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.
The system aims to help growers achieve specific results with built-in recipes.
GreenVenus says it is developing healthy, nutrient-rich specialty vegetables, fruits and grains and has created faster-growing lettuce cultivars.
The bounty of fresh produce coming from Controlled Environment Agriculture was on full display at the New England Produce Council’s 2024 Produce, Floral and Foodservice Expo.
The collaboration will use artificial-intelligence technology to streamline greenhouse operations, reduce energy costs and maximize crop yields.
As part of the 2025 Indoor Ag-Con conference program, the CEA Alliance will present a “State of the Industry” report, outlining the growth, challenges and opportunities for the CEA sector.
Honeyacre Enterprises Ltd. started its greenhouse program the second week of April with tomatoes and cucumbers and will begin shipping orange, red and yellow bell peppers in June.
Eva Moghaddam wants to make it easier for every family to find healthier food. It’s a value that many producers and distributors in this industry share, a value that can coincide with a healthier earth as well.
The Food Marketing Institute’s 2020 Power of Produce Report found that 54% of shoppers said they would like to see a greater assortment of locally grown produce at their primary store.
North Shore Greenhouses, Thermal, Calif., has named Vivianna Greene as marketing manager and promoted Brittney Bubb to creative director.
Lēf Farms, Loudon, N.H., has added more than 200 Stop & Shop stores to the list of retailers that sell its leafy greens.
English cucumbers that have been treated by Apeel Science’s shelf life technology to replace plastic wrap, are now available at Walmart stores.
Wherever the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit is, you can find Mastronardi Produce on the expo floor.
Mastronardi Produce, Kingsville, Ontario, is seeing high demand for Dreamberry, Pearberry and Lolliberry strawberries.
Guelph, Ontario-based GoodLeaf Farms is adding baby greens to its product line.
Devens, Mass.-based Little Leaf Farms is hosting a virtual grand opening for its greenhouse in Devens.
San Antonio-based NatureSweet has launched its NatureSweet Dulce Italiano Sweet Peppers.
South Bend, Ind.-based Pure Green Farms is set to begin growing, packaging and distributing fresh leafy greens in February.
Loblaw Cos. has chosen Nature Fresh Farms’ Ontario Greenhouse Mixiany Cherry Tomatoes as its President’s Choice Fresh Product of the Year Award.
Mastronardi Produce Ltd., Kingsville, Ontario, in a partnership with John Paul DeJoria, is planning a greenhouse project in the Middle East to distribute fruits and vegetables to the region.
It’s back-to-school time, and Mastronardi Produce’s Sunset brand has new healthy snacks suitable for lunchboxes.
The Star Group, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is expanding a focus on technology to improve processes from food safety to ensuring better flavor of the produce it grows.
DelFrescoPure, Kingsville, Ontario, has taken its integrated pest management program from greenhouse vegetables and applied it to strawberries.
Greenhouse company Great Lakes Growers, Burton, Ohio, recently broke ground on a 100,000-square-foot expansion that will boost production capacity to 12 million heads of leafy greens.
Greenhouse growers in Ontario are gearing up for what they hope will be another stellar season, said Joe Sbrocchi, general manager of the Leamington-based Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association.
Pete’s, Carpinteria, Calif., will have a new product for West Coast retailers this spring: Pete’s Butter Stuffers.
BrightFarms’ greenhouse salad products will be sold in more than 330 Food Lion stores in Virginia and other Ahold-Delhaize Mid-Atlantic stores through an expanded partnership with the retailer.
Indoor Ag-Con, an indoor agriculture conference and trade show, has announced a marketing partnership with the Produce Marketing Association.
AMCO Produce, Leamington, Ontario, is “aggressively seeking new distributors, wholesalers and retailers in the U.S.,” said Paul Arrowsmith, sales manager.
If consumers are putting renewed emphasis on nutritious eating during this trying time, greenhouse grower-shippers are willing and able to help.
Greenhouse grower Nature Fresh Farms, Leamington, Ontario, has added Zanelle Hough as a retail sales account manager.