Ready-to-eat bag salads expected to grow another 10% in the US creating opportunities

“We decided to build this large in the first facility to achieve scale efficiency, allowing us to achieve higher margins and mitigating the risk of scaling up production. When building smaller farms, you won’t benefit from scale under one roof. But we’ll get it across multiple large farms,” says George…

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New innings: Pro sportsman trades cricket bat for aquaponics

Yasser Parker thought he had fulfilled his childhood dream by becoming a professional cricket player. He enjoyed his days in front of the crowds, playing a sport that took him overseas. Then, seven years into his chosen career, the future began to look less rosy. “In my final year, I went to the UK to…

US (NJ): Take a look inside at GeoGreens

GeoGreens is an indoor hydroponics farm located in Hamilton, NJ in the United States. The company grows fresh, local produce all year round serving the Tristate area. Desmond Hayes of GeoGreens will be showing you around the farm to get a better impression of what the company does.  Have a look at the video…

"Getting to carbon-neutral is not a quick hit, but we're able to look at every aspect of the business"

"There’s a megatrend for locally grown food, and the demand from consumers is accelerating at both grocery retail and foodservice channels. There’s been a common misconception that this locally grown food movement is mostly a coastal state phenomenon in the US. However, it’s actually far broader and can…

India: Ex-accountant uses hydroponics to help thousands of farmers increase profits by 35%

“I am a farmer by birth, and agriculture is part of my life. Even during my academic years, I spent time in the fields helping my father grow traditional vegetables,” says Pravin Patel from Vadodara, Gujarat. Pravin pursued his graduation in commerce, spending weekends on the farm. “From irrigating the…

Straits Agriculture: Young farmers paving the way for new agriculture technology

According to Shina Teo of Singapore-based Aeroponics farm Straits Agriculture, vertical growers need to strategically plan what they are growing, considering how quickly demand might change. “We do market research so we can get the customers to tell us what veggies they’d like. In this way, we can better…

In memoriam: Rick Donnan

Richard (Rick) Donnan, a well-known and memorable member of the horticultural industry, has passed away. With great sadness, Graeme Smith informs us of his passing last Sunday 11th April, following a battle with tumors over the past few years.  "An Australian protected cropping industry giant", he says.  Richard Donnan was a memorable member of…

AU (VIC): 7500 kg strawberries set for harvest from a hybrid family farm on isolated island

“We hadn’t grown any strawberries before so it was a bit nerve-wracking. However, saw them doing it in the US, so we just wanted to make sure whether we’d succeed as well, selling a product good enough to sell to the market,” says Roger Morris, founder of Phillip Island Strawberries.  Originally, the business…

Singapore: Supplying modular aquaponic farms to the 3 C’s

“We want to be an enabler in different aspects, in terms of vertical- and urban farming, helping communities to grow locally. As an agtech, we want to supply customers with the know-how and the technology behind vertical farming that makes efficient growers, says Nelson Tan, founder of V+ Farm, a…

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Bringing the outside in: indoor gardening with Biophilic furniture

Instead of venturing out of the house to go to work or get groceries, the pandemic made us adapt to going about our daily lives within the confines of four walls. Even two years after the pandemic’s start, people are still bringing a touch of the outside in, which has resulted in a boom of indoor…

Inside Eco-Ark: Singapore's high-tech fish farm

Marine engineer Leow Ban Tat wasn’t content to sail into a comfortable retirement. With the right technologies, farming methods and government support, he is living his dream of rearing healthy fish to feed the masses.  The story by CNA Insider is produced in collaboration with the Singapore Food Agency. Eco-Ark…

India: Here, vertically farmed lettuce is actually economically viable

“I believe we’re always too late in finding a solution to a problem," Yang Sen Matey, Founder of Mirroryasai, an agtech company based in India. The Arunachal Pradesh state, home to Mirroryasai, consists of 80% forest and is developing at a fast rate due to which forests are being converted to…

Austrian agtech finds optimal growing recipes for crops and keeps adding

“The recent situation in Eastern Europe has shown us again that there are many reasons why it is important to be energy efficient. Wasting energy is against the whole idea of sustainable food,” says Stefan Fürnsinn, CEO of Herbeus Greens, an Austrian vertical farm which spans 1,000 square meters. Stefan…

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UK: Tlush family turns home into working hydroponic farm

Plymouth Township farmer Katie Tlush had spent 15 years as a dental hygienist when the pandemic made her a stay-at-home mom to toddlers Oliver and Lady.  Husband Jonathan is senior foreman at BMW of the Main Line.  The two had always been home gardeners.  Raising crops professionally?  In hindsight, the chickens kind of paved…

Growing aquaponically in the heart of London, Ontario

“There are optimal operating conditions that are beneficial to both fish and plants. By achieving balance in the system, we can further optimize production in an aquaponic system,” says Rheece de Veyra, founder of Green City Aquaponics in London, Ontario. Green City Aquaponics is a small-scale aquaponic…

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US (IN): Evansville man spends birthday building hydroponic farm

Meet Scott Massey. He's making some tweaks to the hydroponic farm he built. The almost eight-foot-tall structure sits in the clubhouse at Tepe Park on the south side of Evansville. All thanks to a $3,000 grant from the American Impact Award, and the blessing of the parks department. "Hydroponics is…

Worldwide air freight shipping of berries and organic fruit and vegetables

Ortalba is a young Italian company specializing in the sale of fruit and vegetables in Italy and around the world. The main suppliers are small to medium-sized production companies, in order to have sales opportunities to customers with affordable prices and excellent quality. The need to align with the…

Australia: Farm pushed through pandemic, now plans expansion

“We are currently putting together a prospectus to attract investors. This will allow us to build more farms, not only here in Australia, but also abroad. Our metrics show that we can build, grow, and operate more efficiently than any greenhouse,” says Tyrone Dickson, Co-founder of April Sun Farms. The…

Greece: Market opportunities for microgreens, edible flowers and strawberries

“I believe vertical farming is our future and there will be rapid growth here. More consumers will look out for our products and eventually, we’re hoping to expand along with that demand,” says Diana Lamprianidou, Founder and CEO of Micro Delights.  Diana Lamprianidou Micro Delights is based in Thessaloniki, Greece…

UK: A five-farms-in-five-years plan

“From our perspective, we’ve created a repeatable model that will be profitable from the first year. We’re going to apply a plug and play template, building five farms in five years,” says Chris Davies, founder and CEO of Harvest London. Recently, Harvest London hosted VerticalFarmDaily in their London…

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South Africa: Pick n Pay Constantia to welcome in-store vertical farm

A vertical farming initiative will be launched at two Pick n Pay stores in South Africa. In partnership with CAN-Agri – a vertical, hydroponic, greenhouse farm in Pretoria – a smaller vertical farm has been constructed in Constantia and On Nicol as a way to showcase and educate customers about this…

Bruynzeel helps with vertical cultivation in buildings in Paris

Bruynzeel Storage Systems supplies the French company Champerché with mobile storage systems for the cultivation of vegetables in vacant buildings. It concerns a former parking garage of 1,300m2 in a western suburb of Paris (Sartrouville). Aromatic herbs, vegetables, and fruit are grown here. The…

Venezuela: “In Caracas, we have a lot of room to grow”

“With Venezuela facing the decline of the oil industry, there is a great chance to produce food here because, without oil, there is no port (or import) agriculture,” says Dr. Diogenes Infante, founder, and director of the Caracas-based container farm, Agricola Biofarm CA. Dr. Infante has extensive…

Indonesia: Microgreens producer is gaining market share and traction

“Microgreens are a niche within the vegetable market in general. However, they have been gaining a lot of traction in the past year in the US and also here in Bali. There are many properties of microgreens that can help much more than eating fully grown vegetables,” Ivan Valor, Founder and CEO of Greens…

Sweden: Seeing a growing demand for locally grown products

“Vertical farming has a place here in Sweden, and we have also seen that in the public’s reaction: We had fantastic responses when we did tasting days. Visitors are always amazed by how simple the process is, and that we can produce every day, throughout the year,” says Graham Clark, Owner of Greeny Grow…

Beirut Farm leading vertical farming in Lebanon

“As the population continues to grow, agricultural land is limited and customers are always looking to have the best and cleanest greens. We feel that vertical farming is the solution and the fact that we can offer these greens is extremely appreciated by our customers,” says Sandro Allouche, owner and…