Sunday Wrap-Up: From Vertical Farming Complexes to Controlled Environment Agriculture Programs
Discover every Sunday a comprehensive weekly review of the indoor farming sector.
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Good morning readers, this week, we take a closer look at the rapidly growing field of indoor farming and controlled environment agriculture (CEA). A vertical farming facility planned for East Yorkshire has been granted planning permission by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. The proposed development includes a vertical farm complex (VFC) to grow micro salads, herbs, soft fruits, bulbs, and flowers, as well as office buildings and starter units, all served by an existing anaerobic digestion plant.
The field of CEA, which includes hydroponics, vertical farming, and aquaponics under protected greenhouses and indoor structures, is a rapidly advancing field with a lot of potential for growth. In the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, a new CEA program led by Dr. Shuyang Zhen is creating professionals with the skills necessary to grow crops within controlled environment systems.
The industry is growing through support from investors and federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture and NASA. Additionally, CEA is viewed as an ideal way to produce food efficiently and sustainably in urbanized areas.
In this edition, we also highlight other news and developments in the indoor farming industry, such as AgriFORCE AGRI and Barbados CEA Development Collaboration, GrowGeneration Corp expansion in Michigan, and Zimbabwe's Horticulture Sector. We also take a look at upcoming events and recommend articles to read on the topic of indoor farming and agtech.
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This Week’s Editorial:
This Week in Indoor Farming
As reported by Insider media limited’s Stephen Farrell, a vertical farming facility planned for East Yorkshire has been granted planning permission by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Key Growing Ltd, supported by Geoffrey Prince Associates, submitted the application for the extension of Woodmansey Business Park last year. The proposed development includes a vertical farm complex (VFC) to grow micro salads, herbs, soft fruits, bulbs, and flowers, as well as free-standing office buildings and starter units, all served by the existing on-site anaerobic digestion plant.
The article mentions that the VFC would have a footprint of 84,000 sq ft and a total gross international area of 97,400 sq ft. Four two-story office buildings would provide a total of 41,500 sq ft, and eight single-story starter units measuring a total of 31,000 sq ft would be created. The plans also include an energy management and distribution building, a water attenuation pond incorporating a wildlife and nature park, an internal circulation road, car and lorry parking, and landscaping.
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The rapidly evolving field of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) has taken root in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This field, which includes hydroponics, vertical farming, and aquaponics under protected greenhouses and indoor structures, is a rapidly advancing field with a lot of potential for growth.
Dr. Shuyang Zhen, a tenure track assistant professor for controlled environment horticulture, runs a new CEA program that finished its initial course offering covering the basics of hydroponics last fall semester. The course is open for enrollment next fall semester. According to Dr. Zhen, CEA is a new path for students searching for post-graduation employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in horticulture. The program creates professionals with skills that span the technical and agricultural knowledge necessary to grow crops within controlled environment systems.
The industry is growing through support from investors and federal agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture and NASA. Similarly, the sector incorporates an array of mediums, including hydroponics, aeroponics, aquaponics, and vertical farming under artificial lighting to produce food in limited space and under controlled environments. CEA is viewed as an ideal way to produce food efficiently and sustainably in urbanized areas.