Author: David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com

Will tomatoes be the next big commercial crop for vertical farms?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com6

University of California-Riverside researchers Martha Orozco-Cárdenas (above) and Robert Jinkerson are using CRISPR gene-editing technology to develop short tomato plants that have the potential to be grown in vertical farms and on the International Space Station. Photos courtesy of Robert Jinkerson, Univ. of Calif.-Riverside Photos courtesy of Robert Jinkerson, Univ. of Calif.-Riverside Researchers at University […]

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What makes Henderson County, N.C., so ideal for controlled environment agriculture?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com0

Canadian-based Lakeside Produce has opened a 15-acre greenhouse vegetable operation in Henderson County, N.C., with plans to expand the facility to 45 acres. Photos courtesy of Mark Williams, Agribusiness Henderson County An increasing number of controlled environment growers are looking at Henderson County, N.C., as having the right natural resources and market location for them […]

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Can vertical farming be a viable method of controlled environment production?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com1

Austin Webb, co-founder and CEO at Fifth Season, said even though significant dollars have been invested in vertical farming, much of it has been wasted. Photos courtesy of Fifth Season Fifth Season is using its fully-integrated, automated operating system to crack the economics code for vertical farming with the potential to integrate with greenhouse operations. […]

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Is controlled environment agriculture addressing the issues facing the agriculture industry?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com0

BrightFarms founder and president Paul Lightfoot, who is chairman of the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee, said controlled environment agriculture could play a major role in helping to solve some of the significant issues facing the ag industry and U.S. Photos courtesy of BrightFarms As chairman of the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry […]

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Could controlled environment agriculture change the face of American farming?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com3

Ramel Bradley thinks so. The community director at AppHarvest is talking to students and communities across the country about the benefits of locally-grown food and the agtech used to produce it. [Photo above: Ramel with students and faculty from Breathitt High School in Jackson, Ky. on Jan. 15 at the opening of the school’s new […]

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What’s driving hydroponic lettuce breeding?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com0

BASF Vegetable Seeds is developing lettuce varieties that can be grown in controlled environment facilities using supplemental lights. Leafy greens, including lettuce, are the hottest crop when it comes to controlled environment vegetable production. It seems like every month a new greenhouse or vertical farm facility begins operating or an existing operation expands with increased […]

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Running a for-profit business with a not-for-profit mission

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com0

Vertical Harvest is using controlled environment agriculture to give people with disabilities the opportunity to improve their livelihoods along with the sustainability and economies of their communities. Jackson, Wyo., might not be the first place you think of when it comes to innovation in controlled environment agriculture. Vertical Harvest, which began operating in 2016, produces […]

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What will AppHarvest bring to Appalachia, the U.S.?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com0

AppHarvest is building a 60-acre state-of-the-art greenhouse facility in Eastern Kentucky that looks to resolve some of the major issues facing traditional field agriculture. Jonathan Webb, founder and CEO of AppHarvest in Morehead, Ky., is a big believer in controlled environment agriculture. How big? His company is constructing a 60-acre state-of-the-art greenhouse facility in Eastern […]

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When will artificial intelligence come to the commercial greenhouse industry?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com0

Developing the right information infrastructure could result in autonomous greenhouses that generate higher profits and yields and lower operational costs. Watching news reports on the COVID-19 pandemic one quickly realizes the importance accurate data plays in our everyday lives. Most industries are data-driven, whether this data relates to business management or specific production-related operations. For […]

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Interested in how to do urban agriculture production?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com1

Purdue Extension’s Urban Agriculture Certificate program offers participants the opportunity to learn how to successfully produce crops in urban settings. In these uncertain times of the coronavirus, food shortages and food inequity, the concept of growing food in urban locations is gaining greater interest. The lack of access to fresh produce and the existence of […]

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Bringing food equity to Dallas

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com0

Residents in south Dallas communities are being offered more access to fresh healthy produce through the Oak Cliff Veggie Project and Mobile Food Market. Finding fresh, healthy food in south Dallas can be a challenge for its residents. “The city of Dallas has actively been trying to place grocery stores or more stores that provide […]

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How is FresH2O Growers offering consumers “fresher, greener, healthier” lettuce?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com0

FresH2O Growers is using a hydroponic production system to supply East Coast consumers with organic leafy greens. Anyone involved with the commercial horticulture industry is likely familiar with the van Wingerden family and the impact it has had on the production and marketing of ornamental plants. However, one member of the van Wingerden family is […]

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Could open source agriculture revolutionize the industry?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com1

Open source agriculture could redefine how plants are developed and produced. The terms “open source” and “open source technology” are most often used when referring to the development of computer software. Computer software source code is what programmers use to change how a software program or application operates. Attorney Andrew St. Laurent in his book […]

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Making the switch to hemp—what should you consider?

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com1

Now that it is legal to grow hemp in the U.S., greenhouse vegetable and ornamental plant growers are considering whether it makes sense to switch crops. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, commonly referred to as the 2018 Farm Bill, has legalized the production of hemp. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is the lead USDA […]

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