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Author Archives: Jeremy Ogul
Fingerling Potatoes, Rainbow Carrots, Romanesco and Persian Mulberries! Oh My!
/ June 13, 2011 11:56 pm
From red, white, orange, yellow and purple rainbow carrots to Persian mulberries, some of the most unusual and tasty produce varieties found in Southern California’s famed farmers markets are sustainably grown by Weiser Family Farms. Alex Weiser, President at California-based Wieser Family Farms, said the very success of the farm depends in large part on the sustainable practices that it Continue reading
Startup Profile: Stimulating a Connection to Food through Recycled Coffee Grounds
/ June 7, 2011 7:36 pm
In spring 2009 Nikhil Arora and Alex Velez were in their final semester at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business headed toward careers in consulting and banking when a remark made by a professor about the potential for growing mushrooms with used coffee grounds piqued their interest. With a desire to create a socially responsible and sustainable business that could Continue reading
USDA Dep. Sec. Merrigan Talks KYF2 and Hoop Houses at UC Davis
/ May 21, 2011 12:05 am
There’s not a key issue that the next generation faces that doesn’t have agriculture at the center of it, according to US Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, who spoke Wednesday at UC Davis. From the obesity epidemic to climate change to joblessness, what happens in agriculture plays a critical role, Merrigan said. Her speech focused on the USDA’s Continue reading
Startup Profile: Pest Busting Goes Au Naturel
/ May 20, 2011 1:06 am
One of the greatest problems confronting farmers today is how to control plant disease and pests while minimizing environmental impact and remaining profitable. When synthetic chemical pesticides were first developed in the early 20th century, they were embraced as a less harmful solution to the highly toxic inorganic chemicals (sulfur, lead and arsenic) that humans had been using to kill Continue reading
Posted in Ag Technology, biopesticides, Startup Profiles, Sustainable Ag Startup
17 Down, 83 Years to Go in Epic Sustainable Agriculture Study
/ May 16, 2011 10:36 pm
Most agricultural experiments last anywhere from a few months to a few years, but at Russell Ranch near Davis, CA, researchers are in the midst of a 100-year study measuring the sustainability of various farming systems. The study, known as Long-Term Research on Agricultural Systems (LTRAS), is designed to measure the long-term impact of different cropping systems, irrigation practices, tillage Continue reading
Startup Profile: Smartphone App Increases Yields and Sustains Agriculture
/ May 4, 2011 7:58 pm
Want to monitor the climate in your greenhouse or field to increase yields and your ability to farm more sustainably? There’s an app for that. In fact, there’s an entire system – including a smartphone application – developed by ClimateMinder, a Glendale, California based startup company, that enables growers to wirelessly monitor environmental conditions in both greenhouses and open fields.
Startup Profile: An Urban Farming Startup Grows in a New Jersey Classroom
/ May 2, 2011 2:18 pm
Students at St. Philip’s Academy, an independent K-8 school in Newark, NJ grow their own salad greens. They use an aeroponic growing system installed in a fourth-floor classroom in which they plant, harvest and package such leafy greens as Chinese lettuce, arugula and komatsuna for delivery to their cafeteria. “It’s kind of amazing – it doesn’t get more local than Continue reading
Startup Profile: Sustainable Agriculture on the Roof
/ April 28, 2011 1:35 am
Mike Yohay, CEO of San Francisco-based urban agriculture startup Cityscape Farms, was raised in Brooklyn, NY where he grew up with almost no knowledge of where his food came from or how it was grown. This all changed for Yohay when he went off to study at Grinnel College in Iowa. There he saw firsthand the pollution and topsoil erosion Continue reading
Startup Profile: Edible Walls Inspire New Wave of Urban Agriculture
/ April 25, 2011 4:16 pm
(updated 04/11/12) As the push to “go green” in urban architecture has intensified over the past decade, so-called green roofs and green walls have gained in popularity. These vegetation-covered walls and roofs can reduce cooling costs, mitigate air pollution and add beauty to the neighborhood. But the promise of green walls goes beyond just looking cool and staying cool. Green Continue reading
Archi’s Acres Offers Sustainable Agriculture Opps for Veterans
/ April 15, 2011 9:31 pm
After three tours of combat duty in Iraq, Colin Archipley needed a way to both decompress and reconnect with the civilian world. Before returning from his final tour in 2006, he and his wife, Karen, started working on rehabilitating a three-acre avocado farm they purchased just north of San Diego, which they christened Archi’s Acres. When the first month’s water Continue reading
Posted in Imagination, sustainable agriculture news
Startup Profile: TerraSphere Systems: Sustainable Vertical Farming is a Reality
/ April 14, 2011 9:32 pm
The idea for TerraSphere Systems’ vertical farming technology all started with a few marijuana plants. In fact, Nick Brusatore, Co-Founder and Inventor of TerraSphere Systems, began developing his unique hydroponic technology system for medical marijuana cultivation in Canada (Canada began offering medical marijuana to eligible patients in 2003). After working with their hydroponic technology for a while, Brusatore and his Continue reading
Posted in hydroponics, Startup Profiles, Urban Agriculture, Urban Farming
Cellulosic Ethanol: A Larger Opportunity than Corn-Based Ethanol
/ April 7, 2011 11:37 pm
It wasn’t too long ago that making car fuel out of corn seemed like a brilliant idea. It’s local and abundant — American farmers have planted more than 85 million acres of corn a year since 2007. And unlike petroleum, it’s renewable: use corn, plant more. No drilling required. Turns out, though, that using corn to make ethanol, the fuel Continue reading
