Sakata Seed de México Celebrates Thirty Years, Mauricio Pineda Comments

Morgan Hill, CA; September 2023 – In August of this year, Sakata Seed de México celebrated its 30thanniversary. “We are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Sakata Seed de México and we are very proud of ourtrajectory”, said Dave Armstrong, President and CEO of Sakata Seed America. “We are currently leadersin several crops in Mexico, like […]

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Workshop on Water Management and Quality to be held in Ohio on September 8

A full day workshop titled, “Water Management and Quality for Greenhouse and Nursery Crop Production” will be held on September 8, 2023 from 9am to 3pm at the Hamilton County Extension Office (2055 Reading Road, Cincinnati, OH 45202). The workshop will provide growers the most up-to-date information of the key sciences and technologies contributing to […]

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How can modeling help to grow a better indoor farm lettuce crop?

Research conducted in the University of Arizona UAg vertical farm using modeling and computer simulations showed vertical air flow compared to horizontal air flow was more effective at preventing lettuce tipburn. Photo courtesy of Murat Kacira, Univ. of Ariz. OptimIA researchers are using crop modeling to identify the most favorable environmental parameters for growth and […]

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The 2023 Controlled Environment Agriculture Market – How are we evolving?

Photo: AppHarvest, Somerset Kentucky The U.S. controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry received lots of publicity over the past 10 years. From interviews on CNBC to articles in Forbes, investors and the general business community found interest in an industry that seemed new despite the fact that it was anything but.   (If you are interested in […]

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GLASE Consortium Announces New Executive Director: Gretchen Schimelpfenig

The Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering consortium prepares for growth and resilience [Ithaca, New York] – The Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium is thrilled to introduce Gretchen Schimelpfenig as their new Executive Director. With an impressive background in Civil Engineering and extensive experience in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry, Gretchen brings a […]

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Can leafy greens be profitably grown in indoor farms?

OptimIA economic researchers determined on average, a 1 percent increase in wages would reduce an indoor farm’s profit per square meter for a day of production by 6 cents. A 1 percent increase in the price of electricity would reduce profits by 5 cents per square meter per day. Photo courtesy of Murat Kacira, Univ. […]

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Boon Consulting Adds Advisory Board Member to Expand Growth in Greenhouse Market

Hendersonville, NC  – Boon Greenhouse Consultancy sees the addition of industry veteran Christopher Higgins to their Advisory Board as a way to provide additional strategic guidance to the company’s already innovative approach to greenhouse growing processes and operations that are tailored to unique agricultural businesses. Serge Boon (owner of Boon Greenhouse Consultancy) is in no […]

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Wait…What, Grapevines can benefit from CEA?

Photo: Somewhere mysteriously in California  Grapes are an economically important commodity, supplying fresh, dried, and processed markets worldwide. Although grapes are not a crop you immediately consider a beneficiary of CEA technology, it may be possible to adapt field agriculture, putting in measures to circumvent climate change and disease.  The last few years I’ve been […]

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How do you overcome the environmental challenges of indoor farming?

Lettuce being grown as baby greens at Purdue University are harvested 15 days after planting seeds. Seeds are sown close together to minimize loss of photons between plants. Photo courtesy of Cary Mitchell, Purdue Univ. Researchers with the OptimIA project are working to solve the environmental control issues facing indoor farm growers. While some might […]

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Indoor Ag Science Café explores better root-rot disease management

“Low-pH hydroponic nutrient formula for growing leafy greens for better root-rot disease management“by Dr. Chieri Kubota (Ohio State University) This presentation ’Growing leafy greens with a low-pH hydroponic solution for root-rot disease management” was given by Chieri Kubota (Ohio State University) during our 49th café forum on February 7th, 2023. Indoor Ag Science Café is organized […]

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Oishii Introduces “The Koyo Berry,” a New Strawberry Bursting with Sweetness

Available now via FreshDirect, The Koyo Berry joins the ever-popular Omakase Berry in Oishii’s offerings of exceptional vertically farmed strawberries that offer a flavor unlike any other. JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY – February 23, 2023 – Today, vertical farming leader Oishii launched The Koyo Berry, the newest varietal grown by the beloved strawberry brand. The Koyo Berry […]

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Hort Americas and Spanish Company Agrifast Partner to Tackle Waste and Labor Issues

DALLAS and ELCANO, Navarra, Spain—Feb. 22, 2023—In a move to address agriculture’s mounting labor problems, while also providing a more environmentally sustainable solution, commercial horticultural supplier Hort Americas announced today it’s now the exclusive distributor of Agrifast’s Tomsystem in the United States and Canada. Between limited availability and the rising costs of employing qualified ag […]

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Becoming an Environmentalist while trying to turn a profit

Photo: Close friend and Kansas farmer enjoys a break. Credit: Chris Higgins Thoughts of a businessman just trying to figure it out, while not messing up. “Isn’t it pretty to think so?” – The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway In a previous article, I posed the question, Who Should Lead The Environmental Movement? In this […]

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How will the Inflation Reduction Act affect indoor agriculture businesses?

By Sam Milton For business owners and operators in the indoor agriculture or controlled environment agriculture (CEA) space, whether you grow leafy greens, strawberries, or cannabis, or those  support these businesses, the main questions about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 are most likely going to be:  What is the Inflation Reduction Act?  How will […]

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