
Announcements
"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 -last week
- Launching the 'Team Vertical Farming' with the purchase of new research modules
- The business of vertical farming: what it is and what it isn’t
- “Sharing technology is the only way the industry will grow”
- Agreement signed for installment of multiple farms in the UAE
- 'A mash-up of high- and low-tech approaches to vertical farming'
Top 5 -last month
- Who will win in indoor agriculture?
- "This year, we’re kicking off the launch of three new showcase farms in Italy, France and Spain"
- Launching the 'Team Vertical Farming' with the purchase of new research modules
- Standardization to build a vertical farming industry or building customized farms that keep cost high?
- Raising a glass to the opening of highly automated Hamilton farm
Monday, January 25, 2021


The GoforUAE-Israel Food Security Investment Conference
46% of Israel's export comes from the high-tech industry
Israel's exports of high-intensity technology imply a growth of almost more than 10-fold, coming from $12.4 billion dollars in 1990 to $101.3 billion in 2019. "Technology mostly implies agrotechnology solutions," says Edouard Cukierman, Managing Partner at Catalyst Funds. Recently, the 'GoforUAE-Israel Food…

Leo Marcelis talks at Al Jazeera on vertical farming
The world population and the number of people living in cities are growing. At the same time, the demand for healthy, fresh and locally produced food is increasing. Vertical farming has the potential to meet this demand: by cultivating in multilayer systems which literally go up into the air,…
Hybrid event on 20-22 September 2021
Announcing the Vertical Farming World Congress 2021
Following the success of the inaugural 2020 event, attended by 180 delegates from 40 countries, Zenith Global is delighted to return with an expanded 2nd Vertical Farming…

no more clogged drippers
On-site production of hydrogen peroxide provides solution against biofilm
Clogged drippers and biofilm in the irrigation system led to non-uniform irrigation and thus uneven growth in the tunnels and greenhouses of Danish berry grower Hunsballe Grønt. Ever since he’s started adding ultra-pure peroxide to the irrigation water, these problems have disappeared. Even more…

US (OH): Doug Laubenstein joins AgriNomix
AgriNomix is committed to providing clients with exceptional customer service. "To further augment this commitment, we are pleased to announce the hiring of Doug Laubenstein as our Strategic Business Development Leader," Agrinomix team explains. "Laubenstein is the primary contact for new clients seeking…
Online webinar on January 29, 2021 at 5PM CET
AVF annual general meeting day
AVF members will convene at the annual general meeting on the 29th of January 2021 at 5 p.m. CET to review 2020 and plan for the new year. The first AVF roundtable will be about the following topic: 'Vertical Farming Startups’ Challenges, Solutions…

Lighting company unites all European dependances under one name
BLV Licht- und Vakuumtechnik GmbH, a manufacturer of specialist lighting solutions, has announced that it will change its name to Ushio Germany GmbH, on 1 February 2021. Since…

US (TX): FarmVisionAI, former Illumitex, is now out of business
The LED company Illumitex, which recently shifted its focus to AI-driven visualization and augmented intelligence for CEA, is now out of business. Back at the beginning of 2020, the company announced the formation of FarmVisionAI, terminating all the company’s LED operations to accelerate the new…
Growing systems more »

Intravision Group
'A mash-up of high- and low-tech approaches to vertical farming'
“Vertical farming has a big energy footprint, which places limitations on the return-on-investment story for investors or the viability of the industry in general for that matter,” says Josh Siteman, Managing Director of Intravision Canada. “Growers have this big battle of trying to sell a two-dollar…
Company news more »

Affinor Growers announces Lease Agreement and Unit Private Placement
Affinor Growers announces that it has entered into a lease agreement with Nick Brusatore (“Mr. Brusatore”) dated January 21, 2021, pursuant to which the Company has agreed to lease…
Market information more »

'High potential for soil-less agriculture'
Hydroponic cultivation isn't new. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, dating to the 6th century B.C., may be a precursor to today’s hydroponics if they existed. (Historians disagree on that as well as where the gardens were.) Then, as now, technology is a key to giving growers, not Mother Nature, more…
Energy more »

"Finding a clean energy source for our farmers has been a mission for the company"
Food and commercial crops that grow outside can soak up sunshine in order to grow. But move those same plants indoors as part of so-called “controlled-environment agriculture” and the associated energy costs can make all but the highest-margin crops prohibitively expensive. That’s because in a greenhouse…
Aquaponics more »

Potato seeds made without soil in India
Potato Technology Centre, (PTC) Shamgarh, in the district in collaboration with Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) in Shimla and International Potato Centre (CIP), Peru, has started producing potato seeds in the air with the help of aeroponic technique. “We have started the process of growing…
Investments more »

Tips to reduce vertical farm costs
There are a number of key variables to consider when setting up your own vertical farm that calls for considerable financial clout. Light Science Technologies offers a bespoke solution that helps growers to achieve maximum yield while saving costs and energy. The rising AgriTech start-up offers the first…
Hydroponics more »

Hydroponic indoor farm among first tenants in Piqua's Zolo building
A unique farming business has set up shop in downtown Piqua, and if all goes to plan the concept will be among the first tenants in a historic building being redeveloped in the city core. Fifth Season Farm, founded by brother-sister duo Britt Decker and Laura Jackson, launched a hydroponic indoor farm…
Events more »
27/01, 24/02, 24/03
Webinar series on agriculture for a sustainable future
Writtle University College, together with Liberty Produce, announces a series of webinars, taking place on January 27, February 24, and March 24. The online sessions are based…
Retail more »

Running a pilot in Ukraine's national supermarket chain
Vertical Field has signed an agreement with Moderntrendo S.R.O, one of the largest agricultural distributors in Ukraine, for the promotion of nationwide deployments of vertical farms. Vertical Field will conduct an initial pilot at Varus, one of the biggest national supermarket chains in the country, in…
Food Safety more »

PMA virtual town hall
New year, old problems: A look at the state of food safety
This week’s PMA virtual town hall took a look at how food safety problems and possible solutions might continue to evolve in the new year. The panel was led by Max Teplitski, PMA’s Chief Science Officer. Panelists were Wendelyn Jones, Ph.D., Executive Director of ILSI North America, William D. Marler,…
Climate control more »

“Plant transpiration is similar to a pool”
“The transpiration of plants is similar to a pool,” says Keith Coursin, President of Desert Aire. If looking at a pool, there’s a huge body of water with vapor pressured difference between the water surface and the air above it. “Therefore, the VPD (Vapor Pressure Deficit) is the driving mechanism that…
Technique more »

Study on rapid detection of nutrient content of hydroponically grown lettuce cultivars
The analyses of online quality measurements of four lettuce cultivars (Rex, Tacitus, Black Seeded Simpson, Flandria) using hyperspectral image processing techniques have been studied. Seedlings were planted in Rock-wool cubes and fed for 3 weeks using hydroponic nutrient solution containing 0, 50, 100,…
Today on social media more »

Harvest time!
Cultivation more »

"Food is best understood as an industrial process"
Green Tech South West are delighted to welcome Lilly Manzoni, Head of Research & Development at LettUs Grow to explain all about aeroponic technology. LettUs Grow are a Bristol based vertical farming startup developing sustainable farming technologies. Lilly: "Sustainable food production is huge! The…
Education and Research more »

Jamaica: University offers courses on aquaponics
Aquaponics is gaining traction at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE), where students are exposed to the farming method that combines aquaculture, or fish farming, with hydroponics, or crop production without soil, to boost yields. CASE initially received a grant from the…
Grower in the Spotlight more »

Eden Green
Creating exponential positive change
In this episode of the Vertical Farming Podcast, Eden Green's CEO Eddy Badrina is joining Harry Duran, the podcast's host. Eden Green places greenhouses equipped with sustainable vertical farming technology. In this episode, Harry and Eddy discuss Eddy’s entrepreneurial journey, from working in politics to…
Packaging more »

courtesy &Walsh
Plenty's rebranding technique makes use of color psychologyNew packaging 'looking like a snack'
Do you want a side salad with that? Plenty has a new visual brand that uses the psychology of fast food to get people to eat their greens. The identity, by design agency &Walsh, is a branding trojan horse that dresses up blasé leafy greens in a fun new package. It deftly uses color psychology to splash…
Crop protection more »

New formulation: beneficial nematodes in capsules
The biotech companies e-nema GmbH and Katz Biotech AG have started a cooperation to develop a new, innovative product for biological pest control: Beneficial nematodes, formulated in capsules, offer long lasting efficacy against sciarid gnats and are ideal for preventative treatments. Beneficial…
Technology more »

“Agriculture doesn’t lack for data – it needs better organisation of data to feed 10 billion”
As we look ahead to 2021, the challenge of overcoming Covid-19 still stands before us. The primary focus is on rolling out vaccines, but as worries about new variants come to the fore, we really do need to act at warp speed to get shots in arms and take additional measures if necessary. To look at some of the…
Product information more »

GP Solutions begins production of "better than organic" strawberries
GP Solutions announced it started R&D into growing strawberries, and will soon begin cultivation of the popular fruit. GrowPods - controlled-environment micro-farms - allow…
Container solutions more »

N.Thing
Providing fresh greens for Korean society
Traditional farming methods could be problematic in the long term. It's not just an issue of space but a problem of sustainability. We're currently damaging our environment with current farming techniques -- and eradicating existing species and their habitats to the point where many are calling it the…