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Month: April 2021

Argus Customer Success Story | Midwest Groundcovers Grows With Automation

Indoor Ag-Con 2021 exhibitor Argus Controls shares this customer success story:

Experienced nursery technicians know they can’t water a native perennial at the same rate and frequency as an evergreen or shrub. That’s why the average pop-up lawn sprinkler wouldn’t work in a professional growing environment. Managers at Midwest Groundcovers, LLC understood this. But,  they quickly realized that irrigation suppliers are not always on the same page.

Indoor Ag-Con Exhibitor Argus Controls Customer Success Story
Virgil Greenhouse Manager Chris Wacker (left) and Nursery Manager, Mike Krueger (right)

The company’s switch in 2016 to an automated irrigation system customized for a nursery environment has enabled efficiencies that they couldn’t achieve with a previous system designed for golf courses. A precise, easily programmable system is critical for this wholesale grower of nursery stock, including native plants, shrubs, evergreens, perennials and groundcovers, as it continues to expand.

Today, workers can focus on the plants instead of managing irrigation controllers thanks to the implementation of an automated system from Argus Controls. “It allows the grower to scout the plants more instead of trying to run all over the nursery opening and closing valves,” says Mike Krueger, Midwest Groundcover’s nursery manager at the Virgil location.

Stuck in the Sand Trap

Early experiences with automation systems don’t always go as planned. Whether it’s a factory or a greenhouse, initial deployments of “smart” technologies are either a boon to business operations or an exercise in frustration.

For Midwest Groundcovers, it was the latter. The company struggled early on with an automated irrigation system at its Virgil production nursery, which opened in 2001. It was an unwieldy system that was difficult to program and manage, says Matthew Fredrickson, the company’s production manager.

“The irrigation system was programmed for a golf course,” Fredrickson recalls. “You would set it, walk away, and everything is watering the same. “What the system designers and engineers couldn’t understand is that we’re a nursery producing plants that are growing, and their need for water is changing throughout the season.”

What the company needed was a system that was easier to program to accommodate the unique needs of different types of plants.

Expansion Planning

In 2013, Midwest Groundcovers found a solution from Argus Controls that met its requirements. The Midwest team was embarking on a 30-acre outdoor expansion, called the Thomsen Growing Center, at its Virgil location to grow containerized shrubs.

The Argus system doesn’t require IT or automation expertise to program, Krueger says. The design made more sense for a grower, with zones and schedules customized for different planting sections. The management team also wanted irrigation controls that could work seamlessly with existing technologies, including the company’s customized fertigation system.

“They made sure the Argus system could talk to those injectors and that the programming was simple enough for a grower to use the system,” Krueger says. “Argus didn’t force us to buy their equipment. They worked around what we had.”

That was important because Midwest Groundcovers had already invested a considerable amount of money into its existing fertilization system, according to Krueger. Starting over with new fertilization injectors would have been costly. The system was up and running in time for the 2016 season.Indoor Ag-Con 2021 Exhibitor Customer Success Story 2

Fully Automated Future

The company was impressed enough with the Argus irrigation system to begin switching its automated controls to Argus, as well. In 2019, the company switched a portion of its environmental controls in its Virgil nursery greenhouse expansion to the Argus system.

By the end of 2021, the company will extend the automated control system to two growing centers, including a new one that’s under construction, and half of its greenhouses. Midswest Groundcovers’ goal in the future is to expand Argus to the rest of the existing growing centers in Virgil, so the Virgil nursery is standardized with one system. Moving forward, the company will include the Argus system in the design of any new greenhouses or growing shelters, Krueger says.

“We’re really satisfied with Argus,” he says. “We have tried and used several different systems for environmental controls, but we want to standardize the nursery. We like the Argus system and how it works, so for us it made sense for us to continue on that path.”

See what’s new from Argus Controls at the October 4-5, 2021 edition of Indoor Ag-Con and learn more by visiting the company’s website — www.arguscontrols.com

 

 

Dophin Pumps Upgrades Pump Seals

Indoor Ag-Con 2021 exhibitor Dolphin Pumps reports that as of March 2020, it  has upgraded their pump seals.Indoor Ag-Con Exhibitor Dolphin Pumps 2021

Dolphin Pumps are custom designed and engineered to outperform and outlast other pumps on the market. Their saltwater seals are recommended for all salt water, reef and mineral containing systems, as well as systems containing harsh additives since these environments are considered abrasive.

The saltwater seals are made with high grade stainless steel AISI 316 which includes an additive to help fight off corrosion.

The harder seal faces combined with the stainless steel 316 is most desirable for applications where salt/mineral exposure is a given, providing extra years of life and usage.

For freshwater use, our seal materials and surfaces are designed to provide a much longer service life than typical generic carbon faced freshwater seals.

Dolphin Pumps are designed to handle the toughest environments with the reliability of a magnetic drive pump MINUS all the drawbacks, such as heat transfer, noise, and energy consumption.

Learn more at www.dolphinpumps.com

Growing Strawberry Seedlings In World’s Most Northern Vertical Farm With Netled’s Vera Technology

Indoor AG-Con 2021 Exhibitor Netled shares that Vera vertical farming technology is now producing strawberry seedlings at the world’s northernmost vertical farm at Kainuu Vocational School, Kajaani, Finland.

Last year Netled delivered and commissioned its Vera LED lighting and climate control technology to the Seppälä vertical farm in Kainuu Vocational School, Kajaani, Finland. Seppälä vertical farm is the northernmost vertical farm in the world, just 250km south of the Arctic Circle.

In addition to its northern latitude, Seppälä vertical is also the largest vertical project for teaching and research purposes in the world.

“The fantastic facilities at Seppälä vertical enable the education of versatile growers and important research in the field. This will also be an immense help for the companies developing vertical farming technology”, comments Niko Kivioja, CEO at Netled.

The Seppälä vertical farm serves as a great example of the benefits of vertical farming: even at over 64 degrees north, the location doesn’t influence the vertical farming process.

During the first year of operations, different types of salad and herbs have been grown, as well as two different batches of strawberry seedlings.

Different recipes for growing have also been created during the first year.

The overall incentive of the project is to better understand the plants and the entire growing process. In the future, Seppälä vertical farm aims to have a completely carbon-neutral production method and run on solar power.

Kari Komulainen, Head Grower at Peuraniemi Nursery, has been extremely satisfied with the results of the vertical farm so far: “The two batches of strawberry seedlings we have grown so far have proven without doubt the efficiency and profitability of producing seedlings vertically”, Kari explains.

Watch the video to see what else Kari has to say about growing strawberry seedlings at the world’s most northern vertical farm

ZipGrow Expands to New Facility, Inks Deal with Sodexo

Indoor Ag-Con 2021 Exhibitor ZipGrow has expanded its footprint, moving from leased premises to its own building at the corner of Cumberland and Seventh Street in Cornwall, Ontario Canada. The new building more than doubles the amount of space available to the manufacturer of the world’s most installed vertical hydroponic equipment.Indoor Ag-Con Exhibitor ZipGrow

“Demand for our products continues to soar,” says Eric Lang, President of ZipGrow. “The new building allows us to be more efficient while at the same time giving us room to grow in the future.”

Growth is on the menu at ZipGrow, with the company launching an innovative partnership with Sodexo to introduce sustainable growing systems to facilities throughout Canada and the United States.

“Having been installed throughout the world over the past decade, our system enables growers, both big and small, to access fresh produce no matter where they are located”, explains Mr. Lang. “We are excited to move ahead with this new partnership with Sodexo. Together we will be able to introduce sustainable food to Sodexo locations throughout North America.”

ZipGrow technology is a patented system that utilizes both hydroponic growing systems and vertical planes to maximize production volume within a small footprint. Primarily growing leafy greens such as lettuce and kale, along with herbs and small fruiting crops such as strawberries, ZipGrow systems will be installed in Sodexo locations including educational institutions, conference facilities, and corporate food service centres.

“This new partnership with ZipGrow not only enables us to reduce our carbon emissions of distance traveled for food source, onsite food waste, and packaging requirements, but also to introduce innovative technology to our facilities and team members”, said Normand St-Gelais, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Sodexo Canada.

About ZipGrow

ZipGrow is an international leader in indoor, vertical farming technology. The company’s flagship product, the ZipGrow Tower, is a core component of many of the world’s most innovative farms; from indoor hydroponic warehouses to vertical aquaponic greenhouses and high-density container farms

Story sourced from  from Choosecornwall.ca  

New Arize® Factor Grow Light Brings Better Optics and Efficiency to Indoor Vertical Farms

Indoor Ag-Con 2021 Exhibitor HortAmericas shares this news from GE Current:
GE Current, a Daintree company, today introduced the Arize Factor Multilayer (ML) Series, the latest addition to its lineup of horticulture fixtures for indoor farms and greenhouses. Assembled in the USA, the Arize Factor packages improved optics and optimized light spectrums to become an industry-leading, efficient choice for indoor vertical farms.

Indoor Ag-Con 2021 Exhibitor HortAmericas GE Current
Assembled in the USA, the new Arize® Factor ML Series from Current offers superior performance for cannabis growers and vertical farm operations.

The series includes two versions: the Arize Factor ML900, a 2-bar array designed to provide high light output for indoor cannabis growing; and the Arize Factor ML300, which features 4-, 5- and 6-bar arrays designed specifically for optimized growth of densely packed leafy greens, herbs and microgreens.

Growers will be able to take advantage of a number of options and additional features with the Factor:

A custom light optic provides extra wide, uniform light dispersion over the grow area. The end result is fewer hotspots, more even growth and fewer bars needed to achieve optimum harvests.
Installation is easier than with the competition thanks to its modular design and two mounting options. Growers can choose universal wire hangers to suspend the grow lights from the top of the rack, or a transversal member that easily clips onto the sides of the grow rack and mounts to the bars.

There are three broad spectra options to select from depending on the crop, along with multiple plug options available for connection flexibility and dimming capabilities.
The Factor boasts an L90 rating of 50,000 hours.

Assembled in the USA

Notably, the Factor is the first of Current’s horticulture fixtures to be assembled in the USA in its Hendersonville, North Carolina, factory. Built in 1955, this 850,000-square-foot manufacturing facility employs over 325 people, with more jobs anticipated as demand for Current solutions and Arize products increases.

“The Arize Factor incorporates 20-plus years of LED fixture design combined with over 65 years of manufacturing excellence and scale in Hendersonville, North Carolina,” said Mike Doss, Current’s VP of Specialty. “Whatever crop you are growing, there is a Factor “flavor” that will suit your needs, proudly assembled in the Appalachians.”

Melissa Wesorick, chief marketing & strategy officer at Current, added: “Our recent investments in the factory and the hiring of more workers demonstrate our commitment to the Hendersonville area. The onshoring of horticultural fixture assembly is part of our long-term strategic vision of creating an American center of excellence in horticulture, in addition to supporting American jobs and reducing lead time for our customers.”

Customers should contact Hort Americas for more details.

To learn more about Current, the new Arize Factor and Current’s leadership in the horticulture industry, visit www.gecurrent.com/horticulture.

About GE Current, a Daintree company:

Current enhances commercial, industrial, city and specialty applications with advanced lighting and intelligent controls. Working with our partners, we deliver the best possible outcomes for our customers. See why Current is always on at www.gecurrent.com.