A collaboration of CEA

More than 650 attendees came together to Las Vegas’ Convention Center to talk the past, present and future of indoor agriculture for the 4th annual Indoor Ag-Con — where the ideas, successes and challenges were shared from commercial aspects of the business to nutrition, lighting and regulation via speaker presentations combined with more than 50 exhibitors on the show floor.

Soilless background

Dr. Merle Jensen, professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, kicked off the conference by sharing some soilless growing history with audience members. He discussed the need for hydroponics in the South Pacific around World War II (because of the lack of good soil) as well as his push to use Cornell University’s Peat-Lite Mixes in order to prevent soil-borne disease.

He reflected on his trials in Abu Dhabi, Iran and Mexico, where he first utilized hydroponic growing, and also explained the benefits of growing with media such as coconut coir and the importance of understanding your vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Learn more about Dr. Jensen’s contributions to soilless growing in our online exclusive interview at bit.ly/21tTW1f

Financing

Producers also had the opportunity to bounce questions off Herb Shedd of USDA, who announced nationwide grant opportunities set aside for agricultural marketing initiatives, along with feasibility studies for existing growers to expand into new areas.

Along the same financial vein, Mike Betts of AgFunder talked about alternative capital sources growers can turn to, such as equity crowdfunding — like AgFunder, AngelList and CircleUp — and also reward-based crowdfunding — such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, all of which could be supplements to traditional financing avenues like venture capitalists, friends and family, angel networks, family offices or government funding. But even with all these options, Betts warned that there is no “silver bullet” to solve agricultural funding issues, and cautioned the crowd to be ready for challenges. Although, he did say that a desirable scenario for an investor includes someone with success in another industry, and who brings something new to the table. Listen to our podcast with Mike Betts at bit.ly/1pYszyz

Big data

Big data was the focus of the presentation by Bob Chen, CEO of Aessence, a growing systems producer based in Mountain View, Calif. Chen defined big data as the “vast amount and variety of data with significant value that can be extracted with analytics that provide insights for actions that lead to better outcomes.” In other words, these are the measurements that will help you improve your business. He added that collecting data optimizes your growth and supply chain, while also making inspections easier.

Agrilyst’s Allison Kopf unveiled her award-winning startup’s new dashboard, which allows growers to easily track the sensor-measured data throughout the operation. When it comes to controlling climate, Kopf says growers should be proactive, versus reactive, and data in real-time can help you address potential issues faster.

Container farming

The profitability of container farms was a topic that generated buzz throughout the conference. Eric Amyot, president and co-founder of Modular Farms crunched the numbers for his customers, claiming that potential profits could reach up to $101,500 Canadian dollars per year (about $77,447 USD). David Martin of Indoor Farms of America also shared that crops beyond leafy greens — like strawberries and hot peppers — are feasible in a container-style setup. Dan Kuenzi, co-founder of Local Roots Farms stressed the importance to all container farmers about food safety. Any food safety slip-up from a farmer could have a detrimental effect to all modular farmers, he said.

Chefs' choices

Notable chefs and restauranteurs like Darren Brown and Tobias Peggs discussed their roles in addressing consumers’ demand and food-related concerns. Peggs noted that Gen Y cares more about where their food comes from than how they’re going to pay the rent. Brown said that it’s not difficult to convince his customers the benefits of CEA — all he needs is the opportunity to tell the story. And additionally, it would help for vertical growers to market themselves as farmers, and not as a laboratory, which will resonate much more with the targeted audience.

Because restauranteurs want the best possible crop, they will go to several producers to get it. Brown advised CEA growers to specialize in a niche crop in their area first to build credibility, and branch out from there. The ability to be flexible with chefs will also go a long way, Tobias says. He suggests focusing on building partnerships with your local chef instead of simply landing the sale.