Tag: CEA

Scaling with Purpose: How Local Bounti Is Building a More Durable CEA Business

Written by Indoor Ag-Content Q&A Feature on January 11, 2026. Posted in Blog.

As Chief Commercial Officer of Local Bounti, Dane Almassy brings more than two decades of experience across consumer packaged goods, fresh food, and agriculture to one of the most closely watched companies in controlled environment agriculture. In this month’s Indoor Ag-Conversations Q&A, Almassy shares why he joined Local Bounti at a pivotal moment for the industry, how the company is approaching responsible, demand-driven growth, and what it takes to build a durable CEA business in today’s evolving market. Almassy will expand on these themes as a panelist on the opening morning keynote, CEA Alliance Insights on the State of the Industry, and in the breakout session Lettuce Without Limits: Scaling Responsibly in a Saturated Market at Indoor Ag-Con this February.

**Local Bounti’s Stack & Flow® growing environment, designed to scale production in direct response to customer demand.**

You joined Local Bounti at a pivotal moment for the company and the industry. What attracted you to this role, and what about Local Bounti’s approach made you feel this was the right time to step in?

I joined Local Bounti because I saw rare alignment between a bold mission—delivering the freshest, locally grown produce while drastically reducing food waste—and the proprietary technology to achieve our strategic vision of becoming the #1 player in CEA. Our Stack & Flow® technology is a true differentiator, allowing us to triple production in Georgia with higher yields, deliver superior quality, and extended shelf life that the market demands. What really excited me was the breadth of our portfolio—from Living Heads to Family Salad Kits—and our ability to pivot packaging to meet specific consumer needs. Backed by a strong investor base that understands responsible, sustainable scaling, the foundation is incredibly solid. But ultimately, the people sealed the deal. After meeting CEO Kathleen Valiasek and her team, I was blown away by the depth of talent and the ‘family’ culture they’ve built. What’s unique here at Local Bounti is the importance of our facility staff – we like to say we have an inverted organizational chart, where those folks on the front-lines are the most important employees of Local Bounti. It is this empowerment at the facility level that has allowed us to make such great strides in productivity improvement. That blend of intelligence and camaraderie fuels my passion every day and gives me confidence in our long-term success.

**Dane Almassy with his son, volunteering with Grassroots Grocery in their hometown—reflecting the personal connection to food, family, and community that shapes his work at Local Bounti.**

You’ve spent much of your career in consumer packaged goods and fresh food. Looking at indoor agriculture today, what feels familiar—and what feels fundamentally different—from the industries you’ve worked in before?

The fundamentals haven’t changed. Whether you’re selling a beverage or a salad kit, consumers still expect quality, consistency, and a brand they can trust. The same goes for our retail partners—on-time, in-full delivery with the highest quality remains the gold standard. We see a long-term opportunity to reshape consumers’ perception of value in the produce aisle – we think we are delivering exceptional value in terms of product quality and as consumers come to better appreciate how this exceeds the status quo within conventionally-grown greens, we can drive greater volumes at attractive prices that will make this new era of CEA accessible to everyone.

But the ‘how’ is fundamentally different. In traditional CPG, you’re managing stable, predictable inventory. With indoor ag, we’re dealing with a living product where yield and shelf life are the ultimate differentiators. That’s the daily challenge. For me, the real shift is the ‘why.’ I’m grateful for my foundational training in the soft drink industry, but my perspective changed after having children—you can’t feed a growing population with soda, but you can make a life-changing impact through sustainable agriculture.

There’s a tangible passion in this category that’s different. From our growers to the families picking our products up at the grocery store, there’s a deep, personal relationship with the food we put on the table. We aren’t just moving units—we’re nourishing people. That sense of purpose creates a culture of care and intensity you don’t find in traditional CPG.

**Local Bounti’s Stack & Flow® Technology integrates vertical and greenhouse growing to improve yields, flexibility, and unit economics.**

Local Bounti has taken a measured approach to scaling, even as demand for indoor-grown leafy greens continues to evolve. From your seat, what does “responsible growth” look like at Local Bounti, and how do you decide when—and where—to grow next?

Responsible growth means expansion should be demand-driven, not capacity-driven. In response to growing demand, we identified an opportunity to enhance our facility in Georgia to create additional capacity. We added our “Stack” phase to what was a traditional greenhouse facility, which resulted in a tripling of our run-rate production as compared to steady-state in the prior year period. This experience was a scaled case study in what’s possible with our Stack & Flow® Technology and put us in position to complete two fully integrated state-of-the-art facilities in Texas and Washington over the past 18 months. This is the power of the technology at Local Bounti – it provides us with the flexibility to scale in direct response to a retail environment that now views CEA as essential infrastructure. By aligning production ramps with long-term customer needs, we strive to ensure every square foot we add contributes to our path toward achieving positive adjusted EBITDA in 2026. It’s about being disciplined with our capital while being aggressive where the market wants us to be.

**One of Local Bounti’s advanced growing facilities (Pasco, Washington), supporting a reliable, regional supply of fresh greens for retail partners.**

Retailers today are looking for more than just supply—they want consistency, flexibility, and long-term partners. How has Local Bounti’s hybrid growing model and product mix shaped the kinds of retail conversations you’re having now compared to a few years ago?

A few years ago, retail conversations were about ‘if’ CEA could work. Today, the attitude has shifted to an absolute ‘need’ for what we provide – in fact, we are hearing directly from retailers that they have tripled their allocation to the category for this upcoming year. Our hybrid Stack & Flow® technology has fundamentally changed those discussions as it is designed to solve the three biggest pain points for retailers: supply reliability, consistency and shrink. By combining the best of vertical and greenhouse growing, we’re delivering significantly higher quality plants with shelf life often double or triple that of our field grown competition. Retailers realize they need a partner with a durable and stable platform who can offer the flexibility of a broad product mix—from living heads to salad kits—with a reliable, local supply chain. When we show them our technology translates directly into less waste on their shelves and a better experience for their customers at home, the partnership moves from trial to long-term strategic necessity.

**Local Bounti’s portfolio of fresh greens and salad products, grown locally and designed to meet evolving consumer and retail needs.**

As Local Bounti works toward sustainable profitability, what lessons from the company’s recent operational and commercial progress would you share with other CEA operators trying to build durable, resilient businesses?

The biggest lesson: you have to go slow to go fast. Building a durable business requires getting the foundation right before you try to scale. That starts with the right people in the right seats at the right time, ensuring your team’s expertise matches your current stage of growth. It’s also critical to build specifically for current and future customer needs without over-engineering your systems. I think this is something that our co-founders and CEO Kathleen Valiasek saw early and have instilled into our culture. We are constantly making trade-offs to maximize the opportunities in front of us while preparing for the future, and that means being thoughtful with how we are deploying resources. While this industry often feels like a ‘tech’ business in trade conversations, we have to remember that at our core, we’re still farmers. Success comes when you treat technology as a tool to support the biology, rather than letting tech dictate the farm. If we can keep that perspective intact and match it with prudent financial planning, the future will look extremely bright for Local Bounti.

Learn more about Local Bounti here and make plans now to join us at Indoor Ag-Con, February 11-12, 2026 at the Westgate Las Vegas!

Growing Careers At Indoor Ag-Con: Inside the GLASE | New Vivid Canopy Job Lounge

Written by GLASE Consortium on January 10, 2026. Posted in Blog.

The expo floor at Indoor Ag-Con 2026 will feature the GLASE | Vivid Canopy Job Lounge, a new hub for gathering attendees to accelerate careers. The Job Lounge will showcase opportunities across diverse roles in the indoor farming industry and serve as a meeting place for making new connections.

The Vivid Canopy initiative was launched by Cornell University Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium at Indoor Ag-Con 2024 with a panel of diverse industry professionals and a roundtable discussion. Vivid Canopy curates conversations about expanding the CEA workforce and enables candidates to grow careers in the CEA industry.

Are you growing your team or interested in accelerating your career in a new role?

In advance of the Expo, register as an Employer or a Candidate at RecruitCEA.com.
Hiring? Post open positions at your company. Reach out to potential candidates to hold interviews at the Job Lounge.
Looking for work? Reach out to potential employers to schedule meetings at the Job Lounge.
At the Expo, use the Indoor Ag-Con app to navigate to the Vivid Canopy Job Lounge at Booth #929 next to the Expo Theater.

If you are interested in sponsoring the Vivid Canopy Job Lounge, please contact suzanne@indoor.ag.

Area 2 Farms: Moving the Farm, Not the Food

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on October 14, 2025. Posted in Blog.

As cities look for creative ways to repurpose underused real estate, Area 2 Farms is growing a new kind of opportunity—literally. Based in Arlington, Virginia, the company combines automation, soil-based cultivation, and a hyperlocal CSA model to bring fresh produce closer to consumers. Backed by $9 million in new funding, Area 2 is preparing to expand its pilot success into cities nationwide. Indoor Ag-Content caught up with Tyler Baras, Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder, to learn more about their approach, technology, and what’s next.

Congratulations on becoming a dad! Between farming and fatherhood, what’s been the bigger learning curve so far?

Thank you! I’m a new dad, so I am sure there are all sorts of unexpected surprises in store. But my hope, if there is a parallel, is that nurturing a life leads it to flourish.

Your first farm in Arlington has shown how flexible your model can be. What lessons from that pilot are shaping how you’ll design and deploy future locations as you expand into new cities?

Our Arlington, VA location has been an incredible starting point. At every farm I’ve worked at some of the best moments were farm tours for visitors. I knew opening the farm to the public would spark excitement in visitors but seeing that translate into consistent sales has been amazing. Our motto is “move the farm, not the food” and we’ve seen this work to the benefit of not just the farmer, which gets better margins selling direct and eliminates the squeeze from selling to distributors, but for customers they’re getting the freshest product and we can offer crops they’ve probably never seen. Most crops are grown for their suitability to the supply chain, but we just select what tastes great!

One of the biggest lessons in the work we do is the importance of a repeatable design centered around the farmer. Farming is a continuous pursuit, and you have to ask everyday is this repeatable, is it good for farmers, is it good for the community, and does it make sense financially.

Unlike most vertical farms, Area 2 uses soil instead of hydroponics. Why take that approach, and what advantages have you seen in crop quality or variety?

Healthy soil is the foundation, and it’s a major differentiator in the crops we can grow, not just leafy greens. We’re very proud of our ability to grow a wide range of crops. Carrots were one of our first challenges and since we’ve continued to expand our list of non-traditional vertical farm crops with turnips, radishes, onions, leeks, potatoes, kohlrabi, and so much more. We want to be our community’s go-to farmer, not just their salad guy. Being able to grow a differentiated set of basket items has been essential from the beginning.

Your patented Silo system automates light cycles and crop movement. How does this setup boost productivity or efficiency compared to traditional vertical farms?

Over the past 15 plus years in the CEA space, I’d seen several persistent challenges in vertical farming. Profitability, labor, energy, and expense, which are all addressed by our system. We’ve removed the need for an expensive, energy intensive and complicated HVAC system, and removed the elaborate irrigation systems, all by pairing the most common climate problem in a vertical farm with a plant physiology solution. Heat rises. On average most vertical farms operating around 10’ to 20’ tall have about a 10 to 15 degree temperature difference from bottom to top. Plants want a 10 to 15 degree temperature difference between their day and night. We move plants through the naturally occurring stratified temperature zones in the vertical farm so plants experience their dark cooler night at the bottom of the room and their bright warmer day in the middle and top of the room. Instead of attempting to swing the climate of the full room from warmer to cooler everyday to create the ideal conditions for plants, we have a steady state climate in our room and move plants in these naturally occurring microclimates that meet their needs for each part of their day. This movement comes with a ton of extra benefits and cost savings, and farmers can easily access any plants in the system as they travel through the lower levels.

Plants move through the naturally occurring stratified temperature zones in a 24-hour period to experience a cool night at the bottom and a warm day at the top.

Your CSA-style model connects farmers directly with neighbors. As you expand, how do you keep that same local, community feel?

It starts with the farmers. They are the heart of our community connection. Our goal is to empower more farmers and to support them in being leaders in their communities. We open our farms up to the community, and through tours and events and delivering amazing produce, our farmers build a direct relationship between the community and the farm. Once people can see exactly where their food is coming from and how it’s grown, everything changes.

Do you see opportunities to collaborate with other CEA operators, researchers, or technology providers as you grow your network of farms?

Absolutely. Behind every farmer is a farmer, and we’re collaborating all of the time.

Learn more about Area 2 Farms by visiting the website here.

Nature Fresh Farms Partners With Revol Greens To Enter Greenhouse-Grown Leafy Greens Market

Written by Industry News Release on August 21, 2025. Posted in Blog.

Nature Fresh Farms® announces an exclusive partnership with Revol Greens that will enable entry into the rapidly growing greenhouse-grown leafy greens market. The strategic alliance positions Nature Fresh Farms to offer both organic and conventional packaged salads, leveraging Revol Greens’ specialized growing expertise and state-of-the-art facilities.

The partnership represents a natural extension of Nature Fresh Farms’ vision to lead the advancement of controlled environment agriculture as a solution to the increasing challenges of feeding North America’s growing population. Leafy greens, particularly packaged salads, represent a large and strategically important consumer segment with significant opportunities for CEA-based differentiation.

“This partnership with Revol Greens aligns perfectly with our strategic growth plans and reinforces our commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture solutions,” said Patrick Criteser, CEO at Nature Fresh Farms. “The leafy greens segment offers tremendous potential for innovation and consumer value creation through controlled environment agriculture, and we’re excited to bring our proven approach to this important market category.”

“Nature Fresh Farms brings exceptional brand recognition and market reach that perfectly complements Revol Greens’ growing capabilities,” said Dirk Aleven, president for Revol Greens. “This exclusive partnership creates a compelling value proposition for consumers seeking premium, sustainably grown leafy greens while positioning both companies for accelerated growth in the expanding CEA market.”

Based in Leamington, Ontario, with facilities across North America, family-owned Nature Fresh Farms has grown from a single, 18-acre greenhouse into an international produce leader over the last 25 years. The company operates 2,500 acres of sustainable greenhouses across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, delivering flavorful tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and berries year-round using advanced, vertically integrated greenhouse technology.

CEA Alliance Expresses Disappointment in Termination of Tomato Suspension Agreement

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on July 16, 2025. Posted in Blog.

Washington, D.C. – The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance (CEA Alliance) is deeply disappointed that the U.S. Department of Commerce chose yesterday to proceed with the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement with Mexico, despite multiple U.S. agriculture and business stakeholders urging renegotiation of the agreement.

“Unfortunately, the Department failed to take into account the voice of our members in the U.S. greenhouse tomato industry, which now grows more than one-third of all U.S. fresh tomatoes,” said CEA Alliance Executive Director Tom Stenzel. “When the original dumping order was issued in 1996, the greenhouse sector was just beginning to grow, offering consumers better-tasting vine-ripe tomatoes compared with field tomatoes that are picked green.”

Today, greenhouse tomatoes dominate the retail supermarket sector, offering tomatoes still on the vine and a wide range of specialty tomatoes with great flavors and multiple colors. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that production of U.S.-grown greenhouse tomatoes increased 69% from 2010 to 2023, compared with a 49% decline in field-grown tomatoes. “U.S. consumers have voted with their dollars,” Stenzel said.

“Because most high-value greenhouse growers farm in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, the termination of this agreement will cause significant damage to these growers, serving as a financial barrier to new investment in U.S. greenhouses,” he said. Unfortunately, this became a political issue that was not resolved on the facts of what would be best for American businesses and consumers.”

The CEA Alliance will continue to stress the critical importance of the U.S. greenhouse tomato industry. “We remain hopeful that open-field growers will reengage in discussions that could serve all parties much more effectively than this order,” he said.

# # #

The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance (CEA Alliance) is a membership trade association representing and serving vertical farms and greenhouse producers growing fruits and vegetables in a highly controlled indoor production environment. Controlled environment growers employ a variety of agricultural production methods and technology to create optimal growing conditions with rigorous environmental controls. Growers utilize innovative technologies such as hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, and soil-based systems to grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. For more information, please contact Tom Stenzel, Executive Director, at Tom@CEAAlliance.com.

CEA Alliance Continues to Grow in Membership, Impact

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on June 6, 2025. Posted in Blog.

Enhancing Leadership to Support Continued Growth for Indoor-Grown Produce

Washington, D.C. – Membership in the CEA Alliance continues to grow, allowing the association to increase its value and services to members and the broader controlled environment agriculture sector. The Alliance welcomes 11 new member companies during the first half of 2025:

bio365
bio365 produces a new type of growing media, designed to lower the total cost of growing while maximizing performance in CEA.

De Ruiter Seeds
De Ruiter Seed is dedicated to empowering controlled environment growers with innovative, high-quality vegetable seed solutions.

GreenFlow Solutions
GreenFlow Solutions develops innovative PVC gutter systems tailored for modern farm operations.

Grow-tec
Grow-tec is revolutionizing vertical farming with fully controlled CEA technology purpose-built for the high-yield production of fruiting vegetables—specifically tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.

Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS)
IGS partners with growers to address and overcome real-world challenges with science-backed, proven technology, enabling them to produce consistent, high-quality plants.

OnePointOne
OnePointOne has developed a turn-key automated vertical farming solution for farmers, distributors and retailers.

Premier Tech
Premier Tech has a wide range of products, services, brands, and technologies allowing growers to increase crop yields, automate the handling and packaging operations of many facilities, treat and recycle water, and support companies in their digital transformation.

SEEDWAY
SEEDWAY CEA drives success for controlled environment agriculture growers by supplying a full spectrum of seed varieties, including established favorites and pioneering new cultivars.

SGS
SGS leads the way in food safety, successfully delivering innovative, tailored solutions including product testing, research & development, auditing & certification and training.

Sollum Technologies
Sollum offers a 100% dynamic LED lighting solution that modulates the full spectrum of the Sun’s natural light.

Synexis®
Synexis provides pioneering biosecurity solutions for Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) by leveraging patented Dry Hydrogen Peroxide (DHP®) technology.

“We’re pleased to welcome these new members to the CEA Alliance,” said Alliance Chairman Steve Campione, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President-Strategy for BrightFarms. “Their expertise and resources will continue to help us increase our impact in growing the CEA sector to serve our retailers and foodservice customers, delivering the freshest, highest-quality produce to consumers.”

# # #

The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance (CEA Alliance) is a membership trade association representing and serving vertical farms and greenhouse producers growing fruits and vegetables in a highly controlled indoor production environment. Controlled environment growers employ a variety of agricultural production methods and technology to create optimal growing conditions with rigorous environmental controls. Growers utilize innovative technologies such as hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, and soil-based systems to grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. For more information, please contact Tom Stenzel, Executive Director, at Tom@CEAAlliance.com.

Dr. Greenhouse On CEA’s Evolution and What Comes Next

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on April 20, 2025. Posted in Blog.

From Hortidaily —

At the recent Indoor Ag-Con in Las Vegas, where Dr. Greenhouse recorded its 100th podcast episode, Dr. Nadia Sabeh noticed an important trend among growers and technology providers.

“The big takeaways I heard again and again were that people are optimistic about the future of CEA, and they’re realizing that CEA is farming, not just tech,” she says. “We’re getting back to the basics of how to grow crops with the tools we have.”

For Dr. Sabeh, this shift is personal as well as professional. “Just three years ago, 90% of our work was focused on indoor farms. Last year, 70% of our projects were greenhouses,” she says. “I am so glad that the ‘greenhouse’ in Dr. Greenhouse is alive again!”

The earlier excitement around vertical farms was driven by very specific needs. “For cannabis, vertical made sense for security. For leafy greens, it was about maximizing control,” she explains.

“But now, we’re seeing a return to general-purpose greenhouses, which is great.”

Read the full article from Hortidaily…

Harvest to Hospitality: Bridging CEA with the Service Industry

Written by Henry Gordon Smith on February 2, 2025. Posted in Blog.

The hospitality industry is a growing sector that continues to expand, with emerging trends such as Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Practices, a focus on Health and Wellness, Unique Experiences and Local and Authentic Cuisine. These trends can be combined with local food production in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), which can offer educational tours, workshops, and generally more nutritious food produced locally. Also, CEA offers many advantages, such as providing fresh produce regardless of external conditions, reducing water consumption, and eliminating the use of pesticides and insecticides.

We will discuss the topic “Harvest to Hospitality: Bridging CEA with the Service Industry” on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Indoor AgCon, at 9 AM PST. The panel will feature Marc Oosterhuis, CEO of Babylon MicroFarms; David Flynn, CEO of AmplifiedAg Inc; and Jack Murana, Program Coordinator for FoodU at Auburn University.

Image source: https://traveladdicts.net/fridheimar-tomato-restaurant-iceland/

Types of CEA Systems

CEA includes various methods of controlled food production, such as:
🌱 Greenhouses – High-tech facilities optimizing sunlight and climate control
🏢 Vertical farms – Multi-layered indoor farms using hydroponics and artificial lightning
🚛 Container farms – Self-contained units that allow food production anywhere
🛒 In-store units – Small-scale farming solutions inside supermarkets, rooms and restaurants

All of the above can also be integrated into the growing trend of Agritourism, which is gaining traction worldwide and something that Agritecture Consulting has been heavily involved in designing for projects around the globe in recent years.

What is Agritourism?

Agritourism is a tourism sector that combines agriculture with travel experiences, allowing visitors to engage directly with food production, farming activities, and rural culture. It offers unique and immersive experiences, such as farm stays, agricultural workshops, hands-on harvesting, and tasting local, farm-fresh products.

Who Is Developing the Hospitality Project?

A key consideration when integrating Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) into the hospitality industry is understanding the diverse range of stakeholders involved. These can vary widely—from small-scale farmers looking to enhance their farm-to-table offerings, to real estate developers seeking to incorporate sustainable food production into their properties, and even to some of the world’s most luxurious architects designing high-end resorts with on-site vertical farms or greenhouse dining experiences.

Farmers – Growers

Farmers and growers can successfully integrate Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) with hospitality by supplying locally grown, fresh produce directly to restaurants, hotels, and other culinary businesses. Ensuring consistent quality, freshness, and aroma is crucial—an advantage that CEA can provide. By focusing on specialty crops such as edible flowers, microgreens, saffron, and mushrooms, growers can offer unique ingredients that elevate the dining experience and distinguish their produce in the hospitality market.

A great example is Farm One, a former Agritecture client based in Brooklyn, New York. Initially specializing in fresh specialty crops for local chefs, Farm One has since expanded its business model to include a brewery and coworking space. They also offer farm tours, creating a dynamic blend of networking, hospitality, and urban farming. This evolution demonstrates how CEA operations can successfully diversify and integrate into the broader food and hospitality ecosystem.

Image source: https://www.untappedcities.com/tour-brooklyn-hydroponic-farm-one/

Real Estate Developers

Real estate developers are increasingly incorporating sustainable food production into their projects, not only to enhance their environmental credentials but also to gain recognition and awards for innovative sustainable developments and smart cities. Beyond sustainability, they must consider how CEA projects engage the community and visually integrate with the overall development. A well-designed CEA space should be both functional and aesthetically appealing, seamlessly blending with the surrounding environment while serving as a focal point for sustainability initiatives.

The priorities for these projects extend beyond production—they must also deliver experiential and educational value. Successful integration excites visitors, offering immersive experiences that showcase the benefits of supporting local farms. Whether through interactive farm tours, on-site restaurants featuring hyper-local ingredients, or educational workshops, these elements help create a deeper connection between urban developments and sustainable agriculture.

Agritecture has assisted multiple real estate developers in integrating Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) into their projects, tailoring solutions to fit each market and concept uniquely. By understanding the specific needs of different developments, Agritecture proposes practical and scalable strategies that enhance sustainability, community engagement, and overall project value.

Image source: https://www.agritecture.com/smart-city

Architects

Architects specializing in hospitality design are increasingly focusing on incorporating Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) into their projects, aiming to create spaces that blend sustainability with a unique guest experience. Their vision centers around making the farming process a visual and interactive element within the space, ensuring that CEA features such as vertical farms or hydroponic systems not only contribute to sustainability but also enhance the overall aesthetic. Through these elements, architects create a holistic, immersive environment that attracts guests seeking both luxury and authenticity.

Architects have concerns regarding the integration of CEA facilities and the structural challenges, such as the weight of racking systems, and how to incorporate these systems into the layouts without compromising the overall design and functionality of the space.

Agritecture has collaborated with numerous architects, especially on high-end luxury concepts, offering everything from conceptual proposals to detailed layout designs for vertical farms inside massive developments like towering skyscrapers.

For example, one of our projects involved a luxury agri-themed hotel in the Middle East, where we proposed a variety of experiences for the guests, ranging from low-tech greenhouses to high-tech strawberry cultivation setups, a seed coffee library, and aquaponic farms. Agritecture’s expertise in both agriculture and architectural design enables us to help architects transform their visions into reality, creating exceptional, sustainable, and immersive experiences for their clients.

Key Elements of a Successful Hospitality, CEA and Agritourism Mix

At Agritecture Consulting, we have successfully implemented these strategies in past projects and can provide expert guidance on designing, developing, and optimizing agritourism ventures that seamlessly integrate Controlled Environment Agriculture into the hospitality industry. After working on compelling agritourism and hospitality projects, we have identified key factors that drive their success:

1️⃣ Local Cultivation – Make sure that the food which is produced on-site or sourced from nearby farms, reinforces authenticity and sustainability.
2️⃣ Educational Workshops & Activities – Offering sessions on sustainable farming, cooking classes, and interactive learning about Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) can bring the feeling of community and education into the project.
3️⃣ Impactful Farm Tours – Providing engaging, behind-the-scenes experiences at production sites, allowing guests to see how food is grown in innovative CEA systems.
4️⃣ Destination Design & Local Identity – Create an aesthetically appealing space that enhances the visitor experience while preserving and showcasing the local culture.
5️⃣ Sustainable Business Model – Implementing an economic framework that benefits both producers and consumers, such as Community Smart Agriculture, which fosters direct relationships between farms and customers.

Image source: https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/lancasterfarming.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/c7/6c783f4f-cf55-5e5f-9951-8b343bc00f5b/5968cbf1b6e9e.image.jpg

See you at Indoor Ag-Con!

CEA offers a unique approach to local food production by enabling the cultivation of fresh, high-quality produce in urban environments, regardless of seasonal changes or geographical limitations. CEA not only promotes sustainability but also ensures a consistent supply of ingredients for the hospitality industry, enhancing the farm-to-table experience and providing chefs with direct access to locally grown, flavorful produce year-round.

We will be discussing these topics in our exciting panel at Indoor Ag-Con! If you’re involved in hospitality and want to learn more about how CEA can transform your projects, this panel is for you! Whether you’re a technology enthusiast or curious about the future of CEA, join us to dive deeper into innovative solutions and trends shaping the industry. Don’t miss out!

Vertical Harvest Farms Secures USDA Loan Guarantee & Maine’s First C-PACE Funding for Industry-leading Project Financing

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on April 23, 2024. Posted in Blog.

Deal Recognizes Power of Public-Private Partnerships to Bolster State’s Food System

Vertical Harvest Farms, an indoor farming company focused on customized employment for people with disabilities, is proud to announce the closing of $59.5 million in project financing to develop and operate a 51,000 square-foot hydroponic vertical farm in downtown Westbrook, Maine.

The project is a critical piece of the state’s food system infrastructure and will significantly contribute to the New England Food Vision, where the region’s six states committed to a goal of locally producing 30 percent of the food consumed in the region by 2030 (and 50 percent of the region’s food by 2060), by producing approximately 2.5 million pounds of fresh, leafy greens every year – ranging from mature lettuce, petite greens, microgreens and herbs.

This project also aligns with Vertical Harvest’s “feed locals first” philosophy and goal of providing greens from farm-to-fridge within 24 hours. In this way, the company helps New Englanders avoid the 30 percent loss of nutritional value that occurs within three days of harvest, which widely affects the produce shipped into the region from California, Arizona and abroad. It also significantly helps mitigate food waste by providing longer shelf life and less shrinkage at the retail and institutional level. The company offers these benefits while fulfilling its dual mission to grow food and futures by offering meaningful employment for people with disabilities in this emerging, tech-forward sector.

Vertical Harvest CEO Nona Yehia said, “We’re on a mission to grow food as local, fresh and fair as possible, and ensure there’s a place at the table for everyone in the future of food.”

As the US became a net food importer for the first time ever in 2023, stakeholders are realizing that traditional agriculture is under greater stress from extreme weather, water scarcity and climate change. This has made diversifying food production, leveraging technologic innovations, shortening supply chains, and ensuring access to fresh local food for years to come, imperative. USDA Rural Development recognizes this as well and is incentivizing efforts to future proof the food system.

“As ‘The People’s Department’ we are happy to support fresh food, and good jobs here in Maine, as well as the equity of access to both. USDA Rural Development is committed to building communities and feeding Mainers, and we look forward to Vertical Harvest being a part of the team fulfilling those shared goals,” said USDA Rural Development Maine State Director, Rhiannon Hampson.

This funding also aligns with the CEA Industry’s shift to project-level financing. Vertical Harvest is excited by the public and private partners that made this deal possible.

“We are thrilled to provide financing and partner with Vertical Harvest. Through two pioneer programs from the USDA and other community facilities, we were able to creatively structure this challenging project. We believe this will have a tremendous impact on the local community and the future of food production,” said Alexios Georgousis, Madison One CUSO.

The funding was led by Madison One and supported by Waterside Commercial Finance. The financing includes $25 million and $23,795,000 loans that utilize USDA Rural Development Business & Industry Loan Guarantees and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Loans, respectively.

This financing is supplemented by a $8,655,189 Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) loan – the first in Maine administered by the Efficiency Maine Green

Bank and issued through Nuveen Green Capital – and $2,000,000 of American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding through the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME).

“We are pleased to have approved Vertical Harvest for this funding through the Efficiency Maine Green Bank in partnership with one of our capital providers, Nuveen Green Capital,” said James Neal, senior manager for finance initiatives at Efficiency Maine. “We strongly encourage more of Maine’s municipalities to follow Westbrook’s example and adopt this ordinance so their local businesses can take advantage of this unique pathway to finance energy improvements, such as upgrading lighting or installing heat pump systems for heating and cooling in their buildings.”

In addition, borrower and partner contributions of $19,189,210 are possible thanks to partners such as Crossroads Impact Corp, Enhanced Capital, Foundation Credit, Waterside Commercial Finance, Maine Technology Institute, and others.

“Public-private partnerships benefit a wider group of stakeholders than private capital can alone,” said Enhanced Capital’s Chief Impact Officer and Managing Director Gingee Prince. “In 2017, we partnered with Vertical Harvest to pioneer this space and are excited to see them building even more ambitious capital coalitions today.”

This array of funding follows Vertical Harvest’s model of using public-private partnerships to catalyze resilience within a state’s food system. The company believes this financing model, piloted in Wyoming and now proven in Maine, will pave the way for financing future farms such as the company’s next facility in Detroit, Michigan to be developed in partnership with Bedrock. By bringing together municipal, state and federal funding alongside private capital, not only is the company relocalizing production of perishable produce closer to consumers, but because of Vertical Harvest’s social mission, delivering outsized impact, inclusively.

About Vertical Harvest
Vertical Harvest is a hydroponic, vertical farming company dedicated to community-oriented farms, food and futures. In addition to their passion for local, healthy food grown sustainably, Vertical Harvest also operates on an inclusive, customized employment model with farms designed for accessibility and staffed via hiring practices developed to support meaningful employment for people with disabilities. For more information visit www.verticalharvestfarms.com and sign up for the newsletter, or https://verticalharvestfarms.com/invest-in-vertical-harvest/ to learn about a community raise or follow on socials at @verticalharvestfarms.

Gotham Greens CEO Talks Sustainable Growth, Innovative Technologies and Exciting Milestones

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on January 16, 2024. Posted in Blog.

In this month’s CEA Q&A, we speak with Gotham Greens‘ CEO Viraj Puri, who is joining our Indoor Ag-Con 2024 “Leader Insights” keynote panel in March! A true CEA leader, Gotham Greens has made a remarkable journey from a single rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn to becoming one of the largest hydroponic leafy green producers in North America. From tackling the challenges of the South’s hot and humid climate with cutting-edge greenhouse technologies to introducing fresh salad kits and championing sustainability, Puri shares valuable insights into the company’s growth, initiatives, milestones and commitment to reshaping the future of agriculture.

Gotham Greens has rapidly expanded across the U.S since its launch in 2011 – now operating in various states and climates. Can you share some insights into the innovative technologies and strategies employed by your latest greenhouse in the southeast, particularly addressing the challenges posed by the region’s hot and humid climate?

As we continue to grow our brand, we’re excited to expand in the South and Southeast with new greenhouses in Texas and Georgia. At Gotham Greens, we’re committed to growing more with less, especially as changing climates are creating less favorable growing conditions in these states and across the country. These new greenhouses use our most advanced technology to date, including enhanced automation, cooling and dehumidification systems specifically tailored to the regions, and data science capabilities in a fully closed system to help consistently and reliably grow food closer to where people live no matter the weather outside. We’re proud to bring fresh, sustainably grown leafy greens and herbs that meet the high-quality standard consumers everywhere have come to associate with and expect from the Gotham Greens brand.

The new, state-of-the-art greenhouse facilities in the Dallas Metro area (Seagoville, Texas) and in Monroe, Ga., located between Atlanta and Athens, are examples of what comes next as we face ongoing extreme weather events and increased risk of drought in the U.S. Gotham Greens’ indoor farms create the ideal conditions for plants to thrive and provide consumers throughout the southern U.S. with sustainable fresh produce all year-round.

Gotham Greens recently introduced a new line of salad kits, combining your high-quality greens and dressings. Can you speak to the inspiration behind these salad kits and the response from consumers?

Gotham Greens is well known for our high quality, longer lasting, pesticide-free salad greens and our line of fresh, flavorful salad dressings, and this portfolio addition combines these ingredients for a quick and easy meal solution made with premium-quality salad greens and delicious flavors that consumers crave. The new salad kits are available in three popular flavor varieties (Green Goddess, Southwest Ranch and Caesar) and are packed with fresh ingredients, including Gotham Greens greenhouse-grown lettuce and fresh flavor-filled toppings and dressings, for convenient home-cooked meals or lunches on the go.

We want people to enjoy fresh greens throughout the day, and we remain committed to bringing consumers the best-tasting, most flavorful fresh foods in the category. What sets us apart from the competition is quality and flavor, from the greens that we grow to the ingredients that we use in all our products, and we hope that consumers can sense that commitment to taste, quality and sustainability in every bite. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback about the kits so far and are excited to bring them to more markets this winter.

Gotham Greens has championed sustainability, using significantly less water and land compared to traditional farming methods. How do you envision the future of sustainable agriculture, especially within the CEA industry? Are there upcoming initiatives or partnerships that will further strengthen Gotham Greens’ commitment to sustainability?

As a Certified B Corporation™, Gotham Greens champions quality, efficiency, dedication and freshness in all forms, both inside its greenhouses and throughout the communities where it operates. In addition to creating year-round, full-time jobs with competitive wages and benefits, we are driving the industry toward a more sustainable food system through industry-leading social and environmental practices. Our hydroponic growing methods help us use up to 90% less water than conventional growing methods, which means that at our current footprint, Gotham Greens saves 300 million gallons of water every year compared to field-grown farming, or the equivalent to around 450 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Whole Foods Market’s ninth annual trend report recently recognized our greens for promoting water conservation, a growing interest point for consumers. Gotham Greens’ national network of greenhouses provides a consistent and reliable supply of fresh greens for customers while eliminating the need for long-distance transportation, allowing its produce to stay fresher longer, thus increasing shelf life and decreasing food waste. As we continue to expand across the country, we look forward to deepening our relationships with key educational partners, such as University of California-Davis, as we help shape the agricultural climate of the future.

From a single rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn to one of the largest hydroponic leafy green producers in North America, Gotham Greens has undergone remarkable growth. Are there specific milestones or initiatives you’re particularly excited about in the next phase of Gotham Greens development?

We recently celebrated our twelfth birthday in addition to the tenth anniversary of our second greenhouse located in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood on the roof of Whole Foods Market. The country’s first rooftop commercial-scale greenhouse integrated into a supermarket has now blossomed into a global movement of urban and innovative farming projects. This anniversary feels extra special, as this pioneering project has served as an inspiration to urban farming projects around the world. We’re especially grateful to Whole Foods Market for over a decade of supporting our mission to bring fresh, local and sustainably grown produce to its stores. We have additional plans for expansion and look forward to sharing more about that later this year!

Learn more about Gotham Greens by visiting their website.

And, make plans now to attend the March 11-12, 2024 edition of Indoor Ag-Con as Viraj joins other CEA executives on our keynote stage for our midday keynote session on day one: “Leader Insights: Charting the Future Landscape of Controlled Environment Agriculture”. Learn more about our full conference schedule and join us!

All photos courtesy of Gotham Greens.