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Home , Agrarian society, Organic hydroponics, Vertical farming

September 2014 CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT

Vertical Farming: Why We Think it Might Just Work

Partners and investors Mark Thomann (front) and Mark Weglarz check out the current of USDA-certified organic basil at FarmedHere, just outside of . Page 10

PAGE 14 PAGE 18 PAGE 28 THE LOCAL GROWING USING HYDROPONICALLY BANKER PLANTS MOVEMENT AND ORGANICALLY Fighting aphids with When did it Can it be done? aphids really begin?

1 Reader Service Number 200 Reader Service Number 201 From Your Editor

as the way of the fu - ture, but critics argue that the technol - ogy is too expensive for it to be a sustainable means of farming. Read how FarmedHere responds to being in Chris’ hot seat on page 10. Over the past several years, I’ve en - countered the full spectrum of opin - ions on organic . I’ve heard that it can, can’t or shouldn’t be certifiable under the USDA’s organic guidelines. (It can and I’ll leave it up to you to decide if it should.) Regardless of politics and semantics, the fact is, or - ganic hydroponic systems are rare compared to traditional organic or hy - droponic systems on their own. The reasons for the rarity are complex and involve discussions of nutrient man - agement, pest control, productivity, marketing, semantics and politics. I touch on it all on page 18. We don’t often offer history lessons We’ve done it again. here in Inside Grower , but the evolu - tion of the local food movement in the For the second time this year, Inside Grower U.S. is a fascinating topic worth dis - has burst out of the seams of its bi-weekly cussing, with deeper roots in American culture than you might expect. Turn to email format, filling a magazine edition to the page 14 for Rich Pirog’s account of how the local food movement has brim with more in-depth coverage of moved from the margins to the main - stream. vegetable growing. These special And Eliot Coleman is one well- known American who grows editions allow us to dig even deeper into the local food for the good folks in Maine topics that matter most in our industry. year-round. Anne-Marie Hardie profiles Eliot’s on page 26. In this issue, you’ll also find valu - able information on growing methods, Since the last print edition of Inside Grower found your including complying with the new Food Safety mailboxes in January 2014, I’ve fine-tuned my skills as Modernization Act (page 24), using banker plants your editor. It took becoming a mother for the first time to fight aphids (page 28), understanding blossom to become painfully aware of the importance of end rot (page 30) and starting a strong lettuce strengthening efficiencies in all aspects of my life. Since crop using a new hydroponic (page 32). my daughter was born in January, I’ve learned to better We hope you enjoy this publication of Inside identify and prioritize what’s worthy of my attention and Grower . As always, we welcome your questions filter out everything that’s not. Knowing that your time is and feedback. just as valuable—whether you’re a parent, up to your eyeballs in the business of growing or both—you’ll find this issue of Inside Grower delivers the most pertinent, interesting and useful news in our industry. In our cover story on vertical farming, Chris Beytes wastes no time, cutting right to the chase and asking Annie White some tough questions about an agricultural practice MANAGING EDITOR even he admits he’s skeptical of. Some advocates tout feedback: [email protected]

4 September 2014

EDITORIAL CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AGRICULTURE EDITOR Chris Beytes MANAGING EDITOR Annie White CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Ellen C. Wells Jennifer Duffield White Jennifer Zurko Jennifer Polanz INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Ron Van der Ploeg DEPARTMENTS 4 | From Your Editor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Anne-Marie Hardie David Kuack 6 | Insider Dr. Vijay Rapaka 31 | New Products ON THE COVER Is vertical farming a viable part of agriculture or an unrealistic pipe dream? Chris Beytes stops PRODUCTION MANAGER Kathy Wootton by FarmedHere right outside of Chicago to find CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chris Truesdale out. Turn to page 10 to read more. PHOTOGRAPHER Mark Widhalm FEATURES COPY EDITOR Sue Olsen 10 | Vertical Farming: A Critic Asks Some Hard Questions Story & photos by Chris Beytes SALES 866.888.4237 “Vertical farming”—multiple layers of plants grown under lights in abandoned urban warehouses—is still in its infancy, but it’s already a media darling. Advocates call it the PUBLISHER | Paul Black future of agriculture. Critics say it’s too expensive to be viable. What’s the truth? SALES MANAGER [email protected] ACCOUNT MANAGER Kim Brown 14 | The Local Food Movement’s Evolution in the United States [email protected] by Rich Pirog SALES ASSISTANT Adriana Heikkila Consumers wondering about the origin of their food didn’t just happen overnight; the [email protected] seeds of the local food movement have been growing since the Great Depression. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING [email protected] 18 | Double Trouble or Twice as Nice? | by Annie S. White The challenges encountered in organic hydroponic vegetable production are complex A Friend Remembered and run the gamut from nutrient management, pest control and productivity to G. Victor Ball, Editor from 194 9–1997 marketing, semantics and politics. GrowerTalks general offices are located at: PO BOX 1660, West Chicago, Illinois 60186 U.S.A. 22 | Greenhouse Edibles Taking Center Stage | by David Kuack ph: 630.231.3675 | fax: 630.231.5254 | Toll-Free: 1-888-888-0 013 www.growertalks.com University of Arkansas researchers are getting serious about greenhouse edibles, as an increasing number of growers look to expand their offerings of locally grown products.

24 | Protecting Greenhouse Edibles | by Rob Larose GrowerTalks (ISSN 0276-9433) is published monthly by In order to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act, you’ll need to follow these Ball Publishing, PO Box 1660, West Chicago, Illinois 60186, best practices. United States. Subscriptions are free to qualified readers in the US. Subscription price for non-qualified readers is $35 per year US and . All other foreign subscriptions must pay 26 | Increasing the Availability of Local Produce $99/year to receive/continue to receive GrowerTalks and Green Profit . GrowerTalks is a registered trademark of Ball Horticultural Story by Anne-Marie Hardie, Photos by Barbara Damrosch Company in the U.S. Periodicals postage paid at West Chicago, One grower shows that four-season farming is possible—even during those New IL and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send address changes to GrowerTalks Magazine, PO Box 1660, West Chicago, England winters. Illinois 60186, United States. ©2010 GrowerTalks Magazine. All rights reserved. Posted under Canada publications mail agreement #40612608. Canada returns to be sent to Bleuchip International, 28 | Fight Aphids With Aphids | by Steven Frank P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2 Printed in the U.S.A. Using banker plants for greenhouse vegetable can be a key tool to fighting your GreenProfit Supplement Enclosed aphid issues. 30 | Blossom End Rot: Understanding a Perennial Problem by Ron Goldy Blossom end rot is a perennial problem on tomatoes, peppers and other crops. Understanding the causes can help reduce symptoms, but it’s rare to be able to eliminate it completely.

32 | Growing Lettuce? A Beginner’s Guide to a Strong Start by Dr. Vijay Rapaka & Dr. Cari Peters The key for successful hydroponic production is starting with strong young plants.

5 Insider

Nexus Donates Growing Vaccines in Genetically Free High Tunnel Greenhouse to Modified Lettuce Hoop House Dr. Henry Daniell’s $2 mil - netically modified plant Construction Denver Hunger lion greenhouse at the produces the proteins for Relief Center University of Pennsylvania the vaccines. The lettuce Guide has all the high-tech bells and leaves are dried and made High tunnel hoop houses are rel - whistles of a new controlled into capsules that can be atively easy to construct and have environment greenhouse. But taken orally, don’t require re - become a very popular addition Dr. Daniell isn’t growing toma - frigeration and can be to many small-scale veggie-grow - toes or lettuce for the local stored for years. ing operations. While there are market; he’s growing vaccines. Dr. Daniell’s research has numerous extension publications A professor in the depart - demonstrated the effective - on hoop house crop culture, very ments of biochemistry and ness of plant-based vaccines few focus on construction. pathology and director of and therapeutics in treating Steve Upson took his 17 years translational research in the nearly 30 conditions, from of experience in high tunnel School of Dental Medicine, Dr. infectious diseases such as hoop house design, construction, Daniell’s doing ground-break - cholera, malaria and an - utilization and education to cre - ing research that could thrax to autoimmune dis - ate a “how to” resource on hoop change the way drugs and eases like diabetes and house construction. vaccinations are delivered. hemophilia. Steve says it’s not the intent of Traditional vaccines con - “This will be a paradigm his publication to offer a com - tain inactivated versions of the shift in delivery of drugs,” Dr. plete set of construction plans for bacteria, viruses or other microor - Daniell says. “This will change any particular type or size of Thanks to a donation from Nexus ganisms that cause the illness. the landscape and save lives.” hoop house, but rather to intro - Corporation, a new hunger relief These costly vaccines require re - Perhaps it will also change duce the novice grower and center in Denver, Colorado, will frigeration during storage and de - how large-scale controlled-en - hoop house builder to the vari - feature a south-facing green - livery, making them unavailable in vironment are em - ous tools and techniques used in house for growing fresh veggies. many parts of the world. Dr. ployed in the future. constructing a wide range of Metro CareRing recently Daniell’s method doesn’t use the For a glimpse inside Dr. hoop house models. broke ground on a new 16,000 pathogen at all; he uses lettuce. Daniell’s greenhouse, watch a short Steve admits that his experi - sq. ft. Hunger Relief Center at the Basically, he injects therapeutic video on YouTube at www.youtube. ence with hoop house structures corner of 18th Avenue and proteins into lettuce cells. The ge - com/watch?v=6z7qwwtHQTY. has a southern flavor; conse - Downing Street in Denver. The quently, the guidelines may or center, which will be completed may not have application in in February 2015, will provide Growtainer Trials Are Growing Strong other regions of the country. fresh food access and self-suffi - “It is my belief that a careful ciency programming for food-in - about how things were growing study of this publication prior to secure people in the metro area. down there in Texas. purchasing a hoop house kit or Nexus says that the green - “We are seeing results that are materials to custom-build a struc - house they’ve donated is an alu - amazing,” said Glenn. “About 10 ture will save the builder time minum Series E lean-to with a 16 days in the propagation area and and money as well as reduce the mm acrylic covering and will at - then 20 days in the nursery area, level of frustration encountered tach to the south side of the new and the lettuce is ready to eat. In during the construction process,” building. Metro CareRing says fact, we served Growtainer grown says Steve. that the greenhouse will provide salad to a group of A&M visitors You can download the 100- an experiential classroom, em - [in July].” page publication for free at ployment readiness training and The image (left) is Garrison let - www.noble.org/Global/ag/horti - year-round produce. Its learning tuce being grown hydroponically culture/hoop-house-construction- gardens will allow participants to in the Growtainer under the fol - guide/nf-ho-14-01.pdf. learn best practices and tech - lowing cultivation scheme: niques to successfully grow food l Daytime Temp: 78F (25C) in their own homes and neigh - l Nighttime Temp: 70F (21C) Back in April, we reported in our borhoods and also afford an en - l CO2: 1,000 ppm Inside Grower e-newsletter that a trepreneurial opportunity to l Lights on: 18 hours new high-tech hydroponic produc - promote Metro CareRing’s prod - l Lights off: 6 hours ucts for area businesses. tion system had arrived at Texas In the new facility, Metro A&M Agrilife Research and Exten - The compact Growtainer system CareRing expects to distribute sion Center in , Texas. The includes the soon-to-be patented more than 2 million pounds of “Growtainer” is a growing system Growtainer containers, Growtroller nutritious food annually for peo - from Greentech Agro LLC con - control system and the Growrack ple in the Denver metro area. tained within a specially designed vertical production system. Sixty-two percent of the food dis - and modified 40-ft. insulated ship - “This is the real deal,” added tributed from Metro CareRing’s ping container. Glenn. “Every expert that’s been in Market is fresh and sourced from We got an update from Glenn the Growtainer walks out amazed.” local grocery stores, and Behrman, one of the founders and Learn more at www.growtain - community gardens. president of Greentech Agro LLC, ers.com.

6 Kalettes: Two Certified Greenhouse Growers Super Veggies Accepting Associate Members Combine The Certified Greenhouse/Hothouse Vegetable Producers Association of North America (a.k.a. Certified Greenhouse Farmers), a trade associa - tion representing greenhouse veggie growers, is now offering associate memberships to the suppliers of their certified members. The association says they established this nonvoting class of mem - bership so that proprietors and firms supplying inputs, including serv - ices to association members, are able to participate in association

s affairs. Associate members must be involved in commercial activity e t t e

l where goods or services are supplied to certified greenhouse farmers a K

/ engaged in the production of edible in green - m o

c houses/hothouses, including tomatoes, cucumbers, . k o

o peppers, lettuces and herbs. The annual associate b e c

a membership fee is $2,500 and allows the member’s f . w logo to be listed on the “grower resources” page of w w the Certified Greenhouse Farmer’s website. Possibly the trendiest super food Europe and is currently being in - The full members of the association must meet yet, a cross between Brussels troduced as “BrusselKale” in a strict definition of greenhouse grown. The en - sprouts and kale is expected to hit Canada. tirety of the member’s vegetable production area U.S. supermarkets this fall. Mar - Tozer is working with several must be in a fully enclosed permanent aluminum or keted in the U.S. as “Kalettes,” the cooperators to grow and market steel structure, clad either in glass or impermeable plas - green and purple frilly vegetable Kalettes. tic for the controlled environmental growing. The grower must be using combines the sweet nutty taste of “We started selling seed in the computerized irrigation and climate control systems, including heating Kale with the complex flavors of U.S. in 2012 and quickly realized and ventilation capability, grow in a soilless medium using hydroponic Brussels sprouts. that this new vegetable was going methods, use integrated pest management and avoid the use of Tozer Seeds, the largest family- to be a huge hit with consumers herbicides. owned vegetable breeding com - due to the popularity of both veg - Learn more about Certified Greenhouse Farmers and the new associ - pany in England, developed the etables,” said Kraig Kuykendall, ate membership option at www.certifiedgreenhouse.com. kale and Brussels sprout hybrid U.S. sales manager of Tozer Seeds. after more than a decade of re - “The idea behind gathering coop - search. The company says that erators to market under the Kalettes are not genetically engi - Kalettes brand was to give con - neered and were developed by sumers a consistent name and cross-pollinating Brussels sprouts brand identity to look for in the with kale through traditional produce department.” methods. The brand plans to launch a So far, the U.K. and the Nether - strong consumer media campaign, lands have been introduced to the including social media channels. new super food, with promising re - Photos and recipes can be sults, according to Tozer. The veggie found on the website is marketed as “Flower Sprouts” in www.kalettes.com.

Historic USDA Support for Local and Regional Food Systems The new 2014 Farm Bill is bringing historic investment opportunities to Association of Vertical Farming strengthen local and regional food systems, including food hubs, farmers markets, aggregation and processing facilities, distribu - Maps Global Urban Ag tion services and other local food business enterprises. The first global map of is live on the Association for “As consumer demand for locally-grown food con - Vertical Farming website. This interactive map features data from vertical tinues to skyrocket and the local food industry matures , community gardens and greenhouses around the world. It can be and expands, USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack found on http://vertical-farming.net. has identified local food as one of the four pillars of USDA’s commitment “We have been working hard to survey companies and organizations to rural economic development,” explains a release from USDA. “USDA to build a single robust source for tracking urban agriculture globally,” support of local food gives farmers and ranchers more market opportuni - says the association. “Not only does this map offer the locations of verti - ties, provides consumers with more choices, and creates jobs.” cal and urban farms, but it also tells you whether or not they use artifi - Vilsack said that $48 million in loan guarantees for local food projects cial light, what their primary purpose is, how and if they are integrated is now available through USDA’s Rural Development’s Business and Indus - into existing structures and much, much more.” try Guaranteed Loan Program, and $30 million is available through com - The Association for Vertical Farming is an internationally active non - petitive grants via the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Farmers profit organization focusing on advancing vertical farming technologies, Market and Local Foods Promotion Program. designs and businesses. They say their primary role is in bringing to - Details on how to apply for local food funding through the B&I pro - gether all forces in the field of vertical farming from research, business, gram are available on the Rural Development website. Applications are and policy to create opportunities for the sustainable growth of vertical accepted on a rolling basis. farming around the world.

7 Insider

Backyard Farms Obtains Rimol Donates Greenhouse to GLOBALG.A.P. Certification University Dining Services Backyard Farms, New England’s the continuous improvement of University-grown fresh produce largest year-round grower of toma - farming systems with a holistic ap - will soon be available to students toes, is the first hydroponic grower proach to farm assurance includ - dining at the University of Mary - in the U.S. to obtain GLOBALG.A.P. ing food safety, environment and land thanks to a recent donation Produce Safety biodiversity, workers welfare, trace - from Rimol Greenhouse Systems. Standard (PSS) ability, and animal welfare. You can Rimol, based in Hooksett, New certification for download the standards and Hampshire, donated a 30 ft. by 96 the production of other related documents free of ft. Nor’Easter greenhouse structure its tomatoes. Lo - charge at www.globalgap.org/ to the University’s Dining Services cated in Madison, uk_en/documents. after the school expressed interest Maine, Backyard The certification is offered by in growing greenhouse vegetables. Farms operates Gainesville, Florida-based Quality The donated greenhouse in - said she originally asked for a 20 42 acres of green - Certification Services (QCS). QCS cludes double poly with an IR ft. by 48 ft. high tunnel structure, house growing offers a handful of other certifica - inner layer, automated roll-up but was encouraged by Rimol space that provides the northeast tion options including Certified sides, gable shutters, polycarbon - Owner and Founder Bob Rimol to with fresh, locally grown tomatoes Organic, Certified ate end walls and double sliding go with a bigger structure, which year round. Transitional, Certi - doors. According to Rimol, the led to the Nor’Easter greenhouse GLOBALG.A.P. is a Global Food fied Hormone/An - Nor’Easter is currently the series. Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized tibiotic Free, strongest free-standing green - “It’s important to give graduate scheme at the farm level to ensure Organic Aquacul - house available on the market and and undergraduate students a safe and ture, GLOBALG.A.P. is designed to protect its crops chance to take their classroom worldwide. It’s a voluntary stan - (several scopes), specific trade against all weather conditions. outdoors and understand how dard for the certification of pro - practices and Food Justice Rimol explains that what makes is achieved,” said duction of agricultural, aqua- Certification. the Nor’Easter such a strong and Bob. culture and products. rigid structure is that for every The greenhouse structure is set Certification to bow there is a truss assembly. to be completed this month and GLOBALG.A.P. UMD Coordinator of Sustain - house a variety of crops this standards supports ability and Wellness Allison Lilly summer.

farming in a sterile facility that such as internal air temperatures, Fresh once made chips for mobile humidity, CO2 levels, fertilizer lev - from the phones and other devises. els, pH and EC. Both companies are producing Although the anticipated rev - (Computer low-potassium veggies, targeted at enue from growing and selling Factory) the more than 1 million Japanese fresh produce is a fraction of what who have chronic kidney disease. the companies bring in with tech Farms Fujitsu is calling their new line of products, they say there’s a real de - How about a side of spinach with factory farming. lettuce greens “Kirei Yasai,” mean - mand for vegetables that are free that Toshiba laptop or a head of The common denominator be - ing “clean vegetables.” of , as well as produce lettuce with that Fujitsu mobile tween making computer products The lettuce crops are grown in with specific nutritional profiles. It phone? These two Japanese com - and growing hydroponic produce hydroponic systems with the help could be argued that Fujitsu’s sud - panies, better known for their high- is germ-free clean rooms. Toshiba of high-tech sensors and cloud den venture into farming isn’t tech personal devices, are both is growing produce in repurposed computing systems. Fujitsu’s own about making money growing veg - (independently) combining their clean rooms at a factory that once cloud service for crops, called Aki - gies; it’s about demonstrating their IT manufacturing businesses with made floppy disks, while Fujitsu is sai, helps managers control factors cloud service for farmers.

2014 Farm Bill Expands Crop USDA, new insurance options will allow farmers greater flexibil - ity to make planting decisions on their land. Insurance for Fruits and Vegetables “Crop insurance has been the linchpin of the farm safety A new risk management option will be available for fruit and veg - net for years and continues to grow as the single most impor - etable growers and producers with diversified farms. The 2014 Farm tant factor in protecting producers of all sizes from the effects Bill’s policy, called Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, will provide of unpredictable weather,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vil - flexible coverage options for specialty crop, organic and diversified sack. “Providing farmers the option to insure their whole farm at crop producers. The pilot program will be implemented in counties once gives farmers more flexibility, promotes and across the U.S. and will expand in availability over the next several helps support the production of healthy fruits and vegetables.” years. As part of the pilot program, Whole-Farm Revenue Protec - Basically, whole-farm insurance allows farmers to insure all tion will be available where Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) crops on their farm at once, rather than insuring commodity by and AGR-Lite are currently offered, and will expand to other commodity. Traditionally, many fruit and vegetable crops have not counties as data becomes available for ratemaking. The Risk had crop insurance programs available for them. This has made it Management Agency (RMA) will release information on the less attractive for a farmer that primarily planted a commodity crop policy later this summer when it becomes available. This infor - like wheat or corn to use another part of his or her land for growing mation will be announced on the RMA website at fruits and vegetables or other specialty crops. According to the www.rma.usda.gov.

8 Reader Service Number 202 Cover Story Vertical Farming: A Critic Asks Some Hard Questions “Vertical farming”—multiple layers of plants grown under lights in abandoned urban warehouses—is still in its infancy, but it’s already a media darling. Advocates call it the future of agriculture. Critics say it’s too expensive to be viable. What’s the truth? To find out, Inside Grower visited America’s largest vertical farm, FarmedHere, just south of Chicago, to find out what they’ve learned in their brief four-year history—and to find out if vertical farming is a viable part of agriculture or an unrealistic pipe dream.

Samples of FarmedHere’s biodegradable packaging. Note the “Harvested Locally On” date. Retail price at Chicago grocery chain Mariano’s? $3.49 to $4.99 or upwards of $2.00 per ounce. High end, yes, but that helps fund R&D and expansion.

10 Story and photos by Chris Beytes

When I sat down in the Farmed - have that [profit] mentality, then Here conference room with new you’re not going to succeed. You FarmedHere keeps a low profile in this for - (three and a half months) CEO have to look into every cost that mer corrugated box Mark Thomann, he looked me in goes into every that facility near Chicago’s the eyes and cut to the chase: “At you’re doing out there in order to Midway Airport. the end of the day, the skeptic in make this viable. We’re trying to you wants to know if it’s viable.” do that.” Mark was right. I was skepti - cal—or at least critical. Can a It’s only grant warehouse filled floor to ceiling money and naïve with electricity-sucking lights and investors supporting the HVAC replace tried-and-true greenhouse or field production? vertical farm movement. And what about the fancy-pants “We built this without subsidies,” crops coming out of these sys - says Mark. “And as far as the peo - tems—organic basil, gourmet let - ple like myself who’ve invested in tuce, microgreens? Come on— indoor farming, no, we invest how will these solve the food based on rational business deci - desert and “global food produc - sions and based on whether or tion crisis” that supporters talk not we believe there can be a re - about? turn. And based on everything So I asked Mark, along with I’ve seen, this business can be two of his fellow partners and in - profitable and can be replicated vestors, Mark Weglarz and Steve throughout the country.” Denenberg, to address these I asked Steve Denenberg how points and more. They did. And long he would stick around if the now I’m a believer—at least in numbers weren’t working. FarmedHere’s business model. “I’m not going anywhere,” he answered with a laugh. “The num - Vertical farming bers do look good—they are is being promoted by good.” anti-traditional farm “We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think we could ulti - environmentalists with mately get to profitability,” Mark Much of FarmedHere’s aquaponic (fish and hydroponics) growing system no grasp of reality. continued. “And I see, based on was developed in-house. What you don’t see (because it’s proprietary) are the In some cases. But not at Farmed - the demand that we currently “fish engines”—tanks of tilapia that provide nutrients that are pumped Here. The five partners and their have, that if we continue to build through the hydroponic growing beds. While they do sell the tilapia, fish is not investors have real-world busi - our systems, we will be profitable a main focus of what they do; they provide the “fuel” for the system, Mark says. The vertical aspect of the farm is the five to six layers of beds in the ness backgrounds. John Hall, a and, hopefully, a showcase for other vertical farms around the warehouse. The beds don’t move; worker access is via scissor lift, while plants lead investor, founded Goose Is - are lifted via forklift. Certainly, there’s need for automation here. land Brewery. Executive Chair - world.” man Mark Weglarz owns a Nor is Mark a naïve investor. portfolio of hotels. CEO Mark “I had the same issues going FarmedHere has tested LEDs and Thomann has launched at least a into this [that you have]. But found a “significant” increase in dozen brand-based businesses as once I got here and saw the big - production, so they will be replac - ger picture and saw the demand ing all the older fluorescent lights CEO of Riverwest Brands. with LEDs supplied by Illumitex. Co-founders Paul Hardej and that was there, I knew that this Steve Denenberg have real estate was something I wanted to do. investment backgrounds. The same things that bother you Co-founder Jolanta Hardej has about indoor farming, I’ve looked a marketing and design back - at, and I’ve realized we can over - ground. come them.” “These are legitimate, highly successful business people who There are no like to make return on their capi - business plans in tal,” says Mark. vertical farming, just In other words, capitalists— dreams. which would almost seem to go At FarmedHere, the plan was for - against the grain of the low-car - first $100,000 they spent on the ready being used, so they simpli - mulated early. Steve told me that bon-footprint, “save-the-planet” company, he estimated $75,000 of fied it to FarmedHere.) they got a sound piece of advice image of the indoor farming that went towards developing the Says Steve, “The reason we’ve from advisor Jim Slama, founder movement. brand and packaging. (The origi - achieved a modicum of success of familyfarmed.org, and that was Mark disagrees. “There has to nal name their agency suggested compared to other people so far to create a brand first. So, of the be an equal balance. If you don’t was HarvestedHere, but it was al - is because we weren’t >>>

11 Cover Story

thinking about how cool the technology is to grow indoors— we weren’t growing to grow. We figured out how to sell it first. We wanted to be marketers first and then we’ll be growers second. That’s what we’ve been doing. We created a business and the tech - nology we have supports the marketing, as opposed to the other way around.” The operating overhead—electricity for lighting and cooling— makes indoor farming too costly to ever be viable. True today, but not necessarily for the long term. The first thing I noted when touring the farm was that they used fluorescent lights, not LEDs. Mark said that’s be - cause the technology was too ex - Partners and investors pensive when they built the Mark Thomann (front) and facility. He compares the current Mark Weglarz check out state of vertical farming technol - the current crop of USDA- certified organic basil. ogy to the first cell phones, which were bulky and expensive. No - body ever dreamed that 40 years later they’d be an estimated 6.8 Expensive when you start looking at the can be viable. And if you can billion cell phones in use around organic basil and LED pricing and other factors show that it’s viable, it will grow.” the world. that would make this much more As for replacing other forms However, on the day I visited, microgreens won’t solve viable.” of high-tech agriculture, such as FarmedHere announced a part - the food desert or world Even in the two years since hydroponic greenhouses, Mark nership with LED manufacturer hunger problem. constructing their current farm, sees the opposite: partnership op - Mark estimates costs could be re - portunities. Illumitex of Austin, Texas. Illumi - True. But let’s go back to the cell duced by 40% to 50% if they built “If we’re going to be success - tex will be providing LEDs to re - phone analogy. The earliest cell another one. “That’s a big deal,” he ful, everyone else within the com - place FarmedHere’s fluorescent phones could only be afforded says. munity also needs to be fixtures. Mark wouldn’t elaborate by the wealthy. But their interest “So to answer your question, I successful. We need to embrace on the relationship, but presum - in and support of the technology hope so,” he says. “I know you’re a other growing methodologies, ably Illumitex will give Farmed - made R&D investments possible, critic and I know you probably other technologies that may be Here a deal on the lights in which led to today’s global cell would say no. But I think what we out there. People need to learn exchange for being able to pro - phone phenomenon. So it could are doing ultimately will lead to from us what we know and how mote the relationship and show be with vertical farming. some part of that solution.” we harvest and distribute. Other off the installation for PR and “I think ultimately we will get brands and other forms of green - marketing purposes. to the point where we can pro - Supporters house growing could probably They’ll be making the conver - duce things economically that think vertical farms will utilize the brand that we’ve estab - sion to LEDs over the next few are more for the masses rather lished. months. That will reduce energy than for the Whole Foods shop - replace traditional “I absolutely see partnering costs somewhat while increasing per,” Mark says. Strawberries, agriculture, which they with other growers and other production “significantly,” Steve tomatoes and peppers are next to say is “broken.” technologies to enhance what we said guardedly, not wanting to experiment with. have here,” he concludes. Then he give away trade secrets. The LEDs, But he adds, “[Vertical farms] “It’s a percentage of [agricul - points at a picture of greenhouse combined with installing addi - are not going to solve the prob - ture],” Mark says. “It’s a part of the tomato grower Casey Houweling tional growing beds, should help lem 100%. Are there things we equation. We’re happy just to be on the cover of an issue of Inside them meet the growing demand can do with our knowledge and progressively growing and taking Grower that I’d brought along and from existing customers, such as our technology to advance the a small piece of the market share. says, “I’ll call him tomorrow!” Whole Foods, along with new solution? The answer is yes. Is that Hopefully, in 30 or 40 years, it will customer Jewel-Osco. going to come within a year or be a much bigger piece of the two years? Probably not. But 10 pie. But right now we’re on the years down the road? Potentially, cusp of actually showing that it

12 Reader Service Number 204 Ag History

This article is based on the publication “The Local Food Movement: Setting the Stage for Good Food” co-written in May 2013 by the author and found at the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems web site: http://foodsystems.msu. edu/resources/local-food- movement-setting-the-stage S R A

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o t o h P The Local Food Movement’s Evolution in the United States

Consumers wondering about the origin of their food didn’t just happen overnight; the seeds of the local food movement have been growing since the Great Depression.

by RICH PIROG

The local food movement in the ment Act (AAA) of 1933, which corn and wheat are the primary tional and global supply chains United States has moved from the spawned today’s controversial or secondary ingredients in many developed in response to global margins to mainstream in recent agricultural subsidies and price of the food products found in the trade laws to capitalize on eco - years. Riding a wave of farmer’s supports. 12 As a result of the middle aisles of a typical large su - nomic efficiency, food that histori - markets and community-sup - Great Depression and the severe permarket. Commodities are the cally had been provided by local ported agriculture expansions drought of the 1930s, more than primary feed for many livestock- and regional sources now came and celebrity chef and restaura - 20% of the Great Plains rural fam - based meat and dairy products from wherever land and labor teur testimonials, the movement ily farms sought federal emer - found at the same supermarkets. costs were the lowest. By 2004, has spurred more source-identi - gency relief. 3 Originally created Cheap feed ingredients for live - the volume of food imported into fied food products in small and to protect family farm systems stock made it easier to dramati - the U.S. exceeded the amount large food retailer offerings, and a from economic failure during the cally scale up the size of livestock exported. 9 growing recognition by USDA of Great Depression, these commod - operations through the 1970s and To remain in business, com - the importance of local food ity price support systems took on ’80s to supply a growing demand mon survival strategies used by commerce in rural and urban a more important role over time for meat as Americans began eat - small and mid-sized farms and . The movement has with the help of the USDA. Over ing more meals outside of the food businesses have included evolved and matured since the the coming decades and spurred home. The growing availability of selling differentiated food prod - early 1990s, when it was still con - by the increased production of this meat supply fueled the prolif - ucts directly to consumers or sidered novel to serve local food the following eration of franchised fast-food grouping together to sell those at a farmer conference. Refer - World Word II, the commodity restaurants. 5 same differentiated products ences to local food today can be support system and increased With narrow profit margins in through specialty retailers, food found everywhere, from televi - productivity allowed the oppor - many food industry arenas, many co-ops and food service compa - sion shows and comic strips to tunity for corn, wheat, rice, sugar food and farm businesses chose nies. 10 These survival strategies the White House Garden. and soybeans to be purchased at to scale up production and to increase profit margins for A historical accounting of the low prices by vertically-integrated throughput capacity in order to small and midsize farms con - emergence of the local food food-manufacturing companies survive. Consolidation and focus verged with a growing preva - movement in the United States and then used in a wide variety on efficiency and profit, coupled lence of more “anonymous” food can be somewhat subjective, of value-added food products. with increasing size of operation, in the marketplace. Increasing since we’ve always had farmer’s The nation’s agricultural colleges made it harder for smaller-farm numbers of consumers were curi - markets and our founding laws at land-grant universities, as well and food businesses to compete ous about the farmers who pro - and constitution were shaped at as USDA, focused their research without specialization. 6 7 Many duced their food and how the a time when agrarian was and outreach agendas on build - small and midsized farms went of food was grown. This growing the dominant cultural and eco - ing the efficiency of this com - business during this period, with consumer interest during the past nomic framework. We can trace modity-based production, the sharpest declines occurring 20 to 25 years has spurred a back the seeds of the current processing and marketing from the 1950s through the sharp and steady growth in buy - local food movement to the cre - system. 4 1970s. 8 As farms and food retail ing directly from farmers. A re - ation of the Agricultural Adjust - Today, commodities such as outlets increased in size, and na - cent study of grocery shoppers

14 shows that two-thirds of con - farmer entrepreneurs, community sumers are interested in buying leaders and city planners to re - local to support local think agriculture as a local com - economies. 11 We’ve seen dra - munity development tool and matic increases in the numbers start new food enterprises in the of farmer’s markets, community- city. 13 Another critical emergent supported agriculture enter - trend is the growth in the number prises, as well as farm-to-school of food hubs—businesses that ag - programs. In the 2011/2012 gregate, distribute and market school year, there were nearly source-identified foods. Food 39,000 schools in the U.S. partici - hubs are a response to the in - pating in these farm-to-school creased demand in local food by programs. 12 larger volume buyers who prefer In addition to increased local to not deal with the high transac - food sales and new businesses, tion costs of multiple small there’s been a groundswell of farms. Hubs also have potential new urban agriculture enter - to provide a variety of producer, prises developed throughout the operational and community serv - Previous page: A recent Above: We’ve seen Below: This timeline chroni - country. Increases in vacant prop - ices related to food. 14 study of grocery shop - dramatic increases in cles a sample of important erties due to the recent eco - In recent years several related pers shows that two- the numbers of U.S. events, policies and sta - nomic downturn that started in movements—including healthy thirds of consumers are farmer’s markets, tistics that mark the growth of 2008 have spurred innovative food access, food justice, >>> interested in buying community-supported local food within the context local to support local agriculture enterprises, of evolving conditions of each economies. as well as farm-to- of the four “good food” ele - school programs. ments.

15 Ag History

racial equity and the environment—have converged with the local food FOOTNOTES movement to not only broaden the tent, but increase the expectation for 1 Kolar, L.R. (2011, July 2). Historical reflections 8 U. S. Department of Agriculture (2009). 2007 local food to bring benefits not only to farmers, but also to low-income on the current food and agriculture movement. Es - Census of Agriculture. Volume 1. U.S. Summary says in History. Retrieved June 30, 2013 from and state reports. Table 1.DA Census of Agriculture community residents and all those who want a healthier diet that’s www.essaysinhistory.com/content/historical-reflec - 2007 within their economic means. Many people who are active in these tions-current-local-food-and-agriculture-movement 9 American Society of Microbiology, (2008, June movements have come to understand local food through its connection 2 Dimitri, C. Effland, A. & Conklin, N. (2005). The 3). Globalization exposes food supply to unsanitary and use of the term “good food” coined less than a decade ago by the 20th Century Transformation of U.S. Agriculture practices. Science Daily. Retrieved September 22, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and its strategic partners. The term “good food” and Farm Policy. USDA-ERS. Economic Information 2013, from http://sciencedaily.com/releases/ Bulletin No. (EIB-3) 17 pp., June 2005 2008/06/080602132248.htm has been used to describe food that has four key elements: 3 Link, I., Woofter, Jr., T. J., & Taylor, C.C. (1937). 10 Stevenson, & S., Pirog, R. (2008). Values-based Healthy | Providing nourishment and enabling all people to thrive Research bulletin: Relief and rehabilitation in the supply chains: Strategies for agrifood enterprises- Green | Produced in a manner that’s environmentally sustainable drought area. Washington, D.C.: Works Progress of-the middle. In T. Lyson, G. Stevenson, & R. Fair | No one along the food chain is exploited in its creation Administration. Welsch (Eds.) Renewing an agriculture-of-the–mid - dle: Situation and strategy for the center of the U.S. Affordable | All people have the economic means to access it 4 Ventura, S. (2013). Reforming “Formula Fund” distribution of USDA funding for research, exten - (pp.119-143). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. If local food is only interpreted and referenced in terms of geo - sion and education. In D. Atwood (Ed.), Five per - spectives on improving the U.S. public research, 11 Rushing, J. & Rhuele, J. (2013). Buying into the graphic proximity (how many miles from farm to point of sale?), one education, and extension system (1-14). Washing - local food movement. New York: A.T. Kearney, Inc. could imagine a food system that is geographically local but reflects ton, DC,: Agree. Retrieved August 1, 2013, from Retrieved January 2, 2014 from none of the four above elements used to describe “good food.” The time - www.foodandagpolicy.org/policy/publications http://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_pub - line on page 15 chronicles a sample of important U.S. events, policies 5 Schlosser, E. (2001). Fast food nation: The dark lisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/buying-into-the- local-food-movement/10192 and statistics that mark the growth of local food within the context of side of the all-American meal. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. 12 USDA Food and Nutrition Service (2013). Armto evolving conditions of each of the four “good food” elements. We have a School Census – 2011-2012 school year. Re - tremendous opportunity to thoughtfully rebuild a food system by in - 6 Drabenstott, M., Henry, M., & Mitchell, K. (1999). Where have all the packing plants gone? The New trieved March 1, 2014 from http://www.fns.usda. creasing local food that embodies all four elements of “good food” Meat Geography in Rural America. Bureau of Busi - gov/farmtoschool/census#/national across America, with special focus on those marginalized by race ethnic - ness Research Publications, Paper 13. Retrieved 13 Hagey, A., Rice, S., & Flournoy, R. (2012). Grow - ity, gender, size of business/farm or economic class. Local food farmers June 18, 2013, from http://digitalcommons.unl. ing urban agriculture: Equitable strategies and poli - edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context= cies for improving access to healthy food and and their advocates—along with advocates of food access and health, bbrpub revitalizing communities. Oakland, CA: Policy Link. food justice and racial equity—all must understand and embrace their 7 Stevenson, G.W., Clancy, K., King, R., Lev, L., Os - 14 Fischer, M., Hamm, M., Pirog, R., Fisk, J., Farb - unique, yet interdependent, roles in realizing this opportunity. trom, M., & Smith S. (2011). Midscale food value man, J., & Kiraly, S. (2013). National Food Hub Sur - chains: An introduction. Journal of Agriculture, vey Report, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems RICH PIROG is Senior Associate Director for the Michigan State University Center for Food Systems and Community Development, 1(4), and Wallace Center at Winrock International. Re - Regional Food Systems in East Lansing, Michigan. 27-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.5304/jascd.2011. trieved March 1, 2014 from http://foodsystems. 014.007 msu.edu/resources/2013-food-hub-survey

Reader Service Number 205

16 Reader Service Number 206

Double Trouble or Twice as Nice? The challenges encountered in organic hydroponic vegetable production are complex and run the gamut from nutrient management, pest control and productivity to marketing, semantics and politics.

by ANNIE WHITE

Can hydroponics be organic, too? The straight answer is yes, but the caveats are plentiful and it’s even a somewhat controver - sial topic among growers. Certifiably organic hydroponic growing systems can, and have been, developed in the U.S., but a typical hydroponic growing system is not an organic system and a typical organic growing system is not hydroponic. Both industries are growing strong in the U.S., so why aren’t more hydroponic growers seek - ing USDA ? The reasons for the rarity of organic hydro - ponics are complex and involve discussions of nutrient management, pest control, pro - ductivity, marketing, semantics and politics. Individually, each system has its merits, but a marriage of the two evokes a unique set of challenges. Many produce growers decide to pursue hydroponic or organic growing, but rarely both. In the simplest sense, organic growing is more about feeding the than feeding the plant and hydroponics is about feeding the plant and eliminating the soil. With this in mind, it should be little surprise that practic - ing organic agriculture—a system created for soil-based farming—is challenging for a growing system that doesn’t use soil.

18 The Great Debate—Should Hydroponic Crops Qualify for Organic Certification? The U.S. Department of Agricul - its own advisory board, the Na - associations are angry that hydro - conventional greenhouse vegeta - ture’s National Organic Program tional Organic Standards Board ponic growing methods are still bles are grown this way. But it is (NOP), the organization responsi - (NOSB), which concluded in 2010 certifiable as organic despite the NOT organic,” Dave proclaims. ble for overseeing organic certifi - that hydroponic growing should NOSB’s 2010 recommendation. “There is no reliance on the mi - cation standards in this country, not be allowed organic certifica - Keepthesoilinorganic.org is just crobial activity of the soil to pro - says that organic hydroponic pro - tion in the U.S. Most other coun - one such organization with a peti - vide the biological diversity that duction is allowed as long as the tries, including Canada and tion urging the NOP to take ac - is the basis of organic growing.” producer can demonstrate com - Mexico, do not permit hydroponic tion. It blames the NOP for failing Despite the debate, Miles pliance with all USDA organic crops to be labeled organic. to maintain the integrity of the na - McEvoy says that accredited certi - regulations. The basic require - “The NOP continues to work tional organic standards. fying agents are certifying organic ments for organic certification in - on evaluating and implementing Dave Chapman, owner/grower hydroponic operations based on volve the avoidance of synthetic a backlog of older NOSB recom - of Long Wind Farm in East Thet - the current organic regulations. In chemical inputs, including unap - mendations,” said Miles McEvoy, ford, Vermont, and founder of the the future, the NOP may provide proved and pesticides, deputy administrator of the NOP, petition, isn’t against hydroponics; additional guidance regarding or - and the avoidance of genetically in a statement addressing why the he just doesn’t think it should be ganic hydroponic production and modified organisms. NOP hasn’t acted upon the certifiably organic. how the regulations apply to such To date, the NOP has not ad - NOSB’s recommendation. “It is ingenious, and it works methods. dressed the recommendations of A number of well, which is why virtually all the

ganic” materials into a useable pletion of oxygen levels in the re - What Makes Organic Hydroponic form for plants. Soil or no soil, the circulating solution, which will Systems Challenging? organisms are still needed. This is negatively influence plant health The market has increased every year since 2002, even where things start getting tricky. and growth of organisms that clog through the economic downturn, according to the Organic Trade By relying on microbial re - equipment,” says Kim. “A benefit Association. Consumer demand for organic produce, in tandem with lease of nutrients from organic may include the beneficial organ - the price consumers are willing to pay for it, is inspiring some growers sources, the nutrient supply is less isms out-competing pathogens for to pursue organic hydroponics, despite a myriad of challenges. Here’s predictable in an organic hydro - resources, serving as a buffer a look at the specific challenges in setting up and managing an or - ponic system. Chris says that most against some disease problems.” ganic hydroponic system. growers provide their own source Kim also explains that manag - of nitrogen via compost or fish ing pH is much more difficult waste and then supplement with when carbon-based organic fertil - Setting Up a healthy microbial community, a commercial . izers are used in hydroponics Growing System which converts organic nutrients The refined substances and compared to conventional Designing the growing system is a into forms useable by the plants. mineral salts that are the founda - fertilizers. critical step in planning an or - Large-scale commercial or - tion of most conventional hydro - “Microbial activity feeding on ganic hydroponic operation. ganic hydroponic operations do ponic fertilizers are prohibited in the carbon in the organic nutrient “Both exist, and are expanding in the organic growing and unrefined source contributes to rapid fluctu - (NFT) and drip systems with U.S., but few details are known minerals, which are “organic,” ation in pH during the first few growbags, the two predominant about their growing systems. don’t dissolve well in water. Op - days of nutrient addition,” she commercial hydroponic set-ups, Wholesum Harvest in Nogales, tions for organic hydroponic fer - said. “Adding to the challenge is can be designed to meet organic Arizona, is growing 12 acres of or - tilizers are, however, expanding, that organic certification limits certification standards,” explains ganic hydroponic vegetables with but remain far more limited than the materials that can be used for Chris Higgins, general manager of plans to expand to up to 60 acres. conventional options. Some com - pH management and of the mate - Hort Americas, a distributor of hy - Grimmway Farms grows 10 acres plete liquid organic programs are rials available, such as microbially droponic products and services of organic hydroponic tomatoes offered by Kimitec and distrib - produced citric acid, greater vol - in North America. “Tomatoes, pep - in Tehachapi, California. Protect - uted in the U.S. through Hort umes are required to influence pers and cucumbers are grown in ing the hard work and investment Americas. General Hydroponics pH of the recirculating solution drip systems with growbags and they’ve put into establishing suc - also offers an organic fertilizer compared to conventional acids lettuce greens and culinary herbs cessful growing systems, both line. and bases.” are grown in NFT systems.” companies are tight-lipped about Dr. Kim Williams, professor of In a drip system, the inert sub - the details of their organic hydro - greenhouse management at Controlling Pests Sans strate used to support the root sys - ponic practices. Kansas State University, says or - Synthetic Pesticides tem of the plant must also be Managing an Organic ganic nutrient sources support a In addition to nutrient manage - certified organic. This prevents Nutrient Program thriving microbial community ment, pest management can be a that brings with it both some challenge in organic hydropon - growers from using Rockwool Devising a satisfactory nutrient management drawbacks and po - ics, requiring growers to recog - substrates. According to Higgins, program remains one of the tential benefits. Kim studies water nize and treat pest problems most growers use an organic co - biggest challenges for an organic and nutrient management in before they get out of hand. Dr. conut fiber base, such as Riococo hydroponic grower. The compo - greenhouse production, including Patricia Rorabaugh, professor of hydroponic growbags. Provid - nents of organic fertilizer are organic hydroponic systems. controlled environment agricul - ing the right volume of the sub - largely dependent upon organ - “Drawbacks may include de - ture at the University of strate is critical for supporting a isms in the soil to convert the “or - >>>

19 Organic Hydroponics

Arizona, says that products avail - tions, including biological con - Williams at Kansas State Univer - any negative stigmas associated able to organic growers often trols such as using beneficial in - sity, investigated overall plant per - with soilless hydroponic systems. work slower than traditional sects to prey on harmful pests.” formance in a hydroponic system Conventional hydroponic chemical pesticides. with organic and inorganic fertil - growers, however, are increasingly “Things like oils, sulfur, soaps, Can Organic Productiv - izers. He found that the growth labeling their produce with infor - bicarbonate products or even ity Match Conventional rate of organic-fertilized Rex but - mation that’s important to con - beneficials (predators and/or Hydroponics? terhead lettuce plants grown in sumers. Even without being parasites) may be only partially Growing vegetables hydroponi - NFT troughs was slower than in - certified organic, greenhouse- successful or take some time to cally in climate-controlled green - organic-fertilized plants, allowing grown hydroponic produce is get the pest populations under houses is both capital and labor the inorganic lettuce to be har - often labeled as “GMO-free” and control,” explains Patricia. “And intensive. The investment per vested about five days earlier. “-free,” which some then it may just be a ‘control’ square foot of growing space is However, Jason believes that with argue are the most important rather than eradication.” much higher than field-grown or some tinkering—specifically principles in organic farming. Many hydroponic greenhouse high tunnel production. To be adding some calcium nitrate to With all these challenges, why businesses, including Gotham profitable, any controlled envi - the organic nutrient solution— bother? Why choose to pursue or - Greens in Brooklyn, New York, use ronment agriculture practice the plants would catch up and be ganic hydroponic over a conven - biological controls, combined must maximize productivity, equally productive. tional hydroponic or soil-based with strict sanitary policies, to growing more per square feet to organic system? High market de - prevent pest problems from start - The Marketing Strength mand in tandem with con - offset the increased greenhouse of the Organic Label ing in the first place. Although and technology investment. sumers’ willingness to pay a Growing challenges aside, that lit - Gotham Greens is not certified Growers have struggled to get premium for organically grown tle “organic” sticker on a tomato organic, they market their pro - the same growth using organic still makes a strong case for grow - can make all the difference when duce as pesticide-free. fertilizers compared to inorganic ing a certifiably organic product. it comes to marketability and “Gotham Greens’ products are fertilizer. Although more challeng - If designed and managed care - profitability. A “hydroponic” label free of any harmful chemical pes - ing, some researchers argue that fully and skillfully, a fine-tuned or - holds less appeal to consumers. ticides, insecticides or herbi - an organic system can be just as ganic hydroponic system has the In fact, most hydroponic growers cides,” touts the company on productive with the proper man - potential to grow premium pro - don’t use the word “hydroponic” their website. “We employ inte - agement. Graduate student Jason duce year-round and on a small at all in their marketing, avoiding grated pest management solu - Nelson, working with Kim footprint.

Reader Service Number 207 Reader Service Number 208 Research

Greenhouse Edibles Taking Center Stage

University of Arkansas researchers are getting serious about greenhouse edibles, as an increasing number of growers look to expand their offerings of locally grown products.

by DAVID KUACK

The interest and demand for locally grown grow. Of the university’s students majoring in ested in developing crops that can take South - foods continues to increase among retailers , food crop production is ex - ern hot climates. By converting our facilities to and consumers. The USDA 2007 Census of ceeded only by turf management. focus on greenhouse food crops, we are look - Agriculture reported that direct-to-consumer “More and more students who are inter - ing to become a central institution to study food (D2C) sales increased three times from ested in greenhouse production want to learn new species of greens, developing new crops, 1992-2007. Sales rose from $404 million to $1.2 about growing food crops,” Mike said. “To ac - breeding new cultivars and developing pro - billion. D2C sales grew twice as fast as total commodate this interest, we have started a duction protocols for these crops.” agricultural sales (105% versus 48%). The new class in which we are teaching about the USDA reports some of the reasons that locally production of tomatoes, cucumbers, greens From field to greenhouse grown produce is gaining interest among con - and other edible crops.” One of the crops that Mike is looking at for po - sumers include: Mike said the university’s greenhouses are tential greenhouse production are fresh n Obtain food items with superior quality being equipped with different production sys - greens. characteristics, including freshness, flavor, tems, including hydroponics. The students will “Most of the greens research—including ripeness and longer shelf life. have a well-equipped facility in which they’ll breeding—being done in this country, by-and- be able to have hands-on experience raising large, is for field production,” he said. “Those n Amid concerns about food safety, learn about farming practices used, often directly various edible crops. same varieties that were originally evaluated from growers, which engenders trust in the in - in the field are then taken and grown in the tegrity and quality of the food purchased. Identifying new crops greenhouse. We typically have not bred vari - The changes that Mike has seen with the uni - eties for greenhouse production.” n Support agriculture and small business versity’s horticulture students reflect similar Mike is interested in identifying greens that development in the consumers’ local changes occurring within the horticulture in - have lower inputs—including water and fertil - communities. dustry. Identifying the major greenhouse food izer—are relatively pest- and disease-resistant, n Preserve local farmland/open space by sup - crops currently being grown, he began to look have a rapid production cycle and are heat- porting economically productive use of land. at greenhouse food production and found the tolerant. Mike said the issue with heat is a area of herbs and greens has been neglected. major obstacle for greens grown in the south - Increased student interest Mike has started working with fellow univer - ern United States. Just as consumers are showing an increased sity horticulture assistant professor and “The problem that growers in the southern interest in locally grown food, University of breeder Ainong Shi. half of the U.S. run into during the summer is Arkansas horticulture professor Mike Evans is “We are interested in looking at new what kind of greens can they produce?” he seeing a shift in the type of greenhouse crops species of fresh greens and the breeding of said. “Greens in the South are more of a fall-to- that horticulture students want to learn how to greens,” Mike said. “We are particularly inter - early-spring crop. As temperatures start to get . s

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University of Arkansas researchers are interested in identifying greens Research at the University of Arkansas on green - that have lower inputs—including water and fertilizer—few pest and house food crops will include new species of disease problems, a rapid production cycle and are heat-tolerant. greens, breeding new cultivars and developing production protocols for these crops. 22 hot, growers either have to stop growing said this will enable them to breed dandelions systems and explaining how they can be used greens or begin practices such as chilling the with the traits considered to be most impor - for strawberry production. Mike said many of nutrient solution to try to delay bolting. The tant for greenhouse production. the growers that they’ve met with didn’t know question is can we develop greens that can be about the differences in the production sys - grown in the heat of summer?” Strawberry cam show-and-tell tems and didn’t understand the differences. One of the crops that Mike said has a lot of Vegetables and herbs won’t be the only crops Two of the university’s greenhouses have potential for heat-resistance is spinach. Former University of Arkansas researchers will be been renovated to accommodate various University of Arkansas professor Teddy More - working on. As part of the National Strawberry strawberry production systems. About 4,000 lock did a lot of spinach breeding. Sustainability Initiative, Mike will be working sq. ft. have been converted to hydroponic food “He passed away, but left us with hundreds with professor and fruit extension specialist production with about 1,600 sq. ft. devoted to of spinach lines,” Mike said. “We’re trying to fig - Elena Garcia. The research they’re conducting strawberries and the remaining used for ure out what we’ve got. Teddy never con - is part of a program funded by the Walmart greens. ducted greenhouse trials or evaluated the Foundation, which is being administered by “Our goal is to put in several different sys - germplasm for production in greenhouses. All the university’s Center for Agricultural and tems and to shoot video of what we are doing of his evaluations were done in the field. We Rural Sustainability. from the beginning to end,” he said. “We will might be sitting on the best spinach variety to Mike said the goal of the project is to shoot video of the assembly of the different grow in a greenhouse.” demonstrate and teach growers about various systems, as well as the production of the straw - Dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale ) is an - types of hydroponic systems for strawberry berries in each system. The videos will walk other plant that Mike thinks may have great production. These systems might include nutri - the growers through all aspects of design, potential as a greenhouse crop. ent film technique troughs, gutters and Dutch build, manage, maintain and grow the straw - “Dandelion has a higher nutritional value buckets. Mike said some of the hydroponic sys - berries using a specific system.” than spinach,” he said. “It is loaded with iron, tems offer significant advantages to the pro - Mike said the videos ( which can be vitamins A and C and beta-carotene. It was duction of greenhouse strawberries. He has viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/sus - considered a medicinal plant. The early immi - also been working with University of Arizona tainablehydro) will be used as an educational grants to America brought dandelions with horticulture professor Chieri Kubota and re - tool allowing growers to look at the different them for food. A lot of people suffered vitamin search specialist Mark Kroggel to prepare production systems and to see the advantages deficiencies and developed scurvy so they videos on the strawberry production research and disadvantages of each system. brought the dandelions with them.” they’ve been conducting at the university’s “Not every system is perfect for everyone,” Dandelions are quick growing, don’t need Controlled Environment Agriculture Center. he said. “Everyone has to look at what they are a lot of inputs and are very heat tolerant. Another topic of discussion will be the growing or planning to grow and what is their “They are short-day plants so they might type of structures that can be used to grow market. We want to use the videos as a way to need some night interruption lighting,” he strawberries. demonstrate these systems to teach growers said. “That’s not real a concern because the “If a grower considers using high tunnels, how to effectively select one and how to effec - plants would probably be harvested before he can extend the season,” Mike said. “Or a tively use it.” they flower.” grower might consider using drop-wall green - Mike said dandelions have a lot of genetic houses. There is the possibility of providing For more information, contact Mike Evans at (479) 575-3179 or [email protected]. Some of the diversity because they’re spread out globally supplemental heat, which could result in year- information presented in this article first appeared in the and the plants are segregated from each other. round production. There are a lot of possible July 2013 “News from Hort Americas!” newsletter, Because dandelions have a wide range of fla - benefits for our growers.” www.hortamericas.com. vors and traits, the researchers will be collect - Mike and Elena have been traveling ing germplasm from all over the world. He around the state and meeting with growers, DAVID KUACK is a freelance technical writer in Fort talking to them about the different production Worth, Texas. He can be reached at [email protected]. . . . s s s a a a s s s n n n a a a k k k r r r A A A

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23 Food Safety

The 2010 Food Safety Moderniza - Although greenhouses are tion Act (FSMA) has recently thought of by many to be a con - made growers question whether trolled environment, there remain Protecting or not their methods of growing numerous steps to be taken in are up to par with the newly re - order to be sure that edibles vamped requirements. Even meet the standards. Every step of though there are a few excep - food production, from seed to Greenhouse tions (mainly for smaller grow - shipment, must be carefully ana - ers), most greenhouse growers lyzed for any type of potential and conventional field farmers contamination risk. With this risk are facing similar hurdles to over - analysis, growers are encouraged come. Food safety regulations are to implement preventative meas - becoming strict, while more ures in order to abate contamina - growers move into the green - tion in their product. house edibles market. With con - Create a food-safety plan | In sumers seeking higher quality order to cultivate effective pre - produce, food suppliers such as ventative measures, you’ll first dible restaurants and supermarkets are E s need to document every single In order to comply with the looking to accommodate them step in your food safety plan. by supplying commodities from Check with your fellow growers Food Safety Modernization Act, their own state. With this rapidly or use the wide array of re - growing market, it’s important for sources available on the Internet. you’ll need to follow these best growers of greenhouse edibles— As a general guide, your plan especially new ones who for - should include steps involving merly focused on ornamentals— cleaning, sanitation, water treat - practices. to be well aware and up to date ment, pest control, packing, visita - on the new food safety regula - tion regulations, monitoring and tions that the FSMA has put into testing. A training schedule for effect. greenhouse employees wouldn’t hurt, either.

By RoB LARoSE

24 Keep it clean | Sanitation and acetic acid, have proven to be companies that do offer water workers should know that food cleaning are crucial to any effec - very effective in greenhouse sani - testing to help implement a treat - safety is extremely important to a tive food safety plan. While sanita - tation, along with percarbonates, ment plan. They’ll likely be able business in your industry. Training tion is important, cleaning copper and chlorine. It’s impor - to provide you with or recom - your entire team (as opposed to equipment and other food envi - tant to note that not all mend testing equipment of your those only handling the crops) ronment aspects will drastically chemistries kill spores and may own so that you can continue to will yield the best preventative re - reduce the risks of your product be harmful to the worker or the run your operation independ - sults. Your team should demon - becoming contaminated. Per - environment. Aim for your sanita - ently. strate understanding of the sonal sanitation requirements are tion chemicals to have a minimal Keep wildlife out in the wild | fundamentals so that each indi - equally significant as facility sani - or zero REI to eliminate any Animals and wildlife are not vidual will practice on his or her tation—as every person that delay in production. commonly thought of as able to own, as opposed to just “following comes in contact with food can Treat your water | One of the get into greenhouses, but they the rules.” Encouraging employ - be considered a liability. Many most important food safety meas - have, and will, continue to find ees who are sick to stay away growers typically sanitize and ures you can take to meet man - ways in occasionally. Establish from produce or simply not clean their greenhouses in be - dates is proper water treatment. standards in order to prevent come into work is crucial. tween growing cycles. However, Water that comes in contact with entry from and , as These are only general guide - with the FSMA in place, it’s essen - food must be tested for contami - well as a plan of action to get lines to follow when setting up tial that cleaning is performed on nation regularly. Plant pathogens them out in the event that they your own food safety program. a daily basis, especially in areas are commonly brought on by un - do gain access. A great way to Many choose to add their own where edibles are harvested and treated water, especially if irriga - keep wildlife out is screening ideas and regulatory practices. In packed. It’s wise to implement a tion is from a well, tank or pond. windows. Setting traps is also ef - some instances, visitors are kept zero-tolerance policy with em - Antimicrobial chemicals will fective. These intruders pose a away from produce because they ployees regarding relaxed clean - work best for these specific huge risk of contamination to don’t know the preventative ing practices. Sanitization of cases. The best agent to use for your food, so it’s imperative that measures being taken for this equipment, tools and structures water treatment is peroxygen you take any measures necessary cause. Others add in details are essential, along with making chemistries, according to re - to keep them away from your about how to properly package sure that greenhouse workers are search. Other options include crops. materials. This includes using san - meeting sanitation standards as itary packaging products that are copper ionization, ozone and Keep out | Insects prove well. Peroxycompounds, such as new and unused. Recycled card - chlorine. to be an even larger issue than hydrogen peroxide and peroxy - board and plastic aren’t recom - Wash your produce | Produce birds and rodents. Insects should mended for this job. It may seem must be thoroughly washed be - never be found in growing or insignificant, but working through fore packing in order to dispose packaging areas. Of course, it’s all these small details will help to of any lingering pathogens. For nearly impossible to always re - contribute to making your opera - maximum efficiency, use an an - main 100% -free, but grow - tion as efficient as possible. timicrobial treatment (EPA ap - ers must try their hardest to keep The new regulations in food proved) that doesn’t call for a the populations minimal. A good safety may come across as too water rinse. This method effec - quality sanitation program will strict or overbearing, but making tively prevents food safety issues, be your best friend in reducing or permanent changes to the way as well as food spoilage during eliminating insects inside work your business is run will offer transportation. areas. Insect growth regulators your customers the safest pro - will help you succeed even more Test your water | A great way to duce and ultimately get your rev - in this process. Azadirachtin- reduce food safety risk is to regu - enues booming. Investing the based products, some of which larly test and monitor your irriga - time into writing a carefully are organic listed, are very effec - tion water. Testing (at least) thought out plan will ensure that tive and will eliminate larval and quarterly should provide growers you can offer the freshest and nymph stages of insects. How - with a reliable knowledge of their safest produce for many years. ever, it’s also important to choose water’s quality. Monitoring Your business will likely increase products with anti-feedant capa - changes and patterns in water because restaurants and other bilities so that insects that have quality is always a great preventa - food suppliers are now only come in contact with the plants tive measure, along with keeping going to want to work with sup - are suppressed. Not all of these records of any sanitation or pest pliers who take the time to meet products are the same, but it’s management applications. These the new FDA regulations in order best to avoid those with a glyco - records are ideally updated on a to maintain a desirable image. A gen base, as this can become weekly basis. Also, be sure to test detailed and well-executed food a food source for unwanted your produce wash and sanita - safety plan will give you the op - insects. tion treatment levels. Since get - portunity to offer the best and ting an accurate reading is so Train your staff | Having a uni - safest products in your market. important in this process, it’s criti - versal training program for all of cal that you use a tester that can your workers is an excellent record levels, as test strips are method of making sure that ROB LAROSE is the President and CEO often much less accurate. There everyone has a full understand - of BioSafe Systems based in East are greenhouse and chemical ing of a food safety program. All Hartford, Connecticut.

25 Grower Profile

Increasing the Availability of Local Produce

One grower shows that four-season farming is possible—even during those New England winters.

by ANNE-MARIE HARDIE All photos courtesy of BARBARA DAMROSCH

As the drive to eat local continues to grow, farmers in cooler climates are beginning to look at how they Salads of cold-hardy colorful baby leaves are a wintertime staple at can meet this growing demand and offer fresh pro - Eliot Coleman’s farm in Maine. duce in every season. At a glance, growing fresh pro - duce in the winter season seems like a daunting task. However, pioneers like Eliot Coleman have tion to both the climate and temperature is essential for successful four-season crop shown that four-season farming (and winter farm - growth. Over the years Eliot has learned how to precisely determine these factors. ing, in particular) is possible year round without in - “If you do it right, you can grow most crops including spinach, scallions, carrots, vesting in a heating and lighting system. Swiss chard, kale, all the Asian greens, baby leaf salads, arugula and lettuce,” said Eliot started farming in New England back in Eliot. 1968. His business was thriving in the traditional sea - Eliot discovered that unlike traditional lettuce, which turns to mush after freezing, son, but each fall the produce in the region would baby leaf salads can freeze and thaw night after night without any damage. Not only come from warm-weather states, like California. Eliot are some crops more durable than Eliot originally thought, but he discovered that for wondered if there was a way to decrease the those that require a warmer climate, there are cost-efficient ways to heat them. amount of produce that was imported to Maine. His initial thought was to extend the growing season, Passive heating systems but he learned that in order to change the infra - One of the biggest misconceptions, shared John Piotti of Maine Farmland Trust—an structure of food produce, more had to be done. organization that supports farmers and protects farmland in the state—is that people “A friend explained to me that unless we manage assume that four-season farming is extremely fuel intensive. The main misconception to deal with the whole year, the infrastructure to is that either natural gas or oil has to be used as an alternate heat source to keep the ship food from California to here for just one or two crops at their desired temperature level. However, successful winter gardeners have months still had to be in place,” said Eliot. “So we learned that this isn’t the case. said, ‘Okay we’re going to do it for the whole year.’ “Eliot Coleman has shown that, simply by wise selection of crop, judicious use of And it worked.” a good composted manure [which gives off heat] and using a couple layers of plas - To make a four-season farm financially feasible, tic, you can keep produce in the ground 12 months out of the year,” said John. both the crops themselves and the planting dates Eliot’s research with computerized thermometers revealed that each layer of cov - need to be diligently planned. Paying careful atten - ering moved the area approximately one and a half USDA zones south.

26 Spinach in a cold house before being covered for winter. Spring in the cool house. Under the covers, it looks like a perpetual spring even in wintertime.

“When I walk to the green - farming and further extending the son bit by bit and learning how Maine. As part of the process, house, I’m in Maine. When I get in - season. At his own farm, he begins the climate impacts the crop de - they’ve created their own food side there, I’m in New Jersey. And most of the winter crops outdoors velopment. This can be done rela - hub involving six farms, including when I reach my hand under that in the fall, while the greenhouse tively simply by involving some one that is a non-profit food bank inner layer, my hand is in Georgia,” continues to house the warmer cli - basic technology (like covers) and farm. said Eliot. “And so anything that mate crops like tomatoes, peppers, making a careful selection of the Each of the six farms will feed would survive out of doors in the eggplants and cucumbers. Once type of crop grown. Although ex - directly into the food hub, shares winter in Georgia will survive very everything freezes, the winter pensive technology, like heat and John, elevating both the knowl - nicely under that double layer in crops are put into the greenhouse. lighting systems, could grow winter edge base of the farmers (as they Maine.” “When you put all that money crops, it will substantially decrease get to share best practices), while Greenhouses not only provide into a greenhouse, if you can get a farmer’s ability to remain creating a marketing opportunity. insulation, but are a natural barrier more than 12 months of use out of profitable. The value of the food hub is that for wind. Plants that may be able it every year, you’re getting a great “The minute you put heat in, these farmers can now begin to to survive cooler temperatures are return on your capital investment,” boy, that’s a slippery slope because target some of the wholesale mar - often devastated by the strong win - said Eliot. crops I can grow if I keep it above kets, instead of the traditional for - ter winds. Greenhouse structures 35F in the winter would be even mat of direct sales. ensure that the plants are pro - The business of better if I kept it above 45F and “Small farms have stayed alive, tected from all of the elements, four-season farming even better if I kept it above 55F ,” and in many cases grown and providing a bountiful harvest. Although winter farming is defi - said Eliot. “And the next thing I prospered, by selling direct,” said When considering which crops nitely doable in cooler climates, it know, I’m Maine’s largest mango John. “The simple truth is that the to farm, the factor to consider isn’t may not always make the best grower and I’m in Chapter 11. vast majority of consumers are not the heat (which can be easily ad - business sense. Those are the things you have to going to get their food by going to justed), but sunlight. “Farmers can’t think of produc - try and avoid.” a farmer’s market or being part of “Sunlight is the determinant— tion decisions outside of business a CSA. They want to go to a store. A more than temperature—because decisions. Or at least they should - Know your market lot of us feel that the challenge of temperature you can control,” said n’t,” said John. “So, as they’re analyz - In order to be successful, farmers the next 20 years is figuring out John. “You can add heat with good ing what they can grow, they really must look at four-season farming how to elevate local, keeping the compost and layers, but you can’t need to be analyzing their market.” as part of their business plan and best features of local—which are add light unless you use the sun Eliot determines whether a discover where the market oppor - not only quality and freshness— lamps.” crop is worth investing in by gaug - tunities are. Traditionally, this mar - but ensuring that most of the bene - John believes that lack of sun - ing what profit each square foot ket has been limited to CSAs and fits flow back to the farmer, rather light is the one factor that could will bring in. His current formula, direct sales through farmer’s mar - than flow back to the middle limit some areas from farming all which he admits should probably kets, but John would like to see men.” year round. He cautions that when be increased, is that a crop has to this extended into other areas. farmers are considering extending In order to expand the poten - bring in a minimum of $1.50 a ANNE-MARIE HARDIE is a freelance their season, they must look at the square foot for every two months tial market for winter farmers, amount of sunlight available and John—in conjunction with Eliot’s writer/speaker from Barrie, Ontario, and it’s in the greenhouse in order to part of the third generation of the family- select crops accordingly. be profitable. daughter Clara Coleman—are owned garden center/wholesale business Years later, Eliot continues to John’s advice is to start off looking at the feasibility of differ - Bradford Greenhouses in Barrie/Bradford, look at ways of advancing winter small, extending the growing sea - ent food hubs around the state of Ontario.

27 Pest Management

Fight Aphids With Aphids

Using banker plants for greenhouse vegetable crops can be a key tool to fighting your aphid issues.

by STEVEN FRANK

Aphids are common pests of greenhouse But do you know what does repro - crops. Peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, duce well in greenhouses? Aphids. What lettuce, herbs—they all get aphids. And if there was a way to pit one aphid aphids are one of those pests that can against another? What if there were damage plants in several ways. “good” aphids that could help manage First, of course, they damage plants the bad ones? In a sense, this is how U S C

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: o leaves. By drinking phloem, aphids are t natural enemies within the greenhouse. o h tapping the energy plants need to grow. P For the aphid banker plant system this Phloem provides energy (sugar) for Banker plants provide hosts for aphid means grain plants infested with parasitoids in a greenhouse. plants, but not much nutrition or protein cherry-oat aphids, Rhopalosiphum padi. for aphids. Its like if you tried to raise your Bird cherry-oat aphids are the good kids on soda. To compensate for poor leasing natural enemies even if your aphids (for us, not for grain farmers). nutrition aphids have to drink a lot of scouting (you are scouting aren’t you?) They help us control pests because phloem. With specialized guts, they doesn’t turn up any pests. Releasing nat - Aphidius colemani parasitizes pests like quickly sieve out the proteins and excrete ural enemies—“whether you need them green peach aphid and parasitizes bird a sugary fluid called honeydew. Honey - or not”—is good practice because even cherry-oat aphids. Thus, if you’re lucky dew coats leaves and fruit, making them your best scouting will not find every enough not to have pest aphids in your shiny and sticky. aphid or other pest in the greenhouse. In greenhouse, A. colemani can reproduce If that weren’t enough, a fungus called addition, pests can arrive at anytime. and build up a population on bird cherry- sooty mold grows on honeydew causing Aphids develop from birth to adult in a oat aphids instead. Then when aphids leaves and fruit to turn black. Not exactly couple days and produce several babies come in on transplants, worker clothing the “perfect tomato” customers have in each day. So a couple of stray aphids will or a gentle breeze you have an army of mind. As aphids are probing for phloem quickly disrupt your IPM program. parasitoids ready to attack them. with their syringe-like mouthparts, they I know what you’re thinking: “So, you Bank on Banker Plants damage cells in leaves and meristems, want me to bring aphids into my green - Unfortunately, most natural enemies like causing leaves to be distorted and house?” or “No aphids are good aphids” the aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani stunted. Probing can also transmit or maybe just “Dr. Frank, you’re crazy!” don’t survive or reproduce well in green - viruses, such as cucumber mosaic virus. This last thought may be true, but so is houses without pests. Aphidius colemani With all the potential for damage, these the first one. I do want you to bring bird are the primary natural enemies used for little bugs can be a big deal. But you al - cherry-oat aphids into your greenhouse. biological control of aphids. They’re tiny ready know that. It’s alright because bird cherry-oat aphids (less than 1/8 in.) wasps that lay eggs in - There are many aphid species, but only feed on grasses and grains, so they side aphids. The wasp larvae develop green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) don’t spread to greenhouse vegetable within aphids feeding on the aphid in - and melon aphids (Aphis gossypii) are the plants. So with a handful of grain seeds nards. After several days, the aphid be - most common. More growers are turning and a few bird cherry-oat aphids you comes bloated, hardened and bronze or to biological control to manage these could start producing your own para - brown—the color of paper bags. This is pests and there are quite a few biological sitoid army. Are you ready to get started? called an aphid mummy. After a few more control agents available to help. Biologi - Right now, the entrepreneur in you is days the adult parasitoid chews a hole in cal control works best when natural ene - saying, “Free parasitoids! Yippee! I never the mummy and emerges to parasitize mies are present in your greenhouse all have to send money to that biological more aphids. So without aphids, A. cole - the time. This means purchasing and re - control supplier again!” I appreciate your mani can’t reproduce.

28 need some aphids. Some biological con - trol companies sell banker plants with bird cherry-oat aphids, so you could use this as a starter colony. Depending on where you live you may be able to collect some, too. Bird cherry-oat aphids are common in wheat fields and in fields with grain cover crops. Here in North Carolina, Adult bird cherry-oat aphid and mummy on a grain stem. corn and soybean fields are often planted in winter wheat or other grain as a cover crop in fall. In spring, you can find bird cherry-oat aphids feeding there. Once you have grain plants and bird cherry-oat aphids, of course you need parasitoids. If you’re already releasing A. colemani in your greenhouse, you can

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h banker plants. Other folks put banker P plants into a cage with parasitoids to be sure they have lots of mummies before placing them in the greenhouse. Once you have all the components, Aphidius colemani parasitoid growers can customize and optimize the bending its abdomen forward process for their operation and biological to insert an egg into an aphid. control needs. And this is where it turns out that parasitoids from banker plants aren’t exactly “free.” After several weeks, grains can get tall and floppy and can be replaced with new ones. Some growers produce grain plants in a separate space so they always have clean grains, grains infested with aphids, and grains with aphids and mummies. Other growers sow the grain seeds out in the green - U S

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t baskets; wherever you can spare some o h P space. Just remember to water them. So you can fight aphids with aphids. enthusiasm but there are some logistics parasitoids. Large parasitoids are gener - Bird cherry-oat aphids on banker plants (read: costs) involved that will affect the ally better because they produce more can help sustain the parasitoids you pur - extent to which you implement banker eggs, probably fly farther and can handle chase and potentially produce all the par - plants and whether you produce your larger aphids. Of course, female para - asitoids you need. own or purchase them from a supplier. sitoids—since they lay eggs—are the Let’s start with the grain plants. Many only ones that parasitize aphids. Other different grain species have been used as grain species we’ve tested, like oats, STEVE FRANK is Assistant Professor and Extension banker plants to support bird cherry-oat were worse in that they produced fewer Specialist for greenhouse, nursery and landscape pests in the Entomology Department at North Carolina State aphids and parasitoids. Research in our parasitoids, smaller parasitoids or more University. His greenhouse research has been funded by lab has shown that rye and barley are male than female parasitoids. the American Floral Endowment, Fred C. Gloeckner both good choices that grow well, sup - You can plant grain seeds in a pot Foundation and USDA SARE. You can find more about port aphid population growth, and most with your standard potting mix and they’ll his biological control research at http://EcoIPM.com or follow @OrnaPests on Twitter. He can be reached at importantly, produce lots of large, female grow fine. This is the easy part. Now you [email protected].

29 Pest Management

Blossom End Rot: Understanding a Perennial Problem

Blossom end rot is a perennial problem on tomatoes, peppers and other crops. Understanding the causes can help reduce symptoms, but it’s rare to be able to eliminate it completely.

by RON GOLDY

Blossom end rot is an annual Another reason plants may be problem for many fruit and veg - unable to maintain a steady Ca etable growers. Vegetables espe - supply is inconsistent water. Alter - cially susceptible to blossom end nating wet and dry periods de - rot are tomatoes—Roma-types in crease Ca uptake and greatly particular—peppers, eggplant, contribute to blossom end rot de - watermelon and summer squash. velopment. Timely irrigation main - Very simply, blossom end rot is tains consistent soil moisture, caused by a lack of adequate insuring an uninterrupted flow of calcium (Ca) in the fruit with the Ca into the plant, which can hap - Ca concentration being lower at pen even though there are ade - the blossom end compared to quate Ca levels in the soil. the stem end. Strangely enough, another fac - Blossom end rot is more tor contributing to blossom end prevalent on early fruit than it is rot is excellent growing conditions. on later fruit and varieties can Tomato fruits with blossom end rot. A period of bright sunshine and vary in their susceptibility. Calcium warm temperatures often experi - is an important nutrient needed by plants for cell wall develop - enced in July can be a main contributor. So even with adequate ment and other processes. Calcium is non-mobile in the plant, soil Ca and soil moisture, weather conditions can work against meaning that once it’s in place in the plant, it cannot be moved you. I’ve seen this especially in peppers. Excellent growing con - to another area within the plant. Therefore, plants need a contin - ditions apparently cause plants to grow so rapidly that roots are ual Ca supply for good growth. On tomatoes, blossom end rot is unable to take up enough Ca to meet demand and the blossom often in combination with a black, sooty-appearing fungus that’s end of the fruit is the first to suffer. a secondary problem. The solution to minimizing blossom end I often get calls about foliar Ca applications and I always tell rot lies in understanding the reasons plants might have difficulty the caller that plants best get Ca through their roots and foliar in maintaining adequate Ca. applications are only a short-term fix. As stated earlier, Ca is not The first reason plants lack Ca is that there may not be very mobile in the plant, so application to older leaves has little enough Ca in the soil. Inadequate Ca can be quickly determined benefit. If foliar applications are done, it’s important to apply by a soil test. Michigan State University Extension indicates soil them to young, expanding leaves. Products of choice are cal - tests can be done in the fall and, if corrective measures are cium chloride or calcium nitrate at 1 to 2 lbs. of Ca in 30 gal. of needed, fall is a great time to add Ca as lime. Another plus is water. Read more information on secondary and micronutrient soil-testing labs are often not as busy in the fall, so results may applications at www.msu.edu/~warncke/E0486.pdf. be returned sooner. Low Ca can be accompanied by low mag - It’s not possible to completely eliminate blossom end rot nesium, in which dolomitic lime can be applied. Adding standard since some causal agents are beyond your control, but it can be or dolomitic lime will increase soil pH. Some situations may re - greatly reduced by making sure soil Ca levels are adequate, quire additional Ca, but not increased pH, in which gypsum will proper irrigation practices are followed, good variety selection be recommended. Gypsum is calcium sulfate and won’t change and foliar Ca are timely and properly applied. pH. Most Michigan , whether they’re or clay-based, generally have adequate Ca, but lime may need to be added to RON GOLDY is Extension Educator, SW District, Agriculture (Vegetables) for Michigan State University. He can be reached at (269) 944-1477 ext. 207 or [email protected]. adjust pH.

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31 Culture Notes

Growing Lettuce? A Beginner’s Guide to a Strong Start

The key for successful hydroponic production is starting with strong young plants.

by DR. VIJAY RAPAKA & DR. CARI PETERS

Hydroponic lettuce is typically a six-week crop—two weeks for young available in different configurations. Because of the process in which the plant production and four weeks from transplant to finishing. The end foam is made, Oasis cubes are particularly consistent with regular dibble product is a delicious, healthy and marketable 5 to 6-oz. head of lettuce. hole intervals, which make seeding more uniform and even. Rockwool is More than any other crop, making the right choices at the earliest de - nontoxic, but can irritate the skin because tiny fiberglass spikes can pen - velopmental stage can set you up for much success later in the growing etrate the skin during initial handling. Also, the dibble holes aren’t uni - process. Your decisions aren’t limited to choosing the right propagation form, so the seeding can be time-consuming. media and nutrient blend for your system. Providing optimal environ - Nutrients mental conditions, along with proper A water test is the foundation for irrigation practices and fertilizer tim - grasping the key components of your ing, is also crucial for successful pro - water and will help you make the duction of strong young plants. right choice of nutrients for your hy - The young plant production con - droponic system. Your results will sists of germination and seedling pro - help you balance these numbers with duction stage. Germination happens the essential nutrient inputs and keep during the first 24 to 48 hours. By the them available in solution. Your water end of 48 hours the radicle (the first alkalinity and pH are related, but not growing part of the seed to grow) will the same. City and well water can be penetrating into the propagation have higher water alkalinity causing a media and cotyledons will be emerg - rise in pH and require a need for ing. Those seedlings will be ready to acidification; rain or RO water can transplant in the next 12 days when have lower alkalinity levels that can they have two to three true leaves cause great swings in pH. The key is and roots emerging from the bottom to keep your solutions in the pH of the propagation media. range of 5.5 to 6.2. This allows for the most optimum nutrient availability to Media the plants. Remember, if it’s not avail - The role of media in hydroponic let - able or soluble, it’s almost invisible to tuce production is very limited, but the plant and cannot be taken up. plays a crucial role. Media is used to There are many options in provid - start the seeds and grow the young Effect of fertilizer timing on Butterhead Skyphos seedling growth. Photos ing mineral nutrients and they’re bro - plants. The media is also used as a taken 14 days after seeding. On the left, Oasis Horticubes XL fertilized with ken into three categories: Mix your stabilizing material after transplant Oasis Hydroponic Fertilizer 125 ppm N after seed germination (3 days after own; two-part systems; and one-bag into the production system. For opti - seeding), and on the right fertilized with initial watering. After Day 3, both blends. With any nutrient option, it’s mal results, the propagation media treatments were fertilizer similarly. Note: With young plant production, make crucial to choose raw materials that sure to use high-quality water-soluble fertilizers with low salt index. Using should hold air for the roots to con - fertilizers with high salt index can cause phytotoxicity. contain minimal impurities and are duct respiration. The media should extremely water-soluble. The first two hold enough water and nutrients so categories require more than one the seedlings don’t dry out between irrigation cycles. The physical prop - tank and/or a stepwise recipe for mixing nutrients. The benefits of a mix- erties of the media should be consistent and free of any pathogens to your-own program (i.e., CropKing) is that it allows flexibility to bend to produce uniform, strong and healthy young plants. Choosing a media crop needs, but often for a smaller grower, the cost of buying materials in with these properties will promote rapid seedling growth and be easy to bulk and costly mixing mistakes/labor can be too much. handle during seedling production and transplant. The next options are blended and guaranteed by the manufac - The propagation media can be broadly categorized into stabilized turer—a two-part system (Tank A: 5-12-26, Tank B: Cal Nitrate) allows you and loose-filled media. Some of the examples of loose-filled media in - some flexibility by ensuring at least two parts are in balance, as long as clude variations of a typical soilless mix (peat, , vermiculite, etc.). the suggested mixing ratios are followed. Loose-filled media isn’t widely used because of the handling issues at The One Bag blend ( Oasis Hydroponic Fertilizer 16-4-17) is designed transplant. In a word, it’s messy! Peat-based media in a hydroponic sys - to provide a balanced nutrient blend while using the most advanced tem will have levels of degrading peat that competes for oxygen and chelating agents, keeping Fe available up to a pH of 9. Not only is it water can act as a breeding ground for pathogens. Some of the commonly soluble and non-adjusting, but it carries a low salt index, which virtually used stabilized media include Grodan Rockwool and Oasis Horticubes eliminates any concern about phytotoxicity. When mixing, the one-bag and XL foam growing media. What’s the difference? Oasis foam is a ther - solution reduces confusion, as there’s no specific “recipe” that workers moset phenolic cellular material and Rockwool is a spun-bound fibrous are required to follow. This significantly reduces the chance of costly er - material mined from basalt rock. Both are synthetic, inert and sterile and rors, especially when employing temporary help.

32 Growing conditions Figure 1: Effect of fertilizer timing on seedling growth. Environmental: After initially watering the Lettuce harvested 14 da ys af ter seeding. propagation media, it’s not required to water the seeds during the first 48 hours. The lettuce ) seed can be germinated both under light and ) 260 y y a in darkness. However, for uniform germina - a FFertilizerertilizer applied after gergerminationminationmination VerticalVeerticalrtical bars denote +/- standardstandard errors r r t t 240 / tion and initial start, keep the propagating / FertilizerFertilizer applied with initial seeding CurrentCurreentnt effect: F(5, 24)=20.576, p=.00000 s s trays in darkness under high humidity at tem - g g 220 n n n i i peratures between 65F and 68F (18C and i l l l d d 20C). Right after 48 hours, the seedling needs d

200 e e e e e to be moved to full light. Any delay in light in - e s s s

terception can cause stretching of seedlings. 180 6 6 6 7 7 For seedling production, maintain the 7

2 2 2 ( ( ( 160

greenhouse day temperatures between 65F

s s and 75F (18C to 21C) and night temps be - s m m m 140 a a a r tween 55F and 60F (12C to 15C). The relative r g g humidity should be between 60% and 70%. 120 n n

i i

Lettuce seedlings are very receptive to Daily t t h Light Integrals (DLI) and light intensity. Let - h 100 g g i tuce seedling can handle DLI more than 20 i e e

80 W mol/day. The light intensity can be main - W

h tained between 500 to 600 µmol/m 2/s and h s s 60 e consider shading when levels get higher than e r r F 2 F

600 µmol/m /s. Excessive shading can slow 40 e e c down the growth and cause stretching of the c u u t seedlings. Consider supplemental light during t 20 t t e winter months and overcast days. e L L 0 Butterhead Butterhead BataviaBBataatavia Lolla Rosa Romaine Butterhead Irrigation practices and methods Lettuce Lettuce Lettuce Red Curly Counter LettuceLettuce RexRex After 48 hours (i.e., on Day 3), mist the SkyphosSkyphos Flandria Impulsion seedlings twice with a misting nozzle, and on Day 4 onwards, water the seedlings as re - quired once a day or every alternated day. It has to be noted that hydroponic production Figure 2: Effect of fertilizer concentration on seedling growth. doesn’t start until the young plants are trans - Butterhead Rex lettuce harvested 14 days after seeding. planted into the production system. Watering 200 the seedlings several times a day or continu - ously during propagation can super saturate TTreatments;reatments;eatments; WWeightedeighted Means the media and minimize aeration, which will 175 CCurrenturrentent effect: F(5, 30)=73.905, p=.00000 result in poor root development and weak VerticalVerticalertical bars denote +/- standardstandard errors seedling growth. Alternatively, never let the media dry out excessively, which can stress 150 the seedlings and can cause damping off.

) During seedling production, watering can ) g g ( ( 125 be carried out by overhead irrigation using a t t h hose and a breaker or misting system. Over - h g g i i e head irrigation promotes superior growth, as e 100 W W this method allows incorporation of higher

h amount of oxygen into the media. Watering h s s e e r can also be carried out by sub-irrigation, how - r 75 F ever, media will hold more water and aeration F can be compromised. To counteract this phe - nomenon, reduce the frequency of irrigation 50 and choose the media with bottom grooving so the media can drain excess water effectively. 25 Fertilizer Timing 0 Typically, it’s advised to apply nutrients after 1122 3 344 5 6 seed germination (2 to 3 days after seeding) because the food reserves in the seed fuel the TreatmentsTreatments germination and the nutrient uptake starts only after the root emerges. However, our re - Treatment details: Treatment 1 was started with tap water and after germination the seedlings were watered search indicated that it’s extremely important with 150 ppm N during the course of seedling production. Treatment 2 started with 50 ppm N, treatment 3 to apply the nutrients with the first watering. It started with 75 ppm N, treatment 4 started with 100 ppm N, treatment 5 started with 125 ppm N and treatment 6 started with 150 ppm N right from seeding and continued with their respective fertilizer concentrations. has to be noted that synthetic hydro - >>>

33 Culture Notes

ponic media is inert and free of any nutrients, which is designed to offer the grower maximum flexibility when providing nutrients to the plants. By virtue of this, when the media is saturated with clear water at seeding and followed with nu - trient application after seed germination, the nutrients are not readily available at the applied concentration in the root zone for the roots to uptake. As a result, seedling growth is getting delayed when nutrients aren’t being applied with initial watering. Figure 1 shows a study with Oasis Horticubes XL media where Oasis Hydro - ponic Fertilizer was applied at 125 ppm N after germination (3 days after seeding) or with initial saturation of the propagation media. When the fertilizer was applied with initial watering, the seedling growth was doubled in almost all the lettuce cul - tivars that were tested. Note: In the case of foam where fertilizer was applied after germination, those propagation trays were started with clear water. From Day 3 on - wards, both treatments were treated similarly and watered with 125 ppm N. Fertilizer concentration Typically the fertilizer concentration used for young plant production is 75 ppm N, which is half the strength that is used in the production area. However, our recent Phytotoxicity observed when fertilizer with high salt index was used.

Target Feed Rates (in ppm N) as per crop type and stage findings are that lettuce seedling growth can be significantly enhanced with much higher concentrations than 75 ppm N. Type Propagation Production Figure 2 shows the study conducted with Oasis Horticubes XL Buttercrunch/Boston Bibb 125 150 medium fertilized with Oasis Hydroponic fertilizer. The study demonstrates that the lettuce seedling growth increased with Romaine, Red and Green Leaf 125 150 increase in fertilizer concentration until 125 ppm N and after Basil 125 175 that no improvement was observed. Culinary Herbs 125 150 Strong start = Profitable finish Growing a high value lettuce crop takes time and experience Cole Crops 125 175 in order to fine-tune all the areas that are covered in this Garlic and Scallions 125 150 quick summary article. Remember, there are useful free serv - ices out there that can help you improve each section of your Tomatoes 125 200 seedling production. Use technical help, from your laboratory Peppers 125 150 to your media provider or fertilizer manufacturer. Keep de - tailed records and be flexible—what works for the guy down Cucumber 125 175 the street may not work for you. But at least keep talking with Heavy Feeder your peers; it will help the entire industry improve. Cabbage, Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard, 125 175-200

Mustard Greens, Mizuna, Escarole DR. VIJAY RAPAKA is Manager of Grower Research at Smithers-Oasis Light Feeder Lettuce Company in Kent, Ohio. He can be reached at (330) 676- 4450 or 125 125-150 Arugula, Watercress, Spring Mix [email protected]. Visit www.oasisgrower.com. DR. CARI PETERS is vice president of J.R. Peters Inc., in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She can be As the plant increases in size, the demand for more nutrient uptake increases. reached at (866) 522-5752, ext 14 or [email protected]. Visit The chart above depicts suggested fertilizer concentration per stage and plant type. www.jrpeters.com.

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