Agritecture

Is indoor farming critical to the local food economy?

Over the last few years, we have witnessed a steady rise in demand for locally sourced food. Markets are carrying more local options, restaurants are growing their own food, even cocktails have “craft, local ingredients” stirred in them. What’s driving this trend? It seems that our palates have been changing, together…

Artechno doing new cultivation tests in VF chamber

"Together with another colleague, I am adding green thumbs to the team that is full of technicians here", Rick van Schie laughs. As the son of a tomato grower and next year's fourth-year horticulture student, he  started cultivation research in the industrial hall of Artechno in De Lier. In a AVF+ Junior climate…

Agritecture

Feeding the world with controlled environments

This case study, written by Gene Giacomelli and Eric Roth for Agritecture, takes a look at how CEA has emerged as a viable, contemporary agricultural practice over the past 50 years. Here’s how it happened! The fallout from increasing global temperatures, a worldwide pandemic, and political unrest is…

UKUAT joins FFT Expo as show partner

Future Farm Technology Expo (FFT Expo) is delighted to announce that the UK urban vertical farm association Urban AgriTech UK (UKUAT) has joined Future Farm Technology Expo as…

NZ: Drysdale Hydroponics expansion set to create 30 new jobs in Southland

A potentially revolutionary vertical growing system is the centerpiece of a $3.3 million Provincial Growth Fund-driven expansion for Drysdale Hydroponics – with 30 new jobs set to be created. Angela Beazer and partner Craig Macalister have operated Southern Hydroponics, which trades as Drysdale…

Stakeholder needs relevant to indoor propagation

There are economic and knowledge-based challenges that must be addressed for indoor farms to be viable in the United States despite their potential benefits. A mixed-methods…

Unmanned system lifts up vertical farming to the next level

SANANBIO, one of the world’s largest indoor farming technology providers announces the availability of its unmanned vertical farming system, a.k.a. UPLIFT, to growers globally.  “Pour your seeds in the seeder and do nothing but expect fresh veggies to be harvested in a matter of days,” said Zhan Zhuo, co-founder…

First indoor basil harvested in Delphy Improvement Center

The first batch of indoor grown basil was harvested at the Delphy Improvement Centre,. Since May, Lisanne Meulendijks has been working on the development of practical cultivation knowledge for Vertical Farms. Growth factors such as climate, light and irrigation can easily be varied in the test chambers.…

City of Orlando approves lease for 18-acre 4Roots Farm Campus in the Packing District

Orlando's Packing District is a massive, rapidly developing new residential area with one big planned perk: an 18-acre farm, which was approved by the City of Orlando on Monday. The new lease is a germination, if you will, allowing 4Roots Farm Campus, a "unique urban farm unlike anything seen in the…

Deveron brings turnkey data program to Terramera’s North American research trials

Deveron UAS Corp. and Terramera are announcing a collaboration using drones and data across multiple sites throughout North America for the 2020 growing season. The project…

Little Wild Things Farm announces salad share home delivery program

Little Wild Things Farm announced the next season of their salad share home delivery program, the Equinox Salad Share. Each week of the 8-week program will feature creative, colorful, and healthy salad greens and microgreens grown in the heart of Washington, D.C. by the all-women team at Little Wild…

tinygreensguam

IGS completes deal with Vertegrow to build Scotland’s first commercial vertical farm

Indoor agritech specialist IGS has today announced the completion of a deal with new vertical farming operator Vertegrow. The four-tower system will be built in Aberdeenshire in Scotland in late 2020.  A 245 m2 insulated superstructure will accommodate four nine-metre-high towers alongside a 1,600 m2 service…

Barclays and Unreasonable selects 80 Acres Farms to receive $100,000 grant in support of COVID-19 related work

80 Acres Farms has been awarded a $100,000 grant in recognition of the exceptional work being undertaken in addressing the immediate and long-term challenges resulting from…

TR: "We are ready to expand domestically and get into foreign markets"

The Istanbul-based Plant Factory, is constructing its first big facility, named ‘PF001’. The facility will be starting its test production by the end of August 2020. Plant Factory's new facility 'PF001' The team of Plant Factory has implemented the following elements in its new facility: controllable…

Upward Farms announces rebrand from Seed & Roe and plans to open a new headquarter farm in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Upward Farms announced growth plans including a rebrand from Seed & Roe and construction of a new headquarter farm in Brooklyn that will significantly increase production. These announcements come following the company closing more than $15 million in new funding, including investment led by Prime Movers…

This vertical farm could be the answer to a future without water

You wouldn't expect to find a farm in an industrial park in the middle of New Jersey. Specifically, you wouldn't expect to find a farm down the road from Newark Airport, where it's 100 degrees in the shade and the scenery consists of trucks and parking lots. But I haven't come here to find a bucolic…

New pieces for vertical barrels and cooperation with new product partners

The aponix vertical barrel system is an alternative vertical NFT solution from Germany that can be used instead of rack systems to use vertical space more efficiently in hydroponic setups and at the same time be able to use natural sunlight better. The aim was to enable edible plant production also in…

Basil, exploring genetics for Vertical Farming

A JakajimaTV talk with Jasper den Besten, HAS University of Applied Sciences about the importance of the variety choice for vertical farming. Choosing the correct variety is…

OptimIA

OptimIA annual stakeholder meeting (virtual)

The OptimIA (Optimizing Indoor Agriculture) project team invites indoor farmers, allied trades, and professionals interested in participating in their first annual stakeholder meeting (virtual), to share recent research results and discuss future activities. OptimIA is a USDA-supported Specialty Crop…

"Vertical farming is a great answer for food security worldwide"

“Vertical farming is a great answer for food security worldwide, especially in locations where the climate makes it hard to grow plants in or in mega cities.”, says Gabriele Puccetti with the Goat Project. ENVI-BIO VF moduleTheir product ENVI-BIO VF is a newly patented vertical farming system, now in line…

Space peppers to spice up astronauts' diets

Astronauts and cosmonauts spend a lot of time aboard space stations - sometimes more than a year at a time. When you're up there that long, it would be nice to bite into some freshly grown vegetables. Particularly if humans will return to the Moon or even go to Mars, it's essential to be able to grow…

Matt O'Hara

Hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic growers wanted for USDA-funded research

For the research project, “Systems Analysis of Hydroponic, Aquaponic, and Aeroponic Food Production in the United States," which is funded by the United State Department of Agriculture and administered by Dr. Blaire O’Neal, a postdoctoral fellow at San Diego State University, a survey is currently being…

Horti ASIA

Horti ASIA and Association for Vertical Farming to launch 'Vertical Farming Pavilion'

Horti ASIA emphasises horticultural solutions that are both relevant and important to the development of Asian markets. The Association for Vertical Farming (AVF), as an official partner of Horti ASIA, will be running Asia's first vertical farming pavilion. The AVF Forum will be integrated into Horti…

Startup pioneering vertical agriculture in Latin America raises close to one million dollars

AgroUrbana completed the second round of funding, raising close to one million US dollars to finance the company’s plans for developing and optimising their technology, opening up the market and developing its first commercial plant, and consolidating their place in the market as pioneers in Vertical…

What will the urban greenhouse of the future look like?

The market for fresh produce in China is looking very interesting. With a growing middle class, and safely produced, healthy food being high on the agenda in light of the current pandemic, all the ingredients are there for growth. So it's no surprise that China was chosen as the location for the second…

Growing food out of thin air

Agriculture faces considerable challenges: population growth, soil pollution, and heavy use of water reserves. To overcome this, we need to rethink the current yield-based model used by the agricultural sector. Aeroponics may offer a solution. The agricultural sector today faces the huge challenge of feeding an ever-growing…

Heliospectra

Swedish vertical farmer Ljusgårda - from 0 to 7000 m2 in 3 years

Ljusgårda, an indoor farm situated in a former wood factory in Tibro Sweden, focuses on sustainable, eco-conscious year-round production with 7000 m2 of leafy greens. During this free webinar you can learn from CEO Andreas Wilhelmsson about Ljusgårda’s commitment to locally grown, fresh produce and their…

Launch and sale of new CubicFarms control room system

CubicFarms announces the launch of its new Control Room system for sale to growers looking to grow crops more efficiently by controlling every aspect of the growing environment. CubicFarms’ Control Room is assembled inside its proprietary stainless steel, fully insulated growing chamber with the option…

US (IL): Federal ag grant to elevate hydroponic lettuce production

Collaborative agriculture research at Western Illinois University, with a boost from a recently-awarded federal grant, means opportunities for faculty and students to study hydroponic lettuce production, with the aid of hyperspectral reflectance technology, in future semesters. WIU Agriculture Assistant…

The challenges and impact of COVID-19

The Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA) is organizing its 138th online workshop and the registration has just started this week. The workshop is free of charge. Some sessions include the presentation of 80 Acres Farms on tomato production in indoor farms, a survey report on the impact of COVID-19 by…

'To make Vertical Farming industrially viable, you need artificial intelligence'

Existing vertical farming systems are automated, but still require manual intervention. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is needed to make them industrially viable, says Markus…

Sustaining the future of indoor vertical farming with microgrids

While indoor agriculture has steadily gained traction in recent years as the world seeks alternative ways to feed growing populations, the uncertainty of today’s global pandemic has accelerated a rethinking of the way we obtain our food. In the last few months, modern supply chains experienced volatility…

Urban farming in Malaysia

Urban farming is fast catching on in Malaysia with many young people taking it up to grow vegetables in city backyards. There are many types of urban farming but one that is popular with many city folk is hydroponics. Former pilot Eric Chuo Chuan Jin of Miri said he developed his interest in urban farming, particularly…

Increase in urban farming amid COVID-19 and fragile food supply chains

More urban dwellers who usually rely on food that is sourced from farms away from the city are turning to urban farming now that COVID-19 has fractured and exposed how fragile the existing food supply chains are. Google trends reports show that searches for “gardens” are up and enterprises that sell…

"After summing up all production costs, our plants cost less than 0.25$"

Cost-effective growing We’re working with high efficiency LED lights and cooling systems, which basically are our only costs. Therefore, our produce is way cheaper than with traditional farming. ”After summing up all production costs, the plants cost less than 0.25$, which is 2% of the total sum of…

JPFA researches the impact of COVID-19 on the vertical farming industry

"As coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread and create challenges worldwide, our hearts go out to all who have been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. In this…

Mars City Design

Sustainable cities and urban farming on Mars?

Once the stuff of science fiction, the possibility that humans could establish a permanent settlement on Mars now appears to be a genuine possibility. While doing so represents a major challenge and there are many hurdles that still need to be overcome, the challenge itself is inspiring some truly…

Improving tissue culture quality in bananas with LEDs

Bananas are the most consumed fruit across the world and make up about 75% of the annual tropical fruit trade (see for instance this infographic from National Geographic). With a growing population worldwide the demand for bananas is ever increasing. As a result tissue culture labs that specialize in…

Willo

US (CA): Vertical farm launches personalized cultivation and delivery service

Indoor vertical farming startup Willo debuted a brand new direct-to-consumer delivery program in San Jose to provide a custom produce experience in the Bay Area. Founded by brothers Samuel and John Bertram, Willo’s personalized cultivation and delivery service connects consumers directly to their own…

Vertical Farming: The answer to global food security?

It is no secret that the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has brought widespread disruption to the global supply chain stemming disastrous food shortages and rising prices. In the aftershock of the pandemic, it is clear to see that the global economy and infrastructure is more fragile than we realise.…

Fifth Season opens flagship farm and partners with NHL hall of famer Mario Lemieux

Fifth Season announced today it has partnered with NHL Hall of Famer and co-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mario Lemieux. The company has also launched a new e-commerce website with expanded product offerings and all products shipping from Fifth Season’s newly-opened indoor vertical farm.  The partnership…

Wageningen University vertical farming facility near completion

Almost a year after signing the contracts, the construction of a research facility for indoor cultivation at the WUR in Bleiswijk is nearing completion. The installations are currently undergoing extensive testing, says Jan Willem de Vries. The intention is to start an initial cultivation round in…

From industry's top CEOs, thought leaders and experts

A new webinar series designed to share content originally planned for our May 2020 in-person annual conference that has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as…

Finnish micropropagation company turns to LED circular lights for best plant quality

After having worked for 10 years as the manager of the laboratory at Häme University for Applied Science in Lepaa campus, Finland, Tiina Nyman decided to start her own company for micropropagation two years ago. Taimiemo Oy provides its business customers with certified strawberry plant material for…

"Advantages of vertical farming greater in Southern European countries”

Agriculture is best described as the exploitation of soil in an industrial way to cultivate crops. An agriculture area might look natural but is, in fact, industrial grounds…

USDA Secretary visits Orlando-based indoor farm

On Monday, June 8th, Kalera welcomed Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to its Orlando facility. Secretary Perdue was greeted by Kalera’s top executives, including CEO Daniel Malechuk and CTO Cristian Toma, who, along with other staff members, escorted him on a private tour of the facility’s…

Sunway to build Malaysia's first urban farming innovation hub

In conjunction with World Environment Day, Sunway today has announced that it will build a 50,000 sq ft urban farming innovation hub, Sunway FutureX which will be completed in the third quarter of 2020. Led by Sunway Innovation Labs (Sunway iLabs), Sunway FutureX is the first of its kind in Malaysia, and…

Urban Farming Partners Singapore awarded funding to build Dutch Technology indoor farm in Singapore

Urban Farming Partners Singapore (UFPSG), a unique partnership between Singapore and the Netherlands, has been awarded funding support by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) under the Agriculture Productivity Fund (APF), enabling the urban farming initiative to take the next step towards strengthening…

LED lighting study delivers cost-effective mode on increasing nutritive value in lettuce

Kalera announced the publication of a new study, “Effect of End-of-Production High-Energy Radiation on Nutritional Quality of Indoor-Grown Red-Leaf Lettuce,” conducted in partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The Kalera-sponsored study found that by using…

Bengaluru friends grow over 10 exotic greens on terrace

For five engineering friends in Bengaluru, weekends are about overseeing their homegrown system on the terrace. Pruthvi Ravindra, Vijayaselvan Jayakar, Avinash Mohandas, James Sunny, and Aravind Kalavara, have known each other for the last six years. They eagerly wait for the weekend so that they can…

HortiPower

Growing strawberries indoors in Vietnam

At the 88.17 hectare Agriculture High Tech Park in Ho Chi Minh City, Center for Business Incubation of Agricultural Hi-Tech (AHBI), a first batch is underway with 100% indoor cultivated strawberries. The first batch was planted earlier this year and harvest is expected within 3 months. The AHBI serves as…

"Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food"

In the Fort Worth area in Texas, a vertical farming company is producing greens. This company is looking to expand all over the world with their 1.5 acre greenhouses. Eden Green Technology strategically place their greenhouses close to cities, shortening the shipping time of the fresh produce from farm…

Hawaiian farmers look forward to supply re-opening restaurants again

Many Hawaii farms have been hurt without restaurants buying island fruits and vegetables, leaving owners looking forward to Friday's reopening of dining rooms. Restaurants aren't the only businesses whose owners hope residents start dining out again. Some Island farms are still reeling from the…

Vertical farming and the real ROI

Another JakajimaTV talk with Maarten VandeCruys, Founder and CTO of Urban Crop solutions. As vertical farming has been around for a while now and organizations of different sizes have implemented this technology as part of their supply chain.  The following questions were asked during the presentation:1. But…

The road ahead for vertical farming

"In the next 10-15 years, vertical farming will rise as one of the dominant forms of agriculture." In a recent webinar presented by the Association for Vertical Farming and Heliospectra, the opportunities and challenges facing the vertical farming industry in 2020 and beyond were highlighted, resulting…

Next up: proprietary strawberries and other non-leafy produce

Agtech investment firm AgFunder announced this week that it has added agtech company SinGrow to its investment portfolio for an undisclosed sum. AgFunder founding partner Michael Dean wrote in a post that SinGrow “isn’t just looking to be another vertical farmer selling leafy greens.” Instead, the…

Would you be interested in a vertical farming publication?

Since there is a great interest in vertical farming articles, our freshly hired intern Rebekka Boekhout is currently working on a study that focuses on a potential vertical farming publication. As the market is growing significantly, more news can be covered and HortiDaily is looking into the…

CA (ON): GoodLeaf Farms employees potentially exposed to chemicals

Three employees at a south end farm were potentially exposed to chemicals Sunday afternoon. According to a news release from the Guelph Fire Department, firefighters and…

CA (VN): Aquaponics firm eyes a green future, with lentils in starring role

After a year of research and development on Vancouver Island, and a crowdfunding campaign that reached $750,000, a new agri-tech company is preparing to significantly expand its footprint and hit the market with a plant protein. Pontus Water Lentils, which has been doing research and development at a…

Pakistani responding creatively to crises with non-traditional farming

Rehman produces okra, gourds, melons and tomatoes in the two tunnel garden units he built in the backyard of his home in Aka Khel, a town in one of Pakistan’s most food-insecure regions. Each less than a meter wide, these creative and economical structures are a type of low-technology greenhouse,…

"Our aim is to produce quality salads that keep customers coming back for more"

Grahame Dunling with UNS Farms talks about vertically grown vegetables and herbs in the Middle East. Upon asking how UNS Farms is different from other vertical farms, he says: “We are a company that wants to grow food for people, above anything else.” They want to grow and provide more product lines, by…