"We’re automating more and more processes throughout the farm"

From the start, Ljusgårda has always aimed to expand its operations. Coming from a 7000 m2 operation, the company is hoping to expand to its 18,000 m2 facility by the end of the year. VerticalFarmDaily was invited for a tour at the recently opened facility in Tibro. Currently, Ljusgårda now produces 20…

VerticalFarmDaily.com

"Sweden needs to roll out 60-80 GigaFarms, of around a ha each, in order to become self-sufficient"

As known by many, several farms are located in vacant locations such as cellars. However, in the Southern part of Stockholm, Urban Oasis had its farm in a rather unique place. The vertical growers, established in 2017, built their first farm in a former wine storage cellar underneath the parking lot. As…

Germany: Indoor farm in Munich announced

"When we think of the agriculture of the future, we have to be open to new concepts. In the Bavarian State Institute for Viticulture and Horticulture (LWG), we have proven…

Growing vegetables in -30°C

Is it possible to grow food locally and ethically in the Arctic? As the northern-most town in the world, Longyearbyen is the home to a little over 2000 inhabitants. To feed the transient workers that come and go with the seasons, as well as the long-term locals, most of its food is imported and waste exported. Known for its…

YouTube: Foundation Farms

CAN: An introduction to Alberta's 'first' vertical farm

This video will introduce you to the Alberta-based Foundation Farms.  "At Foundation Farms, we believe sustainability involves the wise application of today’s technologies for localized food production," the company said below its video. They continued, "Through vertical farming and partnership with local…

Towergarden.com

Women in agriculture: meet the women behind this farm

For most families, going into business together with your own parent or child may seem like a disaster, but for this mom and daughter duo, Aundria and Makenna Kirchhoff of Grow Hope Farms, that’s never been the case. Grow Hope Farms is an urban farm with a mission to help others learn how to feed the…

Bloomberg Quicktake

Russia's vertical farm experiment

"Such technological progress gives the possibility of having three harvests in a year," said Sofia Khapchaeva, Biotechnologist at the Russian Academy of Sciences in a video with Bloomberg Quicktake.  When COVID-19 restrictions caused border closures with Russia, scientists in Moscow developed these LED-powered…

Glowfarms

Increasing awareness of growing local among Dutch consumers

About a month ago, Dutch startup Glowfarms kicked off production in its cultivation facility to test all growing parameters in the 140m2 farm. Glowfarms was founded in the summer of 2020 by Luc de Vries and Ben Pieterse with the aim of creating a vertical farming company with a perfect balance between…

Bowery Farming

"Indoor farming isn’t just a niche opportunity; there is a strong commercial opportunity"

“In 2020, we weren’t just expanding but also driving access to Bowery’s products,” says Katie Seawell, chief commercial officer at Bowery. Based in New York, Bowery mainly serves the eastern US. According to Katie, Bowery’s products are found in 850+ stores. In 2020, Bowery grew by over 750% and…

Vertical Harvest

"I believe that we need to be open-sourced to succeed"

“With our first site in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, we didn’t have much space and felt that a horizontal greenhouse wouldn’t achieve our goals for food production and job creation,” explains Nona Yehia, co-founder and chief executive officer of Vertical Harvest. An architect by trade, Nona has always been…

Instagram: livingearthtoronto

A look into Toronto's first organic vertical farm

Living Earth Farm in Toronto is the future of urban farming. Operated entirely indoors with specialized high-tech software, this vertical farm grows salad greens and microgreens right here in the city.  "Living Earth Farm is proud to be the first certified organic vertical farm in Ontario and the largest microgreen…

US grocery store owners gives insight into food prices

Hilary Maricle, a US farmer gives insight into why, in their opinion, food prices are high. "Being a farmer and the daughter of grocery store owners, I have a unique…

Introducing vertical farming to Georgia

Georgian vertical farming company SpaceFarms their product portfolio contains many different products such as salad greens, microgreens, herbs, and edible flowers. However, the company isn’t limiting itself to (leafy) greens only. “We’ve already grown three different grape varieties indoors because it’s…

YouTube: WKBN 27

US (PA): Former detention center now educated kids on indoor farming

First News reporter Desirae Gostlin took a tour of their urban farm. Lawrence County Social Services took over the site in Lawrence County a few years ago, and they have been renovating it. One of their initiatives to get to kids eating healthier foods and they do that by teaching them how to grow food.…

Brick Street Farms

"We are as much a technology company as we are a farm operator”

“We really wanted to bring food production to the point of consumption, so we’re focused on embedding our farms in urban areas,” says Shannon O’Malley, CEO and co-founder of Florida-based container farming company, Brick Street Farms. The company was founded by Shannon and her husband Bradley, who…

Instagram Taila Parx

Grammy nominee shares her passion for indoor farming

When rising pop-R&B singer Tayla Parx isn’t recording tracks for her new album or writing Grammy-nominated songs, she’s spending time in the “most important room” in her house: a turquoise-hued space filled with portable planters, which she uses to grow vegetables and herbs—everything from bell peppers…

Webinar: putting the greenhouse out to pasture?

The indoor AgTech market is aiming to change the entire farming industry. As changes in the world’s climate continue to change the farming landscape, both figuratively and literally, traditional “open field” farming is facing new and increasing challenges. Taking farms indoors may provide a solution for…

Bowery Farming

Bowery Farming secures $300 million to continue US expansion

Bowery Farming has secured $300 million to continue the expansion of its network of indoor farms across the United States. The company has secured more than $472 million in funding to date, bringing its valuation to $2.3 billion.  The funding will provide resources to accelerate advancements in farm design…

Jungle

Expanding throughout France, with another two farms in the pipeline

“In France, associating technology to food production can be challenging since the country has a really strong agricultural culture. We figured that if we manage to succeed in France, then we can do it anywhere,” says Gilles Dreyfus, President & co-founder at Jungle. Jungle is a vertical farming company…

South Africa: How an innovative smaller supplier helped to keep tomatoes on Shoprite shelves

Heavy rains in Limpopo during January and February have caused havoc in the tomato industry in recent weeks - but by diversifying its supply chain, and partnering with innovative suppliers like Red Baron, the Shoprite Group was able to keep tomatoes on its supermarkets’ shelves. Red Baron is an…

YouTube: Going Green

"The food system is the largest contributor towards climate change"

In this video, we're taken on a farm tour at the London-based startup, Farm Urban. The company holds 240 'zip towers' where leafy greens are grown, "as it's most easy to grow," says Paul Myers, co-founder of Farm Urban. Paul also says that leafy greens are most quick to grow, whereas in traditional…

CAN (ON): New Oshawa farm to supply various greens

A new vertical farm recently opened in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The farm plans to harvest local greens year-round. Mighty Harvest Produce is a hydroponic grower of leafy greens and herbs. Founder Derrik Stevenson started the business as a way to follow his passions after being laid off from an office job…

Yanko Design

Making crop growth easy and automated

Indoor gardening is a modern solution that works great in our modern homes. And smart indoor gardening systems backed up by automated technology are an alternative option to grow plants within our homes, with some techy help! These nifty systems fit in our homes and are usually app-powered, so you can…

Cubegreens

Two passions become a company

Lill's passion for farming and Carl's passion for cooking together became the starting shot for their company Cubegreens. The vision is to, through cultivation in a small area, increase the supply of sustainable and locally produced vegetables that help people to make healthier choices, while at the same time contributing to a…

Spread Co., Ltd.

Introducing hygiene measures and certification for vertical farm produce

“We make use of ‘surprise inspections’ at our production site,” said Ozawa, hygiene and quality manager at Spread. Occasionally, we’d test workers by checking whether they sufficiently rinsed themselves, to avoid any case of contamination. Workers that are found at the production site are first measured…

Interius Farms

Indoor farming technology seeks to localize agriculture

“The goal is to have the first crops in the system in August of this year,” Zeman said. “It’s going to take a pretty serious pull from everyone involved to get us there.” Whereas traditional agriculture grows in outdoor fields or gardens, Interius Farms uses hydroponics and vertical farming to grow…

Planet Farms

“Quality management is part of our Italian heritage”

After harvesting their first batch of crops in the new Milan-based production facility, Planet Farms has reached another major milestone. “It’s a combination of several years of R&D in agronomy and automation, that led to our unique process of full automation from seeding to pack, including harvesting,''…

Park Sang-Moon / Korea Joongang Daily

Korea: Mealworm magnate seeks to corner bug-product market

North Chungcheong — Papillon's Kitchen opened in 2015 as Seoul's first "insect restaurant," serving dishes made from ground bugs. Ex-culinary professor Kim Young-Wook started the business with some of his students to develop insect-based snacks and to run the restaurant. The team spent hours a day in a…

Wiseacre Farm

"I never thought about becoming a farmer"

This is not your grandfather's farm. It's not Aviad Sheinfeld's grandfather's farm, either, but Wiseacre Farm is a bridge between childhood days spent on grandparents Yechezkel and Hadassah Gluzman's farm in an Israeli moshav and Sheinfeld's modern training.  "I don't know if it was a goal. I never thought…

FARNEK

UAE: "Perhaps one day we may be able to supply the surrounding communities"

“It was not unusual then for our team to identify rooftop potential,” says Ryan Mitchell, Worker Welfare Manager at Farnek. “We had seen the potential for similar applications on other client projects and so jumped at the opportunity to challenge ourselves, with our own building.” The rooftop farm is the…

Ljusgårda

"Together we are expanding our facility in Sweden"

"Our expansion will enable us to offer our sustainably-grown salads to more Swedish households throughout the year, so we are looking forward to an exciting time," says Andreas Wilhelmsson, CEO of Ljusgårda.  In April, the first batch of salads was harvested in the company's new premises – and already now,…

"Growing Spartina local and hydroponically"

Salt marshes in south Georgia are in constant need of restoration due to rising sea levels. Georgia Southern University graduate student Alexander Gregory is leading a project on the Armstrong Campus to address the loss of marsh habitats by researching Spartina alterniflora, the dominant plant in Georgia…

VerticalFarmDaily.com

No nutrition needed for outdoor propagated chives

When growing chives indoors, one might think of an indoor farm setting using hydroponics and all the well-known growing parameters around it. However, in Zeeland a province located in the South of the Netherlands, there’s a company that cultivates chives in quite a unique way.   Open field growingAt Bevelander Growers,…

Meet the extra-terrestrial aquaponics pioneer

Former salmon farmer Dr. Carl Mazur aims to design an aquaponics system that could one day be used on Mars. In the meantime, he aims to use it to produce high-value fish and…

TAMU

'Food as medicine should play a larger role in society's health'

Although Lisette Templin has long understood the benefits of healthy living, she immersed herself into local food production after a family illness highlighted the importance of micronutrients and macronutrients in fresh produce. Lisette, an instructional assistant professor in the Department of Health…

Madar Farms

"We will be able to significantly increase our supply and presence in the UAE”

"Every day, we are working towards achieving our vision and establishing the UAE as a global AgTech leader," Abdulaziz AlMulla, Founder and CEO of Madar Farms noted. Recently, Madar Farms announced its collaboration with IGS to enhance food security in the GCC region. “We are happy to be partnering up…

Saffron Tech

“Producing a large-scale amount of high-quality saffron will expand opportunities in the market”

“We can optimize saffron cultivation by up to four times a year using the controlled conditions provided by our vertical farming technology,” says David Freidenberg, CEO of Saffron Tech. “Controlled-environment agriculture allows us to create the optimal growing conditions to produce saffron without…

Honest Greens

Sri Lanka: “Ever since we started, costs have dropped and economics have improved"

“Even greenhouses are relatively new here,” says Aneeshan, one of the co-founders of Honest Greens. “There were no high-tech greenhouses to be found, until five to ten years ago. Our farm, therefore, is something rather odd here. Many people are trying to work with hybrid systems, but the main problem is…

Ljusgårda

"When we are doing this, we are relying on Swedish industrial expertise"

“We received the money in 2020 and built the factory in nine months, which will then be launched in three weeks. Roughly half of the facility will be used to grow vegetables while the remaining area includes processing, packaging and other facilities,” says co-founder Erik Lundgren. He also explained…

BoomGrow Farms

Democratizing access to fresh produce in South East Asia

“We’re opening the largest precision farm in Malaysia in the next few months, which enables us to scale in the Asia Pacific area," says Murali Krishnamurthy, CEO and co-founder of BoomGrow Farms. "The pandemic has definitely given us several opportunities to use modular systems." Currently, the company…

Instagram: SmartAcresUAE

"This is actually one of the most ideal places to have and test such a technology"

The world’s experience with coronavirus last year laid bare the inefficiencies in an overreliance on global food supply chains and exports and highlighted the importance of food security and local production. The UAE has been a forerunner in the region when it comes to supporting agtech initiatives that…

Manila Bulletin

PH: Full-time gardener saves money growing own veggies and earns from vlogging it

It is true that you can save a lot from growing your own food. Don Bustamante, 45, a photographer by profession, can attest to this since he used to be reliant on markets for food, but is now an urban grower himself. Bustamante started growing vegetables after he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in…

Food Bio Cluster Denmark

From growing cucumbers on the balcony to an indoor farm in Copenhagen

In a former auto repair shop in the outskirts of Copenhagen, a farm has found its unlikely grounds. Fresh coriander, pea sprouts and edible flowers are grown on the vertical farm and sold to some of the finest restaurants in Denmark.  For almost three years Nabo Farm has been growing in its vertical farm.…

Daily Express

"Never look down on farming as career"

Azizul Julirin matched his words when he built two pesticide-free vegetable farms in Kundasang, Malaysia – an aquaponics farm in 2016 and a hydroponic farm in 2019.  The Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Bachelor of Science graduate was adamant to have his own business built from scratch instead of working for…

Herbs in the basement below the restaurants

Danish Refarmed, led by Camilla Enge, will take a stand against long and CO2-emitting supply chains. Their vertical farm will send fresh herbs directly up from their…

VerticalFarmDaily.com

“We want to expand nationally and eventually be present in any large European city”

When strolling through Antwerp’s harbor, at one point you’ll stumble upon some stacked containers. In between these containers, there’s a small indoor farm supplying a healthy daily dose of vitamins to the city’s residents.  PLNT currently supplies consumers and a few restaurants that are serving residents via…

5 learnings for growing top-quality tomatoes in a vertical farm

In a few decades, indoor city farms or vertical farms have become popular for producing healthy food year-round in urban environments and harsh climates. Leafy greens and herbs are the most common crops in these facilities, but growers are looking to expand to a much wider variety of vegetables and…

YouTube: Cooking Ah Pa

University student runs farm in Kuala Lumpur

Ah Pa, a well-known YouTube cook recently visited Sean, a university student living in Kuala Lumpur who runs his own farm. As Sean calls it, his E-farm is located in the middle of the city.  The self-built foil-greenhouse comprises 1000 sq. ft. and is filled with vertical growing towers and an aquaponic system.…

VNurture Farms

India: “We have major expansion plans, but we want to get our basics right first”

 “People have the financial capacity for a normal lifestyle, but there’s a major shortage of fresh and healthy greens, says Hiren Barot, co-founder of VNurture Farms. According to Hiren, there’s a huge shortage of fresh food in Mumbai and other large Indian. “Most farms are too remotely located from the city…

Walther Bølge

"What we sow is also what we sell"

"The technology for vertical farming is not that exciting at all. It can make production more efficient, but the real disruption lies in how it can be used to decentralize our food system," Camilla Enge, CEO of Refarmed says.  Camilla Enge is changing the traditional approach to food logistics with her company…

Affinor Growers

Green cash crop funds leafy greens growth

Affinor Growers Inc. is nearly ready to plant its first seedlings and begin showcasing its vision of sustainable agriculture for a ten-year period. The company recently announced its lease agreement for a 15,000-square foot greenhouse.  The land is located in Abbotsford, British Columbia and is reportedly…

Future Farms

Malaysia: “In terms of sustainability, vertical farming is a collective effort”

Food security is quite the challenge within the Malaysian market as certain fresh crops have to come a long way before it’s in urban centers.  “During the pandemic, we had an immense vegetable shortage as it’s mostly grown in Malaysia’s highlands,” says Shawn Ng, co-founder of Future Farms. "Due to movement…

Canton City Schools

Canton middle school teaching students skills through greenhouse

Middle school students at Steamm Academy at Hartford in Canton have turned a plot of unused green space into a greenhouse and horticulture program in an effort to make fresh produce more accessible to the neighborhood, which is located in a food desert and high-poverty area. Students grades 6-8 learn…

Crop One

"Thee whole CEA industry represents a small fraction of the global demand market"

There’s a clear need for alternative methods of food production. One is vertical farming, with an equivalent of 60 acres of produce that can be squeezed into a single greenhouse, with layers stacked six levels or more high.  One such system is in operation outside Boston, Massachusetts by Crop One, which markets…

China: Organic Smart Factory implements science and technology for agriculture

The 10-layer vertically potted plants can grow up to 16 cycles of vegetables a year, with an average output value of 45 million RMB (Chinese Yuan) per hectare. This set of data alone is enough to surprise old growers.  Recently, a Dazhong Daily reporter visited the Organic Smart Factory in Yukesong Digital…

Fifth Season

"The false promises and the negative economics have held the industry back"

To say that controlled environment agriculture is drawing a lot of interest and dollars from the investment world would be an understatement. Austin Webb, co-founder and CEO at Fifth Season, a vertical farm operation in Pittsburgh, Pa., estimates that over $3 billion has been invested in the CEA industry…

Future Fresh

Phillipines: Future Fresh has become the middleman between farmer and customer

Today, produce shopping has become about tapping, clicking, and scrolling through browsers in different hues of greens and reds for an experience of choice but also less contact.  Direct-to-consumer startup Future Fresh takes it all the way back into the supply chain. Maintaining their own indoor farms, they…

ColdAcre

CAN (YT): Tackling food insecurity above the 60th parallel

In the northernmost territories of Canada, agricultural development is underway but must contend with the cold climate, variable photoperiod and other environmental challenges. It comes as little surprise, then, that interest in controlled environment agriculture is on the rise. ColdAcre Food Systems is…