Jun 17, 2015

Grower Workshop Opportunities in Ohio By Jasmina Dolce

Are you planning to attend Cultivate’15 in Columbus, Ohio, next month? Have you been entertaining the idea of introducing hydroponic or aquaponic production to your business? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you should add a couple of days to your Ohio itinerary and check out one of these educational workshops!

Greenhouse growers have the opportunity to attend a two-day grower workshop at CropKing’s headquarters in Lodi, Ohio, on July 9-10. It’s just a 1.5-hour drive away from Columbus, so the scheduling of the event makes it convenient for those attending Cultivate’15. Led by an experienced team of horticulturalists and technical specialists, the workshop incorporates teaching and demonstration to provide participants a clear understanding of controlled environment vegetable production systems.

Another opportunity for growers is a two-day aquaponics workshop, which will take place at the Ohio Center for Aquaculture Research and Development at The Ohio State University South Centers in Piketon, Ohio. It will take place July 11-12 and is also about a 1.5-hour drive from Columbus. The workshop will offer in-depth, hands-on training covering different aquaponics methods, business aspects, how to handle and maintain fish and plants and much more.

If you’ve been at all apprehensive about experimenting with this growing category, this could be a great way to expand your technical know-how and get your feet wet. For more information, go to www.cropking.com or www.ohioaquaculture.org/events.html.

– Jasmina

Great Lakes Growers Receives Food Safety Certification

After recently receiving non-GMO certification, Great Lakes Growers – a hydroponic lettuce and herb producer based in Burton, Ohio – has announced it is now also food safety certified through Primus GFS. “Our high marks reflect our commitment to providing consumers with the safest, healthiest produce available,” said Tim Ryan, co-owner. According to Ryan, their ability to control the growing environment paired with food safety protocol gives customers peace of mind. And the company will continue to evaluate practices to ensure they are meeting standards of safety, said John Bonner, co-owner. To learn more about Great Lakes Growers, go to www.greatlakesgrowers.com. For more information about Great Lakes’ safety requirements, go to www.primusgfs.org.

Offshore Floating Farms the Future of Urban Farming?

Could floating farms off the coast help feed a growing global population? A group of architects at Forward Thinking Architecture think so. “With offshore farming, we consume less city space… and use it for other purposes like housing and coworking,” said Javier Ponce, principle. According to the firm’s modular system, Smart Floating Farms, food would grow in hydroponic layers above a fish farm. Lighting, sensors and all other equipment would be powered by solar panels and possibly wave and wind energy. The purpose of the system is to bring food closer to the people who eat it and help reduce waste and energy used in transportation. While the project is just a concept at this point, the architects hope to eventually build the project. For more information about Forward Thinking Architecture and Smart Floating Farms, go to forwardthinkingarchitecture.com/SFF-FLOATING-FARMS-INITIATIVE.