Does Quality Matter? If So, Prove It.

If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. We all know brands with products and services that represent quality. But have you ever been the person responsible for selling quality? For earning the premium price associated with producing quality products?   Since my first job in 1996, every company I worked for, represented or […]

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Acuity Brands Reaches Agreements with Current Lighting Solutions, Hort Americas to Expand Acuity’s Horticulture Lighting Offering

Agreements include acquiring horticulture lighting products from Current to be exclusively distributed by Hort Americas, a leading supplier to the controlled environment agriculture market. ATLANTA, November 27, 2023 – Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE: AYI) (“Company”) announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire the Arize® family of horticulture lighting products from Current Lighting […]

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The Biggest Challenge for CEA, LABOR

In July 2023, I posted the article The 2023 Controlled Environment Agriculture Market – How Are We Evolving? After fielding several questions and comments from industry professionals who I really respect, I feel the need for one (maybe two) follow-up articles.  This article is first because I firmly believe labor is the biggest challenge we […]

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University of Florida Greenhouse Training Online NEW ONLINE COURSE: Climate Management starts October 16!

A new Climate Management online course has been added to the award-winning Greenhouse Online Training series offered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension (UF). Climate Management will take your environmental control knowledge to an expert level and help you produce crops under optimal conditions. Topics covered include photoperiod and supplemental lighting, plant energy balance, […]

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Where can you get accurate information about indoor farm production?

One of the major objectives of OptimIA project researchers was to establish an outreach program to engage with stakeholders in the indoor vertical farming community. Photo courtesy of Chris Higgins, Hort Americas OptimIA project members are sharing their indoor farm research findings with the controlled environment agriculture industry and the public through a variety of […]

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NC State’s Collado and Hernandez Research Cannabis Water Use Under Supplemental Light

North Carolina State University researchers Professor Ricardo Hernandez and Cristian Collado worked with Current’s Arize® Element L1000 LED top lighting in a greenhouse setting to explore the impact of light levels on the production of cuttings, plant growth, flower production, quality, and water use of a cannabis sativa variety commonly cultivated for its high levels […]

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JPFA International Symposium on Plant Factory in Chiba, Japan on Sept. 4-5

The “JPFA International Symposium on Plant Factory” will be held on September 4 and September 5, 2023, at the Kashiwa-no-ha Conference Center and online, organized by the Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA). There will be keynote speeches on the latest technology and interdisciplinary research on PFALs and open discussions on business trends, needs for technology […]

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GLASE Consortium Announces New Executive Director: Gretchen Schimelpfenig

The Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering consortium prepares for growth and resilience [Ithaca, New York] – The Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium is thrilled to introduce Gretchen Schimelpfenig as their new Executive Director. With an impressive background in Civil Engineering and extensive experience in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry, Gretchen brings a […]

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Can leafy greens be profitably grown in indoor farms?

OptimIA economic researchers determined on average, a 1 percent increase in wages would reduce an indoor farm’s profit per square meter for a day of production by 6 cents. A 1 percent increase in the price of electricity would reduce profits by 5 cents per square meter per day. Photo courtesy of Murat Kacira, Univ. […]

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Boon Consulting Adds Advisory Board Member to Expand Growth in Greenhouse Market

Hendersonville, NC  – Boon Greenhouse Consultancy sees the addition of industry veteran Christopher Higgins to their Advisory Board as a way to provide additional strategic guidance to the company’s already innovative approach to greenhouse growing processes and operations that are tailored to unique agricultural businesses. Serge Boon (owner of Boon Greenhouse Consultancy) is in no […]

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Wait…What, Grapevines can benefit from CEA?

Photo: Somewhere mysteriously in California  Grapes are an economically important commodity, supplying fresh, dried, and processed markets worldwide. Although grapes are not a crop you immediately consider a beneficiary of CEA technology, it may be possible to adapt field agriculture, putting in measures to circumvent climate change and disease.  The last few years I’ve been […]

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 Controlled Environment Agriculture Summit East Announces Return in September 2023

Indoor Ag-Con, Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center To Co-Host 2nd Annual Edition September 19-20, 2023 in Danville, VA DANVILLE, VA–  The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East is proud to announce its return on September 19-20, 2023 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, VA. Focused on convening the CEA industry and academia, […]

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Take Part in the 2023 State of CEA Report

Survey to provide insight on emerging Controlled Environment Agriculture trends now live SEATTLE, WA March 20, 2023 – IUNU today released their fourth State of CEA Survey. This survey will provide insights on emerging trends and challenges in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry. IUNU has been releasing the leading industry report on CEA since […]

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DLC Begins Accepting Applications March 31 Under its Version 3.0 Horticultural Lighting Technical Requirements

March 15 webinar will provide an overview of the application process MEDFORD, MA – March 13, 2023 – The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) will begin accepting applications on March 31 from horticultural lighting manufacturers interested in qualifying their products under the DLC’s Horticultural Lighting Technical Requirements Version 3.0. Finalized in December 2022, the V3.0 requirements increase the efficacy and establish […]

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