Author: Indoor Ag-Con

Going Mainstream | Q & A With Babylon Micro-Farms CEO Alexander Olesen

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on October 24, 2021. Posted in Blog.

From the beginning, Babylon Micro-Farms CEO Alexander Olesen has sought to make vertical farming accessible to mainstream markets. Combining subscription services with advanced technology and innovative equipment, the Babylon Micro-Farms “all-in-one” farming experience does just that for a growing customer base, including universities, hospitals, restaurants, resorts, senior care facilities and more.

We had the chance to catch up with Alexander to learn more about his innovative company and exciting plans for the future in this month’s CEO Q &A.

Can you share a little about how and why you got started, including the story behind the name of your company?

We started out exploring applications for small scale hydroponic systems in refugee camps while studying at the University of Virginia. Through that process, we built prototype systems capable of feeding a family and observed that the user experience was complicated and commercially available automation was prohibitively expensive, which represented a fundamental constraint for the adoption of small scale vertical farms.

We founded the company to miniaturize the semi-automation found in commercial-scale farms, at a fraction of the cost and designed it to be controlled via the cloud to allow for aggregated data collection.Today we’ve built and deployed that underlying technology on our fleet of distributed Micro-Farms in North America. We’re just getting started in our journey to apply our underlying technology to different vertical farming systems and in doing so expand the market for sustainable indoor farming.

We decided to call the company Babylon to pay homage to the hanging gardens of Babylon, one of the first known aquaculture systems and one of the ancient wonders of the world.

Congrats on securing $4 million in grant and investment funding earlier this year. Tell us what this means for your Babylon IQ software program and expansion plans.

We’re accelerating the commercialization of indoor farming service with hundreds of Micro-Farms being installed in foodservice operations across North America. We’re confident in our technology’s ability to deliver an unparalleled growing experience and it’s exciting to see the data coming in from our growing base of happy customers.

What do you hope to achieve with the partnership you’ve entered into with collegiate food service company, Harvest Table Culinary Group.

We’ve built a tremendous partnership with Harvest Table Culinary Group and they’re one of the most innovative culinary teams in the US. They’re pioneering a new level of responsible, local food sourcing at college campuses across the country and we’re proud to support them in their efforts to inspire a new generation of healthy consumers.

You’re also working with senior communities and hospitals. What advantages and goals do you have for these sectors and are there other markets you’re looking at?

There are organizations of all different types that are demanding their foodservice operations source higher-quality ingredients and reduce their environmental footprint. The technology we’ve developed and the service we’ve built on top of it enables these organizations to literally source food on-site, all year round, without any of the headaches associated with outdoor farming.

It’s a new way of doing things and it’s amazing to see hospital patients, senior citizens, students, and many other groups adopting Micro-Farms as a means of sourcing the highest quality produce and growing it right in front of the end consumer. The benefit of our remote management platform and our growing customer base is that the data is flowing back to us in abundance.

We’re gaining a very granular understanding of how our customers operate, what they consume, and, critically, how we can help to have a better experience. These insights are driving our success in the institutional foodservice space and they’ll allow us to expand into adjacent markets in the near future.

Where do you see your company 5 or 10 years from now – what’s your ultimate goal?

Our goal has always been to make vertical farming accessible to mainstream markets. We’re proving that it’s commercially viable with our foodservice partners and simultaneously we’re seeing the rapid expansion of the local food movement that’s driving a ton of innovations in the CEA space.

We’ve developed our technology and service specifically for small scale on-site vertical farms and we’re now pioneering an “intel inside” model to enable new vertical farming systems to be successful.

In 5 to 10 years we are going to see a plethora of on-site systems for different markets and crop types and we hope they’ll all be powered by BabylonIQ.

To learn more about Babylon Micro-Farms:

P: 877.589.2884
W: www.babylonmicrofarms.com
E: info@babylonmicrofarms.com

Babylon Micro-Farms Video Resources

Boll Filter Brings Reliability With Automatic Filtration

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on October 23, 2021. Posted in Exhibitor News.

Indoor Ag-Con 2022 Exhibitor Boll Filter is bringing proven reliability to Indoor Agriculture in the form of automatic filtration.

The aquaBoll® and 6.04 are proven in Vertical Farming with over 300 days of maintenance-free operation. Filtration rates are available from 10µ-500µ. Each filter is sized and designed based on the customers specifications, which gives growers complete control of what’s in their nutrient water. Common debris to be filtered out includes: grow media, plant debris, metallic fines, and pathogens.

Automatic filtration also eliminates the need for disposable media, helping growers reduce landfill waste and meet sustainability goals. Boll Filters are manufactured at the headquarters in Germany with global subsidiaries supporting local regions.

If customers would like to know more, please reach out to Denton@Bollfilterusa.com or browse the links below.

aquaBoll® Brochure: https://www.bollfilter.com/filters/detail/aquabollr-automatic-self-cleaning-water-filter-backwashable-strainer-with-adaptive-filter-elements

aquaBoll® Flushing Video: https://youtu.be/JFAZhVPOb7U

6.04 Brochure: https://www.bollfilter.com/fileadmin/downloads/prospekte/automatic-filter-type-6.04-en-BOLLFILTER.pdf

New Harvest Robot Introduced

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on September 13, 2021. Posted in Exhibitor News.

Article sourced from Vertical Farm Daily

Since April, a multifunctional robot has been helping to harvest tomatoes in a Westland greenhouse. The robot is the result of the cooperation between greenhouse construction and greenhouse technology company and Indoor Ag-Con 2021 Exhibitor Certhon and Denso, the Japanese automotive technology company that invested in the company last year.

“The robot moves in multiple directions to find the optimum position and route for harvesting. Thanks to smart cameras and lighting, the robot can harvest day and night. In the near future, the harvest robot can also scout the yield and measure the climate and health of the plants, including the functionality to protect from pests and diseases,” the Certhon team reveals.
The functionalities

Last year Certhon announced that a harvesting robot was being tested. The company started working on it right after Denso’s minority investment in Certhon.

The company chose a tomato robot since tomato is a large and popular crop worldwide and there are large growers who can make the necessary investments for this, Edwin Vanlaerhoven, Business Development Director at Certhon indicated at the time.
Edwin Vanlaerhoven, Business Development Director at Certhon shows how the Certhon Harvest Robot detects the fruits and senses which tomatoes are ready for harvesting thanks to advanced vision technology. “The robot shows what we are capable of when we combine smart technology, ambitious people, and horticultural knowledge,” he says.

The robot can detect tomatoes completely independently, cut them and transport them to crates. Deep learning technology makes the robot smarter with every harvest.

Eliminating uncontrollable external factors

“In order to make sure all of tomorrow’s people are fed, the world needs to come up with innovative and smart solutions now. Eliminating uncontrollable external factors such as weather conditions, plague or disease has always been on top of a farmer’s wish list, and for horticulture, the 20th-century greenhouse that counters these threats was a big step forward.”
“Now, with drastic changes happening in climate, demographics, and labor shortages, it’s time to bring the greenhouse system in line with the 21st century. With that objective in mind, the Certhon Harvest Robot is created. The robot simplifies the cultivation process, making the opportunity to grow food accessible to everyone. And this is just the beginning.”
Haruhiko Kato, Chief Technical Officer at Certhon adds: “Each crop is unique and the crops’ condition changes every day. Therefore it is very important that the robot’s motion adapts to any height, direction, and growth speed. By teaching the robot all these skills, we can really change the way we grow.”

Moving image

The presentation of the robot, with photos and moving images, was preceded by tests at greenhouse company AgriD, the largest greenhouse in Japan. The greenhouse was built by Certhon in cooperation with Denso and Asai Nursery Inc. and is specially equipped for the use of robots.

The coming period will be used to optimize the robot movement in consultation with growers and make it ready for practical introduction.
After tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers will follow, Edwin said last year, because the latter is a very labor-intensive crop. “We are starting in the Netherlands and Canada, in the Leamington region, because of the presence of many advanced growers there.”

When the robot will be ready to actually be put on the market is still unclear. The Certhon Harvest Robot is the company’s first external launch. Curious?

Check it out here: www.certhonharvestrobot.com.

For more information:
Certhon
ABC Westland 555
P.O. Box 90
2685 ZH Poeldijk, Netherlands
www.certhon.com

Aphids Eliminated With Organic Nanotechnology in PureCrop1, U.C. Study Shows

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on September 13, 2021. Posted in Exhibitor News.

As an all-in-one agricultural formula, Indoor Ag-Con Exhibitor PureCrop1 is revolutionizing the agriculture industry with nanotechnology and clean colloidal chemistries. Made from seven plant-based, organic ingredients, PureCrop1 efﬁciently eliminates sap-sucking pests, molds, & mildews, boosts plant health, and more effectively delivers nutrients than water alone.

The Pure Results

A U.C. Davis study solidified PureCrop1 as an effective control for aphids when they concluded the results of the organic formula against four common aphids.

After performing the study, Brook C. Murphy, Ph.D., U.C. Davis entomologist, stated, “Overall, the results of these evaluations provide encouraging evidence that PureCrop1 could be developed into an effective, reliable and easy-to-use commercial insecticide against aphid pests.”

A single application of PureCrop1 at a low rate of 0.66% v/v sufficiently eliminated all aphids from the plants in 24 to 36 hours. The tests also revealed that the organic formula is effective under a broad range of conditions in home and commercial applications as a pest control tool and proved easy to mix with no visible residue left behind.

The nanotechnology-derived solution controls aphids and other sap-sucking insects in all plant environments, including greenhouses, hydroponics, and indoor gardens. It can eliminate all types of aphids, including the ants that tend them, the honeydew they excrete, and the mold caused by the honeydew.

PureCrop1 also takes pride in being friendly to the environment, kids, pets, & even beneficial insects. The proprietary, science-driven formulation process delivering clean, sustainable, yet potent results is what distinguishes PureCrop1 from any other product on the market, making it a true trailblazer for the future of agriculture.

Find out more by visiting PureCrop1 at booth 4002 during Indoor Ag-Con or visit www.purecrop1.com

Notes From the Field: Evofactor Enhances Microgreens Production

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on September 11, 2021. Posted in Exhibitor News.

The mighty microgreen has become a chef and consumer darling over the last few years because they’re nutrient dense and pack a flavor punch. Growers looking to get the most out of each tray have a new way to meet demand.

In a field trial with a multi-state, commercial microgreens grower and Indoor Ag-Con 2021 Exhibitor, Verano365, introduced their nutrient adjuvant, Evofactor®. The grower tested the fertilizer enhancer on four different varieties of microgreens to help boost yield per tray.

In basil, red sorrel, cilantro, and mild microgreens, the grower applied 3.5oz of Evofactor for every 1lb of actual Nitrogen to the stock tank. At the conclusion of the trial:

 Basil yield was up 8.3%
 Red Sorrel gained 28.3%
 Mild variety increased 16.9%
 Cilantro put on 13.3% more yield

The growing cycle ranged from nine days for some varieties, up to 21 days for others. Across the board, the product enhanced tray weight.

Herbert Rabalais, president of Verano365 shared, “In working with microgreen producers, we’ve seen excellent results from low use rates of Evofactor. Growers have shared that they’ve noticed better germination rates when using our product on microgreens, producing denser flats, and ultimately seeing trays that weigh more than the trays produced with standard growing practices.”

Evofactor is formulated with Verano365’s OpusMAX®, a carrier that creates supramolecular structures of the active ingredients in fertilizers, ultimately delivering highly concentrated nutrients to the plant.

Rabalais went on to say, “It’s easy for a grower to see a return on investment with Evofactor. If they can produce 8 to 25% more microgreens for pennies per tray, they can quickly do that math to see how the product will help maximize their profit per square foot.”

Evofactor is registered in all 50 states and is available from distribution partners: BFG Supply Co., BWI Companies, and Griffin Greenhouse Supplies.

Conviron and Argus: key players in Medicago’s COVID-19 plant derived vaccine development

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on September 11, 2021. Posted in Blog, Exhibitor News.

Winnipeg-based Conviron, a leading supplier of controlled environments for plant production, is pleased to announce the award of a major project involving the expansion of Medicago’s vaccine manufacturing facilities in Durham NC. Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, is moving forward in their participation to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by building additional infrastructure for the development and manufacturing of plant-derived vaccines – a process that produces a high volume of vaccine in shorter production timelines.

Located in the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, the facility expansion features several customized controlled environmental rooms from Conviron, which are used in the manufacturing process for plant germination and plant expression of virus-like particles. Conviron’s sister company amd Indoor Ag-Con 2021 Exhibitor, Argus Controls, is providing the controls and automation of all the plant-growing spaces in the expanded facility. The decision to use Conviron stemmed from the relationship that started back in 2012, when Conviron first provided plant growth rooms to Medicago’s facility in Quebec.

In an interview with Martin Cash (for the Winnipeg Free Press)¹ a spokeswoman for the company said Medicago hopes to have enough data showing the efficacy and safety of the vaccine by the end of June and then would be able to start production shortly after that.

Cash also had to opportunity to review this topic with John Proven, president of Conviron, who said it’s one of the most important projects for Conviron this year. Proven said Conviron is glad to be part of a Canadian effort to battle the pandemic.

You can read the original “Local company key player in homegrown vaccine” article published by visiting the Winnipeg Free Press website.

Kurt M. Aken Joins AmplifiedAg to Lead Expansion of its Vertical Roots Business

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on September 11, 2021. Posted in Blog, Exhibitor News.

In a sign that vertical farming is reaching an inflection point, AmplifiedAg hires produce industry veteran to lead growth for its flagship brand, Vertical Roots

Indoor Ag-Con 2021 Exhibitor AmplifiedAg, Inc. a leading platform in the fast-growing category of hydroponic vertical farming – announces the hiring of industry veteran Kurt M. Aken to lead the growth of its Vertical Roots brand. Aken joins as Executive Vice President, Business Development following a successful 24-year tenure with two of the most recognized consumer produce brands in the United States – Fresh Express and Chiquita Brands International. Aken will be focused on supporting and extending the Vertical Roots hydroponic produce brand, which is currently sold in more than 1,700 retail locations in the Southeast United States.

“I, like many others in the produce industry, have been watching the evolution of vertical farming with intense interest,” said Aken. “Vertical farming represents an important part of the future of sustainable food supply and produce capacity, and I’m inspired by AmplifiedAg’s approach and leadership.”

“AmplifiedAg’s best-in-class technology, modular and scalable construction capability,and unrivaled growing expertise is the foundation of Vertical Roots success, and makes the most reliable partner for retailers and wholesalers looking for the best produce possible,” Aken added.

Vertical Roots currently operates hydroponic container farms in Charleston, SC, Columbia, SC and Atlanta,GA, with more farm expansions on the horizon. Since January 2020, Vertical Roots has grown its retail footprint 272% and now offers its lettuce in approximately 1,700 grocery stores across the Southeast. The hydroponic produce line includes a variety of salad mixes and Green Butter, Green Oak, and Green Leaf Living Lettuces. The brand also recently introduced one of the first ever hydroponic varieties of large-leaf Romaine.

Vertical Roots produce is grown in hydroponic farms constructed from repurposed shipping containers, and leverages AmplifiedAg’s proprietary software and hardware to optimize growing cycles and insure premier quality and consistency. Farms are built to USDA and FDA food safety standards, and the hydroponic growing method means no soil, no pesticides, and more nutritious, clean, longer lasting produce.

During Aken’s career at Fresh Express and Chiquita Brands, he led the corporate account team that serviced leading grocery retailers across the United States. Aken was responsible for cultivating new business opportunities in nontraditional
produce channels including foodservice, club and drug and discount store segments, as well as theme parks and cruise lines.

Andrew Hare, co-founder and general manager of Vertical Roots, said, “Kurt’s extensive industry experience, including retail and customer insights, consumer trends, and supply chain management, will help us further accelerate the growth of our Vertical Roots brand. He is a recognized leader in the category and we are proud that he has chosen to join our company and work with us to advance our mission.”

# # #

About AmplifiedAg, Inc.
AmplifiedAg, Inc.™ is a leader in the indoor agriculture category focused on empowering a scalable, resilient, and sustainable food supply and providing global populations with access to clean, fresh, and healthy produce. The company manufactures modular and scalable indoor farms using refurbished shipping containers and advanced hydroponic systems controlled by its proprietary hardware and seed-to- sale SaaS-based.

AmplifiedAg’s flagship brand Vertical Roots is the largest hydroponic container farm in the world and currently sells its produce through more than 1,700 grocery stores and numerous distributors.

In addition to powering its flagship brand Vertical Roots, AmplifiedAg provides holistic indoor farming solutions to sustainably grow and distribute food anywhere in the world. Learn more at www.amplifiedaginc.com.

Re-Envisioning Urban Farming With Direct To Consumer Urban Hubs

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on September 11, 2021. Posted in Blog.

Q & A With Brick Street Farms CEO Shannon O’Malley

is excited to welcome Brick Street Farms CEO Shannon O’Malley to our speaker roster for the October 4-5, 2021 edition at the Hilton Orlando. Based in St. Petersburg, FL, O’Malley and her growing company are on a mission to “ignite a sustainable farm revolution by dramatically reshaping the global population’s ability to access clean, healthy food.” We caught up with Shannon to learn more about the multi-million investment Florida agribusiness leader Lykes Bros. has recently made in Brick Street Farms; her company’s THRIVE Containers division, and its non-profit Desert Farms Foundation.

Read our Q&A here AND learn more next month in Orlando as Shannon joins our “Women in Ag” panel discussion

Congratulations on the recent news that Lykes Bros. Inc has made a significant investment in Brick Street Farms! What does this mean for your company and how does it play into your mission.

Brick Street Farms could not be more thrilled about the investment from Lykes Bros. Inc. We both inherently believe that within the agriculture space there is room for traditional farming models and urban community models. With our Lykes Bros.Inc. investment, Brick Street Farms will be bringing the first large-scale direct to consumer urban community model to the forefront: Brick Street Farms Urban Hubs.

With this model, we have the privilege of contributing to the local economy by empowering and investing in our urban communities in as many ways as possible. We provide nutritional and medicinal food that has not been compromised by traditional agriculture supply chain issues, grown on-site, in one of the most advanced environmentally sustainable arenas in agriculture. With harvest to home in 24 hours, we take pride in leading the way in the evolution of how people connect to their food. We are growing 16-20 acres of farmland in 1/3 acre lots and could not be more excited. Brick Street Farms is defining what urban agriculture is with our urban hubs. These hubs are the truest form of bringing mass food production to the point of consumption. And the best way to sustainably feed more people from urban locations.

From a financial standpoint, this model is scalable, replicable, and sustainable. Below is a graph from the Artemis State of Indoor Farming 2020. We have added the Brick Street Farms direct to consumer model to this graph as shown below:

What was the rationale behind the launch of your THRIVE division and what makes your containers different than others on the market today?

When my husband, Brad, and I started Brick Street Farms, we had no idea how quickly our business would scale. With this scale and both of us having backgrounds in engineering, the obvious next step was to design and manufacture our own containers. As we thought through the designs, there were key areas that we knew needed improvements. Our main objective was, and still is, to build containers for growers, by growers. The maximization of plant sites was important, so we added a sixth row of channels and turned other excess space into plant sites. We significantly reduced the amount of components in the container that require maintenance.

Our THRIVE Containers provide a one pump, one reservoir, one dosing station system for the complete grow cycle. Improving water sanitation through the use of nanobubble technology was a no brainer because it cleanses the water and eliminates toxins so we don’t have to use chemicals for cleansing. Those are just some of the ways our THRIVE Containers are different from those on the market today.

Tell us about the Brick Street Farms membership model and how it plays into both your business growth plan as well as the support of your overall mission.

We knew fairly early on that the only financially successful and sustainable model in this space is a direct to consumer model. That’s why we had to design the best in class containers in order to build the first of its kind direct to consumer Brick Street Farms urban hubs. Our membership program is similar to a gym with both individual memberships and corporate level memberships. This provides a recurring stream of revenue and is not a CSA model. Our customers are very community driven, hyper-local and support advanced environmental sustainability. Introducing the membership model was just a perfect way for them to connect with us and for us to connect with them and it supports the part of our mission which focuses on being good to our community and planet Earth.

Can you tell us about your non-profit Desert Farms Foundation – why you started it and what you hope to accomplish through it?

Bringing our Desert Farms Foundation to life has been such a neat experience. The foundation is really growing faster than we expected. We don’t even have the Desert Farms Foundation website live yet, however, we have received a great kick-start to our operations budget and are already delivering to three major non-profit food organizations. It’s really important to recognize that we are a start-up and to be able to bring a non-profit to life in such a quick amount of time is super commendable and not easy. We all have so much on our plates and I am so proud that we got this off the ground and I look forward to witnessing the impact this foundation makes by working to provide nutritional wellness for ALL.

Learn more about Shannon and Brick Street Farms by visiting their website here.

Wilder Fields Unveils Key Component For One Of World’s Largest Vertical Farms

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on August 12, 2021. Posted in Blog.

Wilder Fields unveils key component for one of world’s largest vertical farms now under construction in a vacant Super Target in Calumet City

Unique system housed in 22 cleanrooms to yield 25 million plants annually

Calumet City, Ill., August 11, 2021— Today at Wilder Fields, Thaddeus Jones, mayor, City of Calumet City, joined Jake Counne, founder and CEO, Wilder Fields, to officially unveil a proprietary automation system for the indoor vertical farm now under construction in a 135,000-square-foot, vacant Super Target in the city. Using Wilder Fields’ technology, this innovative venture will be one of the world’s largest commercial vertical farms, comprising a fully controlled and automated indoor environment.

When phase one construction is completed in first-quarter 2022, the company will safely grow and harvest dozens of full-flavored, pesticide-free varieties of leafy greens, eventually reaching a yield of up to 25 million plants annually.

“Calumet City is excited to join Wilder Fields in bringing this exciting project to our community,” said Mayor Jones. “Wilder Fields is changing indoor farming for years to come, and I look forward to its success and growth. We are building a world-class community and Wilder Fields is at the head of the pack in helping Calumet City become the leader in world- class businesses that add value to the lives of our residents.”

“Calumet City gets it,” added Counne. “We collaborated for two years before completing the infrastructure and building out the farm. The city has supported us as we wrote the playbook for transforming vacant big-box structures into high-tech farms. Calumet City shares our vision of the positive impact Wilder Fields can have, not only on this community but also on the future of sustainable indoor agriculture.”

Jones and Counne used a giant switch to light up a demonstration model of Wilder Fields’ 20-foot tall grow towers. These proprietary towers will be housed in 22 cleanrooms— each measuring 105,000 cubic feet and containing four towers—that form the basis of Wilder Fields’ system, which employs lean manufacturing principles that disrupt and improve upon previous designs to manage the costs that have bedeviled some attempts at large-scale indoor farming.

Jake Counne Wilder Fields — Jake Counne, founder and CEO, Wilder Fields, leads tour of indoor
vertical farm technology.

In keeping with its commitment to social responsibility, Wilder Fields will use clean energy to power its farm and make efficient use of water purchased from Calumet City.

“Wilder Fields’ dedication to the environment and community goes beyond repurposing buildings,” said Henry Pierce, ComEd senior economic development specialist. “By taking advantage of the ComEd Energy Efficiency program, Wilder Fields saves energy and money that can be used to focus on what matters—sustainably growing food and creating jobs for the community.”

“Wilder Fields did not require re-piping or any other special accommodations,” explained Gerry Surufka, deputy water commissioner for Calumet City. “And thanks to the efficiency of the company’s system, which uses small drips of precisely measured water, we do not anticipate any need to increase the water supply to this former Super Target.” Due to its unique use of technological breakthroughs, Wilder Fields requires 95 percent less water than traditional farming methods.

The Calumet City location is the first commercial-scale Wilder Fields operation, a project currently valued at an estimated $50 million, according to Counne. By using artificial intelligence to apply principles of machine learning to farming, Counne and his visionary team built a system that continually monitors the plants’ health and growing environment, supplying light, water and nutrients as needed while reducing human contact.

“I consider our Wilder Fields team to be true problem-solvers,” said Counne, who focuses on rehabilitating abandoned big-box stores to help revitalize the communities where they are situated. “We take nothing for granted and continue to challenge many of the accepted ways of building and running a vertical farm. We already have engineered some incredibly cost-effective and elegant solutions for some very expensive problems.”

Even as the Calumet City location ramps up to full capacity, Wilder Fields currently produces its tantalizing array of flavorful greens on a smaller scale, available at Dom’s Kitchen & Market and at Local Markets Food in Bucktown.

By early 2022, its produce will be sold at supermarkets and served at restaurants within a 100-mile radius, eliminating the long-distance hauling that affects freshness and curtails shelf life, and reducing Wilder Fields’ carbon footprint. An onsite retail store also will give Calumet City residents and others nearby access to fresh, healthy produce.

For more information, visit www.WilderFields.com.

Photos by Marc Monaghan.

Center of Excellence For Indoor Agriculture Announces Best In Class Award Winners

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on August 9, 2021. Posted in Blog.

A HUGE congrats to the Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture “Best In Class” Award winners in the following categories:

Urban Crop Solutions – Best Indoor Production System (Systems starting between $250k-$500k)

Intelligent Growth Solutions – Best Indoor Production System (Systems starting $500k and up)

GE Current – Best Overall Indoor Farm Light Fixture

Emphasis was given to sustainable farms and equipment manufacturers that efficiently use resources such as land, energy, labor and water to produce the highest yields at an affordable price in indoor farm settings.

Read more about the winners here: https://indooragcenter.org/award-winners/.

As part of the award announcement, the COE and Indoor Ag-Con hosted the Indoor Ag-Conversations webinar, The Importance of Operations Metrics In Building Sustainable Farms.

Moderated by Dr Eric W. Stein, PH.D., Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture and Associate Professor of Business at Penn State the panel included:

David Farquhar, CEO, Intelligent Growth Solutions
Maarten Vandecruys, Co-Founder & CTO, Urban Crop Solutions
Daniel Lee, National Sales Manager, Horticulture, GE Current, A Daintree Company
Chris Higgins, President & Co-Founder, HortAmericas
Andew Howell, Vice President of Sustainable Food & Agriculture, Ceres Partners

The discussion covered a number of areas of interest, including

-How to build sustainable Triple Bottom Line farm operations
-The importance of operations management, benchmarking, and continuous improvement to support sustainable indoor farming
-The importance of recognizing operations excellence, the purpose of Best in Class awards and their role in promoting farm metrics
-How metrics can contribute to future investment in indoor ag
-Ways to build indoor farms that can achieve long-term sustainable economic results while supporting job creation, workforce development and environmental goals.
-And much more!

Learn more and access the recording here.