Top Execs Share Insights on Future Landscape of Controlled Environment Agriculture Las Vegas, NV – Indoor Ag-Con is excited to announce its third keynote address, “Leader Insights: Charting the Future Landscape of Controlled Environment Agriculture,” led by industry veterans on Monday, March 11 at 11am. The keynote will feature Moderator, Daniel Malech, Board Chair of the CEA Alliance and SVP, Plenty, Jim DiMenna, President of Red Sun Farms, Viraj Puri, Co-Founder and CEO of Gotham Greens, and Matt Ryan, CEO of Soli Organic. In this compelling keynote presentation, attendees will discover the foresight from industry leaders as they share their…
Author: urbanagnews
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering financial assistance to agricultural producers and private landowners enrolled in its Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to improve the health of their forests. The Forest Management Incentive, available through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), can help participants with forest management practices, such as brush management and prescribed burning. “Healthy forests offer many benefits, from providing habitat for wildlife to sequestering carbon,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Through the Forest Management Incentive, USDA’s Farm Service Agency provides an additional forest improvement tool to producers participating in the Conservation Reserve Program. This incentive enhances…
Free, online educational materials created to support your learning and training in mastering indoor farming science and technologies What Will I Learn The general learning objectives of this lecture series are:Being familiar with indoor farming system componentsUnderstanding basics of hydroponic culture management, andBeing able to start planning your own indoor farming business What Topics are Covered In this lecture series, you will explore the fundamentals of indoor farming by delving into seven core concepts: Speakers include researchers from around the U.S. The OptimIA University educational materials are suitable for a self-paced online course. Check out OptimIA University today!
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing approximately $11.5 million in 38 cooperative agreements that support innovative, scalable waste management plans to reduce and divert food waste from landfills. The Composting and Food Waste Reduction cooperative agreements, which are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture. The program is jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The recommended projects will be implemented between now and 2026. “These Composting and Food Waste Reduction projects help communities reduce food…
Bergman to deliver address on “Indoor Farming: The Next Revolution in Agriculture” Las Vegas, NV –Indoor Ag-Con is pleased to announce that Adam Bergman, Managing Director, Clean Energy Transition Group, Global Head of AgTech for Citi, will deliver the day two morning keynote address on March 12, 2024 at 8 am at Caesars Forum Las Vegas. His presentation, “Indoor Farming: The Next Revolution in Agriculture,” will explore the dynamic landscape of indoor farming, addressing the setbacks faced in 2023 and unveiling the promising future that lies ahead. Bergman joins the keynote line-up, including opening day Keynote Speaker, Paul Sellew, CEO…
Researchers, growers, and manufacturers showcase benefits of efficient greenhouse technology ITHACA, NY – The Cornell University Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium will deliver their latest virtual short course with a focus on three interactive greenhouse systems. Experts from academia and industry will share how growers can select and operate greenhouse coverings, climate screens, and supplemental horticultural lighting. The 2024 GLASE Short Course will run from April 4 to May 9 and will feature six 90-minute modules presented over six weeks on Thursdays from 2 – 3:30 pm ET. Attend live sessions to participate in question and answer sessions with speakers and receive a…
USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) may have the coverage you need if you are running a smaller operation. The Whole-Farm Revenue Protection and Micro Farm Program are great risk management options for urban, organic and innovative producers. Whole Farm Revenue Protection provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on the farm under one insurance policy. This allows diversified farms to insure all of their crops together, including specialty or organic commodities and those marketing to local, regional, specialty, and direct markets. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions on Whole-Farm Revenue Protection. The Micro Farm Program gives smaller operations (up to $350,000…
Horticultural research remains at epicenter of growing field By Adam Russell, Texas A&M AgriLife Communication Specialist Jeff Bednar, owner/operator of Profound Foods in Fairview, is relatively new to controlled environment horticulture. It might surprise any visitor to his 10-acre farm — featuring 10,000 square feet, soon to be 50,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor growing systems — that he doesn’t have a green thumb. The truth is Bednar took a three-year “crash course” in controlled environment growing systems and the vegetables that grow best in them. His immersion into all things-controlled environment horticulture included attending permaculture school and dozens…
Smart Technology, Go Green and Automation Las Vegas, NV – Indoor Ag-Con returns March 11-12 to Caesars Forum offering attendees an insider look into the driving forces behind the ever-evolving vertical farming | greenhouse | controlled environment agriculture industry. Boasting an expanded Expo Hall with 200 exhibiting companies offering the most cutting-edge products, services and tools on the market, Indoor Ag-Con will offer an immersive experience to farmers, growers, ag tech leaders, suppliers, advocates and enthusiasts. Below are some of the most impactful trends shaping the indoor agriculture industry today and a selection of product highlights from Indoor Ag-Con 2024…
Positioning for Profitable Expansion While Empowering Growers SEATTLE, WA – IUNU, a leading automation provider in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), announced the appointment of Don Cronin as its new Vice President of Sales, marking a shift towards accelerated growth and market expansion. This move comes at a pivotal moment for both IUNU and the CEA industry. With 2024 poised to be an inflection point for widespread adoption of technology in the greenhouse, IUNU is positioning itself for profitable expansion. “We are thrilled to welcome Don to the IUNU family,” said Adam Greenberg, CEO of IUNU. “His proven track record of…
All urban producers, innovative producers, and other stakeholders are invited to virtually attend a public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production on January 31 from 2-3 p.m. ET. For more info and to register: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_J26CfPVSS8S2zglVIy–3Q?utm_campaign=1226urbganag&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#/registration
WASHINGTON, – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed four new members to the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Federal Advisory Committee (Committee). The new members are replacing four members whose terms are expiring and rotating off the Committee. The Committee is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) efforts to support urban agriculture and innovative production, creating a network for feedback. The Committee’s public meetings give the urban and innovative production community and others an opportunity to witness deliberations and voting procedures. “This Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Committee relies on a diversity of expertise and perspectives,” said Terry Cosby, Chief…
Incoming CEO Kopf signals a new era for TRACT, as the sustainability measurement platform prepares for customer launch TRACTTM,, the pioneering new food and agriculture sustainability measurement platform, has appointed Allison Kopf, successful US agtech entrepreneur, as CEO. Kopf will take over in January 2024 from TRACT co-founder Roel van Poppel, who set up and led the initiative, including overseeing its incorporation, for more than two years. Kopf’s expertise in tech startups and her vision for the agriculture sector will give TRACT a competitive edge as it moves towards its customer launch in early 2024 and beyond. In taking the…
The 1st Indoor Ag Science Café of 2024 will be onTuesday, January 16 at 11:00 AM Eastern (UTC-05:00): “Introducing Spinach in Hydroponic Crop Production”by Dr. John Ertle (PP Systems) Please sign up to receive your Zoom link #1 Growing Culinary Herbs under Controlled Environments #2 Hydroponic Spinach #3 Growing leafy greens with a low-pH hydroponic solution for root-rot disease management #4 Vertical (Indoor) Farming Strawberry and Fruit Crops #5 Hydroponic Spinach Production Systems and Methods in Japan Café ArchiveCheck out our previous cafés in our Indoor Ag Science Cafe pageon the OptimIA website! Indoor Ag Science Cafe is organized by the OptimIA project team…