Will Tomatoes Be The Next Big Commercial Crop For Vertical Farms?

By David Kuack

July 22, 2021

Researchers at the University of California-Riverside are using CRISPR technology to develop miniature tomato plants for production in vertical farms and on the International Space Station.

What crops come to mind when you think of vertical farm production? Leafy greens, microgreens and herbs are likely the most common answer. How about tomatoes?

University of California researchers Robert Jinkerson and Martha Orozco-Cárdenas are using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology to develop short tomato plants that have the potential to be grown in vertical farms and on the International Space Station. Orozco-Cárdenas initially used CRISPR technology to reduce the size of normal tomato plants, including the number of leaves and stems, without significantly reducing the size and yield of the fruit.

“The tomatoes originally were under investigation by my collaborator Dr. Orozco-Cárdenas, who is director of the UC-Riverside Plant Transformation Research Center,” Jinkerson said. “I was touring her research facility and saw tomato plants that were fruiting in vitro. The plants were incredibly small. I thought these tomatoes would have a lot of different applications, particularly for NASA. We also determined that the tomatoes could be well suited for vertical farming. It started out as a basic science project investigating gene function and we expanded it to look toward other applications where genes could be mutated to control plant architecture for vertical farming and for space flight applications.

“For the first iteration, Dr. Orozco-Cárdenas took an existing dwarf tomato plant variety and used CRISPR gene editing to further shrink the plants. Currently we are working on using the CRISPR technology to stack more mutations on top of the original variety. We are also performing gene editing in a commercial indeterminate variety to determine if we can alter the plant architecture and size so that they would be suitable for vertical farm production.”

University of California researchers are studying how to grow tomato plants to the smallest size and still produce the highest fruit yield.

Limits to plant size

Jinkerson said the CRISPR gene-editing technology can be used to create mutations that affect the inflorescence, number of flowers, and branching architecture. Initially plant size was the trait the two researchers were interested in changing, but Jinkerson said he has expanded the studies to include the impact on fruit size and yields.

“We are looking primarily at how we can grow the plants to the smallest size and still produce the highest fruit yield to maximize the harvest index,” Jinkerson said. “The harvest index is the amount and weight of the fruit vs. the weight of the total plant biomass, including the fruit. If there was 100 percent fruit then the harvest index would be 100 percent. But because plants need leaves, stems, and roots, the harvest index can’t be 100 percent.

“There is a point where the plant becomes so small that there are not enough leaves to perform photosynthesis and the plant won’t be able to support the fruit that it is trying to produce. This is something we have to keep in mind as we try to balance the plant size and how much vegetative biomass is needed to produce the fruit. Currently, we are investigating this relationship. We think we are starting to hit the lower limit of size where we cannot make the plants much smaller without negatively affecting the fruit yields.”

University of California researcher Robert Jinkerson is looking to work with commercial controlled environment growers to determine how the short tomatoes work in their production systems.

Overcoming vertical farm limitations

Jinkerson’s tomato research is being funded by a $450,000 New Innovator grant from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research. Even though Jinkerson’s background is in engineering and algae, he saw the potential that vertical farming could have on future food supplies.

“Most commercial crops are grown outdoors and there really are not any restrictions on size,” he said. “For vertical farming there is a lot of work that needs to be done to customize crops for this new production environment. For instance, the plants can only be a certain size and should have a quick production time to reach harvest. They should also be very efficient with the way they utilize artificial light for photosynthesis because electricity for lighting is one of the largest operating costs.”

Part of the FFAR grant is for Jinkerson to work with commercial growers to determine how the short tomatoes that are developed work in their production systems.

“We are interested in finding commercial growers who are operating vertical farms or a commercial partner who can help trial and evaluate the lines that we have already produced and future lines we will be developing,” he said. “Another aspect of the research grant is to take other tomato varieties and try to optimize their architecture for vertical farms in order to have a greater variety of fruit that can be grown in these systems.”

Although Jinkerson does not have a vertical farm set up at the university, he is trialing the plants in a greenhouse and a controlled environment room equipped with fluorescent lights.

“The grow room with fluorescent lighting that we are using is not like a high-tech vertical farm equipped with LEDs,” he said. “The plants have been grown with a photon flux of a few hundred μmol m−2 s−1 PAR at a 16-hour photoperiod. The temperature and humidity have been maintained at normal room conditions. We haven’t tried to optimize environmental conditions for plant growth yet. We haven’t pushed the plants under any extreme conditions, but these are future areas of research we are interested in exploring.”

Jinkerson and his students are also collecting data related to the amount of light that is needed for the plants to flower and fruit under artificial light.

“We have fruit yield data,” he said. “We have done a lot of calculations on fruit yield per volume. This is an important metric for vertical farms. With our data, we can estimate what type of yields we could expect with the plants. Depending on the vertical spacing distance, the yield per volume for the plants we have developed could be anywhere between 1.5 to three times higher compared to greenhouse yields.”

Future crops for vertical farms, space travel

While Jinkerson’s current research is focused on tomatoes he said there is the potential to apply the gene-editing technology being developed to other vertical farm crops.

“We are going to start with other Solanaceae crops, including peppers, eggplant and potatoes,” he said. “We think that many of the findings we have identified with tomato will be able to translate to these other crops because they are closely related to tomato.”

University of California researcher Robert Jinkerson (above) wants to expand the study of CRISPR gene-editing technology beyond tomatoes to other Solanaceae crops, including peppers, eggplant and potatoes.

Part of the research on the tomatoes is being funded by NASA and will be used to conduct a seed-to-seed experiment in space.

“The goal is to grow tomato plants on the International Space Station to fruit and have the astronauts harvest the seed,” Jinkerson said. “The astronauts will then take the seed and grow them for the next crop to have them fruit again. This process is essential in order to have a sustainable crop system for food production. This has never been demonstrated before with tomatoes on the space station.”

The astronauts are currently producing leafy greens on the space station.

“There is very limited physical space on the space station so trying to maximize the harvest index is essential,” Jinkerson said. “This is a very good analog for vertical farms on Earth. With leafy greens the astronauts are able to eat everything but the roots, making these plants perfect for space travel. However, NASA is interested in growing other crops in space. There is an experiment planned for peppers coming up in the next year and our experiment with tomatoes in the next two to three years. Just like vertical farm growers on Earth, astronauts will be trying to produce different types of crops in space.”

Lead Photo: University of California-Riverside researchers Martha Orozco-Cárdenas (above) and Robert Jinkerson are using CRISPR gene-editing technology to develop short tomato plants that have the potential to be grown in vertical farms and on the International Space Station. Photos courtesy of Robert Jinkerson, Univ. of Calif.-Riverside Photos courtesy of Robert Jinkerson, Univ. of Calif.-Riverside

Eat Local, Think Global

August 2, 2021

Confronted with so much uncertainty last year, many people took comfort in the simple act of supporting their neighborhood retailers. And when it comes to food shopping in particular, research suggests that Americans’ desire to buy from local and regional growers won’t be fading anytime soon. Regardless of how large or small their community is, 70 percent of people recognize the importance of purchases that support their local economy, and about 60 percent value locally grown products when they go food shopping.

It doesn’t hurt that local food is more readily available, even in the midst of a crisis, according to the majority of shoppers. But the benefits of filling grocery carts with locally sourced items, especially produce, extend well beyond convenience alone. For starters, purchases from local growers can generate income for other local businesses. Additionally, produce that has traveled shorter distances to reach grocery store shelves tastes fresher and retains more of its nutrients. Moreover—and perhaps most important for today’s environmentally conscious consumers—shopping from local and regional growers can help curb carbon emissions, waste and pesticide use.

A harvest crew manager transports fresh kale to the Consalo Family Farms central warehouse in Vineland, N.J.

“It's about building relationships. We grow our business together, so we’re both in it together.”

Ricardo Dimarzio, Mid-Atlantic Produce Sales Manager for Safeway

A harvest crew manager transports fresh kale to the Consalo Family Farms central warehouse in Vineland, N.J.

Some grocery stores are helping lead the way forward for a local food movement that benefits the environment. Safeway, for example, has been working with sustainable local and regional farmers for generations, and more recently began sourcing vegetables and herbs from low-impact vertical farms in the D.C. area. These efforts are reducing negative effects on the planet, while also ensuring that shoppers get the freshest blueberries and crispest salad greens. What’s more, Safeway’s approach is helping support a network of family growers and modern farming companies alike.

“It's about building relationships. We grow our business together, so we’re both in it together,” said Ricardo Dimarzio, Mid-Atlantic Produce Sales Manager for Safeway.

How local farming provides a foundation for a sustainable food system

Over the past two years, half of consumers have adjusted their eating habits in an effort to live more sustainably, whether that has meant cutting down on food waste, paying more attention to food companies’ environmental impacts, or adding more fresh and local foods to their diets. But the pandemic showed people just how important those habits can be to their health and survival, according to food industry experts. Eating certain fruits and vegetables can boost immunity, for example, especially if they are picked fresh.

“Locally grown crops are being harvested at their peak. That's when they're dense in nutrients,” said Chelsea Consalo, who represents the fourth generation of New Jersey-based Consalo Farms, which began doing business with Safeway in the 1960s. After they’re picked, local fruits and vegetables spend less time in transit, ultimately reaching grocery stores and consumers more quickly and with nutrients intact. On the other hand, when produce is shipped across long distances, factors such as air quality, artificial lighting and temperature changes during transport can lower foods’ nutritional value, according to Consalo. Her family farm specializes in growing, packing and shipping blueberries, citrus fruits, cooking greens, herbs, salad items and hard squash, all of which can be found at Safeway stores in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Peppers grow at Consalo Family Farms.

Workers harvest beets at Consalo Family Farms.

A worker harvests blueberries.

Blueberries at Consalo Family Farms.

Chelsea Consalo, vice president of produce operations for Consalo Family Farms (left), and her sister Sarah, the finance manager.

Consalo Farms also exemplifies how growers can contribute to a more sustainable food system. For starters, shorter shipping distances mean less fuel consumption and air pollution. Consalo Farms also has a local recycling program and is working to reduce waste by using top-seal packaging that contains 35 percent less plastic than conventional packaging materials. Another big priority for the farm is water conservation, which the family achieves through an app-controlled drip irrigation system that sends just enough water to crops at specific time intervals. Soil health also contributes to the farm’s overall sustainability and helps cut down on water use, according to Consalo.

“Something as simple as mulching increases moisture retention in the soil, and it can regulate the soil temperature,” she said.

How a local food supply chain works

Local produce can benefit our health, our planet and our taste buds.

The environmental benefits of choosing local food at the grocery store

The basis of Safeway’s relationship with Consalo Farms—high quality products, delivered consistently—is still there. What has changed is how both sides approach sustainability. For the Consalo family, new technologies are making it possible to boost water conservation and soil health and cut back on packaging waste. For Safeway, efforts to work with more regional and local growers have only intensified. The company has stopped shipping California produce to its East Coast stores, for instance, in favor of stocking its produce sections with seasonal, regional specialties, whether it’s blueberries from New Jersey in June, honeycrisp apples from Pennsylvania in the fall, or corn and watermelon from Maryland during the summer.

“They grow it right there and they ship it right there, and it's in our warehouse within two hours. That's what's going to be the future.”

Ricardo Dimarzio, Mid-Atlantic Produce Sales Manager for Safeway

Harvested rainbow chard at Consalo Family Farms.

Fostering relationships with local growers has been crucial for Safeway, according to Dimarzio. By giving local and regional farmers regular business, Safeway can be among the first to know when new products come available. To that end, Safeway has also branched out beyond traditional agriculture to work with a new integrated farming company called Bowery Farming, which grows a variety of salad greens and herbs at its vertical greenhouse in Baltimore. The company is also experimenting with growing strawberries and cucumbers, according to Dimarzio. Safeway is able to specify which products they want to buy, how much they need and when they need it, reducing food waste and ensuring a fresher product. Lettuce, microgreens, and basil, for instance, are all cut to order.

“They grow it right there and they ship it right there, and it's in our warehouse within two hours,” Dimarzio said. “That's what's going to be the future.”

These kinds of efforts ultimately help ensure that shoppers can access the freshest possible products, get the most nutritional benefits, and know that they’re doing their part to help reduce waste and carbon emissions. And they’ll be supporting people like Consalo, who is paying it forward by donating blueberry plants to a local school and speaking to students about local agriculture and sustainability. In turn, she said, “the community can support the farms.”

Lead Photo: Driven by the pandemic and the growing environmental movement, grocery shoppers and stores alike have a renewed appreciation for locally grown products

Outstanding Women in Ag Receive WIA Demeter Award of Excellence

BOSTON, July 27, 2021 – Three ag industry all-stars have been named recipients of the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence, an honor bestowed each year to women who have achieved excellence in their field and/or who have exhibited an outstanding contribution to the agribusiness industry. Presented by HighQuest’s Women in Agribusiness (WIA) division, this year’s recipients are: Dr. Toni Bucci of AgBiome, Anne Cleary of Wilbur-Ellis and Dr. Vicky Salin of Texas A&M University.

Each recipient will be recognized at the 10th annual Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Summit, which will be held in-person (and online) this year at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, September 21-23.

The annual award, so named for Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture, also seeks out women who have demonstrated a positive impact on her clients, her company, her colleagues or the agribusiness sector as a whole.

Dr. Toni Bucci

Chief Operating Officer, AgBiome 

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Dr. Toni Bucci has over 20 years of experience in the agricultural sector – from an R&D biologist at BASF to currently AgBiome’s chief operating officer, a position she has held since 2018. She also leads the commercial organization where she is responsible for attracting and retaining scientific and commercial talent. Under Toni’s leadership, Howler®, a revolutionary fungicide that harnesses the power of the plant microbiome, was launched and is now registered in 49 U.S. states. She is currently working on her second fungicide launch – Theia™ – which promises wide success as well. “During this time, she has led an organization in product development and growth, motivated her colleagues, and has inspired the industry of agribusiness as a whole to become the best it can be,” as was said in her nomination letter.

Toni also has stood out in her efforts in mentorship by growing the company’s program. “Toni’s approach to AgBiome’s mentor program is rooted in attracting and retaining the brightest talent. With a passion for building female leaders in science, Toni is an example and inspiration for her female colleagues entering the field. Her enthusiasm for mentoring and sharing her knowledge and skills with others is highly appreciated by all of her AgBiome mentees,” as was noted in her nomination application.

Anne Cleary

Vice President of Human Resources, Wilbur-Ellis 

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Anne Cleary was commended in her Demeter nomination letter for her “ability to adapt and even anticipate change that has helped her to lead positive business transformation. And she’s done so with agility, a strong sense of vision, and always with humor and empathy.” She also is credited with centralizing the company's HR systems across the U.S., Canada and Asia – and for the creation of THRIVE (a nod to the company’s purpose) to unify and enhance the recruiting, onboarding and ‘reboarding’ experience for all employees.

 When in-depth analysis of the company’s demographics revealed that women represented only 30 percent of their workforce, Anne drove efforts to look at pay equity, growth opportunities, recruiting practices, and culture for women. This led to the establishment of the first employee resource group, the Women of Wilbur-Ellis (WoW), and to incorporating diversity and inclusion as part of the broader company business plans.

John Thacher, Wilbur-Ellis’ executive chairman, said: “She turned it [the HR department] from a transaction-focused organization into a strategic business partner.” Added John Buckley, company president, and CEO, “When I came to the company four years ago, it was important to me that our HR leader possesses the skillset I knew we would need. But equally important, did they have their finger on the employee's pulse? Did they have a clear understanding of what employees are thinking and feeling? With Anne, we have both.”

Dr. Vicky Salin

Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University

Dr. Salin was one of the founding supporters and board members of WIA and has been instrumental in growing WIA’s student scholarship program. “Dr. Salin was eager to be a part of the creation of Women in Agribusiness in 2012 and remained the on advisory board for several years,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, WIA event director and COO of HighQuest. “She continues to be involved in this event in various ways, including supporting several of her ag students in attending the WIA Summit each year. This feeds the workforce pipeline and results in a high percentage of these students becoming the new hires with our attending companies.”

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In her work, Vicky, who also is chair of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Agribusiness at Texas A&M University, researches food safety, traceability, and efficiency of enterprises involved in food distribution. She provides economic and financial research for the Scientific Advisory Council of the World Food Logistics Organization, an affiliate of the Global Cold Chain Alliance. Vicky serves on the Board of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, where she monitors entrepreneurial ventures and other means to commercialize agricultural technologies to enhance food security in Africa. 

Learn more about the Demeter Award and the Women in Agribusiness Summit at womeninag.com, and visit us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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About Women in Agribusiness

Women in Agribusiness (WIA) is a business unit of HighQuest Partners, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) global agribusiness consulting, events, and media firm. The Women in Agribusiness Summit took root in 2012, and since then initiatives have grown to include WIA Membership, WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, Student Scholarships, and the WIA Today blog. Learn more at womeninag.com.

VIDEO: Freight Farm To Teach Youth About Sustainable Agriculture

by Nicole Weaving

July 24th, 2021

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To View The Video, Please Click Here

Freight Farm to teach youth about sustainable agriculture (Photo Credit: NTV News)

LINCOLN, Neb. — Beyond School Bells is partnering with the Bay in Lincoln for a new after-school program that will teach students about sustainable ag technology.

"We really see Freight Farm as kind of that key, climate-change impervious tool that young people need to know about as we face an uncertain future," said Jeff Cole, Network Lead for Beyond School Bells.

An old shipping container in the parking lot of the Bay has been transformed in a self-contained hydroponic farm.

Using red and blue LED lights, this Freight Farm, known as the Greenery, creates a climate-controlled environment, where the plants grow vertically without a need for soil.

"We enrich the water with nutrients that would normally be in the soil," said Colton Harper, Organizing Manager for the Greenery. "And then in these grow walls, we've got spickets that come right through these foam and it's directly onto the roots of the plants."

According to Harper, there are currently about 6,000 plants growing in the Freight Farm, but at full capacity, it can hold 13,000 plants between the seeding area and that walls. That would produce the equivalent of a 2.5-acre farm year-round.

"Even in the winter, if there are shortages anywhere, we can turn on a dime, 7-week grow cycle and be able to provide those crops for local markets," said Harper.

The Greenery arrived in Lincoln in April, and Harper has led to two teams to get it up and running. They are currently preparing for their first harvest with items like basil, lettuce and radishes.

"We're at about Week 7, and in 2-3 weeks, we'll have our produce at a farmer's market," said Harper.

After a few more grow cycles, the program will open to local students to teach them all aspects of sustainable farming.

"From the electrical side, the growing, the programming, computer science to the irrigation, the HVAC system, there's so many elements," said Harper. "And we're particularly well-placed with the Bay and their digital design area of focus, the students will also be able to design the packaging, design the labeling, so it's really a full-circle, interdisciplinary opportunity for the students to get involved."

The Greenery plans to hold a Harvest Party to celebrates the farm's success in the coming weeks.

Working In Partnership, GLASE, OptimIA, And LAMP Are Excited To Announce The First Annual Plant Lighting Short Course!

Dates: October 14 - November 18, 2021
Time: Thursdays 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. EDT
Presented by: GLASE, LAMP, OptimIA

More Info and Registration

About the Course

Working in partnership, GLASE, OptimIA, and LAMP are excited to announce the first annual Plant Lighting Short Course! This 6-week modular short course is designed to provide participants the opportunity to learn about all aspects related to the selection, implementation, and benefits of plant lighting systems. In each sequential module, attendees will use interactive tools to define their specific lighting requirements, hear from industry experts about available horticultural lighting systems, and learn how to compare different lighting strategies. By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to make informed decisions about the best options to meet their lighting needs.

Speakers

Bruce Bugbee (Utah State University)
Erik Runkle (Michigan State University)
Roberto Lopez (Michigan State University)
Neil Mattson (Cornell University)
Marc van Iersel (University of Georgia)
Jim Faust (Clemson University)
Kale Harbick (USDA ARS)
A.J. Both (Rutgers University)
Paul Sellew (Little Leaf Farms)
Travis Higginbotham (Harborside Group)
Paal Elfstrum (Wheatfield Gardens)
Tessa Pocock (Shenandoah Growers)
Drew Koschmann (Walters Gardens)
Kenneth Tran (Koidra)
Mark Blonquist (Apogee)
Michael Eaton (Cornell University)
Trevor Burns (PL Lighting)
Joe Sullivan - (Franklin Energy)
David Hawley (Fluence Bioengineering)
Ben Campbell (University of Georgia)
Tim Shelford (Cornell University)
Erico Mattos (GLASE)

Special Thanks To Our Industry Partners

Join today

If you have any questions or would like to know more about GLASE, please contact its executive director Erico Mattos at em796@cornell.edu

By the end of the course, participants will be equipped to make informed decisions about the best options to meet their lighting needs.

Event Webpage

Growth Industry: Libertyville Man Plants Urban Farm in Old Shipping Container

By Mick Zawislak

July 26, 2021

At the 5.5-mile mark of the North Shore Bike Path, east of Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville, a mural depicting microgreens has emerged as a calling card for a new business.

The canvas is the side of an old shipping container. Like the mural, which pictures the hands of Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug surrounded by greens, the location of Zach Paronto's urban farm inside the converted container is unexpected.

Sheet metal shelves hold racks of tiny plants -- like daikon radishes and tendril peas -- grown hydroponically and in various stages of development. Paronto framed and insulated the interior, ran vents, and installed plumbing and electric to create a sterile, climate-controlled environment to regulate the gourmet garnish crops.

The two-month build-out was a curiosity for some neighbors.

"A lot of people thought I was a homeless guy living out of there," Paronto said.

He launched Achaia Greens in Libertyville early this year to grow and sell microgreens, edible flowers and vegetables. Microgreens are highly nutritional and intensely flavorful seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs used in a variety of ways, from juices and salads to decorative garnishes.

Since its launch, the company has secured six businesses, some with multiple locations, as customers. They include Conscious Cup Coffee Roasters, Mainstreet Social and Timothy O'Toole's restaurants, and Real Clean Paleo, a pre-order meal service. Microgreen mixes also are sold and delivered to residential customers. Everything is harvested and delivered -- usually by bike, weather permitting -- the same day.

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Michael Shipley, managing partner of Conscious Cup, uses Achaia Greens as a sustainable option for tendril peas. The venue has four locations including downtown Libertyville and is planning to open a fifth this fall in Palatine.

"Places like ours are always faced with these decisions to buy something that may be organic, but it's packaged and shipped from across the country or farther," Shipley said.

"When we can make these hyperlocal purchases and still maintain this really high-quality, it's a no-brainer."

Paronto grew up in Gages Lake with a passion for gardening and plants. While maintaining that intense interest in horticulture and native species, he made his living as a tradesman in various capacities.

After an unpaid internship in a microgreen business in Chicago, he founded Achaia Greens in Charleston, South Carolina. Within three years, the business had a local base and was growing, he said. But Charleston never felt like home, so Paronto and his wife, Geddy, moved to Libertyville last summer.

An attempt to launch the business in another Lake County town didn't work out, but Paronto noticed three nearly hidden shipping containers on the property behind the couple's rented home on Route 176 (Park Avenue) and had an idea.

Overgrown by invasive species and filled with scrap metal and debris, the area was a catchall for a neighboring heating and cooling company.

"You couldn't even walk through here," Paronto said.

After seeing his work on the container, Paronto's landlord, who also owns the heating and cooling business, offered him a job with a flexible schedule that allowed him to work on starting Achaia Greens.

Once the area was cleared and outdoor gardens planted, Paronto envisioned a mural to beautify the spot. His cousin, Jenny Gentry, a mural artist from Colorado, finished the piece July 16.

Microgreens are the focus of the mural, but the two hands of Borlaug, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, also are depicted. A microbiologist and plant geneticist, Borlaug developed a high-yield, disease resistant wheat. He put the new strains into extensive production to feed the hungry of the world and is regarded as a central figure in the "green revolution."

The mural shows Borlaug holding a wheat plant in one hand and a microgreen in another, Paronto said. It represents the progression from reliance solely on staple crops, he added.

To start, Paronto connected with Ellen Williams, program and marketing director for the Adler Arts Center, which operates under the auspices of the village.

Williams connected Paronto and the artist with partners at Rust-Oleum to help with paint, prep and materials. Though not a village project, it's part of Adler's plans to create and support public art initiatives, Williams said.

"We hope to continue to help create more public art in this community both on village and private properties," she said.

Paronto plans to expand.

"This is what I want to do for the rest of my life," he said. "There are thousands of varieties (of microgreens). My plan is to keep growing."

Lead Photo: Libertyville resident Zach Paronto's urban farm is in a converted shipping container behind his house. He grows microgreens inside his urban farm and edible flowers and veggies outside for fresh delivery to businesses and other customers. Paul Valade | Staff Photographer

What’s Real And What’s Hype With Controlled Environment Agriculture?

July 27, 2021

The flourishing development of Controlled Environment Agriculture and how retailers and consumers view this emerging segment of fresh produce production will be the topic of an educational session at Organic Produce Summit 2021. The Growth of CEA—What’s Real and What’s Hype from a Retail and Consumer Perspective will feature leadership from a pair of recognized retailers and one of the fresh produce industry’s most progressive grower-shippers, offering their insight on how indoor-grown fresh produce items come to market, pricing and marketing challenges, and how consumers are reacting to them.

Moderated by Walter Robb, former CEO of Whole Foods, the session is the second of a two-part educational series at OPS offering a retailer and consumer perspective on the growth of indoor growing. Among the topics to be discussed in the session are the impact of indoor-grown products on the supply chain, the messaging and labeling of these various items, and the ramifications of what CEA production means for the organic fresh produce industry.

Panelists for the session include Frances Dillard, vice president of brand and product marketing at Driscoll’s; Victor Savanello, vice president produce and floral at Spartan Nash; and Shawn Peery, vice president produce and floral at Albertsons.

Production of fresh produce in CEA has become a $100 billion-plus industry, showcasing how growing indoors uses less water and no pesticides, while incorporating innovative and efficient technologies to provide fresher produce to consumers. “CEA is changing the landscape of food production and providing consumers a variety of new items that will continue to evolve in the years ahead,” said Susan Canales, president of Organic Produce Summit. “OPS attendees will have the chance to hear from retail leadership on how these products are marketed and learn about the challenges and opportunities these new items offer consumers.”

This second educational workshop follows a session exploring the growth of CEA from leaders actively involved in the production of indoor growing. The panelists for the first session include Philip Karp, president of Shenandoah Growers; Marc Oshima, co-founder of AeroFarms; and Caitlin Tierney, director of business development for Mastronardi Produce.

“Indoor agriculture is increasingly playing a more meaningful role in our fresh produce supply, in terms of volume, variety, and geographical footprint,” said Robb. “The ability of indoor ag to provide predictability and resiliency for supply, coupled with its lower impact on both the environment and resource use, is drawing substantial interest from both investors and consumers. Clearly, the future will be a hybrid one and our panels will explore how quickly and responsibly this will happen.”

Organic Produce Summit 2021 is a live and in-person two-day event specifically designed to bring together organic fresh produce growers, shippers, and processors with retailer and buying organizations from across North America. Over 1,000 attendees will meet Sept. 15-16 in Monterey, CA, to exchange ideas, information and insights into the organic fresh produce industry.   

In addition to the educational sessions focused on CEA, a session looking at the organic industry in a post-COVID-19 environment and a keynote presentation by Jim Donald, co-chairman of Albertsons, have also been announced. OPS 2021 also includes a selection of field tours for retailers and buyers, a gala opening night reception, and a sold-out trade show floor featuring over 150 producers and processors of organic fresh produce from across North America and the globe.

Infarm’s Hamilton Growing Facility is Expanding to Become its Largest Vertical Farm in North America

By Jeremey Kemeny

July 27, 2021

Greens grown at an indoor farm right here in Hamilton are about to become more accessible at area grocery stores, following an expansion of Infarm’s vertical growing centre.

The company’s facility near the airport is set to dramatically grow over the next several quarters, a spokesperson for the company said.

It’s part of a national expansion, following a deal strengthening Infarm’s relationship with grocery store chain Sobeys Inc. That deal expands the company’s reach to grocery stores in all ten Canadian provinces.

Infarm moved into its facility on Aeropark Boulevard, off Upper James Street, in the last quarter of 2020, said Infarm global communications director Emmanuel Evita.

The Hamilton facility is expected to be Infarm’s largest growing centre in North America, following the expansion, with a growing capacity of 37,000 square feet.

Founded in Berlin, Germany, in 2013, Infarm touts its advancement of modular farms, allowing for growing leaf vegetables in any available space.

In a video, co-founder Osnat Michaeli lauds the efficiency of the vertical growing technology and food waste reduction by farming in proximity to where the food is consumed.

Infarm Co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Osnat Michaeli explains how we're building a global network of vertical farms to grow and distribute fresh produce in cities. Infarm’s modular, cloud-connected system enable us to scale and deploy urban farms fast, growing tasty and nutritious produce more sustainably than traditional agriculture. Our modular technology is at the core of a sustainable global urban farming network that is up to 400 times more efficient than soil-based farming, using 95% less land, 95% less water, and requires 90% fewer food miles to get to consumers.

Infarm’s hyperlocal approach includes growing facilities in stores, restaurants or distribution centres.

Here in Hamilton, they plan to transform their warehouse farm into a high-yield facility.

Each 10-metre-high module at the Hamilton facility will “take just six weeks to build and (yield) a crop-equivalent of up to 10,000 square metres of farmland,” Evita said.

He said they’re expecting the production capacity and the number of locations served by the Hamilton facility to greatly expand, following the outfitting of the facility.

Evita says Infarm expects to expand its Canadian workforce by 50 per cent before the end of the year. It’s not yet known how many of those employees will be in Hamilton.

“Infarm is already offering fresh, local produce grown directly in Sobeys retailers or supplied from our Hamilton location,” Evita says, “with much more to come.”

Sprout AI Inc. Vertical Farming Aims To Provide Sustainable Solutions To Global Food Production

Begins Growth Initiatives After Completion of Go Public Transaction and Financing

July 29, 2021

Source: Sprout AI Inc

Calgary, Alberta, July 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire – Sprout AI Inc. ("Sprout AI" or the "Company") (CSE: SPRT) is a technologically focused, sustainable vertical farming company that has developed scalable controlled aeroponic cultivation habitats. Sprout AI’s technology will provide solutions to the ever-increasing complexities surrounding the current and future supply of sustainable global food production and supply chain.

Sprout AI is committed to both environmental and social sustainability. With a lowered carbon footprint, Sprout AI provides solutions to many of the negative environmental impacts generated by conventional farming methods, including over-fertilization, long transport distances, and biodiversity disturbances. Social sustainability is enhanced through increased food security from a simplified supply chain, especially during Covid-19, higher density production in a world with declining arable land per capita, and a food supply less susceptible to drought, floods, wildfires, disease, and overall climate change.

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The Company’s vision is to be a leader in sustainable vertical cultivation technology by ensuring each harvest is of high quality, high yield, and with minimal product variability. The adaptive AI monitored aeroponic system generates less waste and requires a fraction of the water needed for outdoor, aquaponic, or hydroponic farming. As growth statistics from across the globe are collected, the learning technology will continue to perfect the growing formula, reducing the growth cycle and increasing future output. Additionally, the self-contained habitats reduce cross-contamination and disease which reduces the risk of large crop failures.

The Sprout AI habitats are highly relevant in urban and remote areas alike, and can be assembled in any structure throughout the world that meets, or can meet, food-grade requirements, mitigating the need for a purpose-built structure and allowing it to take advantage of virtually any vacant indoor space.

The Value of Sprout AI

• Local Availability. Achieve consistent, year-round local supply of indigenous and non-indigenous produce that is agnostic to seasons, climates, weather and geographies.

• Environmentally Friendly. Up to 95% water savings(1), significant reduction in fossil fuel required to plant, sow, fertilize and transport crops, and reduces land use and biodiversity disturbances.

• Risk Mitigation. Mitigation against natural disasters such as hail and wildfires that can wipe out entire crops, droughts and infestations that can adversely impact yields, and supply chain impacts such as Covid-19.

• Consistent Quality. Controlled, repeatable growing conditions allow for consistent quality produce that can be rapidly delivered to local markets and reduces the number of perishables from long range shipping.

• Meeting Organic Preferences. Consumer preferences are evolving to more natural, organic products(2). The controlled environment of vertical farming reduces the need for chemicals and pesticides.

• Enhanced Food Safety. Tracking and recall of local produce serving a local market is more manageable than produce grown in international jurisdictions and shipped to a broad network of international markets.

• Feeding a Growing Population. Up to 100x more productive than traditional methods(3), providing a solution to feed a growing global population amid a decrease in arable land per capita(4).

The Sprout AI Business Model and Growth Initiatives

Sprout AI is focused on a two-pronged approach to continue to commercialize its technology. Both paths are intended to provide ongoing, recurring revenue; (i) turnkey unit sales to third parties with ongoing support, and (ii) the construction of proprietary vertical farms owned 100% by Sprout AI or in a joint venture or partner format. These proprietary farms will utilize Sprout AI technology and be branded under Beyond FarmsTM, a trademark owned by Sprout AI.

Since completing the go public transaction and financing on July 5th, 2021, Sprout AI has aggressively expanded its resource base, and has begun to fulfill its first third party sales of Sprout AI units. Sprout AI has also begun discussions with potential partners for the construction of a sustainably operated Beyond FarmsTM vertical farming facility in Canada, and potentially other jurisdictions around the world.

More information about the business of the Company can be found in the final long-form prospectus of Sprout AI dated May 31, 2021, and the listing statement dated June 30, 2021, both available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

About Sprout AI

Sprout AI is a vertical farming technology company in the business of planning, designing, manufacturing and/or assembling sustainable and scalable AI-controlled vertical cultivation equipment for indoor vertical farming. The adaptive technology produces an environment with improved growing parameters and early detection of adverse conditions resulting in consistent and repeatable crops, with shorter cultivation cycles independent of geographic climates. The self-contained multi-level rolling rack technology increases the cubic cultivation area while mitigating the risk of outside and cross-contaminants.

For more information about Sprout AI, please visit http://sproutai.solutions

Chief Executive Officer
Chris Bolton
Sprout AI Inc.
Phone: +011 (507) 6384-8734
E-mail: mainweb@sproutai.solutions

Investor Relations Contact
Colleen McKay
Tel: (289) 231-9026
E-mail: cmckay@sproutai.solutions

Website: http://sproutai.solutions

Address: International Business Park, Unit 5B, Building 3860
Panama Pacifico, Republic of Panama

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSE'S REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, with respect to the Company. The forward-looking information included in this news release is not based on historical facts, but rather on the expectations of the Company's management regarding the future growth of the Company, its results of operations, performance, business prospects, and opportunities. This news release uses words such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions to identify forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information reflects the current beliefs of the Company's management, based on information currently available to them.

This forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements relating to: the intentions, plans, and future actions of the Company; statements relating to the business and future activities of the Company and anticipated developments in operations of the Company. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate and are subject to risks and uncertainties.

Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Whether actual results, performance, or achievements will conform to the expectations and predictions of the Company is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including: global or national health concerns, including the outbreak of pandemic or contagious diseases, such as COVID-19 and including the evolution of new variants of COVID-19, the duration and effect thereof and delays relating to vaccine development, procurement and distribution; risks relating to the effective management of the Company's growth; liabilities and risks, including environmental liabilities and risks associated with the Company's operations; the Company's ability to attract and retain customers; the competitive nature of the industries in which the Company operates; and the other risk factors described in the Company's final long form prospectus dated May 31, 2021.

If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Information contained in forward-looking statements in this news release is provided as of the date of this news release, and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or results, except to the extent required by applicable Canadian securities laws. Accordingly, potential investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, or the information contained in those statements.

All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.

1. Columbia University Earth Institute. “How Sustainable Is Vertical Farming? Students Try to Answer the Question”

2. Fortune Business Insights. “Organic Foods Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Raw Material/Commodity (Fruits and Vegetables, Cereals and Grains, Others), By End-use (Bakery & Confectionery, Ready-to-eat food products, Breakfast Cereals, Processing Industry, Others), By Distribution Channel (Direct Market, Processing Industry) and Regional Forecast 2019-2026”

3. Plant Factory: An Indoor Vertical Farming System for Efficient Quality Food Production. Toyoki Kozai, Genhua Niu and Michiko Takagaki.

4. The World Bank

Wire Service Contact
InvestorWire (IW)
Los Angeles, California
www.InvestorWire.com
212.418.1217 Office
Editor@InvestorWire.com

Three Reasons To Attend Women in Agribusiness Summit

For ten years, Women in Agribusiness (WIA) has been at the forefront of advancing women in the food and ag industries by helping them know their business better. Join WIA live in Minneapolis, September 21-23 for the 10th anniversary WIA Summit.

 THREE REASONS TO ATTEND

1.  Be the most informed person on your team.

With so many changes happening in the industry, how do you nail down what’s most important? The sessions at WIA Summit are led by industry experts and address the most critical topics of today so you can execute business decisions with confidence.

2.  It’s all about who you know.

Submerse yourself in a room full of leaders who feel equally as passionate about agribusiness as you do. Grab a glass of champagne and start learning and sharing about the topics that mean the most to you at the WIA networking receptions. 

3.  Never stop learning.

Life is busy. It’s hard to brainstorm and innovate when business moves fast. The WIA Summit gives you access to leaders and changemakers that provide new perspectives and insights to help you stay innovative.

 REGISTER NOW

Save $100 when you register before August 7.

*Virtual registration available

Event safety: The WIA Summit team looks forward to welcoming you safely to Minneapolis in September. We will continue to work with state officials and follow CDC best practices for in-person events.

The Global Food Security & Sustainability Virtual Summit 2021 , 17th September 2021

The Global food system is at a critical stage and made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.  As many as 265 million people are threatened by famine, up 50% from last year. 700 million suffer from chronic hunger and 2 billion more from malnutrition, with obesity and associated diet-related diseases increasing in all regions. During the height of the pandemic with lockdowns, we have witnessed the collapse of the global food system with reports of food producers resorting to dumping their produce.  The food crisis faced during the pandemic is a wake-up call for both developed and developing countries of the looming crisis facing the world when the next major crisis hits us, be it climate change, pandemics, etc.  

Website link:

Website Registration Link

Linkedin: Event

The Global Food Security & Sustainability

Although the world has progressed significantly in terms of technological advancements in food production, food is not distributed in an equitable manner to regions, countries, households, and individuals. Government policies, availability of investments, and technological know-how including access to food supplies are key issues to meet the urgent food needs of the world’s growing population.  New and innovative farming technologies such as high-tech agriculture and aquaculture methods that produce more yields inland and urban conditions offer hope for the future. 

The Global Food Security & Sustainability Virtual Summit 2021 held on 17 September 2021, would be one of the most important events ever held to address the critical issues of food security from the local to the global level, and from an interdisciplinary and systemic food systems perspective. The summit will invite multi-stakeholders from governmental organizations, private sector businesses, and NGOs to address the current disruptions and possible solutions on the world food supply chain.  Discussions will also include issues surrounding sustainability issues and how societies and businesses can design more sustainable solutions in their entire food chain to minimize impact to the environment and reduce food waste. 

PODCAST: This Weeks Episode - Season 3 Episode 39

Join Harry Duran, host of Vertical Farming Podcast, as he welcomes to the show, CEO and co-founder of Fifth Season, Austin Webb. Fifth Season is a consumer tech company and indoor farming pioneer with Carnegie Mellon University roots that is creating a new era of fresh foods. Its commercial-scale indoor vertical farms use proprietary robotics, AI, and smart operations technology to grow leafy greens and herbs at affordable prices year-round. 

Today, Harry and Austin talk about the origin story of Fifth Season, the relationship he has with the city of Braddock, and how Austin initially got involved in vertical farming. Austin expounds on the concepts of smart manufacturing and pest pressure and speaks to the learning curve he’s experienced as a first-time CEO. Finally, Austin speaks to the mission of Fifth Season and what excites him most about his future endeavors.

Listen & Subscribe

Nordic Harvest: Danish-Taiwanese Indoor Farming Collaboration

August 1, 2021

by Joakim Persson

Jesper Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer at YesHealth Group in Taiwan, has played an instrumental role in establishing a business partnership with Danish start-up Nordic Harvest and setting up their first Indoor Vertical Farming (IVF) plant in Copenhagen. Jesper has, a side business planning and marketing, developed vertical farm designs and so far helped raise more than USD $100 million for vertical farming projects across the world.

Following ten years of development and establishing Taiwan’s largest and profitable indoor vertical farm, further expansion in Denmark, the Nordics as well as in various countries in Asia is in the works. Their elaborate international expansion plan is based on developing technology, and building and operating such indoor vertical farming systems. Their farming technology is hydroponics-based; where plants grow in a solution of water and nutrients and no soil is used. This addresses climate change and food security challenges through sustainable and environment-friendly agricultural practices.

YesHealth Group is currently the largest vertical farming company in Asia, with its own operations and proprietary technology that underpins their vertical farms such as engineering design, climate control systems, fertilizer and micro-biology, automation design, and data collection and management.

The launch in Denmark represents a crucial milestone and the first step in its elaborate international expansion plan. “We are by far the largest player in Taiwan and our main production unit is the largest farm provider for the major retailers, in addition to hotels,” says Jesper.

Chinese studies the beginning

Jesper got involved through the family business of his Taiwanese wife. So let’s rewind to how it all started with this Dane working for a Taiwanese company exporting to Denmark.

After taking a degree in history at the University of Copenhagen earlier, Jesper realised that being a historian was not the kind of job he wanted. He then thought how he could further his studies with some skills that could allow him to travel. Language! Chinese! So he started Chinese studies, which included language, history, culture, politics, and society.

“That really kick-started my studies overseas and the first stay I had was in Hangzhou, where I first learned the basics of Chinese and got to a level where I could have a very basic conversation. I spent six months there as an integrated part of the Chinese programme at the University of Copenhagen.”

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Then an opportunity to apply for a one-year scholarship worldwide came up and Jesper applied to the University of California is very strong on Chinese studies.

“I did a one-year programme of combined history and Chinese studies. That really took me to the next level of understanding Chinese – learning how to read and write and how to understand more technical conversations.”

“Next, a Taiwanese representative office in Copenhagen contacted my Professor with the offer of some of the best students from Copenhagen to go to Taiwan, paid by the Taiwanese government, to study Chinese. My professor offered that to me and I was granted six months of Chinese studies at Taiwan University – the top university in Taipei. So I took another six months on top of my degree to go there, and I managed to increase my Chinese to an even higher level during my time here,” says the Dane about his new-found home.

“When I was just about to go back to Copenhagen I met my current wife, my girlfriend at the time. I had little time to get to know her before I was going back to Copenhagen, so I told her that I would return after completing my graduation in Copenhagen. And so I did.”

Family job offer

“Once there I first joined a local Taiwanese company that helps large Western manufacturers (American and big customers such as Ericsson in Sweden), with mechanical components, specialising on Wi-Fi devices. My role was sales but just as much a matter of acting as a cross-cultural bridge. During my two years with this company I got very familiar with Taiwanese business and I also experience in how to link a Taiwanese company’s business mindset and way of approaching business with western practice. I was gradually becoming an expert on how to sell something from there to overseas, especially towards the western world,” he explains.

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Indoor Vertical Farming by YesHealth Group in Taiwan

Then, as YesHealth Group was building a larger facility, his Taiwanese father in law took Jesper under his shoulders and offered him to join the company and work on its global expansion.

”So I joined and then spent about a year before we took on the first project, which was in China in 2018. And we succeeded in delivering that project in Shenzen and that remains one of the largest farms ever built up to today. And from 2019 onwards I started developing projects in Europe.”

Danish partnership

First out is Denmark, where in the fourth quarter of 2020 Nordic Harvest began operations of its vertical farm in greater Copenhagen, which will with full production capacity yield more than 3.000 kg every day, making it the most efficient vertical farm in Europe to date.

This Danish start-up that aims to make food production more sustainable has been made possible through a business partnership with YesHealth Group.

“Nordic Harvest ApS is backed by prominent investors and leaders within business, the food industry, and agriculture making Nordic Harvest an ideal partner,” says Jesper.

It has more than 40 private investors, aside some bigger investors and lenders like Vækstfonden, the Danish government’s financing fund for venture capital & private equity; and Danmarks Grønne Investeringsfond, a new, independent investment fund that co-finances investments supporting the transfer to a green society.

As an investor Yeshealth has also contributed capital towards setting up the Danish food business. “And we have a significantly larger stake through our technology transfer; licensing our technologies and proprietary formulas.”

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Setting up sales and distribution, marketing and operating the business is done by Nordic Harvest, while Yeshealth looks after everything relating to technology.

“We are building the next phase in 2021, which will almost triple the capacity to around 1000 tons per year – to be completed and fully operational by early next year.”

The grow area is utilised optimally by placing the plants in floors. By having full control over the plants’environment the best conditions is created for their growth. Therefore, the indoor farm can deliver delicious, tasteful and nutrient-rich herbs and lettuces every day year round – 100% free of pesticides and herbicides.

Nordic Harvest is also one part in a two-pillar idea, by the Danish founder and CEO Anders Riemann, to take away the need for traditional farmland and instead grow vegetables inside cities. Farmland outside the cities should be returned to nature by growing forests, creating lakes etc.

“What we call nature in Denmark consist in farmland everywhere, and that’s not what nature looks like before. It’s all artificial – made by people. We should have untouched forest, which we almost don’t have any more. So the idea is to regenerate and create a better balance in the ecosystem.”

Making it sustainable and viable

The start-up also has further plans to expand into the other Nordic countries over the next years.
Jesper called the Danish launch proof “that it is now possible to commercialise vertical farming produce on a large scale and that this produce will be able to support the traditional farming sector from now on. Vertical farming is no longer just a theoretical concept for the garage.”

Favourable conditions in various markets and countries can vary. “It can be a combination of climate conditions favouring indoor farming, coupled with inexpensive energy or access to green energy. We are not dependent on the weather, so this enables us to supply the whole world locally. We can build a farm even in Greenland or Iceland if we want to and supply locally and take out the need for transportation,” says Jesper.

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Jesper Hansen inspecting YesHealth Group’s Indoor vertical farming produce

“The harsher the climate is outside the better our technology is because it means you cannot grow outside. But it also means the more difficult it is for us to control the temperature inside. And we try purposefully to link our technology with green energy resources. Actually in the case of Denmark, including the wind power, electricity is not inexpensive. But it’s clean, so we don’t have the carbon footprint. The link with green energy sources is a driver and whether or not there is a market for high quality sustainably produced produce,” adds the Dane.

“In Denmark we are the only large-scale vertical farm. So the competition comes from overseas’ producers. We identify which crops that can be, and are grown, in Denmark, and we purposely grow other things. We are trying to take away import to Denmark. Competitors would be from countries like Italy and Spain. But we’re selling at a certain price point – because the cost structure is still relatively high compared to outdoor farming. The challenge is to make it a sustainable and viable business by being able to offer produce that doesn’t cost more than the traditional. So our goal is to bring down the cost so that this kind of quality and healthy produce is available to anyone,” he continues.

This is something they will achieve gradually, partly via technology improvement in terms of driving down cost. LED technology, for instance, becomes better and better and lower in cost. The same goes for software and automation.

“There is also an operational aspect that you get better and better at operating these farms, so using the same input in money and labour we can get more and more out of the farms,” says Jesper. “So there’s a learning curve in terms of being better at that but there’s also technology improvement over time.”

“With all of our technology in-house, YesHealth Group will be able to utilise real-world data from vastly different climates and environments and improve our technology at an even greater speed and efficiency.”

The Taiwanese company is the developer of all the technology that underpins their vertical farms such as engineering design, climate control systems, fertiliser and micro-biology, automation design, and data collection and management.

Bugs and insects on the market

YesHealth Group was actually mainly started to solve the issue with pesticides: “Taiwan is a hot country with lots of bugs and insects in nature. So the farmers have to spray a lot of pesticides on the crops. By bringing farming into a closed environment, relying on LED for light source instead of the sun, we have a whole lot of advantages. For instance, we can skip all the harmful chemicals and pesticides – we don’t need them anymore; they belong to the outside world. We can also use significantly less fertilizer and water to achieve the same result. We hardly use any other water than what goes into the crops, so it’s very resource-efficient. Then, in some areas like for instance Singapore, we have the ability to grow a lot on a very small footprint.”

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Over time the Taiwanese company has developed technology and become experts at running these large farms that are suitable solutions also for export. “And our combination of being both a technology developer and manufacturer, and an operator, gives us a competitive edge towards many of our competitors who focus only on making the equipment; they don’t have live insights from operating these systems. We are one of the few companies that have been operating these farms over a number of years.”

“Almost everything essential to a vertical farm, such as LED lighting, is proprietary; something we developed. The same goes for the automation equipment – everything is made in-house.”

“We have something called ‘Nanobubble oxygene injection system’, which we use to induce oxygen in the water. We have some 50 patents of which some are only here in Taiwan and some are international, but, actually most of our core technologies are what we call trade secrets,” informs Jesper.

In Taiwan, they have a cost competitiveness advantage, but it is by no means any easy market for vertical farming and thus a tough test-bed. “Some of the values – for instance being pesticide-free and sustainable – are things that just don’t resonate. Taiwan is a little bit behind Europe and the U.S in focusing on these kinds of things, so selling the produce is more difficult. The fact that traditional produce from the field is extremely cheap in Taiwan also contributes to that. Hence, the price gap between the traditional produce and our premium produce becomes higher, whereas in Denmark people are used to eating organic, pesticide-free, high-quality produce. There, we don’t have to fight this price gap and change people’s perceptions. We just tap into the mass market, while in Taiwan we’re still a very premium product and a niche.”

“The way we see vertical farming is that it’s never going to replace traditional farming: it’s just going to be a big niche technology that will have applications in areas where you cannot grow, or have a problem with pesticides. And providing year-round pesticide-free, safe and healthy vegetables is part of a larger trend, which is to move away from the need for meat every day to a more plant-based diet. This is the kind of trend we are tapping into.”

Lead photo: Jesper Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer at YesHealth Group in Taiwan

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About Joakim Persson

Freelance business and lifestyle photojournalist

View all posts by Joakim Persson→

Tags: AGRICULTURE, FISHING, FORESTRY / BUSINESS IN ASIA / CHINA / DENMARK / SUSTAINABILITY / TAIWAN

Projected Water Scarcity Prompts Need For Farming Ingenuity

Posted by chrismichlewicz

July 31, 2021

The common refrain that freshwater is the next gold is ringing true as drastic changes in our climate are resulting in greater competition and a need for more efficient water uses, especially in the agricultural industry.

National Geographic points out that while the amount of fresh water on the planet has remained fairly constant over time — continually recycling through the atmosphere and back into our oceans, lakes, and rivers — the global population has exploded in the last century. This means that competition for a clean supply of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and sustaining life intensifies every year. There is only so much water to go around.

Essentially, when taking saltwater into account, only about .007 percent of the Earth’s water supply is usable for the planet’s 6.8 billion (and counting) people, National Geographic says.

The vast majority of freshwater  — about 70 percent by most estimates — is used for agriculture, and when you consider that feeding a planet of 9 billion people in 2050 will require an estimated 50 percent increase in agricultural production and a corresponding 15 percent increase in water withdrawals, the future becomes a lot clearer, according to World Bank.

Without proper governance, there is likely to be increased competition for water between sectors and an escalation of water crises of various kinds, triggering emergencies in a range of water-dependent sectors, according to a U.N. report.

Emerging technologies are quickly trying to find ways to get the most bang for each drop of water. Efficiencies have been identified, including vertical hydroponic farming, which drastically reduces the amount of water needed to grow crops. FarmBox Foods, a Colorado company that builds automated hydroponic farms inside repurposed shipping containers, has set its sights on creating a tangible shift in the approach to farming.

FarmBox Foods’ innovative, closed-watering system only uses 3-5 gallons of water per day and, almost as important, it does not contribute to groundwater contamination the way that traditional farming does. Furthermore, one farm is able to produce the same yield as 2 – 2.5 acres of farmland on an annual basis. 

“Our container farms are built in such a way that it takes only a fraction of the amount of water to grow that same amount of produce,” said Rusty Walker, CEO of FarmBox Foods.

Climate change is projected to increase the number of water-stressed regions and exacerbate shortages in already water-stressed regions. It’s those regions that will realize the most benefit from vertical hydroponic farming and more efficient water usage in general.

An integrated view on water, the biosphere, and environmental flows is necessary to devise sustainable agricultural and economic systems that will allow us to decelerate climate change, protect us from extremes and adapt to the unavoidable at the same time, the U.N. says.

The automated hydroponic farms have a secondary benefit, as they can grow pine trees that contribute to the overall health of the environment by helping reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One container farm from FarmBox Foods can grow 35,000 tree saplings per year.

For more information, go to www.UNwater.org or www.FarmBoxFoods.com.

Posted by chrismichlewicz on July 31, 2021 in Arapahoe County Business, Douglas County, Douglas County Business, Featured, Greenwood Village Business

Tagged #farmboxfoods, agriculture, cleanwater, Colorado, containerfarm, containerfarming, environment, farmboxfoods, freshwater, indoorag, indoorfarming, UN, Water, waterscarcity, watershortage, watersupply, waterusage

iUNU Meets U.S. House Agriculture Committee & Highlights Importance of CEA To U.S. Food Supply

Chairman David Scott (GA) held a Congressional Hearing Thursday morning to increase public awareness of the critical importance of the CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) industry to promote food safety, nutritious produce, and food security for the American people.

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Adam Greenberg | CEO | IUNU LLC

“While a global pandemic certainly magnified our food supply chain issues, one of the issues we can cover today is how to ensure a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables from all sources,” Chairman Scott asserted in his opening statement. “Controlled environment agriculture has the ability to fill in gaps where there are food deserts, reduce emissions from transportation of produce, and very importantly, limit our reliance on imports to fill our needs for fresh produce. We have an opportunity today to be on the cutting edge of technologies and the ability to provide affordable food to more households that need it.”

iUNU, an AI and computer vision-based technology platform that is employed by large commercial growers to enhance productivity is working with Congress and the USDA to ensure nutritious produce is available to all Americans. 

“iUNU is an integral part of the solution to these issues as the leading provider of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to help indoor growers rapidly expand their operations,” stated CEO Adam Greenberg at the Hearing. “The fact that 87% of the imported tomatoes come from one country, Mexico, leaves the U.S. population highly susceptible to food insecurity whether it is from a pandemic or other forces we can’t control. The CEA industry can significantly reduce these risks.”

Representative Jim McGovern (MA) expressed deep concerns about the need to recognize that food security is a national security issue in terms of ensuring the availability of healthy, nutritious produce for all Americans. “Every child in America deserves fresh, nutritious, contaminant-free fruits and vegetables they can trust.”

iUNU provides indoor growers with an AI and machine learning technology that gives growers the ability to see a plant from the time it sprouts until the time it is harvested in real-time.

“Our LUNA system can see where a problem is when it is happening and what is causing it, which significantly reduces the time it takes to identify any potential outbreak,” Mr. Greenberg said. “By catching a pest or pathogen issue as early as possible, we help growers reduce the need for pesticides. In short, we help reduce a grower’s risks and increase their productivity.”

 Representative Jim Costa (CA) reiterated his concern with the nation’s food supply. “The sustainability of our food supply is critical,” he stated. “Focusing on protecting America's food supply chain is a national security issue. We need to focus on innovation as we move forward.”

 Later in the afternoon, both Chairman Scott (GA) and Ranking Member Thompson (PA) issued a joint statement urging Congress to address the expansion of Broadband Internet so Americans living in rural areas and food deserts will have the same access as those living in urban areas. The lack of access hampers the ability of businesses such as growers to optimize their facilities through the use of AI and computer vision.

Sobeys To Boost Supply of Vertically Farmed Produce

By Russell Redman

July 26, 2021

Under an expanded partnership with Sobeys, vertical farming company Infarm plans to build four new production sites to be able to supply fresh produce to more than 1,000 of the Canadian grocer’s stores.

Infarm said Monday that it aims to construct Infarm Growing Centers in Calgary, Alberta; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Hamilton, Ontario. Near Toronto, the Hamilton facility will be Infarm’s largest production site in North America, with a growing capacity of 37,000 square feet, the company said.

Sobeys and Infarm formed their partnership last year, with a goal of providing locally grown, indoor-farmed produce to the Stellarton, Nova Scotia-based retailer’s customers nationwide. The deal was the first of national scope between a Canadian retailer and a vertical farming company, according to Infarm.

“We are passionate about bringing Canadian families the best, freshest, most delicious produce every single day. The expansion of our exclusive partnership with Infarm demonstrates our commitment to delivering that in a technologically advanced and sustainable way,” Niluka Kottegoda, vice president of customer experience at Sobeys, said in a statement.

“We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our customers and our store teams about the current Infarm product grown in our stores,” she added. “We are thrilled to expand into the Infarm Growing Centers, as they allow us to exponentially offer these great local products to a multitude of communities across Canada all year round.”

Berlin-based Infarm combines vertical farms with Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning technology to create a resilient alternative food system. Situated across urban markets, Infarm’s smart modular farms are designed to grow fresh produce for city inhabitants.

The growing centers house farming units that can each save up to 10 million liters of water annually versus soil-based agriculture for similar crops, while producing the equivalent of up to 100,000 square feet of land, Infarm reported. The company noted that 90% of electricity used throughout the Infarm network will be from green-certified sources by September 2021, part of its plan to use 100% renewable or green-certified energy.

Sobeys' partnership with Infarm is the first national-level deal between a Canadian retailer and a vertical farming company.

With their expanded partnership, Infarm and Sobeys will extend the availability and distribution of vertically farmed produce to another four of Canada’s 10 provinces by 2023. That will boost production volume in Canada by more than sevenfold, in tandem with current Infarm Growing Centers in Vancouver and Victoria/Vancouver Island in British Columbia. According to Infarm, the deal stems from rising retailer demand for its produce, including from the Sobeys, Safeway and Thrifty Food supermarket banners of Empire Co. Ltd., the parent company of Sobeys Inc.

Infarm said that, by 2025, it expects to scale to 100 growing centers, with a growing capacity of 3 million square feet. As a result, over the next five years, Canadian consumers can expect to see a range of new Infarm produce items — such as tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, mushrooms, pre-cut salads and potted plants — added to the current selection of herbs, leafy greens and microgreens now available in grocery store aisles, the company said.

In turn, Infarm’s Canadian team of 97 employees stands to grow more than 50% to 160 by the year’s end, working from sites in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Manitoba. 

“We’re delighted with what has been an extremely positive and successful partnership with the Sobeys family of retailers,” stated Erez Galonska, CEO at Infarm. “This expansion deal represents one of the largest rollouts of any vertical farming company in North America to date as we aim to offer local, high-quality produce to people everywhere.”

Founded in 2013 by Osnat Michaeli and brothers Erez and Guy Galonska, Infarm operates more than 1,300 farms in stores and growing centers worldwide and has partnered with over 30 major retailers in Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland. U.S. retail partners include The Kroger Co., Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh. International grocery retail partnes include Aldi Süd, Auchan, Carrefour, Casino, E. Leclerc, Edeka, Farmdrop, Intermarché, Irma, Kaufland, Kinokuniya, Marks & Spencer, Metro, Migros, Selfridges, Selgros and Summit.

COVID-19 Crisis Has Led to Food Crisis, Says Italy's Draghi

By Maytaal Angel

July 26, 2021

LONDON (Reuters) - The world must ensure access to food supplies as forcefully as it moved to ensure access to vaccines, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said at the opening of the United Nations Food Systems Pre-Summit in Rome.

"The health crisis (COVID-19) has led to a food crisis," he said, citing data showing malnutrition in all its forms has become the leading cause of ill health and death in the world.

The U.N.'s first ever Food Systems Summit will take place in September, with the aim of delivering progress on the body's 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs).

According to the latest U.N. data, the world's food system, which involves cutting down forests to plant crops, is responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a leading cause of climate change.

"We are off track to achieve the SDGs," said U.N. Secretary General António Guterres, who first announced his plan to convene the Food Systems Summit in October 2019, before COVID-19 dramatically slowed progress towards SDGs like zero hunger.

After remaining virtually unchanged for five years, world hunger and malnutrition rose last year by around 118 million people to 768 million, with most of the increase likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a major U.N. report. read more

On internationally traded markets, world food prices were up 33.9% year-on-year in June, according to the U.N food agency's price index, which measures a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar. read more

There is increased diplomatic momentum to tackle hunger, malnutrition and the climate crisis this year with summits like the current one, but the challenge is huge.

Guterres said the pre-summit will assess progress towards achieving the SDGs by transforming global food systems, which, he noted, are also responsible for 80% of the world's biodiversity loss.

Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi gestures as he speaks at a news conference where he is expected to map out the country's next moves in loosening coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions, in Rome, Italy, April 16, 2021. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

Lead Photo: Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi arrives for the virtual G20 summit on the global health crisis, at Villa Pamphilj in Rome, Italy, May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

SINGAPORE - VIDEOS: How IoT And Machine Learning Are Automating Agriculture

A New Generation of Farmers Is Tapping The internet of Things And Machine Learning To Operate Self-Sustaining Urban Farms With Minimal Supervision

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By Aaron Tan, TechTarget

21 Jul 2021

A new generation of farmers is turning to technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and machine learning to automate agricultural production, alleviating the need to toil on the land while keeping a watchful eye on their crops.

Joining their ranks is Phoebe Xie, director, and co-founder of Singapore-based agrotechnology startup AbyFarm. Teaming up with technology service provider SPTel, Xie is building a smart hydroponics farm in a greenhouse that uses a plethora of IoT sensors, including video cameras, to keep the farm humming around the clock.

“To run a self-regulating farm at the optimal temperature with optimal water and nutrient supply, and to control the quality and taste of vegetables and fruits, we need IoT sensors,” she said, adding that the farm and its sensors collect and monitor thousands of data points, including humidity and temperature.

With the data and in certain environmental conditions, processes and actions are automatically triggered to protect crops from the elements. For instance, if the temperature or humidity gets too high, fans, water curtains, and roof shades are activated in the greenhouse.

Xie said the smart farm, located at a rooftop carpark in Singapore, is also equipped with sensors that monitor the pH and electrical conductivity levels of water. Among the sensors, which are connected to a Lora low-power wide area network, is a dozer that automatically releases acidic or alkaline nutrients to maintain optimal pH levels. 

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Whereas the farmers of old had to physically inspect their crops, AbyFarm’s agronomists and farmers can do so remotely using video cameras and image recognition technology to identify crops that might be succumbing to disease.

“If the image recognition finds that a plant is likely to be sick, the farmer will be alerted to go onsite to check how the plant is right now,” said Xie, adding that agronomists will also advise farmers on taking corrective actions to prevent disease or restore the health of their crops.

Like any machine learning system, AbyFarm’s algorithms get smarter over time. Each time a crop is affected by disease, data about the occurrence and corrective action is fed into the system, enabling its algorithms to formulate solutions for other farmers with similar crop issues – without consulting an agronomist.

With that, said Xie, even those who are new to the field can use the system to guide them on treating diseased crops, which can be isolated from other crops to prevent cross-infections.

AbyFarm’s automated farming system, which is hosted on SPTel’s private cloud, can also advise farmers on the best time to transplant their crops after germination and harvest them later for sale, said Xie.

Heng Kwee Tong, vice-president for engineering and customer solutions at SPTel, said the company has built up a software-defined platform to help companies like AbyFarm overcome the challenges of deploying applications such as IoT.

“The common struggle that companies like AbyFarm face with building an IoT solution is that it is quite intensive in terms of ICT infrastructure,” said Heng. “You’ve got to find the radio connectivity like Lora, subscribe to a service provider, and connect your sensors to a sensor collector.

“We make it easy by investing in a platform and because we are a service provider with edge hub assets for deploying radio connectivity, all AbyFarm needs to do is to bring their sensors onboard.”

Going forward, Heng said SPTel is looking to support next-generation video analytics capabilities through edge cloud services that can be used to crunch workloads closer to where they reside, reducing latency.

AbyFarm was one of six companies to win contracts from the Singapore Food Agency last year to build urban farms at nine rooftop carparks in public housing estates across Singapore.

The goal is to collectively produce about 1,600 tonnes of vegetables a year in a bid by the city-state – where less than 1% of the land is used for agriculture – to become more self-sufficient in meeting the nutritional needs of its people.

That could well be achievable with technology that makes farming more efficient, scalable, and less labor-intensive than before. “We are willing to train and educate the next generation in agrotechnology because now you don’t need 10 farmers to take care of one farm,” said Xie. “It’s just looking at the dashboard and, with the alerts, doing what is required.”

Farm Merges With Food Retail Spaces

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By Sylvain Charlebois

July 29, 2021

Opinion

Canadians have started to notice that grocers have begun to sell plants in miniature greenhouses.

We’ve seen gardens on rooftops, vertical farms close to stores, and even some selling gardening equipment to gardeners who are shopping for food. The farm is essentially merging with food retail spaces.

We’re slowly witnessing the rise of the “grow-cer.”

For years, customers accepted the myth that food just magically shows up at the grocery store. But COVID-19 got many of us to think differently about supply chains.

With the addition of new farmgate features, grocery stores are becoming the gateway to a world most of us rarely see: farming.

Sobeys has provided one recent example of what’s going on. The second-largest grocer in Canada recently signed a partnership agreement with German-based Infarm to get greenhouses into many outlets across the country. Infarm units were installed last year in British Columbia and can now be found in many other locations across the country.

In-farm units enable Sobeys to offer fresh herbs and produce grown hydroponically, which requires 95 percent less water, 90 percent less transportation, and 75 percent less fertilizer than industrial agriculture. As well, no pesticides are used.

Produce grown inside the store includes leafy greens, lettuce, kale, and herbs such as basil, cilantro, mint, and parsley. Expansion plans include chili peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes. The growing cycle for most of these averages five weeks.

It’s not just Sobeys. Other grocers also have decent-sized vertical farms inside their stores or nearby.

For many consumers, gardening remains a luxury due to the lack of space or time. But now grocers are bringing the farm to the store so consumers can have both the farming and the retail experience at once.

Before COVID, farmers desperately tried to get closer to city dwellers so their work could be appreciated. Campaigns over the years brought mixed results. Farming is still largely misunderstood.

City dwellers have always respected farmers and the hard work they do, but many consumers who were looking for natural and organically produced goods have grown leery of farming in general.

Grocers are starting to bridge the worlds of farmers and urban consumers.

For years, we saw pictures of farmers on packages and posters. It was nice, but it wasn’t real. The hard work, and everything else that comes with farming, can only be properly conveyed when visiting a farm or working on one for a while.

The pictures likely won’t disappear from grocery stores but they don’t really tell the whole story.

The new grow-cer brings the imagery of farming in retail to a new level. Grabbing a living plant or produce off a living plant is real and increasingly valuable for Canadians longing for local and freshness. It just can’t get more local than growing it in the grocery store.

COVID-19 eliminated many rules for grocers. Previously, every business played a part. Grocers sold food, processors manufactured it and restaurants provided ready-to-eat solutions. Lines between sectors were already becoming blurred before COVID, but the pandemic blew up the blurred lines.

Grocers are becoming brokers, connecting various functions of the supply chain. Farming connects with retail by way of new initiatives that we’re now seeing everywhere.

For example, restaurants are selling meal kits through grocers’ apps. Few saw that coming.

Food brokering for grocers is no doubt the next frontier of growth.

Whether it will last is unknown. But grocers are embracing the fact they have the privilege of interacting with consumers every day. That privilege comes with a responsibility to show consumers the true value of food by being knowledge brokers.

If that means growing more food in stores, so be it.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.

Lead photo: An employee of the urban farming start-up Infarm checks an indoor growing system at the company’s showroom in Berlin, Germany. Sobeys is working with the German company to put greenhouses into its Canadian stores. | REUTERS/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE PHOTO

1-in-3 Agree This Grocery Store Has The Worst Quality Produce

By Ralph Schwartz

July 26, 2021

Some people prefer to grow their own garden or pick up their produce at the farmers market, straight from the person who grew it. On the other hand, a lot of us like to get our apples and lettuce at the same store where we buy our toilet paper and home furnishings. Mashed had these big-box shoppers in mind when we conducted a recent survey of 593 U.S. residents. We asked, "Which grocery store has the worst-quality produce?" We gave our survey participants eight options: Aldi, Costco, H.E.B., Kroger, Meijer, Publix, Target, and Walmart.

Before we reveal which of these retail chains our respondents considered the worst, let's take a look at who didn't get a lot of votes. Like golf, low scores are good in this survey, and three grocers each got less than 7% of the total vote. Faring best was Publix, with 6.41% of the votes. Publix might have been off the radar for most respondents, as the chain only has locations in seven Southeast states, according to the Publix website. Publix doesn't necessarily have a sterling reputation for produce. If it's known for anything, it's the fried chicken and sub sandwiches, per The Kitchn.

Costco and Kroger tied for second-lowest vote total, at 6.91%. This is more impressive, as both are truly national chains. The only real knock on Costco's produce is that a lot of it is sold in bulk, and normal-sized families might not use it all before it spoils, per CNBC.

Our survey says Walmart has the worst produce, despite a recent upgrade.

Now for the bad news in the Mashed survey that asked people which grocery store has the worst produce. The runner-up for worst produce was Target, which drew 16.53% of the vote. But Target was no competition for Walmart in the produce-quality race to the bottom. Walmart was our clear, er ... winner, with 33.39% of the total vote. Our survey respondents seem to know low-quality produce when they see it. Their answers matched a 2019 survey by Consumer Reports, which also ranked Target and Walmart's produce among the worst.

Target had planned to install vertical farms inside its stores beginning in 2017 (via Business Insider), but it's not clear whether this plan for getting the freshest possible produce in their stores ever got off the ground. Whatever the case, it has done little to improve Target's poor reputation for produce.

Meanwhile, Walmart made major improvements to its produce departments in 2020, according to Supermarket News. But the changes were more about the department's layout than the quality of the food. Wider aisles and lower displays were intended to reduce crowding and make it easier for shoppers to see the produce. But if you don't like what you see, then a redesign may not be much of a game-changer. Walmart may need to do more to lose its image as the worst grocery store for produce.