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Up Vertical Farms Canada

Scaling New Heights: UP Vertical Farms CEO on Innovation and the Future of Canadian Farming

As pioneers in Canadian vertical farming, brothers Bahram and Shahram Rashti, Co-Founders of UP Vertical Farms, are redefining how leafy greens are grown and delivered. Together they have built one of Canada’s most innovative fully-automated, high-density vertical farms that merges sustainability, technology, and profitability to tackle food security challenges head-on. In this Q&A, CEO Bahram Rashti shares insights into UP Vertical Farms’ cutting-edge touchless growing methods, their key partnerships, and their ambitious plans to scale into the U.S. market. Readers can also hear directly from Bahram during the “Trends in Canada” panel at Indoor Ag-Con 2025, where he will discuss the opportunities and challenges shaping Canada’s controlled environment agriculture industry.

From Dentistry to Vertical Farming: Your career shift from dentistry to agriculture is unique, and you co-founded UP Vertical Farms with your brother, Shahram. What inspired this transition, and how has your partnership shaped the company’s vision and success?

(L-R) Shahram and Bahram Rashti, Co-Founders, UP Vertical Farms

The transition from dentistry to vertical farming was definitely not a traditional one, but it was driven by a deep desire to make a more direct impact on people’s well-being and the environment. Dentistry provided me with an understanding of health and the importance of sustainable living, but over time, I realized that agriculture, particularly food security, was a space where I could contribute on a larger scale. The idea of producing fresh, healthy food in an environmentally sustainable way really resonated with me.

My brother, Shahram, and I have always shared a vision of creating solutions that improve people’s quality of life. We believe that we’re on this planet once and we should try to help solve a problem while we can. After much research, we concluded that the time would soon approach where relying on the current food systems alone would lead to supply shortages due to the adverse effects of climate change. We realized the gap in the market will be significant and grow steadily over time leading to a massive emerging market in vertical farming. That was about 10 years ago when we decided to prepare for this shift from outdoor production to indoors, which is not just a once in a lifetime but a once in history event – producing commercial scale vegetable production without the need of the sun. Our partnership in co-founding UP Vertical Farms has been instrumental in pursuing this vision — my foundation in science and systems combined with his expertise in technology and business has allowed us to build a company focused on innovation and sustainability. Our complementary skills have enabled us to scale effectively and stay true to our core values of growing affordable produce while balancing environmental responsibility.

Innovation and Sustainability: UP Vertical Farms emphasizes innovation and sustainability. How do your touchless technology and unique growing methods address food security and market demands while ensuring profitability?

Up Vertical Farms Canada Innovation and sustainability are the cornerstones of UP Vertical Farms. We design, build, and operate our plant factories in a turnkey fashion, which enables us to customize and build exactly what is needed for a fraction of the cost. Our touchless technology in CEA is a game-changer in the farming industry — it automates key parameters for irrigation, seeding, growing, harvesting, and packaging, in turn minimizing human intervention and reducing labor costs while also maintaining hygiene. This ecosystem technology helps us optimize resource use, reduce waste, and achieve consistent, high-quality yields all year round with 99% less water, nutrient fertilizers, and land compared to traditional farming.

Up Vertical Farms This not only makes our operations more sustainable in our 12-level industrial growing racks, but also more resilient to climate change, inflation, and supply chain disruptions. As a result, it allows us to significantly contribute to food security especially since our enclosed warehouse structures are closer to the regions we want to feed. Furthermore, deploying just -in-time production across our racks allows us to provide fresh, nutritious produce with longer shelf life to the market daily while reducing waste from overproduction. Therefore, our model is not just about sustainability; it’s also designed for profitability. Focusing on high density production, and by reducing overhead costs and waste, and ensuring a constant, predictable output, we’re able to offer competitive prices to consumers, and the market can’t seem to get enough of our crunchy tasty lettuce varieties and salad kits.

Building Partnerships: Partnerships have been critical to your growth—from collaborating with Oppy in your early stages to working with retailers like Costco. How have these relationships influenced your production, distribution, and business strategy?

Partnerships have been crucial to our success, both in terms of scaling and understanding market needs. Oppy, in the early stages, provided us with invaluable insights into the retail and distribution world, helping us refine our products and processes. Their experience in logistics and relationships with retailers allowed us to hit the ground running and reach a wider audience. Oppy understood our vision and the market opportunity from the very beginning, and they have been a great partner to align with to capture the increasing indoor grown leafy greens market in North America.

Up Vertical FarmsWorking with major retailers like Costco has also been a game changer. It’s given us the ability to scale our operations and ensure that we can meet consumer demand for fresh, sustainable produce at a competitive price. These partnerships push us to continuously improve our production systems and ensure quality control at every level, from farm to store shelf. Meeting and surpassing their stringent quality and value requirements has allowed us to grow our programs and become a trusted supplier all year round – not all vertical farms can currently fulfill both.

Our business strategy has always been to build long-term relationships, not just with retailers but also with consumers, ensuring that we’re providing them with the highest quality produce while contributing to local economies. Consumers appreciate quality and value, which is evident as we steadily gain more market share. The trust we’ve built with the different retail, financial, and distribution partners has allowed us to scale efficiently while keeping our core values of innovation and sustainability intact.

Scaling Beyond Canada: Your recent expansion into Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba is a big milestone. What strategies are you using to scale operations, and how do you plan to navigate entering the U.S. market?

Expanding into provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba has been an exciting milestone. Our strategy for scaling is rooted in replicating our core operational model but adapting it to the unique needs and taste profiles of each region. Our company has recently rolled out 12 tasty salad kit offerings which pair perfectly with our crunchy baby leafy greens. Providing this many unique and market classic salad kits by a Canadian company to retail stores is another market first which we are proud of. Canadians want to eat more locally grown, fresh, long-lasting, and pesticide-free vegetables, naturally making our products highly successful and in demand. We’ve built a strong understanding of consumer preferences, which allows us to tailor our salad kit offerings to retail partners across each province.

When entering new markets, whether domestically or internationally, it’s essential to form strong partnerships with regional and national retailers and ensuring that we’re not just meeting the market’s immediate needs but also contributing to its long-term sustainability goals.

 

Up Vertical FarmsAs for entering the U.S. market, our vision and strategy is quite long term as the American consumers are also searching for the high quality and value propositions which our products offer. We also plan to leverage the scalability of our touchless technology and our proven track record in Canada to demonstrate the viability of vertical farming as a solution to food security challenges in the U.S. We are in the process of establishing strategic partnerships with American retailers with the intention to eventually have local production facilities across certain states. This expansion will in part be fueled and accelerated by the capital raise that we are currently completing.

Future of Vertical Farming in Canada: As a pioneer in Canadian vertical farming, what do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges for the industry’s growth in the country?

The future of vertical farming in Canada is incredibly promising. We currently import most of our fruits and vegetables across Canada with lettuce having one of the highest volumes. Even though Canada has a vast landmass and freshwater source, agriculture land is limited, and harsh seasonal climates do not allow for year-round field production of many staple crops. Vertical farming however offers a sustainable way to grow food close to where it’s consumed, reducing the reliance on long-distance transportation and always making fresh produce available. The demand for locally grown, pesticide-free, and sustainable food in Canada is only increasing, which presents a tremendous opportunity for vertical farming to fill that gap and help reduce the dependence on imports.

However, there are challenges to overcome. While the long-term benefits are clear, there can be a significant barrier to entry for new players. This is where partnerships, innovation, and government support will play a key role in driving the industry forward.

One of the challenges is that there is no ecosystem blueprint for new entrants to follow, and building the know-how and expertise in vertical farming can be very challenging and costly. Consumer education is another challenge. While vertical farming is becoming more well-known, there’s still a need to educate the public about the benefits of its sustainably grown produce. We have taken major strides in that direction with both partner retailers and government agencies, but continued collaboration across the industry will be critical. Other more talked about items include energy use, capital costs, and competition from existing field and greenhouse producers, all of which we have successfully managed.

Overall, I’m optimistic about the future of vertical farming in Canada. As the industry matures, we’ll see more innovation, cost reductions, and greater adoption, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and resilient food system.

After almost a decade of R&D and experience, our team at UP Vertical Farms has mastered how to build and operate vertical farms to provide affordable, profitable, and high-quality leafy greens. We are setting the benchmark in Canada for successful vertical farming by having low CapEx and OpEx coupled with high density production and yield. It’s the same know how and expertise that we are applying to other vegetable production as we bring them indoors and grow vertical. This is just the beginning – the sky’s the limit.

Learn more about Up Vertical Farms by visiting their website.

And join us at Indoor Ag-Con, March 11-12, 2025 for the panel discussion with Bahram Rashti and other leaders:

Trends In Canada: Insights From CEA Growers Across the Nation
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 11:50 AM

 

 

Mucci Farms

From The Packer: Mucci Farms Acquires Greenhill Produce

From The Packer:

Mucci Farms, an Ontario-based greenhouse grower and marketer of fresh produce, has acquired Greenhill Produce, a nearly 150-acre greenhouse facility in Kent Bridge, Ontario, according to a news release.

Part of the newly established Cox Farms company, Mucci now farms some 650-acres of greenhouses in Canada and the U.S., helping to make Cox Farms the largest owner of greenhouse acreage in North America, the release said.

The expansion follows Mucci’s recent acquisition of Hacienda Farms, a 160-acre facility in Coatsworth, Ontario.

“We’ve had the privilege of working closely with Greenhill for many years, so we know firsthand the exceptional quality of both their facilities and their crops,” said Bert Mucci, CEO of Mucci Farms. “Bringing Greenhill into the Mucci family enhances our supply chain [and offers a] more reliable supply for our partners.”

Read the full story in The Packer….

Optimizing Supply Chains of Indoor Farms: Research Participation Opportunity

Sponsorship and Research Participation Opportunity!

Overview: Dr. Eric W. Stein, Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture, and Dr. Afrooz Moatari-Kazerouni, COE partner and Assistant Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management, School of Business Administration at Widener University are working on a research paper on how to optimize supply chains of indoor farms.  This study examines the complexities of supply chain management within the context of indoor farming and addresses the critical needs for robust supply chain frameworks to support the scalability and economic viability of indoor farming.

Working Title: “Optimizing Supply Chains of Indoor Farms”

Methodology:  Online Survey

How to Contribute: Contributions include participation in the study and/or financial support.

Participation in the Survey:  Go to our website for more information. https://indooragcenter.org/research

Sponsorship Opportunity: The Center of Excellence and the authors welcome the support of the following types of organizations that may wish to contribute to the study:

  • Indoor farm operators (greenhouse and vertical farms)
  • Equipment suppliers
  • Consultants
  • Horticultural specialists
  • Academic researchers

Sponsors will be acknowledged in the paper and through various media channels (detailed description available at https://indooragcenter.org/research).

To sponsor or contribute to this research project, please contact Dr. Stein at team@indooragcenter.org for more information. More information is also available at https://indooragcenter.org/research

Vonnie Estes CEA Story for Indoor Ag Content

How indoor farms can strengthen the fresh produce supply of outdoor growers

From Vertical Farm Daily:

“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.

Read the full story from Vertical Farm Daily here…

CEA Alliance HortiDaily

CEA Alliance Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan Senate Bill to Scale Supply Chain Loan Guarantee Program at USDA

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.

Read the full story from HortiDaily …

 

A Unique Form of Funding Could Provide Relief For Indoor Vertical Farms

High Operating Costs and Shrinking VC Are Big Challenges

Indoor vertical farming has seen significant growth. In fact, the industry is expected to exceed $35.3 billion by 2032, up from $5.6 billion in 2022. It is also expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 20.8% by 2032, according to Market.us.

There’s a lot driving the trend. Supply chain issues have disrupted distribution for traditional farms. The climate crisis will continue to reduce crop yields. We’re seeing increasing demand for year-round access to fresh fruits and vegetables. And a growing population means we need more food for more people.

The world needs indoor and vertical gardening — and investors have taken notice. Last year, indoor vertical farming investments surpassed $2.4 billion.

Whether that type of investment continues is uncertain. According to PitchBook’s Q1 2023 AgTech Report, indoor farms raised $75.8 million globally across 14 deals in the first three months of 2023, down 70% in deal value from the previous quarter and 91% year-over-year. So far this year, there’s less VC funding available to fill indoor farmers’ coffers. It doesn’t mean the money’s not available; it just may be harder to obtain.

Current challenges eat away at capital

CSC Leasing Guest Post 1

Indoor farmers are facing some headwinds right now. Generally speaking, indoor and vertical growing facilities come with hefty operating costs. These organizations need significant capital to build out facilities and buy equipment.

Additionally, these facilities require a great deal of energy to operate, and that is particularly challenging as we saw electricity prices rise 10.2 percent over the last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Organizations in the industry need cash reserves to cover these high costs.

Indoor vertical gardening also requires highly skilled, qualified people to run the operations. Organizations are competing for workers with a unique skill set in a small talent pool. They need the money to both recruit them and pay them their value.

For many organizations, the cost of building and running their operations is bleeding the equity well dry. They simply don’t have the capital for activities that enable them to scale, like expanding their facilities, hiring the right people, and marketing their product.

Overcoming these challenges requires thinking outside of the box in terms of funding.

Extending the cash runway with equipment leasing 

With the potential for less money coming in from outside sources—and both the cost of inflation and energy not going anywhere in the near term—indoor and vertical farming companies will need to figure out ways to stretch the money they do have.

One way to do that is through equipment leasing, which is a flexible low-cost way to finance the type of equipment needed to build and outfit an indoor growing facility. CSC Leasing, for example, offers a non-dilutive equipment lease line up to $20 million that doesn’t have warrants or require restrictive covenants.

Also, what many business owners don’t know is that they may be eligible for a sale leaseback, where an equipment financier purchases pre-owned equipment and places it under lease. For example, CSC offers up to 100% reimbursement, providing organizations with a much-needed influx of cash.

Equipment leasing can enable organizations to:

CSC Leasing Post 2

  • Conserve equity capital and bank facilities for mission-critical growth and other key operating initiatives, rather than spending it on depreciating assets.
  • Plan more effectively and establish a safety net with predictable payments spread out over several years.
  • Hold on to equity in the business—if the lessor offers non-dilutive equipment financing options.
  • Gain the liquidity to respond quickly to overcome challenges, act on opportunities and avoid risks.
  • Stay on the cutting edge with new technology and avoid the burden of costly obsolescence and equipment disposal.

Ultimately, equipment leasing can provide indoor and vertical gardening organizations with the cash they need to continue to grow the business—even as challenges persist.

CSC leasingIf you would like to learn more about CSC’s variety of solutions, contact Jess Hawthorne at jhawthorne@cscleasing.com or 804-239-7368.

 

 

 

Codi Whittaker of Primitive Greens inside one of their farms

The Indoor Farmer Who’s Using Freight Farms to Increase Food Security for the Cayman Islands

In the Cayman Islands, Freight Farms and Primitive Greens are working to overturn the status quo of food supply.

A Freight Farm being Delivered
A Freight Farm being Delivered

With the Cayman Islands’ beauty comes a challenging food supply chain. The islands only produce about 1% of their own food, with the rest of the food they consume sourced from Jamaica, Honduras, and, largely, the United States. Relying on shipped produce results in precarious food security. To make matters worse, there are very few direct shipping lines from food-producing Caribbean islands to the Cayman Islands. With lengthy shipping routes, the fresh food that the Cayman Islands ultimately receives is no longer very fresh … and it’s also very pricey.

Enter Freight Farms’ vertical shipping container farms. Codi Whittaker, a young recent college grad, and business partner Kerry Lawrence purchased three container farms from Freight Farms to launch their business, Primitive Greens, with the goal of increasing the sustainability of life on the Cayman Islands.

A Lettuce Wall in Primitive Greens Freight Farm
A Lettuce Wall in Primitive Greens Freight Farm

The three Freight Farms allow Primitive Greens to defy the very things that make fresh food so scarce on the island: a lack of arable land, extreme weather which makes farming near-impossible, and those long shipping lines. Instead, Primitive Greens grows right near consumers, inside high-tech shipping containers right on Grand Cayman island. They work the container farms’ perfectly climate-controlled environment to their advantage to grow beautiful, coveted produce. This, they sell to grocery stores and restaurants on the island at a competitive price — offering island establishments and residents reasonably priced, long-lasting, quality produce.

A school group visits Primitive Greens
A school group visits Primitive Greens

To increase the sustainability of the business, Primitive Greens plans to install a solar and energy storage microgrid that will fuel the farms with 100% clean energy. Energy cost is up everywhere, and the Cayman Islands are not immune. Currently, Primitive Greens pays the equivalent of $0.40 USD per kilowatt hour of electricity — mostly from dirty diesel fuel offered by the local utility. (By comparison, the current average cost of energy in Los Angeles is about $0.26 USD per kilowatt hour.) The solar project, which features solar panels floating in the water of an old quarry, will not only make growing food more sustainable. It will also provide resiliency to the island, through power that is available 24/7 and independent of the electrical grid.

“We’re basically selling the community cheaper, healthier, more sustainable, locally grown food; we’re providing power for less than half the cost of diesel; we’re creating food security; we’re creating jobs; and we’re not clearing any land.” — Codi Whittaker, Co-Founder and Operator of Primitive Greens

Primitive Greens intends to send Freight Farms to each of the three Cayman Islands, to alleviate food security for the entire territory. Ultimately, they strive to be the providers of fresh produce for Cayman.

Primitive Greens was recently featured in a webinar hosted by Freight Farms on the potential for indoor farming in the Cayman Islands. Watch the conversation at https://www.freightfarms.com/visit-freight-farms/primitive-greens-live-webinar.

Freight Farms has seen incredible growth in the adoption of their technology in the Caribbean islands, many of which face challenges similar to the Cayman Islands’. From Turks and Caicos to the Bahamas, islanders are discovering the power of controlled environment agriculture to revolutionize food quality and access for themselves and their communities.

About Freight Farms:

Founded in 2012, Freight Farms debuted the first vertical hydroponic farm built inside an intermodal shipping container with the mission of democratizing and decentralizing the local production of fresh, healthy food. Since its inception, Freight Farms has refined its product offering to arrive at the Greenery™ S container farm. With global customers ranging from small business farmers to the corporate, hospitality, retail, education, and nonprofit sectors, Freight Farmers make up the largest network of connected farms in the world. AgTech Breakthrough named Freight Farms the 2022 “IoT Monitoring Solution of the Year” for its farmhand® IoT automation software.

To learn more, visit freightfarms.com or connect on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or TikTok.

Controlled Environment Agriculture Is The Future of Food

Imagine Farms Cheryl & Lisa
Imagine Farms Sisters and Co-Founders Lisa Merkle & Cheryl Arnold

Indoor AgCon 2022 was full of inspiring and informative sessions and speakers. The main takeaway: Controlled Environment Agriculture is the future of food. Growing food in a controlled environment provides a stable and dependable framework that is currently missing in our food supply chain. The ability to grow food 365 days a year regardless of season or location without pesticides or harsh chemicals is revolutionary. 

I was invited to speak on a panel discussion about shipping container farms and represent Imagine Farms, which is funny because we don’t identify as a shipping container farm although we use shipping containers as the building blocks of our system. 

We differentiate ourselves from Shipping Container Farm businesses (Freight Farms, Crop Box, etc.)  as we are not in the business of building and selling turnkey systems.

Rather, we worked with a designer to build our system, using the insulated shipping containers as a shell.  Currently, we use the shipping containers as grow rooms and adjacent functional spaces (walk in cooler, pack room, nursery). At this time, we have 8 rooms dedicated to Leafy Greens and Petite Root vegetable production and 2 rooms dedicated to Mushrooms.

Imagine FarmsThis process has inspired our vision to build a large scale production farm with groups of grow rooms that work together to grow a variety of crops under one roof – this might mean a warehouse farm with grow rooms built out and/or continuing to utilize shipping containers for this purpose (indoor or outdoors – or a combo of both). We are in the early stages of raising a Series A to build 15-20 grow rooms under one room with the addition of automation to begin to fulfill the demand in South Florida.  

Cheryl and I started in one shipping container farm that we built ourselves (with the designer) – and did it all ourselves for the first 2 years – we acquired hands-on experience growing as well as all the different aspects involved with growing and distributing food; integrated technology, tested different crops, sales, marketing, distribution, accounting, packaging, food safety, etc. Most importantly, we were able to test the market which is the framework for building the business.  

When we started Imagine Farms we appreciated the positive attributes that come with growing in a controlled environment; significant decrease in water usage when compared to field farming, growing without pesticides, and the positive aspects of ‘farm to table’ as a service. Now, it is evident that natural resources are scarce – specifically water, arable farmland and access to minerals for fertilizer.

We are facing a grain shortage that will drive up the cost of basic food and other commodities because of the war in Ukraine, while our physical resilience and mental health depend on access to fresh, healthy food. The more intelligent, motivated and passionate individuals exposed to the industry, the better. Shipping container farms placed in schools, universities, public programs and start-ups might be the greatest vehicle to accelerate this industry. 

Learn more about Imagine Farms by visiting their website or calling 844.204.0002.

Indoor Ag-Con 2022 Opening Keynote With BrightFarms and Cox Enterprises

BrightFarms, Cox Enterprises Kick Off Indoor Ag-Con 2022

BrightFarms CEO Steve Platt & Cox Enterprises VP Steven Bradley Kick Off Indoor Ag-Con 2022 With Opening Morning Keynote Address  

December 14, 2021 BrightFarms CEO Steve Platt and Cox Enterprises VP Steven Bradley will lead the opening morning keynote address for the 9th annual edition of Indoor Ag-Con, scheduled for Feb. 28 – Mar. 1, 2022, at Caesars Forum, Las Vegas, Nev. Themed “Growing Your Business,” the premier trade show and conference for indoor|vertical farming will give attendees the opportunity to explore new resources on the expo floor and hear from Platt & Bradley, other CEOs, thought leaders and industry experts from today’s cutting-edge farms and CEA companies.

“When Cox Enterprises acquired BrightFarms earlier this year, the industry took notice,” says Brian Sullivan, co-owner, Indoor Ag-Con LLC. “We are thrilled to welcome Steve Platt and Steven Bradley to our keynote stage to share their exciting growth plans and vision for the future of our industry. It promises to be an inspiring kick-off to this year’s conference!”

During the opening morning keynote – 8:00– 8:50 am on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022 — Platt and Bradley will share how BrightFarms and Cox are working together to transform the indoor farming industry – further strengthening its position as a sustainable platform for the future.

Steve Platt is CEO of the mission-driven indoor farming leader BrightFarms, and a veteran Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) executive with a proven record of growing brands. Under Steve’s leadership, BrightFarms was acquired by lead investor Cox Enterprises in 2021, resulting in a clear roadmap for future growth and a positive exit for initial investors. His passion for BrightFarms’ mission and products led him to the company, which grows pesticide-free leafy greens in its six high-tech facilities across the country. BrightFarms grows and delivers its greens to local retailers as soon as 24-hours from harvest, producing fresher and more nutritious salads, and significantly reducing overall environmental impact compared to West Coast farms.

As Vice President of Cox Cleantech for Cox Enterprises, Steve Bradley is responsible for building new cleantech verticals that tackle sustainability challenges while driving profitability, topline growth and diversification of the core business. With Bradley’s leadership, the Cox Cleantech team is investing in and acquiring solutions that positively transform key sectors including food, waste and energy to more sustainably meet the needs of the world’s rapidly growing global population.

ROBUST 2022 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE NOW IN DEVELOPMENT
In addition to Platt & Bradley’s opening morning keynote, look for additional announcements coming soon on other headliner keynote presentations planned for the February edition. The 2022 conference will also include a full roster of panel discussions offering a deep dive into three core tracks – Grower, Business & Technology.

Attendees will find more new initiatives and show highlights to explore in February, including:

CO-LOCATION WITH NATIONAL GROCERS ASSOCATION SHOW
New for 2022, Indoor Ag-Con will co-locate with the National Grocers Association (NGA) Show, the leading trade show and conference for independent grocers, offering even more networking and business opportunities for attendees and exhibitors alike. The NGA Show and Indoor Ag-Con visitors will have access to all exhibits, and discounts will be available for cross-over educational event attendance. Look for more details coming soon.

EXPANDED EXHIBIT FLOOR
2022 will also welcome the largest expo floor yet for Indoor Ag-Con. From irrigation and LED lighting to environmental control systems, substrates, greenhouse equipment, energy solutions, business services and more, attendees will have the chance to see the latest introductions and innovations from some of the biggest names in the business, as well as emerging leaders.

MORE NETWORKING
Exhibitors and attendees can enjoy complimentary luncheons on the show floor each day, a show floor cocktail reception, breakout sessions and other opportunities to reconnect with friends and meet new business partners.

QUICK FACTS:
WHEN: Monday, Feb. 28 – Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2022
WHERE: Caesars Forum, 3911 Koval Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89101
INFO: For information on exhibiting or attending visit www.indoor.ag or email suzanne@indoor.ag

ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON LLC
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the premier trade event for vertical farming | indoor agriculture, the practice of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic techniques. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis | hemp, alternate protein and non-food crops. In December 2018, three event industry professionals – Nancy Hallberg, Kris Sieradzki and Brian Sullivan – acquired Indoor Ag-Con LLC, setting the stage for further expansion of the event. More information: www.indoor.ag

Q & A With 80 Acres Farms CEO Mike Zelkind

Indoor Ag-Con is excited to announced that 80 Acres Farms Co-Founder & CEO  Mike Zelkind will lead one of the headliner CEO Keynote presentations during our October 4-5, 2021 edition at the Hilton Orlando,Mike Zelkind CEO 80 Acres Farms Indoor Ag-Con Keynote Orlando 2021

Utilizing world-class technology and analytics, 80 Acres Farms offers customers a wide variety of pesticide-free food with a longer shelf life that exceeds the highest food safety standards.  And, this vertical farming leader has been making headlines over the past year in a number of areas — from the opening of a new farm to expanded retail partnerships, new research iniatitives and more.

Ahead of his upcoming Indoor Ag-Con October keynote, we had the chance to catch up with Mike to learn more about his company’s exciting developments AND  his thoughts on the fast-growing indoor farming industry itself.

We’re all very excited for you to share what’s been happening at 80 Acres ‘live and in person’ this October in Orlando at Indoor Ag Con – especially news on your incredible new Hamilton, Ohio facility, which opened in January of this year. How’s everything growing there? Any updates you’d like to share?

80 Acres CEO Keynote at Indoor Ag-Con 2021It’s been a fantastic year for us! We opened our largest automated farm in the Fall of 2020, scaling our technology and production 10x greater than prior. Yield, quality, and efficiencies exceeded expectations out of the gate and allowed us to hit our unit economics.

A few months later, we announced our expanded partnership with Kroger, offering nine products across over 300 stores in 4 different regions.

We were also proud to achieve the Kosher certification for our products, one more tool to communicate our promise of exceptionally high quality to consumers.

Lastly, we were honored to tell the story of 80 Acres Farms on a global stage on the BBC docuseries “Follow the Food.”  It was inspiring to showcase the farms we built in our revitalizing city of Hamilton, OH.

 

Help our readers understand your role as CEO of 80 Acres as well as that of your colleague, Tisha Livingston, and her role as CEO at Infinite Acres?

Tisha and I have been in the food industry for over 30 years each, running manufacturing and operations for some of America’s most-loved brands. We have worked together for more than a decade and decided to leave our careers and start our venture, 80 Acres Farms.Mike Zelkind and Tisha Livingston

We wanted to bring fresh food closer to communities, and we felt indoor farming was the answer. I am 80 Acres Farms CEO and Tisha, President. When we built our first commercial farm, not everything scaled as planned. Luckily, we had a fantastic partner, Priva, that was there to help us work thru the complexities.

80 Acres realized that to scale vertical farming, we had to collaborate with world-class companies, and Infinite Acres was born. We launched Infinite Acres in 2019 with our two partners Ocado, UK’s largest online grocer, and Priva, global leading horticulture innovators.

Tisha became CEO of Infinite Acres and resides in the Netherlands half the time each month. Infinite Acres now oversees the technology involved in building and scaling farms globally.

80 Acres is the preferred operator to create an end-to-end solution for customers. The partnership has strengthened our global presence and ability to scale the technology.

Given some of the big industry news of late regarding companies like AppHarvest, Bowery and others (AeroFarms SPAC), how would you describe what you are seeing in terms of industry growth, over the past say three years?

80 Acres Farm CEO Mike Zelkind Keynote Indoor Ag-con 2021Retailers and consumers have a growing appetite for fresh food grown indoors. Retailers want fresher food with shorter supply chains to significantly reduce supply inefficiencies, inconsistent quality and reduce food waste. In addition, consumers are more aware of how their food is grown and its effect on the environment. Therefore, they want food grown with zero, not fewer, pesticides with the highest nutritional value and grown close to store for longer-lasting freshness.

As for the industry, the technology advancements are maturing, better suited for the environments, and costs are coming down to make getting into the business more attainable and farms’ ability to become profitable.

Breeders are beginning to focus on identifying seed varieties beyond lettuce to find characteristics best suited for indoor environments, increasing yield, flavor, and quality.

The advancements in lighting, robotics, automation, breeding, and standardization have led to scaling. The industry and technology weren’t quite ready before now. The culmination of consumer desires and technology advancements has led to extreme growth for the industry. Together with, the great companies you mention above as well as the many other pioneers, we are reinventing the produce industry.  It’s an exciting time for agriculture!80 Acres Farms

Can you share any updates on research projects you have planned through the new collaborative research agreement 80 Acres has with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station?

Years ago, we build our R&D facility In Arkansas. Late last year we began upgrading It to become a world class R&D Center of Excellence. Our neighbor, University of Arkansas, Is a logical first partner for the facility, but many more are coming soon. The partnerships we are forming are wholistic.

 

Don’t miss Mike Zelkind’s Indoor Ag-Con Orlando 2021 Keynote Address on Tuesday, October 5 at 11:30 AM
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