Growing the best ornamentals, vegetables for Dallas Urban Ag Products presents “Grown Locally: Quality, Community and Family” a short documentary about Ruibal’s Plants of Texas and how they are passionate about locally grown produce and plants Matt Ruibal, owner of Ruibal’s Plants of Texas in Dallas, is looking to pro- duce the best ornamental plants […]
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Originally published in Issue 3 When it comes to using supplemental lighting on their crops, growers have options whether they’re trying to achieve a photoperiodic or a growth response. An increasing number of growers are using supplemental lighting for photoperiodic control and for accelerating plant growth. Growers have a variety of options when it comes […]
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At Urban Ag News, we’re all about educating our readers with the goal of providing valuable input from a wide variety of industry professionals. Without question, Michael Christian, founder of American Hydroponics, fits that bill. I was delighted to sit down with him recently to learn of his 30-plus year career in the hydroponics industry […]
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It was a privilege and an honor to be part of the organizing team and also to moderate the “East Meets West” conference held at the California Agriculture Center last month in Salinas, California. The first event of its kind brought together seven member-companies from the JPFA (Japan Plant Factory Association) led by association President […]
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In my last blog, I wrote that going forward I would be more investigative and more objective in my examination of my subjects and subject matter. It seems like I’m not quite there yet. Tagged as “The Future of Urban Food Systems,” the Grow Local O.C. Conference in Southern California last month left me with […]
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Originally published in Issue 1 Whether a grower chooses to propagate in rockwool, cellular foam or an organic substrate, there are other factors that can impact crop production. Since lettuce, greens and microgreens are relatively short term crops compared to other greenhouse vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, a grower has to make sure that he starts […]
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Lately I have realized I need to be more objective and less complimentary towards my subjects and subject matter. It’s important I create get-to-the-point reporting, be a little more controversial perhaps and ask the tough questions. I think that it’s time to tell the world who is making a real go of indoor vertical […]
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Originally published in Urban Ag Products Issue 1 There are many factors to consider before starting a greenhouse vegetable operation. greenhouse grower Richard Billekens discusses some of the most imPortant considerations before getting started. An increasing number of eld vegetable growers and ornamental plant growers are considering adding greenhouse facilities or using current structures to […]
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Viticulture (from the Latin word for vine) is the science, production, and study of grapes. A branch of the science of horticulture, viticulture deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. It never rains in southern California…lie. On this day in late October making my way out of the southland up highway 101 […]
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I recently had the opportunity to attend an event in Los Angeles hosted by urban farm start-up, Local Roots Farms. It was sponsored by the Larta Institute, Indoor Ag Con and Autogrow Systems. The Larta Institute’s mission is “to energize the transformation of technology ideas into solutions that elevate economic opportunities and make lives better […]
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Originally published in Urban Ag News Issue 1 Growing Power founder Will Allen is using urban agriculture to bring healthy fresh food to all economical groups in communities nationwide. Growing power Inc. in Milwaukee, Wis., is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Founder and CEO will Allen never imagined that this non-pro t organization would […]
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It’s the middle of August and I’m in San Diego on a balmy Monday evening attending an Ag Tech conference sponsored by attorney Roger Royse and his AgTech Innovation Network (www.royselawincubator.com). Held at Marina Village just beyond Sea World, the palm trees were swaying as the sun slowly set. Not a bad gig for me […]
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The urban agriculture movement is alive and well in San Diego. With a nod to the San Diego Food Systems Alliance (SDFSA, http://www.sdfsa.org/) Executive Director, Elly Brown, and with her diligent work over the past year and a half, it’s clear that urban ag is carving out a spot in the city by the sea. […]
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The first thing one will notice about Dr. Sarah Taber is she’s a fast talker – a very fast talker. I attribute this trait to the simple fact that her brain works much faster than her mouth can get the words out. Brilliance can be tough sometimes. I met Sarah in 2015 at Indoor Ag […]
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