Despite a desire for locally grown produce, almost half of the fresh fruits and vegetables bought by American's last year were grown outside of the United States. According to the USDA, in 2008, organic produce grown in the US accounted for less than one percent of total crop acreage, and improvements have been slow.
How we grow food has changed considerably in the last 50 years, with a surge in alternative agriculture emerging in our very recent history. Advances in technology, greenhouses, and consumer demands have all impacted food production. Let's take a look at how agriculture has evolved and what changes we can see ahead.
While the presidential election has been fraught with accusations, protests, and celebrations, let's examine some of the more compelling outcomes from the 2020 election: cannabis legalization! Yes, six states have adopted or updated the legalization status of cannabis in their state. This brings the total number of fully legal states to 17, 35 medical states, and only six states that still refuse to allow their residents access to a healing alternative to toxic pharmaceuticals.
South of the North Carolina state capital of Raleigh is the small rural town of Clinton, N.C., the headquarters for Vertical Crop Consultants, or Cropbox.
Tripp Williamson, Owner, and Founder started VCC in 2016, after years of working for the family business, Williamson Greenhouses, and finding his passion and success. Tripp had the vision to create more innovative and sustainable ways to grow local produce. He also wanted to provide insights to all indoor growers, not just the shipping container market.
Collecting data in your indoor grow, or greenhouse provides critical information that directly impacts your cultivation operation's success. Acquiring an extensive understanding of critical crop level and environmental data helps you grow with confidence. So let's examine ways that big data can increase yields, provide more accurate crop predictions, and furnish you with some much-deserved peace of mind.
Dr. Robert Flannery is the first Ph.D. in the United States with certified technical expertise in growing commercial cannabis. He earned his doctorate from UC Davis in Plant Biology with an emphasis in Environmental Horticulture with specific expertise in hydroponic crop optimization for cut-flower production. While working on his doctorate, Dr. Flannery began advising Cannabis cultivators throughout Northern California on modern horticulture practices. As Production Director at SPARC in San Francisco, Dr. Flannery managed the company's largest department and supervised every segment of cannabis cultivation, packaging, & delivery of the final product to retail. An overachiever for sure!
Indoor cannabis grow operations have become the industry standard by providing privacy and an environmentally controlled growing space. These indoor grow facilities have a few downsides that you need to consider when creating a sustainable grow operation.
Automation is essential to indoor farming systems to ensure all crops receive the proper light, water, and nutrients. Automating lighting, fertilization, and irrigation is a sensible and practical solution to managing your indoor growing operation.
What is vertical farming?
According to Wikipedia, vertical farming is "the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics."
Choosing the right automation technology.
The modern greenhouse utilizes technology to automate many daily tasks associated with a bustling grow operation. It can be confusing and overwhelming to decide on which system is right for your specific needs and goals. Whether you need to replace an older automation system that can no longer provide the dependability you need, or you're interested in new technological advancements of fully cloud-based automatic grow systems, here are the basics.
