Tag: leafy greens

A Reflection on CEA After a Month of Indoor Ag-Con Pre-Planning Conversations

Written by Kyle Barnett, Indoor Ag-Con Program Director on January 10, 2026. Posted in Blog.

Over the past month, I had the privilege of spending a concentrated amount of time in pre-planning conversations for Indoor Ag-Con in Las Vegas on February 11–12. These were not surface-level calls. They were working sessions meant to shape discussions that go beyond the usual talking points and actually serve operators and suppliers.

In every group, I asked for the same thing: be honest, address the elephants in the room, and focus on what people can actually act on when they go back home. By the end of the month, my head was spinning. Not from volume, but from how consistently the same themes kept coming up across different crops, roles, and geographies.

Each of these conversations generated meeting notes and transcripts. To step back and avoid over-weighting any single perspective, I used AI as a tool to analyze and organize those notes, looking for repeated patterns and shared concerns. The insights below are not AI conclusions. They are a synthesis of real conversations, filtered through experience and judgment. Names and companies are intentionally left out. This is about clarity, not attribution.

A few things became very clear.

The Industry Feels More Serious

There is noticeably less appetite for hype and far more focus on trade-offs, sequencing, and consequences. People are asking better questions. They are more willing to talk openly about what did not work and why. That shift showed up across nearly every conversation and is reflected directly in how Indoor Ag-Con sessions are being framed this year, with more emphasis on execution, scaling discipline, and post-build reality. CEA feels less like it is trying to prove itself and more like it is trying to operate well.

Scaling Has Been Reframed

Across greenhouse and vertical systems, the message was consistent: scaling before operations are stable creates problems that are hard to undo. Facility size, location, labor availability, and market access are now being discussed as interconnected decisions rather than isolated ones. Bigger is no longer assumed to be better. Proven, repeatable, and financeable are carrying more weight. This mindset shows up clearly in sessions focused on facility design, expansion timing, and responsible growth.

Technology Is Finding Its Proper Place

The conversations shaping sessions on integration, automation, AI, and data were far more grounded than in past years. Operators are not looking for more dashboards. They want fewer tools that actually help them make decisions, reduce labor strain, or manage risk. AI came up often, but almost always with its limits clearly acknowledged. Useful when paired with good data and sound agronomy. Risky when positioned as a shortcut around experience. That realism is guiding how AI-related discussions are being handled at the show. Technology is still important. It is just no longer the headline.

Labor and Culture Are Now Central

Labor was raised in almost every conversation, often before yield or technology. Staffing challenges are no longer being treated as temporary. They are structural. Facilities are being designed and redesigned around workforce realities, training capacity, and management bandwidth. There was also strong alignment around culture. Systems introduced without grower buy-in tend to fail. Tools designed without operator input tend to be ignored. These realities are shaping sessions that focus on operations, leadership, and the human side of CEA.

Crops Continue to Act as Reality Checks

Leafy greens continue to expose pricing pressure and overproduction risk. Cannabis conversations have become notably more pragmatic, with open acknowledgment of complexity, climate mistakes, and labor misalignment. Strawberries and berries keep pushing back against automation narratives, reinforcing the need for deep plant knowledge and airflow mastery. Specialty crops, including mushrooms, consistently highlight that market development often matters more than production capability. These crop-specific realities directly informed how tracks at Indoor Ag-Con were built this year, with less emphasis on novelty and more on fundamentals.

Market Reality Is Driving Discipline

Pricing, commoditization, and distribution came up as often as production. Yield alone is no longer being mistaken for success. Operators are talking more openly about differentiation, channel strategy, and demand alignment. Several sessions at the show are designed specifically to confront these issues directly rather than dance around them. Market awareness is no longer optional. It is foundational.

Why I’m Optimistic

Despite all of this, the dominant feeling coming out of these conversations was not pessimism. It was clarity. There is more honesty now. More shared learning. More willingness to say what does not work and move forward anyway. That is exactly the tone these Indoor Ag-Con discussions are meant to set. This past month did not feel like an ending for CEA. It felt like a reset that needed to happen. And based on what surfaced in these conversations, the industry is stepping into the next year with clearer eyes and stronger fundamentals.

Indoor Ag-Con Unveils 2026 Conference Program Featuring 9 Crop and Sector Tracks

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on October 13, 2025. Posted in Blog, Press Releases.

Indoor Ag-Con, the largest trade show and conference for the greenhouse, controlled environment agriculture and vertical farming industry, has unveiled its 2026 Conference Program featuring an all-new lineup of nine crop and sector tracks along with a speaker roster that is growing daily.

Returning to the Westgate Las Vegas, February 11-12, 2026, the 13th annual edition of Indoor Ag-Con will once again unite growers, business leaders, suppliers, policymakers, academics/researchers and other industry members from around the globe to explore the latest trends, technologies, and opportunities shaping the future of controlled environment agriculture (CEA).

The expanded 2026 conference program introduces dedicated tracks for:

Lettuce/Herbs
Vine Crops
Mushrooms
Berries
Cannabis
Conventional Agriculture
Unique Approaches to CEA
General Applications
Expo Theater Sessions (on the show floor)

The tracks will feature presentations, panels, and fireside chats offering practical, actionable takeaways for operators, investors, and innovators. The Expo Theater sessions, located on the show floor, will spotlight timely discussions on cybersecurity threats in CEA, AI-driven automation, smart system integration, crop diversification strategies, and real-world production insights from leading growers.

In addition to the track sessions, the 2026 program will showcase headliner keynote presentations — to be announced soon — spotlighting influential leaders who are shaping the future of food, farming, and technology.

“The conference program is truly the heartbeat of Indoor Ag-Con,” said Brian Sullivan, CEO, Indoor Ag-Con. “Each year, we build our educational content around what growers and operators tell us they need most — real-world solutions and practical insights they can take back to their businesses. With our 2026 program, we’re expanding that mission by adding more depth across crop types, introducing new technology discussions, and bringing in fresh voices that reflect where the industry is heading next.”

Complementing the robust education program, the Indoor Ag-Con Expo Floor continues to deliver one of the industry’s most comprehensive marketplaces — featuring top brands and innovative newcomers showcasing cutting-edge products, technologies, and services across lighting, climate control, automation, substrates, irrigation, facility design, and more.

Attendees can also look forward to exceptional networking opportunities — from breakout sessions and daily lunches to the show floor happy hour and Wrap Party celebration — designed to foster meaningful connections and industry collaboration.

Early Bird registration is now open. To register and learn more about conference sessions, exhibiting suppliers and networking opportunities, visit www.indoor.ag

About Indoor Ag-Con

Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con is the largest trade show and conference for greenhouse, controlled environment agriculture and vertical farming. The event covers all crop types and brings together growers, tech providers, researchers, and business leaders to explore trends and innovations shaping the future of food production. For more information, visit www.indoor.ag

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.

Little Leaf Farms’ CEO on Building an Indoor Ag Business

Written by AgFunderNews - Jennifer Marston on July 18, 2025. Posted in Blog.

From AgFunderNews: If you grocery shop in the Northeastern US, there’s a high chance you’ve come across Little Leaf Farms‘ salad greens in the produce section. The 10-year-old company, which has built a “hands-free growing” system inside its greenhouses, now commands more than 50% of marketshare among indoor lettuce growers. Little Leaf greens grace the shelves of around 8,000 grocery stores in New England and the mid-Atlantic states.

The company’s success is a welcome story, given indoor agriculture’s recent past dotted with bankruptcies, closures, and troughs of disillusionment largely related to vertical farming startups.

Greenhouse operations haven’t been totally immune to the market correction, but Little Leaf Farms CEO and founder Paul Sellew has a simple explanation for why they haven’t flailed quite as badly.

“The sun is an amazing resource with all of these benefits. Any logical approach to growing a plant would include the sun.”

Still, Sellew is not one to gloat over corpses of other companies, preferring instead to keep his focus on Little Leaf Farms, growing plants and providing a consistent experience for customers.

Last month, the company announced its third greenhouse, which will operate out of Manchester, Tennessee and serve the Southeastern states, beginning in 2026.

AgFunderNews caught up with Sellew this week to discuss the company’s expansion, the role of tech in indoor agriculture, and why there may actually be a sustainability argument for plastic packaging.

A selection of greens from Little Leaf Farms. Image credit: Little Leaf Farms

AgFunderNews (AFN): How has Little Leaf Farms weathered the ongoing tough times and kept making reliable products?

Paul Sellew (PS): There’s this boring thing called day-to-day execution, and it’s quite essential if you’re going to build a successful CEA [controlled environment agriculture] company.

We operate seven days a week, 365 days a year, and we’ve organized the humans around the plants, not the other way around.

AFN: What do you mean by that last point?

PS: Plants grow every day. As a result, running a system—seeding, harvesting, etc.—has to be consistent with the rhythm of how the plants are responding, and we organize humans around that concept.

As a result, the greenhouse is more or less the same, whether it’s the middle of winter or the middle of summer. We just created this controlled environment where the plants are happily growing.

We’re also at a scale where a cold chain is followed, and we’ve got great people that know what they’re doing, which then leads to a consistent eating experience for the customer.

[This approach of “boring day-to-day execution] is not unique to Little Leaf Farms, although it’s amazing that it seems like a hard lesson to get for a lot of companies.

AFN: Do you think there’s an advantage of greenhouse growing over vertical farming?

PS: We’ve always believed that high-tech greenhouses were the solution and vertical farming was in search of a problem that didn’t exist.

The greenhouse industry was here beforehand. It’s here now, and it’ll be here in the future. There’s a very simple reason for this: the sun is a amazing resource with all of these benefits. Any logical approach to growing a plant would include this free resource.

The notion that vertical farming is higher technology [than greenhouses] is simply not true. The greenhouse industry is very sophisticated from a technology standpoint. Our facilities are fully automated, but when it comes down to growing plants, it never made sense to me that you would design a system around not using this free, amazing resource called the sun.

What’s been born out of this, unfortunately, is that many of these companies—not exclusively but predominately vertical farms—have gone bankrupt and failed.

There are other companies though. AppHarvest did not succeed as a company, but all those greenhouses [previously built by AppHarvest in Kentucky] are in operation today. You don’t see vertical farms that were shut down back in operation.

I think a lot of what we’ve seen here is this sort of arrogance around technology—what I’ll call the Silicon Valley mindset that says “agriculture is broken and we’re going to come in with our disrupter mindset.”

That didn’t work. A lot of these companies literally labeled themselves as tech companies when their business model was to sell leafy greens. To me, that was business model confusion.

Read the full interview about Little Leaf Farms from AgFunder News ….

Growing Change, One Building at a Time: A Q&A with Green Food Solutions Founder Mary Wetherill

Written by Indoor Ag-Content Q&A Feature on May 20, 2025. Posted in Blog.

From indoor farm amenities in apartment buildings to a franchise model designed for real-world profitability and impact, Mary Wetherill, CEO and Co-Founder of Green Food Solutions, is rethinking how food is grown. With a mission to empower a new local food system through partnerships, her team is helping entrepreneurs launch controlled environment farms that are practical, profitable, and deeply connected to their communities. Ahead of exhibiting at the upcoming CEA Summit East in Danville, Virginia, we caught up with Mary to learn more about the model behind Green Food Solutions—and why she believes this locally rooted, partnership-driven approach is the future of urban farming.

Your mission to empower a new local food system through partnerships is front and center in everything Green Food Solutions does. What does that look like in practice—and why do you think this kind of local, community-driven approach is the future of CEA?

At a high level, Empowering a New Local Food System™ through partnerships means taking the workable, practical and profitable Farming as a Service (FaaS™) business model we created in Jersey City and throughout NYC—and working with approved partner farmers and entrepreneurs to replicate it. We train, support, and help them launch Green Food Solutions Farm Amenity® and Garden Amenity® businesses in cities across the East Coast and beyond.

Our partners are trained into leaders and innovators of a successful modern urban farming approach in each area or multiple areas. Why we know the model we created is the future of CEA in cities, is simple. It’s practical, profitable and scalable.

All the renderings and visions of what urban farming in cities could look like—skyscrapers with cows on every floor, plants covering building exteriors—were unrealistic, often unsafe or inhumane, and not practical or profitable. Rooftop farms on buildings 10 stories or higher face challenges like intense wind exposure, which can pose serious liability issues for property owners. Meanwhile, a number of the large-scale, factory-style CEA farms that were once held up as success stories have shut down.

While many industrial CEA farms set out to create local food production with fewer food miles, greater access, sustainability, and resilience in our cities and communities, the reality often fell short. A closer look reveals that some vertical farms relied on traditional sales channels—like grocery stores—that required them to ship food thousands of miles just to reach their markets. As for food access, most of their products were sold at premium prices, making them inaccessible to those who could not afford it.

Regarding sustainability, CEA farms face hurdles from food miles to reliance on substrates like peat with environmental drawbacks. High energy consumption is another major concern. And while aiming for resilience, some large, factory size CEA farms are still subject to pathogens, supply chain disruptions and dependence on conventional agriculture for essentials like seeds. It is certainly not resilient in the way it was imagined.

We wanted to build a food system that adapts to the world today because we need a new food system now. So we created something practical that works in the built environment that exists. We also had it in our main goals to create a business that meets the vision, as imagined, of local food production, access, sustainability and resilience. At Green Food Solutions we completely avoided traditional sales channels and created new ones instead. We created a new model and food system entirely. This is why we know it is the future of CEA, especially in cities.

The idea of treating indoor farms as building amenities—like a pool or gym—is such a creative twist. What sparked that idea, and how are you seeing it change the way people interact with food in their communities?

We are farmers ourselves, and after farming in shipping containers in Brooklyn and selling the food to the local community we had to move our operation. We started renting a small section out of a 10,000-square-foot greenhouse to continue to grow for our customers alongside a failing commercial farm selling basil to Manhattan restaurants. We were also struggling to make ends meet as farmers selling the food we grew. The greenhouse was on top of an affordable housing building in the Bronx and I saw that none of the food they were growing went to the people who lived in the building.

That was it. I had the idea to put farms in every building where people lived. It hit everything we thought was important in a local food system: zero food miles, access and affordability. I set off and spoke to as many developers as we could. When we got our first break it was our flagship farm on the rooftop at the Denizen in Brooklyn NY. Seventy-nine hydroponic systems growing all sorts of varieties of crops from leafy greens, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, strawberries and more. It was home to all our research. We sell the food, offer a CSA, and all the testing and research on what to grow.

We refined the model with customer input and what was valuable to them. It was a lot of work, but we created a profitable system that now is a win-win for cities, property owners and farmers together. As other developers saw what we did, they kept referring us to others because they saw how we were different from other attempts. We now have farms in buildings all over the city in community centers, senior centers, food pantries, homeless shelters, multiple luxury residential buildings, corporate offices, schools, wellness centers, libraries and even correctional facilities and residential treatment facilities.

All of our farms except for our first, is an indoor CEA farm serving freshly harvested food weekly to the people who live, work or play in that building. Our farmers have become the most popular members of the communities they grow for and we are reconnecting people with their food system once again. All the food is picked up after every harvest and many of the community members say it’s the highlight of their week when our farmers are on site. They love knowing their farmers and having a say about what we grow for them.

You’ve spoken candidly about the struggles many CEA businesses face, from startup costs to limited access. How does your franchise model flip the script and help more people launch successful, mission-driven farms?

I think how we flip the switch is simple. On a high level, our model is already proven and tested, while most CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) farms are still trying to figure out commercial viability and a working business model in real-time. Again, they’re often still using traditional sales channels and supply chains. We, on the other hand, don’t rely on those traditional channels or distribution.

Another game-changer is that, in our model, a farmer gets paid for their farming, not just the sale of the food. This makes a huge difference in the quality of life and bottom line of an urban farm business. Monetarily, starting a partnership with Green Food Solutions in your city or area has very low startup costs, especially compared to building a commercial farm. Factory CEA has astronomical startup and operational costs. Our model shows our partners how to cover not only their ROI in year one but also their operating costs.

Just like our food system, we’re transparent about our startup costs and the fast ROI our system can provide. Our low-end startup cost is $57,603.33, and that can be covered by just one Farm Amenity® sale. Our business is exactly that – a real business to not only grow food but also profits. Our training and business support help launch each new partnership into the same success we’ve created as we continue to grow together.

We’re even required by the Federal Trade Commission to share our numbers with potential partners. We’re proud of our success and are committed to supporting our partners on their path to success too. That’s another thing that really flips the switch: we work together. Most large CEA farms are proprietary and private; they often don’t even allow the community to enjoy the farms or be part of the local food they’re asked to buy. With Green Food Solutions, you’re an active member of your community.

Training and education are big parts of what you offer. For someone new to farming—or even just curious—what are the most important things they need to know before getting started?

The wonderful thing about this business opportunity is that all they need to do other than get 2 certifications — 1 in food safety and 1 in IPM management — is to be able to follow a system. Our partners receive a comprehensive operation manual detailing:

o Establishing your Business (EIN, Insurances, site selection, etc)

o Personnel (hiring processes, interviewing process, employment law, job descriptions, etc)

o Marketing your Business (local promotion, brand specs, public relations, marketing strategies, etc)

o Operating Procedures and SOPs (equipment and supply lists, vendors, processes and how to do everything step by step).

They also get leads generated from us, sales call support, marketing templates, proposal templates, grand opening support, social media management, technology support, PowerPoints and scripts for sales and engaging their community at the farm. We provide a complete system to follow for their success. And they have our dedicated support every step of the way as they grow the business.

You’re now growing a network of franchise partners around the country. What kinds of people are drawn to this work, and what impact are you seeing as they bring Green Food Solutions to their own communities?

We have a vetting system we use to validate our potential partners. We see a lot of people interested in the work we are doing. Some people who are looking to switch careers and be part of making a difference while building a business for their future.

What we look for first and foremost in a person is the passion to be part of a food system & brand that is centered around addressing the issues of access, affordability, sustainability and resilience in a real way. We look for a team player. We ask a series of questions that include evaluating the territory they are interested in starting a Green Food Solutions, as well as why they want to be part of a franchise as opposed to owning an independent business. How do they plan on running the business, do they want to hire or be the farmer themselves and how soon do they plan to begin operations?

These are only a scratch and sniff of the questions we ask and the deep dive we take together. We know we are in this for the long haul together, so we also look for good people we want to work with. Good people for a better food system now. That’s what we are looking for in a partner. All else can be trained. We offer discounts to our veterans, LGBTQ and Black owned business partners.

To learn more, visit the Green Food Solutions website.

You can also talk to the Green Food Solutions team at their tabletop exhibit at the upcoming CEA Summit East, September 9-10, 2025 in Danville, Virginia.

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…

Will 2025 Be Déjà Vu All Over Again for the Indoor Farming Sector

Written by Adam Bergman, EcoTech Capital on February 14, 2025. Posted in Blog.

Growing food outdoors shows no sign of getting easier, given the volatility of the weather, and the situation is predicted only to get worse due to the impact of climate change. One would expect the indoor farming sector would be poised to benefit, as its advantages would seem to be obvious. However, although the indoor farming sector made progress with increasing production, expanding into new retailers, and growing market share with consumers, 2024 will go down as potentially the worst year for indoor farming companies, particularly vertical farms, as most struggled to achieve profitability at the product, farm and/or corporate level. After having raised almost $8 billion globally between 2018 – 2022, indoor farming companies have failed to raise even $1 billion since 2022, and the financing environment for 2025 doesn’t look much better.

Difficult Times for Vertical Farming Companies

Emblematic of the challenges in 2024 were the bankruptcy of vertical farming companies Bowery Farming and Smallhold, as well as Plenty’s decision to close its Compton, CA farm, which produced leafy greens. The growing number of bankruptcies and companies shuttering farms and total operations is leading many people to ask whether the vertical farming sector is viable. Although this is a fair question, since no vertical farming companies have achieved sustained profitability yet and many have struggled even to achieve positive unit economics, I argue it is too early to give up on this sector. Vertical farming companies did have some wins in 2024: 80 Acres announced $140 million worth of public bonds from Boone County, KY, to expand its facility near Florence, KY; Oishii announced a $150 million Series B financing to build a new strawberry farm; and Plenty opened its Richmond, VA strawberry facility, which will be the largest vertical farm producer of strawberries globally.

Greenhouse Companies Showing Mixed Results

2024 was a better year for the U.S. greenhouse industry: BrightFarms opened 3 new large farms in the U.S. and its parent company, Cox Farms became the largest U.S. greenhouse operator, as it surpassed over 700 acres; Gotham Greens’ annual production capacity reached ~100 million heads of lettuce per year and its products are available at retail locations across all 50 states; and having completed an expansion to its McAdoo, PA facility, Little Leaf Farms claims to be the largest indoor producer of lettuce in the U.S. However, it was not all positive, as Revol Greens reduced or closed facilities due to a more competitive economic environment, and it is not long since the 2023 bankruptcy of AppHarvest.

Furthermore, the greenhouse industry struggles with many of the same challenges faced by vertical farms, as few companies are profitable, and increased production is already leading to a price war in some regions that will make it even more difficult for companies to achieve profitability. Also, greenhouse providers have started closing older farms that were proving uneconomical.

Outdoor Farming Challenges Create Opportunities

There are many reasons for concern about the viability of indoor farming, but I remain optimistic that in the mid- to long-term, the positive factors outweigh the negative. The indoor farming sector is at a major disadvantage compared to the outdoor growers, due to its small scale and higher-cost capital expenditure on buildings and HVAC systems, as well as needing more electricity for heating and cooling. However, the traditional produce sector also is facing major headwinds.

Every year concerns increase about growing outdoors, including: destructive weather events, water availability, increasing resistance of pests and weeds to traditional crop chemicals, and soil degradation, as well as labor availability, costs, and turnover, which all put surety of supply at risk, and could spell catastrophe. Shifting consumer preferences to organic and more sustainably grown produce is a trend that seems to be gaining momentum, as more consumers learn about all the crop chemicals (fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides) applied to crops grown outdoors, and the impact on their health.

Additionally, there is now the real risk that the U.S. could enter a long and protracted trade war with Canada, Mexico and other major suppliers of produce to the U.S., as a result of tariffs implemented on goods being imported into the U.S. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that even if the U.S. and Mexico don’t enter a trade war, the Trump administration could look to decrease the amount of produce imported into the U.S., under its America First policies. As it is unlikely that U.S. outdoor produce growers could make up for lost imported products, seeing there has be a growing trend of offshoring, particularly for produce that California is known for, it would create an opportunity for the indoor farming sector.

Security of Supply

Consequently, surety of supply is becoming a focus for retailers and a topic that continues to offer one of the biggest hopes for the indoor farming sector. Although today there is not a significant issue with U.S. produce availability, we have witnessed produce supply challenges in other countries, including the U.K., where some grocery retailers rationed how much produce consumers could buy. The U.S. is not immune from food rationing and product scarcity, as we currently are seeing this situation play out with eggs and a couple of years ago there were similar issues with baby formula. It doesn’t take many disruptions in the supply chain to impact food security, especially when a growing percentage of the products need to be imported.

Whereas surety of supply is still a longer-term concern for U.S. retailers, it is already an issue for Canada, which imports over 90% of its leafy greens from the U.S., most traveling thousands of miles from California and Arizona. Canada is taking a more aggressive posture toward food security, especially with a looming trade war with the U.S., where grocery retailers are in active discussion with indoor farming companies, and local and federal governments are providing economic support for the indoor farming sector, evident by Farm Credit Canada’s recent investment in GoodLeaf Farms. In fact, government support, whether coming from the federal, state/provincial, or local level, is increasing, as indoor farming is seen as a means of job creation in local communities, as well as hedge against food insecurity.

Make America Healthy Again

The confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, expected in the near future, could provide the indoor farming sector with a boost. Average life expectancy in the U.S. has plateaued and U.S. healthcare spending reached over $3 trillion in 2023, underlying the urgency to focus on the types and quality of food we consume. Today, there is a health crisis in the U.S. due to obesity, which needs to be addressed. 40% of all adult Americans are obese (30-40 BMI), and 9% are severely obese (40+ BMI), according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which equates to almost 125 million Americans. Consequently, it will be interesting to see what policies are implemented by RFK, Jr., who has strongly advocated for his idea to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) by reducing processed foods and eliminating added fats, starches, and sugars, as well as food dyes and additives banned in other countries, and pushing for increased consumption of healthier, more nutrient dense foods.

Furthermore, RFK, Jr. has also called for the reduction or elimination of crops chemicals used to grow agricultural products, especially specialty produce, which is typically eaten raw, rather than being processed. There is a growing movement among U.S. states, including California, Maryland, Oregon and Washington, to pass legislation banning the use of certain crop chemicals. It is likely that these and other states will continue pushing forward with banning more crop chemicals this year. As the biologicals already on the market, the current replacement for crop chemicals, are less effective, there likely will be a yield reduction necessitating the need for additional production locations to meet consumer demand.

New Product Offerings

Although indoor farming companies initially focused production on cannabis, cucumbers, leafy greens, and tomatoes, now, thanks to technology innovation in automation & robotics, HVAC systems, LEDs, and seed genetics, the sector is beginning to expand into a broader product portfolio of higher-margin crops, including berries, coffee, microgreens, forestry products, specialty ingredients and pharmaceuticals. Product diversification, especially for vertical farms, is key, as this ability to fully control the climate provides a huge advantage in a world where weather volatility significantly hampers outdoor growers.

Despite my optimism for the future of this sector, I expect 2025 to bring further bankruptcies and farm closures, especially for companies unable to achieve positive cash flow and profitability that are running out of funding, since the equity capital markets are likely to be closed for unprofitable companies. The year ahead brings tremendous uncertainty for the indoor farming sector, as there are a variety of external factors that could either increase demand or create further problems. Those indoor farming companies that do survive in the short term will find themselves well positioned to benefit from the challenges facing outdoor produce growers, both domestically and internationally. Furthermore, the sector should benefit from the three mega-trends of food security, sustainability, and health & nutrition, as well as demands from consumers looking for fresher, healthier, more nutritious foods, which is a hallmark of the indoor farming sector.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Adam Bergman is a Managing Director at EcoTech Capital where he works at the intersection of technology innovation and climate change. Adam is a sustainability executive leader with over 25 years’ investment banking experience raising capital and executing M&A transactions. He also provides strategic advice and financial guidance to senior executives and boards on partnerships and growth strategies. As one of the first investment bankers to focus exclusively on the CleanTech sector, starting in 2005, Adam is recognized as a leading subject matter expert and is a frequent speaker at industry events and publisher of articles on sustainability.

Adam has built industry leading AgTech investment banking practices at Citi and Wells Fargo by creating a broad ecosystem to help drive adoption of technology and innovation throughout the food & ag value chain. Adam established the AgTech cohort for Wells Fargo’s innovation incubator (IN2), which was launched at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2018. He is a technology advisor to Western Growers Association, which represents local and regional family farmers who grow over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts. Adam also is a technology advisor for farmer-owned Landus Cooperative, headquartered in Ames, Iowa and SeaAhead, a bluetech startup platform in Boston, Massachusetts, whose mission is to support new, innovative ventures, with a focus on sustainability and the oceans.

BrightFarms Opens Its First Greenhouse In Texas

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on December 14, 2024. Posted in Blog.

From Produce Reporter:

BrightFarms, a national leader in the indoor farming industry, today announced the opening of its first greenhouse in Texas. This brings its fresh, locally grown leafy greens to the South Central and Southwest for the first time.

Building on the recent unveiling of its Illinois greenhouse, the Lorena, Texas, site is the second of three regional hubs BrightFarms is opening in 2024, marking an ambitious and rapid expansion.

“Texans deserve the freshest, highest-quality produce, and we’re thrilled to deliver just that,” said Steve Platt, CEO of BrightFarms. “With our greenhouse expertise and cutting-edge technology, we’re bringing year-round access to fresh greens to the Lone Star State. As proud members of the GO TEXAN Program, we’re committed to not only providing top-tier produce but also supporting the growth of Texas agriculture.”

The Lorena greenhouse, which will cover 1.5 million square feet upon completion, is designed with cutting-edge cooling technology such as KUBO’s Ultra-Clima system, enabling BrightFarms to create and sustain optimal growing conditions year-round, regardless of the Texas heat or external climate conditions.

The new facility will create over 250 job opportunities for Lorena and the surrounding Texas triangle area, offering competitive benefits available from the very first day of employment.

Read full story from The Produce Reporter…

Swegreen Starts Building Sweden’s Largest In-Store Farm

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on October 14, 2024. Posted in Blog.

From iGrow News

Launch of Sweden’s Largest In-Store Farm With Swegreen

Construction has officially begun on Sweden’s largest in-store farm at ICA Maxi Ängelholm. Powered by Swegreen’s Freja platform, this innovative farm will allow the store to produce over 160,000 leafy greens and herbs annually. By growing crops directly inside the store, ICA Maxi aims to offer customers a steady, hyper-local supply of sustainable produce without the typical price fluctuations.

Freja Platform: A New Standard for Sustainable Farming

Swegreen’s Freja platform is the most advanced in-store farming solution available globally, using vertical farming and AI technology to grow crops with minimal environmental impact. In a space of just 45 to 60 square meters, the Freja platform can produce up to 450 crops per day, including lettuce, leafy greens, and herbs. With no transportation required, carbon emissions are significantly reduced.

Pierre Mohlin, CEO of Swegreen, commented, “The Freja platform at ICA Maxi Ängelholm will not only be the largest in-store farm in Sweden, but it also sets a new global standard for sustainable, hyper-local food production.”

Read full story from iGrow News…

Campo Caribe: Transforming Tropical Farming With High-Tech Innovation

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on May 21, 2024. Posted in Blog.

Jonah Helmer Head Shot — Campo Caribe Head Grower Jonah Helmer

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?

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.

Campo Caribe Research Greenhouse — 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 Campo Caribe — 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 Packaging — 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.

General Manager, Zuleyka Mendoza, and Farm Supervisor, Andrea Baez, in Research Greenhouse — 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 Commercial Greenhouse Pond Recirculation Corridor — 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 Pierluisi

Puerto Rico Governor and General Manager in Research Greenhouse — Puerto 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:

Sin Comillas.com, Ey Boricua, WIPR, WAPA