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 […]

Continue Reading

Urban Ag News continues to evolve and expand with the controlled environment agriculture industry

Originally published in Issue 10 Urban Ag News was started as a tool to provide people interested in controlled environment agriculture with an unbiased information resource. Chris Higgins, founder of Urban Ag News, said the idea for this information resource began with conversations he had with vendors of horticultural and agricultural products. “The idea started […]

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

September Johannesburg Summit on Launching Successful Commercial Indoor Farming in Africa and its Cities

South Africa will play host to the inaugural Urban Agri Summit 2017 in Johannesburg this September 7-8. The two-day event will bring together stakeholders from the Vertical Farming, Greenhouse and Control Environment Agriculture sectors to discuss Launching Successful Commercial Indoor farming for Africa. Feeding Africa’s rapidly growing urban population is a daunting challenge for Governments. […]

Continue Reading

Green Sense Radio Show: Urban Farming and LED grow lights

Controlled Environment Agriculture growing with LED lights March 31, 2017 Price and technology is changing to make controlled environment agriculture more affordable and efficient. Growing indoors with LED grow lights is becoming more important. It also allows growing year-round in environments and locations where there isn’t much sunlight throughout the year. About Green Sense Radio: Founding […]

Continue Reading

Grow North Texas – How a Dallas Based Non-Profit Plans to Change the Way We Eat

Introducing a City to Locally Grown Food Grow North Texas is a nonprofit that seeks to connect North Texans to food, farms, and community in order to create a sustainable, secure regional food system that enriches the land, encourages economic opportunity through food and agriculture, and supports equitable access to healthy, nutritious food for all. […]

Continue Reading

Short Film: Omaha Public Schools Support Urban Agriculture

It’s a pleasure for Urban Ag News to blog about and share the new short film from the group Nebraska Loves Public Schools* based in Omaha, Nebraska. The film details how more than 160 students from diverse backgrounds are now taking part in an Omaha Public Schools’ Urban Agriculture Academy. When one thinks of Nebraska, […]

Continue Reading
Sam Wells (Picking Snap Peas at Renewal Farm in Garrison, NY) (1)

Project Renewal & The Bedford Green House – Renewing Lives. Reclaiming Hope.

“Angels among us” was my first thought when I recently spoke to Sam Wells of Project Renewal (http://www.projectrenewal.org/) based in Lower Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. At Urban Ag News we’re all about educating our readers and sharing the good news surrounding controlled environment agriculture, so it was refreshing when I was contacted by Sam who was […]

Continue Reading

Urban Ag News Online Magazine Issue 13

Click here to download the issue. Urban Ag News Issue 13  |  April 2016 Spring has sprung and so has Urban Ag News Issue 13. Be sure to check out the latest issue which contains some great articles and videos on controlled environment agriculture and urban farming. Urban Ag News’ Issue 13 cover story looks at […]

Continue Reading

The Diane Rehm Show: The Growth Of Large-Scale Indoor Urban Farming

The face of agriculture is dramatically changing in and around cities worldwide. From Anchorage, Alaska to Tokyo, Japan, multi-story indoor farms provide fresh produce, fish and other products to local residents. Some facilities are greenhouses using natural sunlight, others use grow lights. Proponents of these farms argue they use less water and pesticides, while reducing […]

Continue Reading
CBOP-riococo-coir

Hort Americas offers OMRI-certified Riococo coir substrates

Hort Americas offers several Riococo coir substrate products. Two of those substrates recently received OMRI certification for use in organic crop production. Riococo Coir Starter Blocks allow growers to propagate easier and faster to produce healthy plants organically. These biodegradable blocks are made from a 100 percent coir fiber compressed disc packed in biodegradable cellulose paper. […]

Continue Reading
City of Irvine

Irvine: Planning Agriculture for the 21st Century – by Jim Pantaleo

In 1972 I moved to rural Irvine from nearby Huntington Beach, best known as Surf City, USA. At the time Irvine was the agricultural heart of Orange County in Southern California. I was 7 years old and a resident of one of the new housing tracts cum planned communities surrounded by farm land. Along with […]

Continue Reading

Innovators Calling Attention to Urban Agriculture — In a Big Way

We love sharing urban ag goodness. It’s a celebratory moment for all when we hear news such as Whole Foods building a rooftop greenhouse and partnership with Gotham Greens. And how The Farmery is creating their own version of what grocery shopping should look like. Both fascinating and exciting for our industry. In our latest Urban […]

Continue Reading

8 Grow Tips From a Cold Climate, Hydroponic, Greenhouse Tomato Grower

While every greenhouse operation has its struggles, northern regions are burdened with environmental elements that could make or break a business, in one season. Read how Matt Fox, owner and founder of Fox Greenhouses located on a Century Farm in Dallas Center, Iowa, combats the weather and turns a nice profit in a shorter growing season […]

Continue Reading