Why does greenhouse equipment need to be simple?

By Chris Higgins What is the number one thing to look for in commercial horticulture and agriculture equipment? Simplicity. Simple well engineered commercial horticulture equipment performs best. Regardless of the product or the product category the best selling and most successfully used products are easy to learn, easy to use and easy to fix.  But, this […]

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When will artificial intelligence come to the commercial greenhouse industry?

Developing the right information infrastructure could result in autonomous greenhouses that generate higher profits and yields and lower operational costs. Watching news reports on the COVID-19 pandemic one quickly realizes the importance accurate data plays in our everyday lives. Most industries are data-driven, whether this data relates to business management or specific production-related operations. For […]

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How will you ensure that your small business survives both COVID-19 and the post COVID-19 economy?

By Chris Higgins Over the past few months I have watched many small farmers who were solely focused on servicing the food service and restaurant industry change simply to stay alive.  I have been amazed and impressed by their conviction and ability to create new opportunities to survive.  Their actions have inspired me to share […]

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Interested in how to do urban agriculture production?

Purdue Extension’s Urban Agriculture Certificate program offers participants the opportunity to learn how to successfully produce crops in urban settings. In these uncertain times of the coronavirus, food shortages and food inequity, the concept of growing food in urban locations is gaining greater interest. The lack of access to fresh produce and the existence of […]

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Why I still believe in Red/Blue LED Grow Lights

Top 3 Reasons to Consider RED/BLUE LED Grow Lights By Chris Higgins LED grow lights have been a very hot topic for more than a decade now and as with any (relatively) new technology, the first decade of LED grow lights has seen massive changes and improvements.  From the amount of companies selling LED grow […]

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Bringing food equity to Dallas

Residents in south Dallas communities are being offered more access to fresh healthy produce through the Oak Cliff Veggie Project and Mobile Food Market. Finding fresh, healthy food in south Dallas can be a challenge for its residents. “The city of Dallas has actively been trying to place grocery stores or more stores that provide […]

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Digital Farming’s “Up in the Air” Moment

By Rodrigo M. Pereyra  I was recently watching the movie “Up in the Air” and beyond being a great portrayal of the human cost of job loss and itinerancy of modern life, I was interested by another thread in the story: the introduction of new technology to fundamentally change a business. During an argument with […]

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The Value of Third-Party Verification for Horticultural Lighting

By Leora Radetsky The US vertical farming market is projected to reach $3 billion by 2024, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of over 24 percent, according to a February 2019 report. Another report, by the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, put the annual electricity consumption of US horticultural […]

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How is FresH2O Growers offering consumers “fresher, greener, healthier” lettuce?

FresH2O Growers is using a hydroponic production system to supply East Coast consumers with organic leafy greens. Anyone involved with the commercial horticulture industry is likely familiar with the van Wingerden family and the impact it has had on the production and marketing of ornamental plants. However, one member of the van Wingerden family is […]

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Robots to run commercial farms and I still don’t have a real hoverboard

It’s hard to believe we are already in the year 2020.  For someone who was born in the 1970’s, it has been a bit of a let down.  I feel like I was promised flying cars, robots, hoverboards and bubble covered cities.  I must admit that I was most excited for the hoverboards, but unfortunately […]

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5 Things You Need to Know About Financing Your Farm

By Chris Rawley, CEO of Harvest Returns More producers are turning to indoor farming today to meet the demand for locally-grown produce, for its environmental benefits, and as a sustainable way to transform the food system. Building a new greenhouse or equipping a vertical farm can require significant amounts of capital. Indoor growers are faced […]

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Are Consumers and Growers Putting Dollars in the Local Food Industry? – Great Lakes Ag Tech Summit

On September 23, 2019, Urban Ag News, Hort Americas and GE Current, a Daintree company hosted the inaugural Great Lakes Ag Tech Summit. Held at the historic Nela Park campus in Cleveland, the event featured keynotes and panel discussions from leading researchers and innovative growers in the Great Lakes region who are shaping the future […]

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Could open source agriculture revolutionize the industry?

Open source agriculture could redefine how plants are developed and produced. The terms “open source” and “open source technology” are most often used when referring to the development of computer software. Computer software source code is what programmers use to change how a software program or application operates. Attorney Andrew St. Laurent in his book […]

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Optimizing Plant Production Under a Controlled Environment – Great Lakes Ag Tech Summit

On September 23, 2019, Urban Ag News, Hort Americas and GE Current, a Daintree company hosted the inaugural Great Lakes Ag Tech Summit. Held at the historic Nela Park campus in Cleveland, the event featured keynotes and panel discussions from leading researchers and innovative growers in the Great Lakes region who are shaping the future […]

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