The company has entered into an agreement with Second Bloom Auctions to facilitate the sale of its greenhouse structures, equipment, and nursery supplies.

Founded in 1956 by Norm and Hetty White, White’s Nursery has been a cornerstone of Chesapeake, VA, for over six decades.

Known for producing high-quality potted flowering plants and annuals, White’s recently decided to wind down its wholesale greenhouse operations due to economic challenges.

“The decision to sell our assets was not an easy one, but we believe it creates an exciting opportunity for a. new owner to build upon our legacy and take the business to new heights,” said Norm White, founder of White’s Nursery & Greenhouses, Inc. “We are confident that Second Bloom Auctions will find the right buyers who share our passion for quality and customer service.”

For over six decades, Whites Nursery & Greenhouses, Inc. has been a leading producer of premium potted flowering plants and annuals, servicing a loyal customer base throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

The company has consistently invested in state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure, positioning it as a top choice for wholesale buyers and garden centers. The assets, located at 3133 Old Mill Road, Chesapeake, VA, will be available through an online auction running until July 1, 2024.

The auction will feature a diverse range of greenhouse structures, equipment, and garden center items, with starting bids at $1. Potential buyers can view the full catalog and register for the auction at secondbloomauctions.com.

Key Assets to be Auctioned:

• Greenhouse Structures: Multiple structures for diverse growing needs including doubly-poly X. S. Smith Criterion Quon set Hoop Houses, double-poly X. S. Smith Arched-Roof Gutter-connected greenhouses, and double-poly X. S. Smith Gutter-connected Sun Roof greenhouses (VenloStyle)

• Equipment: Equipment includes Bouldin & Lawson Hopper, Pot/FlatFillers, Planting Robots, Watering Tunnels and Conveyors. Cherry Creek Watering Booms and Echo Hanging Baskets systems can be found throughout the greenhouses as well as expanded metal benches, HVAC systems, and other horticultural equipment.

• Vehicles: Including on and off road trailers, tractors

• Delivery Carts: Multiple styles of delivery racks including sliders, 40’ x 48’ pallet style, and new “CC-Racks” style

• Garden Center Items: Display benches and other garden center infrastructure elements.

Potential buyers should note that the sale includes assets only, and all purchased items will need to be removed from the current location. The land and permanent structures are not part of the offering.

“This is a unique opportunity for anyone looking to enter or expand their presence in the horticulture industry,” said Christian Lange, CEO at Second Bloom Auctions.” This is a chance to acquire well-maintained assets from a long-standing operation. With the right strategy, these assets can be leveraged to establish or expand a profitable horticulture business.”

“The assets available through this auction represent a turn key opportunity for buyers looking to quickly establish or expand their presence in the horticulture industry,” added Lange. “With the strong foundation built by Whites Nursery & Greenhouses, Inc., a new owner can hit the ground running and capitalize on the growing demand for high-quality plants and flowers.”

KeyDates:

• June 4 – June 30: Marketing and promotion of the auction event.

• July 1: Auction concludes.

• July 8 – August 2: On-site logistics, including pick up and post-auction activities.

• August 5 – November 1: Greenhouse structure removal.

To learn more about the Whites Nursery & Greenhouses, Inc. asset auction and to register as a bidder, visit secondbloomauctions.com or contact info@secondbloomauctions.com

About Second Bloom Auctions:

Second Bloom Auctions is a premier auction house specializing in the sale of horticultural and agricultural assets. Second Bloom has grown rapidly, leveraging technology-driven solutions to handle diverse auction types and streamline logistics. The company serves a wide range of clients in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector, offering services like automated bidding, reserve auctions, and comprehensive asset management.

About White’s Nursery and Greenhouses, Inc.:

Whites Nursery & Greenhouses, Inc. is a leading whole sale nursery located in Chesapeake,VA. Founded in 1956, the company has been providing high-quality annuals, perennials, mums, poinsettias, and other crops to the mid-Atlantic region for decades. Known for its state-of-the-art growing facilities and commitment to excellence, Whites Nursery & Greenhouses has established itself as a trusted name in the horticulture industry.

Meteor Systems’ HDPE floating rafts are easy to clean and exceptionally durable, outlasting traditional EPS rafts by four to five times. This longevity reduces the need for replacements, minimizing landfill waste and promoting more sustainable agricultural practices.

“Our goal continues to be focused on offering products that last, and we feel this is our best option for cost-effective, sustainable solutions at this point in time,” said Chris Higgins, president and co-founder of Hort Americas. “Offering a durable HDPE floating raft aligns with our commitment to bring more environmentally friendly solutions to the market. These rafts provide a longer lifespan and better insulation capacity than traditional EPS rafts.”

The HDPE floating rafts offer benefits designed to increase operational efficiency and profitability. They can be handled both manually and automatically, making them suitable for various farming systems, including deep water culture and vertical farming. 

The unique design also allows for customization in plant hole shapes and sizes. This makes for easier plant removal and transplanting.

“Our HDPE floating rafts are engineered to provide higher yields per square meter compared to traditional EPS rafts,” said Bas Dirven, head of research and development at Meteor Systems. “Also, their ability to be fully automated makes them an ideal choice for modern, smart farming environments.”

A standout feature of the HDPE floating rafts is their ease of cleaning using chemicals, high-pressure washing and hot water. This ensures a clean start for each growing cycle and reduces the risk of disease. The rafts can even be recycled into new ones.

“The total cost of ownership for HDPE floating rafts is less than 50% per lettuce head compared to EPS rafts, making them a much more profitable long-term investment,” Dirven added. “This partnership allows North American growers to transition to a more sustainable, cost-effective solution that supports higher yields and reduces environmental impact.”

In addition to floating rafts, Meteor Systems’ water culture tabletops for growing leafy greens and herbs combine deep-water culture, nutrient film technique, and ebb and flow systems. These tabletops provide plants with direct access to oxygen and nutrients, resulting in faster and healthier growth. The roller container system maximizes space in controlled environments to enhance efficiency.

About Hort Americas

Hort Americas is dedicated to playing an integral role in the different niches of commercial horticulture. We work closely with key manufacturers to develop and bring the highest quality, technically advanced and most cost effective products to the greenhouse growers and vertical farmers in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and Mexico. Learn more today about our commitment, services and products at www.hortamericas.com.

About Meteor Systems

Meteor Systems is a global supplier of complete growing systems for greenhouse farming. The company designs, produces, and delivers innovative solutions that ensure optimal plant growth while minimizing water and fertilizer use. Meteor Systems’ products are known for their sustainability, user-friendliness and ability to reduce labor costs. Learn more about their horticultural solutions at www.meteorsystems.nl.

One characteristic the company is proud of is its impressive employee retention rate. Among their 1,500 employees, there are more than a few individuals who have been with Village Farms Fresh since the company was founded in 1989. Two employees who have been with Village Farms for over 26 years and are responsible for the company’s farms in British Columbia and Texas are Dirk de Jong and Arie van der Giessen. Both have an interesting history with the company since they immigrated together from their home country of the Netherlands, the birthplace of high-tech greenhouse agriculture, to the USA. They both coincidentally also come from a long line of greenhouse growers. This growing legacy is what Village Farms Fresh is known for and helps guide the next generation of growers in the company while fueling innovation.

Dirk de Jong, Vice President, Regional Facility Manager in BC, Canada, recalls, “I was raised in a greenhouse. My mom and dad had a small family farm, and along with my brothers and sisters, we all pitched in to do everything that was needed in the greenhouse. I learned from an early age what it takes to run a business. I have been around plants and greenhouses since I could first walk. Today, I do not see my job as work because I enjoy what I do every day immensely.”

Arie van der Giessen, Vice President, Regional Facility Manager for Marfa & Fort Davis, Texas, tells a similar story. His father had a small farm, and he remembers always being in the greenhouse from the time he was a child. He says he has always enjoyed being in this type of environment and describes it as “his passion.” He adds, “I get paid for my hobby.” Arie also notes, however, “Back in the early days, we did not have the convenience of the automation we have today in greenhouse growing, and this has evolved tremendously, creating efficiencies in labor, plant health, and food safety.”

One such innovation is an AI tool used to predict optimum climate conditions in the greenhouse for autonomous growing by Crop Controller Blue Radix. This technology helps in precisely controlling the greenhouse environment, optimizing temperature, humidity, and light conditions to maximize plant health and yield while minimizing resource use. This cutting-edge tool exemplifies Village Farms Fresh’s commitment to integrating advanced technology to enhance sustainable agricultural practices.

Village Farms Fresh’s focus on innovation is not limited to technology alone. The company actively engages in sustainable practices, such as water recycling systems and integrated pest management, reducing the environmental footprint of their operations. By implementing such practices, Village Farms not only boosts efficiency but also ensures that their farming methods are environmentally responsible. Village Farms Fresh was recently recognized as a “Giga Guru” by its valued retail partner Walmart as part of their carbon reduction initiative called Project Gigaton.

Moreover, the company’s dedication to its employees is reflected in its comprehensive training programs and career development opportunities. These programs aim to equip employees with the skills needed to excel in modern greenhouse management, emphasizing both traditional agricultural knowledge and the latest technological advancements. This holistic approach ensures that the workforce remains competent, motivated, and aligned with the company’s vision of sustainable and innovative agriculture.

Village Farms Fresh’s story is one of growth, innovation, and community. From its roots in the Netherlands to its expansive operations across North America, the company continues to lead the way in high-tech greenhouse agriculture. With a strong foundation built on the expertise and dedication of its employees, Village Farms Fresh is well-positioned to continue its legacy of producing high-quality produce while embracing the future of farming.

For more information about Village Farms Fresh please visit www.villagefarmsfresh.com

About Village Farms Fresh

Village Farms Fresh, a wholly owned subsidiary of Village Farms International, Inc. (Nasdaq: VFF), is one of the largest growers, marketers, and distributors of premium-quality, greenhouse-grown fruits, and vegetables in North America. The food the company’s farmers grow is all harvested by hand from environmentally friendly, soil-less, glass greenhouses daily while utilizing the highest level of food safety standards available. The Village Farms Greenhouse Grown® brand of fruits and vegetables are marketed and distributed primarily to local retail grocers and dedicated fresh food distributors throughout the United States and Canada. Since its inception, Village Farms Fresh has been guided by sustainability principles that enable the company to grow food 365 days a year that not only feeds the growing population but is healthier for people and the planet. Village Farms Fresh is Good for the Earth® and good for you. Good for the Earth® and Garden Fresh Flavor® are not only taglines for the company but the value proposition Village Farms Fresh lives by.  And this is why it Takes a Village® to deliver on this promise.

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today the signing of a formal agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to renew their Federal Interagency Collaboration to Reduce Food Loss and Waste (FIFLAW). U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) also joined the collaboration to help reduce food loss and waste internationally. 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf, and USAID Administrator Samantha Power signed the formal agreement renewing and enhancing the collaborative effort. 

“By renewing this agreement and adding USAID into the effort, we affirm our shared commitment to coordinated action to reduce food loss and waste and educate Americans on its impacts and importance,” Vilsack said. “Individually and collectively, each of these agencies is working to combat food loss and waste from farm to table.” 

Collaboration to Reduce Food Loss and Waste

The Federal Interagency Collaboration to Reduce Food Loss and Waste was first formed in October 2018 and was renewed in December 2020. Since its creation, the Federal Interagency Collaboration has published the draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics. The Collaboration also has forged a formal agreement with the national non-profit, ReFED, to leverage resources to evaluate what is and is not working with respect to the technical implementation of strategies aimed at reducing food waste in the United States.  

With the renewal of the agreement, collaborating agencies will strengthen coordination to continue to produce educational and guidance materials, conduct outreach, community investments, voluntary programs, technical assistance, policy discussion, and public-private partnerships. The addition of USAID enables the U.S. government to expand its efforts and reach a broad range of international stakeholders while better leveraging government resources. The agencies will also work together with external partners to leverage the private and the non-governmental sectors to drive national and global change to reduce food loss and waste.    

New Investments in Research and Consumer Education

USDA also announced today an investment by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture of $4 million to fund a $1.5 million Center for Research, Behavioral Economics and Extension on Food Loss and Waste and a $2.5 million Pilot Consumer Education Campaign on Food Loss and Waste. Purdue University and Ohio State University will lead the two projects. 

The Center will use a systems approach in conducting research and Extension outreach on policies and programs relevant to addressing inefficiencies in the food system and food-related practices, focusing on engaging underserved audiences and the next generation of young adults. Furthermore, the Center will develop a National Extension Food Loss and Waste strategy that is in alignment with other federal guidance.  

Ohio State University will conduct and evaluate a pilot consumer campaign to develop educational messages and materials that meaningfully reduce the amount of U.S. household food waste. Lessons learned from the pilot will be used to develop an integrated education program for governmental and non-governmental organizations for local consumer food waste reduction campaigns. 

USDA Efforts on Reducing Food Loss and Waste

These efforts build on the substantial investments and activities that USDA has undertaken to reduce food loss and waste. In recent years, USDA has invested $57 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to reduce food loss and waste and spur action across the country from farm to table. These investments include:

• $30 Million in the Composting and Food Waste Reduction cooperative agreements over three years;
• $15 Million in Community Food Projects and Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) awards to get surplus wholesome food to individuals, and developing linkages between food producers, providers, and food recovery organizations;
• $10 Million in Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program awards in partnership with the National 4-H Council to educate school children and youth about food loss and waste and strategies to reduce it.

USDA has also hosted two USDA Food Loss and Waste Innovation Fairs and several roundtables to share success stories where cities, states, and businesses have taken action to reduce food loss and waste as well as share the new innovations coming out of USDA to reduce food loss and waste, such as improved cultivars, packaging, and equipment and valuable new products that can be made out food scraps. 

Additionally, with EPA, USDA has expanded membership of the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions from 30 Champions in March 2020 to around 50 currently. 2030 Champions are businesses and organizations that have made a public commitment to reduce food loss and waste in their own U.S. operations by 50% by 2030. 2030 Champions include several industry giants across the food supply chain, such as Danone North America, Smithfield Foods, Inc., Starbucks, Sysco, and Tyson Foods.

Globally, 30-40% of food produced is either lost or wasted throughout the farm-to-consumer supply chain, such as in fields due to spoilage and pest damage, while being stored, in transit, and when it goes unused by consumers. The U.S. sends nearly 80 billion pounds of food to municipal solid waste to landfills annually, and when food is tossed aside, so too are opportunities for improved food security, economic growth, and environmental prosperity. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste. 

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.  

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. 

Designers Paul Fisher and Maria Kinslow (UF/IFAS) and Bruce MacKay (FreshLearn) encourage growers to link to this web app for easy access to English/Spanish grower calculator tools, training videos, and fact sheets on a wide range of production topics.

The Tools section includes calculators for fertilizer and agrichemical dilutions, container substrates, light levels, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), crop budgets, and water quality. For example, you can calculate parts per million concentrations of fertilizers or how much daily light integral is contributed by electric lamps. The Training section links to videos and fact sheets on production topics such as handling tissue culture transplants.

UF IFAS Extension provides training on use of the website tools in Greenhouse Training Online grower courses (https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training), including the Greenhouse 101 course which begins on June 3.

The website is sponsored by industry partners in the Floriculture Research Alliance, the Ken and Deena Altman Online Extension Gift, and UF IFAS Extension. For more info about Back Pocket Grower or online courses, contact greenhousetraining@ufl.ifas.edu.

A selection of the 80 knowledge sessions:

Vision Stage:

• Tuesday 11 June, 13:45 – 14:30hrs: ‘From hops to cheers: beyond data integration’ moderated by Tiffany Tsui (Springtide Strategy) and speakers Rick Schneiders (Siemens), Dick Veerman (Foodlog), Jacques Gros (AB Inbev) and Ines Sagrario (Ekonoke)
• Wednesday 12 June, 13:45 – 14:30hrs: ‘Pioneering the energy transition with greenhouse technologies from startups’ moderated by Henry Gordon-Smith and speakers Mike Poodt (Rijk Zwaan) and Rob van Straten (Skytree)
• Thursday 13 June, 12:00 – 12:45hrs: ‘T&U: Future vision: A valuable tasty & healthy horticulture’ moderated by Harrij Schmeitz (Impact T&U) and speakers Marco Retel (MiFood) and Anne Elings (Wageningen University & Research)

Technology Stage:

• Tuesday 11 June, 11:00 – 11:45hrs: ‘What is most important when choosing a new LED installation for tomatoes?’ with speakers Peter Klapwijk (2HARVEST), Orchan Koelijev (Orance), Thomas Grebner (ams-OSRAM International GmbH), Rebecca Nordin (Heliospectra) and Octavio Perez Rodriguez (Nature Fresh Farms)
• Tuesday 11 June, 16:15 – 17:00hrs: ‘Crop Health: Nutrient Uptake Driver to a More Resilient Crop’ moderated by Frank van der Helm (Hogeschool Inholland) and speakers Marta Streminska (Wageningen University & Research), Felix Tarrats (Ceickor) and Peter Kamp (Priva)

Medicinal Plants/ Vertical Farming Stage:  

• Wednesday 12 June, 12:15 – 13:00hrs: ‘From Farm to Pharmacy: Global Developments in Medicinal Cannabis’ moderated by Sonny Moerenhout (Cultivators) and speakers Tjalling Erkelens (Bedrocan), Atiyyah Ferouz (ICQSA), Mariana Arias Larrea (MLA Legal and Consulting Boutique)
• Wednesday 12 June, 15:30 – 16:15hrs: ‘The Dutch recreational revolution: Update on GKK experiment’ moderated by Sonny Moerenhout (Cultivators) and speaker Simone van Breda (Chairman of the union of Coffeeshop retailers, European Parliament candidate)

Vertical Farming:

• Tuesday 11 June, 14:15 – 15:00hrs: ‘CEA Unlocks the future of seed breeding?’ moderated by Roel Janssen (Planet Farms) and speakers Stefanie Linzer (Greenlux), Wim Grootscholten (Rijk Zwaan), Wolfgang Fischer (Graines Voltz) and Newton Kalengamalira (80 Acres Farms)
• Wednesday 12 June, 10:30 – 11:15hrs: ‘Retail Outlook CEA for Regional Production’ moderated by Jochem Wolthuis (Die Frische Society) and speakers Claus Ahrens (vGreens), Lee Greene (Foodhub-NRW), Michael Muller (Pflanzentheke) and Bauke vom Lentere (Rijk Zwaan)

More information at: https://www.greentech.nl/amsterdam/.

Registration policy visitors
GreenTech offers a 3-day entrance ticket for €95 excl. VAT per person, up to and including 7 June. Exhibitors can invite their clients for free until 7 June. After 7 June until 13 June a ticket costs €120. For an additional fee, upgrades such as a Premium, Overnight stay and Fun package are offered. More information and registration at https://www.greentech.nl/amsterdam/tickets.

GreenTech Amsterdam
GreenTech Amsterdam will be held from Tuesday 11 – Thursday 13 June 2024. The exhibition is a global meeting place for all horticultural technology professionals with a focus on the early stages of the horticultural chain and the current issues growers face. GreenTech is supported by AVAG, the industry association for the greenhouse technology sector in the Netherlands.More information can be found via the GreenTech website or follow GreenTech on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram.

Why people love wasabi

Wasabi has enormous health benefits. It’s good for your heart, and for your liver, it even helps regenerate your hair. Of course, taste and uniqueness come into play as the food service industry’s poster boy for Sushi and Sashimi. Back in the EDO period, Shoguns were scrapping over this beloved Japanese herb. Why? They discovered it prevented food poisoning after they ate raw fish. 

Can it grow outside of Japan? 

Yes that’s right, it can grow outside its homeland of Japan and many of our friends are successful farmers. The horticulture world has been distracted by the perception it could be tricky to grow. But some hydroponic growers are proving it is possible to be commercially successful. Knowledge and experience is the key to the success of this tricky crop that needs a unique controlled environment, whether you grow hydroponically, in soil pots/beds or naturally in streams. But once you upskill, you can grow for both pleasure (it’s a stunning plant in full bloom below, and the smell well that’s indescribable) and local food service. 

Is it economical to grow Wasabi? 

Wasabi may well be a high value crop (up to $250 per kg of rhizome) but long production cycles, circa 2–3 years, make this a niche specialist crop best designated for high-end restaurants. Most growers will supplement yields by selling Japanese accessories or young plants to cover periods between harvests. So you may want to put your marketing hat on and diversify into Japanese culture and food service. 

All that’s left to say is – do you want to start growing? We are here to help. 

Nice cool temps year round, neutral pH, and a high humidity will get you going.

Janet Colston PhD is 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.

We need farming, but what kind of farming do we need?

Everywhere you look, farmers, environmentalists, activists, businesses, celebrities, and politicians are talking about climate change, polarizing the subject and postulating what will happen if we don’t take action now. We know the way we are currently farming is harming the planet and our health, but we also know as farmers we have the skills to change the outcome. Some of the problems in agriculture are compounded by long food supply chains, intensive farming and over processing of foods. It remains challenging, in part due to the complexity of the global system we have built. We acknowledge we cannot resolve these issues individually, and campaigners all agree we need to work together to build resilience in the whole food system. 

Urban Ag News created a world graphic to demonstrate the wide range of symbiotic interactions needed to work together for long term food security. 

What role should the CEA industry play in sustaining the food chain?

The founding principles of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) should be to grow food by integrating technology with natural resources in environments close to the consumer, giving better access to healthy, pesticide free foods in a more sustainable way. Importantly, we want to explain how the right technology used in the right situation can help our farmers play their part.

There have been many discussions asking who should lead in CEA. We want to take a more holistic viewpoint, and want to know what role, if any, the CEA industry will play in the security and sustainability of our food systems. Sustainability in CEA has been defined in different ways, but essentially we want to understand how the following co-exist and their interdependency: 

• Profitability
• Technology
• Locality
• Diversity 
• Accessibility 

Farmers have the knowledge and the tools to produce food anywhere, but the real question is: should consumers continue to demand convenience in the food chain at the cost of environmental sustainability?

Our food systems are driven in part to meet consumer demand for convenience. People have come to believe their food should be accessible all year round. We no longer have seasons, and retailers comply by importing to keep shelves stocked. But, anytime crops are grown out of season, or in non-native regions of the world, production becomes heavily reliant on additional energy and distribution networks. Not only is this bad for the planet, it pushes up costs for producers, which is passed on to consumers. It’s a no-win scenario as farmers struggle to maintain economic viability, while transitioning to greener technologies. 

If farming in hyper local food systems needs to be economically viable, how can it be sustainable with all the variables?

“A company that stays in business is economically sustainable, but this doesn’t always mean it’s environmentally sustainable.” Bruce Bugbee, Professor of crop physiology at Utah State University.

On the face of it, the answer seems simple for us in CEA, in that we could provide more local sustainable food production using clean energy, close to where people live. Getting over the startup capital costs of building a farm and access to urban land is a hurdle. Regardless, it would take a huge number of smaller farms to build a better food supply chain, reducing food miles and eliminating food deserts around our inner cities. Cutting air miles is only one part of the solution, we also need to understand the type of technology deployed, and the clean energy inputs required that help us build a more sustainable approach. 

“We need, among others, small local producers, ideally using new forms of high-yielding agroecology.” George Monbiot, British journalist, author, and environmental and political activist.

What difference can CEA make to the planet? 

By its very nature, CEA is a competitively expanding field with progressive and environmentally friendly technologies that allow us to protect the crops we grow and mass produce food on a scale capable of feeding populations at risk from climate change. We believe the industry should drive down energy consumption, eliminate pesticides and reduce agricultural run-off. It’s a little too early to celebrate these accomplishments, we need to do more work before we pat each other on the back.

Integrating innovative and time saving technology in existing farms will make them more efficient, and is an interim way to restore local supply chains. Creating skilled farming jobs, and bringing people closer to the food supply chain, is critical to success. We have discussed some of the issues with labor in the CEA industry in previous articles. 

Less obvious are the advances in crop breeding that increase the range of crops that can be adapted to grow in CEA. We can keep developing suitable crops, but the area of highest impact is undoubtedly changing consumer behavior, and for that to be successful we need increased consumer knowledge. This includes understanding the value of local fresh produce that does not travel across the world to reach our supermarket shelves. Paying for higher quality is a more sustainable approach in the long term. We know this is a complex subject and that not all consumers can afford to pay higher costs. 

“Consumers who prioritize locally grown, and seasonal produce are often willing and able to pay a premium for products.” Urban Ag News 

How do we measure sustainable agriculture?

Fossil fuel energy costs have hindered the CEA industry in the past, but new farms will undoubtedly attempt newer hydrogen technologies, or we may see hybrid farms, mixed with solar, wind or thermal renewable energy. We are already seeing this trend. 

Moving to new clean energy sources is going to be capital and potentially carbon heavy in the short to medium term. Striving to make CEA farms profitable using renewable energy is in the short term more costly to the environment. Do we have the time and enough data to mobilize green energy for food systems? For investors in CEA, there should be modeling from prospective businesses demonstrating quantitative metrics of inputs, and emissions from food grown with the use of fossil fuels and renewables. But who will invest in sustainability of the global food system, and should it be governments concerned with social good and the environment rather than wealthy business owners?

“The transition to clean CEA farms should use tech that harnesses both natural resources of the region and availability of labor to produce crops with the lowest energy inputs.” Chris Higgins, President and general manager of Hort Americas.

Extreme weather, either too hot, too cold or too wet, will make current crops and locations unpredictable. The use of renewable energy sources either to heat or cool these crops must not exacerbate the problem. In the long term, conversion to clean energy sources will lead to more sustainable CEA food production in regions that become inhospitable to certain crops and require either cooling or heating to maintain suitable temperatures. Rebates on high energy costs will encourage farmers to take advantage of green schemes, and more engineers will enter this field in the future to help us achieve additional energy efficiencies. All farmers will need access to land to build resilient infrastructure.

Why LED lighting is better for energy consumption and is the most efficient way to supplement sunlight for photosynthesis 

Lighting is a key topic in this industry, and LEDs are well proven to increase yields and reduce crop disease. A first of its kind comparative study by Wageningen University showed an energy saving of 40%  when switching to LED lights versus conventional agricultural lighting.  The switch reduces heat radiating from traditional lamps by 25% which gives enormous flexibility to transition to clean renewable energy heat resources. 

LEDs also provide an opportunity to increase yields and crop efficiency using advanced spectral recipes, extended photoperiods and variable light intensities as the crop demands. This provides the grower with more control and flexibility to determine the light level separately from heat generation in greenhouses. Innovation will make it possible to build in flexible LED lighting that adjusts automatically in response to plant physiology, optimizing plant photosynthetic capacity. Fine-tuning of LEDs will make crops more efficient and together with genetic breeding will yield higher biomass using highly effective and sustainable growing methods. 

Eliminating agricultural run-off by integrating a closed nutrient feed system in a greenhouse or open field 

As CEA farmers, we do not propose to solve all the issues created by climate change, but one we can have an immediate effect on is nutrient run-off into groundwater. Water is a commodity we need to use sparsely in agriculture and run off is tightly controlled in high-tech environments, recirculating through filters and running operations with only minimal top up for small production sites. Innovative technologies like nanobubbles extend the lifespan of nutrient solutions, and careful automated monitoring ensures the plants get all uptake of nutrients at the right time with accuracy and efficiency.

Monocrop farming is not only killing the planet through deforestation, it is also impacting our health.

Farming crops like wheat, rice, soy and palm oil is impacting our environment and damaging core systems, leading to further downstream effects. It’s a complex picture as monocrops themselves do not create a poor diet. Instead, poor health is more likely to be linked to consumer behavior and a lack of knowledge of how some processed foods in the diet can be damaging. We appreciate the choice of an individual to be healthy is not the responsibility of farmers, but we should all promote diverse fruits and vegetables to sustain healthy lives.

Crops suitable and adapted to CEA have until now been limited, and we want to avoid CEA itself becoming a ‘monocrop’ industry. The issues here are conflicting, as monocrops have saved millions from starving, but the cost to the planet has been high and is unsustainable. Diversifying what we grow is significantly better for human health, biodiversity, and long term food security. 

We are making huge strides with access to clean stock, producing diverse crops that are adaptable to CEA systems. It will help the planet by providing the consumer demand for certain foods in a way that avoids air miles and excessively destructive land-use change.

Crop diversity is a bottleneck in CEA as we figure out the most profitable markets to offset the higher energy inputs in the short term. Most growers are established experts in the leafy green space, but it takes skill and innovation to make other crops such as dragon fruit and saffron economical. We will get there. Science based, profitable opportunities are presented by CRISPR  gene editing to create new crops or varieties to circumvent rising temperatures, taking advantage of extended growing seasons. 

“What’s a gene worth? If it unlocks a crop trait that helps farmers grow enough while conserving our planet’s natural resources, then… everything.” Bayer US.

Some of our most well known superfoods, turmeric, ginger, and strawberries thrive in hotter climates, while cooler temps favor lesser known medicinal crops like wasabi and ginseng. These all grow in climates we are able to simulate indoors or in quasi greenhouse hydroponics systems. Just how a grower chooses to adapt their growing methods should not be restrictive, but technology can be ancillary to their needs. There are further opportunities for development of new medicines and protein sources from plants grown in CEA,  which will give access to more people in the world. 

Why is this important? 

Our consumerism is not only destroying the planet, but destroying our health. The two are inextricably linked. While farmers are developing innovative solutions that promote sustainable agriculture, we believe the added burden of health should not lie solely with them. 

We have a window of opportunity to make the food chain more sustainable and at the same time improve global health through what people eat.

We are all in danger of acute disease from not only future pandemics but also from sedentary consumer diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Not only that, but we consume too much of the wrong stuff because it is marketed to us in irresistible ways. How many of us consider the planet when we are filling our shopping baskets with processed foods?

Eating better is one of the simplest answers, yet we are defined as a generation that has still to behave in a way that allows us to have healthy lives. Part of this is down to access to healthy foods, as we know the problem is exacerbated in deprived inner city communities. It is also about the cost for an individual, when it could be cheaper to buy processed foods, yet we pay a heavy price for healthcare to resolve lifestyle diseases down the road. The answer is to educate communities with simple messaging, and data driven science to bring people closer to their food chain, and help them make more ethical decisions about their space on the planet.

Who will lead the CEA industry?

As a populist driven society, we rely on influential people to drive home the message. 

Some people, like Stephen Ritz, are leading the way in CEA, raising awareness in their community with particular emphasis on children’s education. We need others to step up and encourage the next generation. 

Ultimately it’s not about us, it’s about our children, who will bear the burden of feeding the world.

“We must shift our emphasis from economic efficiency to life efficiency.” Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Finally, we return to what Chris discussed in his article and who should lead this movement as we try to understand how we come together to resolve our sustainability issues in farming. We cannot claim to resolve the world’s food problems with CEA alone, but we can keep innovating, keep talking to farmers, and advising on the right tech for the right situation. 

“You just need to know how to properly use the appropriate technology that allows each farm to scale correctly by understanding the relationships between yield and capex, and opex per square foot, meter, acre or hectare.” Chris Higgins 

If you need some ideas, try our functional food blogs. Feel free to reprint this article as long as you give credit to the authors and Urban Ag News. 

If you are considering growing specialty crops in a greenhouse or vertical farm, it pays to do your homework.

Before starting to grow any controlled environment food crop, it pays (literally) to do your homework related to production and market potential. This is especially important with any type of specialty crop. Serge Boon, founder of Boon Greenhouse Consultancy, said regardless of the crop, a greenhouse or vertical farm grower has to determine if there is a sustainable market for the crop.

“I have seen growers who have started very small and have developed a market and want to expand their production facilities to produce more crops,” Boon said. “They want to increase the volume of the crops they are growing. By increasing the size of the operation, production efficiencies should also increase.

“Unfortunately, there are still some growers who think they can produce a specialty crop and easily sell it. They may not realize that the crop may be difficult to produce and/or market.”

Boon said the terms specialty crop and niche market are often used interchangeably and can have a wide definition or application because they can mean different things to different people.

“In most cases, specialty crops would not include more common controlled environment crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and peppers, but it could include a special variety of tomatoes like heirloom tomatoes not commonly grown in controlled environment production,” Boon said.

Production systems for specialty crops

The large commercial greenhouse vegetable growers that Boon is working with are primarily producing tomatoes, cucumbers, and leafy greens. He is also working with commercial mid-size greenhouse operations that are focused on producing multiple crops, including specialty crops.

Boon said the production systems used to grow specialty crops are not usually that different than the systems used for more common controlled-environment-grown crops.

“It is different from the perspective of the growers’ needs,” he said. “Because of their production needs, these crops might require more attention from the growers in order to produce quality, salable crops.”

Boon said a well-bred greenhouse tomato will almost grow by itself.

“The lines of tomatoes bred for controlled environment production have been developed so that they produce uniform size fruit,” he said. “The emphasis is on the size and yield.”

Because specialty crops like heirloom tomatoes have not been bred for commercial production, they require more attention to detail in regards to production. These varieties may be more susceptible to pests, diseases, and physiological disorders such as fruit deformities.

“This also relates to automation including robotic harvesting being developed for the more common controlled environment crops of tomatoes, cucumbers, leafy greens, and peppers,” Boon said. “The automation for some specialty crops may be more difficult to develop or not worth developing. The fruit of these specialty crops may also be more tender and more prone to bruising. The fruit may not be robust enough for mechanical harvesting. This will definitely have an effect on what automation can be used for planting, harvesting, and packaging. The production of specialty crops goes hand-in-hand with being more labor intensive.”

Boon said even specialty leafy greens could be more difficult to grow than some of the more commonly grown species and varieties.

“These specialty leafy greens could be more susceptible to nutrient deficiencies or they could tend to have a leggier habit,” he said. “These specialty greens could be more difficult to grow in mobile gutter systems because the plants fall over and they don’t lend themselves to automated harvesting.”

Boon said floating rafts are flexible systems that can accommodate even some of the more difficult to grow specialty crops.

“Mobile gutter systems are tailored more to certain varieties because the plants have to be able to stand up,” he said. “The crops have to be able to be seeded in a specific way.

“With floating rafts there is more flexibility. Production system and plant habit definitely should be taken into consideration. Some specialty crops require more hands-on attention which may not allow certain types of automation.”

Do you have the “right stuff”?

Boon said for each specialty or niche crop, growers need to consider whether they have the production expertise, the right production system and whether there is a market for the crops.

“Many of these specialty crops lend themselves to being grown near the markets where they would be consumed,” he said. “This also has application to lowering the risk from production loss.

“That’s not to say growers couldn’t produce large quantities of specialty crops as long as they have systems in place to deal with the plants’ shortcomings. This could relate to the production, harvesting and transport of crops. They may require a certain temperature and/or humidity for their production and/or transport. The risk of loss goes up for these crops.”

Growers need to be aware of the downsides of a specialty crop or variety.

“When picking a specialty crop, growers should know the benefits of it, but also know its downsides,” Boon said. “This will help to ensure growers are prepared to encounter difficulties.

“Sometimes this can be finding technical production information for some of these crops. There are reliable seed companies that know the varieties. The information may be available, but it may be more difficult to find the hands-on technical expertise and experience to assist in growing some of these crops. The information may be available, but finding someone with the production expertise may be limited.”

Do your market research

Boon said market research is critical to the production of any specialty crop.

“The design of the greenhouse or vertical farm and their production systems, what crops are going to be grown, growers can make those all work, but ultimately the crops have to be sold,” he said. “Being able to grow a crop doesn’t always mean you should. It can take multiple markets to be successful with these specialty crops.”

Boon said the changes in people’s eating habits bodes well for the specialty crop market.

“People are more willing to pay for produce that is nutritious and healthy for them,” he said. “In many cases, consumers don’t know how the produce available in grocery stores was grown. Knowing the source, knowing it is pesticide-free, knowing it is high in nutrition, these are all factors that will help increase the demand for specialty crops.

“U.S. consumers are starting to look for and are more willing to pay for these crops, which is already happening a lot more in Europe. There is a more direct-to-consumer market that is increasing. Growers need to determine how they can tap into that market and how to deliver the produce.”

For more: Boon Greenhouse Consultancy, serge@boongreenhouse.com; https://boongreenhouse.com/.

This article is property of Urban Ag News and was written by David Kuack, a freelance technical writer in Fort Worth, Texas.

There will be two days of conference sessions, where industry leaders, innovators, suppliers, advisers and investors will share their insights through a series of presentations, interviews and interactive panel discussions, in addition to industry policy round tables, extensive networking breaks and a gala industry dinner where the Vertical Farming World Awards will be presented.

This year’s theme of Powering Up is designed to focus on future opportunity, with sessions on energy, sustainability, hybrid systems, protein alternatives and space exploration alongside market insights, innovation case studies and leadership views.

Registration for the 2024 Congress is now live, with a €200 booking discount available until 24 May.

Learn more.

Can you believe this white ‘pom pom’ like fungus has properties that regrow nerves? This has been proven in several peer reviewed studies. Remarkably, this mushroom can grow larger than a baseball in under two months given the right controlled environment. 

Substrates for Lion’s mane are commonly straw or sawdust based, but could just as easily be ground spent coffee beans. Setting up a container sized space, the main controls to be aware of for optimal growth are temperature and humidity. 

Lion’s Mane mushrooms are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are particularly prized for their potential health benefits, including boosting cognitive function, supporting the nervous system, and enhancing immune function.

As the mane grows, it will start to form an underlying ball shape. Then out of nowhere comes the shaggy mane. 

Lion’s Mane mushrooms contain bioactive compounds such as hericenones and erinacines, which have been studied for their neuroprotective and neuroregenerative effects. Research suggests that Lion’s Mane may help improve memory, concentration, and overall brain health.

Shedding of spores – these can be collected for subsequent inoculation of spawn. 

How do you eat these mushrooms? 

Lion’s Mane mushrooms have a delicate, seafood-like flavor and a meaty texture, making them a popular choice for vegetarian or vegan dishes. They can be sautéed, grilled, or roasted and used in various recipes, including stir-fries, soups, and pasta dishes.

Why not try out Nashville Farmacy’s recipe for lion’s mane ragù, it sounds really tasty. 

They are best harvested when young and tender, before the spines become too dense or discolored.

Janet Colston PhD is 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.

CEA Summit East is focused on bringing together the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry and academia. Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con, the leading global gathering of the vertical farming | CEA sector, and the Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center, a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center, the summit aims to foster collaboration and innovation in the field of CEA.

“Returning for its second year as part of the CEA Summit East, the poster competition is designed to provide graduate students with an opportunity to showcase their high-quality CEA-related research. It also aims to facilitate networking between students and industry professionals,” says Kaylee South, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of CEA at Virginia Tech. “The CEA Summit East Partners are excited to invite graduate students to submit their abstracts for consideration.”

Competition Eligibility and Guidelines:

• The competition is open to currently enrolled or recently graduated (Spring 2024 or later) graduate students, including M.S., Ph.D., and professional students.
• Entrants must present posters on original CEA-related research they have conducted.
• Abstract submissions must be received by August 16, 2024, for consideration.
• All posters will be judged and scored at the conference, with winners announced during the breakfast gathering/keynote session on day 2, October 2, 2024.

 For more information on abstract submission and competition guidelines, please visit https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-poster/ or contact Dr. Kaylee South at kasouth@vt.edu or +1.434.766.6628

ABOUT CEA SUMMIT EAST

Building on the success of its 2023 edition, which attracted attendees from 33 US states, Canada, the Netherlands and Sweden, the 3rd Annual CEA Summit East is set to unite professionals once again from academia, business, and technology within the CEA industry. Attendees include greenhouse growers, urban agriculture operations, vertical farms, outdoor growers seeking hybrid growing opportunities, educators, scientists, extension personnel and agents, suppliers, engineers, tech specialists, architects/developers, government officials, and other industry members. With a focus on facilitating meaningful connections and knowledge exchange, the summit will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking/ breakout sessions, and tabletop exhibits highlighting the latest advancements in CEA technology and practices. Attendees can also look forward to research facility tours, providing firsthand insights into cutting-edge research and development initiatives. For more information, visit www.ceasummit.com

ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON

Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the largest trade show and conference for vertical farming | greenhouse |controlled environment agriculture. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis | hemp, alternate protein and non-food crops. For more information, visit www.indoor.ag.

ABOUT THE VIRGINIA TECH – IALR CEA INNOVATION CENTER

The Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center is a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center. By developing strategic partnerships with both industry and academia, the goal of the Innovation Center is to conduct research and educational programming to develop, promote and advance the CEA sector in the U.S. and internationally. For more information, visit www.ialr.org/cea

“The Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Committee has already submitted more than a dozen recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and continues to provide direct feedback to USDA about how to better serve producers and communities,” said Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which oversees USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. “These new members will provide valuable input on innovative production, higher education, the supply chain, and urban farming to guide our programs and policies.”

Members of the Committee include representative from urban and innovative agricultural production, higher education or extension programs, non-profits, business and economic development, supply chain, and financing. Last year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed four new members to the Committee to replace members whose terms expired. The Committee’s last public meeting was held in April 2024.

Nominations

USDA is seeking nominations for individuals representing a broad spectrum of expertise. Four positions are open for nominations including:

• One individual who is an agricultural producer or farmer using innovative technology.
• One individual representing an institution of higher education or extension program.
• One individual with supply chain experience, which may include a food aggregator, wholesale food distributor, food hub, or an individual who has direct-to-consumer market experience.
• One individual representing related experience in urban, indoor and other emerging agriculture production practices.

Individuals who wish to be considered for membership must submit a nomination package including the following:

• A completed background disclosure form (Form AD-755) (PDF, 2.1 MB) signed by the nominee.
• A brief summary explaining the nominee’s interest in one or more open vacancies including any unique qualifications that address the membership composition and criteria described above.
• A resume providing the nominee’s background, experience, and educational qualifications.
• Recent publications by the nominee relative to extending support for urban agriculture or innovative production (optional).
• Letter(s) of endorsement (optional).

Nomination packages must be submitted by email to UrbanAgricultureFederalAdvisoryCommittee@usda.gov or postmarked by July 6, 2024. If sending by mail, packages should be addressed to USDA NRCS, Attn: Brian Guse, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4083, Washington, DC 20250. Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified individuals for membership, including self-nominations. For special accommodations, contact Markus Holliday at UrbanAgricultureFederalAdvisoryCommittee@usda.gov.

Additional details are available in the Federal Register notice.

More Information

The Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production was established through the 2018 Farm Bill. It is led by NRCS and works in partnership with numerous USDA agencies that support urban agriculture and innovative production. The Committee is part of a broad USDA investment in urban agriculture and innovative production. Other efforts include:

• Investing $9.1 million for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production competitive grants in fiscal year 2023.
• Administering the People’s Garden Initiative, which celebrates collaborative gardens across the country and worldwide that benefit their communities by growing fresh, healthy food and supporting resilient, local food systems using sustainable practices and providing greenspace.
• Investing approximately $11.5 million in cooperative agreements that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans in fiscal year 2023.
• Investing $40 million, made possible by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, into partnerships with community-based organizations to that will conduct outreach, education and technical assistance to support urban producers.
• Investing in risk management education to broaden reach of crop insurance among urban and innovative producers.
• Organizing 27 FSA urban county committees to make important decisions about how FSA farm programs are administered locally. Urban farmers who participate in USDA programs in the areas selected are encouraged to participate by nominating and voting for county committee members.
• Establishing 17 new Urban Service Centers staffed by FSA and NRCS employees where urban producers can access farm loan, conservation, disaster assistance and risk management programs.
• Partnering with the Vermont Law and Graduate School Center for Agriculture and Food Systems to develop resources that help growers understand and work through local policies.

Learn more at www.usda.gov/urban. For additional resources available to producers, download the Urban Agriculture at a Glance brochure or visit www.farmers.gov/urban.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities throughout America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

Greenhouse 101 is designed for people with no formal training in horticulture that work in the greenhouse or nursery industry. Course topics include plant parts and functions, photosynthesis and growth, greenhouse technology, flowering, compactness and branching, irrigation, nutrition, and plant health. 

The course is offered in English and Spanish and runs for four weeks from June 3 to June 28, 2024. The cost is $US275 per participant. All course material is completely online and available at any time of the day, and includes pre-recorded videos, quizzes, and an interactive discussion board with PhD professors Paul Fisher from UF and Brian Pearson from Oregon State University. Two new modules are activated each week during the course, for a total of eight learning modules. Instruction is at your own pace and time within the 4 weeks of the course, with a typical time commitment of about 4 hours per week. Click here to register: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/training/.

We offer a 20% discount when you register 5 or more staff. For more information, including discounts for multiple registrations email us at: greenhousetraining@ifas.ufl.edu.