Farmer Tyler – Urban Ag News

Have you had your BLT today? Part 2: Lettuce

Janet Colston — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 18:37:12 +0000

By Janet Colston, PhD

Bell pepper, Leafy greens and Tomato

These are the most common salad items added to our weekly shopping basket and they supplement our food plates adding nutrients to our diets. We want to delve deeper into their additional phytonutrients, this week we discuss healthy leafy greens.

Leafy Greens

Traditionally we think about leafy greens being the lettuce common in our supermarkets, but there is a very wide range of leafy greens, all vying for unique taste, crunch and flavour.

Microgreens are all the rage but what exactly are they? Generally they are the young seedlings of their more mature parents and are harvested within weeks rather than months making them much more accessible and easy to grow. They are packed full of vitamins and research suggests they contain more antioxidants than mature plants [1]. In a 2011 study, almost all of the microgreens tested had four to six times more ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherols (vitamin E), phylloquinone (vitamin K), and beta-carotene (Vitamin A precursor) than the mature leaves of the same plant [2].

Some leafy greens like spinach and arugula are very high in vitamin K and this can be a problem for people on blood thinners or those prone to kidney stones who may want to avoid large quantities [3].

Some of the most interesting scientific research looking at phytochemical properties in leafy greens has been done by The Watercress Company examining the potential benefits of watercress to human health. Their studies show significant anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protective effects in people that consume Watercress daily [4]. More research is underway by The Watercress Research Company examining the biochemical mechanism of urease, an enzyme found in Watercress implicated in a range of pathological states in humans [5].

Cultivating leafy vegetables in a plant factory can help people suffering from very specific conditions. For instance, spinach can be cultivated with a low potassium content to help patients undergoing dialysis [6]. Environmental factors influence the growth of plant metabolites and manipulating these can help elucidate the perfect consistency of medicinal components. The quality and biomass of these plants can also be controlled using light intensity and spectrum. Varying the ratio of red to blue light can increase anthocyanin and ascorbic acid content in lettuce [6].

Growing Leafy Greens

Most of the world’s Vertical Farms grow leafy greens of one type or another. Most greens are easy to grow and optimized techniques using CEA have aided large scale commercialization in America’s largest facilities including Aerofarms, Plenty, Square Roots and Bowery. Hort Americas has a useful resource to help beginners grow microgreens and a master class on controlled environment technology can help beginners successfully grow micro herbs. Hort Americas also recommends Farmer Tyler’s comprehensive road map on growing leafy greens.

Remember!
The CDC recommends the following measures in regard to COVID-19.
How to protect yourself • What to do if you are sick
Disclaimer: We are not doctors and do not prescribe this blog as a medicinal alternative to bona fide medical advice should you contract seasonal flu or Coronavirus.

Janet Colston PhD is a pharmacologist with an interest in growing ‘functional’ foods that have additional phytonutrients and display medicinal qualities that are beneficial to human health. She grows these using a range of techniques including plant tissue micropropagation and controlled environmental agriculture to ensure the highest quality control.

The Quality Standards for Hydroponic Lettuce

Tyler Baras — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 03:21:37 +0000

“Voluntary U.S. grade standards are issued under the authority of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, which provides for the development of official U.S. grades to designate different levels of quality. These grade standards are available for use by producers, suppliers, buyers, and consumers. As in the case of other standards for grades of fresh and processed fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops these standards are designed to facilitate orderly marketing by providing a convenient basis for buying and selling, for establishing quality control programs, and for determining loan values.” (From the United States Standards for Grades of Greenhouse Leaf Lettuce)

Voluntary USDA grade standards designate different levels of quality in agricultural products. The USDA has official standards used to grade a lot of different crops including leafy greens like Greenhouse Leaf Lettuce, Field Grown Leaf Lettuce, Kale, Beet Greens, Collard Greens, Dandelion Greens and Mustard Greens. The standards for butterhead lettuce currently fall under the same standards used for Iceberg lettuce. Although the U.S. Standards for Grades of Lettuce do acknowledge the significant differences between the two types of lettuce, they are still grouped under the same standards. And there is no mention of living lettuce in the U.S. Standards for Grades of Lettuce, while living lettuce is one of the primary crops grown by hydroponic leafy greens growers. If the hydroponic lettuce industry is to grow beyond the premium product niche and enter the ‘real world’ of lettuce production, it would be helpful if hydroponic growers decided upon grading standards appropriate for hydroponically grown lettuce.

When hydroponic lettuce growers try to compete against field growers they almost never win in the battle for price per pound. Field growers can sell heads of lettuce wholesale under $0.75. Large hydroponic lettuce growers (3+ acres) can get their price per head close to $0.90. Field lettuce is generally packed in a 24 count box that will weigh 50+ pounds. The heads are easily 1 to 2 pounds. Hydroponic lettuce is often packed in a 6 or 12 count box and the heads rarely weigh over 10 ounces (0.625 pounds).

While hydroponic crops have a lot of external benefits like water savings and food safety, those benefits are not shown when a hydroponic butterhead is graded with the U.S. Standards for Grades of Lettuce. To preserve the narrative around hydroponic lettuce, it may be necessary to have USDA grading standards specifically for hydroponic lettuce so the crop does not lose some of its value when it enters the larger lettuce market that puts it ‘head-to-head’ with field grown crops.

USDA grade standards are helpful in international trade. The U.S. has one of the biggest lettuce importers on the northern border… Canada! (See Stats). Currently most hydroponic lettuce growers sell to local markets or if they are one of the larger hydroponic lettuce growers they might sell to a grocery store chain or produce broker that distributes their product in multiple states. I have seen living butterhead lettuce from Canada in the U.S. but I’m not aware of any U.S. hydroponic leafy greens growers shipping internationally. I would think that the increased shelf-life of living lettuce would be an advantage in international trade since lettuce is highly perishable.

The Standards for Butterhead Lettuce Quality

What should a USDA Grade A butterhead lettuce look like? How big should it be?

I’ve seen a wide range of targets from growers across the US and internationally. The majority of US hydroponic butterhead growers target a head that is between 5 oz. and 8 oz. (with roots attached). Many aquaponic and indoor vertical farms sell heads closer to 5 ounces. Many of the larger hydroponic lettuce growers (1+ acre greenhouses) target heads between 6-8 ounces. I’ve seen some greenhouse lettuce growers target 10 ounce heads. In Europe, it is common to see butterhead lettuce over 1 pound. In Japan, it is common to see living lettuce sold at less than 5 ounces. The market standards for hydroponic butterhead lettuce minimum weight vary but generally the bottom line is the head should not bobble around when packaged in a clamshell. Most living lettuce labels do not even state a minimum weight, instead the label might have “1 Count” or “1 Head”. Beyond weight there’s the more qualitative traits like leaf texture, leaf color and head formation. Check out these unofficial visual aids provided by the USDA to help grade romaine and lettuce. What would a visual aid for hydroponic butterhead lettuce look like?

Here are some of my favorite butterhead lettuces I’ve grown over the years, which do you think looks most like a ‘standard’ butterhead?

This article is property of Urban Ag News and was written in cooperation with Tyler Baras.

DIY Hydroponic Gardens: How to Design and Build an Inexpensive System for Growing Plants in Water

urbanagnews — Thu, 10 May 2018 15:54:35 +0000

With practical information aimed at home DIYers, the new book DIY Hydroponic Gardens: How to Design and Build an Inexpensive System for Growing Plants in Water shows exactly how to build, plant, and maintain more than a dozen unique hydroponic systems, some of which cost just a few dollars to make. Author Tyler Baras (Farmer Tyler to his fans) shows how anyone can inexpensively grow produce without soil, offering a unique opportunity to have a productive garden indoors, or in areas where soil is not present.

An expert in hydroponics, Baras has developed many unique and easy-to-build systems for growing entirely in water, for both commercial and home use. In DIY Hydroponic Gardens, he shows with step-by-step photos precisely how to create these systems and how to plant and maintain them. All the information you need to get started with your home hydroponic system is included, including recipes for nutrient solutions, info on light and ventilation sources, and specific plant-by-plant details that explain how to grow the most popular vegetables in a self-contained, soilless system. There’s also 12+ hydroponic system builds and complete crop selection charts.

No soil? No sunlight? No problem for a hydroponic system, giving the gardener the power to grow plants anywhere. Even if you live in an area were water is scarce, a hydroponic system is the answer you’ve been looking for. Plus, hydroponic systems are sealed and do not allow evaporation, making water loss virtually nonexistent. The bottom line: with DIY Hydroponic Gardens, anyone, anywhere can garden by growing in water.

Tyler Baras, “Farmer Tyler,” is a well-renowned hydroponic grower with extensive experience in both hobby and commercial hydroponics. He attended the University of Florida, graduating Cum Laude from their Horticultural Sciences department and has studied agriculture in Spain and China. Besides writing books for both home gardeners and commercial growers, Tyler creates educational videos covering a range of horticultural topics and speaks at events throughout the year. His hydroponic demonstration sites have been featured on P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home, which airs on PBS and syndicated stations nationwide. Tyler currently works as a hydroponic consultant and has worked on several notable projects, including Central Market’s Growtainer, the first grocery store–owned and –managed onsite farm. Tyler continues to produce video content, which can be seen on digital magazine Urban Ag News and on www.FarmerTyler.com.

Light Quality with Farmer Tyler and Dr. Ricardo Hernandez

urbanagnews — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 11:00:25 +0000

Farmer Tyler visits Dr. Ricardo Hernandez at North Carolina State University to learn about light quality research and its practical applications in horticulture.

See the trailer here, and scroll down for the full 43-minute interview!

Full interview:

Video Chapter Quick Links:
1. UV
2. Blue
3. Green
4. Red & Far-Red
5. Narrow Spectrum vs. Full Spectrum
6. Light Quality in Supplemental vs. Sole Source
7. Current Research
8. Future Research

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The Dallas Morning News features Dallas’ Central Market for growing their own salad

urbanagnews — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 19:29:31 +0000

Published by the Dallas Morning News

You want fresh? Dallas’ Central Market is growing salad behind the store

By Maria Halkias

Fresh is a word that’s used loosely in the grocery business.

To the consumer, everything in the produce section is fresh. But most fruits and vegetables are picked five to 21 days earlier to make it to your neighborhood grocery store.

Central Market wants to redefine fresh when it comes to salad greens and herbs. It also wants to make available to local chefs and foodies specialty items not grown in Texas like watermelon radishes or wasabi arugula.

And it wants to be both the retailer and the farmer with its own store-grown produce.

The Dallas-based specialty food division of H-E-B has cooked up an idea to turn fresh on its head with leafy greens and butter lettuce still attached to the roots and technically still alive.

Beginning in May, the store at Lovers Lane and Greenville Avenue in Dallas will have a crop of about half a dozen varieties of salad greens ready for customers to purchase.

The greens will be harvested just a few dozen steps from the store’s produce shelves.

They’re being grown out back, behind the store in a vertical farm inside a retrofitted 53-foot long shipping container. Inside, four levels of crops are growing under magenta and other color lights. In this controlled environment, there’s no need for pesticides and no worries of a traditional farm or greenhouse that it’s been too cloudy outside.

Central Market has been working on the idea for about a year with two local partners — Bedford-based Hort Americas and Dallas-based CEA Advisors LLC — in the blossoming vertical and container farming business.

Plants are harvested inside a vertical farm in the back of the Central Market store in Dallas, Thursday, April 6, 2017. Central Market is trying out indoor growing, and the crops will be sold in the store beginning in May. (Jae S. Lee/The Dallas Morning News)

Staff Photographer

“We’re the first grocery store to own and operate our own container farm onsite,” said Chris Bostad, director of procurement, merchandising and marketing for Central Market.

There’s a Whole Foods Market store in Brooklyn, New York with a greenhouse built on the roof, but it’s operated by a supplier, urban farmer Gotham Greens.

The difference, Bostad said, is that “we can grow whatever our customers want versus someone who is trying to figure out how to cut corners and make a profit.”

Central Market’s new venture is starting out with the one Dallas store, said Marty Mika, Central Market’s business development manager for produce. “But we’ll see what the customer wants. We can do more.”

This has been Mika’s project. He’s itching to bring in seeds from France and other far off places, but for now, he said,“We’re starting simple.” The initial crop included red and green leafy lettuce, a butter lettuce, spring mix, regular basil, Thai basil and wasabi arugula.

The cost will be similar to other produce in the store, Bostad said.

Why go to so much trouble? Why bother with lighting and water systems and temperature controls in what’s become a high-tech farming industry?

“Taste,” Mika said. “Fresh tastes better.”

And the company wants to be more responsive to chefs who want to reproduce recipes but don’t have ingredients like basil leaves grown in Italy that are wide enough to use as wraps.

Tyler Baras, special project manager for Hort Americas, said with the control that comes with indoor farming there are a lot of ways to change the lighting, for example, and end up with different tastes and shades of red or green leafy lettuce.

Butter lettuce is harvested inside a vertical farm in the back of the Central Market store in Dallas, Thursday, April 6, 2017. Central Market is trying out indoor growing, and the crops will be sold in the store beginning in May. (Jae S. Lee/The Dallas Morning News)

Staff Photographer

In Japan, controlled environment container farms are reducing the potassium levels, which is believed to be better for diabetics, Baras said. “We can increase the vitamin content by controlling the light color.”

At Central Market, the produce will be sold as a live plant with roots still in what the industry calls “soilless media.”

Central Market’s crops are growing in a variety called stone wool, which is rocks that are melted and blown into fibers, said Chris Higgins, co-owner of Hort Americas. The company is teaching store staff how to tend to the vertical farm and supplying it with fertilizer and other equipment.

“Because the rocks have gone through a heating process, it’s an inert foundation for the roots. There’s nothing good or bad in there,” Higgins said.

Farmers spend a lot of time and money making sure their soil is ready, he said. “The agricultural community chases the sun and is at the mercy of Mother Nature. We figure out the perfect time in California for a crop and duplicate it.”

Growers Rebecca Jin (left) and Christopher Pineau tend to plants inside a vertical farm in the back of the Central Market grocery store in Dallas, Thursday, April 6, 2017. Central Market is trying out indoor growing, and the crops will be sold in the store beginning in May. (Jae S. Lee/The Dallas Morning News)

Staff Photographer

He called it a highly secure food source and in many ways a level beyond organic since there are no pesticides and nutrients are water delivered.

Glenn Behrman, owner of CEA Advisors, supplied the container and has worked on the controlled environment for several years with researchers at Texas A&M.

“Technology has advanced so that a retailer can safely grow food. Three to five years ago, we couldn’t have built this thing,” Behrman said.

Mika and Bostad said they also likes the sustainability features of not having trucks transport the produce and very little water used in vertical farming. They believe the demand is there as tastes have changed and become more sophisticated over the years.

The government didn’t even keep leafy and romaine lettuce stats until 1985.

U.S. per capita use of iceberg, that hardy, easy to transport head of lettuce, peaked in 1989. Around the same time, Fresh Express says it created the first ready-to-eat packaged garden salad in a bag and leafy and romaine lettuce popularity grew.

In 2015, the U.S. per capita consumption of lettuce was 24.6 pounds, 13.5 pounds of leafy and romaine and 11 pounds of iceberg.

Twitter: @MariaHalkias

Getting serious about hydroponic vegetable production

David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 15:03:14 +0000

Originally published in Issue 4

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 rst certi ed 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.”

When Tyler Baras became at The GrowHaus, he implemented changes that increased lettuce production from 35 cases to over 70 cases per week.
Photos courtesy of The GrowHaus

Circle Fresh Farms distributes about 60 percent of The GrowHaus’ crop, mainly red and green bibb lettuce. The lettuce is marketed to Whole Foods Market and King Soopers. The GrowHaus also has local customers including Denver Urban Gardens, Linger, Marczyk Fine Foods and LoHi Steak Bar. The produce is also distributed in a local food basket program for residents of the Elyria-Swansea and Globeville neighborhoods.

Expanding product mix

Prior to Baras’ arrival at The GrowHaus, the 5,000-square-foot greenhouse facility was producing about 35 cases of lettuce per week. Having implemented the changes Baras initiated has resulted in the production of over 70 cases per week.

“Growing hydroponically takes a lot of attention,” he said. “You constantly have to be looking over lettuce. A disease can pop up quickly. If you don’t handle it right away it can quickly get out of control resulting in unsalable product.”

Baras said some of the plants that had been grown previously at The GrowHaus were used as repellants to insects.

The GrowHaus’ bibb lettuce is marketed to Whole Foods Market and King Soopers, as well as other local customers.

“Crops like dill and cilantro were being grown more for their pest repellant properties,” he said. “Unfortunately, the plants weren’t being grown correctly so they weren’t commercially salable. We eliminated those plants and added more crops that could be sold commercially.”

Baras has expanded The GrowHaus’ product offerings to include a variety of crops including bok choy, top soi, a couple different kale, ‘Rainbow’ Swiss chard, a variety of lettuces, sorrel, nasturtium and pansies. He is experimenting with micro-greens and is trialing additional crops.

One of the environmental differences between Florida and Colorado that has made it easier for Baras to try different crops, especially lettuce, is the relative humidity.

“In Florida it’s very difficult to really cool the greenhouses because of the high humidity,” he said. “Evaporative cooling in Florida is pretty much ineffective. That makes it very difficult to grow lettuce in the summer. In Colorado because of the low humidity, using evaporative cooling I am able to drop the temperature by 20oF.”

Pest and disease management

Baras said his move from Florida to Colorado required a change in the way he produced greenhouse vegetable crops.

“In Florida there were no issues with powdery mildew on lettuce,” he said. “Tomatoes were the crop more likely to have problems with powdery mildew. In Colorado powdery mildew is the major disease that we are dealing with so we have to be really diligent. Sixty percent of what we produce is bibb lettuce. It is susceptible to powdery mildew so it needs constant attention. We use organic controls so applications have to be made when the disease symptoms show up.

As The GrowHaus has added new customers, Baras has been able to expand the product mix to include crops such as kale and Swiss chard that are more resistant to or not susceptible to powdery mildew.

“Diversifying our customer base that will buy a larger assortment of crops will definitely help in reducing our pest and disease issues,” he said. “We have one customer, 25 Farms, that makes up food boxes and wants a variety of items, not just bibb lettuce.”

One problem that Baras left in Florida is insect control issues.

“Insects were a much bigger problem in Florida, primarily white flies and aphids,” he said. “We do encounter aphids here, but they are a much smaller concern.”

Adjusting to a different production system

When Baras was growing in Florida he was using an American Hydroponics and Crop King nutrient lm technique (NFT) hydroponic system. The production system he is using at The GrowHaus is a New Growing System (NGS) that was developed in Spain. Baras said the NGS system is not commonly used in the United States and is installed primarily in high tunnels and not greenhouses. He said the NGS system was designed to allow farmers to grow various crops. Tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and lettuce can all be grown in the same base system using different size plastic lm channels.

An advantage to the NGS hydroponic system is the channels can be 30-40 feet long.

Unlike an NFT system in which the water is constantly running, the water in the NGS system is pulsed into the channels. Plants in a NGS system are watered every 10 to 30 minutes for between 20 seconds to 1 minute.

“An advantage to the NGS system is the channel can be longer in length,” Baras said. “With an NFT system there can be issues with low oxygen levels if the channels exceed 10 feet. With the NGS system the channels can be 30 to 40 feet long because they run on a pulse allowing plants to dry out and breath between waterings. The NGS system uses channels with multiple layers of plastic similar to a bag inside a bag. The NGS system also uses fewer water emitters than a NFT system.”

Baras said a disadvantage of the NGS system is that it is difficult to sanitize.

“With a NFT solid plastic channel it can usually be removed relatively easily and dropped into a bleach solution,” he said. “The NGS channels are locked into the system and they are difficult to clean thoroughly with their multiple plastic layers.”

Another potential disadvantage with the NGS system is the potential for the plastic channels to tear or to be cut.

“Since the NGS channel is like a sheet of plastic it can be cut or torn if workers are using scissors to harvest herbs or microgreens,” Baras said. “This can result in having to replace a whole channel, which are rated to last about five years. A NFT system channel can easily last 15 years or more. The initial cost to install a NGS system is substantially cheaper than a NFT system. But the long term maintenance for NGS can be more expensive since the channels have to be replaced sooner, especially if they are damaged.”

For more: The GrowHaus, (720) 515-4751; http://www.thegrowhaus.com.

David Kuack is a freelance technical writer in Fort Worth, Texas; dkuack@gmail.com.

Essential Plant Nutrients Educational Video – Part 2

urbanagnews — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 15:23:04 +0000

Part 2 in the Plant Nutrients 101 educational video series by Urban Ag News. Farmer Tyler and Dr. Don Wilkerson define the three states of nutrient concentration: deficient, toxic, and sufficient. Tyler and Don then discuss the process of diagnosing nutrient deficiencies and toxicities.

Essential Plant Nutrients 101 Educational Video – Part 1

urbanagnews — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 21:22:49 +0000

Part 1 in the Plant Nutrients 101 educational video series by Urban Ag News. Farmer Tyler and Dr. Don Wilkerson review the essential plant nutrients and discuss the grouping of Primary Macronutrients, Secondary Macronutrients, and Micronutrients.

Hort Americas and Bright Agro Tech partner for a free webinar on picking substrates for hydroponics

urbanagnews — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 02:28:29 +0000

Choosing a Hydroponic Substrate: Tips From the Pros

Hort Americas has partnered with Upstart Farmers – Bright Agrotech to offer a free webinar on choosing a hydroponic substrate!

Knowing what your hydroponic system needs can be hard. To help you out, Dr. Nate from Bright Agrotech, Chris Higgins, and Tyler Baras from HortAmericas lent their experience and knowledge in choosing a hydroponic substrate.

Hydroponic medium/substrate selection is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a grower. Substrate selection effects germination, growth rates, and operation costs. Each substrate option has unique benefits and limitations.

We’re joined by the experts at Hort Americas to dive deep into these considerations so that you can make an informed decision about your growing medium.

Some of the factors to consider when choosing a hydroponic substrate are cost, ease of use, compatibility with hydroponic system, accessibility, water retention, and sustainability.

In this webinar, you’ll learn about:
-Moisture Retention (particle size, shape, porosity)
-Adjusting Irrigation for Specific Substrates
-Cultural Practices (substrate preparation, germination conditions, crop size/staging)
-Cost
-Sustainability
-Comparison of Common Hydroponic Substrates

To register for the event, click here!

Click to read Bright Agrotech’s article of why substrate selection is important.

ICCEA Panama Continues to Add Amazing Speakers

Chris Higgins — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 22:38:06 +0000

As #ICCEA2015 in Panama gets closer, I am getting more excited for this unique opportunity. Why? It is simple, the list of speakers and panelist continue to grow and become more and more impressive.

I have already highlighted some of the speakers including industry leading researchers and professors like Dr. Kozai (Chiba University), Dr. Marcellis (Wageningen University) and Dr. Wilkerson (formerly Texas AM University, now with Caliber Bio Therapeutics.)

If you would like to see a complete list of speakers, follow this link.

Now we would like to introduce the growing list of panelist, which we are equally as excited about.

Dr. Roberto Lopez (Purdue University)

Panel: Lighting

Roberto earned his B.S. in Biology and Economics from the University of New Mexico, M.S. and Ph.D. in Horticulture from Michigan State University. He is now an Associate Professor and Floriculture Extension Specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University. His research focuses on energy-efficient propagation and production of floriculture and leafy green vegetable crops in high tunnels, greenhouses, and multi-layer indoor environments. The primary emphasis of his research is to determine how light (quantity, quality, and duration) and substrate temperature during the young and finished plant stages influence crop timing, rooting, quality, and subsequent performance.

In 2014 Roberto and Purdue hosted a LED Open House, you can see his work in this video.

Dr. Erik Runkle (Michigan State University)

Panel: Lighting

Dr. Runkle is a Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University. Since he joined the faculty in 2001, he and his graduate research team have performed dozens of experiments to quantify the effects of light and temperature on plant growth and development. Most recently, Erik has been determining how to minimize energy inputs using cultural practices, management of temperature and lighting, and energy-saving technologies including use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). He has published over 200 articles in trade magazines and 80 papers in scientific journals. Erik also manages several websites that focus on lighting and greenhouse crop production.

In 2014, Erik started working with and investigating the urban agriculture opportunities for Detroit, Michigan. As we all know Detroit is a city that is rebuilding and Erik and Michigan State are positioned to play a key role in these developments.

Dr. Chris Curry (Iowa State University)

Panel: Nutrients

Chris is an Assistant Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University specializing in greenhouse and controlled-environment crop production. His research focuses on alternative greenhouse cropping systems, including hydroponic culinary herb production, alternative mineral nutrition and fertilization strategies, and new uses for plant growth regulators. In addition to research, Chris also teaches four courses on greenhouse operations and management, hydroponic food crop production, and spring and fall ornamental greenhouse crop production. His extension program is focused on providing support for greenhouse growers.

Chris is early in his career at Iowa State, but he has already had a major impact on the programming by bring hydroponics and greenhouse vegetable production to the students and school.

Mr. Steve Oster

Panel: Lighting

Steve Oster is an Engineer with expertise in designing and deploying specialized LED light engines, including vertical farm applications. Based in San Jose, California, Steve has co-founded two successful startup companies and has been designing with LEDs for 8 years, having achieved some industry firsts.

Mr. Tyler Baras

Panel: Successful CEA Facilities

Tyler Baras (Farmer Tyler) is currently the Head Grower at The GrowHaus in Denver, Colorado, where he teaches hydroponics courses and grows living lettuce for Circle Fresh Farms (end-sales to Wholefoods and King Soopers). Tyler graduated Cum Laude from the University of Florida’s Horticultural Sciences department. While a student, he started an urban homestead complete with chickens, rabbits, pigeons, and quail and rented farmland from an organic dairy farm where he independently cultivated winter greens for sale to restaurants and students. Tyler has studied Organic Agriculture in Spain and Protected Agriculture (greenhouse production) in China. Previously he was the grower for 3 Boys Farm Inc., the first certified organic recirculating hydroponic farm in the United States where he produced heirloom tomatoes and gourmet greens for high-end clientele including Disney World, Epcot, and Emeril’s Orlando. Tyler is an avid farm blogger and YouTuber. He is the host of Dig In’s Garden Tech, a PBS gardening show that airs in Colorado, Seattle, and Minnesota. Check out his work at FarmerTyler.com and watch his fun and light hearten videos athttps://www.youtube.com/user/TheFarmerTyler.

I will be back soon with more information on the conference as well as an update from the North American Strawberry Growers Symposium.

Chris Higgins, UrbanAgNews.com