By Jacob Eisenberg, Editor of Agri-Futures This year’s Indoor Ag-Con Asia, hosted in Singapore, was filled with idea’s, innovators and enthusiasts alike — all eager to hear new promises and perils of indoor farms and vertical farming from around the world. For a fairly nascent industry, there was a strange aura that made it difficult to separate the inspiring success stories and potential from the soul crushing, science based reality this sector faces as it continues to grow. While financial and operational challenges are clear, there were also a number of interesting patterns throughout the two day event — all likely to shape the industry in…
Author: urbanagnews
Farmers, Partners and Friends, re-sending after an edit to the flier date. Please share with your networks. For our Urban farmers traveling over 3 hours to Fresno, we have set aside 20 rooms to accommodate you the night prior to the event. The website is currently being updated, so if you plan on attending and need a room let me know and I’ll put you on the list. Also if you are looking to sponsor, let us know and we’ll put you on the list. The website will be updated in the following days with the event details. Urban Farmers: We’ll be…
An opinion by Pieter De Smedt Pieter De Smedt is the US country manager for Urban Crop Solutions, a global indoor farming group building fully robotized vertical plant factories and containers with projects in Europe, North America, and South-East Asia. VC for R&D 2017 marked another year where several of vertical farming’s big names raised millions of dollars for their future development. Aerofarms closed on its 40 million USD series D, Bowery Farming secured 27.5 million USD for its series A, and of course Plenty locked in a whopping 200 million USD as well. What have these companies done with…
The Department of Energy (DOE) pleased to inform you that the final report “Energy Savings Potential of SSL in Horticultural Applications” has been published. The document is attached to this email and also available publicly on DOE’s website: https://energy.gov/eere/ssl/downloads/energy-savings-potential-ssl-horticultural-applications This report examines the current state and lighting technologies utilized in the indoor horticulture industry in the U.S. and discusses the energy-saving potential of LED lighting in indoor horticulture.
The World Horti Center will have its official Grand Opening on Wednesday March 7, 2018 in The Netherlands. The World Horti Center will introduce everyone to the concepts, values and core competencies important to their success. Come learn how they plan to create entrepreneurship, research and education that will allow this innovation center to lead the world of horticulture into the future. There will be an official opening ceremony that will take place for partners and participants in the World Horti Center (invitation only). Afterwards the Center will celebrate the World Horti Festival, where companies, industry professionals and students are…
About every five years the Federal Government passes a massive, far-reaching “Farm Bill” with the main aim of providing an adequate national supply of food and nutrition. The Bill affects all facets of the U.S. food system including nutrition assistance, crop subsidies, crop insurance, research, and conservation. The 2014 Farm Bill directed the spending of about $450 billion. The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill is on track to ignore aquaponics unless we make our voices heard! Here are some ways to get involved: Share a copy of the: Aquaponics Association 2018 U.S. Farm Bill Fact Sheet PDF Click here to join the: Aquaponics Association…
Wednesday, February 21, 2018 JC Raulston Arboretum in the York Auditorium North Carolina State University 4415 Beryl Rd. Raleigh, NC 27606 Urban Ag News and the Japan Plant Factory Association in coordination with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry are pleased to announce a joint networking event with U.S.-based agriculture organizations and operations. Come and learn the answers to the BIG questions currently being addressed in the vertical farming and indoor agriculture industries around the world. Entry is $25 and includes morning coffee service and lunch. This event is now sold out. Attendance is limited and the…
VOTE NOW for a farm in your community! MONTEREY, CA (January 2018) – National produce distributor PRO*ACT has opened voting for its farm grant program, Cultivating Change. A total of $75,000 in funding will be awarded to local farms with the most votes through January 31, 2018. Winners will be announced on February 5, 2018. The annual grant program demonstrates PRO*ACT’s commitment to creating a sustainable produce supply chain from seed to fork. Recently, more than 100 farmers across more than 30 states applied for these funds to invest in sustainability efforts and grow their overall capacity. Supporters can vote…
Agrilyst has once again provided Urban Ag News with access to their State of Indoor Farming Report. Read below to learn more about what the industry was saying in 2017 Last year, we set out to provide detailed insight about the state of the indoor farming industry today — what growers are doing, their challenges, and how they see their field changing over the next few years. With that, the State of Indoor Farming was created. This year, their report provides not only an outlook of the industry, but also an updated analysis of the industry following our 2016 report. We received over…
Alongside the region’s first ever dedicated B2B event for honey production apiARAB, and VIV MEA the world’s leading expo for poultry and livestock production. The Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture 2018 (GFIA), returns to Abu Dhabi as part of the UAE’s Innovation Month to showcase the latest game-changing innovations and technology from across the world critical to food security across MENA. GFIA Abu Dhabi will be held with strategic support from Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) and the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment from the 5-6th February at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Free to attend,…
By Jacob Eisenberg, Editor of Agri-Futures The Mecca of all vertical farming can be found an hour outside Tokyo, a city often heralded as the world’s largest metropolitan area. The Japan Plant Factory Association (JPFA) sits on a quiet plot next to the Chiba University campus. Across from three towering apartment buildings and a sprawling UNIQLO mall, the JPFA greenhouses sit translucently illuminated on the boundary of a dense city center and quiet suburb surrounding the agricultural campus. Large crows sit quietly in the branches of the beautifully pruned dwarf tree orchard of the university — and for a few moments, it becomes easy to forget…
Hort Americas is excited to announce that it has been appointed the exclusive distributor of the Moleaer Inc. nanoBoost Nanobubble Generator. The generator delivers a supplementary source of dissolved oxygen that can significantly increase plant growth, improve size uniformity, reduce stress and prevent root diseases under extreme production conditions. It is ideally suited for horticultural applications including hydroponics, greenhouse irrigation and pond management. Real-world application Hort Americas installed the 50-gallons-per-minute (GPM) nanoBoost in in its hydroponics demonstration greenhouse in Dallas, Texas, to improve the production of leafy greens and culinary herbs during the summer months when warm summer temperatures make…
Originally published in Issue 13 By Jennifer Prescott On a chilly February 26, excited student greenhouse ambassadors of PS84 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn greeted a host of city and local dignitaries arriving to tour and cut the ribbon for the launch of their amazing 1,500-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse classroom rooftop facility. As New York City Council member Stephen Levin observed, “it’s 34 degrees out and we are in this beautiful greenhouse growing food!” Principal Sereida Rodriguez-Guerra—observing the student ambassadors guiding each guest on a tour, with thorough explanations of each hydroponic system—was understandably proud of the students and the school community as…
The indoor agriculture industry has grown rapidly as consumer demand for fresh, local produce anytime, anywhere is forcing shifts in global supply chains. Indoor Ag-Con is the premier event covering the technology of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic techniques. It is returning to Singapore for the third time in January 2018. This years’ event will be focused on accelerating innovation in the industry, in areas as diverse as plant biology and artificial intelligence. Their two-day event will be hosted at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore on January 16-17, 2018, and will include an exhibition hall…