Virginia October 1-2, 2024 Edition Brings Academia and Industry Together For Collaboration, Innovation
The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East is excited to announce that the keynote address, “Leadership Insights: Charting the Future Landscape of Controlled Environment Agriculture,” will take place on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 9 AM at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Conference Center in Danville, Virginia.
This session is one of two featured keynote addresses joining the full conference line-up for the October 1-2, 2024 edition, providing attendees with a double dose of expert insights and forward-thinking discussions. This keynote will bring together leading executives in the CEA industry to explore predictions, strategies, and perspectives on the emerging trends that will shape the future of controlled environment agriculture.
The panel will feature Carl Gupton, CEO, Greenswell Growers; John McMahon, Co-Founder & COO, Better Future Farms; and Molly Montgomery, Acting CEO & Executive Chair, AeroFarms. The keynote will be moderated by Emily Gee, a member of the Board of Directors for the CEA Alliance and Director of Marketing, AeroFarms.
This engaging session will give attendees the chance to participate in the ongoing conversation shaping the course of sustainable and innovative food production. Whether you are a greenhouse grower, urban agriculture operator, vertical farmer, supplier in the CEA sector, this keynote promises critical takeaways that can help you navigate the evolving landscape of controlled environment agriculture. Look for more information coming soon on another keynote session.
ABOUT CEA SUMMIT EAST
Returning for its third year, the CEA Summit East will be held from October 1-2, 2024, at the IALR Conference Center in Danville, Virginia. Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con, the premier trade show and conference for the vertical farming, greenhouse, and CEA sector, and the Virginia Tech (VT)- IALR CEA Innovation Center, this summit continues to be a key event for industry collaboration and innovation, featuring two days of tabletop exhibits, networking and conference programming.
Building on the success of its 2023 edition, which drew participants from 33 U.S. states, Canada, the Netherlands, and Sweden, the CEA Summit East 2024 is expected to once again unite professionals from academia, business, and technology within the CEA industry. Attendees will include greenhouse growers, urban agriculture operations, vertical farms, outdoor growers exploring hybrid opportunities, educators, scientists, extension personnel and agents, suppliers, engineers, tech specialists, architects/developers, government officials, and other industry members.
For more information on the CEA Summit East and to register for the event, please visit www.ceasummit.east.
ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the largest trade show and conference for vertical farming | greenhouse | controlled environment agriculture. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis | hemp, alternate protein and non-food crops. For more information, visit www.indoor.ag.
ABOUT THE VIRGINIA TECH – IALR CEA INNOVATION CENTER
The Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center is a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center. By developing strategic partnerships with both industry and academia, the goal of the Innovation Center is to conduct research and educational programming to develop, promote and advance the CEA sector in the U.S. and internationally. For more information, visit www.ialr.org/cea
The Packer reports that Indoor agriculture company Local Bounti said it will supply Brookshire Grocery Co. with its grab-and-go salad kits, living lettuce and baby leaf varieties.
Local Bounti said it is now shipping to Brookshire Grocery Co. from its new Mount Pleasant, Texas, facility. The company’s full line of products, including its grab-and-go salad kits, living lettuce and baby leaf varieties will be stocked in more than 180 Brookshire store locations across three states in the Southeast and Southwest.
“We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Brookshire’s, as it marks another significant distribution win for Local Bounti, bringing us closer to our mission of delivering fresh, locally grown produce to more communities across the country,” Kathleen Valiasek, president and chief financial officer of Local Bounti, said in the release.
LAS VEGAS (August 13, 2024) — The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance (CEA Alliance) and the Indoor Ag-Con LLC management group announced today that the Alliance will hold its 2025 annual meeting in conjunction with Indoor Ag-Con and contribute to the educational program at the event in Las Vegas, March 11-12, 2025.
“Indoor Ag-Con has become one of the most important events of the year for CEA growers,” said CEA Alliance Executive Director Tom Stenzel. “We’re excited to hold our annual business meeting at the show, facilitating the participation of our member growers and their business partners in this event.”
The partnership underscores the commitment of both organizations to advancing the field of controlled environment agriculture.
“We are honored to partner with the CEA Alliance,” said Brian Sullivan, CEO of Indoor Ag-Con. “The Alliance’s grower and business service members represent leading innovators and voices in the CEA industry, amplifying the value and impact of our audience. Hosting their annual meeting in conjunction with our event creates a unique opportunity for our exhibitors and attendees to engage directly with even more top-tier growers and industry leaders. The Alliance’s contributions to our educational lineup will be invaluable, bringing critical insights and expertise on the key issues and trends shaping the future of controlled environment agriculture.”
As part of the 2025 Indoor Ag-Con conference program, the CEA Alliance will present a “State of the Industry” report, outlining the growth, challenges, and opportunities for the CEA sector.
“We’re excited to bring our members’ experience and expertise to this presentation at the 2025 conference,” said Alliance Chairman Dan Malech, Senior Vice President, Strategy and General Counsel, Plenty. “Our friends at Indoor Ag-Con have created an essential educational and business destination for our members, and we look forward to continuing to build momentum for the growth of the indoor produce sector.”
Entering its 12th year, Indoor Ag-Con has consistently been a pivotal event for professionals in the CEA sector, experiencing year-on-year growth and providing a comprehensive platform for networking, business development, and education. For the March 11-12, 2025 edition, Indoor Ag-Con moves to its new venue, Westgate Las Vegas, providing space for the event’s expanding exhibit hall, educational offerings, and networking events.
ABOUT THE CEA ALLIANCE The Controlled Environment Agriculture 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. More information is available at www.ceaalliance.com
ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON Indoor Ag-Con is the premier trade show and conference for the indoor and vertical farming industry, bringing together growers, suppliers, and industry leaders to share knowledge, network, and explore the latest innovations in controlled environment agriculture. More information is available at www.indoor.ag
The site that is now Lynchburg Grows has quite a storied past. The property was originally owned by the Doyle family, who operated a nursery growing all types of flowers from 1920 until the 1950s, when they transitioned the business into an East Coast distribution network that would become Wholesale Florist. The Schenkel family purchased the property in the early 1950s to grow long-stem roses exclusively until closing in the 1990s. During this time, the farm became one of the largest rose producers in Virginia – representing 23% of the state’s flower industry and harvesting up to 10,000 long stem roses a day in 70,000 square feet of greenhouses. Roses from the Schenkel Farm crowned Kentucky Derby winners and even decorated the White House. There is an endowment at Cornell named for the Schenkel family.
The Doyle family owned the property from 1920 until 1950 when they sold it to the Schenkels. Growing only long-stem roses, the Schenkel Farm would become of the largest rose producers in Virginia. Roses from the Schenkel Farm decorated the White House and crowned Kentucky Derby winners.
In 2003, a man named Paul Lam, himself disabled, witnessed the destruction of a garden he had lovingly cared for, all due to a communication error. Volunteers rallied to his aid when his story was published in the newspaper. Inspired by the experience, some of the people who helped Paul decided to form an organization to help more people with disabilities to grow food. They purchased the old Schenkel Farm, with its nine abandoned greenhouses, and begin work on what would become Lynchburg Grows.
In addition to providing meaningful employment to individuals with disabilities, key aspects of the work Lynchburg Grows does today includes operation of the Veggie Box Community Service Agriculture (CSA); the Fresh Rx Program that allows doctors to prescribe fresh produce to patients with diet-related illnesses; countless food donations; a host of educational programs and much more.
Can you share the journey that led to the founding of Lynchburg Grows and how your personal experiences influenced its mission?
Growing up with a cousin who was my age but was born with cerebral palsy, it was hard for me to understand why he couldn’t do the same things I was doing as a kid. When the opportunity arose to help create a program focused on providing people with disabilities the chance to share their talents and skills through agriculture, I jumped in with both feet.
(L-R): Surviving roses from the original farm that were replanted in greenhouse 3; Lynchburg Grows co-founders Michael Van Ness (far left) and Scott Lowman (far right) with their first group of employees; Lynchburg Grows first planting in greenhouse 1.
What challenges did you face when transforming the old Schenkel Farm into the thriving urban farm it is today, and how did the community contribute to overcoming these challenges?
The Schenkel Greenhouse Complex had been producing long-stem roses for nearly 50 years but closed in the mid-1990s due to the collapse of the rose industry in the U.S. Our team faced a couple of major challenges.
First, when the greenhouse closed, all the roses were allowed to die in place. Starting with nearly two acres of dead rose bushes was a significant challenge. The community came to the rescue and helped clear practically all the roses with thousands of volunteer labor hours. Groups of college students came by the hundreds from Lynchburg College and Randolph-Macon College, and the roses were cleared within a month or two.
(L-R): Lynchburg College freshman who cleared the first greenhouse of dead roses in one morning; more Lynchburg College students clearing trellising and irrigation; the restored packing shed where CSAs are processed and stored.
The second challenge was addressing the environmental impacts of a nearly 100-year-old horticultural brownfield site. The city of Lynchburg came to the rescue, and we went through the proper site assessments from regulatory agencies. The clean-up took place over time, and the project itself became a model of how brownfields could be turned into greenspaces in the state of Virginia.
To transform the property into a functioning farm, the community came together to raise funds. Combined with a USDA grant, we were able to restore much of the packing shed, which became the community center and CSA pickup spot for members
Lynchburg Grows emphasizes providing purposeful jobs for individuals with disabilities. Can you talk about some of the initiatives or programs you have in place to support this mission and any success stories that stand out?
From the beginning, we had several people with special needs involved in the transformation of the project. Practically all of them are still there 20 years later, and they provide inspiration to everyone who comes through the farm.
To date, hundreds of people with special needs have participated in our programs. Together with staff, the farm feeds nearly 300 families per week through our community supported agriculture program.
(L-R) Summer camps with local school groups; high school special needs students visiting the farm; the learning classroom in greenhouse 7
As Co-Director of the CEA Innovation Center/Vice President of Applied Research at the IALR and co-founder of Lynchburg Grows, you have a unique perspective on both urban farming and advanced controlled environment agriculture. How do these experiences complement each other, and what synergies do you see between them?
What I learned quickly was that starting a non-profit urban farm is very similar to most farming operations: margins are slim, and developing a market is key to survival. We soon realized that you can only grow certain vegetables in 100-year-old greenhouses during the summer, so we turned to surrounding farmers to help fill our CSA needs. We put nearly $70,000 in farmers’ pockets in the first year.
I then learned that farmers will grow almost anything if there is a market for it. Through this, I developed an interest in food systems that I still work on today. In fact, IALR just launched a Value Chain Coordinator program to help create a market for vegetables in our region
View of 8 of the 9 greenhouses at Lynchburg Grows today. Other than the last 2 on the right, all are more than 100-year-old Cyprus wood and glass structures manufactured by Lord and Burnham of Ohio.
With the CEA Summit East approaching, what key insights or innovations are you most excited to share with attendees, especially those related to urban farming and community engagement?
During the CEA Summit, I’m looking forward to welcoming CEA members from throughout the region to join us for two days of education and networking. Working with our partners at Indoor Ag-Con, we’re featuring a versatile group of tabletop exhibitors to showcase the latest industry innovations. We’re also offering an incredible line-up of keynote sessions, panels, and research showcase sessions. This Summit does a tremendous job of bringing the CEA business and academic sectors together to explore collaborative business growth and innovation opportunities.
In addition to all the exciting research and company support happening at our CEA center, I’m super excited to share our plans for expansion aimed at facilitating the success of current and future CEA entities in Virginia. The plan includes expanded development of a workforce pipeline for CEA companies, encompassing K-12, high school, community college, and university-level students.
We will also be expanding entrepreneurship opportunities and company support through the expansion of our facilities.
Finally, I’m excited to continue working with Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Matthew Lohr to promote Virginia as the best state in the U.S. for CEA companies to locate.
Learn more about the upcoming CEA Summit East, including tabletop exhibitors, the full conference schedule, networking opportunities and more — www.ceasummit.com
Located in the mountains of Barranquitas, Campo Caribe is officially on its way to providing fresh produce to Puerto Rican families, creating new jobs and reducing the island’s dependence on imports. Following last week’s press conference where Puerto Rico’s Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi announced the expansion of the agricultural project’s state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse operation — the largest in the Caribbean – Indoor Ag-Con spoke with Campo Caribe’s Head Grower Jonah Helmer. Read on as he shares the cutting-edge technologies and innovative strategies the team is implementing to overcome tropical weather challenges, optimize growing conditions, and sustainably produce fresh, high-quality lettuce year-round.
Can you share how Campo Caribe will be leveraging its unique location in the central mountains of Puerto Rico to optimize growing conditions and mitigate the challenges posed by the tropical island environment, such as hurricanes and extreme weather fluctuations?
Campo Caribe commercial greenhouse in the mountains of Puerto Rico
With our location in the central mountains of Puerto Rico, Campo Caribe has climatic advantages, including high levels of sunlight and mostly moderate temperatures due to the higher elevation. However, there are some additional issues we face in our tropical island location, such as risk of hurricanes, periods of excessive sunlight, frequent rain events, periods of low humidity and of excessive humidity, and periods of extreme air and irrigation water temperatures.
To control these variables, Campo Caribe is building one of the most technologically advanced and sustainable lettuce greenhouses in the Caribbean. At 5.5 acres, this is the largest hydroponic greenhouse in the Caribbean and the largest of only 3 greenhouses in the world combining the Cravo retractable roof structure and Hydronov deep water culture growing system. The Cravo retractable roof and shading system allows us to passively cool our greenhouse throughout the day. We can open the roof to maximize our light levels during cloudy periods and close the roof and shade system to reduce peak light intensity. We grow our lettuce in deep water culture, which uses a greater water volume to buffer fluctuations in water and air temperature around the plant. We added a Vifra high pressure fogging system to maintain optimal humidity levels for our plants to help them transpire, photosynthesize, and maximize growth all day long without becoming water stressed under the strong tropical sun.
Prior to completion of its commercial greenhouse, Campo Caribe built research and development greenhouses.
Our unique combination of location, facility design, growing equipment, and controls systems allows us to overcome these issues and puts us on the cutting edge of the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry. This makes our facility more productive, energy efficient, and sustainable than those of our competitors, and makes our products tastier and healthier for our customers. Our greenhouse is built to withstand hurricane force winds up to 165 mph and will allow us to achieve a higher order fulfillment rate for Puerto Rican businesses.
The integration of the Cravo retractable roof structure and Hydronov deep water culture growing system are distinguishing features of Campo Caribe. Can you explain how this combination enhances plant growth and resource efficiency compared to traditional greenhouse setups?
Cravo retractable roof
Conventional glass and plastic greenhouses are not designed to operate in tropical climates with high temperatures and humidities all year round. The Cravo greenhouse allows us to optimize the aerial environment around the leaves of the plants in our hot climate while the Hydronov deep water culture system provides deep, cool, and oxygenated reservoirs of recirculating nutrient solution that will support plant growth even with severe fluctuations in temperatures and interruptions in power supply that can occur in Puerto Rico.
The roof and sides of the Cravo greenhouse fully retract allowing us to combine the benefits of outdoor and CEA production systems to enhance plant growth. By maximizing natural sunlight and controlling the environment, Campo Caribe is able to exceed the average yields of lettuce grown in deep water culture without the use of any artificial lighting and with lower chemical inputs.
The retractable roof prevents the excess heat buildup that occurs in conventional greenhouses and ensures that we have uniform growing conditions throughout the 5.5 acre structure. Retractable cooling curtains help regulate the sunlight and air temperatures, while our high-pressure fogging system and horizontal airflow fans optimize the humidity levels around the leaf surface.
Campo Caribe uses minimal electricity since the retractable roofs and cooling curtains consume only 2-3 kw hours of electricity per day per hectare compared to over 1000 kw hours for conventional greenhouses cooled with cooling pads and fans. We are not using any supplemental lighting to grow our lettuce, which saves a significant amount of energy and expense compared to greenhouses in higher latitudes.
Tropical climates provide favorable conditions for foliar and root diseases due to consistently warm temperatures and high humidity and precipitation levels. Hydronov designed our growing system to reduce risk of crop loss from disease and improve productivity. Our growing system features 16 independent production ponds, each fed with ozone sterilized source water to prevent the introduction of water-borne pests and diseases into the ponds. We have precise control systems for the water temperature and oxygen concentration of our growing solution to further reduce disease risk and improve plant health to make our product top in quality and in safety.
The use of rainwater collection and high-pressure fogging systems reflects a commitment to resource efficiency and environmental sustainability. Could you elaborate on how these systems contribute to Campo Caribe’s overall sustainability goals and operational efficiency?
Campo Caribe’s lettuce will come in butterhead, romaine and spring mix varieties, and will be available in supermarkets and restaurants around the island, as well as at a direct sales stand at the farm’s facilities in Barranquitas.
Campo Caribe designed our production systems to improve the sustainability and reliability of produce available in Puerto Rico. By replacing imports with locally grown produce, Campo Caribe will help decrease Puerto Rico’s dependency on imported food, which currently stands at approximately 85%. The majority of lettuce available in Puerto Rico is grown in California or Arizona and shipped by truck and by boat to the island. It is not uncommon for some of this produce to go bad during this long journey and be wasted before it gets to consumers, contributing to higher carbon emissions.
To conserve resources, Campo Caribe utilizes collected rainwater from the roof of the greenhouse as the primary water source for the facility and saves 90% more water than conventional outdoor lettuce farms. By collecting and using our rainwater, Campo Caribe can support its production with less reliance on municipal or well water. This helps us to produce a reliable supply of lettuce for our customers all year round.
Campo Caribe General Manager, Zuleyka Mendoza, and Farm Supervisor, Andrea Baez, in research greenhouse
The Cravo retractable roof structure significantly reduces the amount of energy used to vent and cool the greenhouse, but high solar radiation levels can cause severe spikes in air temperature and drops in humidity levels. To prevent our plants from getting water stressed, we have installed a Vifra high pressure fogging system to maintain optimal humidity levels and cool down peak air temperatures. Vifra’s high pressure fogging system produces water droplets 1 micron in size that evaporate immediately in the air, increasing humidity without wetting the leaf surface, which reduces risk of foliar disease.
The high pressure fogging system will work in combination with the retractable cooling curtains to reduce peak temperatures making our greenhouse more resistant to extreme temperatures caused by climate change. By maintaining optimal humidity levels during hot summer days, our crop will not become water stressed and instead can take full advantage of the sun’s energy to grow faster and yield more. The high pressure fogging system will only be required for several hours per day when the humidity levels drop below 60% which will reduce the amount of fresh water for cooling by over 95% compared to conventional pad and fan cooled greenhouses.
The Priva Control System will play a key role in maintaining optimal growing conditions. Can you discuss how this system improves operational efficiency and ensures consistent yields – particularly in a high-tech greenhouse environment like Campo Caribe?
Campo Caribe greenhouse pond recirculation corridor
Campo Caribe selected a Priva climate control system to monitor and control all climate variables and control the irrigation system in our greenhouse. Priva (based in De Lier, Holland) is a global leader in CEA control systems, developing software, hardware, and services for the horticulture industry worldwide. We collaborated with Priva partner, Borlaug, in designing, developing, manufacturing, shipping, installing, and commissioning our climate control system. Priva integrates with the Cravo greenhouse and production equipment so we can monitor and control the climate conditions in our greenhouse from anywhere with an internet connection via their online platform. We can monitor and control the air temperature, humidity level, light level, CO2 concentration, wind speed, and leaf temperature in the greenhouse. For each independent recirculating pond we can precisely add pH and nutrient adjusted solutions using a Priva Nutrifit system and monitor the pH, EC, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP) in real time.
The Priva system notifies growing staff if climate variables are out of range so actions can be taken to resolve problems quickly and to return to optimal conditions. This high level of control and monitoring allows Campo Caribe to optimize the growing conditions at all times to produce high quality lettuce all year round, empowering the farm to hit 95% fulfillment for our customers.
Energy efficiency is a significant focus for Campo Caribe, as demonstrated by your energy management system and facility design. How do these systems contribute to reducing overall energy consumption while still meeting the demands of a large-scale lettuce operation – and what are the expected benefits in terms of cost savings and environmental impact?
Campo Caribe Team with Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi at press conference
To reduce our daily electrical usage, Campo Caribe is utilizing a Deep Sea Electronics generator controller to perform advanced electrical dispatching and integrate with Priva and the major loads of the facility. An easily programable load shed system turns off major electrical loads in the facility to save energy and to prevent overloading our electrical service and back-up generator. We prioritize the dispatching of power to equipment needed to maintain an optimal production climate for our plants including operations of the greenhouse roof and shade curtains, fogging system, and water recirculation pumps. We will only run some equipment at night, such as the Priva Nutrifit, to fill up the production ponds in order to reduce power consumption during the day when we are harvesting and packaging.
Other parts of our operation including the refrigerated warehouse were designed to maximize energy efficiency. Excess insulation in the warehouse and packing room coupled with fast acting roll-up doors will maintain cold food safe temperatures using less energy from the cycling of condensing units.
In case of electrical outages, we have a back-up generator that can support the entire facility. We are continuing our research to determine when our peak power demand occurs, and we are working with Ageto Energy to provide for a variety of power sources in the future. Ageto Energy’s ARC system will ultimately act as the single interface for the disparate energy resources and will optimize to provide the cheapest, cleanest, and most reliable power.
This unique power system and facility design allows us to be more reliable in the face of power outages and storms and provide a more sustainable product with less carbon emissions for our customers.
Learn more about Campo Caribe and keep up with its progress here — www.campocaribe.com
Press Conference With Puerto Rico Governor Pedro PierluisiPuerto Rico Governor and General Manager in Campo Caribe Research Greenhouse
Campo Caribe hosted a press conference on Monday, May 13 where Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi and other officials participated in the announcement of the company’s expansion plans. Check out some of the press coverage from outlets, including:
“There’s a bigger chance of crop failure for outdoor growers not to deliver, because of weather. We should continue to balance it out with CEA produce. However, as a retailer, if you only want to sell indoor produce, there aren’t dozens of suppliers to buy from,” says Vonnie Estes, Vice President of Innovation, International Fresh Produce Association.
Having worked in fresh produce for decades, Vonnie is keeping busy with technology in agriculture that’s used throughout the entire supply chain. Currently, she devotes most of her time to climate change and labor shortages, trying to find an answer on how to mitigate and respond to these shifts. Reflecting on a rocky couple of years within the CEA industry, Vonnie reassures that indoor growers will be able to lock in contracts with retail, “Especially if you’re a producer with a strong track record.” However, as a new farm that might be a bit harder, especially when making big promises that cannot be lived up to. New farms will have to show a pathway to profitability and proof that they can stay in business to deliver quality products on contracts.
“When there’s a shortage due to weather events in open-field production, the trading desks come in trying to fill up the gaps which happens all the time in outdoor-grown. They have built a bigger infrastructure and more growers to pull from over time. Most indoor growers are selling directly to retailers so for the most part do not go through trading desks. As we have more indoor growers and larger supply, indoor will also be able to fill these gaps,” Vonnie elaborates.
As reported in HortiDaily, the CEA Alliance applauds the introduction of the Food Supply Chain Capacity and Resiliency Act of 2024 by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Mike Braun (R-IN), which would provide critical alternative funding for the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry and other similar capital-intensive food supply chain-related industries by enhancing and making permanent USDA’s previous Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program.
“The CEA Alliance applauds Senators Sherrod Brown and Mike Braun for working together to ensure that America’s indoor farming industry has the financial tools it needs to continue to grow and scale,” said Tom Stenzel, Executive Director for the CEA Alliance. “Indoor farming is helping to build a more resilient fresh food supply chain. The next farm bill must enhance and make permanent the Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program so that producers can access valuable financing to help the industry grow.”“At a time when the U.S. is importing more fresh food than ever before, Congress must advance critical legislation like the Food Supply Chain Capacity and Resiliency Act to support innovative supply chain solutions such as indoor farming,” said Colin O’Neil, Chair of the CEA Alliance’s Public Policy Working Group and Senior Director of Public Policy & Social Impact for Bowery. “Being able to grow fresh produce indoors all year round is a win for consumers, a win for the environment, and a win for the fresh food supply chain – greater support through programs like these will help the American indoor farming industry grow and thrive.
New York-based controlled environment agriculture company Square Roots has unveiled a program that aims to remove lighting from commercial indoor vertical farming systems to reduce energy demands and costs.
Through partnerships and focused research, the company says it is exploring techniques like heterotrophic growing to operate indoor farms in the dark, with the goal of lower production costs and environmental impact while maintaining year-round fresh food production.
“Over the last 12 months Square Roots has created a platform to accelerate agricultural research, working with partners across both indoor and outdoor farming, alongside science-focused organizations and foundations,” Square Roots co-founder and CEO Tobias Peggs told The Packer.
The program seeks to demonstrate that light can be removed from a commercial indoor vertical farming system; the benefits of indoor farming remain, but the system can now operate with radically reduced energy needs. This translates directly to significantly lower production costs and associated carbon dioxide equivalent, or CO2e, he said.
SCIENTIFIC BACKING, SUPPORTED BY COLLABORATION
To enable this new approach, Square Roots is working with gene-edited CRISPR plants that add biomass by uptaking carbon through their root systems rather than relying on photosynthesis under light. The underlying science was initially developed by Robert Jinkerson, a specialist in artificial photosynthesis at the University of California, Riverside, in conjunction with Feng Jiao, a chemist at the University of Delaware.
This full article by Mike Zawaki was published by Produce Grower in April 2024
For greenhouse growers, the siren song of growth and expansion is undeniable. It whispers increased yields, broader markets and greater financial stability. But like any seductive melody, it masks a treacherous undertow. While brimming with potential, challenges lurk unseen, ready to overwhelm with complexities, resource strains and logistical nightmares.
(Photo Above- Gotham Greens CEO Viraj Puri, copyright Gotham Greens)
A fundamental entrepreneurial principle, especially relevant for greenhouse growers, is that expansion should be a deliberate strategic decision, not solely a reaction to opportunity. This principle rings true for Brooklyn, New York-based Gotham Greens,which has navigated numerous recent expansion projects with calculated precision. Led by the visionary leadership of co-founders Viraj Puri (CEO) and Eric Haley (CFO) and Chief Greenhouse Officer Jenn Frymark and supported by a dedicated internal team of horticulture pros, Gotham Greens carefully examined every expansion challenge and established effective best practices. This has empowered the grower to overcome the complexities of a revolutionary way of growing and providing fresh produce in the U.S.
Today, Gotham Greens is synonymous with urban agriculture and cutting-edge, sustainable growing practices, and its growth and expansion wouldn’t be done justice without highlighting its rapid ascent in the greenhouse grower market.
Its legacy is rooted in the heart of Brooklyn, New York, an urban, culturally diverse foodie paradise. In 2009, Puri and Haley collaborated on a shared dream to provide fresh, pesticide-free, sustainably grown produce directly to local communities. Two years later, the vision materialized on a Greenpoint neighborhood rooftop with Gotham Greens’ first 15,000-square-foot soilless hydroponic greenhouse, marking a milestone in traditional farming. At its heart, this revolutionary model addressed long-held agricultural challenges — how to overcome long distances, mitigate environmental impact and provide greater access to fresh, locally produced foods.
Orbia’s Precision Agriculture business, Netafim(Indoor Ag-Con 2024 Exhibitor!) has partnered with Vermillion Growers to build a large-scale vegetable greenhouse in Manitoba, Canada. Gakon Netafim, the company’s commercial greenhouse project division, is a world-renowned leader in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). The facility celebrated its grand opening on July 27, 2023, a significant milestone for Orbia, Vermillion Growers, and the local community.
Based in Dauphin, Vermillion Growers will begin growing tomatoes year-round across 10 acres, with plans to expand their production area and grow additional crops. Canada currently imports over 75% of its vegetables and 50% of its tomatoes. By reducing shipping time, customers can get fresh, higher-quality tomatoes at their local grocery stores, even in remote communities. By reducing transit time and the resulting spoilage, this exciting new development also cuts down on food waste.
Orbia Precision Agriculture Technology to Support Sustainable Practices
Gakon Netafim’s greenhouse solutions make it possible, and profitable, to meet consumers’ preferences for local produce that is grown sustainably.
The roof structure on the greenhouse will collect enough water to meet 50% of the entire facility’s irrigation needs. Additionally, the double-screen system minimizes light pollution and reduces the overall energy used by 50%. “The double-screen technology is optimal for controlling the climate in the greenhouse and allows for greater energy savings and efficiency,” says Ricky Elz, Greenhouse Key Account Project Manager at Gakon Netafim. “The blackout screens provide shading to crops and are essential to crop growth in the greenhouse.”
“Our partnership with Vermillion Growers is an exciting part of our Greenhouse Business and I’m excited for what comes next. All of us at Orbia are proud to play a role in positively impacting the many communities of Manitoba,” said Claude Corcos, Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at Orbia’s Precision Agriculture business, Netafim USA.
Economic Benefits and Community Impact
Since Vermillion Growers’ opening, it has hired 30 new full-time employees and will eventually bring over 200 jobs to the community. Vermillion has further partnered with Assiniboine Community College, a local college in Dauphin which will begin offering a Horticultural Production program this fall to provide education and training to those in the community who are interested in pursuing work in the field, including work at Vermillion Growers.
Notably, Vermillion Growers has provided job training and support to several workers who relocated from Ukraine to escape from conflict. Per Capita, Dauphin has one of the largest Ukrainian populations in Canada.
“The combination of world-class greenhouse technology and local expertise is why Vermillion invested in Gakon Netafim solutions,” says Maria Deschauer, managing director of Vermillion Growers. “We prioritize growing fresh produce, as well as healthy people and sustainable communities. All three are connected and we are thrilled for their support.”
About Netafim
Netafim, Orbia’s Precision Agriculture business, is the world’s largest irrigation company and a global leader in precision agriculture solutions committed to fight scarcity of food, water and land, for a sustainable future. Founded in 1965, Netafim pioneered the drip revolution, creating a paradigm shift toward precision irrigation. Today, specializing in end-to-end solutions from the water source to the root zone, Netafim delivers irrigation and greenhouse projects, as well as landscape and mining irrigation solutions supported by engineering, project management and financing services. Netafim is also leading the way in digital farming, irrigation and fertigation, integrating real-time monitoring, analysis and automated control into one state-of-the-art system. With 33 subsidiaries, 19 manufacturing plants, 2 recycling plants and more than 5000 employees worldwide, Netafim delivers innovative, tailor-made irrigation and fertigation solutions to millions of farmers, allowing smallholders to large-scale agricultural producers and investors, in over 110 countries, to grow more with less™.
About Orbia
Orbia is a company driven by a shared purpose: to advance life around the world. Orbia operates in the Polymer Solutions (Vestolit and Alphagary), Building and Infrastructure (Wavin), Precision Agriculture (Netafim), Connectivity Solutions (Dura-Line) and Fluorinated Solutions (Koura) sectors. The five Orbia business groups have a collective focus on expanding access to health and wellness, reinventing the future of cities and homes, ensuring food and water security, connecting communities to information and accelerating a circular economy with basic and advanced materials, specialty products and innovative solutions. Orbia has commercial activities in more than 110 countries and operations in over 50, with global headquarters in Boston, Mexico City, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv.
About Vermillion Growers Vermillion Growers is the first large-scale vegetable greenhouse in Manitoba, Canada. Its mission is to grow high-quality produce, healthy people, and sustainable communities. The greenhouse is helping to bridge the gap in food production in Central Canada by producing fresh tomatoes year-round. Vermillion Growers utilizes industry-leading technology to operate an efficient and environmentally sustainable facility.
Today, Gotham Greens is synonymous with urban agriculture and cutting-edge, sustainable growing practices, and its growth and expansion wouldn’t be done justice without highlighting its rapid ascent in the greenhouse grower market.