Italy: Fresh produce entrepreneur turns to vertical farming

Entrepreneur Giuseppe Battagliola from Brescian, Italy, the well-known innovator of the IV range, launched a new vertical farming project. Giuseppe, the founder of "La Linea Verde" and a historic entrepreneur in the panorama of the fruit and vegetable sector, now leads a new initiative, Kilometro Verde,…

Element Hotels partners with LettuceGrow adding towers to properties

Element Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s extraordinary portfolio of 30 hotel brands, today unveils an innovative collaboration with Lettuce Grow, a nationally recognized leader in hydroponic gardening. Together, they are providing travelers with direct access to free, farm-fresh produce while on the…

Mike Simons, Tulsa World

US (OK): New $7.5 million farm to be built near Tulsa Community College Campus

Singer Taylor Hanson’s local charity announced plans Tuesday to build an urban farm in Tulsa as part of a long-term solution to food deserts. Food on the Move’s $7.5 million farm will use hydroponics and aquaponics technology to grow produce without soil, allowing the farm to operate inside a…

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US (NJ): School 8 receives $1,000 grant from Lieutenant Governor’s Office for new aquaponics system

The New Jersey Lieutenant Governor's Office awarded the Paterson School District with a $1,000 grant that will allow students at Public School No. 8 to monitor and care for an aquaponics system. The aquaponics system will also inspire creativity and create excitement in the learning environment and will…

Microgreens from South Tyrol sold to the local market

'To bet on microgreens is to bet on the winning ticket', although that's what this company sees. Ulrich Kager and Patrick Sanin founded Profarms three years ago, which built a vertical farm to supply microgreens to the northern Italian province of Bolzano.  Ulrich Kager Kager is 23 years old and began thinking…

Infarm

The industry responds to Infarm news

About two days ago, the news broke that Infarm was laying off about 500 employees. Having said that, the company fired 50 employees in September this year. The facts are there. But how does the industry respond to the news? As many shared their opinion on LinkedIn, we put some of these 'thoughts'…

Upward Farms unveils new resealable packaging design

Upward Farms has unveiled a resealable packaging design for its line of USDA-certified organic microgreens. Upward Farms' new resealable packaging is now available at Whole Foods Market locations across New York and New Jersey, as well as DeCicco's & Sons, Westside Market, Union Market, Foodtown, Morton…

Coco substrate: a sustainable choice

"The future of sustainably produced coco substrate has received a new boost thanks to current economic developments," says Jelte Veenstra, director of Coco Substrates at Van der Knaap Group. In recent years, Van der Knaap has experienced a growing interest in coco. This year, they have witnessed an…

New EU project wants to develop inclusive data economy for Europe’s food systems

Launched in Lisbon on September 29th, Data4Food2030 is equipped with 10 million euros of funding to discover the value of the data economy in European food systems. The…

Rutgers

Two food safety webinars

On December 8, there will be two webinars related to on-farm food safety. The first is part of the Lunchtime On-the-Go On-Farm Food Safety Webinar Series. Using sanitizers in a postharvest setting: selecting a sanitizer and understanding its labelThe webinar is presented by Donna Clements, Produce Safety Alliance Coordinator…

NZ: Sweet scent part of mushroom’s appeal

The desire for a change in pace and the allure of an untapped New Zealand food market led Brian Turley to give up his 25-year career as a chef in favor of growing one of nature’s superfoods – mushrooms. Eighteen months on, and Brian has no regrets. Aniseed, vanilla, orange, and cinnamon are not aromas…

US (N): GeoGreens awarded for 2022 Environmental Awards

On Wednesday, the 30th of November, Mayor Jeff Martin, and the Hamilton Township Environmental Advisory Commission announced the winners of the 2022 Environmental Awards -- GeoGreens and Scout BSA Troop 91. "GeoGreens and Scout Troop 91 have surpassed their expectations in service to our community," said…

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Use of seaweed liquid extract and cow urine for lettuce growth in hydroponic system

Lettuce cultivated by millennial farmers using a hydroponic system in urban areas. Seaweed extracts and cow urine contain nutrients and plant growth regulators. This study aims to determine the effect of a formulation containing an inorganic nutrient solution, seaweed liquid extract, and mixed cow urine…

CBS

European food producers vexed by energy price increases

In 2019, energy had a 2% share in the total costs of food manufacturers in the EU. Given the sharp increase in energy prices, that share currently ranges between 7.5-10% (without price caps or compensation). There are also many signals that some food manufacturers have seen their energy bills rise to up…

United Natural Foods and Square Roots to co-locate farms at distribution centers across North America

United Natural Foods, Inc. and Square Roots have made a new agreement to co-locate Square Roots' indoor farms on-site at select UNFI distribution centers. The first Square Roots farm, approximately 20,000 square feet in size, is planned for UNFI’s Prescott, Wis. facility and is scheduled to open in 2023.…

Poland: "We keep researching new ways to provide the most cost-effective solutions"

"Rising energy prices are a challenge for all food producers. Energy costs can be one of the crucial barriers for many potential users of our technology, and we are aware of it. Therefore, to give the right outlook on future profits, we consider energy prices for several years ahead, thus providing…

“Farming should happen behind a layer of software”

“We want to enable growers from the software side of things, allowing them to benchmark themselves with every harvest and forgo bringing in plant experts by focusing on their own historical data,” says David Ahmed, founder of hexafarms.  hexafarms is a technology company that has been working diligently since…

US (AL): Auburn University campus kitchen awarded funding for hydroponic towers

The Campus Kitchen, or CKAU, was founded on Auburn University’s campus with two goals in mind—minimize food waste and eliminate food insecurity in the Auburn community. Recently, that effort was bolstered with a big boost of funding for the creation of hydroponic towers on campus, allowing the…

US (NC): Help Center utilizes Flex Farm tech in food distribution

The Help Center had its monthly food distribution program on Monday, November 28. This month, they supplemented their usual items with produce from a Flex Farm, a vertical hydroponics device that the center obtained using a grant. Each fourth Monday of the month, the center opens its food pantry to…

UK: South Yorkshire company sells assets

The assets of a hydroponics business have been acquired out of administration by a South Yorkshire company. The joint administrators of Nutriculture UK have completed the sale of the company's trademarks, stock, and equipment to Rotherham-based Global Air Supplies, which is a designer, manufacturer, and…

Ceragen founders made it to Forbes under 30

Czech Republic: Building more farms domestically with new partnerships

"Next year, GreeenTech has a lot of projects planned and will be pretty big in this small vertical farming industry," says Dmitrij Lipovskij, CEO of GreeenTech, a vertical farming company based in the Czech Republic. Dmitrij Lipovskij GreeenTech produces leafy greens and sells turnkey systems to enable…

Scaling saffron production whilst attracting new industries to beauty

"Pushing the capabilities of vertical farming means growing foods that aren’t so easy to grow. Saffron for example is a corm. Unlike plants that grow from seeds, corms have longer and more complex life cycles. Sativus Tech’s mission wasn’t just to make all foods accessible for consumption, but also for…