Indoor Ag-Con 2025 VIPs and Speakers gathered at Las Vegas’ newest golf entertainment venue — Atomic Golf — for a great evening of connections, conversations, cocktails (and mocktails!), and all things CEA the night before the 2025 edition kicked off. Check out video and photos from the evening.
Special thanks to VIP Party Sponsor Philips LED Lighting!
In the heart of South-Central Alberta, where harsh winters and unpredictable weather can test even the most seasoned growers, Gabriel Forero, Head Grower at Sunterra Greenhouse, (and Indoor Ag-Con 2025 speaker!) is producing high-quality tomatoes and strawberries year-round. Sunterra Greenhouse, part of the Price family’s diversified Sunterra Group operation, leverages cutting-edge controlled environment agriculture techniques to overcome climate challenges and achieve consistent, sustainable yields. In this Q&A, Gabriel shares insights on the role of technology in crop management, sustainability practices, and the exciting future of gene-edited crops in the greenhouse sector.
Sunterra Greenhouse is located in Acme, South-Central Alberta (Canada), where dry air and cold nights throughout the year provide us with very good growing conditions for our crops — strawberries and tomatoes – provided we can manage the indoor climate effectively. However, when the temperature outside is -30°C (adding wind chill it can go down to -45 °C), growing conditions become exceptionally challenging. In these extreme temperatures, we rely heavily on all our growing systems: boilers, 4 levels of heating pipes, hybrid lights and energy screens to achieve 24h temperatures and a consistent environment across the growing season.
Even though we have above 220 µmol of supplemental lights for both crops (full LEDs for strawberry and hybrid 50-50 HPS-LEDs for tomatoes), sunlight is still necessary to prevent ice from accumulating on the roofs and to allow the vents to open. Without proper ventilation, it would be difficult to keep the crops active, strong and productive. Proper management of the greenhouse environment is key to achieving quality and consistent yields, but as a greenhouse we are still somewhat affected by extreme external factors (wildfires, atmospheric rivers, winter storms, etc.).
During these extreme circumstances, we adjust the conditions throughout the day to activate the crop using tools and techniques of CEA, such as fertigation, heating/venting strategies, lighting and use of curtains. These growing parameters require continuous fine-tuning for success – all supported by automation and use of sensors across the growing operation.
Crop management has many aspects, but not all of them rely on technology (e.g. manual tasks like lowering plants/trusses, deleafing, harvesting, or pruning flowers are still dependent on people). For greenhouse climate control, energy and water management & labor registration, we use PRIVA software, a leader in the growing space with over 60 years of experience.
Based on my personal experience working in high-tech greenhouses and indoor growing, you need to have a reliable system that can “amalgamate” all sensors and data into one platform, so the grower is able to cross-reference information and adjust the growing parameters quickly and accurately. Without greenhouse automation technology, it will be close to impossible to manage the greenhouse environment, especially under extreme conditions that demand all systems working 24/7 (winter and summer have some similar challenges).
Winter crops, in particular, are unique in a hard way. Growing plants in winter means you are growing plants against nature (short days, no sun for days, nonsense VPDs, angry bumblebees, condensation, tip burn… all kinds of problems, you name it!). That’s why we need all available support to generate an active climate for the plant. Without greenhouse management software, sensors, data analysis , and some automation –all accessible in one solution — it will be hard to optimize production, maximize yield and boost quality in a sustainable framework.
If growers are not data-driven, making timely decisions becomes nearly impossible. Today, its not enough to rely solely on experience and skill; we need technological decision-support tools to successfully grow and manage crops in any growing system across the globe.
Plants are directly affected by their surrounding environment, and their phenotype and full genetic potential are influenced by environmental factors. Actively managing the greenhouse environment directly impacts the quality and taste of harvested product. A stable environment, supported by automation and environmental controls, provides optimal growing conditions, such as temperature and humidity control, light management, nutrient management , pest and disease control.
By choosing the right cultivars, and effectively utilizing CEA techniques to optimize photosynthesis, we growers can achieve consistent good quality yields, making year-round production possible to some degree, even in fluctuating climates. At Sunterra Greenhouse, we grow the ripe way, always trying to be consistent in quality, flavor and freshness to meet the needs of our clients across North America.
Sunterra Greenhouse is committed to building a sustainable food system in Alberta. Our water use is very efficient. We collect all precipitation (rainwater and snow) from outside the greenhouse, as well as condensation from the interior, and store it in a reservoir for use in our irrigation system. We also UV-treat and recycle all the drain water to save on fertilizer and reduce the use of water by precise fertigation. Also, our soil-less cultivation hydroponic system offers greater control over nutrient supply and root environment.
In Acme, we have our natural gas boilers working at some capacity for around 9 months of the year. The CO2 produced is pumped back into the greenhouse for use in photosynthesis optimization. Our greenhouse has diffused glass on both crops to ensure natural light is distributed uniformly to the plants. Plus, our lighting solution helps reduce our energy footprint. By carefully managing light photoperiod and intensity using our Philips LED Grow Lights, we achieve efficient year-round operations. We also use energy screens to reduce our gas consumption, saving 20% to 40% of gas usage throughout the growing season.
What excites me most (and surprisingly, not many are talking about it) is the potential of new cultivars in the coming years. Technological advancements in gene editing (e.g. CRISPR) will permit scientists to create plants with specific and desired traits. Imagine plants that have been altered at the DNA level – without adding any foreign DNA, no GMO – specifically modified for certain traits.
In the future, I expect new crop varieties with enhanced traits and disease resistance. It’s wonderful just to imagine growing a plant that requires less fertilizer, less water, has more tolerance to environmental stress, has superior yield and is immune to pests and diseases. Additionally, these crops could have extra flavor, longer shelf life with boosted nutritional value.
It sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Good examples of this technology are the GABA-enriched tomato in Japan, the non-browning banana in the Philippines and a vitamin-rich tomato in the UK. I believe not only Sunterra but the entire industry will need to adapt to coming CRISPR-edited crops. This technology will present challenges for the entire agricultural community, including governments and regulators, in the coming years.
Learn more about Sunterra Greenhouse by visiting the website at www.sunterragreenhouse.com
And don’t miss the panel presentation that Gabriel will be participating in during Indoor Ag-Con 2025: “Trends In Canada: Insights From Leading Growers Across the Nation.” On Tuesday, March 11, 2025 from 11:00-11:50 AM PST, Gabriel will be joined by other growers from across Canada to share insights on the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in the industry. It’s a great opportunity to learn from experienced growers like Gabriel about how they are adapting to the evolving landscape of Canadian horticulture and positioning their businesses for long-term success.
In a groundbreaking debut at Indoor Ag-Con, Sollum Technologies, the leader in dynamic LED grow light solution, announces its commitment to go beyond revolutionizing indoor agriculture to make a significant impact on the local community by partnering with Three Square, Southern Nevada’s only food bank.
For each demo of its innovative SUN as a Service® platform performed during the event, Sollum® pledged to donate $ 100 USD directly to Three Square. On the second day of the show, Sollum donated $ 3,000 USD, which will contribute to serving approximately 9,000 meals.
Sollum Technologies designed the only 100% dynamic LED lighting solution that modulates the full spectrum of the Sun’s natural light to illuminate closed environments such as greenhouses, research centers and laboratories. Sollum’s award-winning, turnkey solution consists of internet of things, AI-powered light fixtures that are controlled by Sollum’s proprietary SUN as a Service® cloud platform.
Sollum’s distinctive proposition is a fully scalable cleantech solution that evolves with business needs and multi-zone light management, with each zone benefiting from automatic dimming of an unlimited number of light recipes; this is why it provides unparalleled value in terms of energy savings and, additionally for greenhouse growers, increased productivity and superior produce quality.
ABOUT SOLLUM
Founded in 2015, the company is headquartered in Montréal (Québec, Canada), where its design, development, and manufacturing activities are concentrated, and has a representative office in Leamington (Ontario, Canada). For more information, visit sollum.tech.
In this Q&A following his keynote address at last week’s Indoor Ag-Con 2024, “Indoor Farming – The Next Revolution In Agriculture,” Adam Bergman, Global Head of AgTech Investment Banking for Citi, sheds light on the promising trajectory of indoor farming despite the challenges encountered in 2023. He discusses the pivotal role of technology, financial strategies, crop diversification, funding opportunities, and strategic partnerships in propelling the indoor farming sector towards a sustainable and prosperous future.
A: Food security, sustainable food systems, and health & nutrition are the biggest drivers of indoor farming. Food security initially spurred on indoor farming because of the supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, the trend toward food globalization that started following World War II has gone into reverse. In the past few years, a growing number of countries, especially those in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that generated a huge amount of money during a period of high energy costs, speak more about food self-sufficiency and the role of indoor farming. Indoor farming is attractive to the GCC, because they do not have enough arable land and/or an optimal climate to grow outdoors.
As climate change persists, conditions are getting harsher for outdoor farmers, who are forced to deal with increasing weather volatility. Additionally, the global population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, which will necessitate roughly a 50% increase in the amount of food produced. Farmers, working with governments and NGOs around the globe, are going to need to figure out how to grow more with similar or fewer resources (chemical fertilizers, crop chemicals & pesticides, land, and water). Since indoor farms typically don’t use chemical fertilizers, crop chemicals or pesticides, and use significantly less land and water, they are a better solution for more environmentally sustainable agriculture.
The consumer also plays a key role in the food system. Previously, consumers were frequently beholden to CPG companies and retailers to purchase food. However, there have been significant changes in how consumers, particularly in the developed world, purchase food (direct-to-consumer, online purchases, food delivery, and meal kits), which is disintermediating many incumbents. Gen Z and Millennials especially are pushing back against industrial agriculture, which has played a large part in the ecological harm to soil and contamination of ground water, lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans, as well as damaging human health, as obesity rates have soared globally. Today, more consumers are demanding fresher, healthier and more nutritious foods that is grown sustainably. Indoor farms can be built on sites close to population centers, one advantage of which is having a much shorter supply chain. Consumers can buy produce that lasts longer before spoiling and indoor farmers can grow products for taste, texture, and nutrient density rather than yield and logistics, which are priority for outdoor farmers shipping across North America or around the globe. In total, these three mega trends of food security, sustainable food systems and health & nutrition are poised to have a significant impact in accelerating on the growth of indoor farming globally.
A: Innovations in the greenhouse sector have accelerated over the past 150 years, with automation & robotics, building materials, digitization, more efficient water usage and improved energy efficiency all driving progress recently. The vertical farming sector is poised for similar transformational changes as LED light technology advances, and seed genetics are optimized to grow plants under various light spectrums. Once more indoor farms get to a point where key risks have been mitigated (financial performance, including positive EBITDA, multiple farms operating at full capacity, project developers with a strong track-record, and customer off-take agreements), financial institutions can play a significant role in financing new indoor farms, similar to the role they played in the growth of solar and wind projects. Once bankruptcy risks for indoor farming companies and projects are substantially reduced, opportunities will open up for project finance with 70+% debt to develop indoor farming and cheaper capital from insurance companies and pension funds looking for strong, long-term cash-flowing entities.
One of the challenges many vertical farming companies face is high production costs. This is mainly due to limited production capacity and high capital expense and operation costs currently. As vertical farms continue to struggle to be cost competitive with outdoor grown produce and many greenhouses, it is extremely important to diversify away from leafy greens to grow other products that command higher prices. This is similar to the biofuels sector two decades ago, when various companies decided to compete against the commoditized fuel sector rather than specialty chemicals, which could be sold at a much higher price point. Those companies that tried to compete against commoditized fuels frequently went bankrupt as they were capital intensive and did not have the requisite scale or cost structure to be economic. Only those companies that focused on specialty chemicals were able to achieve a cost structure that made economic sense and, as they expanded and optimized production, were able to reduce costs and become cost competitive with more commoditized end-markets. Based on the trends I have seen, I believe the same thing will occur with vertical farms, which should look to provide a variety of products that can be sold at higher prices (berries, coffee, forestry, pharmaceuticals, specialty ingredients), and ultimately to achieve economies of scale and drive costs down.
The equity capital markets remain extremely challenging for most early- and growth-stage companies, with the traditional debt markets available for only a few of the largest, most profitable indoor farming companies. In challenging capital markets, it is more important that companies look for creative non-dilutive sources of capital. The two areas that show the most promise are government grants and government-backed loans. To this end, several companies have been able to secure state and local incentives to build new indoor farms in various locations throughout the US. Additionally, a growing number of indoor farming companies have accessed USDA loan guarantees. The advantage of loans associated with the USDA is they typically come at lower interest rates and frequently have lower covenants. Capital will remain one of the biggest obstacles for expanding indoor farming operations throughout North America and the rest of the world.
A: Like many highly capital-intensive growth sectors, indoor farming faces challenges in validating their business as a prerequisite to accessing capital, both equity and debt. In particularly difficult capital markets, strategic partners provide a means of validation for investors. It is also equally important to establish relationships with key customers, both food service and retailers. Finally, to be an attractive to potential investors, indoor farming companies need to be able to answer the following questions posed by investors:
1) What is your proof that you can build an indoor farm and scale production?
2) Are there consumers who want to buy your products?
3) Will consumers buy your products at a price where you can generate positive gross profit and EBITDA margins?
Those companies with positive answers will find an increasing amount of capital availability for growth, whereas those that struggle, particularly to generate positive financial metrics, will find sources of capital limited.
Indoor Ag-Con is excited to welcome The Villages Grown Executive Director Jennifer Waxman to our conference speaker roster for the October 4-5, 2021 edition at the Hilton Orlando.
The innovative growing complex for The Villages — the active adult retirement community located in Central Florida — The Villages Grown encompasses cutting-edge greenhouses, a state-of-the-art processing facility and delivery fleet. But that’s only part of the incredible story.
As Executive Director, Jennifer is the visionary behind the development of the successful business and educational model for The Villages Grown. We had the chance to talk to Jennifer to learn more about her community-centered approach, expanding markets, wellness programs, initiatives and more.
We could feed the 165,000+ residents multiple times a day with a full and colorful plate of whole foods. Within our community, we span over 3 counties and growing. We not only feed our residents, of which we call ‘The Villagers’, but also thousands of employees. You can find our product in our restaurant chains, independent restaurants, our own retail units, Publix locations, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and the like.
There is a wonderful sense of pride from both The Villagers and the team members who work throughout the community within The Villages Grown. We have created a true Local Food System with a community-centric approach. We are very proud to serve first as an amenity to The Villages and the vibrant community of which we serve. Our community is active and engaged with what we are doing and ready to learn. This is a community of wellness where people are living their best lives and are ‘fueled by The Villages Grown’. In fact, The Villages is home to the largest aging-in-place demographic in the world. We are going to put our money where our mouth is, literally, by embarking on a Health Impact Study to demonstrate that eating this way, from our Local Food System, is beneficial to one’s health and wellbeing.
How do we do it? The Villages Grown is a multi-phased CEA production operation positioned on a total of 85 acres. Currently, we are on Phase 1 (of 4 phases) which covers a 9-acre footprint. Phase I has been in production for over a year and will produce over 7.5 million pounds of a diversified produce product mix. This mix includes all the core items one needs to live a healthy, food-as-medicine, lifestyle,including year-round: Heirloom Tomatoes, Microgreens, Lettuces, Petite Greens, Herbs and Specialty Items.
We have already expanded beyond The Villages community and within Central Florida, the Gulf Coast and are entering South Florida mid-August! We will expand our Publix footprint, along with other retailers of which we have already entered (or are soon to enter) but have also become a Florida supplier for four large National Restaurant Groups, as well as into the Cruise Lines and Theme Parks through our distribution partners.
We have at least 3 more buildout Phases to follow as we expand our operations throughout our total acreage, thus allowing us to literally ‘Feed Florida, From Florida’. I think we also take a different approach, and we have a strong and impactful narrative. We grow for nutrients first and foremost, taste naturally follows and we’ve already cracked the code on volume. Most CEAs grow for volume, taste may somewhat be part of the equation, but nutrients rarely are.
This message is getting out about our model and position as the largest CEA in Florida, so we are getting calls from the Big Dogs on a weekly basis. These are exciting times, but a long time in the making! We dedicated almost two years to strategic planning and preselling before we ever broke ground. My consulting team was able to leverage our clients, past strategies, and reputations from our previous worlds to make this happen.
I love this question and have been asked this a lot since entering the agricultural industry back in 2000. Agriculture has been looked at as a heavy lifting, labor-intensive industry coupled with a ‘Good Ole Boy’ network. Well, welcome to CEA! You just need drive, determination, confidence, experience and – BRAINS! The industry is ever emerging and innovating and a lot of this ebb and flow is powered by amazing female leaders in every sector of CEA (just look at your speakers – well done!).
I am fortunate to be surrounded by powerful female peers in CEA. In fact, we have created a CEA alliance in Florida. I am happy that this alliance includes 4 of the top female CEOs in the business (*one is speaking at your conference as well). We don’t see each other as competition, we work alongside of each other and share Best Practices – and sometimes accounts. On a side note, most of my team is female dominated and this is not by design, but by merit. They are fierce yet nurturing, which is a must in agriculture.
We like to say we use ‘age-old agricultural practices coupled with new-age technology.’ As a CEA industry veteran, I am not sold on going simply high-tech – not in the least. It should be about growing a nutrient-dense, tasty, safe, quality product and not all the bells and whistles — which is why so many CEA companies have not, and may never, achieve a ROI.
We use a full IPM strategy, including worker bees that exist in Mother Nature and are crucial for growing the most nutrient-dense, strong plants. We are in Florida, and we use nature’s sunshine as a tool. We supplement when needed using both LED and HPS lighting. We have our facility on full AI with an advanced control system. We capture our data through our control system along with 3 other types of software. Our goal is to use that data to continually improve our SOPs and methodologies.
We are a community-based model of which we have created a true Local Food System. We are not only the grower, but we aggregate from our network of both local family farms, as well as artisans who use our product in their finished products. This approach makes us stand out and is simply the right thing to do. This has garnered a lot of attention, even globally, but especially in The Villages.
We use a multi-media approach for engagement. I can reach 100 to 150,000 Villagers at a time – live at events and/or broadcasted. We also utilize TV, radio, and print programming to educate. We believe that you can’t create a Local Food System without education at the forefront. We have a demonstration kitchen launching soon which is set up like a talk show of which we will have satellite programming distributed to members within and outside of the community as well as with our clients and partners. We are not open to the public due to our Global GAP Certification, but we give our network a ‘taste of The Villages Grown’ through virtual tours.
I am a plant-based cook, and several members of our team are as well, so we also deliver Medical Culinary Wellness programs and initiatives. We also train our medical networks for the Practitioner to the Patient on a Food-as-Medicine lifestyle approach. Quite frankly, it’s a dream, but it isn’t an overnight success. This model has been created over two decades in the agricultural and wellness industry.
My life’s work has been solidified by surrounding myself with innovators who are smarter than me. My team is amazing!
From Indoor Ag-Con Exhibitor Oreon: The multi-layer lighting market is evolving rapidly as more and more growers recognize the added value of this sustainable and efficient cultivation method.
The heat between the layers, as well as the rising relative humidity (RH), form a major challenge to growers aiming for a stable climate.
The water cooled Embrace from Oreon provides a welcome solution. Less radiant heat means fewer temperature fluctuations, resulting in stable RH and CO2 levels.
The active water-cooling of the multi-layer fixture keeps the fixture at a low operating temperature. This benefits both the light output. It also benefits the lifespan of the electronics and LEDs.
Read more about water cooled multi-layer LED lighting and how this technology contributes to a stable growing climate at: https://www.oreon-led.com/en/keep-close
Indoor AG-Con 2021 Exhibitor Netled shares that Vera vertical farming technology is now producing strawberry seedlings at the world’s northernmost vertical farm at Kainuu Vocational School, Kajaani, Finland.
Last year Netled delivered and commissioned its Vera LED lighting and climate control technology to the Seppälä vertical farm in Kainuu Vocational School, Kajaani, Finland. Seppälä vertical farm is the northernmost vertical farm in the world, just 250km south of the Arctic Circle.
In addition to its northern latitude, Seppälä vertical is also the largest vertical project for teaching and research purposes in the world.
“The fantastic facilities at Seppälä vertical enable the education of versatile growers and important research in the field. This will also be an immense help for the companies developing vertical farming technology”, comments Niko Kivioja, CEO at Netled.
The Seppälä vertical farm serves as a great example of the benefits of vertical farming: even at over 64 degrees north, the location doesn’t influence the vertical farming process.
During the first year of operations, different types of salad and herbs have been grown, as well as two different batches of strawberry seedlings.
Different recipes for growing have also been created during the first year.
The overall incentive of the project is to better understand the plants and the entire growing process. In the future, Seppälä vertical farm aims to have a completely carbon-neutral production method and run on solar power.
Kari Komulainen, Head Grower at Peuraniemi Nursery, has been extremely satisfied with the results of the vertical farm so far: “The two batches of strawberry seedlings we have grown so far have proven without doubt the efficiency and profitability of producing seedlings vertically”, Kari explains.
Watch the video to see what else Kari has to say about growing strawberry seedlings at the world’s most northern vertical farm
HortAmericas invites you to learn all the important aspects of growing plants in its upcoming short course, VERTICAL FARMING SYSTEMS, on November 21, 2020. From hydroponic growing system selection, use of artificial lighting to environmental control of all key variables in vertical farming systems. This is your time to master the use of artificial lighting!
– Hort Americas Technical Service
– Master in Plant Sciences from The University of Arizona
– Recognition by ISHS in strawberry hydroponic research
– Editor: Book Roadmap to Growing Leafy Greens and Herbs
– CEO at Microgreens FLN
Once you have registered, HortAmericas will make contact to provide access to our LIVE session!
Questions? send us an email at technicalservice@hortamericas.com if you have any further questions!