Big Tex Urban Farms has seen the benefits of hydroponic growing in its efforts to become a better community partner. Big Tex Urban Farms has exceeded beyond anything that co-founder Drew Demler could have ever imagined. Demler, who is the director of horticulture at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, said the growing operation got its start out of an interest by fair president Mitchell Glieber to become more involved with the Dallas community. Demler said one of Glieber’s main objectives when he became president was to get the State Fair of Texas to be more active in the…
Author: David Kuack, UrbanAgNews.com
Ohio State University professor Chieri Kubota is focused on helping to resolve the production and training challenges facing controlled environment growers. Trying to produce vegetables in hot, humid conditions can be difficult for controlled environment growers whether growing in a greenhouse or a warehouse. “The challenges of greenhouse growing in Ohio and the Midwest are different than the challenges faced by growers in Arizona,” said Ohio State University horticulture professor Chieri Kubota. Kubota, who joined the faculty at Ohio State this past June will continue the controlled environment agriculture research she was doing while at the University of Arizona. “Some…
Originally published in Issue 8 The benefits of supplemental carbon dioxide (CO2) on greenhouse crops are easy to quantify. Faster production times, higher yields and larger fruit are some of the results of incorporating CO2 into the greenhouse atmosphere to optimize plant growth. Greenhouse crop consultant Marco de Bruin at de Bruin Greenhouse Consulting never worked in a greenhouse operation that didn’t use supplemental carbon dioxide (CO2). “I have grown a variety of tomatoes including, tomato on the vine, grape tomato, cluster tomato, Roma tomato, as well as cucumber, sweet pepper, lettuce and basil,” de Bruin said. “Supplemental CO2 was…
Princeton University’s Vertical Farming Project aims to improve the sustainability of vertical farm production systems for commercial growers. The lack of accurate information related to vertical farming production was one of the main reasons that Dr. Paul Gauthier decided to start the Vertical Farming Project at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. Gauthier, who is Associate Research Scholar in Environmental Plant Physiology and Modeling, began the project in April 2016 after he saw an increasing number of growers considering starting vertical farm operations. “I noticed that a lot of the information related to hydroponic growing was coming from the 1990s and…
Originally published in Issue 16 Lucayan Tropical Produce has been growing greenhouse vegetables in The Bahamas for 12 years, but it has taken some adjustments to find the best crops to grow on an island in paradise. Since Lucayan Tropical Produce Ltd. began producing greenhouse vegetables in 2004, the company has experienced three major hurricanes, including Hurricane Matthew, this past October. Matthew, which was designated a Category 5 hurricane, had sustained winds as high as 160 mph. The company, which is located on New Providence Island in The Bahamas, operates a 5.5-acre Dalsem glass greenhouse producing cucumbers, lettuce and leafy…
Originally published in Issue 16 Although MightyVine has only been growing greenhouse tomatoes for a year, its sister companies have enabled its product to be sold to a variety of clients in multiple states. MightyVine has been producing greenhouse tomatoes in Rochelle, Ill., for just over a year. But company chairman Jim Murphy became involved in the distribution and preparation of food before the 15-acre greenhouse operation began producing tomatoes. “Two and half years before we opened the first 7.5-acre greenhouse we started a company called Local Foods,” Murphy said. “We began to source food from over 200 local farmers…
Originally published in Issue 16 Although it may be difficult to create the perfect greenhouse climate for growing plants, there are variables growers can control to maximize plant growth. Regardless of the type of crop being grown in a greenhouse, the climate a grower is trying to achieve requires controlling the same variables. “Greenhouse growers are trying to control temperature, humidity, light level, carbon dioxide, and in some instances, airflow and air distribution,” said mechanical and agricultural engineer Dr. Nadia Sabeh, founder of Dr. Greenhouse. “Depending on the crop, these variables have different set points. They also might have different…
Urban Agriculture Production Act offers growers, retailers and consumers opportunity to produce, market and purchase locally-grown food. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) introduced the Urban Agriculture Production Act in September. This bipartisan bill aims to support nutritional and farmers’ market programs and help create the next generation of local, urban farmers and food producers. Kaptur was joined by 11 original cosponsors: Rep. John Conyers (MI-13), Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13), Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (DC-AL), Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-04), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Rep. Tim Ryan (OH-13), Rep. Dwight Evans (PA-02), Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12) and…
Originally published in Issue 15 Canadian researchers at the Harrow Research and Development Centre are working with growers to determine which horticultural lights are the most effective and efficient for producing tall greenhouse vegetable crops. When it comes to the collecting data on using LEDs on tall greenhouse vegetable crops, there isn’t a clear picture on how well they perform. Shalin Khosla, greenhouse vegetable specialist at Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said much of the early research that has been done with LEDs has been on ornamental flowering crops and leafy green vegetables. “Not a lot of…
Originally published in Issue 15, October 2016 Researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands are studying the effects of LED lights on the growth, flowering and fruiting of vegetable and ornamental plants in controlled environments. Dutch growers who are building new greenhouses or adding new grow lights to their existing operations are comparing high pressure sodium (HPS) and light emitting diodes (LEDs) when making their decision. “At the moment there aren’t as many growers making the switch from HPS to LEDs,” said Leo Marcelis, head of chair group horticulture and product physiology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. “Most growers…
Originally published in Issue 15, October 2016 Scientists, university researchers, graduate students and industry representatives from 25 countries attended the 8th International Symposium on Light in Horticulture at Michigan State University. Michigan State University hosted the 8th International Symposium on Light in Horticulture from May 22-26, 2016. This was the first time the symposium, which began in 1969, was held in the United States. The symposium was attended by 250 people from 25 countries. Michigan State horticulture professors Roberto Lopez and Erik Runkle were the organizers and co-conveners of the symposium. “The symposium is part of the International Society for…
Originally published in Issue 14 If you want a recipe for how to specifically control insect pests, then you would best be served using conventional chemical pest management. “When you look at things through an organic lens, it’s all about context,” said Michigan State University entomologist Matt Grieshop. “There are options to choose from, but your pest management choice is going to be dictated by your specific needs and circumstance. What works for one grower may not work for another for a whole host of reasons. You have to educate yourself about the system. “It’s not as simple as putting…
A look back at how the Coalition for Sustainable Organics has worked to keep hydroponics and aquaponics as USDA organic-certified production methods. Originally published in Issue 14, July 2016 Organic hydroponic and aquaponic growers are waiting for the results of a National Organic Program task force report which is scheduled for release this month. Members of the NOP Organic Hydroponic and Aquaponic Task Force were appointed last fall to examine hydroponic and aquaponic production practices and their alignment with USDA organic regulations. The task force includes members who are USDA organically-certified hydroponic growers. Hydroponic and aquaponic growers are concerned that…
If you are looking to take advantage of the demand for locally-grown potted edibles, here are some “new” crops that could excite retailers and consumers. While an increasing number of consumers are downsizing their gardens, they still want to garden. University of Minnesota horticulture professor John Erwin said as the population in the United States is increasingly urbanizing and people’s yards are getting smaller, gardening is still an important part of their lifestyle. “More people are living in residences with balconies and patios so they want to garden with containerized plants,” Erwin said. Greenhouse ornamental plant growers have the opportunity…