Podcasts about controlled environment agriculture

Lockie Scicluna is part of the crew living and working at Australia's remote Mawson Station in Antarctica. Lockie is closely involved in the station's hydroponic growing setup — an ingenious system that allows the team to produce fresh vegetables in one of the most extreme environments on Earth. We talk about the challenges of growing food without soil or sunlight, and why having a growing operation might matter more than you might think. Links Australian Antarctic Division Mawson station Lockie on Instagram @scic.travels Other episodes if you liked this one:

Guests Victoria Brian de Moura & Henry Gordon Smith of Agritecture elaborate on the current status, viability, and future of Controlled Environment Agriculture in Latin America-and how women participating in the sector may be key to unlocking its growth and benefits within food systems.Links:Victoria Brian de Moura https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-bmoura/Henry Gordon-Smithhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hgordonsmith/Michael Scaddenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mscadden/Women in CEA:https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-in-cea/Christine Gould: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinergould/Thought for Food LATAM:https://www.instagram.com/tfflatam/Agritecture:https://www.agritecture.com/

In this episode of CropTalk, we dive into the transformative role of AI and data in Controlled Environment Agriculture with Adam Greenberg, CEO of IUNU. Adam shares his expertise on how AI and machine vision are revolutionizing greenhouse operations, the importance of data integration, and why growers must prioritize data ownership to stay competitive. We explore the evolution of technology in CEA, the commoditization of AI, and what the future holds for innovation, from new data metrics to advances in crop registration. Plus, Adam shares his vision for 2025, including industry growth predictions, the rise of private equity, and the need for transparent, grower-first tech solutions.

Are you prepared to embrace a future defined by proximity? Rob Wolcott and Kaihan Krippendorff say we are in the digital age which is fundamentally different from the industrial age. They join Kevin to discuss the concept of proximity equals zero (P=0) – the compression of value closer to moments of demand - and how this is changing the way we work and live. They share how proximity connects with work and how we eat and provide real-world examples from Domino's Pizza's tech-driven customer experience to controlled environment agriculture revolutionizing food production. Further, they provide advice to leaders on leveraging proximity to break down barriers, prioritize opportunities, and align technology with unmet needs. Listen For 00:00 Introduction 00:30 Remarkable Leadership Podcast Overview 01:06 Flexible Leadership Book Promo 01:43 Guest Introduction: Rob Wolcott and Kaihan Krippendorff 03:01 Origins of the Book "Proximity" 08:08 What is Proximity? 12:07 Proximity and How We Work 15:57 Future of Work and Proximity 19:16 Proximity and How We Eat 24:31 Controlled Environment Agriculture and Vertical Farming 26:00 Proximity and Leadership: Next Steps for Leaders 28:50 Investment Opportunities in Proximity 31:10 What Rob and Kaihan Do for Fun 32:51 Book Recommendations from Rob and Kaihan 34:03 Closing Remarks Their Story: Robert C. Wolcott and Kaihan Krippendorff are the authors of Proximity: How Creating Breakthroughs in Just-in-Time Transform Business, Society, and Daily Life. Rob is the co-founder and chair of The World Innovation Network (TWIN Global). He is an adjunct professor of innovation at the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, and an adjunct professor of executive education at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. His books include Grow from Within: Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation (with Michael J. Lippitz, 2009). Wolcott is an active venture investor in nearly thirty companies, many of which are leading the Proximity revolution. Kaihan Krippendorff founded Outthinker Networks, a global think tank, and a professional speaker. His books include Driving Innovation from Within: A Guide for Internal Entrepreneurs (Columbia, 2019). A former McKinsey consultant, he is a strategic adviser to numerous leading corporations. Book Recommendations Proximity: How Coming Breakthroughs in Just-in-Time Transform Business, Society, and Daily Life by Robert C. Wolcott, Kaihan Krippendorff  The Founding of New England by James Truslow Adams Data Rules: Reinventing the Market Economy (Acting with Technology) by Cristina Alaimo, Jannis Kallinikos  For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be by Marcus Collins  Like this? How to Navigate the Future with Margaret Heffernan How the Future Works with Brian Elliott The Forces Reshaping the Workplace with Phil Simon Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group   Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes    Podcast Better! Sign up with Libsyn and get up to 2 months free! Use promo code: RLP  

Are you interested in vertical farming as a future food production system? Summary of the article titled Future food-production systems: Vertical farming and controlled-environment agriculture from 2017 by Kurt Benke and Bruce Tomkins, published in the Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Nadun Hennayaka in episode 278 talking about urban food production systems and vertical farming. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we can produce food in cities with growing populations. This article presents the opportunities and challenges of the vertical farm strategy. As the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects: Despite high startup costs, vertical farming offers a sustainable solution for feeding a growing global population while mitigating the effects of climate change. Vertical farming maximizes land use by growing crops in vertically stacked layers within controlled environments, addressing the challenges of urbanization and resource scarcity. This method enhances food security by enabling year-round production, reducing water usage, and minimizing environmental impact through technologies like LED lighting and hydroponics. You can find the article through this link. Abstract: The unremitting trends of increasing population, urbanization, diminishing water supply, and continuing climate change have contributed to declining stocks of arable land per person. As land resources for agriculture decrease, policy makers are faced with the challenge of sustainability and feeding the rapidly growing world population which is projected to reach approximately 9.7 billion in 2050. Solutions for improving future food production are exemplified by urban vertical farming which involves much greater use of technology and automation for land-use optimization. The vertical farm strategy aims to significantly increase productivity and reduce the environmental footprint within a framework of urban, indoor, climate-controlled high-rise buildings. It is claimed that such facilities offer many potential advantages as a clean and green source of food, along with biosecurity, freedom from pests, droughts, and reduced use of transportation and fossil fuels. In this article, the issues involved are evaluated together with potential advantages and disadvantages. Possible implications are identified for consideration by policy makers and to facilitate further economic analysis. Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.219R - Why bees are critical for achieving sustainable development No.220 - Interview with Simon Burt about urban farming with bees No.222 - Interview with Adam Dorr about new technologies in food production No.238 - Interview with Paul Bevan about cultivated meat production You can find the transcript through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠showno⁠t⁠es⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠are also available. I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in. Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠

Nadav Regev, Director of Business Operations at Eden Green Technology, joins us on this week's episode of CropTalk to explore the intricacies of supply chain management and operational excellence within Controlled Environment Agriculture. With his deep expertise, we dive into effective strategies for optimizing supply chains, the role of accurate forecasting in CEA operations, and how to streamline processes for peak efficiency. Nadav also shares his vision for the future of business operations in the industry and key insights on staying competitive in an evolving market.

Randall Sanderson, Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at Little Leaf Farms, joins us on this weeks episode of CropTalk to delve into all things related to food safety in Controlled Environment Agriculture. With a wealth of industry experience, we discuss key strategies for keeping your operation safe from pathogens and contaminants, best practices for ensuring high-quality produce, and Randall's insights on the future of the CEA industry.

Light Science Technologies Holdings PLC (AIM:LST) CEO Simon Deacon talked with Proactive about the company's significant progress in the sports entertainment sector. Deacon highlighted that the company has secured its third major order from a prominent client, bringing the total revenue from this client to over £400,000. The contracts involve the production of electronics embedded in golf balls that track performance and relay the data to screens or apps, a product that shows substantial growth potential due to recurring revenue opportunities. Deacon emphasised the importance of this sector, noting that Light Science Technologies is actively expanding its presence in sports entertainment, which is a new but promising market for the company. The client, which operates multiple sites across the US and the UK, has provided a steady stream of business, and the technology's limited lifespan ensures ongoing demand. Additionally, Deacon discussed the strong performance of the group's CEM (Contract Electronics Manufacturing) division and the broader group's ability to exceed management expectations. With the integration of the new Passive Fire Protection business and growing margins in the Controlled Environment Agriculture sector, the company is seeing a balanced and profitable growth trajectory. Visit Proactive's YouTube channel for more interviews like this one, and don't forget to give the video a like, subscribe to the channel, and enable notifications for future content. #LightScienceTechnologies #SportsTech #CEOMessages #ContractElectronics #RecurringRevenue #ProactiveInterviews #Agritech #BusinessGrowth #ProactiveInvestors #invest #investing #investment #investor #stockmarket #stocks #stock #stockmarketnews

Jeff Lair, Director of Architecture and Engineering at DAG, joins us to discuss insights and strategies for achieving design and build efficiency in Controlled Environment Agriculture. We explore the importance of optimizing processes, balancing cost and operational efficiency, and Jeff offers expert perspectives and forecasts on the evolving landscape of the CEA market.

     The Proximity Revolution: Transforming Industries and Daily Life   In this episode, we delve into the proximity revolution with authors Rob C. Wolcott and Kaihan Krippendorff. The discussion centers on how digital technologies are expediting the production and delivery of customized products, services, and experiences, vastly transforming industries from agriculture to healthcare. The concept of 'proximity' shows promise in improving sustainability, optimizing supply chains, and enhancing customer personalization through innovations like vertical farming and on-demand 3D printing.    The conversation also explores the strategic implications of this shift for businesses, highlighting the importance of visionary thinking and practical applications. Tune in to discover how proximity is poised to reshape our world and what leaders can do to navigate these changes effectively.   00:00 Introduction to the Proximity Revolution 01:02 Meet the Authors: Rob C. Wolcott and Kaihan Krippendorff 02:25 Defining Proximity: Anything, Anywhere, Anytime 03:28 Real-World Examples: Coca Cola Freestyle and Vertical Farms 06:09 Proximity in Agriculture: From Dubai to Your Dinner Table 09:52 The Role of Technology in Proximity 11:15 Proximity in Food Supply Chains: Efficiency and Sustainability 12:50 Innovative Solutions: Haier's Peking Duck Challenge 16:34 Moment of Use and Controlled Environment Agriculture 22:54 Case Study: Interstellar Lab and Growing Food on Mars 26:38 Why Proximity? The Drivers Behind the Trend 27:00 The Shift in Global Conditions and Technology 28:04 The Rise of Small Footprint Production 28:42 Digital Proximity and Generative AI 29:28 Geopolitical and Climate Drivers 30:16 The Digital Customer and Predictive Analytics 30:53 Domino's Pizza: A Case Study in Proximity 33:26 Healthcare Revolution: Medicines on Demand 34:52 On Demand Pharmaceuticals: A Game Changer 37:37 Future of Healthcare: Predictive Monitoring 42:53 Proximity Strategies for Businesses 49:01 Investing in Proximity Innovations 51:09 Conclusion and Where to Find More 52:09 Bonus Episode on Proximity in Action with Dr Ian McCabe  

Jack Maruna, co-founder of Local Grow, joins us to discuss how his startup is helping restaurants and the hospitality industry embrace the benefits of growing their own local produce. In this episode, we explore the marketing advantages of on-site cultivation, hear insights on how to best speak “chef”, and delve into Jack's predictions for the future of Controlled Environment Agriculture.

Paul Gauthier is the Professor of Controlled Environment Agriculture at The University of Queensland in Australia. With a wealth of experience, including founding the Princeton Vertical Farming Project and contributing to Bowery Farming, Paul offers invaluable insights into the industry. Together, we delve into the crucial role of academic collaborations in driving innovative R&D, maintaining a balanced perspective on the possibilities of vertical farming, and making thoughtful predictions about the future landscape of CEA.

Controlled environment agriculture saw tons of interest and investment in the post-pandemic period, but how are macro-economic conditions impacting the sector in 2024? Agritecture founder and CEO Henry Gordon-Smith joined The Food Institute Podcast to break down the sector's prospects, technological advancements, and what types of foods are being grown indoors. More about Henry Gordon-Smith: Henry Gordon-Smith is a sustainability strategist focused on urban agriculture, water issues, and emerging technologies. Henry earned his BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, coursework in Food Security and Urban Agriculture from Ryerson University in Toronto, and an MSc in Sustainability Management from Columbia University. In 2014, Henry responded to a global need for technology-agnostic guidance on urban agriculture by launching the advisory firm Agritecture Consulting which has now consulted on over 250 urban agriculture projects in over 40 countries. Follow Henry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hgordonsmith/ More about Agritecture: Agritecture is an advisory services firm focused on climate-smart agriculture, particularly urban and controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Learn more here: https://www.agritecture.com/ Sign up for the free Daily Update newsletter here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/Z0oAfQy Sign up for Agritecture's weekly newsletter, the Agritect Chronicles, here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7087472966938071040/

Our Mission Specialist for this episode is Patrick Grubbs, who recently completed a Professional Science Master's degree in Controlled Environment Agriculture at the University of Arizona. Patrick is one of the people behind the Space Ecology Workshop, an annual virtual symposium on bioregenerative life support, space agriculture, closed ecological systems, and more. He also co-founded The Spring Institute for Forests on the Moon, an international non-profit research organization developing closed ecological life support technology and working to democratize space access in underrepresented countries. The Spring Institute is working on some really exciting astrobotany projects, and Patrick is here to tell us about... some of them!   Sign up for the Gardeners of the Galaxy: MIssion Report newsletter to get new episode alerts and bonus astrobotany content: https://emmadoughty.substack.com/.

Carl Gupton, CEO of Greenswell Growers, a leafy greens producer nestled outside Richmond, Virginia, brings a refreshing blend of humility and transparency to the forefront of agricultural innovation. Join us on this episode of CropTalk as Carl shares invaluable lessons gleaned from his expanding operation, offering insightful strategies for success in Controlled Environment Agriculture. Together, Carl and I explore the pivotal importance of setting the right course, breaking down industry silos through genuine transparency, and fostering a culture of collaborative CEA teamwork. Tune in to gain actionable insights for navigating the path to excellence in modern farming.

This week's episode of Green Minds features Henry Godon-Smith, who is the CEO and founder of Agritecture, a global urban agriculture consulting firm, whose mission is to empower impact-driven organizations to develop feasible urban farming solutions.   As a sustainability strategist focused on urban agriculture, water issues and emerging technologies, Henry has visited urban farms in five continents and worked on community and for-profit urban farms.     Eva interviews Henry about his motivation to found Agritecture and venture into the field of climate smart agriculture, the benefits of Controlled Environment Agriculture and the key opportunities, challenges and trends of urban and vertical farming.   For listeners who want to delve deeper, a link to Agritecture can be found here.   Do you have any suggestions for guests or themes that we should take a closer look at? Feel free to drop us an email at podcast.greenminds@gmail.com  

Following up on their review of recent bad news in the field of vertical farming, Melissa and Wythe catch up with an expert: Henry Gordon-Smith, founding CEO of the urban and controlled environment agriculture consultancy Agritecture. Henry relates his thoughts on recent shifts in commercial indoor and urban agriculture, reflecting on some of Agritecture's experiences and what could happen in the near future. It's a short, fun, and informative conversation! Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Fields by becoming a member!Fields is Powered by Simplecast.

The Man, the Myth, the Legend, Albert Mastronardi joins Spill the Greens to talk all things past, present, and future about H&A Farms and the Controlled Environment Agriculture industry.  A lifelong grower and member of the extended Mucci family, Albert shares a bit about what he grows for us and what he's most passionate about as a grower!

In this episode of CropTalk #Kyletalksagtech, I chat with Daniel Plant, President of Plant Dynamics, an Economics-driven executive in Controlled Environment Agriculture. We explore his data-focused approach, discussing the importance of backing claims with clear data as Dan offers insights into the future of the industry, and the significance of 'following the puck' in agtech. Tune in as we dissect the nuances of CEA through a pragmatic lens, delving into the economic forces shaping its trajectory.  

The term “controlled environment agriculture” (or CEA) refers to any number of systems embodying a technology-based approach to farming.  CEA can range from simple shade structures to greenhouses to full indoor or vertical farms.  At the most advanced level, CEA systems are fully automated, closed loop systems with controlled lighting, water, and ventilation.   Many systems […]

Are you ready to embark on a fascinating journey into the world of environmental automation technology with our captivating guest, Neda Vaseghi, the CEO of Microclimates? From the early days of Neda's life in Iran, through the trials of war, and onto her ascension in the tech industry, we explore how her past experiences have shaped her entrepreneurial drive. Join us as we venture into the heart of Microclimates, shedding light on the innovative start-up bridging the gap in Controlled Environment Agriculture operations. Neda and her business partner, Loren, share insights into the company's offerings, shedding light on the surprising lack of interconnectedness across systems, and the promising partnership with Lethbridge College. Listen as they share their educational efforts on LinkedIn and how they navigate the tech industry's challenges. As our conversation deepens, we tackle the critical issue of energy usage and conservation. We unravel the importance of understanding energy consumption at a granular level, the pros of a wireless energy management system, and the challenges faced by businesses without reliable internet. Wrapping up our insightful talk, Neda imparts her experiences in under- resourced US regions and the potential of digital transformation partnerships. From entrepreneurs to tech enthusiasts, and agtech afficionados, this episode shines an (LED) light the future of farming. Tune in, don't miss out!Thanks to Our SponsorsAgTech Marketing TeamFarmAnywhereHorti Agri Next MEA Key Takeaways0:00:05 - Microclimates and Indoor Agtech NYC Conversation0:08:25 - Iran's Cultural Richness and Entrepreneurship Journey0:13:22 - Building Business, Maintaining Friendship0:23:03 - Why Microclimates?0:36:52 - Energy Usage and Wireless Devices Focus0:41:45 - Navigating Challenges and Choices in Entrepreneurship0:51:28 - Connecting to MicroclimatesTweetable Quotes"I noticed this trend of oh my gosh, we're really faced with this issue of not having enough arable land, and there is this thing called indoor farming, which I didn't even know.""We integrate various systems together onto one dashboard and all the data is harmonized across all of them. So the customer. You know, we're hardware agnostic.""I was actually really surprised. I didn't realize that all these companies make one thing and they do one thing really well, but either they don't have an open system, they don't have an API, you can't connect systems to talk to one another."Resources MentionedNeda's Linkedin - www.linkedin.com/in/nedavaseghiNeda's Email - neda.vaseghi@microclimates.com Neda's Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2RYlW1JHklLceXFi7TtOOANeda's Website - www.microclimates.comConnect With UsVFP - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticalfarmingpodcastVFP Twitter - https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPodVFP Instagram -

In today's episode of Grow Sessions, we are thrilled to have a conversation with Sam Andras from urban-gro. Join us as we dive into the details of bringing your cultivation vision to life, highlighting the challenges presented by shifting market conditions, evolving regulations, and competing priorities. Sam will provide valuable insights on how to construct a highly efficient facility that not only produces high-quality products but also reduces operational costs, ensuring your survival during cannabis market downturns. Join us for this episode titled, "Strategies to Survive Cannabis Market Downturns."In this informative episode, we will explore various topics that shed light on the current challenges faced by the industry. Discover why operators are releasing mid-grade products in an increasingly educated market, the crucial role of constructing an efficient facility with minimal operational costs as the key to success, the importance of sustainable growing methods supported by solid data, and why having an experienced design and build team is absolutely necessary. And that's not all – there is so much more to uncover in this episode!About Sam Andras, urban-groAs the Executive Vice President of Business Development, Sam Andras brings decades of architectural and engineering design experience to the urban-gro executive team. Previously, Mr. Andras was the senior principal and partner at MJ12 Design Studio, Inc. and 2WR + Partners prior to the firms' acquisition by urban-gro in 2021.As the son of a general contractor, Sam has built an architectural career focusing on long-term quality. His experience working in his family business as a young professional has given him a strong understanding of construction means and methods far beyond a typical architect. His expertise has helped urban-gro become the first fully integrated architecture and engineering design firm focused on Controlled Environment Agriculture.To learn more, visit www.urban-gro.comThanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast to receive upcoming episodes.

What is the future of farming? Are there other more sustainable ways to grow food? As demand for food grows and the climate changes, alternatives to traditional farming will be necessary. In this episode we talk about controlled environmental agriculture, vertical farming, hydroponics, and aeroponics. Learn more about these alternative ways to grow crops without soil and their benefits and challenges.

Jonathan Belair of Power Sustainable Lios joins Ijeoma Madueke, Executive Director, Sustainable Finance, CIBC Capital Markets, to discuss the agri-food sector, including climate change's influence on food supply strategies, the role of Controlled Environment Agriculture, and how food companies can contribute to food system resilience.

Episode Description: In this of the Grow Everything podcast, Karl and Erum sit down with Nathan Pumplin, a pioneer in the field of synthetic biology and food innovation. They delve into the fascinating world of genetically modified foods, with a special focus on a unique purple tomato. The conversation explores the intersection of biotechnology and agriculture, the challenges and opportunities of sustainable farming, and the role of culinary experiences in introducing new food products. Grow Everything brings to life the bioeconomy when hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories from the field and interview leaders and influencers in the space.  Life is a powerful force and it can be engineered. What are we creating? Learn more at www.messaginglab.com/groweverything Topics Covered: 00:00:00 A Cultural Exchange: Indian Wedding in Canada 00:03:15 Career Journeys and Dispelling GMO Myths 00:06:58 A Milestone: FDA Greenlights Norfolk's Purple Tomato 00:08:27 Risk Assessment: USDA, FDA, and EPA on Plant Pests 00:11:01 Behind the Scenes: The Regulatory Path of the Purple Tomato 00:13:33 Changing the Narrative in Agriculture 00:18:29 Educating the Public: Shifting GMO Perceptions 00:20:08 A Taste of Innovation: Positive Reception for Purple Tomato Salsa 00:24:39 Science in Action: Creating Purple Tomatoes 00:26:18 Biotech Breakthrough: Engineering Purple Tomatoes 00:30:05 Biodiversity: From Heirloom Tomatoes to Drug Discovery 00:33:05 Fun Fact: Is Tomato a Fruit or a Vegetable? 00:34:28 The Future of Groceries: Innovation in Shopping 00:38:06 Climate Change Response: Crop Diversity and Speed Breeding 00:40:50 Indoor Farming: The Rise of Controlled Environment Agriculture in California 00:45:46 Controlled Environment Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities 00:49:12 A New Player: Non-GMO Mycelium Product Sparks Excitement 00:51:53 Trust in Labels: Ensuring Accuracy in Bioengineered Labels 00:55:53 Embracing Change: Innovating for a Sustainable Future 00:58:39 A Fresh Look at Biotech: Embracing the Biological Aspect of Technology Episode Links: Nathan Pumplin on LinkedIn Norfolk Healthy Produce NYT: Learning to Love GMOs Call or Text the Grow Everything Hotline:  +1 804-505-5553 Have a question or comment? Message us here: Instagram / TikTok / Twitter / LinkedIn / Youtube / GrowEverything website Email: groweverything@messaginglab.com Support here: Patreon Music by: Nihilore Production by: Amplafy Media --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/messaginglab/message

Tyler Baras is the Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder of Area 2 Farms, a CSA vertical farm serving the greater D.C metro area. On this episode of CropTalk #KyleTalksAgtech. Tyler sheds light on the secrets behind his farm's exceptional efficiency, shares his insights on recent industry closures within the vertical farming realm, and offers his predictions for the future landscape of Controlled Environment Agriculture.  

VP of Innovation Vonnie Estes sees indoor farming as a good supplement to traditional produce growers.

The better we understand our current food system and how we got here, the better we can improve upon it, according to Everett Hendrixon of Tergo Consultants & Eco Supply. On this episode of CropTalk, Everett and I discuss the power of disruption through a nuanced understanding of the horticulture industry at various levels, Stories of conventional agriculture mistakes and lessons learned, and what the future CEA idustry may look like. 

Gus Brennan is a graduate of Cornell University with extensive experience within multiple avenues of CEA, including OnePointOne (vertical farming), Holistic Industries (Indoor Farming Cannabis), and now Greenswell Growers (Greenhouse leafy greens) using a Green Automation grow system with assistance from Crop King. Through these experiences, Gus instills some knowledge about the power of automation in all areas of your operation, the importance of giving the grower "superpowers" vs. replacing them, key lessons learned and his thoughts on the future of Controlled Environment Agriculture. 

The "landback" movement to restore Native lands to indigenous peoples uses GIS to identify opportunities, the pioneering Kentucky-based company AppHarvest is facing headwinds with Controlled Environment Agriculture, and a rural Tennessee community is at the heart of a global storytelling movement.

The "landback" movement to restore Native lands to indigenous peoples uses GIS to identify opportunities, the pioneering Kentucky-based company AppHarvest is facing headwinds with Controlled Environment Agriculture, and a rural Tennessee community is at the heart of a global storytelling movement.

Hector Pomales, Founder/CEO of Farm in the City PR and Michael Scadden of Ocelotl Group discuss CEA as a key component of food security in island resiliency for the Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and the need for private capital to catalyze the adoption of the technology and the establishment of local entrepreneurship in the sector. Visit Farm in the City PR's website at www.farminthecitynow.com & Ocelotl Group at www.OcelotlGroup.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latampodcast/support

High-tech greenhouse and vertical farming start-ups all believe they can sustainably contribute to feeding the world while making a profit. Their funding rounds suggest investors believe them, but should they? 

Jonathan Webb, Founder and CEO of AppHarvest, joins the show to talk about the sustainable food company that is designed to grow non-GMO, chemical pesticide-free produce, using only recycled rainwater at some of the world's largest indoor farms. Aaron and Jonathan discuss the major challenges we are facing when it comes to food shortages and why it's so important to reduce the amount of water used in agriculture as quickly as possible. Jonathan also identifies Controlled Environment Agriculture as the third wave of sustainable infrastructure following renewable energies and electric vehicles, noting that the convergence of technologies like LED lighting, AI and robotics allows AppHarvest to optimize nature. Tune in to hear the full conversation and learn more about AppHarvest at www.appharvest.com. Production Credits: Aaron Kwittken, Haley Sacotte, Nina Valdes, Maria Bayas, Michael Grubbs, Anna Lamm and Mathew Passy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joni Stepanov's long career in agriculture has culminated in her current role as horticulture consultant at AmplifiedAg. In this position, she conducts research to determine how to best manage crops in a completely controlled environment. Listen in to learn about her research. For a visualization of the concepts discussed in this podcast, check out the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAhefhLAolQ. To learn more about this topic, listen to our previous episode with Don Taylor, CEO of AmplifiedAg. To learn more about AmplifiedAg, visit their website: https://amplifiedaginc.com/. You can follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter: @AmplifiedAgInc. Find Vertical Roots products in select grocery stores and follow them on Twitter: @VerticalRoots. You can also interact with Joni on LinkedIn.

The mission of AmplifiedAg is to provide global access to safe food, by growing the indoor agriculture category through innovation, experience, and partnership. In this episode, we speak with CEO Don Taylor about how the company is achieving this mission. Listen to learn how a unit of land can produce over 100X the amount of food compared to traditional outdoor methods by taking advantage of a controlled environment. Don explains how this approach can partner with and complement traditional growing methods. To learn more about AmplifiedAg, visit their website: https://amplifiedaginc.com/. You can follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter: @AmplifiedAgInc. Find Vertical Roots products in select grocery stores and follow them on Twitter: @VerticalRoots. You can also interact with Don on LinkedIn.

On our latest episode of Grow Sessions we speak with Ruben Lindo, Founder of Blak Mar Farms, CEO of Phoenix Nutraceutical and CEO of Herb'n Couture in an episode entitled, “The Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur in the Cannabis Industry."As one of the first successful African American CEOs in the cannabis space, Ruben Lindo strives to create attainable opportunities for those adversely affected by the war on drugs. Ruben spent more than 20 years in the legacy cannabis market and is now an active member of the legal market in NY state and beyond.Join us today for an informative discussion on topics including the need for education in the industry, the hurdles that need to be overcome in the application process, legacy growing vs. the legitimate market, social equity in the cannabis industry, the importance of SOPs to grow healthy crops, and much more. If you are a cannabis grower, owner of a facility or thinking of opening your own cannabis business, you don't want to miss this episode. About Ruben J. LindoFounderBlak Mar FarmsRuben Lindo is an experienced voice of reason and strong proponent for social equity in the New York state marketplace and beyond, as the business of cannabis and federal legalization become a more realized possibility.     After being a professional athlete for more than 10 years, Ruben retired in 2005 and transitioned to Executive Management in the high tech and finance industries, before entering the hemp and legal cannabis industries. He founded Blak Mar Farms, a minority-owned and operated, multistate cultivation operation specializing in luxury craft cannabis products, in 2019, and is the CEO of Phoenix Nutraceutical, which houses the Aminatu CBD beauty brand and Blitz CBD sports recovery products. He is also the President and CEO of Herbn Couture, a luxury cannabis events production company.   As one of the first successful African American CEOs in the cannabis space, Lindo strives to create attainable opportunities for those adversely affected by systemic racism. His proposal to create an ethical and equitable cannabis industry by reducing barriers contributing to the lack of representation of those impacted by the failed War on Drugs, including people of color and other marginalized community members, was awarded a grant by California's GO-Biz Cannabis Equity Grants Program for Local Jurisdictions.  He is the co-author of “The War on Legal Cannabis, Just Say Yes”, a guide to understanding and working in the legal cannabis industry, along with his business partner, Dr. Norris Dorsey. Together, they run Gridiron Enterprise Management Group Inc.  Lindo is an active member of Athletes for Care, which unites athletes as one voice to advocate for research, education, and compassion when addressing important health issues. Lindo is extremely involved in a community-based relations program with the New York State Police, Ulster County Sheriff's Office, and City of Kingston Police Department; working together to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement. He is also a good-standing member of the Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Association, and a board member of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation.  Lindo holds an MBA in Finance and Management from NYU's Leonard N. Stern School of Business and an undergraduate degree in Biology from the University at Buffalo.   Contact Ruben: ruben@blakmarfarms.com Thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast to receive upcoming episodes.

Episode SummaryHenry Gordon-Smith is the Founder of Agritecture, a global leader in urban agriculture consulting services. Today, Harry welcomes Henry back to the show for Round 2 where Henry talks all about his recent travel and nomadic lifestyle, the importance of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and the evolution of the overall AgTech industry. Henry expounds on the consolidation and hybridization he's seen in vertical farming, Agritecture's growth strategy and why he is so passionate, outspoken and steadfast about his belief in Controlled Environment Agriculture. Thanks to Our SponsorsCultivatd – https://cultivatd.com/ (https://cultivatd.com/) Netled - https://netled.fi/ (https://netled.fi/) Key Takeaways07:13 – Harry welcomes Henry Gordon-Smith back to the show to talk about travel, his current status as a nomad, and how he is scaling appropriately with his company, Agritecture 11:05 – Pushing outside of your comfort zone 13:22 – Agritecture's growth strategy 15:54 – Voltaics, mushrooms and regenerative agriculture 18:57 – How Agritecture's mix of clients has changed throughout the years 22:29 – What has caused corporate clients and investors to pay more attention to vertical farming 24:06 – Partnering with WayBeyond and ‘Greenwashing' explained 29:02 – Consolidation and Hybridization in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry 33:00 – The 1st Annual Generation Fest, AgTech Week & Edible Planet Summit 39:21 – An unapologetic, outspoken advocate for CEA 41:17 – Henry reflects back on what he's built and speaks to who has inspired him along his journey 45:01 – Opportunities for young folks to learn more about AgTech and vertica farming 47:34 – A tough question Henry has had to ask himself recently 54:13 – Harry thanks Henry for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can connect with him and learn more about Agritecture Tweetable Quotes“I like being out of my comfort zone. I think the history of this company is, pun intended, very organic. I started a blog and then people started asking for consulting. I never planned to be a consultant. I thought, ‘I'll start this blog, and I'll get some cool interviews from it, and I'll learn some things.' And here we are. The blog is the brand. I think I've gotten very used to, even before Agritecture, just adapting, and listening, and being agile. It's a key part of who I am as an individual and sort of what we have at the company. But definitely I think that you should be outside your comfort zone if you want to innovate or grow.” (11:05) (Henry) “But also, our new software is a key aspect of our growth. We said, ‘Let's go digital. If we go digital, we can help tens of thousands of new farmers, forget two hundred.' That's also part of the growth strategy. Of course, we translate that to the hiring needs we have, the kind of marketing we would need to do to get there, and the financial resources and returns on investment, and financial targets that we have. And that feeds into our growth plan.” (15:25) (Henry) “ESG investing obviously is also pushing an interest in building portfolios of vertical farming, greenhouses and climate smart tech. But I think it's also the shocks in the system like the pandemic - which reminded us of the risk to our supply chain and the need to localize - and the war in Ukraine. Vertical farming, despite its challenges, has really benefited from these multiple shocks to the system and this sort of long term trend.” (23:13) (Henry) “Greenwashing is making a claim of sustainability or environmental impact, that is an exaggeration or inaccurate, and marketing that claim.” (26:55) (Henry) “Vertical farming is such an exciting technology and it's a piece of the food system. When we hype it up and we separate it and we say, ‘This is the future of food, not a part of the future of food, or a part of a sustainable food system,' we actually create a problem where we remove ourselves from opportunities to...

Let's talk about Controlled Environment Agriculture and how it's shaping the future! So, why is CEA becoming so popular? What are the benefits of CEA? Our special guest, Tracy from Sakata Seeds joins us to discuss some insights on the topic of the indoor growing model. And we will also be doing a rapid-fire chat about which fall seeds you should be growing! It's a growing trend! It's a new way of gardening! A New Way Of Gardening - Controlled Environment Agriculture What is CEA? Simply put, it is bringing traditional field agriculture indoors and so, you are controlling as many of the elements as you can when you are growing indoors. More and more fruits and vegetables are being grown indoors, some examples are tomatoes (mainly cherry and grape tomato varieties), cucumbers, strawberries, etc. In a controlled environment, you can grow all year long! CEA productions help to increase plant productivity and expand growing areas. Some methods may not be easy for the home gardener, but they are definitely worth a try! Like, as hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. Types of structures can include greenhouses, high tunnels and hoop houses, container farms, in-home systems, and CEA Vertical farms. CHECK OUT THE SAKATA MASTER GUIDE Benefits of CEA There are many benefits to growing in a controlled environment, especially for large growers. Of course, the key reason for starting more controlled greenhouses is more local produce, reduced transportation costs, and more traceability of where your vegetables come from. Food safety is a huge benefit, many of the larger controlled greenhouses are considered "no touch". In an enclosed facility, such as a hydroponic greenhouse or an artificially lighted vertical farm, growers can precisely control lighting, temperature, humidity, CO2, water, and nutrients. lower inputs and high yieldsexpand grow areasprecise harvest timingcrop reliabilityhigh-value crops Fall Seed Varieties MERLIN BEETS GREEN MAGIC BROCCOLI BOBCAT CABBAGE CHINA STAR CABBAGE TOP BUNCH 2.0 COLLARDS QUICKSTAR KOHLRABI RED TIDE LETTUCE BRAVE HEART ROMAINE LETTUCE FENG QING PAK CHOI EASTER EGG RADISHALL TOP TURNIPS BLUE RIDE KALE CILANTROBOUQUET DILL ITALIAN PARSLEY SAVANNA MUSTARDS https://hosstools.com/hoss-tools-university/ Product of the Week Strawberry Plugs Elephant Garlic German White Garlic Onion Plants Watch the Complete Show on YouTube Below: https://youtu.be/PUVPl35xc_4

Today on Grow Sessions, Skip Sullivan of High Tide Organic  joins Tony Pavlakis for an educational discussion about the benefits and challenges of growing their high-quality cannabis in living soil in an episode entitled, “The Benefits of Growing Cannabis in Living Soil.”The goal of growing in living soil is to maintain the natural course of the soil to produce the highest quality and yield through regenerative farming methods. In this episode of Grow Sessions, some of the topics in this episode include: the environmental impact of the cannabis industry, the science behind living soil, the benefits of a microbiology network below the soil, mitigating waste by using regenerative farming methods,  and much, much more.If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone interested in growing, you won't want to miss this episode.About Skip SullivanSkip Sullivan is a native Mainer residing in South Portland with his wife, their three kids, an anxiety-riddled rescue dog named Howard, and Nacho, a 6-year-old bearded dragon.Skip is a lifelong entrepreneur who has a witticism for pretty much everything. Beware of starting a conversation with him about cannabis – you'd better have 45 minutes to an hour cleared on your schedule because he really loves talking about the plant and its merits. Skip's a fan of the Beats, especially William S. Burroughs. His musical tastes are eclectic and his choices in footwear are questionable at best.About High Tide OrganicAs lifelong Mainers, we've got roots that run deep here in this great state. We're committed to growing the highest quality medicine for our clients, using only the best organic nutrients. We grow in small batches to ensure that each plant gets plenty of love and attention. Our goal is to build long-term relationships in our community with this quality product and exceptional customer service.Let us help soothe what ails you.To learn more about High Tide Organic, visit https://www.hightideorganic.com

Justin Gravett is a Systems Engineer and the Co-Founder of Canopii. In this episode Justin and I talk about fully-automated farms, technology for sustainable agriculture, Hydroponics, problems with traditional methods of farming, Controlled Environment Agriculture, product development, automation in large scale farming, and the business model of Canopii.

Hello Interactors,There have been huge advances in how food is grown over the last decade. A new revolution in agriculture. It just may be coming at the right time. The world’s population is skyrocketing, and more and more people are pouring into cities. We’ll need more food and more ways to make it accessible and new techniques look promising. But at what cost?As interactors, you’re special individuals self-selected to be a part of an evolutionary journey. You’re also members of an attentive community so I welcome your participation.Please leave your comments below or email me directly.Now let’s go…A BERRY BIG PROBLEMThe red dot caught my attention; hidden in the soil of a bed once forgotten. Rain drops wiggled on the fervent green leaves as I lifted the cold pale yellow-green vine with ease. It was hugging its red friend in the shadows of the sun. My fingers surrounded the plump little ball as I tugged it loose of its clutches. On to my tongue enveloped in warmth as my teeth clamped down in the darkness. A cool and wet sugary burst lit my mouth with summer’s first gift. No sooner did the strawberry’s sweet secretion burst were my eyes darting for another with thirst.In Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass, she reminds us that strawberries are like “gifts simply scattered at your feet. A gift comes to you through no action of your own, free, having moved toward you without your beckoning. It is not a reward; you cannot earn it, or call it to you, or even deserve it. And yet it appears. Your only role is to be open-eyed and present.”Like the naturally occurring strawberries of her childhood, my strawberries just appeared one year. Probably a gift from a bird. Or, more likely, a rabbit. Most years the rabbits beat me to their splendor, but not this time.I get nostalgic around gardens. I’m not sure why. I never much liked being hunched over in the sweltering humidity pulling weeds and picking beans as a kid. Bugs buzzed erratically – irritably itchy inching near my ears. Heat seeking mosquitos swarmed my sweaty shins poking their needle through my white knee-high tube socks searching for red blood. But there’s pride in growing your own food and there’s no denying it’s better for you and better tasting.We always had a large garden in our backyard. Sometimes we’d have a plot in a field in the country next to a small farm. Most of those small farms are being sold off to large commercial farmers these days. The small-town rural agriculture of my Iowa childhood in the 70s and 80s gave way to large-scale rural agriculture. The Green Revolution was just gaining speed.Between 1960 and 2000 the world’s population doubled while the output of cereal grains like wheat, rice, and corn tripled. And it did it by only increasing croplands by 30%. Improvements in genetics, fertilizers, pesticides, and mechanization were fueled by increased private capital and tax-funded public subsidies. Globalization and the Green Revolution enabled unprecedented growth in rural agriculture. Crops could easily be shipped to markets and cities far from where they were grown. For the first time, wheat produced in Mexico found its way into bread sold in Tokyo.These advances lowered the price of food and provided much needed relief to a growing world population. But it came with a cost to the environment and biodiversity. Unchecked, it will only get worse. The world’s population is expected to grow exponentially until 2050 and over 70% will live in urban areas. To feed all these people will require 56% more food than what was produced in 2010. That means an additional 593 hectares of cropland – an area the size of India. But if we were to reverse the Green Revolution and rely on smaller organic farming practices, even more land would be needed as yields are mostly smaller. It’s believed two to three times as much land would be needed to produce as much wheat, corn, and potatoes as the conventional agriculture of today. If the world switched to organic farming using current areas of croplands only one half of the world’s population could be fed.Meanwhile, the world also needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ten percent of which comes from agriculture – including soils and rice production, 27% percent transportation – including the transport of food and grain around the world, and 24% from Industry – including the petrochemicals needed for Green Revolution farming. We also need to use less water. The UN says agriculture accounts for 70% of the world’s freshwater. In dryer areas (like Arizona) that number increases to 90%, due to water extracted from rivers (like the dwindling Colorado River), and aquifers (like the declining Ogallala).In 2007, these worries increasingly came into focus. Within four months the price of wheat inexplicably doubled, rice prices tripled, and corn shot up 50%. Food riots broke out for the first time since the 1970s. Egypt put their army to work baking bread. Rice hoarders in the Philippines were threatened by sentences to life in prison. This marked the end of the Green Revolution as we knew it. Just as the world had grown accustomed to seemingly guaranteed cheap food, a new dynamic had set in.In 1979, according to the World Bank, the percentage of global money going to food assistance peaked at 18%. By 2004 it had dropped to 3.5%. Private donations to relief efforts relaxed. They assumed the Green Revolution had cured worldwide famine. Governments reduced spending on agricultural research assuming hunger was a thing of the past. Farmers in developed countries also dissuaded their governments from assisting farmers in developing countries fearing competition. If poorer countries began providing for themselves, they’d miss out on selling to those markets.The environmental movement had also gained momentum and status. Investors and donors began pressuring the Ford Foundation, the original seed funder of the Green Revolution in the 1950s, to reduce the use of petrochemicals in agriculture. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, became frustrated when his effort to bring green-revolution practices to Africa was thwarted by protests by environmentalists.Then, highly populated countries like China and India began reducing agricultural exports so they could feed themselves. In 2006, India even began importing food again. Renewed concern over food security inspired governments worldwide to re-fund agricultural research. Venture capitalists fed startups keen to apply new technologies to food production. Beginning in 2010, the number of academic research papers on agricultural innovation exploded with topics like “indoor agriculture, remote sensing, vertical agriculture, hydroponic, aeroponic, aquaponic and soilless agriculture, precision agriculture, and other novel technologies.” A second Green Revolution was unfolding.BRINGING NEW MEANING TO GREENINGThe second Green Revolution aimed to be a Green Green Revolution. The original Green Revolution was born out of the 1950s institutional patriarchy found in government, urban planning, civil engineering, and agricultural. They sought, and continue to seek, to centralize, industrialize, and capitalize. These efforts led to prosperity and food security for many, but they have also balkanized, disenfranchised, and ghettoized many places in the world. Glamorized westernized ways have meticulously metastasized. Colonized earthly crust, of countries with cautious distrust, find temporary prosperity crushed when exhausted land goes from soil to dust.But the new Green Revolution, backed by a flux of venture capital greenbacks, hopes to bring agriculture’s ‘green’ sheen back. And like most high-tech ventures, these efforts are mostly urban. Researchers define Urban Agriculture as “the production, process, and distribution of food and other products by plant and/or livestock raised in and around cities to meet local needs.” By that definition, our family garden in suburban Iowa was a form of urban agriculture. My wild strawberries gifted here in Kirkland, Washington are too.In fact, after our town’s founder and chief colonizer, the British industrialist Peter Kirk, failed at attempts in the 1800s to turn Kirkland into a steel town – the ‘Pittsburgh of the West’. Kirkland then became known as a farm town. Summer fruit would be packed onto a ferry headed to Seattle’s growing urban metropolis. Soon real estate companies sold Kirkland’s agricultural land to developers. Kirkland went from a source of urban agriculture to a Seattle suburb.Seattle area farmland was also getting converted to suburban development. In the 1920s, the Picardo family, who had immigrated from Italy in 1890, secured 20 acres to continue farming. This acreage came to be called the Picardo Patch, or P-Patch. The city then bought the land in the 70s to preserve its use and the word P-Patch is now commonly used to refer to a community garden. The original P-Patch now boasts 259 community plots.But one of the more popular, and controversial, P-Patches in Seattle sits atop a parking garage below the Space Needle. Called the UpGarden, it converts 25,000 square feet of concrete into 98 gardening plots. There have been recent attempts to sweep the dirt away, but intense community protest saved it. It even inspired a rededication last summer.Both P-Patches are forms of urban agriculture researchers call Uncontrolled Environment Agriculture. They rely on the uncontrolled, or loosely controlled, variability of soil and climate conditions. The Picardo community farm resembles more traditional rural farming but in an urban environment. The UpGarden is a rooftop garden that mimics a traditional garden on the roof of a concrete parking structure. It also resembles a form of Controlled Environment Agriculture known as building-integrated agriculture.These are typically enclosed greenhouse structures inside a dedicated or mixed-use building. They’re plant factories. They draw on the innovations cited in the growing body of research literature and are a form of what some call Innovative Urban Agriculture. In dense urban areas, where space is a premium, they take on the form of indoor vertical gardens.These methods of indoor farming rely on less water and soil. In some cases, no soil at all. Hydroponic horticulture plunges roots to a small amount of nutrient rich water that can yield tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, and lettuces. A similar method, aeroponics, suspends plants in the air and can be grown by misting them with nutrient rich compounds forced through high-pressure mist heads. Tanks or artificial streams of water can also be used to grow fish (like shrimp) and aqua plants (like seaweed). This is known as urban aquaculture. Hydroponics and aquaculture can also be combined to create aquaponics. These are systems that take nutrient rich water from aquaculture tanks to feed trays of hydroponic plants.This method, although less high-tech, has been around for centuries. Since as early at 5 AD various forms of integrated polyculture rice-fish farming took place in Eastern Asia. Evidence of this practice existed well into 13th century China. Around that same time, the Mesoamerican Aztecs built islands, sometimes movable, on top of wetlands, shallow lake beds, and canals. These methods were used to meet personal, family, and local market needs. That’s as true of innovative urban agricultural in developing countries today as it was centuries ago.The poorest people in the world today spend upwards of 85% of their household revenue on food. It’s hard to tell how much urban agriculture is done today to offset these costs. In our highly industrialized and globalized agricultural economy, there’s little interest – and thus little data – on agricultural techniques outside the norm. One 1993 study estimated 15-20% of the world’s food was produced by some form of urban agriculture. A more recent 2010 study looked at 15 developing countries and determined urban agriculture made up anywhere from 3-27% of their total yields.While there are indeed individually motivated urban farmers in developed countries today, like in backyards, front yards, decks, empty lots, rooftops, and parking lots, most commercial innovative urban agriculture is motivated by social desire and market opportunity. Some claim hydroponic systems have the potential to grow 11 times more lettuce per acre than conventional means. One study suggests 1.5 times more tomatoes could be grown. And what about those little bursting red bundles of taste bud bliss? An estimated 13 times more strawberries could be grown through these new techniques.And don’t count out rooftop gardens. If you happen to be blessed with the climate of Bologna, Italy, you could be growing heaps of food from the heat on your roof. One rooftop garden produced an estimated 12,000 tons of vegetables in a single year – enough to round out meals of 77% of urban dwellers. One study estimates that if the industrial rooftops of Montreal featured hydroponic systems, they could grow 277% of that city’s total demand – at a fraction of the cost. A 2011 study suggested a 20-story “SkyFarm” high-rise in Egypt, equipped with vertical aeroponic greenhouses on every floor, could produce 200 times as much rice as that country’s most productive conventional rice farm.HOW HARMONIC ARE PONICS?These statistics can cast innovative urban agriculture as a panacea. And it just may be. But the Green Revolution was also cast in those same terms. In fact, over the last two centuries societies have routinely been seduced by the promise of technology, the adoration of the individual “great inventor’ who will finally, once again, save us from ruin. People glamorize and valorize individualistic human accomplishment while disguising and patronizing community and environmental suffering. Hypnotized by success and desensitized to distress.There is no doubt these new approaches to agriculture show great promise. They indeed use less water and land while producing more yield for less money. They are closed systems that can be optimized for efficiency. One aquaponic experiment featured a double recirculating system. One cubic meter of recirculated water could increase fertilizer efficiency by 24% compared to conventional aquaponic methods. It even managed to produce the same quantity and quality of tomatoes per cubic meter of water. As a bonus, that same quantity of water also produced 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) of tilapia fish. But all systems come at a cost.  These systems require buildings made of sophisticated construction. The growing supplies are made of plastics, processed metals, and synthetic fertilizers. Electricity to power their highly controlled climates, lights, computers, pumps, misters, and filtration systems must run around the clock and throughout the year. How clean is that electricity? Will increased yields induce profit seeking companies to package and ship even more food around the world? Few, if any, studies have been conducted on the upstream and downstream lifecycle costs of innovative urban agriculture.Furthermore, this is all new. And while there are many successful greenhouse and hydroponic companies out there selling vegetables today, cereals, grains, and proteins are also needed to balance the food basket. Aquaponics hold promise for efficiently growing diverse nutritious foods, but commercial scale is in its infancy. A 2016 survey in Europe revealed that 75% of commercial aquaponic enterprises were built on or after 2010. Nearly half of the employees were researchers working at universities. One-third were government funded, one-fifth were true commercial endeavors, but only 12% had sold fish or plants in the previous 12 months.Currently the U.S. leads in research and development of innovative urban agriculture. These investments seed similar efforts around the world in both developed and developing countries. There is no question these new forms of commercial agriculture will have an impact on how the world’s food is grown. But I also know the experience of eating that strawberry I plucked at my feet can’t be imitated. Sorry Driscoll’s.Driscoll’s strawberries, the world’s leading strawberry producer, are genetically engineered to yield a certain experience. Their farmers, or “strawberry manufacturers” as Driscoll’s calls them, all adhere to a certain standard to uphold their vision of what a strawberry is supposed to be. They ship a billion plastic clamshells of strawberries around the world. They have a room at their headquarters in California filled with monitors that track every truck carrying their red, heart-shaped berries across North America. They have two weeks to get their product from harvest to destinations across the country and around the world. They are so popular in China, their price and availability influences international trade relations.Robin Wall Kimmerer reminds us that my opportunistic strawberry plant had “in fact been up all night assembling little packets of sugar and seeds and fragrance and color, because when it does so its evolutionary fitness is increased.” The more attractive nature makes that little bundle, the more likely an animal like me will eat it and spread its seeds. I guess to do my part to further this plant’s evolutionary fitness, I’ll need to poop in the nearby woods. Kids, don’t try this at home.But the Green Revolution changed these uncontrolled evolutionary elements of agriculture. The Green Revolution turned food evolution into a controlled ‘Big Ag’ volution. Strawberries are now engineered and their seeds are dispersed by ships, planes, and trucks. Once consumed, they’re flushed into wastewater treatment plants. The new Green Green Revolution, or Innovative Urban Agriculture, is the next stage in agriculture’s own technological evolution. But don’t forget, old fashioned residential and community gardens are part of it. But new technologies have the potential to maximize space, water, and energy to produce even more locally grown yummies. Perhaps we’ll even see Controlled Community Gardens.  Maybe these new techniques could transform who we are, our relationship with our food, and how we interact at a local level. It’s up to us. Perhaps food production can be made local again. New forms of urban agriculture could be a gift. Like a backyard wild strawberry. As Robin Wall Kimmerer puts it:  “It is human perception that makes the world a gift. When we view the world this way, strawberries and humans alike are transformed. The relationship of gratitude and reciprocity thus developed can increase the evolutionary fitness of both plant and animal.”If done right, I might add, maybe even the evolutionary fitness of the planet and us all. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

There are no shortcuts to success.  And in the Controlled Environment Agriculture world, Abby Prior of https://www.brightfarms.com/ (Bright Farms) can testify. Things that could cripple almost any operation were experiences and opportunities for Abby and her Brightfarmers to learn, plan, and face the future head-on. Listen as Abby graciously answers Todd's questions and shares about things that stood in their way and how they overcame and triumphed on their Bright corner of the planet.

Today on Grow Sessions, Mike Trzpit, National Account Manager for Abel Womack joins Tony Pavlakis for an informative discussion on vertical tier growing vs. single tier growing in an episode entitled, “The Benefits of Growing Cannabis Vertically.”Vertical growing can significantly increase a cannabis facility's output by helping improve on older single-level and static canopy layouts. Vertically growing helps growers utilize space in a facility while helping to increase production capabilities. In this episode, some of the topics discussed will include: the pros and cons of vertical farming, why some growers prefer single tier farms to multi-level farms, the different types of vertical benches available, the space needed to benefit from vertical farming, how to plan for growing vertically and much, much more.If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone interested in growing, you won't want to miss this exciting episode.About Mike TrzpitAs the National Account Manager in the Cannabis Industry, Mike Trzpit is focused on helping companies increase productivity and operational efficiencies by finding solutions to their cultivation facility and dispensary challenges.If you have questions for Mike, you can reach him at mtrzpit@abelwomack.comAbout Abel WomackWhether you're designing a new commercial indoor vertical farming facility or ready to scale up to a larger operation, our team of automation and space-saving specialists can help.  Contact Abel Womack today and a member of our team will reach out to you to see how we can offer cost-effective solutions for your commercial indoor growing needs.  

Anders Peterson started working in the cannabis industry fifteen years ago. Today, he's a cell molecular biologist, and 30 years old, his obsession with the science behind the plants drives his career. Today, Peterson is a Cannabis Operations Specialist at Inspire Transpiration Solutions. Inspire specializes in integrated HVDC systems for proper temperature, humidity, and airflow for indoor plant environments, specifically with indoor cannabis cultivation facilities or controlled environment agriculture (CEA).Cornell defines CEA as “an advanced and intensive form of hydroponically-based agriculture where plants grow within a controlled environment to optimize horticultural practices.” UC Davis frames CEA as agriculture that “encompasses a variety of systems that take a technology-based approach to farming.” The most advanced CEA systems are “fully automated, closed-loop systems with controlled lighting, water, and ventilation, from simple shade structures to greenhouses or vertical farms.”“The cannabis HVAC world is an interesting one,” said Peterson, “I'm obsessed with the science of growing plants inside.” As the industry becomes legal from state to state, there's been an influx of investors building grow facilities rapidly. “A lot of investors getting into the space forget at the end of the day that this is farming. Farming is not a get-rich-quick scheme,” said Peterson. However, if investors are researching and engineering their space correctly, the opportunity for long-term income is there. “Invest in the right systems upfront, and you'll have an asset that will continually make you money for 15 plus years,” Peterson explained.Podcast host, Greg Crumpton, chimed in that his interest in the cannabis industry stems from (no pun intended). “I want to be able to understand the evaporation of water from a plant. Going back to the science. Going back to the facts.” What happens to the plant after he fits out the environment is not his business. “My point is to give it a healthy environment,” said Crumpton.The cannabis industry is rapidly growing, and legalization from state to state shows promise of federal legalization on the horizon. Peterson has seen exponential growth in cannabis knowledge and industry standards. He points out that new career botanists are spoiled with accessible information and research. He spent hours digging into forums and online discussions to research and find legitimate answers compared to when he started. “The best way to legitimize the industry is transparency. The industry has evolved at an exponential pace, and you either have to adapt, or you're left behind,” said Peterson.Peterson predicts that when federal laws lift the sanctions on the state-to-state trading, growing will become consolidated and cheap growers will be weeded out (again, no pun intended). For cannabis growing, hyper controllable HVDC systems engineer an ideal CEA.In this unique application, Peterson parallels the plants to little humidifiers. “They are drinking water through their roots. When the lights are on, the vapor pressure deficit is driving the water through the plant and out of its leaves,” said Peterson. After 12 hours, the space has a dramatic shift to combat after the lights are off. The humidity will create a swamp if not adequately drawn out, and temperatures drop by 12-15 degrees. HVAC controls help balance spikes that would otherwise damage the plants. Growers controlled these spikes with plant care products, fans, and other implementations in the past. “But now, your HVAC system is the best risk mitigation tool,” explained Peterson.

On the latest episode of Grow Sessions we welcome Rob Patton & Josh Turner of  Green Meadows. In an episode entitled, “The Benefits of Growing Cannabis Organically,” we learn how Green Meadow's grows their high-quality cannabis using organic & regenerative farming methods.Topics include conventional cannabis cultivation vs. organic cultivation, what it takes to classify as an organic business, how to reduce carbon footprint & how Green Meadows helps educate consumers on how to grow their own cannabis, while contributing to charities such as Veteran's Aide to help give back to the community.If you are a grower, owner of a facility or just interested in the industry, you don't want to miss this episode. Robert R. “Rob” Patton is co-founder & CMO at Green Meadows. As CMO, Rob leads all sales & marketing activities; dispensary efforts that generate in-store revenue; community engagement;  wholesale activities, including both the procurement of partner products to be sold at the dispensary as well as cannabis produced by Green Meadows.Joshua Turner is VP of Cultivation. His experience with cultivating cannabis began in the '90s. During graduate school, his first research projects with cannabis was to study environmental restoration from contaminated soils. He moved to Nevada and began designing & building cannabis facilities. In 2016, he helped found & build Woodman Peak Farms in CA. His genetics have won awards for concentrates & flower.In 2020, he took his operation to MA and managed cultivation of hemp. He worked with MDAR to educate farmers on hemp cultivation & certified genetics. It was his love for organic cultivation and the close-knit family culture that brought him to where he is today. At Green Meadows he oversees the fully organic, living soil cultivation operation.  About Green Meadows: Green Meadows is a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Southbridge, MA, committed to providing customers & medical patients the highest quality cannabis through curation & cultivation. Green Meadows' organic cannabis is grown in a 35,000-square-foot cannabis facility that sits in the same restored 19th century mill building as its dispensary. The facility has been designed to deploy organic & environmentally responsible methods, which includes a patent-pending fertigation system, integrated pest management program that exceeds Clean Green Certification standards, as well as new processes for fertilizer use, propagation, & soil blending. Founded by the Patton family, Green Meadows is committed to veteran & diversity employment, continued scientific study of potential benefits of cannabis in treating conditions of urgent importance to improving the quality of care for veterans.  History of Military & Veteran Support: Green Meadows is owned and operated by descendants of WWII General George S. Patton and is founded on the Patton family's heritage of veteran advocacy, community service & organic agriculture. The Patton family's support for military veterans dates back generations. It grew stronger considering the difficult experiences and related burdens of PTSD endured by many veterans of the Iraq-Afghanistan era.George S. Patton IV, father of Chairman Bob Patton, founded Green Meadows Farm as an organic fruit & vegetable farm after retiring as army major-general in 1980, where he named its fields for soldiers who lost their lives under his command in Vietnam. Combining his devotion to organic, sustainable agriculture with the medical potential of cannabis for veterans & others was the inspiration behind the family's cannabis venture.For more information, visit: https://greenmeadows.com/

Straight from Benzinga newsdesk, hosts Brent Slava and Steve Krause bring you the market news and stocks to watch.Steve and Brent focus on:TWTR - diff between 13G and 13D. comments from Dan Ives at WedbushMNST - deal buy Coke has been discussed since 2012. literally one of the oldest rumors on Wall Street. Coke has ~17% stake in company "Now is the Time for Monster (MNST) and Coke (KO) to Finally Merge - Analyst"XPON - company describes itself as "Expion360 Inc is focused on the design, assembly, manufacturing and sales of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries and supporting accessories for recreational vehicles ("RV's") and marine applications with plans to expand into home energy storage products and industrial applications. Its product offerings include some of the minimal-footprint batteries in the RV & Marine industry."BTAI - what is this FDA date? PDUFA Prescription Drug User Fee Act. what happens on these days?PW - a recent highlight by 420 InvestorBenzinga Pro's Top 5 Stocks To Watch For Monday, Apr. 4, 2022: TWTR, MNST, XPON, BTAI, PWBZ WireToday's 5 Stock Ideas:Twitter (TWTR) - Shares were up 20% following a 13G filing from Tesla's (TSLA) Elon Musk that showed a 9.2% stake in Twitter. This idea will be discussed much more thoroughly during this morning's Daily Stocks To Watch podcast. Listen to the podcast on Apple here or on Spotify here. The podcast is usually posted between 10 and 10:30 a.m. ET.Monster (MNST) - The stock saw some price action Friday after an analyst at Guggenheim commented on Monster's M&A prospects with Coca-Cola (KO).Expion360 (XPON) - A play on lithium batteries. This new issue opened for trade on Friday of last week.BioXcel Therapeutics (BTAI) - A play on an upcoming FDA date. The FDA is scheduled to rule on the company's BXCL501 candidate for treatment of agitation associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. The goal date is scheduled for Tuesday, Apr. 5.Power REIT (PW) - A play on real estate/property used for cannabis cultivation. The company currently has three areas of focus: Controlled Environment Agriculture (greenhouses), Solar Farm Land, and TransportationHosts:Steve Krause Reach out to Steve at stevekrause@benzinga.comSr. Reporter Benzinga NewsdeskBrent Slava Reach out to Brent at brent@benzinga.comSr. Reporter, Head of Benzinga Newsdeskpro.benzinga.comFree 2-week trial, no credit card requiredUse coupon code YOUTUBE20 to get 20% offDisclaimer: All of the information, material, and/or content contained in this program is for informational purposes only. Investing in stocks, options, and futures is risky and not suitable for all investors. Please consult your own independent financial adviser before making any investment decisionsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mike Sarro of RX Green Technologies joins Tony Pavlakis for part two of his discussion on  “Moisture Management and Cannabis Plant Health." In today's episode, we discuss the five variables to maximize plant growth: light, humidity, temp, CO2 and water (nutrients). Other topics include: production costs, how to measure your production - pounds per light, grams/watt and grams per sq. foot, should growers lower their expenses or increase their production to maximize revenue and how saving money can cost you in the long run. We will also talk about  why LED lights are the only way to grow in 2022 and beyond.  If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone interested in commercial cultivation, you won't want to miss this episode.More About Mike Sarro, Plant Specialist, RX Green TechnologiesMike Sarro comes from a diverse business, technology and science background. Prior to joining the industry, he spent 10+ years working with both amateur and elite athletes performing 1000's of hours of testing on how key minerals, carbs, fats, proteins and rest enhance athletic performance.When the industry was coming of age commercially back in 2012 he knew his technical skills and experience in exercise physiology would cross over to plant physiology as he saw a strong correlation between human cells and plants cells.Over the last six years covering markets in the Eastern US and Canada, he manages over 2.5 million square feet of cannabis cultivation including indoor, outdoor and greenhouse canopies with all media and lighting conditions as a Plant Specialist with RX Green Technologies.RX Green Technologies specializes in Nutrients, IPM and Media with over 6.5 million square feet of commercial cultivation on its regimen.Rx Green Technologies, is dedicated to designing products for testing. Our robust product testing platform allows us to deliver solutions for  growers that are easy to use and drive results in commercial operations. We conduct trials on all aspects of product performance, generating insights that allow you to maximize your plant's performance via our solutions. For a closer look at our R&D visit: https://www.rxgreentechnologies.com/about/rd/

Episode 153 features Lucas Targos, VP of Controlled Environment Agriculture at urban-gro Inc. Colorado-based Urban-gro specializes in fully integrated facility design, cultivation systems integration and operational support for cannabis and food-focused indoor controlled environmental agriculture. They have completed over 500 indoor builds encompassing over 11.5 million square feet of cultivation since 2014. Lucas tells us more about his background in horticulture and sustainable agriculture and how that knowledge base from agriculture led him to working for L'Eagle in Denver, CO and now urban-gro. We discuss the all-in-one solution's urban-gro provides for clients from architecture design, engineering and managed services. urban-gro recently acquired Emerald Construction which will allow the company to hone in on mid-sized design builds for CEA facilities. Lucas provides insight into today's consumers and the most common growing practices of cultivators today. We even touch on the international market learning more about Holland, Italy, and Portugal's cannabis market. This was a very interesting episode! We loved learning about this ancillary business that has truly set the stage for Colorado and beyond. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/lit-and-lucid/support

Following up on our various dives into mission-driven commercial vertical farming, greenhouse-growing at the Texas State Fair, indoor growing as a tool of food sovereignty in Brooklyn, and food-focused architecture, the Fields hosts discuss both the history and recent innovations in greenhouses in cities, especially NYC. How can domestic homes incorporate greenhouses to grow food? What have cities done so far to create more viable opportunities to grow food in greenhouses? Melissa reflects on her work experiences and future plans; Wythe draws on his research into indoor agriculture; and Allie brings in the aesthetic perspective—laws often focus on what cities should look like, not helping people feed themselves. Join us for another informational and informal host conversation, and if you enjoy Fields, tell a friend!Are you a business owner? Become an HRN business member! For $500 HRN will shine a light on your work AND you will help sustain our mission to expand the way people think about food. As a thank you for this tax-deductible donation, your business will receive on-air mentions, social media posts, listings on our website and more. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/biz to become a business member today.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Fields by becoming a member!Fields is Powered by Simplecast.

On the latest episode of Grow Sessions we welcome Kim Gibson of Gibby's Garden, the first family-owned cannabis business and  first licensed micro business in the state of Massachusetts.  In this informative discussion, Kim will discuss the unique challenges Gibby's had to overcome to get where they are today in an episode entitled, "The Challenges & Rewards of Creating a Small Cannabis Business."Topics in this episode include pointers and recommendations to others thinking of opening a cannabis business, an overview of the license and fit-up process with pointers and recommendations, the responsibility they feel to assist and partner with other small cannabis establishments to help drive this new industry in a healthy direction and their drive to hold onto the respect for and purity of this God-given herb that is destined to help all of mankind...if mankind will just get out of the way and much, much more.If you are a cannabis grower thinking of opening your own cannabis business, you don't want to miss this episode. About Kim Gibson• Kim is a licensed builder and has been designing and building data centers for the last 25 years for a Central MA company.   She has been transitioning out of this position over the last six months and is happy to have only one full-time position on the horizon!.  • Her education is in Secondary Science Education with a minor in Microbiology undertaken at Oregon State University.• Kim's heart is in the medicinal end of the Cannabis industry.  She has been producing herbal remedies from herbs in the Gibson home Gardens for decades, so the transition to Cannabis has been a natural move.• Kim manages the overall licensing and business aspect of paperwork, filing and registrations for Gibby's.• Beyond continuing to nurture the relationships with our partners, Kim is planning to form an organization of small Cannabis establishments that will encourage further partnerships and give us a stronger voice beside the corporate cannabis groups as this industry continues to be formed.   About Gibby's GardenGibby's Garden LLC is the first Cannabis Microbusiness Establishment in Massachusetts.  Gibby's received Commence Operations from the state of MA on Dec. 31, 2019.  Gibby's is a family operated business owned by Kim and Fred Gibson and their son Joseph Gibson with Kim being the majority owner.  Gibby's Garden Microbusiness:• Gibby's  grow facility is located in Uxbridge, MA and is approximately 11,000 SF split between administrative spaces, grow room, production rooms and storage.  We are currently beginning the fit-up of our final two flower rooms which will cap us at the 5,000 SF of grow when complete  summer of 2022.• Kim's background in construction has saved in design and permit set costs.  Joe and Fred performed as much of the initial construction as possible.  Our TSRgrow LED lights use a designated light spectrum to maximize growth in the stage the plants are currently in.  We build our grow rooms with the highest quality, energy efficient products.  To learn more about Kim Gibson and Gibby's Garden, please visit www.gibbysgardenma.com. Gibby's welcomes other cultivators to visit their grow and learn more about what it took to get where they are today.

This week we spoke with Chris Higgins of Hort Americas and Urban Ag News to discuss how GE – Current repurposed an existing US light factory to make horticulture LED lights onshore.  Did they get lucky to get ahead of kinks in the supply chain or was this well planned? Listen to this week's episode and learn about the eco-innovations that are happening in the world of Controlled Environment Agriculture.

In this episode, Tyler talks with Richard Murphy, veteran and founding member/Executive Director of Veterans To Farmers (VTF), about their mission to train veterans in agricultural systems, technologies and business operations for a fulfilling and sustainable lifestyle. They offer a way to recover, to learn, and to move forward by becoming our providers, contributing to the solution of our food insecure nation.Veterans to Farmers offers free courses to veterans in Market Farming,  Controlled Environment Agriculture, & Urban Farming.  Check out their website at Veteranstofarmers.org to apply for classes and/or courses. Stay up to date and gain early access to new podcasts and upcoming events by signing up for our newsletter at Coming Home Well NewsletterFollow us on IG @cominghomwell_bts and @behindtheserviceFacebook at Coming Home Well or Behind The ServiceLinkedIn at Coming Home WellThank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring today's episode! Coming Home Well listeners can get 10% off by visiting betterhelp.com/cominghomewell.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=DPPU22JG5EM6Y)

On our latest episode of Grow Sessions we welcome Jay Simner & Leon Steinberg in an informative episode entitled, “How to Raise Financing for Your Cannabis Business.”Raising money to open or scale a cannabis business can be challenging, especially with U.S. banking restrictions, but there are proven ways to secure financing. Today we will talk about insights into equipment financing and the steps required to purchase equipment once your license has been procured. Topics will include: steps and information required by lender/lessor, raising equity, lease terms and rates and how you can get your cannabis business up and running.If you are a cannabis grower, owner of a facility or thinking of opening your own cannabis business, you don't want to miss this episode. About Jay Simner Jay Simner, is the founder and Managing Member of Chicago based Cencor Capital, LLC.  Cencor provides funding for a variety of capital equipment in multiple industries, including essential equipment used in the cannabis industry.  From 1994-2009, Jay was one of the original principal owners of Relational Funding Corporation, acquired by interests of the Pritzker family office.  Jay has worked in the equipment leasing industry his entire career and holding positions with Computer Leasing, Inc., Heller Financial and GE Capital.Jay holds a BS degree in Accounting and Finance from Syracuse University. About Leon SteinbergLeon Steinberg is the founder and Managing Member of New Jersey based Three Point Capital, LLC, which he started in 2011.  Three Point arranges leases for an array of essential use equipment for middle market and emerging growth companies, including Cannabis companies. Leon has worked his entire career in the equipment leasing industry.  He applies his experience and knowledge to help customers best utilize their budgeted capital to acquire equipment in the most optimal way.Jay and Leon, who previously worked for many years for the same employers before founding Cencor and Three Point, respectively, have established a joint venture, pooling their expertise and resources, in order to better serve the emerging Cannabis industry.To learn more about Cencor Capital visit:  www.cencorcapital.comTo learn more about Three Point Capital, visit:  www.3ptcapital.com

Controlled environment agriculture is becoming a popular phrase, but few understand what it takes to have a successful operation. Greenhouses equipped with the most sustainable vertical farming technology allow you to grow and harvest the highest quality produce year-round anywhere in the world. This is a game-changer for agriculture. Controlled environment agriculture means more food and less waste or more crop per drop. If controlled environment agriculture is something you are involved with or thinking about, or just interested in the subject, this webinar is for you. We have assembled three of the best minds in controlled environment agriculture to help us understand the current state of the industry and future opportunities. In 2021, Venture Capitalists invested nearly $6 billion in Controlled Environment Agriculture (“CEA”) and tech juggernauts Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are backing some prominent players in this quickly-emerging market. But is CEA headed for the Trough of Disillusionment? In this webinar, an engineer, an agro-ecologist, and an attorney discuss the CEA industry, the state of the art in CEA technologies, barriers that modern farmers must overcome, and opportunities in CEA. Topics discussed include: Big data, technology adaptations, regulations, certifications, machine learning, and aeroponics. In this webinar, you will learn: What is controlled environment agriculture and the science and practices behind it The current state of agriculture and why we need to pivot The current controlled environment landscape The risks and regulations in the industry The opportunities available today The future of controlled environment agriculture

The agriculture industry has come a long way from manned equipment fertilizing and harvesting fields of crops to robots analyzing the needs and delivering precise amounts of nutrients in a controlled environment. On today's episode, we sit down with Andrew Blume, Strategic Sales Manager at Iron Ox, to discuss controlled environment agriculture and the innovative technologies Iron Ox implements to reduce waste and grow produce more sustainably, using “vastly less energy and less water on smaller amounts of land”. Want to see more from the Generation STEM team? Check us out on social media @genstempodcast, or visit us at our website at www.genstempodcast.com This podcast is powered by Black & Veatch - www.bv.com

“Lumens are for humans,” but not plants—including cannabis, says Kyle Booth, Associate Member ASHRAE. On the latest episode of ASHRAE Journal Podcast, Booth and Dan Dettmers, Member ASHRAE, discuss what controlled environment agriculture demands of HVAC systems (7:55), the patchwork regulations born from increasing legalization of cannabis (26:30) and how cannabis grow facilities are helping the CEA and HVAC&R industries develop equipment as the “grow local” food movement gets louder (40:55). Dettmers and Booth start the podcast talking about the three loads CEA facilities demand: lighting, cooling and latent loads (7:55). Then, the duo discusses the high energy use intensity of indoor grow facilities (4:30) and dive into a history lesson of legality and regulations that come along with growing cannabis (4:50 and 22:45).Sometimes, the time-tested solution is the best solution. That's why more engineers turn to Quest dehumidifiers when they need precision humidity control designed exclusively for indoor cannabis farms. There's no room for error when it comes to environmental controls. So trust the original; trust Quest. Visit questclimate.com to learn more. Seeking a job in the engineering field, or searching for the most qualified engineers? The ASHRAE career center connects opportunities and candidates. Go to jobs.ashrae.org.

On our latest episode of Grow Sessions we speak with Zachary Taylor, General Manager of Cultivation at Bountiful Farms in MA in an episode entitled, “Keeping up with Energy and Environmental Standards for Your Cannabis Facility.”Many states and municipalities are instituting new requirements that are specific to the cannabis industry. What does that mean for cultivators and how will it impact their business? Join us for an informative discussion on topics including: energy efficiency requirements, transitioning to LED lights in MA, the most regulated state in the country, changing the way to grow sustainably, GMP (General Manufacturing Practices) standards and why being a cannabis grower is about so much more than growing plants.If you are a cannabis grower, owner of a facility or thinking of opening your own cannabis business, you don't want to miss this episode. About Zach Taylor General Manager of CultivationBountiful FarmsZach Taylor leads the cultivation team at Bountiful Farms, a premium cannabis cultivator with a medical dispensary in Natick, Massachusetts and state-of-the-art Cultivation Center in Lakeville, MA.Zach has a love of agriculture, sparked by his family's commercial landscaping business and its commitment to growing quality and aesthetically pleasing plants. When he began learning about cannabis and the life-changing benefits it can provide for a variety of medical conditions, he developed a passion for the human-cannabis relationship that has only gotten stronger each day.That passion has truly flourished at Bountiful Farms. Zach joined the team upon its inception in 2018. He and the cultivation team are committed to growing exceptional cannabis, never settling for anything less than the best and never cutting corners. Starting Bountiful Farms from the ground up and being able to grow cannabis exactly how he sees fit has been a once in a lifetime opportunity and something he is truly grateful for.Zach is a pioneer and has been part of the medical cannabis industry since 2007, when he began growing cannabis as a caregiver under the initial medical cannabis statute in Colorado, providing cannabis to patients with a range of medical conditions. He was one of the first 18-year-olds to receive a medical license in the state at the time and was one of the first 5,000 licensed employees in the country. Zach is also very passionate about drug policy reform, and in the past testified in favor of people being allowed to grow their own medical cannabis. From 2011 to 2017, he managed cultivation at a large cannabis cultivator in Colorado, giving him a deep understanding of how to grow cannabis at scale. In his career, Zach has won 28 cannabis cups, including the first-ever people's choice award for “Best Cannabis in Massachusetts.” This win was for Bountiful Farms' Piña Grande.Zach and team are proud to bring the most exceptional cannabis to Massachusetts medical customers through its dispensary in Natick, and to recreational customers through its retail partners. Zach says the best part of his job is the amazing community of people he gets to meet who all have a mutual love of cannabis. He looks forward to continuing to innovate and experiment with new strains and processes to bring people the best cannabis possible.To learn more about Bountiful Farms, visit www.bountifulfarms.care.

This week, Mark Doherty, partner at Doherty Agriculture and advisor to Dual Draft Integrated Airflow discusses what he's encountered in more than 10 years in the controlled environment agriculture market.He built his first commercial indoor farm in 2010 and made every mistake imaginable, but he learned a lot. Since then, the market has changed drastically.Now, he works with Dual Draft to solve some of the traditional problems with racking systems in the cannabis industry, like water pooling and airflow consistency.Dual Draft's proprietary technology provides consistent airflow which eliminates micro climates and ensures consistent growing conditions. He says it's the only product that offers under-canopy airflow.The product recently debuted and received an incredible response at MJBizCon 2021.

Urban-Gro With Sam Andras SVP of Design Services today on Blunt Business with Jorge Hermida only on Cannabis Radio. Our next guest is the Executive Vice President of Professional Services, a fully integrated architecture, engineering, and cultivation systems integration company serving the commercial cannabis and food-focused Controlled Environment Agriculture sector. To date, he has been involved in the design of over 100 cultivation projects and 50 dispensary facilities in 21 states and three countries, totaling over 8 million square feet. Urban-gro Inc. recently closed on acquiring MJ12 Design Studio and parent company, 2WR+ Partners of which you are senior principal and partner. You now serve on the executive leadership team, heading Urban-gro's architecture, engineering, and design offering. We talk about Sam's entry into a fast-growing publicly traded cannabis company.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/blunt-business1131/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Packer editor Tom Karst and I chat with Emily Trogdon, public relations and marketing specialist, and Kurt Aken, vice president of business development, of AmplifiedAg and its Vertical Roots brand. We discuss some not-so-common retail packaging initiatives they're doing, plus what they do, why and how — in such a growing high-tech indoor ag sector of our industry. Grown in shipping containers, this is a different version of CEA, or Controlled Environment Agriculture, a sector that makes up less than 10% of the salad greens category, but has a surpassing growth rate. Read the article: Container-grown Vertical Roots' holiday packaging, charitable giving a sign of the times See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the dictionary, a "food desert" is defined as an urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. There is a statistic that about 23.5 million people live in food deserts. Nearly half of them are also low-income. Approximately 2.3 million people (2.2% of all US households) live in low-income, rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket. This begs the question therefore, what are we going to do about these people that don't have access to affordable or good-quality fresh food? This is exactly what my guest, Juan Lacey, is trying to do. Juan is working with his partners to open up 40 centers with vertical farms to help these people have access to food, year-round, in a way that will boost Black farmers and low-income communities. About Juan: After an extensive working career in the Information Management Industry while working for large banks, non-profits, and government contractors, during the last twenty years Juan has moved into entrepreneurship where he was the owner of an office cleaning service franchise while completing an extensive study to move into the Controlled Environment Agriculture industry that is ready to be launched. During his working career, he earned his MBA and has taught for the University of Phoenix, Sojourner-Douglass College, and American University. #food #accesstofood #gardens #blackfarmers #blackfarms

On our latest episode of Grow Sessions we speak with TSRgrow cofounders Mikhail Sagal and Gary Arnold about the necessary steps required to build a successful cannabis cultivation business in an episode entitled, “Lighting Strategies and Other Considerations  for a Successful Commercial Cultivation.”The path to a successful cannabis business is not a smooth and easy one. It's full of changing regulations and unforeseeable roadblocks. Join us for a candid and insightful discussion on how to avoid some of these roadblocks and what needs to be considered now to help avoid problems later. Topics include creating a custom-tailored business solution, what is needed to build a successful growing facility, the importance of creating GMP (General Manufacturing Practices) systems that can be expanded without disruption, energy conservation, environmental monitoring, lighting strategies and much, much more.If you are a cannabis grower, owner of a facility or thinking of opening your own cannabis business, you don't want to miss this episode. About TSRgrowTSRgrow is a leading solution provider to the cannabis industry. For over twelve years, this Rhode Island based company has offered horticultural TOTALgrow™ Solutions, best-in-class advanced LED lighting, and industry support to help cultivators achieve the ideal balance of energy and profitability.Developed in cooperation with university and industry leaders, TSRgrow's industry leading advanced LED lighting solutions integrate remote power servers and adaptive light monitoring and control software that is engineered to maximize yields and grow the highest quality crops. Lowest cost to operate targets to maximize energy efficiency, using TSRgrow's Lighting as a Platform™ (LaaP) architecture with remote power servers, environmental monitoring and lighting management solutions.TSRgrow provides end-to-end consulting and essential support services to cultivators. From site planning, design, HVACD, construction, financing and equipment, TSRgrow does more than design and manufacture advanced LED lighting solutions and adaptive software, they also provide integrated capabilities for a TOTALgrow™ Solution.To learn more, visit www.TSRgrow.com or email info@tsrgrow.com.    

Craig Hurlbert is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Local Bounty, a premier controlled environment agriculture company redefining conversion efficiency and ESG standards for indoor ag. Craig joins the podcast to share more about his background in the energy sector and private equity and what ultimately led him to found Local Bounti. We discuss the challenges of CEA and how he and the team are taking a unique approach to a difficult business to scale profitably. Show Notes: https://themodernacre.com/196

This week's guest is Craig Hurlbert, co-founder and co-CEO of Local Bounti, an AgTech start up headquartered in Hamilton, Montana. The company's ambitious mission is to scale production and distribution of high quality produce grown indoors, using 90% less water and land than traditional farming. Craig is a seasoned entrepreneur with deep experience in the energy sector and private equity. In our conversation, we delve into the agricultural challenges Local Bounti hopes to address, what being a special purpose acquisition company means, and the changing economies that effect how consumers get food to the table. Transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EEXSJeXz8jka21FtzzK7WIfgE_pcGes8uZtp0rLMoN4/edit?usp=sharing

In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Webb, Founder and CEO of AppHarvest.AppHarvest, which went public in 2021, is building some of the largest indoor farms in the world, combining conventional agricultural techniques with today's technology to grow non-GMO, chemical-free produce to be sold to the top 25 U.S. grocers. The company's first controlled-environment agriculture facility, opened in 2020 in Morehead, Ky., spans 60 acres. It uses 90% less water than a typical farm because of a sophisticated circular irrigation system and 10-acre rainwater retention pond.In conversation with Gil and Chad, Jonathan talked about the unique aspects of AppHarvest's business, his personal journey in starting the company, the parallels of ag-tech with the solar revolution, the specific advantages of Controlled Environment Agriculture, what it's like to experience rapid growth while maintaining a culture of excellence, how ESG drives their business, and much more. We hope you enjoy this spirited conversation with a passionate climate solutions entrepreneur as much as we did.BioJonathan Webb LinkedInJonathan Webb TwitterAppHarvest TwitterAppHarvest WebsiteAppHarvest 2020 ESG ReportArticle: Is This Giant Greenhouse in Kentucky the Future of Farming? (Rolling Stone, August 22, 2021)Article: Martha Stewart's recipes using AppHarvest tomatoes

Integrated Hydro Solutions And Urban-gro Mark Doherty and Greg Panella today on Plant Prophets with Vern Davis only on Cannabis Radio. Mark Doherty began his career in controlled environment agriculture by building New York's first commercial-scale indoor aquaponic farm. He designed and constructed this first-of-its-kind, 13,000 square foot Controlled Environment Agriculture facility in an abandoned factory in Central New York where seafood and produce were cultivated for local and regional restaurants and supermarkets. Inside the old building, Mark constructed an indoor ecosystem that consisted of 20,000 gallons of stock tanks and over 7,000 square feet of Deep Water Culture Hydroponic cultivation area, all under artificial light. Mark combines his extensive background in commercial-scale aquaponic farming with a personally inspired passion for Cannabis advocacy and access to further urban-gro's mission to helping cultivators achieve sustained scalability with innovative technologies that drive down cost, increase economic yield, and reduce environmental impact.

Controlled Environment Agriculture is on the rise. However, moving forward, transparency will become even more important. On this episode of CropTalk I speak with David Vosburg, Chief Innovation Officers at Local Bounti. Topics include Developing true sustainability metrics Retailers shifting focus to CEA, and what Local Bounti has growing in Montana.   

If you were to visit 80 Acres Farms you might be looking for tractors, silos or acres and acres of soil, but those things typical to agriculture are nowhere in sight at the Hamilton, Ohio facility. Instead, the farm is located inside a huge controlled environment facility. This week, find out how vertical farming works and how it will fit into the future of American agriculture? 00:00 - Rebecca Haders, vice president of creative and marketing for 80 Acres Farms, talks about the world's first fully automated indoor farm, capable of producing an abundance of crop varieties year-round. 16:50 - Chieri Kubota, professor of controlled environment agriculture at Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences' Department of Horticulture and Crop Science discusses the new Controlled Environment Food Production Research Complex being constructed on Waterman Farm in Columbus. 23:50 - "To the Beat of Agriculture", meet the "Punk Rock Farmer", Jonathan Lawler. 32:20 - Ohio Poultry Association executive vice president Jim Chakeres shares how Ohio's egg and bacon farmers have joined efforts to launch Best Buckeye Breakfasts. 42:20 - Once again this year, the Delaware and Union County Farm Bureaus are hosting Benefit in the Barn to raise money for a great cause. Doug Loudenslager has the details.

In this episode: Introducing Gretchen Schimelpfenig and the work of the Research Innovation Institute (3:07)Exploring why and when growers might choose Controlled Environment Agriculture over traditional outdoor farming methods (5:00)Gretchen defines “light recipes” and explains why and how they work within and beyond CEA applications (7:15)Examining and comparing the environmental impacts of controlled agriculture environments versus other methods (10:40)Best practices recommendations from the Resource Innovation Institute for controlling energy consumption (13:44)Gretchen delves into the varied air quality and HVAC requirements and considerations in controlled environment agriculture (16:28)Where to access Resource Innovation Institute's best practices recommendation materials (18:33)Current considerations and strategies to optimize CEA growing outcomes (19:48)Closing remarks: how Environments can help with similar IoT integration and optimization work (22:35) Comments, questions, or want to say hello? Reach out to hello@environments.tech! 

Urban-gro, Inc with CEO Brad Nattrass today on Plant Prophets with Vern Davis only on Cannabis Radio. Brad Nattrass serves as the Chief Executive Officer of urban-gro, Inc, a leading design and engineering firm for Controlled Environment Agriculture facilities that integrates complex environmental equipment systems into these high-performance facilities. urban-gro, Inc. provides engineering design services for Controlled Environment Agriculture facilities and integrates complex environmental equipment systems into these high-performance facilities. By combining its design and integration services, industry-leading suite of cultivation equipment and crop management products, and proprietary technology solutions, urban-gro provides integrated solutions for today's indoor horticulture market to efficiently manage and optimize operations and building performance.

On our latest episode, “Sustainable Power for Your Cannabis Facility” Tony P is joined by Bill Shevlin of Mavericks Microgrid Energy Company. The two share an educational discussion on how to take a sustainable approach to cultivation. As we've learned, the cannabis industry is extremely energy intensive, so the question always is: how do we operate the most efficiently for our business and for our planet? Luckily Bill has some answers for us!There are an array of methods cannabis cultivators can use when looking to save energy and money. Taking advantage of renewable energy sources, experimenting with different growing mediums, utilizing water capturing techniques, and sourcing more eco-friendly packaging are just a few ways cultivation facilities can reduce their carbon footprint. As new regulations continue to alter the industry, sustainable practices are the way of the future. Listen now to learn how to ensure your cultivation is carbon neutral or even carbon negative. The future of growing is reliant on renewable resources, energy efficiency and collective consciousness within the industry. About Bill Shevlin and Mavericks Microgrid Energy Company Bill Shevlin has worked across several industries including, Real Estate, Construction, Energy, Technology and Cannabis. From 2009 to 2017 he worked on distributive energy projects that helped install solar more cost effectively. He has successfully transformed existing companies from small operations to large scale regional/multi-state and national companies. Bill is part of a core team that launched a national solar company that installed 10W of solar within 12 months of launch. He has also developed and been involved in the installation of over 100 MW of distributed rooftop solar energy. His current companies are Mavericks Capital and Mavericks Renewable Microgrids.In 2018, Bill identified the energy needs in Cannabis, Hemp and EV infrastructure markets. Since then, he has worked as a consultant and advisor for numerous cannabis businesses, aiding in sustainable energy efficiency. Mavericks Microgrid company provides robust MicroGrid offerings and their current partners include: Energy Storage, Controls, TriGen, Solar, IoT, BioDigesters, and EV. Bill and his team help cannabis businesses facilitate a carbon neutral or even a carbon negative footprint- resulting in higher efficiency and higher yields with lower costs and less environmental impact. To learn more about Mavericks Microgrid Energy Company, please visit:  https://mavericks.energy/

Thanks for listening. Visit VLED online at vled.energy and our online marketplace for schools, restaurants, office buildings, senior living centers, municipalities and more at veteranled.com.Please stay in touch and send us ideas about guests and ideas for future episodes of Energy Sense by emailing rawlings@vled.energy. You can follow Chris Rawlings on LinkedIn and VLED on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Derek Smith, Executive Director of Resource Innovation Institute joins Tony P for an informative discussion about sustainable and efficient growing  in our new episode entitled, "Sustainability in Cannabis Cultivation."Some of the topics in this episode will include: energy requirements in cannabis cultivation, energy savings and rebates for cultivators, benefits of using LED lighting as well as monitoring and control data to help save energy and much more. Derek will also talk about benchmarking your cannabis facility to help you grow efficiently using Resource Innovation Institute's free Power Score  benchmarking platform, which helps provide cultivators performance rankings based on industry-standard key performance indicators (KPIs) on energy, emissions, water and waste and helps you learn how to be more efficient while growing better plants. If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone interested in growing, you won't want to miss this exciting episode.About Derek SmithExecutive Director, Resource Innovation InstituteAs Executive Director, Derek provides overall leadership and strategic direction. Derek engages RII's advisory bodies, including the Strategic Advisory Council and Technical Advisory Council Leadership Committees, develops global partnerships and oversees the organization's policy work.Before RII, Derek led Clean Energy Works, recognized as one of the most successful American Recovery & Reinvestment Act ("stimulus") programs. He has directed energy programs for the City of Portland, managed operations for a VC-backed start-up and created an award-winning corporate sustainability program for a national retailer. Derek has testified to the US Senate Energy Committee and briefed the US Secretary of Energy.Derek enjoys playing and listening to a range of music, soccer (especially his hometown Portland Timbers), hiking and travel.To learn more about Resource Innovation Institute and their free resources available to cultivators, please visit www.resourceinnovation.org.

Professor Kellie Walters from the Univ of Tennessee researches controlled environment plant physiology and works to help growers improve their crop production systems. Bobby Shearer and Charlie McKenzie had a chance to chat with her about what she considers to be the 3 most overlooked aspects of controlled environment agriculture (CEA). From food production to floriculture, they get into environmental controls, flavor and nutrition management, and consumer preferences in an episode of #CropCareConvos that no CEA operator will wanna miss.

Power REIT (NYSEAMERICAN:PW) CEO David Lesser tells Proactive the New York-based group intends to acquire another property, what will be the group's largest controlled environment agriculture acquisition, for $18.5 million. Lesser says the 522,000 sq ft high-tech greenhouse and processing space is located in Michigan, and would be the state's largest cannabis cultivation facility. He says the price on a per sq ft basis is 'extremely attractive' and would allow its tenant to compete very favorably in the Michigan market form a standpoint of getting to large scale, low cost cannabis production.

Tenay Kham  joins Tony P for an informative discussion in this week's episode entitled, “Cannabis Cultivation Design for Success.” Some of the topics in this episode will include: general philosophies and requirements unique to cannabis cultivation, ratios of usage of space, methods and SOP strategies that work, general costs associated with starting a cultivation facility, common mistakes and much, much more. If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone interested in growing, you won't want to miss this episode.About Tenay KhamTenay Kham is one of the most experienced and accomplished cannabis cultivators in the US with 8+ years of commercial execution. He has managed build outs and optimization of 500,000+ SF of environmentally controlled facilities. All Tenay's projects are profitable and standing in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Canada as well as a current license holder in Michigan.  Tenay has market leading industry knowledge with a background in supply chain and risk management. He has an ownership philosophy rational and a result driven approach.  Contact Info:Tenay Kham, Head of ProductsOperation Grow, LLCTenay@operationgrow.biz(928)451-2336

Stephen Lafaille of Tecogen joins Tony P for an informative discussion about minimizing your carbon footprint in our new episode entitled, "Energy Demands of Cannabis Cultivation - How to Minimize Your Carbon Footprint."The energy needs for indoor cannabis cultivation facilities are immense, especially their density. There is an extreme amount of energy needed per sq. ft. and this results in a relatively small building (minimal roof area), but a very high power need. This makes addressing power consumption with solar, not very feasible, unless you have a lot of empty land surrounding the building (most people do not).Ultimately this means until the power coming from our central utility grid is 100% renewable, or at least more than about 5-20% depending on what state you are in, growers need to look to other ways to reduce their carbon footprint. CHP (Combined Heat and Power) is a great way to do this, because not only does it offer a carbon footprint reduction for the building, it also saves the owners a lot of money on their utility bills. This is a great combination of doing what's right for your business financially, and at the same time having a positive impact on the planet. Listen now to learn more about CHP products and how CHP can help reduce the carbon footprint in cannabis cultivation facilities. Interesting topic just in time for Earth Day!About Stephen Lafaille and TecogenStephen Lafaille, PEVice President of Business Development, TecogenStephen Lafaille is the Vice President of Business Development for Tecogen Inc. Tecogen is a leading manufacturer of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) products including natural gas engine-driven generators, chillers, and refrigeration packages for commercial and industrial use.Steve is responsible for developing new business relationships to help grow Tecogen's awareness and sales, allowing Tecogen to maintain its reputation as the leader in advanced CHP systems. Steve has been with the company for over ten years and started in the engineering group as a product development engineer. In addition to his business development efforts, Steve works closely with salespeople, manufacturer's representatives, and customers to provide product and application technical support, and performs detailed economic feasibility analyses, and helps close sales. Steve represents the company directly to customers, such as hospitals, schools, colleges, multi-family housing, and industrial manufacturing facilities such as cannabis cultivation. He also works closely with utilities who provide energy efficiency incentives to many of Tecogen's customers.Steve has a B.S. and M.S. from the University of New Hampshire both in Mechanical Engineering. Steve is also a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Massachusetts.For a closer look at Tecogen, please visit: www.tecogen.com

Mike Sarro of RX Green Technologies joins Tony P for an informative discussion about cultivation in this week's episode entitled, “Moisture Management and Cannabis Plant Health.” Some of the topics in this episode include: How Environment Affects Cannabis Plant Health and Proper Dry Down, Tips if There is Lockout and Excess Nutrients, Types of Media and the Effect on Plants, Moisture Readings, The Five Keys to Plant Health, Nutrient Uptake and much, much more. If you are a cultivator, facility owner or anyone interested in growing, you won't want to miss this episode.More About Mike Sarro, Plant Specialist, RX Green Technologies Mike Sarro comes from a diverse business, technology and science background. Prior to joining the industry, he spent 10+ years working with both amateur and elite athletes performing 1000's of hours of testing on how key minerals, carbs, fats, proteins and rest enhance athletic performance.When the industry was coming of age commercially back in 2012 he knew his technical skills and experience in exercise physiology would cross over to plant physiology as he saw a strong correlation between human cells and plants cells.Over the last six years covering markets in the Eastern US and Canada, he manages over 2.5 million square feet of cannabis cultivation including indoor, outdoor and greenhouse canopies with all media and lighting conditions as a Plant Specialist with RX Green Technologies.RX Green Technologies specializes in Nutrients, IPM and Media with over 6.5 million square feet of commercial cultivation on its regimen.Rx Green Technologies, is dedicated to designing products for testing. Our robust product testing platform allows us to deliver solutions for  growers that are easy to use and drive results in commercial operations. We conduct trials on all aspects of product performance, generating insights that allow you to maximize your plant's performance via our solutions. For a closer look at our R&D visit: https://www.rxgreentechnologies.com/about/rd/

Controlled Environment Agriculture has gained significant traction over the years forVegetables, and yes cannabis. Shawn Cooney Owner of CloudFarming and Eric Levesque with Cultivatd discuss sustainability within the CEA world. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sustainable-cannabis/message

Bob Craig, CEO of PayQwick discusses cannabis banking and treasury management with the GroAdvisor team, your one-stop-shop for the controlled environment agriculture industry. Treasury management (or treasury operations) includes management of an enterprise's holdings, to manage a firm's liquidity and mitigate its operational, financial and reputational risk. Bob Craig is an executive leader in fintech. Keen ability to envision and launch new products in the heavily regulated fintech space through entrepreneurial and speed-to-market agility for early and growth-stage success. Disciplined and cross-functional experience to translate fast-paced growth into profits. Over 20 years of growing large businesses in global banking, payments, and financial technology.

Join vertical farming expert Jim Pantaleo and the GroAdvisor team as they discuss best practices for planning and building a commercial vertical farm in 2020. Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers by incorporating controlled-environment agriculture equipment to optimize plant growth. Tune in to learn about: - Reliable year-round production - How to remain unaffected by weather - Better space utilization - Minimizing water usage - Building an environmentally-friendly business - Ridding chemicals and pesticides - Reducing transportation costs - Improving energy efficiency and more

Time-table 0min40 - Introduction to Radu Mircea Giurgiu. 4min10 - Radu & Zjef's ecosystem history. 5min50 - What are ecosystems, why is it so hard to replicate them and why are they so important? 11min00 - Ecosystems in space. About the Melissa Project by the European Space Agency. 21min12 - Radu's work at Semilla IpStar. Bringin technologies from the space industry to earth. 25min55 - The economic viability of ecosystem technologies 33min00 - How Artificial Intelligence can help us understand and create ecosystems 34min00 - About the attitude of politics to ecosystems and climate change 36min00 - How do we turn cities into ecosystems? 42min25 - Radu's work and research at PlantGeek. Monitoring aquaponics, automation and artificial intelligence. 49min58 - How to incentivise ecosystem-research and how to make it more sexy. I have known Radu now for a couple of years now, and every time I looked at where he came from, and how he developed his career I'm thinking: Damn, that guy is making his dreams come true! Radu Mircea-Giurgiu was born and raised in Romania, did a master in Controlled environment Agriculture (CEA) and then went on to do his phD in Germany on medicinal plants in Controlled Environment Agriculture. It's around that time that I met him. We were both volunteering for the Association for Vertical Farming and created a project group called AMI. In that group we brought together many amazing people and created a concept called AMI or A M I . That's an abbreviation for Aquaponics, Mushrooms and Insects. Basically, we wanted to connect all existing CEA food producing technologies to create a high tech ecosystem with no waste (or at least as little waste as possible)! With the team we did a lot of research, thinking and modelling, and from that we created banners, videos, a white paper and a lot of workshops, which we gave all around the world. In that way we spread the idea of ecosystem farming or AMI-farming, and helped the industry to adopt it. Everyone in the group was super-enthusiastic about the ecosystem concept, but only a few made it their personal purpose. One of them is Radu - Another is Seppe Salari (whom I will probably also interview soon). Already during the AMI-work, Radu got funding for his own Research project in the University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca (UASVM). The project was called Plantgeek and he and his team investigated the technologies to monitor the aquaponics ecosystem. Of course - he didn't stop there. He also got trained by The Ellen McArthur Foundation to become a circular economy pioneer, he also became an ambassador for Thought for Food. But most importantly, he got funding for his postdoc and got connected to the European Space Agency and their amazing project around creating an ecosystem in space: The Melissa Project. Within this huge European collaboration between many companies and organisations he started working for SEMILLA IPStar (The Netherlands). A company that takes space-technologies to develop applications here on earth.

This is part two of our discussion with summer intern Natalie Olofsson on local and regional food. We've discussed how much local food is sold to farmers' markets. Another major buyer is school lunch programs. We also look more broadly food and produce education. The younger generations are interested in learning more about where their food comes from. Yet, knowledge is still low and growers have a lot of room to educate their customers.

Increasingly, the grower's ability to control inputs can lead to greater crop quality. This week, Bridget discusses controlled environment agriculture (CEA) with the soon to be Dr. Kellie Walters (doctoral candidate at Michigan State). Kellie and Bridget, along with Drs. Roberto Lopez and Chris Currey, co-authored a study delving into the history of CEA as well as examining some future research areas.

Three experts in Controlled Environment Agriculture, talk about the current and future challenges in Vertical and Urban Farming. This episodes moderator: Maren Schoormans, talks to Henry Gordon-Smith (Agritecture) and Thomas Zoellner (FarmTech Society). GreenTech's Mariska Dreschler makes a guest appearance as well. For more information check: www.greentech.nl

This is episode 23 of the Get in My Garden Podcast. Today we have another very special episode. The subject is Controlled Environment Agriculture. We meet Charlie Shultz, a researcher, farmer and teacher; a pioneer in the field of aquaponics and lead faculty in the very impressive Controlled Environment Agriculture Program at Santa Fe Community College. Charlie began working with fish and plants as an undergraduate at Virginia Tech while double majoring in Biology and Fishery Science. His work has sent him to many locations including 14 years at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, where he researched indoor aquaponics production and its many facets from nutrition and system economics. We will cover a lot of topics from aquaponics systems vs hydroponics, their economics, food security and water supply challenges the world faces, and how these controlled environment agriculture systems are the solution. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/get-in-my-garden-podcast/message