The Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture has been awarded a Pennsylvania Agricultural Innovation Grant to advance the design of energy efficient indoor farms. This initiative will support the development of cutting-edge strategies to reduce energy consumption while enhancing productivity in controlled environment agriculture (CEA).
The grant, provided for by Governor Shapiro's 2024-2025 budget and administered by the PA Department of Agriculture, is part of the state's commitment to fostering agricultural innovation and sustainability. With indoor farming on the rise, optimizing energy use is a critical step toward making these operations more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
"We are thrilled to receive one of Pennsylvania's first Agricultural Innovation planning grants," said Dr. Eric W. Stein, Executive Director, Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture. "This funding will enable us to develop design models that help indoor farms maximize efficiency, lower costs, and reduce their carbon footprint while ensuring consistent food production year-round."
The Center's project will focus on integrating advanced energy-efficient production technologies, supply chain optimization, facility design, and renewable energy systems into a scalable indoor farm solution. The goal is to provide Pennsylvania farmers and agribusinesses with methods of growing indoors that are sustainable and profitable.
"Our farmers form the backbone of our economy here in Pennsylvania — they put food on our tables and in our stores and restaurants every day. If we want to compete and succeed as a Commonwealth, then we have to invest in them," said Governor Shapiro. "We are announcing investments in game-changing projects that are fueling the future of farming in Pennsylvania — and giving farmers and ag producers the tools they need to get ahead. The For Immediate Release future of our economic success and opportunity runs through our farmlands, and we are going to continue to invest in agricultural innovation in my Administration."
The Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture will collaborate with industry experts, academics, and design engineers to refine and implement best practices. The insights gained from this initiative will be shared with the broader indoor farming community through reports, presentations at industry association events, and social media.
For more information:
Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture
www.indooragcenter.org