Latest News From Controlled Environment Agriculture

The Kingsville, Ontario-based greenhouse grower says Bahama Bombs are a bright orange grape tomato on-the-vine that boasts a sweet flavor and vibrant tropical hue.

Square Roots says it is exploring techniques to operate indoor farms in the dark, with the goal of lower production costs and environmental impact while maintaining year-round fresh food production.

With Mucci Farms and BrightFarms in its growing portfolio, Cox Farms is one of the largest greenhouse operators in North America, harvesting 360 million pounds of produce annually, the company says.

A new measure approved by a municipal council in Ontario will increase the development fees for wastewater and water on any greenhouses built in the municipality.

Controlled environment agriculture continues to grow in Texas. While many growers see the state’s strategic location for distribution as an advantage to setting up shop, it’s more than just location, says one executive.

The 11th edition of the event drew controlled environment agriculture industry members from 49 U.S. states and over 30 countries.

Investment in vertical farming was down in 2023, but there should be optimism about the future of the CEA leafy greens industry — and tech has a role in it — strategy consultant Craig Carlson says in this guest column.

Sekoya is an in-demand variety platform that retailers ask for by name, having earned a reputation for excellence thanks to its consistently high-quality blueberries, says the family-owned greenhouse business.

The website highlights North Country Growers' sustainability initiatives, its premium lettuce varieties and its team.

The Kingsville, Ontario-based company said the new offering will make its debut at the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure event, set for March 7-9 in Tampa, Fla.

Craig Hurlbert, CEO of Local Bounti, and Andrew Horowitz, North American Director of Strategic Development of KUBO Greenhouse Projects, join the Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance board of directors.

The indoor agriculture company’s indoor agriculture production techniques now patented.

While the past few years have been volatile, growers in the province see plenty of opportunities.

The company plans to grow cherry tomatoes as well as a mix of conventional and organic produce at its 44-acre facility in Bonita, Ariz.

The company says it will use the funding to scale its greenhouse operations and expand its product offerings into new categories of leafy greens.

The event focused on indoor agriculture and vertical farming returns to Las Vegas on March 11-12 and will feature speakers from Gotham Greens, Red Sun Farms, Little Leaf Farms and more.

This new funding from Cargill Financial Services International is part of the indoor agriculture company’s amended credit facility to continue expansion plans.

At a recent Washington, D.C., fly-in, members of the trade association spoke to federal lawmakers and officials about the vital role controlled environment agriculture plays in the farming industry.

With a lot of turnover last year in controlled environment agriculture, growers see consumers' continued interest in fresh produce as a way to continue to grow market demand.

The Kingsville, Ontario-based greenhouse vegetable producer says it will conduct trials with Sollum’s far-red lighting on its mini cucumbers.

A research project supported by the Center for Produce Safety aims to shed light on pathogen risks in controlled environment agriculture.

Gotham Greens’ new 210,000-square-foot facility in Seagoville, Texas, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Dallas, is the company’s 13th greenhouse nationwide.

Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace will carry Edible Garden’s products in its retail locations throughout New York and New Jersey.

The farm will grow hydroponic vegetables and herbs year-round and provide residents in the city access to fresh produce.

Ever-evolving, indoor agriculture made headlines throughout the year from bankruptcies to high-profile mergers and acquisitions to setbacks and triumphs.

The recent NYPS spotlighted CEA success stories during an educational panel discussion organized by the Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance and moderated by Tom Stenzel, the CEA Alliance’s executive director.

Rising demand for fresh foods with nutritive value is the primary factor driving market revenue growth, according to the analysis from Emergen Research.

The Kearny, N.J.-based commercial-scale indoor vertical farm has added a new fruit tomato, available at select Whole Foods Markets.

Columbia, S.C.-based Senn Brothers Produce recently launched its own vertical farming operation and introduced its indoor-grown private-label brand, Sennsational Fresh.

In the category of “manufacturer, greenhouse fruit and vegetable company,” Pure Flavor has won the Gold Plate Award for its “Together” campaign that supported FMI’s National Family Meals Month this past September.

The Ontario-based greenhouse grower is expanding production to the West Coast, partnering with grower Millennium Pacific to bring California-grown Hiiros Tomatoes to market.

The Austin, Texas-based company says the development scales output to meet accelerated local Texas consumer demand for Revol Greens’ fresh, greenhouse-grown organic baby leaf and romaine head lettuce programs.

The Packer caught up with Red Sun Farms' Carlos Visconti on camera at IFPA’s recent Global Produce and Floral Show to learn more about the company’s seed-to-plate innovation.

Bosch Growers, based in the Netherlands, is partnering with Ever Tru Farms to distribute premium strawberries, which will carry the Ever Tru Farms label.

With an eye on the healthy snacking trend, greenhouse grower Pure Flavor has introduced two new products — Tiki Tomatoes and Oronai Sweet Charentais Melons.

The fast-growing indoor farming brand has opened a 210,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse in Monroe, Ga. — its second greenhouse opening in two months and the company’s 12th greenhouse nationwide.

The Kingsville, Ontario-based greenhouse grower has announced it has leased two Kentucky greenhouses — one in Richmond and another in Morehead — which represent a combined 120 acres of fully lit production.

The indoor grower is expanding its snacking tomato portfolio, adding Cherub, Glorys and Constellation brand tomatoes for foodservice and piloting two restaurant programs.

Greenhouse grower Little Leaf Farms has confirmed through recent Nielson data that it was cited as the bestselling packaged lettuce in New England, surpassing field-grown brands.

Hydroponic spinach and leafy greens grower BrightFarms has penned an exclusive licensing deal with a fellow indoor grower, Element Farms, to launch a branded spinach line across 190 Giant Co. stores.

Blue Road Capital is acquiring the greenhouse grower from its venture-capital parent company, Silver Venture, and aims to expand the company through increased vertical integration, innovation and distribution channels.

The indoor vertical farming company has completed its restructuring process and exit from Chapter 11. To lead AeroFarms through its next stage of growth, the company has appointed Molly Montgomery acting CEO.

The Packer met with Frank Yiannas to discuss his recent pivot to the private sector, why fresh produce needs food safety leaders and the opportunities he sees to raise the bar for indoor-grown leafy greens.

The Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers’ “This is Greenhouse Goodness” campaign has converted the baggage claim area at Windsor International Airport to resemble an educational greenhouse farm.

To learn more about the company’s expansion plans and commitment to conserving natural resources while growing high-quality greens indoors, The Packer recently connected with co-founder and CEO Viraj Puri.

With the aim of providing the Midwest with a steady supply of fresh greenhouse-grown tomatoes, Pure Flavor has acquired MightyVine, a controlled environment agriculture tomato grower in Rochelle, Ill.

As the dust settles in recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, a new controlled environment agriculture company from the Netherlands is poised to secure AppHarvest’s 30-acre farm facility in Somerset, Ky.

SecondBloom Auctions, a management firm specializing in indoor growing facilities, is auctioning assets from AeroFarms’ vertical farm facility in Newark, N.J., through Sept. 28.

The Cincinnati-based grocer has partnered with 80 Acres Farms to bring shoppers across the Midwest and Southeast vertically grown salad blends, herbs and tomatoes.

Fourth-generation, family-owned greenhouse grower Mastronardi Produce is set to launch its new United States-grown Sunset Wow Organic strawberries at the IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show in Anaheim, Calif., Oct. 19-21.