SDL (Sustainability and Digitalization Leaders) has created SDL Vision to look forward, beyond the restrictions and disruptions of COVID-19, and reinvigorate themselves with their original purpose: to connect the people able to secure an innovative, sustainable future of food, and to move the conversation forward. In this first issue, they featured an article by UAN founder, Chris Higgins. “The distribution of food is now being put under a microscope. But where there is chaos, there is opportunity. So what do we do to rebuild, restrengthen, and reinforce our food distribution models so that we can provide healthy food to the…
Author: urbanagnews
Counting down until the AgTech community meets in St. Louis, we are excited to introduce a series of webinars with leading figures and AgTech NEXT advisors. They will dissect the current industry and encourage us towards the most important themes of today’s – and tomorrow’s – landscape. Tuesday, May 12, 12pm CTDavid Wheelock, Federal Reserve Bank St. Louis, and Sam Fiorello’Pandemic Economics’ Tues June 9, 12pm CTChip Lerwick, Aon, and Tom Laurita’COVID-19 Impacts on the Food System’ Tues July 14, 12pm CTMary Shelman and Claire Kinlaw’AgTech Innovation in a Post-COVID-19 World’Register here You can find further details at agtechnext.org and…
University of Florida Greenhouse Training Online courses Greenhouse 101 Train yourself and your staff to make better crop management decisions by learning the underlying horticultural science of plant growth. Greenhouse 101 is the introduction to the award-winning Greenhouse Training Online courses offered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension (UF). It is designed for people with no formal training in horticulture that work in the greenhouse or nursery industry. The course is offered in English and Spanish. The course runs from June 1 to June 26, 2020 and includes a personalized certificate of completion. The cost is $US199 per participant,…
This document is The Aquaponics Association’s response to a recent publication on E. coli in Aquaponic and Hydroponic systems. By Tawnya Sawyer; Nick Savidov, PhD; George Pate; and Marc Laberge Overview of the Study On April 6, 2020, Purdue Agriculture News published a story about a study related to the contamination risk of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in Aquaponic and Hydroponic production. The full study was published in MDPI Journal Horticulturae in January 2020. Researchers conducted the study from December 2017 through February 2018. The Study consisted of side-by-side aquaponic and hydroponic systems in a controlled environment lab growing lettuce, basil, and tomatoes with tilapia. The purpose…
PRESS RELEASE — As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread and create challenges worldwide, our hearts go out to all who have been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. In this challenging time, we feel concerted effort is crucial to our sector more than ever before. Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA) is conducting a research on the impact of COVID-19. This will help us better understand the challenges we are currently facing globally in the sector and rethink about what we can do together for our future. In addition, your survey responses will help us better plan and identify…
The Ohio State University, in partnership with Gotham Greens and Hort Americas, will be organizing the Plant Empowerment Workshop Online on July 9-10 , 2020 (10am – 2:30pm EDT). Advanced learning and discussion for growers towards “an integrated approach based on physics and plant physiology, leading to a balanced growing method for high yields, quality, saving energy, and profitability in greenhouse controlled environments” Instructor: Dr. Peter van Weel Author of ‘Plant Empowerment’Expert in greenhouse climate controlFormer PI at Wageningen UR, The Netherlands Host: Dr. Chieri Kubota The Ohio State UniversityOhio CEA Center The goal of this Workshop is for growers to…
The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has developed a free, easy-to-use online tool that will assist growers to evaluate the performance, efficiency, and economics of a wide variety of horticultural luminaires, typically used in greenhouses and other controlled agricultural environments. This online tool, called the horticulture luminaire calculator allows growers to accurately compare several luminaires and select the one that will be most effective for their particular application. Electric lighting is essential to providing supplemental light in many greenhouses and is the only source of light for indoor agricultural environments. These lighting systems are extremely expensive to…
Atlanta farm will be the company’s newest and largest, demonstrating Kalera’s ability to quickly scale on a national and international level Press Release — Today, technology-driven vertical farming company Kalera announced that it will open a new state-of-the-art growing facility in Atlanta, Georgia in early 2021. The new Atlanta facility is the next step in Kalera’s rapid domestic and international expansion plan to bring consumers fresh leafy greens right where they are. By placing its farms directly in the communities that they serve, Kalera is able to supply national retailers and foodservice distributors without a long haul across the country,…
Hort Americas offers first online short course on hydroponic growing systems. HYDROPONICS 101 – Growing systems Learn all the important aspects of growing crops hydroponically, from hydroponic growing system selection, best substrate options for your plants and how to create the proper environment to promote growth and development successfully. Instructor: M.S. Karla Garcia Hort Americas Technical ServiceMaster in Plant Sciences from The University of ArizonaRecognition by ISHS in strawberry hydroponic researchEditor: Book Roadmap to Growing Leafy Greens and HerbsCEO at Microgreens FLN Date: Saturday, May 2, 2020 Schedule: 12 PM to 6 PM (Central Time) Platform: ZOOM US Price: $50 US Once you have…
‘Photons = Flavor, the case study of basil’ by Dr. Roberto Lopez and Kellie Walters (Michigan State University) Roberto and Kellie work on lighting technologies for basil production and shared their most updated research on light intensities during young seedling stage of basil, affecting flavor profile and consumer liking in addition to yield and quality. Indoor Ag Science Café is an outreach program of our 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 on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjwIeYlKrzH_uppaf2SwMIg4JyGb7LRXC …
Village Farms International Inc. is helping to feed over 10,000 families in Texas with donations throughout the state to local food banks and food pantries. Demand for donations has been higher than usual due to the COVID-19 crisis and Village Farms has been stepping up their donations of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers to meet this need. Village Farms operates three growing operations in the towns of Marfa, and Fort Davis, where they are the largest employer in both Davis and Presidio counties. Village Farms also operates a state-of-the-art high-tech greenhouse in the Permian Basin region. And, Village Farms operates one…
GLASE presents their latest webinar: Lighting approaches to maximize profits Date: April 16, 2020Time: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. ESTPresented by: Marc van Iersel Supplemental lighting is often necessary for year-round greenhouse production of ornamentals and vegetables. However, the cost of providing supplemental light is high. It is therefore important that supplemental light is provided in a way that provides the greatest benefits for the crop, at the lowest possible price. To do so, it is important to understand the cost of providing supplemental light as well as how plants use that light. Accurate weather predictions can help minimize the…
The first Vertical Farming World Congress will be held from 22nd to 24th September at London’s Heathrow Airport. Eminent industry leading speakers have confirmed their participation from North America, the Middle East and Asia as well as Europe. The chosen theme is ‘Shaping Food’s Future’. “Vertical farming really can help shape the future of food production,” explained Richard Hall, Chairman of the food and drink experts Zenith Global and the event’s organizer. “By being indoors and with completely controlled conditions, there are no floods, droughts, winds or pesticides. You can grow 30 crops a year locally, right next to a…
e-GRO Edibles Alert: 5.06 Ryan Dickson and Leala Machesney University of Arkansas Blackberries and other small fruits are increasingly being grown in soilless substrate and containers versus field soil. Growing small fruit crops in containers requires additional capital and effort compared to field production, but has some potential benefits.