From Shipping Container Farm, Casper, Wyo. Pastor and Hydroponic Lettuce Grower Preaches Local

March 13, 2017 | Trish Popovitch

Matt Powell opens the door to his hydroponic lettuce farm, housed in a used refrigerated storage container on the corner of his Casper, Wyoming property, and the Marriage of Figaro fills the air.

“My little Mp3 there is loaded up with Mozart and Bach. The study I heard said they tested growing plants in three sound proof environments. They had classical in one, death metal in another and silence in a third. Classical did the best, death metal did the second best,” laughs Powell explaining how his fresh hyperlocal greens are grown with the aid of some classic tunes as they stay cool in their farm-in-a-box environment. Read More

2nd International Congress on Controlled Environment Agriculture Slated for May in Panama

February 27, 2017 | Jim Pantaleo

Panama City, Republic of Panama — The Foundation for the Development of Controlled Environment Agriculture (FDCEA) announces the 2nd International Congress on Controlled Environment Agriculture (ICCEA 2017) to be held in Panama City, Republic of Panama at the Hotel El Panama Convention Center May 17, 18 and 19, 2017.

This educational gathering brings together growers, agriculture-related companies and educational institutions from around the world. The focus of the ICCEA 2017 will be on learning and applying the foundations of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) from renowned experts in the applied fields of science, horticulture, lighting, robotics and engineering. Read More

Weekly Stories of Food Systems Innovation from Around the Country

January 5, 2017 | seedstock

To Grow Community and Jobs of the Future, Suburbanite Launches Vertical Farming Enterprise in Detroit

BY TRISH POPOVITCH

After spending time with street children in Brazil as part of a missionary trip, Jeff Adams, founder of Detroit, … Read More

Small Farmers: Saviors of the Modern Food System

December 27, 2016 | Bright Agrotech

This advertorial is brought to you by Bright Agrotech, Inc. 

Our food system is broken and only the small farmer can save us.

The first green revolution lowered food costs by increasing production efficiency, but did so at the cost of quality, freshness, and the connection between those who grow the food and those who eat it.

Over time, loss of quality and connection has disintegrated the trust between consumers and producers. While consumers moved into cities, our farms morphed into industrial food factories that exchanged stewardship and sustainability for yields.

Now people are calling for change. Read More

Utilizing Hydroponics, Three Families Unite to Provide Meaningful Work for Their Children with Special Needs

December 14, 2016 | Bethany Knipp

On the outskirts of Topeka, Kansas in a greenhouse equipped with a hydroponic system, three families have come together to provide meaningful work for their children who have special needs.

Tim and Rhonda Gerhardt, Luis Guillen and Marisol Perez, and Kris and Chuck Myers own CALCan Enterprises LLC, a year-old produce business that grows lettuce and arugula utilizing hydroponics. The company’s produce can be found in the Kansas City area on the shelves of Whole Foods as well as HyVee grocery stores and in several area school districts

The business name is derived from the first letters in each of their adult children’s names — Colby Myers, Andrès Guillen and Luke Gerhardt, who put in 10 to 15 hours a week at the greenhouse and receive payment for their labor. Read More