Indoor Ag
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) uses indoor technologies like hydroponics, vertical farming and greenhouses to optimize growing conditions such as temperature, light and nutrients. This approach allows the produce industry to provide a consistent, year-round supply of high-quality crops while significantly reducing water usage and land requirements.
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.
The greenhouse industry continues to evolve, and technology, plant health research and food safety are a just a few areas where advancements are progressing rapidly.
The company also won recognition at the International Taste Institute’s Superior Taste Awards in Belgium for its tomatoes and berries.
The company took home recognition for its Hiiros tomatoes, Sweet S’NAPS, bell peppers and cucumbers.
The agtech software-as-a-service (SaaS) company is developing tools to improve yields, quality and profitability for controlled environment agriculture operations with help from BASF Venture Capital’s investment.
“Not only do we pride ourselves in the relationship with [Little Leaf Farms], but the entire organization believes in the same future we do,” said Brandon Bentley, Tops category business manager for vegetables.
The Kingsville, Ontario-based fourth-generation, family-owned greenhouse grower has expanded its U.S. network through a joint venture formed with Intergrow Greenhouses Inc.
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.
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.
Uncle Giuseppe’s Marketplace will carry Edible Garden’s products in its retail locations throughout New York and New Jersey.
The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer has recognized Canadian greenhouse grower Village Farms Fresh as a “Giga Guru” through its sustainability initiative “Project Gigaton.”
The company says its third greenhouse on its McAdoo, Pa., site will make it the largest controlled environment agriculture campus in North America.
The greenhouse grower offered greenhouse tours to Texas schoolchildren as part of classroom curriculum focused on sustainable agriculture.
Kalera, a vertical farming company based in Orlando, Fla., filed April 4, for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the CEO stepped down. But leaders are making arrangements to continue regular operations throughout the process.
More varieties of strawberries are slowly joining leafy greens in the indoor, vertically grown scene, becoming available at commercial scale.
Randhawa Farms begins the 2023 pepper season with a look back on a decade-long relationship with its Vancouver, British Columbia-based sales and marketing partner.
Nature Fresh Farms is expanding its operations, adding 60,000 square feet to its footprint in Delta, Ohio, with the opening of a new distribution center.
“2023 has been a tumultuous year for the horticulture industry globally,” the report says.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A research project supported by the Center for Produce Safety aims to shed light on pathogen risks in controlled environment agriculture.
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.
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.
Greenhouse-grown fruit and vegetable company Village Farms Fresh says the integration of AI-driven solutions, such as Blue Radix, is helping improve efficiency and quality.
The company has an 18-month grace period to rectify its areas of noncompliance or it could be subjected to delisting.
The indoor agriculture company promoted its chief financial officer, Kathleen Valisek, to the role of president and chief financial officer.
The organization says this framework will better measure the impact of controlled environment agriculture.
Salad greens and lettuces at retail have transformed the last few decades from intact bunches and heads to plastic bags and clamshells of baby greens, triple-washed and ready to eat.