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University of Minnesota Report Reveals Growing Threat of Cyberattacks To Food Safety
A new report by University of Minnesota researchers indicates cyberattacks pose a rising threat to food production and safety
September 10, 2019
A new report by University of Minnesota researchers indicates cyberattacks pose a rising threat to food production and safety.
“Adulterating More Than Food: The Cyber Risk to Food Processing and Manufacturing,” released today by the University’s Food Protection and Defense Institute (FPDI), illustrates the mounting cybersecurity risk facing the food industry and provides industry-specific guidance to keep operations safe and secure. The potential consequences of an attack on the industrial control systems used in the food industry include contaminated food that threatens public health, physical harm to workers, destroyed equipment, environmental damage, and massive financial losses for companies.
While cybersecurity is rarely recognized as a food safety issue, the systems companies use for processing and manufacturing food contain many vulnerabilities that experts believe will soon present a more appealing target for cyberattacks than industries that are more commonly affected by, and therefore better prepared for, such attacks.
“The food industry has not been a target of costly cyberattacks like financial, energy, and health care companies have,” said Stephen Streng, lead author on the report. “However, as companies in those sectors learn to harden their defenses, the attackers will begin looking for easier victims. This report can help food companies learn about what could be coming their way and how to begin protecting themselves.”
Researchers and manufacturers identified more than 200 industrial control system vulnerabilities in 2011, the report notes, with the number increasing each year through 2016, the end of the study period. The vulnerabilities are present in a wide variety of components from different vendors, making them difficult for companies to avoid. Many systems were designed before cybersecurity was a concern and use outdated operating systems and hard-coded passwords that allow attackers easier access to the system.
In addition to vulnerabilities in the systems themselves, many other factors contribute to the heightened risk of cyberattacks. Companies often lack knowledge about how their industrial control systems and IT systems interact and lack awareness about cyber risks and threats. Further, there is poor coordination and information-sharing among food system stakeholders. Meanwhile, the tools required to carry out a cyberattack are becoming more powerful and requiring less skill to use.
“The food industry has some characteristics that make it uniquely vulnerable to cyberattacks on its processing and manufacturing systems,” Streng said. “Luckily, there's still time for companies to protect themselves.”
Moving forward, the report recommends that the food industry foster stronger communications between operations technology and information technology (IT) staff, conduct risk assessments that include inventories of both industrial control and IT systems, involve staff with cybersecurity expertise in procuring and deploying new industrial control systems, and extend the existing culture of food safety and defense to include cybersecurity.
“Cyberattacks could have financially devastating consequences for the food industry, particularly among smaller companies, and in the worst case can threaten the public’s health,” said Amy Kircher, DrPH, director of FPDI. “We hope this report will raise awareness among food industry executives of this potentially severe risk and will inspire them to start addressing it with the same care and urgency they apply to other aspects of food safety.”
FPDI, a Homeland Security Center of Excellence, protects the global food supply through research, education, and the delivery of innovative solutions, addressing vulnerabilities that could lead to catastrophic damage to public health or the economy. The institute collaborates with industry, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and academic stakeholders to help assure product integrity, supply chain resiliency, and brand protection throughout the food system.
To read the full report, visit z.umn.edu/FPDIcybersecurity. Learn more about the Food Protection and Defense Institute at foodprotection.umn.edu.
Durban: Vertical Farming In The Spotlight
Vertical gardening is one way to cool a building and reduce the need for air conditioners, said passionate gardener Wendy Taylor, who designed a vertical garden for the eThekwini Municipality
14 SEPTEMBER 2019 / DUNCAN GUY
Bubbles add oxygen to a pond with tilapia at the vertical garden on display at 77 Monty Naicker Street. Picture: Duncan Guy
Durban - Air conditioning may cool a building, but it doesn’t stop the ice melting in the world’s polar regions; it just contributes to it.
Vertical gardening is one way to cool a building and reduce the need for air conditioners, said passionate gardener Wendy Taylor, who designed a vertical garden for the eThekwini Municipality.
It’s in a building opposite the International Convention Centre where vertical gardening and other urban agriculture practitioners will brainstorm at the coming Urban Agri World 2019 conference.
In spite of China having the heaviest carbon footprint of all countries, Taylor was impressed with its vertical gardens on a recent visit there.
“There are many of them in all the main cities in China. Some are for to grow food, others are for beautiful plants. They adorn the streets,” she said.
Taylor said poor urban areas of Brazil lead the way when it came to vertical gardening for food. “There is not much land, people are poor and there is community farming.”
The garden Taylor designed and landscaping technologist Amy Gwillam implemented, receives drip irrigation from the top of the wall and the water drains into a pond, which is stocked with tilapia, and pumped back up. “It was intended for vegetables, but the condition wasn’t right; there wasn’t enough sun.”
Eventually, indoor plants that could take the shade and handle lots of water were found to be best suited.
Taylor said that while vertical gardens were becoming more trendy all over the world, she did not expect them to take-off in South Africa unless legislation required them.
“A disadvantage is that they require high maintenance. One must ensure irrigation systems never block up.”
The conference, from September 17 to 19, will discuss the key issues pertaining to progressive farming developments for the indoor and vertical farming industry. There will be an emphasis on food production.
“Today, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050,” read a conference document.
“United Nations projections show that urbanization. combined with the overall growth of the world’s population. could add another 2.5 billion people to urban areas by 2050, with close to 90% of this increase taking place in Asia and Africa.
“To feed another 2 billion people in 2050, food production will need to increase by 50% globally. The challenge of growing enough healthy food for growing cities is enormous.
“At the same time, the stresses of climate change, and the declining availability of arable land and freshwater are challenging conventional agriculture as never before.”
The vertical garden and rooftop garden are at 77 Monty Naicker (Pine) Street.
They are open to the public from 7.30am to 3.30pm on Mondays to Fridays.
Groups of more than 10 should call 0313228280 in advance.
Better Food For More People: Notes From The World Food Summit 2019
“The global food system is a major driver of challenges relating to human health, the climate change and environment. We need to think and act in new ways to face challenges of climate changes, hunger, food safety and unhealthy food habits
SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
KYLE BALDOCK
All of us know our food system is broken, but are we all willing to do what it takes to fix it?
Better Food for More People
“The global food system is a major driver of challenges relating to human health, the climate change and environment. We need to think and act in new ways to face challenges of climate changes, hunger, food safety and unhealthy food habits.
The world is facing enormous challenges if we are to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Today, more than 800 million people live in hunger, 1 in 10 people in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food, while more than 2 billion people are overweight or obese. More than 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, equivalent to 24% of all food produced for human consumption.
In connection with these figures a huge challenge is that international researchers point out that expected changes in population and income levels in the period 2010 to 2050 can increase environmental impact from production and consumption of food by 50-90% globally if targeted remedial measures are not taken. The environmental impact will reach levels beyond the planetary boundaries that define a safe operating space for humanity.
According to researchers, only a combination of measures will be sufficient to mitigate the expected increase in environmental impact. Combined efforts in relation to prevention and reduction of food waste, technological changes to increase the resource efficiency in food production and changed dietary habits are imperative.”
During the last week of August, Copenhagen was the host city to the World Food Summit 2019 and a series of side events to discuss strategies towards tackling the aforementioned challenges and realising the mantra of the summit: Better Food for More People.
How do we create the necessary change? And what is the role of governments, international organisations, private sector, academia and civil society?
Based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the World Food Summit connects leaders from around the world to discuss concrete solutions for transforming the global food system, focusing on the following topics:
-Ensuring Food Safety and Food Security
-Better Health and Diets
-Improved Resource Efficiency
The World Food Summit is an annual accelerator of actions necessary to transform the food systems to become safer, healthier, and more sustainable in response to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Danish Minister for Food Mr. Mogens Jensen hosted the Summit to work with leaders ready to act on the global food challenges.
The first day of the summit was held in the national parliament of Denmark with an honorary visit from HRH the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. Speakers from different parts of the world shared their own visions and solutions in the fields of the environmental impact of agriculture, waste prevention, and the necessity of an overhaul in our dietary choices. The fundamental message of all the talks was clear: there is no time left for inaction!
On the second day of the summit, three workshops identified key actions from all stakeholders globally that will enable us to reach the identified pathways towards a healthy and sustainable food system in accordance with the sustainable development goals.
World Food Summit plans to tackle the challenges facing our food systems
These are some of the suggestions made by the workshop moderators at the end of day two:
-Reform the agricultural subsidy program to reflect the real price of food
-Support and empower local production
-Educate the general public on nutrition
-Implement regional solutions by considering the specific differences and needs
-Create a World Food Forum to come up with guidelines and minimum standards that will help businesses to move in the right direction using new business models
-Enforce governmental regulation, minimum standards and trade deals that prioritise environmental concerns
-Invest in the whole value chain to ease the transition to a sustainable food system
-Rethink the fundamentally flawed systems instead of super optimisation
-Create the global food-borne diseases database through WHO and national governments
-Implement transparency and accountability in the value chain as an indispensable characteristic of the system
During last year’s summit, ten countries became signatory partners to one or more of the World Food Summit’s three commitments. These commitments are about information and nutrition, food safety and food waste; together, they create a framework that can generate tangible results going forward and establish cooperation between partner countries on fostering local solutions and public-private partnerships. This year, five more countries added their names to the signatory lists of these commitments to show there is a strong collective will to commit and work in collaboration to tackle the challenges facing our food systems.
We are way past the time for making small changes to mitigate climate crisis: we need a plan to revamp our entire food system as fast as possible.
The Danish food minister Mr. Jensen closed the summit by reminding everyone about what John F. Kennedy said on his 1962 speech that lead to the Apollo 11 mission later on. We need to come up with business models to achieve goals like the Danish government’s ambitious plan of 70% fewer emissions from 1990s levels; no one knows how exactly we will get there but first you need to have bold ideas and then find the ways to fulfil them.
Take home messages:
-Identify the false advertisements and marketing schemes and support governments, businesses and organizations that are truly fighting for a better future for our food systems
-Embrace different solutions and diversify our actions in fixing the food system
-There is less focus on the production methods than in waste and consumer choices
-Research on crucial issues like climate change should be a public funded program to avoid biases-We need to come up with a transition period plan for industries that are problematic to our planet to change their business models
-Financing innovation should be our number one priority
-Raising awareness about our food system, labelling and carbon tax need to be a continuous effort
We need to diversify the solutions and a commitment from all of us to consider the repercussions of our daily decisions on the planet. Going back to John F. Kennedy’s vision “We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world or make it the last.”
Words by AVF Head of Science & Education Ramin Ebrahimnejad. Ramin will be leading a special session on all these topics and more at the upcoming event The Role of Urban Food Systems in a Changing Climate at C40 World Summit in Copenhagen on 10 October, 2019. The event is free and you can sign up to attend at this link: https://bit.ly/2k54fOY
To get in touch with Ramin Ebrahimnejad, please e-mail re@vertical-farming.net
Webinar Series: Humidity Control In CEA Systems
When choosing dehumidification equipment, there are a number of variables that have to be considered
Humidity Control In Greenhouse And Other Indoor Plant Environments
Date: September 26, 2019
Time: 2 a.m. - 3 p.m. EDT
Presented by: Nadia Sabeh
Register here
When choosing dehumidification equipment, there are a number of variables that have to be considered to ensure that it operates effectively with the crop and production facility. In this webinar Dr. Nadia Sabeh will talk about how to transition from indoor to greenhouses, how to select your dehumidification system, the impact of plants on dehumidification and how relative humidity control impacts disease and pest control.
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
US - OHIO: Great Lakes Ag-Tech Summit - September 23, 2019
Join Urban Ag News, Hort Americas and Current, powered by GE, for the inaugural Great Lakes Ag Tech Summit on September 23rd
Don't miss the opportunity to hear from this year keynote speakers, Austin Webb (Robotany) and Chieri Kubota (The Ohio State University.)
Join Urban Ag News, Hort Americas and Current, powered by GE, for the inaugural Great Lakes Ag-Tech Summit on September 23rd. Held at the historic Nela Park campus in Cleveland, the one-day event features keynotes and panel discussions from leading researchers and innovative growers in the Great Lakes region. Connect with growers, scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs as we shape the future of food and move controlled environment agriculture forward.
Register Now!
We have added a panel to the agenda!
Hear Michel Doss, Paul Brentlinger, Dr. Chieri Kubota, Dr. Ariana Torres, Austin Webb and Chris Higgins at the end of the day as they recap and take your questions!
Location
The Institute at Nela Park
1975 Noble Rd. Cleveland, OH 44112
When
Monday, September 23, 2019
9 am to 4pm
Cost
Early bird ticket cost is $30 if you register before September 16.
Regular admission $50.
Keynotes
Optimizing Plant Production Under a Controlled Environment – Research and Education Programs at the Ohio State University
Dr. Chieri Kubota – Ohio State University
Dr. Kubota’s research mission is to serve in the development of science and technology in the area of controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Her projects are in an interdisciplinary area that encompasses plant physiology and horticultural engineering to enhance understanding and efficiency of CEA plant production systems such as greenhouses, warehouses (vertical farms), and growth chambers.
Are Consumers and Growers Putting Dollars in the Local Food Industry? Insights on Technologies and Preferences
Dr. Ariana Torres – Purdue University
Dr. Torres’ background combines field experience in agriculture with theoretical and applied research on agricultural economics. She has worked on projects looking at the impact of marketing choices on technology adoption for fruit and vegetable growers; the economic implications of social capital on entrepreneurship; and the role of community support on the resilience of small business after disasters.
Dr. Torres uses economic analysis to support the economic viability of the horticulture industry. Her research focuses on the intersection between the horticulture industry and marketing decisions. Her goal is to conduct innovative outreach and applied research in Specialty Crops Marketing, with the end of promoting economic sustainability for horticultural businesses.
Dr. Torres is currently working on a project evaluating the market, economics, and potential barriers to produce export-quality dried apricots from smallholders of southern Tajikistan. She is also working on evaluating the adoption of solar dehydrator for selected dried specialty crops in Indiana and Georgia. Lastly, she is collecting foundational data and establishing long-term pricing reports for Indiana farmers’ markets.
Agenda
Start: 9 am 09/23/19
9-9:30 am Introduction from Current
Brief history of Nela Park and Thomas Edison’s Institute
9:30-10 am Introduction from Hort Americas/Current
Chris Higgins, Owner of Urban Ag News and President of Hort Americas, LLC
Michel Doss, General Manager of Specialty at Current, powered by GE
10-10:45 am Keynote: Hear from a New Vertical Farming Company
10:45-11 am Break
11-11:45 am Panel discussion
Participants and topic TBD
11:45-1pm Lunch
1-1:45 pm Keynote: Ohio State University
Dr. Chieri Kubota
Dr. Kubota’s research mission is to serve in the development of science and technology in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Her projects are in an interdisciplinary area that encompasses plant physiology and horticultural engineering to enhance understanding and efficiency of CEA plant production systems such as greenhouses, warehouses (vertical farms), and growth chambers.
1:45-2:30 pm Keynote: Purdue University
Dr. Ariana Torres
Ag economist focused on the marketing and economics of specialty crops, especially those grown in controlled environments. Courses instructed center on entrepreneurship, marketing and the economics of specialty crop production. Researches technology adoption for specialty crop operations, and how consumers perceive grower technologies.
2:30-2:45 pm Break
2:45-3:30 pm Panel discussion
Participants and topic TBD
3:30-3:45 pm Closing remarks
Hort Americas and Current, powered by GE
USA - OHIO: A Microgreen Garden Grows In Salem
Amorette Farms is an indoor, vertical farm that grows non GMO microgreens – the shoots of salad greens like arugula – using controlled environment agriculture. Since launching this spring, the company is already serving about a dozen commercial clients, said its founder, Devyn Rothbrust
Pictured: A crop of amaranth, a bright magenta microgreen high in calcium and vitamin C, grows at Amorette Farms.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — A startup agriculture business looks to harvest an ecologically sustainable industry in Salem.
Amorette Farms is an indoor, vertical farm that grows non GMO microgreens – the shoots of salad greens like arugula – using controlled environment agriculture. Since launching this spring, the company is already serving about a dozen commercial clients, said its founder, Devyn Rothbrust.
“It’s introducing a new type of agriculture into an area that’s predominantly traditional agriculture,” Rothbust says. “For me right now, it’s just getting my brand out there to try to get people to know who I am, what I’m doing and that this is in the area now.”
After graduating from Kent State University Salem in 2016, Rothbrust worked as a senior researcher in the field for a few years. The indoor, vertical farm trend is something that’s very popular in Europe and Japan and is “something that’s on the move elsewhere in the United States,” he says. Currently, AeroFarms in New Jersey is the big name in the industry, he says.
With the vast inventory of vacant industrial space in the five-county region, the area is ripe for this type of agriculture, he says. Empty factories and abandoned buildings are “the types of things that vertical farmers can fit into perfectly,” he says, because they can control the light levels, temperature and air.
And with urban areas like Youngstown building itself back up, it’s the right time to make a go of it in his hometown of Salem, he says.
“I think it’s important for people my age, especially entrepreneurs, to improve the place they live in,” Rothbrust says. “I think this type of industry will add value to the city and bring something new and unique.”
Initially, Rothbrust wanted to set up in a large space within the city, but eventually decided to start smaller and work his way up, says Julie Needs, executive director of the Sustainable Opportunity Development Center, Inc. The SOD Center has been working with Amorette for nearly a year to help Rothbrust put together a business plan and get his company off the ground, Needs says.
Needs connected Rothbrust with the Ohio Small Business Development Center to develop a business plan, she says. The organization also courted local restaurants to try Rothbrust’s product.
“We have a large amount of restaurants here in Salem, a lot of them are family owned,” Needs says. “So there’s a great benefit for the product that he sells to many of the restaurants to offer them fresh produce.”
Currently operating out of a small space in Beloit, Rothbrust grows about 200 to 400 ounces of microgreens at a time – about two weeks from seed to harvest. Some crops like cilantro may take up to three weeks, while others, such as radishes, take just eight days. Microgreens are harvested after the first true leaf emerges, “about two inches in height,” he says.
The process is so quick because it isn’t reliant upon the outside weather, Rothbrust explains. He has complete control over light and water throughout the entire life of the plant, “so it’s growing in optimal conditions to grow as fast as it can,” he says. “All the energy is stored in the seed, so there’s no need to fertilize.”
Rather than invest in cutting-edge technology like artificial intelligence and robotics, which are popular in the industry, Rothbrust minimizes technology use to keep costs low, instead relying on his knowledge of the process, he says. Operating costs are kept to “a couple hundred bucks” monthly, he says.
As he expands, the vertical farming process “has the potential to use a lot of electricity,” but still uses 95% less water than conventional farming, he says. This helps keep his utility costs low.
In addition to cilantro and radishes, he grows arugula, broccoli, amaranth, mustard, cress, and mild and spicy lettuce mixes.
“I’m continuing to grow that list as I move forward,” he says.
Clients order produce for special events and farmers markets, but Rothbrust projects increased orders as more learn about and understand the process, he says. Deliveries are guaranteed within 24 hours of harvest, he says, so customers are getting “the absolute freshest greens they can get.” Food miles are kept anywhere from zero to 60.
And as national news stories of E. Coli outbreaks force the recall of some traditionally grown products and put greater scrutiny on food safety, vertical farming reducing those risks, he says.
“Our crop never touches human skin,” he says. “We wear the proper equipment to handle it to where it’s going to be the safest it can be.”
With Amorette up and producing and selling to customers about a year after the idea was first conceived, SOD’s Needs attributes that to Rothbrust’s “great entrepreneurial spirit and mindset,” she says. And with it being a unique product, “it’s been fun to watch,” she says.
“When someone brings you that idea and you see how it can benefit the community and the individuals in the community and all the other business they can touch, it’s fantastic,” Needs says. “It’s really what we’ve seen in our downtown. We’ve had some successful entrepreneurs and they’re feeding off of each other.”
Which is why Rothbrust hopes to soon move his operation into a downtown location to be a part of that growth, he says. To get there, he looks to continue building his brand, adding customers and opening up opportunities for investors to help expand his operation further.
“Our goal since the beginning has been to add value to the community we are in,” he says. “By establishing our offices downtown we can be a part of that restoration. We would be a unique business to the area and I believe setting up in Salem would be a great opportunity.”
INDIA: Green Your Home, Green Your Mind
MB Nirmal, founder and chairman of Exnora International says, “Even in homes, there are multiple ways to create a home garden, terrace farming, indoor farming, compound wall farming, sun-shade farming etc. These farming techniques restrict entry of polluted air from city
DECCAN CHRONICLE. | EZEKIEL MAJELLO G
September 11, 2019
If you think you can't grow your own food because you live in the city, don't have a yard or have a serious lack of space - we have news for you.
MB Nirmal
The fruits of labour are said to be sweeter. Nowhere is this truer than in gardening. Many of us look forward to the unmistakable taste of fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruits, and those that come from our own soil taste even better.
But space constraints in urban settings barely give one the place to grow vegetables in the little available space with erratic sun exposure, but surprisingly, many vegetables tolerate partial shade, and a few could even be considered ‘shade vegetables’ as they don't tolerate full exposure to the sun.
MB Nirmal, founder and chairman of Exnora International says, “Even in homes, there are multiple ways to create a home garden, terrace farming, indoor farming, compound wall farming, sun-shade farming etc. These farming techniques restrict entry of polluted air from city. It is a myth that plants cannot grow without light. If it is really a problem, one can rotate the plants from terrace and balcony every two days”.
Shibu Alexander’s ‘Hi-Tech Drip Box’ project on a terrace
The options for vertical gardening are vast and require only some creativity. “One can also build a vertical garden inside their apartments with a 12-ft tall ceiling”, explains Nirmal.
Rashmi Sunil’s exhibition in balcony; Vertical Farming (right)
It is possible for urbanites and apartment-dwellers to take part in the grow-your-own-food movement, even in a balcony. “Farming and agriculture went down when the IT boomed 13 years ago. Therefore I came up with the idea ‘Hi-Tech Drip Box’ and started launching it in houses. With this setup, even children, physically challenged people and senior citizens can do farming inside their houses,” says Shibu Alexander, a naturalist.
“The water will not be wasted in this process and recycled within the system. People can execute this plan even in 80 square feet space. We can grow plants in any dry land, whether it's inside the house, the balcony or the terrace”, he adds.
People have also started gifting a plant to their friends and relatives. Rashmi Sunil, who owns a garden shop, says, “People are approaching us often for customised plants to gift to their relatives or friends.”
They also offer a method called bio-breathing walls in home farming for people who think they have a lack of space at home.
“This method is a success among customers. We have created farms in kitchens, terraces, near bathroom sinks etc. Herbs like alovera are being sold like hotcakes in the city,” Rashmi elaborates. “Corporate offices also request for table plants for each employee to reduce work stress since the plants produce more oxygen. People are going more natural and eco-friendly now for a better tomorrow,” she concludes.
Like Nirmal says, “Greening your home is greening your mind".
Vertical Farming, A Sustainable Innovation
This new form of farming, within buildings located close to urban areas, is gaining momentum. Some believe it will become common place as the world’s population grows. According to the UN, the global population will hit 9.7 billion by 2050.
September 10, 2019
Could new innovative light recipes in indoor farms hold the key to feeding the world’s growing population?
Innovatus, a sustainable agricultural business in Fuji City, Japan, reached out to us. It had an interesting challenge it wanted help in solving. Namely, to produce high-quality, tasty, and pesticide-free lettuce in the most efficient way possible. In recent years, Japanese consumers have become increasingly concerned with food safety. People worry about pesticide-treated vegetables grown outdoors and the effects of fine particle pollutants that can be a serious health risk. To cater for the demand for clean, safe produce, Innovatus established a vertical farm with strict hygiene controls to produce truly safe vegetables.
We swung into action, responding with a mix of LED lighting expertise and technology. Our goal was simple: to increase the efficiency of one of the world’s largest closed-environment vertical farms - helping it to deliver 12,000 heads of lettuce every single day.
This new form of farming, within buildings located close to urban areas, is gaining momentum. Some believe it will become common place as the world’s population grows. According to the UN, the global population will hit 9.7 billion by 2050.
“We were really impressed by how well-suited the Philips LED modules are for vertical farming. They allow us to create consistent quality produce locally, using only a fraction of the water and electricity compared to open field lettuce or lettuce grown with the help of fluorescent lighting,” said cultivation management group team leader Shinichi Kitamura.
Consumers find the lettuce fresh and flavorful, especially compared to lettuce grown outside. Additionally, since the lettuce from Innovatus is grown and packaged in an extremely hygienic environment, there is no need for its consumers to wash it before eating and it lasts for two weeks.
“At Signify, we’re proud to be contributing to such projects because it reflects how we can solve social and environmental challenges using technologies that are more sustainable,” said Anton Brummelhuis, Senior Director Sustainability at Signify. “This project meets one of our eight sustainable focal areas. In this case, Basic Needs – in other words, how we contribute to the availability of fresh air, water, and food.
Vertical farming for smarter and more sustainable cities
More efficient food production will be needed to support an additional two billion people on the planet through to 2050. New and smarter agricultural methods other than rural farming will be required to deliver food – at scale – to meet demand.
And that’s why Signify develops special lighting for vertical farming and high tech horticulture – to help feed this growing population in a more sustainable way.
We help optimize growth systems with LED lighting for crop cultivation all year round. Our tailor-made light recipes contribute to predictable growth, bigger harvests and higher quality plants.
Our tailor-made light recipes contribute to predictable growth, bigger harvests, and higher quality plants."
Our GrowWise Center in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, is where much of the research into new light recipes takes place. There, scientists constantly look for improvements in crops such as taste, health benefits, texture and quality. By controlling parameters needed to grow plants, such as light, humidity, and irrigation, we help our customers get the most out of crops while saving space, energy and water.
“We use exactly the same photons as the sun, just optimized for the type of plant. We use water but we recycle it so use less. We keep out bugs and pests and optimize the plant for taste. We do this in a clean environment, all year-round. The result is reduced waste, food miles…and produce that is clean, healthy, and nutritious food, grown in a resource efficient way,” said Roel Janssen, Global Director City Farming
In Japan, a new large-scale vertical farm was built using the Philips GreenPower LED production module to grow high-quality lettuce varieties, spinach and coriander year-round.
Crops from the vertical farm don’t use pesticides and have a much lower bacterial count. The automated process from seeding to harvest takes only 39 days compared to 70 days in the open field, and production reaches up to 3,200 kg of lettuce a day. And the controlled environment gives the customer the opportunity to steer growth characteristics to improve shelf life, red coloration in lettuce, even vitamin C levels.
Vertical Farming and Sustainable Development
To help create a bright future for people and the planet, the UN established global goals for sustainable development. These interconnected goals aim to tackle the most pressing challenges we face as a global community including, but not limited to, climate, resource scarcity and poverty.
Vertical farming as a sustainable agricultural practice is important. Innovative solutions for urban agriculture, if scaled up, can be an answer for future food scarcity while developing sustainable food production patterns.
Sustainable agricultural practices are crucial if the world is to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, such as goals 11 and 12, for sustainable and resilient cities and communities, and responsible production and consumption.
With our research, we develop climate-resilient technology and increase resource efficiency that contribute to the transition towards more sustainable and smarter cities, at the heart of SDG 11. And scaling up these solutions creates sustainable food production patterns, which in turn contribute to SDG12.
Lighting is perhaps the killer app for vertical farming. Recent breakthroughs in LED technology may well lead to a golden age for urban farmers, improving plant consistency, quality and yield. Vertical farms that use fewer resources, located close to towns and cities will reduce the distance from farm to fork, reshaping the role of agriculture.”
Anton Brummelhuis
Senior Director Sustainability at Signify
“Lighting is perhaps the killer app for vertical farming. Recent breakthroughs in LED technology may well lead to a golden age for urban farmers, improving plant consistency, quality and yield. Vertical farms that use fewer resources, located close to towns and cities will reduce the distance from farm to fork, reshaping the role of agriculture,” said Anton Brummelhuis, Senior Director Sustainability at Signify.
About the author:
Thomas Marinelli
Head of Sustainable Design and Sustainable Products
Square Roots, Gordon Take First Step Toward Year-Round Local Food Across The Continent
Square Roots will cut the ribbon and officially open its newest indoor farm Sept. 30 on the Gordon Food Service headquarters in Wyoming, MI
SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
Square Roots will cut the ribbon and officially open its newest indoor farm Sept. 30 on the Gordon Food Service headquarters in Wyoming, MI.
This is the beginning of a strategic partnership that will see Square Roots’ high-tech farms built on or near Gordon Food Service locations across the continent, bringing high-quality, hyper-local produce to customers all year round.
Scalable Urban Farming at Speed
Square Roots’ partnership with Gordon Food Service was announced at the end of March, and its first co-located farm is opening just six months later. This speed is possible thanks to Square Roots' modular, scalable farm-tech platform. It can bring its model — perfected in a Brooklyn parking lot — to any city in the world — and the company can do it fast.
"As our network of farms gets larger, it also gets smarter," said the company. "Cloud-connected farms and data-empowered farmers learn from each other, enabling Square Roots to replicate success from one location to another, seamlessly. Opening the Michigan farm brings us closer to the vision of a distributed network of indoor farms, bringing local real food to people in cities across the world—while empowering thousands of next-gen leaders in urban farming through our unique training program."
Of course, at the center of the Square Roots model are the farmers themselves. It’s their love for the plants that make the food taste so good. With the food system rapidly changing all around us, there’s never been a more exciting time to forge a new career in farming and contribute to the real food revolution. The Square Roots Next-Gen Farmer Training Program is an incredible opportunity for young, diverse change-makers to learn and take their place at the forefront of urban agriculture.
"Thousands of people have applied to our Next-Gen Farmer Training Program, and the demand to join our Michigan farm has been no different," the company said. "We saw an incredibly diverse group of applicants, with about half local to the Michigan area, and others from as far away as Singapore and Nigeria. (Sadly, we’re only open to U.S. residents right now.) Diversity in perspective is essential for the agriculture industry to build a more complete and sustainable food system — one that can feed 10 billion people by 2050. For example, one of our new farmers, Winn Hermanski, is moving from Texas where he is leaving a career in software sales to join the real food revolution. His understanding of various business models comes with a personal passion for creating solutions for growing urban centers.
Meanwhile, Savevone Sonsyanth, a pre-med graduate from Ferris State University, is bringing her love for real food with practical biology experience and an interest in human wellness to a new career in agriculture. It feels like a natural next step. However, the reality is that there are very few opportunities across the world for young people to make this leap. We’re humbled by these stories as it becomes clear that the Next-Gen Farmer Training Program is captivating the minds of so many young people from across the globe and that so many people are eager to help us figure out a new, sustainable food system. One that is ultimately better for people, the planet, and the economy. We’ll be featuring all of our Next-Gen Farmers on the blog over the course of their year with Square Roots, so keep an eye out for their stories."
The company has also been fortunate to attract exceptional talent to the management team in Michigan. Brian Mitchell, new farm manager, joined the company from an 87,000-square-foot indoor aquaponic facility in Minnesota. And joining Square Roots as assistant farm managers are Lauren Niergarth, a horticulture major from Michigan State University, and Eli Zimmer, a former Next-Gen Farmer from the company's Brooklyn farm. Zimmer’s advancement to farm management is just one example of the Next-Gen Farmer Training Program creating pathways to leadership roles for young farmers.
The company said it is thrilled to be working with Gordon Food Service to bring this farm to life and empower so many young people to become leaders in urban farming while supplying local buyers with delicious food, year-round. “Customers want fresh, locally grown food all year round,” said Chief Executive Officer of Gordon Food Service Rich Wolowski. “We’re now on a path to do that at scale with Square Roots.”
VIDEO: The Microgreens Show | Episode 9 | Farmers Market
Our mission to invigorate lives and transform communities through fresh food resonated and we developed a loyal following. Ever grateful to live our passion, we're eager to keep expanding and sharing our harvest
September 12, 2019
Emerald Garden Microgreens talks about the benefits of participating in Denver farmers markets.
About Emerald Garden Microgreens:
https://www.emeraldgardens.farm/
While a grad student at MIT, health and personal challenges led me to leave school. I moved to Colorado when Dave, a childhood friend, pitched it as the ideal place to regroup. After landing a landscaping job, I envisioned cultivating communities by increasing access to delicious fresh food; inspired, I started planting microgreens. The more micros I grew, the more of them I ate; the more I ate, the better I felt! My health improved dramatically—even my outlook and mood shifted.
I finally experienced the renewal I had been seeking. With Dave as co-founder, we took a huge leap of faith and established Emerald Gardens Microgreens in 2017. Our mission to invigorate lives and transform communities through fresh food resonated and we developed a loyal following. Ever grateful to live our passion, we're eager to keep expanding and sharing our harvest.
US: Early Morning Farms And Global Access Capital Enter Into Global Joint Venture
Early Morning Farms LLC (EMF) is an indoor vertical farming company in the business of deploying indoor vertical growing systems which we seek to locate in facilities near every major market in the United States and throughout the world
Minneapolis, MN
September 17, 2019
New Hope, MN-based Early Morning Farms LLC (“EMF”) and Minneapolis, MN-based Global Access Capital LLC (“GA Capital”) announce their entry into a global joint venture to bring Early Morning Farms’ best in class indoor vertical farming to the world. The new joint venture is Early Morning Farms International (“EMFI”). Preliminary discussions are already underway in several countries.
“I am excited to be working with the team at GA Capital to catalyze our international expansion goals,” said Howard Rogers, COO, of EMF, continuing that “the depth and expertise of the GA Capital team will permit us to more broadly and deeply penetrate the global markets in which we seek to compete and allows EMF to keep its focus on expanding our domestic business”. “We also look forward to bringing our expertise in specialty mushrooms, particularly our unique ability to grow high-quality morel mushrooms year-round to customers and markets around the world that have not had consistent access to these highly valued specialty mushrooms up to now,” said EMF’s Founder and Chairman Dean Terry.
“On our side, we are very excited to join forces with Howard and the outstanding team at EMF to bring their state-of-the-art growing techniques and technologies into new international markets,” said Michael Macaluso, a Principal of GA Capital. In addition, Gregg Haugen, CIO of GA Capital noted: “that GA Capital’s business has been evolving to include working with companies such as EMF as a business and operating partner to drive business expansion and market entry in domestic and international markets”.
About Early Morning Farms
Early Morning Farms LLC (EMF) is an indoor vertical farming company in the business of deploying indoor vertical growing systems which we seek to locate in facilities near every major market in the United States and throughout the world. Our indoor growing systems will provide consumers with high demand, top quality food products. EMF’s growing systems and multi-level growing facilities can significantly increase yields over conventional growing methods by many multiples. Fresh. Local. Organic. Everywhere!
For more information, please visit: www.earlymorningfarms.com
About GA Capital
Global Access Capital LLC (GA Capital) is an independent global operating partner, strategic advisor, and private direct investor. Accessing today’s domestic and global opportunities, while managing the attendant risks, in an environment characterized by intensifying competition and disruptive challenges, often in real-time, can prove challenging for even for the most savvy and innovative organizations. As an operating partner and strategic advisor, we work with our companies and clients to develop practical strategies and solutions for realizing their aspirations with greater certainty and less financial and execution risk through our integrated global approach. GA Capital advises, and from time to time partners with, growing businesses from growth-stage companies to the Fortune 500 that have significant opportunities in their markets or industries, seek to open or grow new markets, possess transformative or unique technologies and brands, and are typically led by experienced management.
For more information, please visit: www.globalaccesscsg.com
For additional information regarding Early Morning Farms International LLC, please visit us online at www.emfiverticalfarms.com or contact:
Gregg Haugen
ghaugen@emfiverticalfarms.com
+1.612.325.1806
Howard Rogers
hrogers@emfiverticalfarms.com
+1.612.998.3622
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains projections and other forward-looking statements regarding future events or our future financial performance. All statements other than present and historical facts and conditions contained in this release, including any statements regarding our future results of operations and financial positions, business strategy, plans and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are predictions and reflect our current beliefs and expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions, are subject to risk and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the projections or forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Media Contact
Company Name: Global Access Capital
Contact Person: Michael Macaluso
Email: Send Email
Phone: 6127184200
Address:80 South Eighth Street
City: Minneapolis
State: MN
Country: United States
Website: www.globalaccesscsg.com
CANADA: Ontario’s First Vertical Farm Produces Local Herbs
Back40growers started its operations in 2018 with a state-of-the-art facility that recycles 98 per cent of its water, collects transpired water from the air with dehumidifiers, uses a sophisticated air-management system to create a pathogen-free environment, and follows organic plant-growing principles
Herbs Have Proved More Profitable
For The Company Than Growing Salad Greens
September 10, 2019
The production system at back40growers employs towers to grow herbs. Photo: Courtesy back40growers
An unobtrusive warehouse in a commercial-industrial area of Burlington houses Ontario’s first year-round supplier of locally grown herbs.
Back40growers is also Ontario’s first vertical farm. Vertical farming is an emerging production system – plants are grown entirely indoors without sunlight and everything from temperature and humidity to light, irrigation and nutrients is precisely controlled.
Why it matters: As climate volatility grows, vertical farming could offer production guarantees and food security as well as lower agriculture’s environmental footprint.
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“The main advantage of vertical farming is full control over the production process and you can produce huge yield on a single layer independent of whether the soil is good or not,” said Prof. Leo Marcelis, chair of Horticulture and Product Physiology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. “What is also important is the guarantee that on a specific day of the year I can grow that many kilograms of a specific quality – prediction is easier than in open field.”
Back40growers started its operations in 2018 with a state-of-the-art facility that recycles 98 per cent of its water, collects transpired water from the air with dehumidifiers, uses a sophisticated air-management system to create a pathogen-free environment, and follows organic plant-growing principles.
“We use less than two per cent of the water that a conventional farm does, and we’re 17 times more efficient per square foot than an outdoor farm,” said senior business development manager Bob Legault. “And (the food’s) travel miles are down because we are local, all of which contributes to the sustainability of what we do.”
Back40growers uses a tower-based growing system. Plugs are planted in a soilless growing medium made out of recycled bottles and towers are placed vertically side by side in rows inside the facility. A single tower’s capacity varies according to the crop, holding 30 chive or 12 basil plants, for example.
Production includes basil, mint, cilantro, thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano, chives, parsley and tarragon.
“This is where the demand is. We wanted to do lettuces, but selling herbs is more profitable,” says head grower and manager of farm operations, John Hattingh. “We mimic the natural growing cycle and we optimize every plant as it should be for sun, water, and nutrients. We don’t have drought, rain or bugs.”
Herbs are available in small packages, which back40growers says reduces food waste as few people ever use a whole clump of herbs as they are traditionally available in a grocery store.photo: Courtesy back40growers
Software helps manage crop scheduling and traceability, as well as conditions inside the facility; if the system detects an abnormality, such as a spike in humidity, Hattingh receives a text message so he can address the issue before it causes a problem in the crop.
“If we see disease in a tower, we can take the whole tower out, which limits any major outbreaks,” he added. “And because we control humidity and airflow, it makes it harder for pathogens to establish.”
Herbs are sold under the Sprigs Premium Herbs brand at Rowe Farms, Denningers’, Commissos and most recently Longo’s, who’ve just launched the product in Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga.
Most fresh herbs in Canada are currently imported and sold in plastic clamshell packages or fresh bundles. Sprigs, however, are sold in small eight and 11 gram packets, which Legault says was done very deliberately to meet market demand.
“Food waste is a big problem and most people buy herbs for just one dish – but a clam holds 40 grams, which is too much, and most consumers don’t need that big fresh bundle,” he explained.
The company spent months perfecting its packaging, settling on micro-perforated bags of recyclable plastic that allow the herbs to breathe. This provides up to 17 days of shelf life per package, according to Legault, although the average is in the 10- to 12-day range depending on conditions, handling and herb varieties. Herbs go from cut to store in about 72 hours.
Back40growers is partnering with University of Guelph start-up FloNergia, developer of airlift pump technology that aerates and circulates water simultaneously and uses 50 to 70 per cent less energy than conventional systems, for a new aquaponics venture where waste from farmed fish is used as food for plants that then cleanse the water for re-use.
They’re starting with tilapia and are currently looking for a partner to buy the market weight fish.
“We’re a farm first, but aquaponics is the engine that will drive it,” Legault said. “What we’re doing is the future of farming – local and sustainable.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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SUNY Chancellor Johnson Awards $50,000 In Seed Funding To Winner of High-Tech Start-Up Pitch Competition at SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Re-Nuble, which develops an on-site nutrient system for farmers to manufacture their own fertilizer, won the competition and was presented with a $50,000 check as seed funding to help the start-up commercialize its product
September 17, 2019
Event Connects High-Tech SUNY-Based Entrepreneurs with Nation’s Largest Source of Seed Funding
Re-Nuble Awarded First-Ever TAF MVP
Albany – State University of New York Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson today awarded the first Technology Accelerator Fund Most Valuable Pitch (TAF MVP) winner, a high-tech start-up company competition, which capped a day-long event for New York State entrepreneurs at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. Re-Nuble, which develops an on-site nutrient system for farmers to manufacture their own fertilizer, won the competition and was presented with a $50,000 check as seed funding to help the start-up commercialize its product.
"This competition is a great example of New Yorkers, particularly our students and faculty, utilizing their talents, skills, and entrepreneur spirit to develop the latest cutting edge technology and innovation into valuable products," said SUNY Chancellor Johnson, an engineer and entrepreneur herself during her career. "I applaud Re-Nuble on their winning pitch, and will continue to follow the exciting work of each of these ten up-and-coming companies."
The competition featured pitches from 10 start-up companies currently working with some of the world’s most advanced technologies. Each start-up is affiliated with a SUNY campus business incubator or accelerator program. The pitch competition followed an all-day event hosted in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which welcomed the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Road Tour on its first-ever visit to Albany. SBIR is a major national source of funding for start-up companies on the verge of commercialization, investing $3 billion annually. Nearly two dozen agency administrators attended the event, meeting with about 275 entrepreneurs to provide feedback and help them refine their ideas.
"SUNY is proud to connect some of our most inventive and entrepreneurial minds to this key source of federal seed funding," said SUNY Polytechnic Interim President/SUNY Senior Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development Grace Wang. "We are committed to helping our SUNY-based start-ups convert cutting edge research into market-ready products and services that can stimulate economic growth and lead to advancements in a variety of important fields."
"Every year, we meet entrepreneurs from around the country looking to turn their big idea into another great American innovation story. We are committed to supporting America’s small businesses owners wherever they are," said SBA Acting Administrator Chris Pilkerton. "This tour reflects our continued commitment to ensuring that these innovators are aware of SBA’s resources to help them reach that goal."
Joining SUNY and the SBA in sponsoring the Albany SBIR Tour are SUNY Summer Startup School, NY Small Business Development Center, Innovate 518, UAlbany Innovation Center, ip.com, NYSTAR, and Empire State Development.
The SUNY TAF MVP Competitors include:
Aviate Audio was founded in 2017 and is developing a wireless device for musicians who use traditional ‘effects pedals’ or ‘stomp boxes that can be controlled by the musician at the instrument. Aviate Audio is a University at Buffalo Incubator client.
beYOUty Tech was founded in 2019 and is developing technology to enable real-time personalization of beauty products for every user. beYOUty Tech is a member of the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator at Binghamton University.
Excelsior Biofilms was founded in 2017 and is developing a way to treat microbial biofilm infections beginning with wound dressings. Technology invented at Binghamton University. Excelsior Biofilms is also a member of Koffman Southern Tier Incubator at Binghamton University.
Ferric Contrast was founded in 2017 and is developing an iron-based replacement for gadolinium-based Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Technology invented at the University at Buffalo. Ferric Contrast is also a University at Buffalo Incubator client.
FlexSurface was founded in 2014 and is developing a new catalyst technology which will meet the increasingly stringent emissions regulations and will replace systems that contain low levels of Platinum Group Metals. This technology was developed at Binghamton University.
Mechanismic was founded in 2017 and is developing a kit called SnappyXO which will deliver an all new way to engage students using STEM robotics. This technology was invented at Stony Brook University.
POP Biotechnologies was founded in 2016 and is developing a versatile platform that can be used for rapid, cost-effective screening, development and manufacturing of vaccines. POP Biotechnologies is a University at Buffalo Incubator client.
Re-Nuble was founded in 2011 and is developing an on-site nutrient system that enables farmers to manufacture their own fertilizer on-site using otherwise unusable waste produce. Re-Nuble is a client of the Clean Energy Business Incubator Program at Stony Brook University.
SupreMEtric was founded in 2019 and is developing a new tool for on-site crime investigation in the form of a portable device for non-destructive and confirmatory identification of all bodily fluids. This technology was invented at the University at Albany.
sxRNA was founded in 2017 and is developing a mechanism to perform RNA switches which can then be integrated into many applications new including RNA-based medicines, diagnostics, and molecular tools. This technology was developed at the University at Albany and SUNY Poly.
About SUNY’s Technology Accelerator Fund
Launched in 2011, TAF strategically invests in SUNY’s most disruptive innovations developed by faculty and students to accelerate their development and commercialization. SUNY and its Research Foundation have invested over $2.8 million to successfully advance the commercial readiness of 50 SUNY innovations. The program has also catalyzed the investment of an additional $14.5 million from external partners, including federal agencies, industry licensees and angel investors.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, with 64 college and university campuses located within 30 miles of every home, school, and business in the state. As of Fall 2018, more than 424,000 students were enrolled in a degree program at a SUNY campus. In total, SUNY served 1.4 million students in credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs in the 2017-18 academic year. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Its students and faculty make significant contributions to research and discovery, contributing to a $1.6 billion research portfolio. There are 3 million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum.
To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.
Tech-Driven Vertical Farming Company Kalera Names New CEO, Daniel Malechuk
“I’m honored and excited for the opportunity to lead Kalera in this new phase of expansion and continued innovation as we bring nutritious, healthy, leafy green vegetables to more people locally and around the globe,” said Daniel Malechuk, new CEO of Kalera
The company also announces new Vice President of Sales, J. Michael Carr, to focus on expansion into foodservice and grocery markets
September 17, 2019 08:04 ET | Source: Kaleraphoto-release
Technology-driven vertical farming company Kalera announced that it has hired veteran foodservice and grocery industry executive Daniel Malechuk as CEO. Kalera’s Co-Founder and current CEO, Cristian Toma, will move to the role of Chief Technical Officer. The company also announced that J. Michael Carr has joined as VP of Sales.
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 17, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, technology-driven vertical farming company Kalera announced that it has hired veteran foodservice and grocery industry executive Daniel Malechuk as CEO. Kalera’s Co-Founder and current CEO, Cristian Toma, will move to the role of Chief Technical Officer. The company also announced that J. Michael Carr has joined as VP of Sales.
“I’m honored and excited for the opportunity to lead Kalera in this new phase of expansion and continued innovation as we bring nutritious, healthy, leafy green vegetables to more people locally and around the globe,” said Daniel Malechuk, new CEO of Kalera. “Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work across many different disciplines within the food industry — from both the buyer side and supplier side — while consistently growing the size and scale of the business, all of which will be critical to my position at Kalera.”
“Daniel is a world-class executive with extensive experience managing and growing some of the world’s best food and grocery companies,” said Cristian Toma, Chief Technical Officer of Kalera. “As we enter the growth stage of this business and the world recognizes the value of our fresh, clean, local produce, we need a different sort of management — where knowledge of the factors that drive the large produce markets are as vital as the technology that got us started. This is an exciting time in the company’s growth and the collective experience of Daniel and Michael, in both foodservice and grocery, will help propel us forward.”
A food industry veteran, Malechuk began his career as a District Manager at ALDI, where he helped the company expand into new markets and was subsequently promoted to Director of Corporate Purchasing at ALDI’s US headquarters. There he headed several of the company’s perishable programs and focused on global sourcing, purchasing, marketing, and product development. In addition, he developed and spearheaded the company's corporate seafood sustainability policy and also developed a product that won the national Private Label Manufacturers Association's Salute to Excellence award.
After his tenure at ALDI, Malechuk served as an executive in several of the country's leading food and produce companies in both sales and supply chain, as well as having full P&L leadership roles. While at Shamrock Foods, Malechuk led the retail division and drove explosive revenue and profitability growth and expansion across the Southwest. Daniel also served as Vice President at Keysource Foods, where he led company strategy and sales operations and negotiated contracts with top executives for the world's largest food companies, including ConAgra, Carnival Corporation, PF Chang’s, ALDI, and Sysco.
J. Michael Carr, the new Vice President of Sales, previously held the position of Director of National Sales Planning and Retail Operations at Village Farms International, North America’s largest publicly traded natural and organic hydroponic greenhouse grower. Carr joins Kalera to expand the company’s reach and relationships with suppliers, restaurants, and grocery stores.
Last year, Kalera opened the first hydroponic HyCube growing center on the premises of the Orlando World Center Marriott. This HyCube followed similar installations that were already operational at the company’s headquarters. Kalera is now scaling operations to include a new growing facility in Orlando, which will be the single largest indoor vertical farm in the Southeastern United States. The new facility will have the capacity to produce upwards of 5 million heads of lettuce per year. The company plans for accelerated growth and will build additional facilities as production capacity is further expanded in the US and internationally.
Central to Kalera’s business is good science. The company is planting non-GMO seeds, and over the past several years has perfected plant and data science-driven methods to naturally optimize the factors that make plants thrive. Kalera manages these natural factors in a way that makes plants reach their maximum potential, resulting in the highest quality produce, grown locally with consistent high-yields year-round.
By using a closed-loop irrigation system, Kalera’s plants grow while consuming 95% less water compared to field farming. While a head of lettuce grown in a field may use as much as 60 gallons of water, Kalera’s systems result in a healthier plant with less than five gallons.
The company utilizes cleanroom technology and processes to eliminate the use of chemicals and remove exposure to pathogens. With indoor facilities situated right where the demand is, Kalera is able to supply an abundance of produce locally, eliminating the need to travel long distances when shipping perishable products and ensuring the highest quality and freshness.
About Kalera
Kalera is a technology-driven vertical farming company with unique growing methods combining optimized nutrients and light recipes, precise environmental controls, and cleanroom standards to produce safe, nutritious, pesticide-free, non-GMO vegetables with consistent high quality and longer shelf life year-round. The company’s high-yield hydroponic production systems are automated, data-driven facilities that grow vegetables faster, cleaner, at a lower cost, and with less environmental impact.
The Greenery Is A Vertical Hydroponic Farm That Thrives Within An Insulated, Custom-Built Shipping Container.
The Greenery is a vertical hydroponic farm that thrives within an insulated, custom-built shipping container
ALL YOUR GREENERY QUESTIONS–ANSWERED
Our digital product booklet captures all of the Greenery's innovative new features and systems, explaining in full detail how a 320 sq. ft. container can be transformed into a high production farm.
Download the booklet now to explore the power, beauty, and smart design behind the most advanced container farm in the world. We're detailing every aspect of the Greenery to showcase how you can grow with confidence anywhere, any season.
See inside the Greenery with our comprehensive Virtual Tour or visit us online at freightfarms.com/greenery.
Freight Farms, 46 Plympton St, Boston, MA 02118, US, 877-687-4326
The Greenery represents a new category onto itself, a distillation of an idea into a core, governing concept. With the opportunity for countless unique applications, the Greenery cannot be confined to just one category: greenhouse, nursery, laboratory...none can capture the Greenery’s full potential.
The Greenery is a vertical hydroponic farm that thrives within an insulated, custom-built shipping container. It is possible to walk past without realizing that the unassuming green and white container houses a verdant world where the weather is always warm and the sun never sets. Unlike traditional farms, the plants in the Greenery grow vertically indoors without soil:
The plants obtain all their nutrition from water and their light energy from powerful LEDs. This independence from land, climate, and season allows the Greenery to bring the power of food production anywhere in the world– its modular design means it can easily traverse the globe by land and sea before arriving at its new home.
The Greenery’s climate control components work together to recreate an ideal spring day, everyday. As a result, plants can thrive inside the container regardless of the external environment–harsh climates, tight urban centers, and extreme weather conditions have no effect on the plants growing inside.
Insulation
The Greenery’s shell has a Department of Energy Insulation rating of R-28. This means the Greenery can maintain an average internal temperature of 70oF in extreme climates ranging from -40oF - 130oF and a variety of inclement weather conditions.
Climate Control
The 36,000 BTU Bard HVAC unit automatically cools the Greenery based on farmhand® programming. An integrated economizer saves energy by drawing in cool outside air when appropriate, doubling as an intake fan.
Dehumidifier
Integrated within the Bard unit, the Greenery’s dehumidifier maintains optimal in-farm humidity levels. Condensate is captured and recirculated back into the water tanks at up to 1.88 gallons/ hour, decreasing the farms overall water consumption.
Airflow Ducts
Two fans power on-panel air ducts to distribute cool, CO2 -enriched air evenly through varied-sized holes in the anti-microbial material, creating uniform airflow in the entire container.
CO2 Regulator
A precision regulator with a safety shut-off feature provides plants with the CO2 needed for photosynthesis. CO2 is fed directly into the airflow ducts and permeates into the main cultivation area.
VIEW FULL BROCHURE
Nursery Station Features
38-gallon Tank
The nursery station water tank is vertically integrated into the table for easy access. An attachable hose drains water from the nursery tank into the Greenery’s main cultivation tank, where it is flows out through a drainage spigot. Conversely, operators can route the hose directly outside through the farm door for straightforward cleaning and maintenance.Specialized LED Array
The nursery station features specialized light arrays with a higher ratio of blue lights to encourage strong stem development from the moment seeds sprout.Flexible Tray Capacity
The nursery station holds sixteen 200- or 288-cell trays, so that the operator has a constant supply of seedlings. Removable rails make routine trough cleaning effortless.Drainage Basin
The Greenery’s drainage basin acts as a designated spot for saturated grow plugs, discarded leaves, and other refuse. The removable catch basin with stainless steel drip tray contains the mess and keeps the work surface sparkling clean.
Bejo Zaden And Signify Team Up To Accelerate Breeding of More Seed Varieties
Signify has partnered with Bejo Zaden to accelerate breeding of more seed varieties through a new vertical farm approach to cultivation. In the facility, a large climate-controlled room is equipped with Philips GrowWise Control System to automate control of Philips GreenPower LED dynamic modules
Signify has partnered with Bejo Zaden to accelerate breeding of more seed varieties through a new vertical farm approach to cultivation. In the facility, a large climate-controlled room is equipped with Philips GrowWise Control System to automate control of Philips GreenPower LED dynamic modules. The company can now produce multiple crop cycles per year to meet the high demand from growers, faster.
“We’ve actually doubled the number of growing hours per day. Normally our crops only flower once a year, but now with this dynamic LED lighting solution, our crops flower multiple times a year,” said Jan Kempen, Crop Specialist at Bejo Zaden. “Thanks to our dedicated light recipes from Signify, we can steer the light spectrum and intensity for each individual crop and growth phase. We’re able to force flowering or prevent plants from bolting. For asparagus, we are now getting stronger, more vigorous tissue culture plants.”
Bejo Zaden first used supplemental lighting and later LED lighting to speed up the breeding process for new varieties, which typically takes 10 to 15 years. After several trials in smaller climate-controlled rooms, set up by their long-term horticulture partner Lek Habo, Bejo Zaden reached out to Signify in 2017 to help them implement a larger climate-controlled room. Signify’s plant specialists helped the company develop a custom-made growing process in the right environment and created special light recipes to meet the company’s requirements.
“Bejo Zaden tries to accelerate breeding of more disease-resistant seed varieties, said Udo van Slooten, Business Leader Horticulture at Signify. “Our LED solutions give growers the control they need to move to new cultivation techniques that are both sustainable and profitable.”
Bejo Zaden will share the results during their Open Days September 24 – 28th.
For more information:
Publication date: 9/17/2019
The Future of Food - AppHarvest Is Growing A Better Tomato
Gosnell said the technology is “very unique” for the United States, but it's been used elsewhere in the world where the need for sustainable, indoor agriculture is more pressing
By JEREMY D. WELLS Journal-Times
September 11, 2019
Dean Crockett, with AppHarvest, helps a participant put on a VR headset for a virtual greenhouse tour.
JEREMY D. WELLS | JOURNAL-TIMES
There is little that Appalachian foodies appreciate more than a good, garden fresh tomato in season. They may debate the best way to bread a fried green tomato, or the proper condiment for a juicy tomato sandwich (the correct answer is salt and pepper only, by the way, so there is no need to argue about what brand of mayonnaise), but one thing that is undeniable is the love for the savory fruit. Once summer is over, though, and garden fresh tomatoes are gone, the excitement pales.
Everyone who loves them has had the experience of picking up a gorgeous, plump, firm, red tomato in a grocery store, getting home and slicing into it with anticipation, only to find that it's dry and tasteless.
“Like the cardboard box it came in,” is a common description of these “hot house” tomatoes that you find in the winter.
But the problem, explained Matt Gosnell with AppHarvest, isn't necessarily that it was grown in a hot house. In fact, many of the so-called “hot house tomatoes” might have actually been grown outdoors.
The problem, he explained, is in the picking.
Because of the long transport time from California or Guatemala that these off-season fruits undertake, they aren't picked at the peak of ripeness. Instead they are picked early and allowed to ripen on the truck as they are moved to market.
AppHarvest expects to fix this problem. By growing fruit much closer to the markets where it will be sold, they can afford to leave their tomatoes on the vine longer, allowing them to ripen properly and for their flavors to develop.
If they have their way, next winter you might be able to pick up a grocery store tomato that is every bit as juicy and tasty as the ones from your own summer garden. This is all thanks to a growing technology that has already been thoroughly tested in other countries around the world.
“There are a couple of unique things about it,” said AppHarvest's VP of Development Matt Gosnell. “First we have to talk about our retention pond, which is ten acres and will hold a three-month supply of rain water we will use and recirculate through our facility and hydroponic system, so it will be a near net-zero water facility,” he said.
This means they won't need to purchase any outside water to grow their crops, and they won't be contributing to waste water disposal for the community.
But the other thing tomatoes need is light, and they plan to make use of those sunny days as much as possible.
“We're collecting rainwater; we're also using sunlight. That differentiates us from the vertical farms you might have read about where you retrofit a warehouse, stack trays (and use all artificial light),” he added.
That doesn't mean they won't be using any artificial light. They've got a state of the art LED system, and lights will be used to regulate the temperature in the environment, but the plants will get the full spectrum of the sun's rays to grow the plants as close to nature as possible.
“Our strategy is: we're here in Kentucky which gives us a lot of land, and we want to use what God gives us, which is the sun and the rainwater, so the warehouse model isn't exactly what we're going after. Our facility is 60 acres under glass, 2.7 million plus square feet. This is a monster. Three quarters of a mile from one end to the next. So, in terms of the controlled environment itself, it uses different technologies depending on what type of produce you're growing. In this case, tomatoes, which like high heat.
So we're using combination high pressure sodium lighting, which is traditional for tomatoes, as well as interspersed LEDs. It's actually going to be the largest LED lighting system in the world, under glass. That, at the same time, brings our energy costs down and also provides us with a heavier fruit, more dense fruit. So it's a win-win for us. We spend a little more money up front, and we get a great return on it, in terms of more volume, more product, as well as making us a more sustainable facility.”
Gosnell said the technology is “very unique” for the United States, but it's been used elsewhere in the world where the need for sustainable, indoor agriculture is more pressing.
“We're getting this technology from people who have been doing this very efficiently for decades. I'm talking about the Dutch, principally. The Israelis are also very good at this. These are people that had to do this. Post WWII the Netherlands was in heavy food need, so they developed this technology out of necessity and perfected it over the decades. So we're bringing that technology to Kentucky.”
Another advantage of this system over traditional agriculture is the efficiency of space.
“We can grow in one acre what would take ten acres (in traditional field based agriculture),” Gosnell said. “This is a result of controlling the environment, controlling the water, controlling the nutrients, pH, and giving a plant exactly what it needs. So, compared to open field agriculture, not only are you more efficient, but you take the guesswork out of the possibility of worsening storms, too much or not enough water, pests. These things, we take all the guesswork out of it.
So we've got a predictable four to five harvests a year. We can give you the date. We can give you the volume. Because we know exactly what we're growing and the quantity... We're really excited that this is going to be our first project, of what we hope is going to be many, here in the bluegrass.”
The other side of the product's value in being produced locally, once it's grown, is the shipping.
“If you look at a tomato market, specifically, six billion pounds of tomatoes are consumed each year in the United States. Almost four billion of that comes from Mexico,” Gosnell said. “So we've all had the experience of biting into what looks like a very ripe and tasty tomato, only to find it utterly tasteless. This is because it's picked when it's not yet ripe, it's sprayed, it's put on a truck.
Then it's five to six days north to a market. So we're saying, 'Hey, we're going to get you something grown in Kentucky. It's going to be fresher. It's going to taste a lot better. It's going to be healthier, with more nutrients. And we're going to get it to you in a quicker time at a decreased price than what you are paying now.' So it's a win-win-win for us all around, and it's been a really exciting thing to see come to fruition.”
Contact the writer at jwells@journal-times.com.
Chance To Grow
Aeroponics has been steadily refined since the earliest crude versions were attempted in the 1920s then advanced during the 1970s. The process uses small plastic containment tubes hosting seeds that will sprout and grow relatively quickly in any enclosed room of a home or commercial building
OPINION MIKE MASTERSON:
Chance to growby Mike Masterson | September 10, 2019
I read reporter Doug Thompson's recent story about Sen. John Boozman visiting the Vet Veggies hydroponic farm in Springdale founded by veteran Jerry Martin.
It was a natural stop for the senator who serves on the Senate Veterans' Affairs and the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry committees. Among other things, the senator was introduced to vertical farming indoors with the aid of grow lights and nutrition-infused water.
The idea was this was a potentially profitable business that veterans could pursue with an investment of about $350,000. This indoor approach to farming, which I'm convinced is a growing trend in years ahead, is capable of supplying enormous amounts of food. It's especially timely considering the unpredictable weather in recent years, much of which has not been conducive to traditional farming.
Thompson's story reminded me of the column I wrote more than a year ago about Brent Stewart, an entrepreneur farmer who has been perfecting aeroponics methods.
Considering the timely issue is more relevant than ever, I'm re-sharing edited portions of that column here.
The future tiptoed quietly into our lives years ago when it comes to raising vegetables and plants aeroponically. This space-age system uses only air, efficient LED or fluorescent lighting and minimal amounts of nutrient-soaked mists to grow food without the destructive nature of unpredictable weather or the worries over location, soil conditions, and pesticides or fertilizer applications affecting our food supply.
Brent Stewart of Harrison has applied for a patent to recognize his cutting-edge contribution he calls "Mr. Tip" that could transform seemingly magical aeroponics into something even more efficient and effective to grow food.
Aeroponics has been steadily refined since the earliest crude versions were attempted in the 1920s then advanced during the 1970s. The process uses small plastic containment tubes hosting seeds that will sprout and grow relatively quickly in any enclosed room of a home or commercial building. Operators of these systems see roots quickly propagate and a final product such as lettuce ready for harvesting in as soon as 30 days.
"It's pretty mind-boggling when you think about the significance and possibilities this holds for the planet," Stewart said. With the right equipment to accommodate ever-larger vegetation, it could be possible to grow fruit-bearing and other trees in indoor settings.
I liken it to placing seeds in tubes on the seats of miniature Ferris wheels that continually rise back to the light while being lightly misted with water-soluble foods they need to fully mature.
"I predict this so-called vertical growth method will become the standard for growing in all types of areas worldwide," said Stewart, adding that his revolutionary quick-connect Mr. Tip will make aeroponic agriculture much more efficient by more quickly and effectively applying the important nutrients in tiny yet precise amounts.
Developing his sophisticated nutrient-spraying tip required 12 years from the time Stewart sketched its rough prototype until the "very expensive" mold was completed that brought life to his drawing. Now the Mr. Tip mold is capable of churning out at least 8 million plastic Mr. Tips each year, he said.
I admitted shameful ignorance to this prolific food-production method until meeting Stewart, with his attorney Robert Ginnaven of Jasper. He was eager to explain how an efficient, larger aeroponics operation can produce an unlimited amount of plants a year of pretty much whatever a grower chooses that will fit in an appropriately sized tube to accommodate and nurture its root system.
"Surprisingly, it's not that expensive or space-consuming for a person to become involved in aeroponics. People can dedicate a room of their house or a shed to growing herbs, flowers, or other plants and vegetables," he said. "Entrepreneurs can set up vast numbers of the vertical growth towers to serve the needs of area grocers. There are different ways and forms in using aeroponics. Overall, the basics are simple."
He said aeroponics also has shown itself capable of virtually doubling the growth rates of plants and vegetables grown both through hydroponics and in traditional soil, as evidenced by the results of a NASA comparison study of the three methods.
Successful and prolific aeroponic gardens constructed in different formats could easily be capable of steadily supplying grocers across all of Northwest Arkansas with fresh produce, Stewart added. He cited what a boon such facilities also could have on assisting nonprofit organizations and food banks that are continually seeking contributed food. They could establish their own mini-indoor farms.
In short, the coming revolution in how we produce foods can benefit many in so many ways, including veterans and employment for the handicapped who, through aeroponics and hydroponics, could establish successful operations.
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Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.
Editorial on 09/10/2019
Print Headline: MIKE MASTERSON: Chance to grow
Combining Artificial Intelligence With Urban Farming Can Be A Game Changer For Developing Countries
An Israeli agtech company called Seedo might have the solution for the challenges of urban agriculture in vulnerable areas such as the Caribbean, that struggle with environmental and climate factors that lead to crop loss
September 1, 2019
Daphne Ewing-Chow Contributor
An Israeli agtech company called Seedo might have the solution for the challenges of urban agriculture in vulnerable areas such as the Caribbean, that struggle with environmental and climate factors that lead to crop loss.
A Seedo container is the size of a small fridge. SEEDO
Latin and America and the Caribbean is the most urbanised region in the world with up to 80% of the region’s population residing in cities (UN-Habitat 2012). While urbanization is an important element of economic growth and modernization, the diminishing ratio of food producers to food consumers in urban settings negatively impacts local food systems, causing populations to be more susceptible to non-communicable diseases, obesity and undernourishment.
Urban farming practices such as rooftop gardens, community greenhouses and vertical farms have provided an alternative to rural agriculture, but given the high cost of urban land, space and size limitations, non-conducive environmental conditions and limited human resources, these methods have not been without their challenges.
Vertical farming’s “closed and controlled” approach has been successful in eliminating the risk of insects, pests and diseases that are prevalent in traditional agricultural systems but the infrastructure required has typically been cost-prohibitive and highly reliant on fossil fuels (solar power is typically not enough).
Seedo is the world's first fully-automated and controlled indoor-growing technology for the "at-home" market— the self-driving car of agriculture. Compact commercial containers that resemble small refrigerators utilize AI algorithms to produce optimal water and light conditions— essentially controlling the weather— through a hybrid system of hydroponics and aeroponics.
Seedo can grow fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs— up to five species at a time per system, and has become extremely popular within the cannabis industry.
“The advantage of Seedo technology is that you can grow a wide range of crops in any climate and any season with no knowledge of how to grow and still achieve high-quality crops,” says Seedo’s CEO, Zohar Levy. “Seedo’s AI algorithm makes life easy for growers and of course, it is pesticide-free. You can enjoy fresh and tasty food year-round.”
The team at Seedo has recognized the relevance of their technology for environmentally vulnerable communities. In May 2019, the company qualified as a registered vendor for the United Nations Global Marketplace and intends to establish pilot programs in countries suffering from extreme climates. In a nod to its applicability to sustainable and climate-smart development, Dr. Jendayi Frazer, the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and one of the United States’ leading voices in international policy, has joined Seedo’s Board of Directors.
“Making AI technology such as Seedo accessible and affordable at the grassroots level will enable food systems to be localised without soil exploitation, deforestation or exposure to climate risk,” says Levy.
At the time of publication, a Seedo system retailed for a mere $2,400— a small fraction of the cost of typical vertical farming systems. The price includes the Seedo box, filters (water, air), starting nutrients and access to the Seedo app, which allows users to receive notifications about growth, health and harvest time. But the real savings are in the diminished risk of crop loss and the elimination of labour requirements. According to Levy, Seedo can do away with the estimated 40% of annual farm costs that are funnelled into wages, salaries and contract labour expenses.
Levy, in a recent report to shareholders, indicated that the combined capabilities of artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, and remote grow technologies makes Seedo and optimal solution for farmers “in a variety of "at-risk" markets. Stackable containers afford dramatic savings in land-use, water consumption and human labor needs… independent of climate conditions.”
According to the International Data Corporation, global spending on artificial intelligence will grow to around $58 billion by 2021. The agriculture sector has been particularly responsive to these technologies, particularly in environmentally vulnerable contexts. In the context of the Dominican Republic, artificial intelligence has enabled the growth of the agricultural sector to 14% of GDP.
Seedo could be a huge advance for small island economies that disproportionately struggle with climate change impacts, food insecurity, knowledge gaps and limited capital or farming technology.
I’m an environmental writer with a focus on food and agriculture, and commute between the Southern Caribbean (Barbados) and the Northern Caribbean (Cayman Islands). I have a Master’s Degree in International Economic Policy from Columbia University and am passionate about Caribbean social, economic and environmental issues. I am intrigued by the resilience of the Small Island Developing States of the region as well as the opportunities for sustainable and regenerative growth through agriculture. I recently headed up communications for a climate change in fisheries project (CC4FISH) at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and have worked in development banking, environmental not-for-profits, and in the venture capital industry. My work has appeared in wide cross-section of Caribbean newspapers and magazines, the Sunday Times (of London), Elite Daily, Elephant Journal and other publications. Follow me on Twitter at @daphneewingchow.
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Indoor Vertical Farming Discovers A New Company That Is Not Sheepish About Its Wool Insulation
The company’s insulation is made using wool imported from sheep-farming operations in New Zealand. He says wool is used widely across the residential building sector both in that country and Australia
While fiberglass and mineral wool have been around for decades, a new generation of manufacturers is looking to new materials that might be less manufacturing-intensive. One of these, Havelock Wool, is drawing on what founder and CEO Andrew Legge sees as a more sustainable option.
The company’s insulation is made using wool imported from sheep-farming operations in New Zealand. He says wool is used widely across the residential building sector both in that country and Australia.
Legge explains that wool insulation offers multiple advantages for environmentally oriented homeowners. The material has evolved over millennia to be a natural insulator, he notes, and it incorporates a protein called keratin which doesn’t support mold growth. Additionally, he says, wool absorbs a number of airborne toxins, including formaldehyde.
Havelock Wool’s batts and blown-in insulation come at a premium; Legge says they’re priced similarly to closed-cell spray-foam products. However, he adds, wool is very easy to handle, requiring no extra experience for anyone familiar with fiberglass installation.
Sustainability is at the heart of the value proposition Legge puts forward as a wool-insulation advocate. The manufacturing process requires no heat and is centered around 60-year-old wool carding machines, as opposed to large-scale industrial plants. And when asked about the methane produced by the sheep supplying the company’s wool, Legge has a response quickly at hand.
“We’re a byproduct of a different industry—you’re raising those animals to eat them, so we’re very comfortable with the argument that the methane isn’t attributable to the insulation,” he says. “If people stop eating sheep and lamb, we won’t have a business.”