Green Sense Farms to expand its vertical farming operations in the U.S. and China

Originally published in Issue 13, April 2016 To meet the increasing demand for clean, safe produce in both the U.S. and China, Green Sense Farms looks to open additional vertical farming operations along with a training facility to create job-ready graduates to grow in controlled environments. Robert Colangelo, founding farmer and CEO at Green Sense […]

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Duron Chavis is helping people eat and live healthier through urban agriculture

Originally published in Issue 13, April 2016 Duron Chavis, indoor urban farm director at Virginia State University, is helping citizens of Richmond and Petersburg, Va., have access to locally-grown produce year round. When Duron Chavis started the Happily Natural Day festival in Richmond, Va., in 2003, he never imagined how this one day event would […]

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Crop diversification helps ensure Westland Orchids and Westland Produce stay profitable

Originally published in Issue 12 As the U.S. market for ornamental and food crops continues to evolve, Westland Orchids and Westland Produce are looking for products that consumers are willing to pay for and are profitable. When Jerry Van Wingerden started growing greenhouse cut flowers at Westland Orchids Inc. in Carpinteria, Calif., in 1971, he […]

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Taiwan’s plant factories focused on fast-growing crops with high yields, high economic value

Originally published in Issue 12 Taiwan’s plant factories are looking to meet the increasing demand for out-of-season and specialty greens and to reduce the dependence on imported food crops. Plant factories in Taiwan are operated primarily by private companies. Currently there are less than 100 of these operations in the country, producing primarily salad greens. […]

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How Growers are Producing Safe Food

Originally published in Issue 11 As the rules of the Food Safety Modernization Act are finalized, greenhouse growers will be required to ensure the edible crops they produce are safe for human consumption. Recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 48 million people are sickened each year by foodborne pathogens. […]

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Houweling’s Tomatoes showcases “The future of farming” at its new greenhouse facility

Originally published in Issue 11, Oct. 2015 Houweling’s Tomatoes’ new 28-acre greenhouse operation in Mona, Utah, is using waste heat and carbon dioxide from a nearby power plant to sustainably produce tomatoes year-round. During the second week of February this year Houweling’s Tomatoes began harvesting tomatoes at its new 28-acre greenhouse facility in Mona, Utah. […]

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Village farms uses technology to increase efficiency & produce better crops

Originally published in Issue 10 Mike DeGiglio, president and chief executive officer at Village Farms International, spoke with Urban Ag News about his company’s approach to technology and how it’s using it to be more efficient and profitable. When was Village Farms started and how has it expanded in size? I started Village Farms in […]

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Taking a lean approach to vertical farming

Originally published in Issue 9 Dan Albert, owner of Farmbox Greens, made the decision to start slow and expand his vertical farm system on his own terms rather than seeking outside investor capital. Dan Albert’s first exposure to vertical farming came in 2008 during a design competition for the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual conference. “The […]

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Strawberries can be adapted to greenhouse production systems

Originally published in Issue 9 Greenhouse growers looking to diversify into edible crops may want to consider strawberries, which can be adapted to production systems they are currently using for other crops. Greenhouse growers looking to diversify their product mix with a fall to spring edible crop might want to consider strawberries. “There is still […]

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Job layoff kick starts vertical farming venture

Landscape architect Jeffrey Orkin never planned to start his own vertical growing operation, but a job lay off and a passion for sustainability led to the launch of Greener Roots Farm. After six years of college and landing a position with a large architecture and engineering firm in Nashville, Tenn., Jeffrey Orkin thought his career […]

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Japan Plant Factories are providing a safe, reliable food source

Originally published in Issue 6 Japan’s plant factories are expanding to meet the increasing demand for safe, pesticide-free, locally-grown food. Japan has more plant factories (PFs) than any other country. The largest number of plant factories are located in Okinawa Prefecture near Taiwan. The rapid commercialization and financial subsidization by the Japanese government of PFs, […]

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The nuances of crop fertilization

Originally published in Issue 5 Regardless of the crop being grown or the irrigation system being used, growers face the same issues related to water quality, nutrient delivery and nutrient uptake. One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to fertilizing plants. Regardless of the crop being grown, whether ornamental or vegetable, different species have […]

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Vertical farm competes with conventional ag

Originally published in Issue 5 Famgro Farms is using a vertical farm production system to successfully compete with conventional farming to produce healthier, better tasting food. Steve Fambro, CEO at Famgro Farms in Oceanside, Calif., isn’t your typical farmer. And his “farm” isn’t the typical agricultural operation. It’s located in a 10,000-square-foot building that was […]

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Love of Agriculture Realized in Hydroponic Greenhouse Operation at Eden Farms Inc.

Originally published in Issue 3 Randy Butts spent 10 years working as an engineer before he made the decision to do what he really wanted to do—become a grower. Randy Butts started Eden Farms Inc. in Lebanon, Ind., in August 2006. Before starting his hydroponic greenhouse operation he got sidetracked for 10 years working as […]

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