Siberian startup secures $1 million to develop vertical farms

iFarm, a Novosibirsk, Siberia-based startup, has secured $1 million in a round led by Gagarin Capital – the California-based VC firm founded by Nick Davidov and Mikhail Taver – with participation from individual Russian investors. The details of the deal have not been disclosed. iFarm’s first experimental projects were…

"Disrupting big agriculture means taking your crops indoors"

West Michigan farmers are bringing their crops indoors, taking advantage of new technologies to harvest a variety of produce year-round. With new techniques like hydroponics and aquaponics — as well as carefully curated hoop houses — these futuristic farmers are closing the gap for fresh, home-grown,…

US: A fleet of networked mushroom farms is spreading across New York

Between the pasta and deli counters in the middle of a Whole Foods is the last place you’d expect to find a contraption that simultaneously evokes a rave and a forest floor, let alone a brand-new way of farming. Yet Smallhold’s Minifarm is all of these things. The sleek metal and plexiglass case holds blue, pink, and…

US (WI): Outdoor Wisconsin features Nelson and Pade Aquaponics

Outdoor Wisconsin, a well-loved and award-winning television show, featured Nelson and Pade Aquaponics recently. Show host, Jeff Kelm, interviewed Rebecca Nelson, Co-founder and President of Nelson and Pade. Devoted to the outdoor enthusiast, “Outdoor Wisconsin” is a half hour weekly magazine series that travels Wisconsin covering a…

LettUs Grow named best “tech-for-good” startup in the UK

LettUs Grow, creator of advanced aeroponic technology and farm management software for indoor farms, has been named one of the UK’s top tech startups at the Vodafone Techstarter awards and won £45,000. The programme celebrates startups developing and using technology as a force for good. It aims to uncover and develop…

"Clean growing solutions for hospitals and research laboratories"

Seedo, a high-tech company providing fully automated and controlled indoor growing machines for the cannabis and agriculture markets, has signed a memorandum of understanding for mutual research and development with SYS Technologies, a company specializing in the development and manufacture of innovative…

February 13-14, Pordenone

Italy: Event showcases 'future of farming'

The FarmTech Society (FTS) is an international non-profit association that unites and supports the Controlled Environment Agriculture industry, strengthening the indoor growing sector. The FTS partners with the Vertical Farm Institute in Vienna (VFI) which is developing and implementing a new building…

US (NY): Local Bronx Public School gets wheelchair accessible vertical farm

Green Bronx Machine (GBM), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping students live happier and healthier lives, is partnering with Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) to launch the first wheelchair accessible farm and teaching kitchen in America at P.S. 721x, a District 75 school in the Bronx…

Watch the future of Scottish food at a unique farm

In the new edition of Scottish Field, Louise Gray visits the world’s most technically advanced vertical farm, which is in Dundee. In the final column in her series on fruit and vegetables, she asks if this is the future of food. "It is blowing a hoolie outside and usually I would be knee-deep in mud on a farm visit, but…

What is the impact of LED grow lights on indoor horticulture crops?

Michigan State University opened its Controlled-Environment Lighting Laboratory (CELL) in 2017. The 400-square-foot vertical farm research facility is being used to study the indoor production of high-value specialty crops, including edibles and ornamentals with LED grow lights. “The two major crops that we are…

Grower Martin Appler from Thaur, Austria:

"My goal is to partially cover the regional needs for organic foods"

Sprouts and herbs are among the fastest growing product segments in the fresh food sector. Even in the Austrian specialist trade, sprouts are becoming increasingly important. Recently, the region of Tyrol welcomed a new producer: Martin Appler. And this innovative grower from Thaur has already won over a…

Hydroponic Trial and Demonstration Center opens in Qatar

The Hydroponic Trial and Demonstration Center was opened in Al Khor on Tuesday. Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO), AGRICO and Yara International ASA (Norway) had signed a Cooperation Agreement on October 15, 2018 to establish a Hydroponic Trial and Demonstration Center in Qatar to test local greenhouse…

Aquaponic gardens bring life to an unused office balcony

When a young architecture start-up in Vietnam went looking for office space, the Farming Architects team, led by founder An Viet Dung, looked to the local vernacular for inspiration. The result is the Urban Eco Balcony, a 376-square-foot office designed to showcase how it’s possible to bring new life to…

'Europe's largest' vertical urban farm arises in Sweden

The Swedish initiative Grönska Stadsodling focuses on sustainable urban cultivation throughout the year using small surface areas. The crops are grown in a system with high/narrow cabinets that provide LED lighting and nutrients. The project began as a start-up by Petter Olsson, Robin Lee and Natalie de…

October 13-15, Wageningen

WUR hosts international workshop on vertical farming

VertiFarm2019, an international workshop on vertical farming, on 13-15 October in Wageningen, the Netherlands, combines a number of oral presentations of world leading horticultural researchers, panel discussions with renowned companies as well as short oral and poster presentations on the latest…

US (NY): Hydroponics lab brings something for every student

St. Matthias Catholic Academy in Ridgewood got a great deal of attention for their new STEM lab, which they showed off during a celebration on Jan. 28 for the successful launch of its hydroponics program. Diego Telechea, one of the student leaders on St. Matthias’ Green Team, knows the lab backwards and forwards since…

US (NV): Tomatoes and tilapia in a sustainable symbiosis

At Dayton Valley Aquaponics, a 31,000 square foot greenhouse grows tomatoes, cucumbers, other produce and tilapia fish. The tilapia live in 12 3,000 gallon tanks, and the ammonia-rich waste from the fish goes directly to plants, which absorb the nutrients. The absorption purifies the water which gets…

CubicFarms is growing again

"Fresh lettuce even with snow on the ground"

CubicFarms has completed its latest CubicFarm System near Edmonton, Alberta. Located in Weslock, AB, Swiss Leaf Farms founder and CEO David Pfaeffli is now selling his CubicFarms produce under the Thriiv Local Garden brand to a variety of stores and restaurants. Swiss Leaf Farm’s 14 machine CubicFarm…

Camden McGregor, Cobre Valley Indoor Farms:

"Our mission is to reinvigorate the community by turning abandoned buildings into indoor farms"

When a local Safeway store in Cobre Valley, Arizona, closed down, septuagenarian Elvin Fant Sr. asked the owner if another supermarket would replace it. The owner said that it would likely sit empty because the local market was not large enough to support another supermarket, with a Walmart on the next…

Jendayi Frazer named board member at Seedo

Dr. Jendayi Frazer, the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, has joined the board of directors at Seedo, a high-tech company providing a fully…

India: Rich yield at Church’s aquaponics farm

A small patch of land at the Marygiri Bishop’s House in Thiruvalla is all verdant with the vegetables cultivated there presenting a happy sight. The vegetable farm is the product of Syro-Malankara Church’s fresh venture into aquaponics. The method is organic, say Fr. Cherian Thazhamon, Vicar General, and Fr. Philip…

NL: Indoor farming collaboration to provide exclusive crops

Foodservice supplier Van Gelder and indoor farming specialist PlantLab have entered into a partnership to produce various types of fresh vegetables in PlantLab’s fully…

Australia nominates 'vertical farming' as word of the year.

Every year, Macquarie Dictionary picks the word of the year for Australia. For 2018, 'vertical farming' was one of the nominees - a sign that this modern form of agriculture…

India: Duo quit jobs to start hydroponic farm in Mumbai

When Joshua and Sakina decided to quit their well-paying jobs and switch to farming, everyone, including their parents, thought they were wasting their time and efforts with a dead project. “Who in their right frame of mind decides to leave a comfortable job in a city like Mumbai and get their hands dirty with farming?”…

March 13, Bleiswijk

Greenhouses in space: down to earth

The EU-EDEN-ISS project is about fresh vegetable production for the crew of future space missions. Antarctica was selected as the best possible "space simulator", and plenty of vegetables were produced during a 12-months mission there in 2018. The aim of the mission was to test and evaluate the…

US (WI): ‘A Day in the Life’ – One day aquaponics class

Nelson and Pade is offering a brand new, one day class on aquaponic food production in Montello, WI on February 15th. The new “A Day in the Life” aquaponics class offered by Nelson and Pade is an opportunity to learn the basics of running an aquaponic system with an introduction to the science behind what makes it work. You…

Focus on light at four-layer strawberry cultivation facility

In Hoogstraten (Belgium), strawberries will be grown late this year for the first time in a four-layer system. Below the three upper gutters dimmable LEDs will be suspended to compensate for the light loss on the lower gutters. In recent years, trials have already been conducted at Research Center…

How agritech could transform farming in Singapore

Which countries come to mind when you hear "agriculture"? China? Yes. Japan? Probably. Singapore? Not so much. The country has never had a large role to play in agriculture. Yet in the past two years, the authorities cannot seem to stop waxing lyrical about the potential of Singapore as an agrifood tech…

Three startups take top prizes at Indoor Ag-Con Asia pitch competition

Indoor agriculture startups Biteback, Farmers Cut and Growers Agritech won top honors at the Indoor Ag-Ignite competition finals held during Indoor Ag-Con Asia, January 15-16, 2019 at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Designed to support entrepreneurs and find the most innovative new ideas globally in the…

AVF announces new leadership and roster of events for 2019

In 2019, the AVF will be taking part in events and activities across the world, reflecting the global challenges of this industry and highlighting regional innovations. The…

Gotham Greens

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” -Martin Luther King Jr. #MLK pic.twitter.com/hRx5zfSK0R — Gotham Greens (@gothamgreens) January 21, 2019

Vietnam: New library shows young children the benefits of aquaponics

While most libraries tend to be filled with nothing more than books, the new VAC library (an abbreviation of the Vietnamese words for Garden, Pond and Cage) in Hanoi is teeming with koi fish and greenery. Vietnamese firm Farming Architects has built the new open-air library with an impressive aquaponic…

US: Legal action to prohibit hydroponic operations from Organic label

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed a new legal action demanding the Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibit hydroponic operations from the Organic label. According to…

Singapore aiming to become urban agriculture tech hub

Singapore has the "right ingredients" to make it the urban agriculture and aquaculture technology hub in the region, Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, said on Tuesday (Jan 15). In a keynote speech at the Indoor Ag-Con Asia conference at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, which…

Swedish grower works without sunlight or soil

Swedish grower Ellinor Helgeson has been growing flowers and herbs for a year on the top floor of a warehouse near Växjö in Sweden. Parsley, thyme and various types of lettuce do really well in her vertical greenhouse. The crops are grown using hydroponics. They are planted in a minimal amount of peat, in rows…

UAE aims for top 10 position in food security by 2021

"Food security is without doubt one of humankind’s most pressing concerns and the issue is one that is felt particularly keenly in the UAE. Although considered food secure – primarily because it enjoys a high degree of economic and political stability – the UAE still faces significant challenges. These…

Florentaise presents its vertical farm on France 3

The company Florentaire recently invited the television channel France 3 in order to present its vertical farm. After the request for proposals won by the Parisculteurs, the company will install the facility at the Utopi’hall in Angers in March. Source: florentaise.com

Earl Connors, RMMI:

"With this system, we can maximize production yields and product quality"

AEssenseGrows, an AgTech company specializing in automated precision aeroponic platforms for high-yield plant production, announced that Alberta-based Rocky Mountain Marijuana has selected its AEtrium grow system to enter Canada’s blossoming cannabis market. RMMI chose the AEtrium system, including the recently introduced AErix grow lights,…

Growing in -20 cold and 40 degree heat: indoor agriculture makes it possible

Growing vegetables in a region like Ladakh (India) with a temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius is impossible. However, scientists at DRDO in Leh-Ladakh are working on the…

US (OH): Automated indoor farm secures significant financing

80 Acres Farms has received a significant investment from Virgo Investment Group, a San Francisco Bay Area based private equity firm. Terms of the financing were not disclosed. The Virgo investment will enable 80 Acres Farms to complete the previously announced facility in Hamilton, Ohio, a fully automated indoor farm.…

US (NJ): Roger Post joins AeroFarms as COO

AeroFarms announced that Roger Post is their new Chief Operating Officer who will oversee all of their Operations, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Engineering, Farm Construction, STACK/Data Systems, and R&D. Roger has over 28 years of manufacturing and supply chain operations experience with CPG food companies including Danone and…

Inuit organization experiments with local vegetable cultivation

Food products are generally quite expensive in the Arctic areas of Canada, but mainly there is a lack of fresh vegetables. That is why Inuit organization Makivik in the Canadian province of Nunavik has started with experimental vegetable cultivation. The vegetables are cultivated in a standard 40-feet container that has…

Singapore: Republic Polytechnic offers urban farming education

Republic Polytechnic (RP) is paving the way for the future of Singapore's high-tech urban farming. On Wednesday (Jan 9), the poly launched the specialised diploma in urban agricultural technology - the first full-qualification diploma in the field. Commencing in June with an inaugural batch of 25 students, the part-time diploma in applied…

Chinese moon plant dies

Remember that cotton plant that sprouted after a Chinese space mission had put it on the dark side of the moon? It started growing only yesterday , but today it's already dead. It turned out that the…

Facebook post drives banker to launch multimillion-dollar vertical farm

Next time you feel guilty about idling away your commute on social media, remember that inspiration can come from all sources. That was certainly the case for Benjamin Swan, whose subway scrolling sparked an idea that led him to quit his corporate job and embark on a multimillion-dollar business venture. "It all…

Growing on the far side of the moon

A small green shoot is growing on the moon after a cotton seed germinated onboard a Chinese lunar lander, scientists said. The sprout has emerged from a lattice-like structure inside a canister after the Chang’e 4 lander touched down earlier this month, according to a series of photos released by the Advanced Technology Research…

US (PA): Cyber school offers aquaponics program

Agworks, a state-of-the-art learning aquaponics lab, is located right across the street from the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. The facility was officially opened by CCA in December and is the largest public educational aquaponics facility in the country. Funded through a federal grant, the facility…

Workshop on hydroponics at German Jordanian University

On Monday, January 7, 2019, the School of Applied Medical Sciences (SAMS) at the German Jordanian University (GJU), organized a workshop on “Hydroponics in Jordan” led by Dr. Ziad Abu El- Rub and Prof. Samer Garableh, in cooperation with Hohenheim University - Germany and representatives from Jordanian…

US: Local Grown Salads launches indoor vertical farms In Opportunity Zones

Local Grown Salads is opening indoor vertical farms in Opportunity Zones located in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Nashville. Local Grown Salads will be providing Ready-To-Eat salads, Ready-To-Use Herbs and vegetables that are GMO Free, Organic, Herbicide & Insecticide free, and certified insect free. Local Grown…

UK: Gove mentions vertical farming as part of fourth agricultural revolution

Environment Secretary Michael Gove recently addressed the Oxford Farming Conference 2019. In his speech, he discussed how British farmers can take advantage of the…

UK: LettUs Grow secures £1 million in funding to build 'farms of the future'

LettUs Grow, creator of advanced aeroponic technology for indoor farms, has secured £1 million in funding to build indoor growing facilities. The UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, has awarded the agri-tech company a grant of £399,650 to lead a £700,000 project - which will help increase food resilience and security…

Hydroponic farming to address Saudis' water shortage problems

Saudis are turning to hydroponic soil-free culture technology to grow vegetables, requiring less water and land and offering yields up to ten times the crop grown in an open field. Amy Pollock reports on Reuters.com. Click here to watch the video.

Singapore: Local farms continue to grow their impact on fine dining

Singapore’s agriculture sector contributes less than one per cent of the country’s GDP per capita and more than 90 per cent of the country's food is imported. It’s on a path of slow and steady growth but that is not to say local farms have not been innovative with growing vegetables and herbs, of which…

India: Secretariat employees test the water in aquaponics

Taking a cue from the success of vegetable farming done on the terrace of the Secretariat, Green Leaf, a group of agricultural enthusiasts under the guidance of Fisheries…

“If you can grow plants in space, couldn’t they grow anywhere?”

It all started with a movie many people haven’t seen. About 10 years ago, Ruqayah Bhuiyan sat down to watch “Sunshine,” a movie about astronauts flying to the sun. Amid all of the high drama, fission bombs and personal conflict aboard the ship, there was a garden. This outer-space garden got her thinking, “If you can grow plants…

CAN (ON): Mississauga Food Bank increases aquaponics farm capacity

The Mississauga Food Bank has expanded an innovative program it uses to supplement the fresh food it distributes to feed the city’s hungry. In late 2016, the food bank launched AquaGrow Farms — an aquaponics farm housed in the organization’s warehouse that’s used to grow both fish and produce year-round. Recently, they…

Urban farming lures Indonesia's youth back to the field

Soraya Cassandra, better known as Sandra, has always been passionate about sustainable living. She and her husband are the duo behind a new organization in Indonesia called Kebun Kumara. Both teach volunteers at their garden about modern agriculture and organic planting. Indonesia is working to achieve self-sufficiency in…

Space tech that feeds high-end diners in Toronto could help Canada's North

Technology being used to stock high-end Toronto restaurants with designer leafy greens could provide Northern Canadians with locally grown produce. That's the view of academic experts and entrepreneurs involved with a high-tech vertical garden housed in an east-end Toronto warehouse. "We're going to grow food using light recipes…

AVF introduces Peter Lane as interim vice chair

I don’t think there is a farmer’s son on the planet that hasn’t thought: there must be an easier way to make a living. I was no different- that is why, approximately 55 years ago, at the age of 10, I designed my first farm-engineering solution. And ever since leaving school in 1969, I have been in the…

US: New modular indoor agricultural system grows food in clean, pure environment

Grow Pod Solutions announced that its new modular indoor agricultural systems can grow herbs and vegetables without contamination frequently associated with other farming methods. The modular, stackable pods feature proprietary technology to monitor every detail of plant growth, including light intensity, nutrient delivery,…

"Cheap lighting can become really expensive"

Indoor growing has seen tremendous growth in the past few years, including the addition of new players, particularly in the vertical growing space. However, according to Agrilyst, glass or poly greenhouses still account for 47% of indoor growing facilities. "Regardless of whether a greenhouse or an…

In space-starved Hong Kong, the future of agriculture may be in high-rise buildings

A hi-tech vegetable farm in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district is thriving inside a converted factory building, and produces four tonnes of lettuce, wild rocket, endive and cabbage for salads each month. At Farm66, workers in their 20s and 30s tend to neat rows of racks, each 30cm tall and 10 tiers high, filled with potted…

Hydroponic farming in Kenya - cost, profitability and common problems

Hydroponics farming is an incoming practice in Kenya. However, it has proved prolific in different parts of the world. Learning how to grow hydroponic fodder at home is essential for plentiful fodder production regardless of the season. Besides, the technology achieves predictable vegetable yields not…

CAN (BC): Salmon Arm business to provide fresh greens year round

Salad lovers will be able to access locally grown greens and microgreens, thanks to Living Leaf Growers. Located at Westgate Public Market, co-owner Karen Dow says the company has been working on developing a commercial hydroponic system for two years under the direction of Wolf Wesle of Green Croft Gardens organic farm…

Jos Hakkenes, Duurzame Kost City Farm:

"What we are doing here is a big compromise"

On the fifth floor of Strijp-S in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, lettuce is growing. Under LED lighting, and completely circular. The fertilizer for the lettuce comes from fish, the roots of the lettuce are used to feed insects, and these insects feed the fish. The plants, meanwhile, have to do nothing…

Glenn Behrmann, Robert Colangelo and Erik Runkle reflect and look ahead

An indoor ag year of investments and innovation

2018 is almost over. That means it's time for relaxation, exchanging gifts, and eating way too much (and not just veggies). It's also a time to reflect on the past year, and to look forward to what's on the horizon. That's exactly what we'll do now. Joining us at the holiday table to discuss the state of…

"To grow vegetables in the desert is a reality, not a dream"

In a 1000 m 2 research greenhouse project of the King Saudi University in Saudi Arabia, the tomato yield reaches 62 kg per square meter and cucumber yield reaches 50 kg per square meter. “It is an amazing production yield for this kind of environment with high temperature and wide desert. Now we think…

Gregg Curwin steps down as CEO of TruLeaf

Gregg Curwin has stepped down as CEO of AgTech company TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture, paving the way for McCain Foods to steward the company through a phase of expected…

South Korea: Smart farm at industrial site grows future foods

Miraewon, a farming company, is in an unlikely place, an ordinary industrial site in northern Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi. But that’s because it’s a smart-farming company. On Dec. 3, senior government officials, including the Ministry of Science and ICT’s first vice minister, gathered at Miraewon as it hosted a conference…

Ikea Sweden to start growing lettuce

Ikea Sweden will grow its own lettuce next year at two of its locations. In cooperation with waste processing company Bonbio, Ikea will begin cultivating in containers in Malmö and Helsingborg in the course of 2019. Part of the plant food will come from organic waste. The goal is for the lettuce to be…

US (RI): University launches hydroponics educational program

Acopia Harvest International, member of Irving A. Backman & Associates and University College at Roger Williams University are partnering to create hydroponics education and training programs for students, military personnel, senior citizens, homemakers and career-chasers. The new program provides opportunities for students…

US: Take a peek inside one of the country's biggest aquaponics academies

Commonwealth Charter Academy has opened one of the largest public educational aquaponics facilities in the country. The 6,100 square-foot center is located at the cyber charter school's campus in Harrisburg. CCA students are managing nearly 3,000 plants and about 400 fish in the facility. ABC 27 took a look inside. Check it out here:

CAN (ON): Aquaponic cannabis grower expands with two new facilities

To meet the demand of a growing patient-base, Green Relief, a licensed producer of medical cannabis, has officially acquired possession of a new facility in Stoney Creek, Ont., that will significantly boost the company's production capacity. The 100,000-square-foot facility is located at 565 Seaman St., and is…

US: Blue Stream Farms receives grant

Blue Stream Farms is a project-based learning platform that, according to officials, will serve as apprenticeships, providing students with a strong advantage and help them take their next step in life. “Currently seven high schools have offered letters of support to Blue Stream Farms with four of those high schools…

Meet the Nigerian farmer who grows crops in the air

Samson Ogbole is trying to solve a problem many aren't aware exists. In his native Nigeria there is a shortage of land needed to provide food for its ever-growing population of 190 million. There are only 30 million hectares of farmland under cultivation in Nigeria annually, short of the estimated 78.5 million needed for food production,…

Nothing is wasted in this greenhouse restaurant

It has been there for a while, restaurant the Green House in the center of Utrecht (Netherlands). On April 9, the restaurant opened its doors, and since then the visitors have been able to enjoy food which is harvested above their heads in the greenhouse. The video below gives a good overview of the…

CAN (SK): Herb grower talks about switch to marijuana

If everything goes according to plan, Brian Bain will convert his Saskatoon market garden to a marijuana nursery by next year. He said it's a matter of economics. "All of a sudden, you have a crop that comes along, that you can pay your employees better, you can pay yourself better and the business itself will do better," he told…

US (PA): School opens 6,100 sq.ft. public educational aquaponics facility

Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), a Pennsylvania public cyber charter school, officially unveiled AgWorks at CCA, which according to them is the largest public educational aquaponics facility in the country. AgWorks at CCA will provide students with hands-on learning experiences in a 6,100-square-foot,…

AVF advertises vertical farming in Asia

Horti China was the host to AVF's latest design thinking event in the search for a comprehensive roadmap for vertical farming. Prof. Jasper den Besten, Honorary Board Member, and Fulco Wijdooge, General Manager of Ridder Group in China talked about the science and scaling of vertical farming. The role of…

Canada: An update on aquaponic organic certification

Recently, the Standards Council of Canada published a new organic standard for aquaculture to help make organic seafood more widely recognizable. However, this label presents…

US (MN): Students grow their own veggies at home

University of Minnesota students are encouraging one another to grow their own vegetables — not in a greenhouse or on a plot of land, but in their own apartments and dorms. The University’s Minnesota…

Greek students design autonomous aquaponics system

Two Greek teams that participated in the Robotics Olympiad 2018, held in Thailand, have taken home a fourth place in the world, as they competed against 63 countries, including robotics’ giants’ Russia, China and Japan. The Greek junior high school team was from Panorama, Galatsi while the senior students came from…

Ship to Plate, food grown onboard cruise condo ships

What else can you add to the cruise ship to make it more like home? A fresh produce farm. Storylines will have ship-to-plate food using some of the latest technologies in hydroponic food production. This will enable portions of the menu and indeed whole dishes to be grown right onboard the cruise condo…

US (CT): Recap of 2018 Hartford Aquaponic Tours

Every year, aquaponic tours are a highlight of the Aquaponics Association Conference. This year’s Putting Up Shoots Conference in Hartford, CT included tours of three very different aquaponic systems: one hobby-homestead system growing into a commercial-scale farm, one community center with…

Saba to set up hydroponic farm

The Public Entity Saba is facilitating the setting up of an agricultural, hydroponic farm to give local-grown vegetables another push. On Monday, Commissioner of Agriculture Rolando Wilson signed the deed for the purchase of 6,000m2 of land at Rendez-Vous, Windwardside. The financing to set up the agricultural/hydroponic farm came from the Regional Envelope…

146 million USD invested in indoor ag this year

Agtech venture pioneer Finistere Ventures released its “ 2018 Agtech Investment Review ,” providing in-depth insight on global financing activity, industry trends, regional variations, and a comprehensive exploration of challenges and opportunities in Latin America. Developed in collaboration with PitchBook, with additional…

Gärtnerei Kiemle relies on year-round availability of own herbs

''Christmas sales will still be covered by our own herbs''

In December, the demand for exceptional products like herbs usually grows. More and more local gardeners and direct suppliers jump on this bandwagon and set themselves the challenge to be able to offer their own aromatic herbs all year round. Nursery Kiemle, which is headquartered in…

Belgian supermarket to introduce in-store vertical farms

Colruyt Group is testing a system developed in-house for 'vertical farming' or multilayer cultivation in climate-controlled conditions. The retail group sees multilayer cultivation as part of its wider aim of pursuing more sustainable products, shortened chains and innovation. Colruyt Group aims to start…

"Nigeria’s small farmers are embracing hydroponics"

In May 2016, the invasion of the Tuta absoluta moth was all Nigerians were talking about. The pest, also known as the tomato leafminer, and nicknamed “tomato ebola,” ravaged hundreds of tomato farms in northern Nigeria, where most of the country's tomato crops are located. The episode led to an increase…

Tomatoes and microgreens in space

We have lift-off

Originally scheduled for November 19, the Eu:CROPIS mission, featuring life support system greenhouses that are to demonstrate that growing tomatoes in space is possible using urine, was launched December 3 and is now in orbit. In other space news, December 5 will see another satellite launch, this time from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.…

France: Agricool raises 28 million US dollars for urban farming

With the announcement of a new funding round of $28 million, in addition to the $13 million previously raised, Agricool pursues its ambition to make pesticide-free fruits and vegetables accessible to all. Through its innovative concept, the company has paved the way for a new form of urban and…

leafy greens from a growing machine

Advancements in automated commercial scale vertical farming

Growing produce automated or nearly automated and in any possible location are some of the advantages often supplied by the vertical farming industry. The Canadian company CubicFarms shows how also traditional greenhouse companies can benefit from indoor farming techniques. DelFresco Pure recently chose CubicFarm Systems to…

"Successful small-scale algae cultivation is now practical"

Smart Microfarms has opened its first spirulina algae farm in Northern California since 2016 with year round greenhouse production. A scalable, modular, replicable growing system with web based remote monitoring that can be installed anywhere. Robert Henrikson, CEO of Smart Microfarms, tells us: "Here we grow spirulina, a blue-green…

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