Originally published at https://aquaponicsassociation.org/2019-aquaponics-food-safety-statement/ The Aquaponics Association presents the 2019 Aquaponics Food Safety Statement, signed by over 130 organizations, including 98 from the U.S. This statement explains the food safety credentials of produce grown in aquaponic systems. PDF version: 2019 Aquaponics Food Safety Statement December 9, 2019Aquaponics Food Safety Statement Established Science Confirms Aquaponic Fish and Produce are Food Safe Aquaponics is a food production method integrating fish and plants in a closed, soil-less system. This symbiotic relationship mimics the biological cycles found in nature. Aquaponics has been used as a farming technique for thousands of years and is now seeing large-scale…
Author: urbanagnews
By Chris Rawley, CEO of Harvest Returns More producers are turning to indoor farming today to meet the demand for locally-grown produce, for its environmental benefits, and as a sustainable way to transform the food system. Building a new greenhouse or equipping a vertical farm can require significant amounts of capital. Indoor growers are faced with an agriculture finance system in the United States that is anything but innovative, and hasn’t changed significantly in 50 years. USDA guaranteed loans and similar debt vehicles are optimized for land loans and operating agreements for row crop farmers, because that’s where the most…
New exhibition opportunity for early to mid-stage indoor farming and agtech companies joins May 18-20, 2020 edition at Wynn Las Vegas PRESS RELEASE — Indoor Ag-Con will launch a dedicated showplace on the exhibition floor for early to mid-stage indoor farming and agtech companies seeking ways to meet investors, farmers/growers and other attendees during the May 18-20, 2020 edition at the Wynn Las Vegas. One of many new initiatives for the premier crop-agnostic trade event for vertical and indoor farming, the Start-Up Showcase will shine a spotlight on the newest technologies and capabilities from today’s emerging leaders. “Available exclusively to…
GE Current, a Daintree company recently unveiled its all-new broad spectrum offerings. The news is being featured as part of Current’s exhibit (#C8445) at the Marijuana Business Conference, where Current is showcasing the Arize™ Element L1000 top light, a one-for-one LED replacement for double-ended 1000-watt high pressure sodium (HPS) fixtures. The Arize™ Element is the most advanced, flexible greenhouse grow light on the market. Current worked closely with its customers to design a top light with efficacy levels up to 3.5 micromoles per joule—the most efficient grow light on the market—that supports universal installation, enabling growers to grow more and…
This month’s indoor ag science café covered more basics understanding of how temperature affects plants and which parameters are important to consider. Plant responses are specific to species and cultivars. Dr. Chieri Kubota, from the Ohio State University, also pointed out that scientists do not have these specific (or precise) information of optimum temperatures. As general understanding, she talked about the importance and challenges of measuring plant temperature, daily average temperatures and cumulative temperature response. Indoor Ag Science Café is an outreach program of our project OptimIA, funded by USDA SCRI grant program. The café forums are designed to serve…
What is THE most challenging aspect of operating a successful indoor growing facility? Many people have varying opinions but in the end….it depends. It depends on the experience of your team, the type of monitoring systems that may or may not be employed, depends on the challenge of the day. Public Good Ag is a free resource that is moderated by some of the greatest experts in the indoor growing industry. The site has been designed specifically for professional growers, addressing questions from lighting to real estate development for indoor growers. This site is for those that may be seasoned…
PRESS RELEASE – The scientists at LumiGrow are back with another helpful article to improve your lighting strategy! Click to access the full article with helpful workbooks to learn How to Set Up Your Horticultural Lighting Trial Why Run a Horticultural Lighting Trial? In-house grow light trials allow you to get results that reflect your site-specific conditions, focus on answering your specific questions and improve your operation’s efficiencies faster. Light spectrum, photoperiod and intensity can be custom-tailored to your specific crop cultivar or environment. Additionally, you may want to trial a new technology. Benefits that can come with adjusting your lighting strategy include improvements for:…
PRESS RELEASE – NEW YORK, New York – Global automation specialist Autogrow and New York-based Agritecture Consulting have released their first Global CEA Census Report, the most in-depth global survey of indoor & controlled environment agriculture ever conducted, with 316 total respondents from 54 countries. Despite rapid growth, data is notoriously difficult to come by in the CEA industry. According to the two companies, farm operators see the potential for improvement and are optimistic about the future, but often express frustration at not knowing where to turn to for help. Confounding this is the sentiment from farmers that many consumers,…
The University of Arizona through their Controlled Environment Agriculture Center offers Intensive Workshops in January 2020 Tomatoes, lettuces and leafy greens – we eat them every day! (or we SHOULD!) But how do we grow them sustainably with delicious flavor? Join the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center to answer these questions and more. Our esteemed staff and faculty will provide 40+ hours of classroom time and hands on application in the Greenhouses on the CEAC Campus to ensure your hydroponic tomatoes and leafy greens are a success. For more information on our upcoming intensive workshops during January 2-9th 2020 on hydroponics tomato…
This presentation ‘Back to Basics – Plant Responses to Temperature’ was given by Dr. Chieri Kubota (the Ohio State University) during our 13th cafe forum on November 19th, 2019. Indoor Ag Science Cafe is organized by the project team funded by USDA SCRI grant program. Please Submit Your Questions!’Indoor Ag Science Queries’ Please submit your questions (anonymously if you wish) about sciences and technologies of indoor farming to this submission site. Any questions are welcome! You can submit them anonymously if you wish. The site is always open for your questions. Selected questions will be discussed in our first Indoor Ag Science Queries scheduled…
Press Release — Emeryville, California — LumiGrow today announced the release of their TopLight Hybrid smart fixture. The LumiGrow Hybrid spectrum is an enriched white spectrum that takes the best of HPS and metal-halide strategies and improves upon them by boosting the red and blue. The Hybrid spectrum was designed for growers that want to grow the way they’re used to, without the high energy bill. The TopLight Hybrid model has improved light output at a powerful 1650 µmol/s. The smart fixture is built with a rugged IP67-rating and is fully dimmable and wirelessly controlled through the LumiGrow software named smartPARTM. …
PRESS RELEASE – Choosing the right light spectrum for your commercial operation can be a challenge. Many LED grow light suppliers have conflicting information on the topic due to bad marketing or simply a lack of knowledge in plant and light research. In this article, LumiGrow scientists experts break down what light spectrum is, how plants respond to light, and how light spectrum influences plant growth.Click here to read the full Definitive Guide to to Grow Light Spectrum What is Light Spectrum? Light spectrum is the range of wavelengths produced by a light source. When discussing light spectrum, the term ‘light’…
Strawberry production in greenhouses and indoor farms represents an uprising market that offers the potential for CEA growers to diversify and remain competitive. In this webinar Dr. Chieri Kubota from Ohio State University will discuss the opportunities of off-season strawberry production under controlled environments. Webinar title: Off-season strawberry production under controlled environments Date: November 21, 2019 Time: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. EST Presented by: Dr. Chieri Kubota Register now at https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BW_p9oDyS7Cmx1DllSCLbA
On September 23, 2019, Urban Ag News, Hort Americas and GE Current, a Daintree company hosted the inaugural Great Lakes Ag Tech Summit. Held at the historic Nela Park campus in Cleveland, the event featured keynotes and panel discussions from leading researchers and innovative growers in the Great Lakes region who are shaping the future of food and moving controlled environment agriculture forward. If you didn’t have the chance to join in person, check out this clip. Dr. Ariana Torres, Ag Economist and Assistant Professor at Purdue University Dr. Torres’ background combines field experience in agriculture with theoretical and applied…