Produce Grower magazine

Produce Grower magazine Serving vegetable and fruit greenhouse operations of North America. Subscribe for free at producegrower.com. Published by GIE Media.

Wageningen University & Research is launching HortINspire, a new international network for protected cultivation.The net...
06/09/2026

Wageningen University & Research is launching HortINspire, a new international network for protected cultivation.

The network brings together growers, companies, knowledge institutions and other parties around the world to share knowledge and practical experience more quickly and make it easier to apply. HortINspire will be presented on June 10 during GreenTech Amsterdam.

"In controlled environment agriculture, growing conditions and cultivation processes are actively managed. This includes the efficient use of water, energy and labor, as well as climate control in the production of food, flowers and other crops," WUR said in a news release. "Knowledge in this field is developing rapidly worldwide but is not always easy to find or directly applicable. What works well in one region often needs to be adapted elsewhere to the climate, available technology, financing, market and local knowledge needs."

For the full story:

https://www.producegrower.com/news/wageningen-university-research-controlled-environment-agriculture-hortinspire-international-network/

Michael Evans, a professor at Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, also co-directs the Controlled E...
06/04/2026

Michael Evans, a professor at Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, also co-directs the Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center.

Here, Evans explains some of the critical components of sanitation in a hydroponic system:

"Proper sanitation practices are important for keeping hydroponic systems operating effectively and to prevent plant disease problems," Evans says. "In addition to recirculating water and nutrients, hydroponic systems also recirculate microorganisms, algae and organic debris if the system is not kept clean.

"In a closed-loop system, plant pathogens such as fungi and bacteria can spread rapidly from a few infected roots to an entire crop, causing root rot, stunting and major yield losses."

Read the full PACE 49 Inc Q&A on closed-loop sanitation practices here:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/sanitation-hydroponic-systems-pace-49-controlled-environment-agriculture/

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking steps to curb reliance on imported fertilizer and expand domestic fertilize...
06/02/2026

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking steps to curb reliance on imported fertilizer and expand domestic fertilizer production.

On May 19, 2026, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson and other members of Congress and government officials addressed concerns about skyrocketing fertilizer costs at a press conference.

Each year, the U.S. imports about 20 million metric tons of fertilizer — which amounts to about $9 billion in annual foreign purchases, according to House Ag Committee research.

She announced several initiatives to make progress toward that goal, including accelerated permitting for a major ammonia plant in Louisiana, renewed efforts to revive projects from a Biden administration grant program, and the search for a full-time input economist focused on agricultural input costs and market transparency.

Read the full story here: https://www.producegrower.com/news/usda-boosts-domestic-fertilizer-production/

Provoke Insights’ survey of 1,500 Americans about fresh produce buying behaviors found Gen Z is increasingly concerned w...
05/28/2026

Provoke Insights’ survey of 1,500 Americans about fresh produce buying behaviors found Gen Z is increasingly concerned with factors outside of health and quality.

Concern about produce production's environmental impact by generation:

🍅Gen Z: 25%
🍅Millennials: 18%
🍅Gen X: 16%
🍅Baby boomers: 9%

Gen Z also leads the pack with ethical concerns and media influence as reasons for purchasing produce. The percentages of Gen Zers concerned with those categories were 23% and 14%, respectively, compared to only 12% and 11% of millennials. Those percentages decrease with each previous generation.

For the full analysis of Provoke's report, read here:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/gen-z-produce-consumer-report-provoke-insights/

Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands and Ohio State Horticulture and Crop Science are set to work more cl...
05/21/2026

Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands and Ohio State Horticulture and Crop Science are set to work more closely together on research, education and knowledge exchange in greenhouse horticulture.

"The collaboration responds to growing international interest in cultivation under controlled conditions," WUR said in a news release. "As climate change, water scarcity, labor shortages and logistical challenges put pressure on food production worldwide, cultivation in greenhouses and other protected environments can support more local and resilient crop production."

WUR and The Ohio State University have signed a cooperation agreement for this purpose. The collaboration will focus on greenhouse technology, crop management and sustainable production systems. In addition, the partners will develop joint research initiatives, exchange researchers and lecturers, and organize joint workshops and symposia.

Read more:

https://www.producegrower.com/news/wageningen-university-research-ohio-state-greenhouse-horticulture-education/

Starting and scaling a vertical farm is more than just water, according to our Vertical Thinking columnist Eric W. Stein...
05/19/2026

Starting and scaling a vertical farm is more than just water, according to our Vertical Thinking columnist Eric W. Stein, executive director at the Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture.

For most entrepreneurs, Stein suggests starting with a feasibility plan, because it gets you up and running quickly and helps you get in touch with your gut without having to actually build the farm. Your plan can become the basis for how you set up and operate the company and is a way to mitigate financial risk.

At its heart, your plan needs to address the following criteria:

🌿Startup cost
🌿Operating cost
🌿Revenue
🌿Returns

Read the full article on successful CEA operations here:
https://www.producegrower.com/article/start-up-vertical-farm-controlled-environment-agriculture-feasibility-business-plan/

Did you know that your water treatment system could negatively impact your micronutrient fertilizers?Most water treatmen...
05/14/2026

Did you know that your water treatment system could negatively impact your micronutrient fertilizers?

Most water treatments are non-selective in nature. That means they can break down the “bad guys” (our intended harmful contaminants, including pathogens and algae) as well as “good guys” (beneficial compounds such as chelated micronutrients needed for plant health), according to this article by authors Dharti Thakulla, a Ph.D. student, and Paul Fisher, a professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

In many cases with chlorine, chlorine dioxide, cold plasma, hydrogen peroxide and ozone, the main mode of action of these chemicals is through oxidation, which captures electrons from membranes of microbes and causes those organisms to die. Unfortunately, however, iron and manganese fertilizers are also susceptible to oxidation.

Learn about preserving micronutrients with water treatment:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/water-treatment-micronutrient-fertilizer-oxidization-greenhouse-production/

Meal kits and meal subscriptions provide customers with the convenience of a recipe, as well as ingredients, delivered d...
05/12/2026

Meal kits and meal subscriptions provide customers with the convenience of a recipe, as well as ingredients, delivered directly to their door.

In the final article of our eight-part CEA HERB series, Alicia Rihn, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture / Agricultural & Resource Economics at The University of Tennessee, and Bridget Behe, a professor emeritus of horticultural marketing at MSU Department of Horticulture /Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, address key findings from a 2023 online survey of U.S. consumers and how meal kit subscriptions impact their use of culinary herbs.

The study, “U.S. Consumer Preferences for Culinary Herbs,” was part of a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture -funded project.

An interesting component of meal kits is that customers gain exposure to unfamiliar food items and experience in how to prepare and cook with those items. As such, meal kits may serve as a gateway to attracting new people to the culinary herb market by increasing their experience with herbs.

Read the full story:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/meal-kit-culinary-herb-research-marketing-controlled-environment-agriculture/

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