Moving the farm indoors
© 2018 YEINISM/Shutterstock
Indoor soilless farming aims to reduce many of the more harmful effects of conventional field farming, including decreasing pressures on land, biodiversity, natural habitat, and climate. However, these indoor farms often have large energy footprints, are still figuring out the best way to support local communities and need support to share experiences and move the industry forward.
We've invited some of the people leading the charge for indoor, soilless agriculture in St. Louis and beyond to share their thoughts on the significance of this dynamic. The list we've assembled here is by no means complete. It's a snapshot of just some of the amazing people the Markets Institute has had the pleasure of interacting with to explore new ways to expand indoor farming. There are many others in various capacities and regions around the world, and we celebrate them all.
Julia Kurnik
Senior Director, Innovation Startups, WWF Markets Institute
Dennis Lower
President, Innovation Community Strategies
“Over the last three years it has been exhilarating for me to work with agriculture and economic development professionals to figure out how to bring soilless farming to St. Louis at a time when the pandemic has brought global food insecurity into sharp focus. For more than a century the region has played a key role in the U.S. food production industry, helping to feed America and the world. It is abundantly clear that with the challenges of climate change and the urgent need for more sustainable agricultural practices, the next hundred years MUST employ new ways to source our food in order to save our planet. There is a great deal of innovation still required to reduce the cost of current CEA practices in order to make the food products affordable to all. The St. Louis Controlled Environment Agriculture Coalition, in partnership with WWF, is drawing upon our regional innovation assets to find these solutions in order to grow a better tomorrow.”
© Courtesy of Dennis Lower
Cara Weber
Vice President, Business Recruitment, Missouri Partnership
“As someone who grew up on a conventional row-crop farm, working on the Controlled Environment Agriculture Coalition was a fascinating look into new technology that can evolve to become an environmentally friendly alternative to provide fresh, local food. The collaboration among group members to identify St. Louis’s assets and apply them directly to attract forward-thinking partners to help continue innovation in this space highlights the strong partnership in ag tech here in our region. St. Louis, and Missouri at large, is a global leader in ag tech and therefore a place where controlled environment agriculture innovators can thrive.”
© Courtesy of Cara Weber
Michael Tipton
Vice President of Produce/Floral, Schnuck Markets
“Expanded indoor soilless farming has huge potential, as the development of these new hydroponic agriculture systems can help us alleviate some of the environmental and supply chain challenges we face in the US food system.”
Mike Tipton is Vice President of Produce/Floral with Schnuck Markets, based in St Louis, MO. Mike has been with Schnucks for the past six years; before coming to Schnucks, Mike worked for 28 years for K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City), where he was Director of Produce/Floral for 14 years. Mike began his produce career as a produce clerk, advancing to produce manager and district produce supervisor over a group of stores. Mike has served on the United Fresh Retail Advisory Board and the South East Produce Council Board of Directors.
© Courtesy of Mike Tipton
Will Ross
Principal Officer for Community Partnerships, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
“Over the past year, 27.5% of households with children, and 13.5 million US households were food insecure. By providing ready access to fresh, leafy vegetables and reducing food insecurity, soilless farming has the potential to dramatically improve the health of Americans in urban and rural communities.”
© Courtesy of Will Ross
Gene Giacomelli
Professor, University of Arizona, Controlled Environment Agriculture Center
\“Controlled environment agriculture is highly beneficial for resolving urban challenges of providing fresh, healthy foods to their people. The technology of controlled environments and hydroponic crop production have many potential applications. The St. Louis Coalition study focuses on implementation into the community and meeting needs with local partnerships … a critical step toward successful application of CEA in an urban area.
© Courtesy of Gene Giacomelli
David Rosenberg
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Aerofarms
"As a Certified B-Corporation, AeroFarms is always thinking about all of our stakeholders and in particular the environment and our ability to grow indoors with our proprietary indoor vertical farming technology, using up to 95% less water and zero pesticides vs. traditional field farming. We are honored to partner with WWF on their Soilless Farming Project and their work to bring together the St. Louis Controlled Environment Agriculture Coalition that shares a similar commitment to making a positive impact and nourishing our communities with freshly grown, flavorful produce all year round, and we are excited for the future and scaling solutions like AeroFarms to major cities all over the world."
© Courtesy of David Rosenberg
Stephanie Regagnon
Executive Director, Innovation Partnerships, Danforth Plant Science Center
“The Danforth Center is proud to work with such dedicated partners to bring indoor agriculture to St. Louis and, through St. Louis, to the world. Indoor and controlled environment agriculture can play an important role in solving two of our planet's most pressing issues – food insecurity and climate change. We look forward to continuing to showcase our region’s potential for excellence in this area.”
© Courtesy of Stephanie Regagnon
Brandon Day
Chief Operating Officer, The Yield Lab Institute
“Out of the Indoor Soilless Farming work that The Yield Lab Institute supported, the STLCEA Coalition wanted to pursue several key initiatives: attract a large scale commercial indoor farm to St. Louis and pursue a Center of Excellence for controlled environment agriculture (CEA). The Yield Lab Institute, with the support and direction of the STLCEA Coalition, is pursuing a Center of Excellence in CEA to be located in St. Louis on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. This Center of Excellence offers a unique opportunity for St. Louis to plant the flag as a leader and hub of innovation for indoor, soilless, CEA and modern agriculture production. The physical location can be an anchor for startups, strategics, NGOs, community organizations and entrepreneurs to collaborate, pilot, validate and accelerate the next generation of agriculture production technologies and businesses. We are excited to begin formulating and constructing what the Center will be and do.”
© Courtesy of Brendan Day
Karl Guenther
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Economic and Community Development at the University of Missouri – St. Louis
“Developing sustainable and scalable approaches to food production near consumers is central to meeting the food needs of the planet, addressing food deserts, and positively impacting the environment. Innovation and implementation of best practices in Controlled Environment Agriculture presents a path forward to greater food production with fewer and more precise use of resources and shorter shipping distances. Further, this form of agriculture production can be implemented at different production scales across different community settings creating broader wealth building and food access opportunities, especially important in supporting high poverty food insecure communities.”
© Courtesy of Karl Guenther