Webinar: Labor Requirements in Indoor Agriculture

The Laboratoire sur l’agriculture urbaine (Urban Agriculture Lab) is collaborating on a webinar on labor requirements in indoor agriculture. The webinar will be led by Dr. Simone Valle de Souza, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University. The indoor agriculture (IA) offers an environmentally sustainable alternative to small or large-scale leafy green production, even in regions […]

Continue Reading

Japan Plant Factory Association workshops focus on plant factory production, business issues

Originally published in Issue 13 By Eri Hayashi, Japan Plant Factory Association, Industry Expert For anyone who believes plant factories (PFALs)/vertical farms are only for leafy greens or for anyone who has given up growing strawberries in plant factories, they may have to reconsider their way of thinking. There is a great future ahead for […]

Continue Reading

Urban agritourism brings extra farm revenue

Originally published in Issue 14 By Mitch Hagney Sometimes rather than bringing crops to the customers, customers come to the crops. The public’s enthusiasm for urban farming goes far beyond buying the produce, and that means that many customers seek to be more than just recipients of local food, they want to be participants in the […]

Continue Reading

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. […]

Continue Reading

Are you really ready to start your urban farm operation?

By David Ceaser Originally published in Issue 10 So, you have been dreaming about starting an urban farm or are about to launch your new career with an indoor farm. You have gotten funding from friends and family (and Kickstarter) but have you really dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s as far as […]

Continue Reading

Is the typical annual salary for farming in Dallas acceptable?

What’s your definition of a living wage? Average wage for farming is $21,680. This does not cover the annual living expenses for a family of 4 in Dallas, Texas (fairly cheap place to live.) Not even if you multiple it by two assuming both adults are working. Thoughts? (Info graphic was created by Urban Ag […]

Continue Reading

Ground Operations: from battlefields to farmfields

Ground Operations – Trailer from Raymond Singer on Vimeo. Veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan often face overwhelming challenges transitioning to civilian life. Ground Operations is the story of a growing number of veterans who’ve discovered farming as a way to heal from the trauma of war and continue their service by […]

Continue Reading