By Janet Colston Coronavirus is the first global pandemic of most of our lives and so far the virus has predominantly affected the elderly and those with decreased immunity to disease. As we start to come out of lock down there is more fear for healthy individuals, in particular with regard to the ability to […]
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and most U.S. states have categorized farms as Essential Critical Infrastructure— meaning that these operations remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is important that growers implement proper sanitation strategies to protect themselves and their staff from SARS-CoV-2 (Figure 1), the […]
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By Tawnya Sawyer The USDA recently recognized aquaponics under their voluntary Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) program through the Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) division. This program is in its pilot phase for audits and certification of selected aquaponics farms through the end of 2020. Having a set of guidelines for aquaponics helps to better align with the specifics […]
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By Chris Higgins Over the past few months I have watched many small farmers who were solely focused on servicing the food service and restaurant industry change simply to stay alive. I have been amazed and impressed by their conviction and ability to create new opportunities to survive. Their actions have inspired me to share […]
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By Thomas Wheet and Brian Filipowich The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill charged the USDA with creating the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (“Urban Ag Office”). The Farm Bill noted that urban agriculture can “contribute to the revitalization of abandoned or underutilized urban land, [bring] social and economic benefits to urban communities, and [create] […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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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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 […]
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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 […]
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By Janet Colston We all currently find ourselves dealing with Coronavirus, the first global pandemic of most of our lives and ever changing uncertainty around the economy and our individual futures. Each country has issued their own response to the outbreak. While many individuals are thinking about their own health and wondering what they […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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