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Is Indoor Ag the Future?
Is Indoor Ag the Future?
SEA OF GREEN
By Duncan Cameron, SOW Consulting LLCJanuary 20, 2023
Greetings from Amarillo, Texas. I'm still on the road visiting some open field farmers here at the Precision Planting conference. I've always found that drawing on the expertise of traditional farmers is a great way to expand my knowledge base; these folks have been doing this for much longer with far thinner profit margins. I also like to challenge my own assumptions of who it is that lives in this part of the world and what they are all about. Get out and travel folks. Most places and the people in them are more than news clips and sound bites.Lately I've been thinking a lot about indoor agriculture. Even though I cut my teeth in the space and championed all the potential good things about it (reduced land and water use, reduced transportation costs, consistent harvests and improved quality) I know that there are still many hurdles to overcome in order for this sector to succeed. However those in the industry try to spin it, indoor ag is energy intensive. Recent failures in the space (5th Season, Infarm, Glowfarms and a myriad of cannabis operators) point to the vulnerability of operators when either a) investor money dries up b) there is a shock in the energy market or c) price compression happens faster than anticipated.The question I keep asking is, "Is the old way the best way?" What if we were to tweak greenhouse or even open field ag to become more efficient? Could we achieve some of the same goals as we wait for renewable energy to power the grid and make indoor ag a true contender? Researchers at UC Davis have been experimenting in the growing field of agrivoltaics; combining food and energy production to achieve this goal. The work is nascent but shows some promise. Experiments with semi-closed and fully closed greenhouse systems have been happening since the early part of the 21st century. My gut tells me that we will need to employ all of these techniques to meet the growing demand for food and medicine and need for protection against an increasingly erratic global climate.
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. Cannabis growers need embrace GMP or at least have sanitation protocols in place.
Cold storage for UnRooted Cuttings (URC). Some plants actually benefit in rooting from a short time in cold storage. Other ancillary benefits include pest and pathogen control. Check out the work being done on this and other topics at the
Looking for a sweet property to build that high tech greenhouse in MA?
over at Keller Williams Commercial real estate has you covered. Duncan is a consummate pro with 30 years experience who knows the space. Currently there is a great opportunity ready to go and waiting for the right operator.
Get your bags ready. Trade show season is afoot. Upcoming events include -
Cannatech Expo - Feb 14-17, Ft Lauderdale, FL