eMagazine Articles – Urban Ag News https://urbanagnews.com News and information on vertical farming, greenhouse and urban agriculture Thu, 12 Apr 2018 16:21:50 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.4 https://i0.wp.com/urbanagnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/cropped-Urban-ag-news-site-icon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 eMagazine Articles – Urban Ag News https://urbanagnews.com 32 32 113561754 Indoor Harvest Corp CLARA Vertical Farm Project in Texas https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/indoor-harvest-corp-clara-vertical-farm-project-in-texas/ Thu, 25 Jun 2015 12:15:44 +0000 https://urbanagnews.com/?p=1301 Indoor Harvest Corp Provides Update on CLARA Vertical Farm Project in Pasadena, Texas

Houston, Texas, June 25, 2015 — Indoor Harvest Corp (OTCQB:INQD), through its brand name Indoor Harvest™, is a design build contractor, developer, marketer and direct-seller of commercial grade aeroponic and hydroponic fixtures and supporting systems for use in urban Controlled Environment Agriculture and Building Integrated Agriculture. The Company is pleased to provide an update on the Pasadena, Texas, Community Located Agricultural Research Area (“CLARA”) project MOU and recent developments surrounding the project.

On March 31, 2015 the Company announced the signing of a LOI with the City of Pasadena, Texas, to fund the establishment and provisioning of an indoor agricultural facility (vertical farm) to be located in Pasadena, Texas. The LOI provided Indoor Harvest, or a partner of their designation with City approval, two facilities owned by the City for the sum of ten dollars ($10.00) per annum for a period not to exceed twenty (20) years as well as providing tax abatements on these properties. In addition, the Pasadena Second Century Corp. (economic development entity for the City of Pasadena) has been asked to consider a budgetary proposal of $500,000 as seed money for the project’s economic development portion in north Pasadena.

Mr. Chad Sykes, Chief Executive Officer of Indoor Harvest, stated, “We’ve received a timeline for the project through the City. We’re currently in the final stages of crafting the MOU and expect to be in a position to begin work on the project as soon as August based on the timeline provided by the City. All of the parties involved are working together to create an agriculture campus in Pasadena that will become a model for the rest of the Nation. By combining agricultural research, education and commercial operations in one campus, we’re building the foundation to turn North Pasadena into a leader in new innovative agricultural trends. We’ve also begun discussions with several potential commercial partners and investors interested in locating operations at the CLARA campus. Interest has been quite high given the quality of groups involved in the project.”

The CLARA project, based on current negotiations, is expected to be divided into two phases. Phase one will include the construction of a 6,000 sqft vertical farm R&D facility and 6,000 sqft of class room and office space. Phase one will focus on developing the non-profit aspects of the project. The vertical farm facility is intended to serve dual roles, with Indoor Harvest using the facility as a demonstration farm and R&D facility, the non-profit group will use the facility for educational purposes and the crops grown will be donated, or sold at cost, to provide fresh produce to low income families in the North Pasadena area.

The entire proposed campus area, almost two city blocks, will be designed and built to allow the flow of without impacting operations. The City has been asked to develop a project overview to be presented in August to department heads at the Pasadena Independent School District’s Kirk Lewis Career & Technical High School and the Continuing and Professional Development Department of San Jacinto College regarding academic curriculum development rooted at the CLARA campus.

In attendance at the initial CLARA project meeting was the Principal Investigator and Director of MIT City Farm, Caleb Harper. As part of the non-profit academic portion of the CLARA project, all research would be made open source. The MIT Media Lab’s Open Agriculture (OpenAG) Initiative seeks to make agricultural research and data more available to researchers through an innovative cloud based system. Indoor Harvest is excited to continue its relationship with MITCityFarm by looking at ways to deploy the Open Ag platform at the CLARA research facility.

Also attending was Chris Higgins from HortAmericas, an industry leader in horticulture product distribution, consulting and services. Indoor Harvest has selected HortAmericas as a project consultant to the CLARA project. HortAmericas will assist the project by evaluating methods and process and providing feedback through the design phase as well as assisting in preparation of standard operating procedures.

Phase two of the project will support a commercial retail operation with greenhouses built on land adjacent to the vertical farm and education centers. In total, approximately 2 acres of land is available adjacent to the existing properties being provided by the City. Indoor Harvest, as the primary developer of the campus is expecting to provide commercial operators who build on the CLARA campus a unique group of incentives and key advantages in regards to distribution, manufacturing intelligence and access to resourcing and key agricultural production talent. In addition, the City of Pasadena may—but is not obligated to—consider the creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ), a public financing structure that Texas law allows to target tax revenue helping to support redevelopment in underserved areas. While not appropriate in the initial stage of core development, should subsequent business interests wish to explore a site in proximate location to CLARA, such a zone would provide an additional economic incentive for tangential services to locate there.

The non-profit portion of the Indoor Harvest Corp CLARA project is represented by the Harris County BUILD Partnership, established in January 2015 to eliminate the conditions that cause food insecurity in north Pasadena by launching a new healthy, accessible, and community-supported local food system. The conveners of the BUILD Partnership are the Houston Food Bank, the Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services (“HCPHES”) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Additional members of the BUILD Partnership include CHI St. Luke’s Health, Memorial Hermann Health System, Brighter Bites, CAN DO Houston, City of Pasadena, Neighborhood Centers Inc., Pasadena Health Center and the U.T. School of Public Health.

The BUILD Partnership is an extension of Healthy Living Matters (HLM), a county-wide collaborative of over 80 organizations chartered in 2011 to address childhood obesity in Harris County. There is also a Pasadena-specific version of HLM called the HLM-Pasadena Community Task Force that has 23 members local to the Pasadena community.

On June 9, 2015, the Harris County BUILD Health Partnership was selected as one of seven projects out of over 300 applicants nationwide, to receive a $250,000 grant from the inaugural BUILD Health Challenge class. The announcement was made live from the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., featuring Karen DeSalvo, Acting Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and was followed by a congratulatory letter from LaMar Hasbrouck, MD, MPH and executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials who remarked, “I look forward to tracking your progress and learning more about your projects’ best practices and challenges. A portion of the grant funding will be used towards setting up the academic and non-profit portion of the CLARA project.

Consistent with the SEC’s April 2013 guidance on using social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to make corporate disclosures and announce key information in compliance with Regulation FD, Indoor Harvest is alerting investors and other members of the general public that Indoor Harvest will provide weekly updates on operations and progress through its social media on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

Investors, potential investors and individuals interested in our company are encouraged to keep informed by following us on Twitter, Youtube or Facebook.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/indoorharvest

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/indoorharvest

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/indoorharvest

 

ABOUT INDOOR HARVEST CORP

Indoor Harvest Corp, through its brand name Indoor Harvest™, is an emerging design build contractor and OEM manufacturer of commercial aeroponic and hydroponic system fixtures and framing systems for use in Controlled Environment Agriculture and Building Integrated Agriculture. Our patent pending aeroponic fixtures are based upon a modular concept in which primary components are interchangeable.

We are developing our aeroponic and hydroponic systems for use by both horticulture enthusiasts and commercial operators who seek to utilize aeroponic and hydroponic vertical farming methods within a indoor environment. Please visit our website at http://www.indoorharvest.com for more information about our Company.

 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains certain “forward-looking statements” relating to the business of Indoor Harvest and its subsidiary companies, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “estimates,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends,” expects” and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are or will be described in greater detail in our filings with the Securities and Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on Indoor Harvest’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on Indoor Harvest.

There can be no assurance that future developments affecting Indoor Harvest will be those anticipated by Indoor Harvest. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the Company) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Indoor Harvest undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

Contacts:

Indoor Harvest Corp

CEO, Mr. Chad Sykes

713-410-7903

ccsykes@indoorharvest.com

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Green Sense Farms to Build Farms in China https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/green-sense-farms-to-build-farms-in-china/ Thu, 25 Jun 2015 00:48:09 +0000 https://urbanagnews.com/?p=1298 Green Sense Farms to Build 20+ Farms in China

Green Sense Farms USA of Portage, Indiana and Star Global Holdings of the People’s Republic of China have formed a partnership to build, own, and operate a network of more than 20 indoor vertical farms in China. The new partnership, Green Sense Farms, Asia Pacific, ltd. will begin building its first farm this year in Shenzhen, a major city in southern China’s Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong.

Green Sense has chosen the iD TOWN Art District as the location for the first farm. iD TOWN will redevelop a vacant printing and dyeing factory into a 20-acre creative site that will include artist studios, hotels, a conference center, and dining. “Not only is it exciting to bring our sustainable, vertical farming concept to China, but we’re also really gratified to be part of such a stellar redevelopment project,” said Robert Colangelo, CEO of Green Sense Farms. Colangelo recently returned from China where he and partner Harry Chan met with officials, residents, and future customers about the upcoming projects. “By growing food indoors in a sustainable, controlled, and sanitary environment, we can increase food security and help feed the Chinese people in an environmentally friendly way,” said Chan.

Green Sense Farms currently operates the largest indoor vertical farm in the United States. The farm’s sustainable farming practices grow a large quantity of produce in a very small footprint – about one tenth the size of a traditional farm. Because the produce can be grown close to customers, food is delivered fresher and travels fewer miles than traditional farming.

Green Sense Farms’ innovative indoor, vertical growing system means their farms can grow 365 days per year in perfect growing conditions, without herbicides, pesticides, or GMO seeds. Popular Science recently named Green Sense Farms to its list of the year’s 100 Greatest Inventions for the farm’s innovative sustainable farming.

 

For more info:

www.greensensefarms.com

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GoodLeaf Farms announces first farm construction https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/goodleaf-farms-announces-first-farm-construction/ Thu, 25 Jun 2015 00:32:22 +0000 https://urbanagnews.com/?p=1295 GoodLeaf Farms, Exclusive Canadian Licensee of TruLeaf’s Smart Plant Systems®, Announces First Farm Construction

BIBLE HILL, NS, June 2015 – GoodLeaf Community Farms Ltd. (GoodLeaf Farms), a wholly owned subsidiary of TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture Ltd. (TruLeaf), has awarded a contract to Fowler Construction Services Ltd. (Fowler Construction) to begin construction of its first farm, in Bible Hill, this month. A building in the Agritech Park is being converted into one of North America’s largest indoor multi-level growing facilities. The farm will have the ability to grow hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh greens and herbs annually without the use of pesticides.

“We are extremely excited and thrilled to begin construction of our first commercial farm in Bible Hill this summer,” said Gregg Curwin, President & CEO of GoodLeaf Farms. “Consumers are demanding local, fresh, and clean produce, and we’re going to bring that to the market by this Fall. We will deliver a culinary experience like no other.”

GoodLeaf Farms has secured a deal with a national grocery retailer to offer a wide range of leafy-green products. Additionally, GoodLeaf will be selling its ultra-clean, ultra-fresh greens to institutions and healthcare providers in the Atlantic region.

“Our products will be sold at a price comparable to California-organic, but grown in our region, year-round. It’s great for us to be able to contribute to the physical and economic health of the region, and become a national leader in leafy-green production.”

About GoodLeaf Community Farms Ltd.

GoodLeaf Farms, located in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, is a wholly owned subsidiary of TruLeaf, and is the exclusive licensee of the TruLeaf Smart Plan System® in Canada. Using innovative indoor growing technologies, GoodLeaf Farms grows ultra-clean, ultra-nutritious and local produce for retailers, food service providers, hospitals, and institutions.

About TruLeaf Sustainable Agriculture Ltd.

Founded in 2011, and located in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, TruLeaf has developed an indoor farming system that grows fresh plants for food and medicines anywhere in the world, regardless of environment, 365 days a year. The system integrates growing technologies in a controlled environment to grow high quality, predictable-yield, and clean plants with innovative and efficient technologies.

About Fowler Construction Services Ltd.

Fowler Construction Services Limited is a privately owned and operated, servicing the Atlantic Provinces for over 30 years. Centrally located in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, Fowler Construction supplies a broad range of services to the commercial and industrial fields. Fowler Construction is bonded, certified by the Nova Scotia Construction Safety Association (NSCSA), and maintains a Workers’ Compensation (WCB) Certificate of Recognition.

 

For more info:

www.truleaf.ca

www.goodleaffarms.com

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DLV GreenQ Courses Updated https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/dlv-greenq-courses-updated/ Wed, 24 Jun 2015 23:38:11 +0000 https://urbanagnews.com/?p=1289 DLV GreenQ provides courses for (international) professionals in the greenhouse industry. In their practical research facility called the Improvement Centre new knowledge is generated through innovations on growing concepts, techniques and cultivation. Due to this, their courses and trainings are up-to-date and include the most recent developments in the sector.

The cultivation process is their main focus. Topics such as climate, irrigation, energy, CO2, plant physiology, crop health, greenhouse management and crop planning are areas that their company specializes in.

Based on this, they have renewed the courses below:

GreenQ-courses-2“Introduction to Greenhouse Management – Vegetables”
In this course the greenhouse management for vegetables is introduced to those who are (relatively) new in protected horticulture and are active in middle of upper layer of management. During this five-day intensive course basic management technology, crop cultivation and socio-economic managerial aspects will be highlighted.

“Introduction to Greenhouse Management – Floriculture”
Floriculture includes cut flowers, potplants and bedding plants and thus very broad in species and difficult to fully cover in one week. This course, however, will address the basics of floriculture and focus as much as possible on the crops of interest of the participants.

GreenQ-courses3“Advanced growers course – Rose cultivation”
The Rose cultivation course of DLV GreenQ is focuded on international growers who want to upgrade their rose production by having a better understanding of the crop and its demands. In this course aspects regarding propagation, substrate, fertilization and irrigation, greenhouse climate, crop management are discussed.

The DLV GreenQ education team consists of dedicated passionate staff consisting of international consultant/trainers and senior lecturers.

If you are interested in attending one of these courses or if you would like to know more about their trainings, contact Steven Madern.

GreenQ-courses

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What is sustainable agriculture? https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/what-is-sustainable-agriculture/ Mon, 09 Jun 2014 15:32:29 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=617 There seem to be different opinions out there on what sustainable agriculture is. What’s your opinion? Share it with us on facebook!

>>> From Issue 5

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LEDs vs. T5s Final Results by The Lettuce People https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/leds-vs-t5s-final-results-by-the-lettuce-people/ Fri, 10 Jan 2014 03:53:21 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=749 This is the final result of a trial comparing LEDs and T5s fluorescent lamps in a stacked vertical hydroponic system. The LEDs did as good a job as the T5s but used 1/3 of the energy. Basically, the Dark Red/Blue LED Production Modules peak at 450 nm and 660 nm. Blue diodes are also useful for anthocyanin content. If growing red lettuce varieties, sometimes higher blue light levels may be necessary. Cooler ambient temperatures also increase anthocyanin content.

>>> More from Issue 4

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Ground Operations: from battlefields to farmfields https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/ground-operations-from-battlefields-to-farmfields/ Tue, 10 Dec 2013 03:49:51 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=747 Ground Operations – Trailer from Raymond Singer on Vimeo.

Veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan often face overwhelming challenges transitioning to civilian life. Ground Operations is the story of a growing number of veterans who’ve discovered farming as a way to heal from the trauma of war and continue their service by ensuring a safe, local food supply for America.

>>> More from Issue 4

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Urban Farming in Tokyo https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/urban-farming-in-tokyo/ Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:42:51 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=742 Urban Farming in Tokyo from imageMILL on Vimeo.

Pasona headquarters in Tokyo, Japan

>>> More from Issue 4

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Is Water Treatment in your Future? https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/is-water-treatment-in-your-future/ Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:37:57 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=739 With continuing concerns about water availability, safety and regulations, more growers are looking at water treatment to protect this vital resource.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is scheduled to release a report on the impact of climate change in March 2014. A leaked copy of the final draft identifies key risks that could occur because of climate change. One of these key risks is related to the lack of availability of drinking and irrigation water to farmers and the impact it could have on their livelihood. The draft indicates that increasingly rising temperatures will reduce renewable water sources. Climate change is also expected to reduce raw water quality and to pose risks to drinking water quality. The panel advises that “adaptive water management techniques” could address the uncertainty caused by climate change.

Rising concerns over water availability and the potential for increased legislation related to water issues are causing more growers to look more closely at their water supplies. Proactive growers are determining how they can better use and protect their sources of water.

Irrigation and water treatment cycle

For many greenhouse vegetable growers collecting, recycling and reusing their water is critical to the success of their business. The increasing focus on food safety issues is also causing growers to examine the impact water treatment can have on the production, harvesting and handling of their crops.

>>> Read the whole article from Issue 4 here

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Growing the Best Ornamentals and Vegetables for Dallas https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/growing-the-best-ornamentals-and-vegetables-for-dallas/ Tue, 10 Dec 2013 03:32:10 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=737 Grown Locally: Quality, Community and Family – Ruibals Plants of Texas and UrbanAgProducts.com from C Higgins on Vimeo.

Matt Ruibal, owner of Ruibal’s Plants of Texas in Dallas, is looking to produce the best ornamental plants and vegetables for the local market. The company was started by his father in 1984 with a small retail stall at the Dallas Farmers Market selling bedding plants. Since then, the company has expanded to four retail locations, 300,000 square feet of greenhouses and 200,000 square feet of outdoor production used to grow annuals, perennials and vegetables. Matt is committed to providing the local Dallas market with the best plants and vegetables by controlling the production. His customers value the products he is growing because of their quality and freshness.

>>> More from Issue 4

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2013 Thought for Food Challenge https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/2013-thought-for-food-challenge/ Tue, 10 Dec 2013 03:10:56 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=735 The 2013 Thought For Food Challenge invites students from universities around the world to produce a robust project proposal – consisting of a business plan and creative pitch – that presents an unexpected and out-of-the-box solution to the global challenge of feeding 9 billion people by 2050.

>>> Read more in Issue 4

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Making Integrated and Disease Management Work https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/making-integrated-and-disease-management-work/ Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:07:59 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=732 By David Kuack

Regardless of whether growers refer to using an integrated pest management (IPM) or integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) program, it won’t be successful if they don’t plan it out.

Ironically, one of the biggest misconceptions greenhouse growers have with controlling pests and diseases is actually related to the success of their control programs,” said Karin Tifft, an integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) consultant. “If growers are doing a good job, it seems simple. But when things go wrong, they can go wrong in a big way.” Tifft works primarily with greenhouse vegetable growers to develop IPDM programs. While she doesn’t yet have any ornamental plant growers as clients, she said she expects setting up an effective IPDM program for ornamentals would be more challenging because the whole plant needs to look good, not just the fruit. She said that ornamental growers actually have more natural enemies and chemical options than food crop producers.

>>> Read the whole article from Issue 4 here

IPM illustration-UrbanAgProd

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The Farmery https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/the-farmery/ Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:05:27 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=730 The Farmery from Ben Greene on Vimeo.

The Farmery is an innovative urban market and farm designed to produce and sell locally grown food. The Farmery combines retail grocery and indoor agricultural systems that raise the value of food by offering the customer an educational and stimulating food shopping experience. At the Farmery, the consumer can witness and participate in the growth and harvest of crops and fish.

>>> More from Issue 4

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Getting Serious about Hydroponic Vegetable Production https://urbanagnews.com/emag-articles/getting-serious-about-hydroponic-vegetable-production/ Mon, 09 Dec 2013 20:59:48 +0000 http://urbanagproducts.com/?p=723 By David Kuack

The GrowHaus is refining its production methods and product mix to satisfy its expanding customer base.

In July when Tyler Baras took over as manager of The GrowHaus’ hydroponic greenhouse operation in Denver, Colo., he knew that some changes were going to have to be made. Prior to taking the position, Baras had worked at 3 Boys Farm Inc. in Ruskin, Fla., which was the first certified organic recirculating hydroponic farm in the United States.

While in Florida, Baras grew gourmet greens and heirloom tomatoes for high-end clientele including Disney World, Epcot and Emeril’s Orlando. “Before I arrived at The GrowHaus there was a more laid back approach to production practices related to pest management, sanitation and fertilization,” Baras said. “When I was growing organically in Florida there were a lot of little things that had to be done, especially pest control. Even though The GrowHaus is not a certified organic operation, I have taken a drill sergeant approach to production practices. Sanitation, including cleaning of floors and recently harvested hydroponic channels, is now done weekly. And packaging has been upgraded to meet commercial standards.”

>>> Read the whole article from Issue 4 here

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