetanos. “I am so jealous,” added his wife, Dr. Yenny Cabrera-Kapetanos, who is also an internal medicine doctor at Allegheny General Hospital. Dr. Cabrera-Kapetanos was instrumental in developing the garden and planning out the plots, even starting seeds for the garden over the winter at the couple’s house in Cranberry.

Dr. Cabrera-Kapetanos gives a tour of the garden, pointing out zucchini, cherry tomatoes, melons, basil, and edible flowers to bring pollinators up to the top floor of the parking garage.

Dr. Huffman pulls peas and cuts lettuce with scissors, placing it in a bag that will be delivered to the hospital’s Healthy Food Center, which distributes food to patients along with nutrition lessons.

“I’ve seen so many patients who have told me they’ve gotten vegetables from our garden and they’ve been so happy about it,” said Dr. Divya Venkat, a physician with AHN’s Center for Inclusion Health. Dr. Venkat, who grew up gardening with her parents in Las Vegas, started a community garden plot on the North Side when she was a resident at AGH to grow vegetables with other residents.

Dr. Divya Venkat, left, and Dr. Yenny Cabrera-Kapetanos harvest vegetables from their garden atop the Hemlock Street parking garage Monday at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side.(Post-Gazette)

The garden plot on the parking garage has now been formalized into a curriculum for the residents, where they learn not only about tending the vegetable garden but also about how to talk to patients about diabetes and hypertension.

They are also working with the Healthy Food Center to develop simple recipes to accompany the garden foods, such as a recent one for vegetable chili using garden zucchini.

“The plan is for residents to think of a patient they are taking care of in their own clinic and say, oh, this is a patient who has food insecurity. I would like to bridge that divide,” said Dr. Venkat, “and physically hand them the food that is grown here with an accompanying recipe.”

Other hospitals, such as Boston Medical Center and the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, also have vegetable gardens that produce food for patients, although they are not run by residents.

In addition to producing vegetables and educating residents, the garden has had other benefits, helping to develop a new community within the hospital. “Once you start talking about gardening, all the gardeners come out of the woodwork,” said Dr. Kapetanos. “Like there’s a lady that works in cytology. I met her up here last week, and we’re exchanging seeds. She just emailed me and said I have those seeds, and I said, ‘I’ll get you my mom’s tomato seeds from Toronto.’”

Allegheny Health Network doctors, from left, Dr. Deanna Huffman, Dr. Divya Venkat, Dr. Yenny Cabrera-Kapetanos, Dr. Paige Langhals-Totino and Dr. Anastasios Kapetanos pose for a picture near their garden atop the Hemlock Street parking garage at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side. (Post-Gazette)

And while it wasn’t in the plan when the garden was envisioned in 2018, it also became a sanctuary for doctors and residents during COVID.

“Indoors we were always wearing our masks and shields around the clock and spending long hours and taking care of COVID patients as well, which was very stressful,” said Dr. Cabrera-Kapetanos. “It’s therapeutic, sometimes, just to come and start plucking weeds or pruning some of the plants. It’s nice and quiet up here.”

As COVID intensified in the hospital, Dr. Venkat and other residents could take solace in the garden.

“COVID was so scary because you just watch so much death, right, there’s so much uncertainty,” she said. “I think everyone was pretty scared because no one knew what was going on with COVID, but this is a place that was outside, it was not contaminated, and no matter what, it is always living. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, if it’s snowing, there’s always life in the garden, and it was a nice thing to have.”

Investment Projects On Construction And Modernisation of Greenhouse Complexes Will Be Presented At the 6th Annual International Forum Greenhouse Complexes Russia & CIS 2021

Date: 1-3 December 2021

Place: Moscow, Baltschug Kempinski

Organized by: Vostock Capital

Tel.: +44 207 394 3090  

E-mail: Events@vostockcapital.com

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

6th Annual International Forum Greenhouse Complexes Russia & CIS 2021 is an established professional international platform for attracting investment in the Greenhouse Industry of Russia, discussion of industry development strategies, exchanging experience between key market players, and signing new win-win contracts.

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

 Silver sponsors: Svetogor, Gavita. Bronze sponsor: Hortilux.

Industry partner: the Association “Greenhouses of Russia”.

Onsite Visit Partners: Agrokombinat Moskovsky, Podosinki greenhouse complex.

You have the opportunity to become a part of a unique business conference.

Please Note! Vostock Capital company, an organizer of the International Forum in Moscow, assists foreigners interested in the industry development with entering Russia for event participation on the basis of a “green list”. Foreign delegates will be included in this list if they register for the event and submit their documents before August 10.

The event annually brings together over 500 delegates from the largest federal and regional agro holdings, heads of retail chains and service companies, presidents of national unions and associations. Just to name a few: ECO-Culture,  Stavropol Flavour, Greenhouse, Ovoschevod, Grow Group Azerbaijan, Yagodnaya Dolina, Tander, X5 Retail Group, Agricultural Complex Gorkovskiy, Agrocombine Moskovskiy, MC AgroPark Plody s Gryadki, Yug-Agro, ECO-farm Mazilovo, Trading House Vyborgec, Green Farmer, Sun Valley, Growth Technology, Yagodnaya Dolina, Udmurt Flowers, FITO, MWM RUS, Horti XS BV, Pylot, AgroBioTechnology and many others.

Among the speakers and honorary guests 2020: Dzhambulat Khatuov, First Deputy Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture of Russian Federation; Dmitry Aveltsov, CEO, Ministry of Agriculture of the RF Center of Agroanalytics Federal state budgetary organization; Inna Rykova, Head of the Sectorial Economy Centre, The Federal State Budgetary Institution Financial Research Institute of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation; Dmirty Lashin, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Lipetskagro; Alexey Shemetov, Vice-President, Production Operation, Agricultural Holding ECO-Culture; Dmitry Lisnevskiy, Minister, Ministry of Investment Policy of Sakhalin Region; Sharip Sharipov, First Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Dagestan; Alexander Belkovets, General Director, Trading House Vyborgec, Agrofirma Vyborgec; Andrey Chigin, General Director, Stavropol Flavour and many others.

Forum Highlights 2021:

·      500+ executives of flagship greenhouse complexes and agro holdings from Russia and the CIS – Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, as well as investors, government representatives, chief agronomists, managers of retail chains and service companies

·      NEW! 2 TECHNICAL VISITS to state-of-the-art greenhouse complexes – Agrokombinat Moskovsky (vegetable farming) and Podosinki (flower cultivation)

·      Leaders' debates: the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, agro holdings, investors, initiators. Post-pandemic status of the greenhouse industry

·      Greenhouse investment projects on modernization and construction with the implementation period of 2021-2025 from all Russian regions and the CIS countries

·      NEW! HYDROPONICS AND VERTICAL FARMING. What is the difference from traditional industrial cultivation? Technology development prospects

·      FOCUS SESSION: STRATEGIES TO INCREASE SALES. How to establish interaction between suppliers and retailers for the benefit of all?

·      HOW TO OPTIMISE PRODUCTION WITH THE HELP OF INNOVATIVE GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGIES. How do innovations boost the development of the greenhouse industry?

·      IMPORTANT! POWER SUPPLY IN THE GREENHOUSE INDUSTRY. Cost optimization methods

·      INCREASE IN YIELD AND RESISTANCE – MODERN APPROACHES TO CULTIVATION. Parallel round tables for agronomists in the following areas: fruit and vegetable and lettuce greenhouses, mushroom complexes, berry greenhouses

·      Presentation of modern equipment and technologies for greenhouse complexes from top companies from the Netherlands, Israel, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other countries

·      Fast and efficient! Roadshow of innovative technologies and equipment by the global leaders

·      EVENING COCKTAIL

Register Now 

           

Light Science Technologies Launches Sustainable nurturGROW LED Lighting Range

July 21, 2021

90% recyclable and interchangeable design enables growers to simply upgrade and replace 

 Leading UK AgTech company Light Science Technologies (LST) has launched nurturGROW to the market, its new sustainable grow lighting product range, offering an innovative, high-performance and cost-effective solution for indoor farming, covering greenhouses, vertical farming, polytunnels and medicinal plants.  

Created with four core component parts, the patent-pending nurturGROW range is made of high-quality, durable materials to give growers the ideal balance between strength and optimal performance. 90% of the components are recyclable, minimizing the amount of materials needed to drastically cut down on waste and reduce carbon footprint. Thanks to its sustainable, future-proof design, 85% of nurturGROW is also reusable, allowing growers to easily upgrade components, cost-effectively and with no downtime, making nurturGROW easy to maintain. Backed by a 25-year product lifecycle, it ensures indoor farmers maximize the use of every element over a longer lifespan to generate maximum yields and save them a third on future costs.   

Built for scale and sustainability 

Thanks to its modular structure, the nurturGROW range consists of more than 30 different options with variable lengths of up to 2.78m, making it the longest luminaire on the market. It provides the scale needed to commercialize the right recipe and cut down on waste with both energy and space. With a high efficacy of up to 3.0 umol/J and up to 30-degree variance, growers can choose from 1000s of different light recipes to improve plant performance, from one of the widest ranges of recipes available on the market.  

What’s more, nurturGROW enables you to give back to the environment. As proud reforestation partners of One Tree Planted, they plant one tree for every LST product sold, as part of a mutual commitment to champion global reforestation efforts and raise awareness of the importance of ecosystem restoration. 

In-house UK scientific and manufacturing expertise  

nurturGROW features industry-leading, high performing LED lighting innovation by drawing on its own in-house manufacturing capabilities, assuring growers of nothing  

less than high quality and high performance grow lighting. This is supported by a successful tried and tested approach in real environments to prove nurturGROW’s long-lasting lighting technology.  

Backed by science, LST works with growers to create the perfect recipe for crop growth. Using light testing equipment and data gathered from LST’s purpose-built laboratory, its in-house team of scientists can help identify the right spectral waveforms and PPFD levels by recreating various environment scenarios in one of its accredited grow chambers. 

Grow more, with less  

Founded in 2019, LST’s approach from the beginning was to create a bespoke, fully integrated lighting solution that met key criteria for CEA farmers and growers: sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and high performance. Knowing that each growing environment has its own set of unique requirements, nurturGROW gives growers optimum control over their crops with the potential to deliver optimal yield and minimize both CAPEX and OPEX costs. 

Craig Price, Operations Director at Light Science Technologies, said: “Being customer-focused by design means that as an experienced LED grow light partner, we understand every variable and can help indoor growers to design a sustainable solution that fits their unique growing parameters. 

“This extends to adjusting the light recipe for growers, as nurturGROW will allow you to increase, decrease or change the recipe depending on preference, thanks to an interchangeable luminaire body. 

“The unique aspect of our design also means that we have already allowed for future integration of sensor technologies, offering significant added value. By choosing to add in our new sensor technology, which is under development, indoor growers and farmers can look to control their environment in much more granular detail. This will enable them to reduce any sub-optimal performances, whether that be in any environmental controls or from the light itself.” 

Step Away From That Screen And On To Our Expanded Expo Floor

BIGGER, BETTER EXPO FLOOR OFFERS PERFECT ZOOM FATIGUE FIX!

(And some pretty great solutions for your business, too)

There's nothing like an in-person event for getting a first-hand look at the latest product innovations. So step away from that computer screen, step on to our expo floor and see live product demonstrations...Touch new products...Ask questions and gather feedback from company execs and peers in the booth.

We've significantly expanded our expo floor to bring you even more top names, established best-sellers and promising start-ups. See the latest in lighting, operating, automation and control systems, growth chambers, seed treatments, plant nutrition, greenhouse & hydroponic supplies, substrates, pest control, irrigation, equipment & design resources and so much more from companies like:

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YOUR TWO-DAY INDOOR AG-CON EXPERIENCE PACKAGE

Indoor Ag-Con is so much more than an event. It's an experience! And one you don't want to miss. Hear from 70+ speakers, network with industry peers, see the latest product innovations. Then, head back to your operation armed with actionable ideas and profitable strategies that promise to grow your business!

Register before our Early Bird Rates end on August 16, 2021 to save up to $300 on our full access pass. And if your plans change, no worries! Passes are completely refundable prior to September 27, 2021, and include:

• All Keynotes, Morning Conference Sessions, Afternoon Panels

• Expo Floor Access

• Welcome Gift Bag

• Complimentary On-Demand Access to In-Depth, 2-Day "Financing Indoor Ag Seed To Scale" webinar

• White Paper From The Packer & PMG presenting the latest research on indoor growing & sustainability

• Lunch Daily

• Show Floor Cocktail Receptions

• Event App

• Access to Indoor Ag-Con Library

REGISTER NOW & SAVE UP TO $300

OUR SAFETY PROMISE  

Your health and safety are priority one at Indoor Ag-Con Orlando.
Rest assured that the Indoor Ag-Con team is closely monitoring the
guidelines issued by the CDC, state and local officials. We're working with our venue partner, Hilton Orlando, to provide you with a safe and
productive environment to conduct business.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR INDOOR AG-CON SPONSORS,
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UAE’s “Green Sheikh” Visits Green Bronx Machine, Gotham Greens And CS55

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22-July-2021

by Green Bronx Machine

Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz welcomes the "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi to GBM's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center at CS 55 in the South Bronx.

1. Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz welcomes the "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi to GBM's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center at CS 55 in the South Bronx.

2. Green Bronx Machine

   The "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi tours Green Bronx Machine's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center at CS 55 in the South Bronx.

3. Gotham Green Co-Founder and CEO Viraj Puri (r) hosts the "Green Sheikh," His Royal Highness SheikhAbdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, along with Green Bronx Machine Founder Stephen Ritz and former GBM student and current Gotham Greens employee Corey Gamble at their Brooklyn-based greenhouse.

4. Senior officials from NYC Department of Education, the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, NYS Senator Gustavo Rivera, and other staff and community from CS 55 greet His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi at Green Bronx Machine's National Health, Wellness and Learning Center.

Newswise — BRONX, NY, July 22, 2021 – Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz and his students welcomed yesterday His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, to their classroom at the National Health and Wellness Learning Center (NHWLC) at CS 55 in the Bronx.

A member of the ruling family of Ajman of the United Arab Emirates and an environmental adviser to the Ajman Government, HRH is a globally acclaimed humanitarian and philanthropist whose work focuses on mindfulness, well-being, spirituality, sustainability, and nutrition, particularly in children and those living in marginalized communities. 

During the visit, HRH, known as the “Green Sheikh,” and Ritz, often called “America’s Favorite Teacher,” had a chance to catch up on all things ag education-related and see what GBM students are growing and learning during the Summer Rising school program that is currently in session.  In fact, GBM’s students hosted a luncheon for HRH, preparing and serving him a vegan meal made from vegetables grown by them right in their NHWLC classroom.  Prior to arriving at CS 55, Ritz accompanied HRH on a tour of Brooklyn-based Gotham Greens, a longtime GBM supporter, and partner. Gotham Greens, a pioneer in sustainable indoor farming with the largest network for hydroponic greenhouses in North America, brings a fresh perspective to how businesses can operate with a triple bottom line.

"The power of friendship between the UAE and USA started many years ago via multiple platforms.  Events like these help that friendship to continue to blossom and grow. Today, we all come together for sustainability, stewardship, and the best interests of all children. Today, we celebrate education and possibilities,” said His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi.  “After many years of working together overseas, to be able to visit my dear friend, Stephen Ritz, and see the work of Green Bronx Machine personally, in his home country and home community is beyond exciting. To see this classroom and to visit Gotham Greens is to truly understand what is possible when people work together with innovation and dedication to change lives. This is what community looks like. This visit helps to share our work, our commitment, and our shared vision for the future and the planet for everyone to see - all around the world. I want to thank the NYC Department of Education, the residents of the Bronx, Stephen's family, colleagues, and the community at Community School 55 and the staff at Gotham Greens for their gracious hospitality. I look forward to continuing our sharing, our learning, and our working together." 

Longtime sustainability allies, the two green leaders met years ago in UAE via government officials with The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) of Dubai.  KHDA is responsible for the growth and quality of private education in Dubai.  The two quickly became friends, sharing their passion for impact work, philanthropy, sustainability, education, and wellness initiatives. 

Stephen continues to work in UAE with ESOL Education.  Based on the model of Green Bronx Machine's National Health, Wellness, and Learning Center, ESOL launched the International Health, Wellness and Learning Center at Fairgreen International School located in the heart of Dubai’s The Sustainable City – the first net-positive city in the world.  Fairgreen International School is considered a Top Twenty School in the UAE and is known for innovation globally. 

“It has been an honor hosting His Royal Highness Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi, our dear friend, colleague, and fellow believer in the power of the plant to grow successful people, communities and economies,” said Ritz.  “We look forward to our continued work with HRH.  We are always ready to bring the Bronx to the world and make epic happen for millions more across the globe.” 

Over the coming months, HRH and Ritz will embark on a series of joint projects including a series of books for young people about bringing the farm to the desert, as well as building farms throughout the UAE to address food insecurity, agricultural innovation, workforce development, and overall health and wellness. 

“We built our first greenhouse in New York City in 2011 with the mission to reimagine how and where fresh food is grown,” said Viraj Puri, Co-Founder, and CEO of Gotham Greens. “His Highness, Green Bronx Machine, and Gotham Greens all share a passion for environmental advocacy and building a more sustainable future for our planet and for people around the world. We believe business can be a force for good, so we plant roots in the neighborhoods surrounding our greenhouses through long-standing partnerships with community groups and non-profit organizations like Green Bronx Machine, bringing nutritious, local food and STEM education to cities across America. We know that the impact from these programs extends beyond the borders of our neighborhoods and are proud to share learnings from our experience over the past decade.”

About Green Bronx Machine

Founded in 2011 by Global Teaching Prize finalist and life-long educator Stephen Ritz, Green Bronx Machine (GBM) is an impact-driven, for-purpose organization with 501(c)(3) status.  GBM builds healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st Century workforce development. Dedicated to cultivating minds and harvesting hope, its school-based model and propriety curriculum uses urban agriculture aligned to key school performance indicators, to grow healthy students and healthy schools.  Simultaneously, GBM also transforms once fragmented and marginalized communities into neighborhoods that are inclusive and thriving.  For more information, visit www.greenbronxmachine.org.

Follow us on social media:

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/green.BX.machine/

Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/greenbronxmachine/

Twitter:            https://twitter.com/greenBXmachine

YouTube:        https://www.youtube.com/c/Greenbronxmachine/about

INDIA: Toward A Fresh Future

It’s Not Often That You Get To See Your Leafy Greens, Herbs, And Microgreens Grown On-Site By Hydroponic Farming While Shopping Inside A Mall.

22nd July 2021

By Vaishali Vijaykumar

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It’s not often that you get to see your leafy greens, herbs, and microgreens grown on-site by hydroponic farming while shopping inside a mall. This novel concept comes to Chennai, courtesy of Freshlings, with its first retail offering at the Express Avenue Mall.

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Following the success of their plant-based subscription boxes, the 900-sq-ft-store, which had a soft launch last week, will offer its patrons a touch-and-feel experience of the green goodness before they handpick them. While they’re yet to stock up the entire list of farm-fresh vegetables and fruits, there’s enough for you to whip up a three-course meal from what’s currently available at the store, assures Sriram Gopal, founder of Freshlings.

“We’ve believed in ‘Clean food for all’ since 2014. While we’ve been witnessing a gradual change in the mindset of people, the interest in eating healthy and clean hit an all-time high after the pandemic. We’re grateful to the EA mall for being able to kickstart this pioneering facility. We’re hoping the on-site set-up will trigger the curiosity of more people to give this a shot,” he says.

A green catalyst
The store has an entire section of microgreens, romaine lettuce, kale, and amaranthus, neatly boxed and stacked. Sitting next to them are candy peppers, mini cucumbers and carrots, zucchini, Chinese cabbage, galangal, berries, dragon fruit, and select staples. “Fresh produce is replenished based on demand. Our quality control manager ensures nothing beyond its shelf life is stacked on the cold shelves. In case of minor damage, the product will be kept under our ‘Ugly section’ that’s yet to be launched. This is just to say that those in that section are not any less but will be made available to customers at a discounted price to ensure zero wastage,” he says.

Along with their in-house greens, Freshlings works to curate more seasonal and perennial produce from farmers and organizations that adhere to standards of sustainable food production and Global Agricultural Practices’ standards. “We’re also looking for ways in which nutrition can be made fun for kids and encourage them to make healthy choices. There will be a kids-approved section that will be filled with their favorites. We will also be sensitizing kids and motivating them to engage in farming. There’s a dedicated Grow and Bloom section for kids and urban dwellers to adopt the farming lifestyle with grow kits, seeds, herbs and tools to get started on the gardening journey,” shares Sriram.

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Walking us through hydroponic farming that’s now being explored by more families — especially during the lockdown — Sriram says that plants grown in this farm don’t have pesticides and use only 20 percent of the water it would normally take to grow the same quantities. “These recirculated water systems help irrigate the produce and can prioritise food grown for taste, colour, and nutritional value rather than shelf life or its ability to sustain mass production. Greenhouse and Indoor growing also means that everything happens under the watchful eyes of the farmer. One doesn’t have to worry about the hygiene factor either because your plants grow in a controlled setting, away from any kind of pollutant or toxic substance. It’s a completely safe method,” he notes.

Clean and conscious
Besides being a catalyst in bringing a lifestyle change in Chennaiites and promoting conscious eating, Sriram is optimistic about solving inefficiencies in the supply chain and also providing a feasible solution to farmers. “Our seven years of research in this field is aimed at imparting knowledge to farmers on utilizing technology optimally. If a machine that’s cheaper than your mobile phone can do the trick of farming then what can be better than that? We call this appliance agriculture and have developed our proprietary operating system that can take care of end-to-end production of 30 crops. The next step is to incorporate regional languages so the machine can command the farmer and handhold him through the process. It will monitor everything from water levels, temperature, humidity until harvest. We recently set up a fully automated facility in Singapore. It will take a long time here but we are in talks with like-minded people,” he elaborates.

After crossing the initial hurdles of getting their customers to try their products, Sriram says that they are all about working relentlessly towards the larger picture. “Sustainable food production and responsible consumerism must work in tandem to create a value-conscious lifestyle. Often premium product chains eliminate Chennai from their expansion plans because they think people here are not quality conscious and price-sensitive. We are challenging the notion by starting here. To us, being a cult brand is more important than chasing numbers. This is just the beginning and we hope to impart knowledge to as many as possible,” he says.

The shop will officially be launched shortly. Freshlings has also tied up with delivery partners to cater to its patrons living across the city. Until then, you can keep track of their daily updates on their official Instagram page @thefreshlings or visit www.thefreshlings.com

Vertical Harvest, MedRhythms Get FAME Financing to Advance Growth Plans

By Catie Joyce-Bulay

July 19, 2021

The Finance Authority of Maine has approved a total of nearly $50 million in financing for two startups — Vertical Harvest L3C, which plans to launch a hydroponic greenhouse in Westbrook, and a Portland provider of "digital therapeutics," MedRhythms Inc.

Vertical Harvest will receive $45 million in conduit bond financing. The company plans to produce over 1 million pounds of produce annually, and FAME's funds will be used to finance a portion of the construction costs to build 70,000-square-foot Westbrook farming facility. The project ultimately is expected to create approximately 50 full- and part-time jobs, many of which are expected to be performed by individuals with disabilities.

The project is part of a larger master-planned development that is expected to include affordable housing and parking in downtown Westbrook. Because the project will treat wastewater as an exempt facility, all or a portion of the bonds will be eligible for tax-exempt treatment under federal tax law.

“We appreciate FAME’s support for the agricultural component of this project,” said Greg Day, president of TDB LLC, developer of the project. “This master-planned program establishes a compelling business model for food production in an urban core that our firm is expanding to other communities throughout New England and the nation.” 

Vertical Harvest plans to break ground on the facility in the fall. It's expected to be Maine’s first vertical farm, and the country’s second. The company’s first location in Jackson Hole, Wyo., was the first of its kind and has been operating for five years.

MedRhythms, Inc. will receive tax credit certificates related to approximately $2.8 million in investments through the Maine New Markets Capital Investment Program to help with the costs of a commercialization strategy of its device and software for stroke rehabilitation. The certificates authorize the issuance by the state of approximately $1.1 million in tax credits through the program.

“We are pleased to support MedRhythms’ plans to advance their digital therapeutic for stroke rehabilitation, as well as additional research and development,” said David Daigler, chair of the FAME board. “Digital therapeutics are a cutting-edge field that can help to improve the everyday lives of Mainers and other patients who will benefit from the company’s technology.”

MedRhythms uses sensors, music, and software to build solutions that measure and improve walking. The company, which currently employs 18 individuals, with 13 full-time employees in Maine, hopes to triple its workforce in the next few years.

“Digital therapeutics are the future of health care, and we appreciate the support of FAME,” said Brian Harris, CEO and founder of MedRhythms.

FAME uses tax-exempt private activity bonds, or “conduit bonds,” which are authorized by the Internal Revenue Code in order to stimulate economic development in certain targeted industries. The projects financed in recent years range from nonprofit health and higher education projects to solid waste improvements, public infrastructure and manufacturing. 

Lead Photo: A 300,000-square-foot Westbrook building, shown in this rendering, is expected to house the Vertical Harvest indoor farm, as well as apartments, parking and commercial space.

USA - VIDEO: Could Hy­dro­ponic Farms In Shipping Con­tainers Promote Water Con­ser­vation?

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BY ZARINA KHAIRZADA

JULY 21, 2021

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Dozens of red leaf lettuce heads grew without ever seeing the actual light of day with the help of Freight Farms "ag tech," a repurposed shipping container and students from La Sierra University. One of the students was Max Proebstle, who never thought he would find a personal interest in hydroponic farming.

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"As soon as you transplant them into the growth panels after about a week, they're already like a full head of lettuce; it's pretty amazing to see," the graduate student said.

What You Need To Know

• More than 20 La Sierra students are working together to study hydroponic farming inside a repurposed shipping container

• The Freight to Table program used Freight Farms "ag-tech" to grow leafy greens with the help of high-intensity lights, circulating water, and plant nutrients
  

• The system uses at least 90% less water than traditional farming, according to La Sierra University project director Marvin Payne
  

• The program will utilize harvested crops in the university dining halls and provide locally sourced produce for the surrounding area

Proebstle and about 20 other students have been volunteering their time inside the repurposed shipping container turned indoor hydroponic farm on campus. This method of growing crops replaces the need for soil with plant nutrients, artificial light, and recirculating water. After working with the new tech system, Proebstle believes it could be a game-changer for the future of farming.

"If you have a connection to a water system and electricity, you can basically grow produce sustainably and organically, anywhere and anytime," he said.

The Enactus team on campus recently harvested more than 500 heads of red leaf lettuce, with more on the way. The program is helping students get a hands-on approach in STEM and agriculture while also introducing them to a way to create their urban farms in the future.

Project Director Marvin Payne, who oversees the Freight to Table program on campus, explained that this model allows hydroponic farms to be placed just about anywhere for year-round harvesting.

"The entire footprint of this container is basically 320 square feet, and so with this, you can turn out thousands of plants in a fairly short period of time," he said.

The tech allows growers to monitor nutrient levels, production and light schedules remotely. Since it's inside a container, the amount of artificial daylight for the crops can be increased to about 16 hours each day. Doing so means more growth but also a higher electricity output.

As drought conditions worsen, at least 94% of California is considered to be in a severe drought. There will be more pressure on the farming industry for water conservation, and this model — according to Payne — uses at least 90% less water.

"You are using electricity, but we're getting creative in producing electricity these days, and it uses only a very small fraction of the water that any traditional farming is going to use," he said.

After plucking the leafy greens from growth panels inside the controlled agriculture environment, Proebstle and the team have brought their harvest from a hydroponic farm to the table with a new passion for farming.

"In my personal life, I can totally see this being a part of my life, something that I'll be interested in and involved in for the rest of my life," Proebstle said.

Until then, the Enactus team at La Sierra University will continue exploring how this growing method could bring sustainability and locally sourced produce where it's needed most.

Guest Op-Ed: From Field To Skyscraper

By Nathan Riehemann

May 13, 2021

Imagine rows upon rows and layers upon layers of crops, enough food to feed a city grown locally right in your next-door skyscraper. Growing food in warehouses or skyscrapers is the future, and this new innovation is called a vertical farm. New research shows crop yields in vertical farms can be 200-600 times greater than your typical field farm. The world is growing and farming is growing with it.

This growth has resulted in the need for another form of farming. With an alarming decrease in the world’s topsoil, farm yields are decreasing. Topsoil contains all the important nutrients necessary for healthy plants, but erosion is washing or blowing the topsoil away and the plants are not being nurtured. Compacted soil, which limits root growth, is also prevalent in our ever-industrializing civilization. Crop yields in compacted areas of China, even after soil rehabilitation, produce yields that are 60% less than a typical farm, and rehabilitation of the soil can take up to two years. The world needs another solution like vertical farming until our soil can be managed and preserved properly.

AgriHouse Inc. and AeroFarms are both well-known vertical farming companies located in South Korea and the United States. The methods these companies use are LED lights designed specifically to meet the PPF (photosynthetic photon flux) a plant needs and aquaponics which reduce both water and fertilizer use while maximizing produce.

Currently, vertical farms produce spinach, lettuce, cabbage, peas, strawberries, peppers, potatoes, radishes, carrots, and tomatoes. By stacking growing areas, a vertical farm is able to produce 500 fold what a traditional farm can. This is all completed with a workforce of about six to 10 people. It is amazing to see how much food can be produced with such a small amount of manpower. This is just the beginning because rice is also perfectly suited for vertical farming. It is a prominent crop in Eastern Asian countries so it will surely join the others. Wheat is also one of the top 10 most prevalent crops in the world and has been tested and found to be growable in the controlled environments of vertical farms. Soon, most crops will be grown not out but up.

Vertical farms do have some drawbacks such as the possibility of insects terrorizing the controlled and pesticide-free crops. And since vertical farms are dependent on electricity, power outages could potentially destroy entire yields. The initial cost of building vertical farms is also potentially high. These are valid concerns and more research is needed to address them. With technology constantly updated and redesigned and with increased support, vertical farming will continue to grow along with the produce. Vertical farms are still more reliable than field farms because they are not affected by seasons or natural disasters. Soon, your local farmers won’t have to look down at their fields but rather up at the towering gardens.

Lead photo: Nice leafy vegetables at the Sky Greens vertical farm in Singapore.

Nathan Riehemann is a senior at NUAMES graduating with his associate degree from Weber State University. He is planning to study mechanical engineering and participate in Air Force ROTC at Montana State University. He enjoys playing hockey, traveling and board games.

Central Minnesota Research Project Growing Kale Indoors

The project is a partnership with Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative, Central Lakes College, Lakewood Health System, Great River Energy, and the Electrical Power Research Institute.

Written By: Rebecca Mitchell

July 21, 2021

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Central Lakes College research analyst Noah Boetler shows a panel of kale plants in the Sota Grown pod during a virtual tour on July 13, 2021. Rebecca Mitchell/Pioneer Journal

STAPLES, Minn. — A community research project in Staples involving indoor gardens is set to continue growing.

The hydroponics project started in 2020 with Great River Energy, Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative, and the Electrical Power Research Institute hoping to learn new technology and increase access to fresh produce. And even with kale as the chosen plant, local organizations rooted for the success of the hydroponics pod. The pod, planted at the Central Lakes College Staples campus, is a shipping container with room for 5,820 kale plants.

“I didn’t know how things were going to grow in here, it’s kind of a weird concept with there being no sunlight and things like that, so just seeing it go from a little seed to your big plant and harvesting it, I think that has been the coolest aspect,” CLC research analyst Noah Boelter shared with Minnesota educators in a virtual tour on July 13.

The partnership is called "'Sota Grown" and has helped develop a fully enclosed hydroponic container for growing fresh plants all year long — to supplement existing agriculture practices in communities across the state.

The pod, equivalent to one acre of crops, is a supplement to traditional farming, not a replacement, as TWEC member service manager Allison Uselman said. Although kale is the focus of the two-year project, the team has experimented with growing basil, swiss chard, lemon balm, and chives. Romaine lettuce, butterhead lettuce, and salad mixes are next on the list — and after a year of only kale, Boelter is excited for the new opportunities.

Each kale seed, planted by hand, starts in the nursery before being transplanted to vertical panels. The kale takes 12 weeks to reach maturity. The team of four staff members and interns plant and transplant on Wednesdays and harvest on Mondays.

“Kale is pretty forgiving, which is very fortunate for us,” Boelter said after sharing about a frozen pump during the winter. The kale wilted and bounced back in a matter of days. The team is also learning about flooding and nutrient dosing in the pod.

With the expected growth of indoor agriculture, Uselman said electrical companies will need to prepare for the change. For example, the pod uses the most energy when most other customers could have off-peak rates. The light and water systems run from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily. The kale is watered for five minutes every 45 minutes. The electricity is about $600 a month.

“It’s education with students, it’s giving back and feeding our communities, and Todd-Wadena has the opportunity then to research all the electrical side of things and really understand this industry before it grows to a larger state,” Uselman said.

The pod’s water usage depends on the humidity levels outside, with the most water used in the winter — about 10.5 gallons every day—and about five gallons a day in the summer. The two water tanks deliver water above the panels and water behind the plants. There are also several different nutrients added, such as one to adjust pH levels.

“In the summertime, the pod does not use a whole lot of water because the HVAC unit has a dehumidifier built into it and that’s recirculating around a gallon of water an hour that gets dumped back into the pod, so it’s really efficient in the summer,” Boelter explained. “But when it’s winter, the air is so dry that’s when we use the most water.”

The indoor pod means the ability to regulate the temperature, which is a cool 65-68 degrees and having no pesticides or herbicides used on the plants since most bugs remain outside. There are some drain flies due to the algae.

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The red LED lights in the Sota Grown pod at Central Lakes College are the only source of heat. The lights and water run from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily. Rebecca Mitchell/Pioneer Journal, July 2021

As for sunlight, the LED lights are the only heat source in the pod, as Boelter said, though it is also insulated. The red and blue lights support stem growth and leaf density.

The process yields about 20 pounds of kale a week — and on a record week 43 pounds — or over 1,000 pounds as of July 5. All of the kale is donated to Lakewood Health System, who shares the kale through the Food Farmacy and Hilltop Regional Kitchen. The Kitchen uses the kale in specific meals for those who have tested positive for COVID-19 and people being discharged from the hospital. People can also receive free kale at the summer farmer’s market on Thursdays.

As Lakewood’s Community Health Coordinator, Amy Wiese works with about 70-100 bags of kale a week to find where it can best be served. She said the kale lasts about two weeks in the fridge.

People also receive kale recipes for new ways to enjoy the vegetable. Wiese enjoys massaging the kale to break down the bitterness and then eating it in a salad. Other favorites are kale chips and soups.

“We just see the benefits of this project and recognize the positive impact that healthy food can have on individuals and in the community,” Wiese said. The organizations also hope to address local food deserts. “It’s really amazing that we are able to provide fresh produce all year with this pod” even with snow on the ground for six months of the year.

The seeds grown and sown in the community have finished their process with new seeds set to germinate, grow to maturity, and be harvested and packaged in four to eight hours for their short drive up the road.

Photo: 1 - The kale seeds are planted in peat moss plugs and stored in the nursey for three weeks before being transplanted to the indoor panels. The planting process takes about an hour. Submitted photo

Photo: 2 - The shipping container contains an acre of kale growing hydroponically with LED lights. Photo courtesy Todd-Wadena Electric Coop

Photo: 3 - Each section has 22 panels with space for 5,820 kale plants or the resemblance of one acre of crops. Rebecca Mitchell/Pioneer Journal, July 2021

Providing Tailored Crop Recipes, So Clients Can Hit the Ground Running

By Rebekka Boekhout

July 8, 2021

“You could best divide our products and services into three parts, being: external research and in-house contract research in our R&D labs, providing total indoor farming solutions, and collaborating in research projects,” explains Maarten Vandecruys, co-founder and CTO at Urban Crop Solutions (UCS). 

The Plant Biology team

UCS, a Belgian pioneer company in the indoor farming scene, recently made headlines with the announcement that the research consortium with whom they are developing the next generation of bread products to support future space missions, SpaceBakery, won the Gold Prize at the Global Space Exploration Conference. But intergalactic missions aren’t the only thing on the company’s mind…

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UCS's ModuleX growing solution in action

Tailored recipes
“We are already looking into expanding our Research Centre due to the high demand for our contract research services, and our indoor biology research expertise. Our added value is to provide a completely tailored plant recipe as part of our end-to-end solution offering,” said Maarten. Normally, a product will be delivered and it’s up to the customer to see how the product works. However, UCS firmly believes that aftercare delivers the best results.

Depending on the crops to be grown, the client first has to give certain specifics about the preferred crop. Then UCS will look into its existing growing recipes, and whether it fits their needs. Eventually, if it’s something new or deviating from it, then UCS starts research on finding the best growing envelope for the client. “We’d rather sit down with them, providing the right solution so clients can hit the ground running,” Maarten notes.

Read the complete article here

For more information:
Maarten Vandecruys, Co-founder & CTO
Urban Crop Solutions
maarten.vandecruys@urbancropsolutions.com
www.urbancropsolutions.com

Two New Hirers For Horticultural Lighting Specialist

Vertically Urban, the Leeds-based manufacturer of LED solutions, has welcomed two new specialists to its growing team.

Vertically Urban is excited to welcome Jon Potter and Phoebe Sutton to the team. The two recruits have been bought on board to meet the brand's growth objectives and further improve its scientifically based development process.

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Jon joins as Business Development Director, with a wealth of LED lighting and controls knowledge gained from his time with Philip's Lighting and the Aurora group.

In his new role, Jon will be helping to grow the Vertically Urban brand working directly with growers, partners, and system integrators to bring horticultural lighting solutions into several application areas.

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Phoebe enters the newly-created position of Plant Biologist, bringing a plethora of research experience in plant photobiology. She has a specific interest in integrating her research and expertise into the vertical farming industry.

Currently, Phoebe is completing a Ph.D. in the optimization of LED lighting regimes to increase the phytonutrient content in hydroponically grown herbaceous crops. In the new role, she will be managing the brand's onsite laboratories to ensure the optimum formula for LED grow lights.

Andrew Littler, CEO of Vertically Urban, says:

"We are thrilled to have both Jon and Phoebe on the team. Following our successful Seedrs campaign last year, we set some ambitious growth plans to help us meet the fluctuation in industry demand for sustainable, efficient LED horticultural lighting solutions. We pride ourselves on our standard and bespoke products, which we scientifically fine-tuned to specific crop requirements. With Phoebe in place, we are certain to improve our formulas further, and with Jon growing our customer bases, tapping into new markets, we are sure to hit our targets."

ENDS

About Vertically Urban

Vertically Urban is a specialist horticultural lighting manufacturer based in Leeds. It designs and manufactures its products in the United Kingdom using the highest photon yielding LEDs available. The Leeds-based factory has full manufacturing capabilities. Using its bio-science know-how, they aim to light the farms of the future by providing efficient LED lighting solutions that are easy to install and set up.  

Why Are Microgreens Often Referred To As Cash Crops?

July 14, 2021

Food prices have been dropping for a couple of decades. These days they are barely covering the costs of a farming business. Microgreens in particular are an exception to this paradigm. If you grow smart, these little shoots can help create a very profitable operation.

Smart Farmers elaborates on how growing microgreens can be profitable. 

Microgreens sell at high prices to specific niches: chefs, foodies, or just people who pursue a healthy lifestyle because their exceptionally high nutrient density attracts customers who choose a healthy lifestyle. They contain higher vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant levels than mature vegetables. In fact, research comparing microgreens to their mature counterparts report that nutrient levels can be up to 40x higher.

Besides, the flavor of microgreens is so intense that chefs and foodies go nuts over these babies. In addition, they are perfect to use as plate decorations and come in many different varieties. If you decide to only grow microgreens, you’ll still be able to offer a wide variety of products. There are at least 25 types that are commercially popular, and the market still allows for more exploration. 

A big advantage for growers is that they can provide up to 35 harvests per year. Depending on the variety, microgreens only need 1 to 2 weeks to grow. Even if for some reason, something goes wrong with a batch, you won’t miss out on an entire seasonal income.

Read the complete article at: Vertical Farm Daily:

For more information:
Smart farmers
www.smartfarmers.eu 

Four Vertical Growers Collaborating To Deliver Social-Impact Projects in Wales

July 9, 2021

Four UK vertical farming companies, LettUs Grow, Digital Farming, Farm Urban, and GrowStack, are collaborating to bring the benefits of CEA to Welsh communities. This is one of the widest collaborations between leading CEA tech providers in the UK to date, with a focus on delivering vertical farms across different locations in Wales as part of a social impact and community-focused project called Crop Cycle.

Crop Cycle is looking to bring the benefits of vertical farming directly to communities that could benefit most and is being funded by the Welsh Government through the Foundational Economy Challenge Fund. The project is being led by Social Farms and Gardens, supported by Welsh Government's NutriWales CEA Special Interest Group and BIC Innovation.

The project enables multiple different CEA systems to be tailored to fit different community settings, whilst also allowing them to be assessed in coordination across the pilot sites. This approach is unique, facilitating the testing of new socially focused business models, the engagement of the local communities and businesses with CEA and the development of new technical solutions. LettUs Grow, Digital Farming, GrowStack and Farm Urban are working together to share their specialisms and apply different technologies to where they are best suited within four sites in Wales, two of which are in the Valleys.

This project will introduce year-round food growing right into the heart of Welsh communities, where they’ll be connected to the particular dynamics of the local area. Activities will test new community-based engagement models, focusing on social well-being, local entrepreneurship and environmental impact. In this way, the project will be bringing together community, businesses and local public sector organizations.

Gary Mitchell, the Wales Manager for Social Farms and Gardens who is leading the project team stated, "we are excited to be running the pilot project across a diverse set of sites to gain insight and further knowledge into how new agricultural systems can successfully support communities in delivering local, fresh and nutritious foods as well as important social benefits in a sustainable manner."

Read the complete article at: Vertical Farm Daily

For more information:
LettUs Grow
info@lettusgrow.com
lettusgrow.com

GrowStack
www.growstack.co.uk

Digital Farming
www.digitalfarming.io

Farm Urban
www.farmurban.co.uk

Signs That Your Plants May Be Struggling With Incorrect EC

By Michelle Joe

July 14, 2021

EC (electrical conductivity) is an essential measurement of the total amount of food or nutrients available to your plants. EC is really important, as it communicates with you if your plants are receiving the correct amount of food. 

Therefore, if your plant has an incorrect EC level, it may start to show signs of stress. Too high, and the plant will show signs of toxicity, too low and the plant will have a nutrient deficiency. 

It's helpful to know that plants can only absorb nutrients when they’re in ionic form. When nutrients dissolve in water, they split into ions which carry an electrical charge and the potential for electricity to move through the solution. If we look at pure water—RO, or reverse osmosis water—as an example, it would be a poor conductor of electricity, as it doesn’t contain any ions. The more ions there are, the more electricity it conducts.

So, the more nutrients that are in the water, the higher the EC.  This is good news because that gives us a level of control. We can visually check the plants for signs of stress (incorrect EC), measure the EC level using a meter, then correct it by adding more nutrients. 

Common scales for measuring EC 

• EC (Electrical Conductivity) [1 mS/cm = 1 EC]

• PPM (Parts per Million) [EC x 700]

• TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) or DS (Dissolved Salts) or MS (Measured Salts); otherwise known as PPM 500 [EC x 500]

• CF (Conductivity Factor) [EC x 10]

It is important to note that your EC measurement only displays the complete amount of nutrients available to your plants. It will not show you the breakdown of each available nutrient or nutrient imbalances.  You could have the perfect EC measurement, however, there may still be nutrient deficiencies.  

Preferred EC ranges for some of the most common crop types 

A common mistake made with growers can be to feed your plants as much as possible to ensure there is plenty of nutrients available. This can however have major repercussions. Plants have a preferred conductivity range in order to achieve optimal health. 

The chart below provides a guide on preferred EC ranges for some of the most common crop types.

How to identify your plants are struggling with incorrect EC (and not something else)

As mentioned above, in order for plants to thrive, it’s required they fall within the preferred EC ranges. If your crops sit outside these measurements for a period of time, they will start to demonstrate symptoms of poor plant health. 

  It can be difficult to diagnose problems with plants as they could be suffering with incorrect nutrient levels, affected by pests or it is the pH levels being too high or low that is preventing the uptake of nutrients. So even if the EC levels are within range as presented in the preferred EC range chart, it’s crucial to consider it could be some other factor that’s causing the plants to show symptoms of poor health. 

 Discover the most common nutrient deficiencies in plants and how to fix them to ensure you identify and isolate the problem. It is possible there are various deficiencies and toxicities that could be occurring at the same time. 

What causes incorrect EC in plants?

Incorrect EC can be caused by the levels being either too low or too high. If your EC in plants is low, your crops will not be able to receive enough nutrients.  

Symptoms when your EC is too low: 

• Discolour in leaves (yellow or brown)

• Brown spots of necrosis, or holes in leaves

• Stunted roots, leaves, and growth

• Twisted or disproportion of leaves

• Difference in crop yield

If your EC is too high, this can cause salt burn and nutrient toxicity.  

Symptoms when your EC is too high: 

• Leaf discolouration

• Thickened roots

• Necrosis (when the cells or tissues degenerate) will show brown spots and wilting in leaves and stems. Necrosis will weaken plants and make it more susceptible to other diseases and pests

• Nutrient or salt burn will show bent leaf tips and burnt edges. This will eventually lead to twisting or curling of the leaves if untreated

• Dull appearance on previously shiny leaves

• Slowing down of plant growth

Why measuring EC is vital for plant health 

Measuring your EC is vital as you get a closer look at what is occurring within your nutrient feed. 

Prevention versus treating is the ideal course of action, and it is likely your EC will fluctuate over time, which is why it’s important to test your EC regularly. No matter what medium you are growing in, staying on top of measuring your EC will ensure issues can be identified and resolved early. 

What to expect when EC measurements fall under the following: 

• EC measurement stays the same: There is a balanced amount of water and nutrient, keep this consistency by topping up the nutrient tank with the solution of the same strength and check regularly.

• EC measurement is low: There are more nutrients being used up compared to water. Balance this measurement by topping up nutrient solution, or try a stronger nutrient solution feed. Learn more about increasing your EC when it’s measuring too low.

• EC measurement is high: There is more water being used up compared to nutrients. Add water to dilute the solution and balance out the measurement. Burnt leaf tips and slow growth are certain signs of your nutrient solution being too strong. Be aware of weather temperatures also, as plants will take up more water on hotter days. Learn more about lowering your EC when it’s measuring too high.

In hydroponics, you can add more (pH-balanced) water to your reservoir. This will dilute the concentration of salts and lower your EC. 

In soil, the same applies where you will need to dilute the concentration of salts by adding pH-balanced water in growing pots or containers until fully saturated and drained. 

Creating the optimum EC measurement isn’t only about adding or subtracting nutrients or water. It is recommended to change your nutrient solution regularly, to avoid putting your plants at risk of toxic nutrient levels.  Measure EC daily, top-up nutrients when necessary, and give your nutrients a refresh by emptying your tank when needed.

How to measure EC in plants  

The best way to measure the conductivity (EC) of your plants is with a handheld conductivity pen. This is a robust handheld solution for measuring conductivity and temperature on the go.  The Bluelab Truncheon is another favourite for growers. 

To take care of the fundamentals, the Bluelab Combo Meter  is the ideal device to measure the essential parameters of pH, conductivity and temperature.  These fundamentals all play an important role in driving optimal plant health.  Learn more about measuring and adjusting your fundamental parameters, as well the four plant health checks you should be doing every day to ensure you’re preventing health issues for your plants.  

MICHELLE JOE

Michelle is a creative copywriter and storyteller who loves to connect brands with their audiences. She enjoys being a part of Bluelab’s innovative growing journey.

Scale Microgrid Solutions Brings Indoor Farm Microgrid Online

July 16, 2021

By Ethan Howland

Scale Microgrid Solutions brought a 1.75-MW microgrid online for a major indoor farm near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

By ESstock/Shutterstock.com

Scale Microgrid’s modular microgrid for Fifth Season, a startup indoor farming company, uses 160 kW of photovoltaic solar panels, 200 kW of lithium-ion batteries, and a 1,200-kW natural gas generator outfitted with advanced emissions control technology.

The microgrid provides ancillary services to the electric grid and is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 470,000 pounds a year, or the equivalent of taking 39 passenger cars off the road, according to Scale.

Fifth Season’s Braddock indoor farm uses 97% less land and up to 95% less water than traditional farming, according to Scale. Fifth Season uses robotics and artificial intelligence to grow leafy vegetables and herbs year-round.

Fifth Season needs cheap, clean and reliable power to create the ideal indoor farming environment, the Ridgewood, New Jersey-based company said.

“Fifth Season is paving the way for indoor farming, and Scale is improving their energy efficiency and grid resilience, reducing their costs and mitigating their greenhouse gas emissions,” Ryan Goodman, Scale CEO, and co-founder, said July 13.

Scale owns and operates the microgrid at the 60,000-square-foot Braddock farm under an energy-as-a-service contract. Fifth Season didn’t have to pay upfront costs for the microgrid.

The project uses Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor (EMA), a cloud-based, demand-side energy management software platform. EMA uses predictive and learning algorithms, which will help Scale efficiently manage the production and use of its renewable energy.

Scale and Schneider previously worked together developing a microgrid for a Bowery Farming indoor farm in New Jersey. The microgrid, commissioned in 2019, includes 815 kW of natural gas-fired generation, 150 kW of solar, and 200 kW of battery storage, according to Scale.

Scale is backed by a $300 million equity commitment from global private equity firm Warburg Pincus.

An Affordable Solution To Monitor And Optimize Food Production

By Rebekka Boekhout

July 9, 2021

“We’re helping farmers optimize their food production through more efficient yield management,” says Hamza Qadoumi, CEO and founder of Ecobloom. “Also, cost reduction comes in through a significant reduction in labor and yield increases up to 2 times more per year through accurate predictions. The system allows us to reduce food waste up to 20% through yield prediction and our deviation analysis.”

Ecobloom, a startup based in Stockholm, provides two different solutions to the vertical farming space. The first solution is a B2B product, namely an AI solution ensuring automated growing of the plant and monitors plant food production at the same time. With already a successful consumer product on the market, their focus is to offer smart technology solutions for the indoor farming market.

The pilot farm

Smart sensor - EcoSense
The company provides a software-connected plug-and-play solution named EcoSense. EcoSense is a small box that can basically be placed anywhere on the farm, such as above shelves to monitor plant growth. EcoSense comes in two formats: a camera for growth and plant analysis, sensors for water analysis and sensors for air analysis. Next to that the sensors predict yield, so lots of data can be gathered to keep improving this. Hamza notes, “We’re now looking at venturing with flowers and fruit greenhouse growers in Spain, Holland, The UK and the Middle East region.

The core solution of the device is hardware, sensors and cameras. Through these elements, the environmental sensors and plant environment is captured by data collectors and cameras throughout the plant’s life cycle. According to Hamza, farmers need about 1 device per 100m2. The wifi-connected cameras and sensors are modular solutions, using machine learning to constantly monitor and analyze plant development, health and stress. Through camera recognition, a certain yield outcome and deviations can be predicted.

Read the rest of the article here

For more information:
Hamza Qadoumi, CEO and founder
Ecobloom
hamza@ecobloom.se 
www.ecobloom.se