Land Betterment's portfolio company, ekō Solutions, and anu™ were recently featured in iGrow News. The story explores the high impact results and potential these two innovative companies are achieving by combining their industry expertise to create efficient farming solutions.

The partnership between ekō Solutions and anu™ is strategic, leveraging each company's strengths to create a robust, commercialized product. ekō brings its extensive background in manufacturing and construction, having worked on projects ranging from automotive manufacturing to custom residential and commercial construction projects. anu™ contributes cutting-edge plant science, particularly their rotary aeroponics technology.

The program was launched in March in partnership with the By the Hand Club and Kenilworth Union Church. The hydroponic container farm operates in any climate and without the use of harsh chemicals. So far, it’s produced eight harvests.

"When we have a full container, we’re looking at about 4,000 heads of lettuce that we’re currently growing," said Joe Jones, senior director of entrepreneurship at Bowen Harvest. "The cycle is about 4,000 and that equates to about four acres a year."

In this episode, I speak with Juan Gabriel Succar, the Co-founder of Verde Compacto, as he returns to share the latest developments in the world of vertical farming. Since our last conversation in 2022, Juan and his team have been busy refining their approach, focusing on standardizing their product offerings and expanding their reach.

Hamilton Horne was the one approaching restaurants when he launched King Tide Farms, which produces leafy greens with names like red streak arugula, fern parsley and bronze fennel — some of which Horne conjures up himself.

His pitch differed from other local farmers: the Sullivan’s Island native promised to deliver what he dubbed the “chef’s cut,” a smaller-sized green that could go directly from his farm to the plate.

Because of the enclosed environment that Nitzkowski grows the vegetables and greens in, Pantry Manager Dan Schnebeck said they're able to provide fresh produce to people year-round, making it feel even more like a traditional store.

"In the past, we pretty much had iceberg lettuce that we purchase, now this is an alternative and it's healthier," Schnebeck said.

FarmBox Foods LLC and New Alternative Green Energy, Inc. (New A.G.E.) announced the signing of a partnership Monday that will provide food security to underserved communities and support initiatives related to clean energy and environmental stewardship.

FarmBox Foods is a Denver-based manufacturer of tech-driven, controlled-climate farms housed in shipping containers. New A.G.E., based in Riesel, Texas, is a veteran-owned technology company with a portfolio of
patented solutions aimed at improving global quality of life.

Founder & CEO of Morrissey Market and Founder of Freight Farms, Brad McNamara, in this episode interviews Director of Crop Research and Development ‪@Freightfarms‬ David Harris, to talk crop R&D, food as medicine, where in the world is David Harris?, and an interesting call to action for new entrepreneurs, and Director of Business Development ‪@Freightfarms‬ Alison Rabschnuk, to chat about new business opportunities at Freight Farms and the impact that container farming is having on communities and organizations across the world.

Gourmet Caterers, a Boston-based food service management and catering company, has been New England's leader in dining hospitality for over 50 years. 

Known for their talented chefs, impeccable service, and production of thousands of unforgettable events—including corporate functions, weddings, galas, and mitzvahs—Gourmet Caterers has built a long-standing reputation for innovation, creativity, and exceptional customer service.

In 2022, Gourmet Caterers began container farming to enhance their event experiences and commitment to sustainability.

Hydroponically grown plants are lining the shelves at Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry, thanks to a new partnership between the food pantry and a Castine-based nonprofit hydroponic farm called the Good Table Foundation.

Hydroponic plants are grown without soil. At the Good Table Foundation, they are grown in a 40-foot shipping container on a rotational basis, so the produce can be harvested and delivered to Loaves and Fishes each week throughout the year.

Agrinam Acquisition Corporation (TSX: AGRI.U) (the "Corporation") and Freight Farms, Inc. ("Freight Farms") today announced that they have mutually agreed to terminate the previously announced business combination agreement dated October 4, 2023, as amended on March 14, 2024, March 19, 2024, June 28, 2024, July 15, 2024, July 18, 2024 and July 19, 2024 (the "Business Combination Agreement") which was entered into in connection with the Corporation's proposed business combination transaction with Freight Farms.

The farm has been running for over a month and is already churning ingredients for meals and salads, producing nearly 200 pounds of greens weekly. John uses 90% less water than a traditional farm, growing 2.5 acres of greens in 325 square feet of space.

“We have our Tropicana leaf lettuce, our summer crisp lettuce, and our red leaf lettuce, which is down here,” Johns said, ripping off different plants. There is also basil and arugula, among other plants.

The community of Tachet on Babine Lake expects to be growing its own vegetables via the installation of a hydroponics farm by late this fall or early winter.

Using a series of grants, with a final one of $100,000 from the United Way of B.C. helping meet a total project cost of $400,000, the community, which is part of the Lake Babine Nation, is purchasing a growing unit from the Ontario company of Growcer.

Forty days from planting to harvest

Land Betterment's portfolio company, ekō Solutions, is excited to announce that the first harvest from the Pure Produce® Container Farms is ready. These farms are a collaborative creation between anu™ and ekō Solutions, bringing sustainable, year-round fresh produce to communities.

Much of the first harvest was used for internal composition analysis, with the remainder being donated to a local Indiana church, university, and urban community garden project, supporting local food initiatives.

Step inside the world of sustainable agriculture and explore Hammock Greens' innovative, eco-friendly, hyperlocal farm nestled in the heart of Overtown—one of the University of Miami's providers of fresh greens for its dining halls.

USD 235 was the recipient of a hydroponic shipping container farm through a grant awarded to the Kansas Division of Children and Families, USD 235 Superintendent Vance Eden said in a prior interview.

Hydrophonics is Coming to a Local School System

The Community Green Farms of Pittsburg, KS announced on September 11, 2023, that they would receive over $1,000,000 to bring seven southeast Kansas counties a vertical hydroponic container farm.

The farm has been running for over a month and is already churning ingredients for meals and salads, producing nearly 200 pounds of greens weekly. John uses 90% less water than a traditional farm, growing 2.5 acres of greens in 325 square feet of space.

“We have our Tropicana leaf lettuce, our summer crisp lettuce, and our red leaf lettuce, which is down here,” Johns said, ripping off different plants. There is also basil and arugula, among other plants.

Morgan Hill Unified School District's hydroponic lettuce grown in shipping containers.

A public radio station program focusing on agriculture in the United States, has turned its focus on two local enterprises in Morgan Hill.

The first nationally broadcast agriculture series of its kind, “America’s Heartland” is back for its 18th season with 10 new episodes featuring crops grown on locally owned farms.

CWC received $366,000 from WIP to “lay the groundwork” for the local CEA program, Page said – a process that included infrastructure development, course development, and the purchase of a hydroponic container farm that should be delivered in the coming weeks from a Boston-based company called Freight Farms.

Page called the freight farm “the biggest and most exciting part of this.”

Many new Freight Farmers don’t come from an agricultural background, so learning how to set crop prices is unfamiliar territory. 

Establishing an optimal price point can be challenging. Pricing too high might deter customers, but pricing too low means missing out on potential revenue. How much do your customers value hyper-local produce?

In this guide, we'll help you identify the ideal sales channel, outline the process to establish your pricing, and offer recommendations for moving forward.

"The farm came in a basic format, and we adjusted it to our way of farming that suited our needs best. Since it was able to grow over 900 different crop varieties, I intended to bring the technology, and find what my market needed, no matter how I had to do that," says David Payne, Co-founder of Beats Per Minute, a container farm operator in Kansas City, Missouri.