The online certification teaches producers how to best manage produce safety risks. Newark, DE – The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has announced the launch of its eLearning certificate course Essentials of Produce Safety, an entirely online, affordable and in-depth program covering the key challenges and best practices in produce safety. The course is the first certificate program in PMA’s new educational platform offering, FreshEd Academy. The course was developed in partnership with Intertek Alchemy, the industry leader in produce safety eLearning solutions. “FreshEd Academy is our commitment to delivering thought leadership to the produce and floral industries, while providing member…
Author: urbanagnews
Barclays and Unreasonable Group launch $1,000,000 fund for entrepreneurial solutions addressing challenges resulting from the global pandemic July 8, 2020 – LONDON – 80 Acres Farms has been awarded a $100,000 grant in recognition of the exceptional work being undertaken in addressing the immediate and long-term challenges resulting from the effects of the global pandemic. Unreasonable Impact COVID-19 Response is a new initiative launched by Barclays and Unreasonable Group awarding $100,000 grants each to ten Unreasonable ventures that have pivoted their businesses to combat challenges related to COVID19. The grant is designed to support and amplify the impact of the…
Leaders From Kalera, Vertical Harvest, Artesian Farms, & Danforth Plant Science Center Join Indoor Ag-Conversations Webinar Series LAS VEGAS –Whether just starting out or looking for fresh new ideas to bolster a current operation, the CEO panelists joining the July 22, 2020 Indoor Ag-Conversations free webinar series from Indoor Ag-Con will offer participants a wealth of business-building ideas to get a farm going and growing. Moderated by Claire Kinlaw, Director of Innovation Commercialization, The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, “How To Get An Indoor Farm Up & Running” webinar panelists include Daniel Malechuk, CEO, Kalera; Nona Yehia, CEO & Co-Founder,…
Bloomberg anchors Alix Steel and Guy Johnson interviewed AppHarvest Founder & CEO Jonathan Webb this week about the company’s focus on building more resilient food systems. “Coming out of COVID, we need to be building more resiliency into our systems — food, health and energy,” Webb told Steel. “We can see through COVID how weak and vulnerable some of these systems are. If you think there are cracks in health care, I encourage your viewers to look at agriculture.” The United Nations recently released a report on the coronavirus’ impact on food security and supply chains, noting border restrictions and…
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida has announced the creation of the UF/IFAS Food Systems Institute, which will bring together the university’s top researchers to find solutions to feeding the world in a way that is economically and environmentally sustainable. “This institute brings together global engagement with what we call systems thinking – addressing world hunger by researching how every part of the field-to-fork process affects every other part. It’s a search for how to deliver the most abundant, nutritious and affordable food possible for the greatest number of people,” said Jack Payne, who retires on July 12 as…
AgTech leaders Autogrow and Agritecture Consulting have launched their 2nd Annual Global CEA Census, focusing on understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operations around the world. “We’re all operating in a unique situation right now and what’s required is a reality check. All of us, including growers, suppliers, distributors, government and financial institutions, need a clear view of what should be implemented, ensuring farm operators address a raft of challenges to continue to feed communities,” explains Autogrow CEO, Darryn Keiller. “In every major market, media coverage of farms has made clear the high COVID-19…
From Title24Stakeholders The Draft CASE Report for Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH) measures proposed in the 2022 California Title 24, Part 6 code cycle is now available for public review and comment. The public review period will last until Friday, July 24. We encourage you to review the Draft CASE Report and provide comments and feedback. Comments will be used to inform the development of the Final CASE Report. The Draft CASE Report can be found here: https://title24stakeholders.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/NR-CEH-Draft-CASE-Report.pdf Comments can be e-mailed to info@title24stakeholders.com. If you’d like to sign up to receive email updates on the code development process, you can sign up…
OptimIA offers free indoor ag webinar on July 29, 2020 The OptimIA (Optimizing Indoor Agriculture) project team invites indoor farmers, allied trades, and professionals to their first annual meeting to share recent research results with leafy greens and discuss future activities. OptimIA is a USDA-supported Specialty Crop Research Initiative project to advance the emerging indoor farming industry to become more profitable and sustainable through critical research and extension activities. View the agenda and register at http://scri-optimia.org/stakeholder2020.php. The webinar is free, but space is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. OptimIA Director and PIs Erik Runkle, Michigan State University (Project Director)Murat Kacira, University…
Japan plant factory association (JPFA) is delighted to inform that its 138th workshop, online viewing, has just started and will be available until July 15th at 13:00 (JST). The sessions include the presentation of 80 Acres Farms on tomato production in PFAL/indoor vertical farms, in addition to in-depth discussion with JPFA, mainly on the difference between tomato production in PFAL and greenhouse, a survey report on the impact of COVID-19 by JPFA and a lively panel discussion on the production/hygiene management, future perspective and market creation, etc. with leading plant factory companies from Japan and China, such as 808 Factory,…
Press Release – Communication on when and how much to irrigate is critical in the production of high quality, uniform plants. The University of Florida IFAS Extension has developed short and simple videos in English and Spanish (“The 1 to 5 Moisture Scale for Container Substrates” / “La Escala de Humedad de 1 a 5 para Sustratos de Macetas”) on its YouTube channel (tinyurl.com/UFGTO) that define the 1 to 5 moisture scale used to manage irrigation of container plants. One of the most challenging aspects in irrigation management is to communicate when and how much to water. How do you…
This comprehensive presentation includes all basics of selecting LED lighting for plant production and the update of recent light quality research at the Runkle Lab at MSU, discussing how lettuce crop responds to blue, green and far-red which affect morphological extension growth. Indoor Ag Science Café is an outreach program of a project OptimIA, funded by USDA SCRI grant program (http://www.scri-optimia.org). The café forums are designed to serve as precompetitive communication platform among scientists and indoor farming professionals. The Café presentations are available from YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjwIeYlKrzH_uppaf2SwMIg4JyGb7LRXC Contact Chieri Kubota at the Ohio State University (Kubota.10@osu.edu) to be a Café member to participate.
Multiple USDA representatives assured the Aquaponics Association that aquaponics operations producing qualified crops are eligible for financial support through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The Deadline to apply is August 28, 2020. Growers are also eligible for Small Business Administration Programs. By Thomas Wheet and Brian Filipowich, originally published by the Aquaponics Association The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the American agricultural industry in unprecedented ways. Farmers have watched harvests spoil, been forced to destroy crops, and have euthanized livestock due to the shifts in consumer behavior. The USDA created the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to assist farms that have suffered economically due to…
Connecting Technology & Business to Create Healthy, Resilient Food Systems The Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit is going virtual! This year’s summit will be live online on July 23, 2020, providing an essential opportunity for the industry to meet, network and exchange ideas at this critical time for our industry. The world’s leading farm operators, food retailers and investors will present live, before hosting virtual discussion groups on the emerging trends and technologies that will shape your business as we emerge from the current crisis into a redesigned food system: Key Themes: Finding Growth in Crisis: Responding to a Rapidly Changing…
Blackberries ripen in Florida in May and June, so it’s an ideal time to be thinking about how to grow more of them. Those who produce blackberries in Florida want to increase their yield, and UF/IFAS faculty want to help farmers boost their output. Unfortunately, a UF/IFAS team also knows that those who grow blackberries face barriers in the market. Like all crops in Florida, blackberries can grow better if they improve their tolerance to the heat, humidity and wet climate of the state. Zhanao Deng, a professor of environmental horticulture at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center…