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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Indoor Ag Science Cafe talks with Robert Colangelo on the right size for a vertical farm

Last year, venture capitalist companies invested $51.7 billion in Ag Tech, but what exactly is Ag Tech? Ag Tech is technology focused agriculture that is meant to increase existing efficiency processes in agriculture and sustainability, which includes everything from aquaculture to new crops/genetics, to animal health to the controlled environment agriculture industry. With dwindling resources, […]

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BBC “Follow the Food” series explore The Fight to Feed Humanity

From conflict to climate change, our food is under pressure like never before. Amanda Little meets farmers on three continents trying to rise to the challenge. Farmers try to increase yield and do so sustainably as the world population increases. Watch more of the series from BBC:https://www.bbc.com/reel/playlist/follow-the-food-a-new-world?vpid=p0d9xnpz

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Michigan State University invites you to participate in their CEA labor survey

Michigan State University invites you to participate in their Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) labor survey. The purpose of this survey is to understand production-related labor requirements and estimate labor costs in CEA farms, including a vertical/indoor farm setting, containers or permanent greenhouses. In this survey, you will be asked about labor hours, level of automation […]

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