Author Archives: Noelle Swan
Out of Ostrich Boom Comes Advanced Livestock Monitoring Technology to Improve Feed Efficiency and Reduce Waste
Alison Sunstrum already had her own business when she first met the three engineers behind Alberta, Canada-based GrowSafe Systems. They had hit a wall in their research and could not see their way to a commercial product. She offered solutions as a consultant. They ignored all of them, but still Sunstrum says that she was so impressed by what they were Continue reading
University of Florida Researcher Stumbles Upon New “Green” Pesticide with Potential to Protect State’s Citrus
What if agricultural pests could be managed by an essential nutrient, found in all proteins, that poses no environmental threat, naturally biodegrades, and potentially could be beneficial to plants? Physiology and genomics professor, Bruce Stevens from the University of Florida thinks he just may have stumbled onto the future of green pesticides. It turns out when applied to the leaves Continue reading
Atlanta’s Bioponica Seeks to Close Loop on Hydroponic and Aquaponic Farming
The term sustainable farming has been creeping steadily into the vernacular, popping up in business plans, on food blogs, and at local farmers’ markets around the country. David Epstein, D.O. and Kenneth Lovell, P.E. of Bioponica™ hope to usher new farmers into the world of sustainable agriculture through their unique design and method of soilless, closed-loop, farming.
Denver’s Waste Farmers Bring Soil to Life
For John-Paul Maxfield, enriching the soil isn’t just a business. “If we’re going to feed 9 billion people by 2050, we’re going to have go find new methods. Soil has been neglected throughout industrial agriculture. Anytime we harvest, we take something away and our agricultural model has been that we don’t need to put it back. We’ve got to go Continue reading
From Backyard Garden to Local Food Pantry, AmpleHarvest.org Facilitates Delivery of Excess Produce to Those in Need
“My measure of success is going to be not how many millions of pounds of locally grown food we get to food pantries. My measure of success is going to be when we are no longer needed.” – Gary Oppenheimer, Founder of Ampleharvest.org Gary Oppenheimer hopes that donating excess produce from backyard gardens to local food pantries will become as Continue reading
New Orleans-based Recirculating Farms Coalition Seeks Solution to Food Deserts in Sustainable Production Systems
Marianne Cufone says she was drawn to New Orleans because of its incredible heart and resilience. Cufone is the executive director of New Orleans-based Recirculating Farms Coalition (RFC), a non-profit organization comprised of a collaborative group of farmers, educators and various organizations committed to building eco-friendly farms that use clean recycled water to grow local, accessible, fresh food and create stable green jobs. Continue reading
Burgeoning San Diego Startup Slings Locally Grown Hydroponic Butter Lettuce with Roots Intact
Pierre Sleiman of Go Green Agriculture has turned a seed of teenage curiosity into a full-grown farm. The Sleimans have never been farmers. When a friend proposed the idea of a hydroponically grown farm to Pierre’s father about ten years ago, he quickly brushed off the idea. However, fifteen-year-old Pierre saw potential. “From that point on, I have been interested Continue reading
To Certify or Not To Certify? Pondering the Organic Question
Over the last two decades, the organic label has graduated from cameo appearances on supermarket shelves to full blown supporting actor taking up whole sections of major supermarket chains. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), sales of organic food increased nearly six-fold from 1997-2008 making organic food a $20 billion industry. Americans clearly are paying more attention Continue reading
Startup Profile: LFS Enterprises Develops Infrastructure for a Local Food Shift in Colorado
The local food market grew to a nearly $5 billion industry in 2008 according to a USDA report released in November, a figure quadruple previous industry estimates. The report found that local food is most highly valued in the Northeast and on the West Coast. Aaron Perry and Zane Kessler of Colorado hope to feed a similar appetite in the Continue reading
Startup Profile: Foodtree Mobile App Helps Consumers Trace Path of Food from Farm to Plate
Anthony Nicalo recalls helping his grandfather, Papa Bill, plant an acre of farmland in Erie, Pennsylvania, as soon as he could walk. He attributes his connection to the land and to growing food to these early experiences on the farm. Nicalo now lives in Vancouver with his wife and two year old son. Although his family no longer has a Continue reading
Startup Profile: Iowa’s Grass Run Farms Brings Sustainability Back to the Beef Industry
Like so many other local food producers, Kristine and Ryan Jepsen of Iowa began with an interest in “good food.” Not just food that tastes good, but food that is environmentally and economically sustainable. The majority of the 26 billion pounds of beef consumed in the United States each year comes from factory farms. These farms have come under fire Continue reading
Boston-based Urban Agriculture Startup Hopes to Build Farm on Higher Ground
Courtney Bissonette and John Stoddard hope to bring a concrete wasteland to life. Urban skylines around the world are dotted with vast expanses of concrete that absorb solar heat, raising the overall temperature of cities and increasing energy costs. More and more cities have started to turn to green roofs—patios and rooftops covered with gardens, trees, or sod—as a way Continue reading
