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Produce Grower magazine

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

12/30/2025

A quick visit to the produce section of your local supermarket or grocery store reveals that virtually all culinary herbs have already been cut and packaged with a ticking expiration date or are dried.

Unfortunately, basil growth is often difficult to control and can often become tall, scraggly or even bent over once it has been in the grocery store a few days.

Seth Benjamin and Roberto Lopez from MSU Department of Horticulture propose the use of ultraviolet radiation as a potential growth regulator.

Learn how to use UV-A lighting to regulate potted basil growth and reduce stem elongation without chemical growth regulators in the story below 🌿

https://www.producegrower.com/article/potted-basil-plant-growth-regulator-ultraviolet-radiation-uv-cea-herb/

12/23/2025

📰 While 2024 was a year dominated by the United States’ presidential election, some of 2025’s biggest stories in CEA were connected to the election’s outcomes. Those included the exit of a high-profile government official and tariff struggles.

Many of the top news items, including those related to labor and food safety, have been in development for years but found some sense of resolution in the past 12 months.

In terms of business, 2025 was also a period of big moves in CEA. The year saw several high-profile mergers and several hiring announcements in both for-profit and industry-supporting nonprofit organizations, along with at least one major closure.

Read the top stories we covered in 2025 here:
https://www.producegrower.com/article/2025-year-review-controlled-environment-agriculture/

12/22/2025

It’s funny how a favorite song, a familiar movie or a small holiday tradition sticks with us year after year.

The holidays have a way of doing that. They remind us of where we’ve been, what we love and the moments that still make us smile.

This season, our team put together a short video full of our favorite things that make this time of year feel special, and we hope it makes you smile.

Thank you for being part of our year. We’re grateful for the collaboration, the conversations and the partnerships — and we’re looking forward to more in the year ahead.

Wishing you a holiday season filled with joy and all your favorite things ✨

12/19/2025

Breaking news: AeroFarms announces continuance of operations and microgreens supply to customers.

The announcement comes a little over a week after the company notified the Virginia Works Department of Workforce Development and Advancement of its impending closure.

From the company press release:

AeroFarms, an indoor vertical farming company and a supplier of microgreens to the U.S. retail market, today announced that the company is continuing to operate and supply microgreens to customers and shoppers.

Recently, AeroFarms was provided with sudden and unexpected notice that it would not be receiving the necessary funding it required to continue operations. Since that time, the company’s circumstances have evolved rapidly. An existing stakeholder has agreed to provide funding to AeroFarms, enabling the company to continue operations and explore strategic alternatives.

Stated in the release: AeroFarms is deeply grateful to its employees, partners, vendors, customers and stakeholders for their unwavering support of AeroFarms and belief in the power of its highly differentiated microgreens products. The company is committed to its mission of growing and distributing flavorful, nutrient-dense greens while supporting a resilient and sustainable food system.

For the full story: https://www.producegrower.com/article/aerofarms-vertical-farm-closes-announcement/

12/18/2025

Vertical farming company AeroFarms has announced its closure following the withdrawal of the company's largest investor.

AeroFarms informed Virginia Works Department of Workforce Development and Advancement in a Dec. 11 letter that the company has “made the difficult decision to wind down all of their operations” and close its facility in Ringgold, Virginia.

The closure, announced as part of the company’s required Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notice, includes the permanent termination of 173 employees, including remote workers, with 127 total employees being Virginia residents. The closure of facilities and permanent termination of affected employees is expected to take place on Dec. 19.

Read the full story here:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/aerofarms-vertical-farm-closes-announcement/

12/16/2025

"What if the fulfilling work life you’ve been searching for is within plain sight, in the everyday moments you typically overlook?" writes Rev. Dr. Robert Turner, a speaker and consultant who helps clients pivot to a mindset of clarity and confidence.

"By intentionally recognizing the good, you open yourself to more positive experiences, creating a cascading benefit for your career, as well as for those who work around you. This isn’t just a transient burst of optimism; it’s a conscious decision to integrate a constructive mindset into every aspect of your profession.

"The question then becomes: How can you develop effective strategies to not only move beyond workplace challenges, but also to consistently cultivate and sustain an active sense of gratitude and appreciation?"

🌱 Check out the rest of the article for Turner's tips on gratitude and optimism in the workplace:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/gratitude-practices-business-management-controlled-environment-agriculture/

12/11/2025

The FDA’s Produce Safety Rule, enacted under the Food Safety Modernization Act, establishes science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing and holding of fruits and vegetables intended for human consumption.

Its primary goal is to prevent microbial contamination and reduce foodborne illnesses associated with produce, especially those commonly consumed raw.

As part of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Herb Extension and Research Base project, a team at Texas Tech University Department of Animal & Food Sciences has been focusing on advancing food safety practices in controlled environment agriculture.

Find out their best practices in CEA for the new FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/fda-food-safety-modernization-act-controlled-environment-agriculture-cea-herb-research-texas-tech/

12/09/2025

The International Fresh Produce Association surveyed more than 700 U.S. citizens about their perceptions of the produce industry, from wages to important responsibilities.

Here are a few key insights from the report:

🍅 70% of respondents say they view produce growers very favorably.
📈 45% see the industry as positively improving.
💵 72% see affordability as the most important industry value.

Dig into more highlights from the report here:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/consumer-trust-produce-growers-international-fresh-produce-association-survey/

12/04/2025

🌱 While technical and economic factors will moderate the pace of change, AI and advanced robotics are expected to influence nearly every aspect of CEA operations. The Resource Innovation Institute assembled the AI & Advanced Robotics Working Group (AIRWG) to assess their current state and forecast their development.

Here are 5 predictions about how the industry will be impacted:

🤖 Production efficiency and crop yields will increase, with some hopeful expectations for profits, too.
🤖 Breeding will make automation possible, just as it has done in other areas of horticulture.
🤖 CEA operations will require more technology infrastructure.
🤖 Resource efficiency will improve.
🤖 Data management and security will become significant responsibilities.

Find out more details and 5 more predictions here:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/ai-advanced-robotics-controlled-environment-agriculture-predictions/

12/02/2025

🌱 Following a successful year of indoor farming conferences, Eric Stein, executive director at Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture, examines the pros and cons of transactional and transformative leadership.

"Each year, I go to two or more conferences on indoor farming, which provides an opportunity to see the latest and greatest technologies up close and interact with vendors," he writes.

"Although a small sample, what struck me most about each of these leaders was how down-to-earth they are, how open, how willing they are to share their knowledge about what worked and what didn’t. I also learned how passionate they are about making both greenhouses and vertical farms successful, despite setbacks in recent years."

The question is: What does it take to be an effective leader of an indoor farm?

Read Eric's full Vertical Thinking column here:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/leadership-styles-indoor-farming-controlled-environment-agriculture-vertical-thinking/

11/25/2025

Survey after survey continues to indicate the consumer’s desire for more sustainable packaging, whether that means material made from recycled plastic or alternative material innovations. Growers and retailers share the same inclination.

But there’s a gap between behavior and intention. While many consumers express concern about plastic packaging or say they avoid it, actual purchasing behavior differs, especially when weighed against convenience and cost.

Despite the fickle consumer behavior, several universities — including School of Packaging - MSU, Clemson University's College of Agriculture, Forestry & Life Sciences, Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment and Virginia Tech Department of Food Science and Technology — are making major investments in developing sustainable packaging for myriad consumer goods, including material that is applicable for fresh produce.

♻ Read our latest cover story to learn more:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/sustainable-single-use-plastic-packaging-research-controlled-environment-agriculture/

11/20/2025

There’s an obstacle that gets in the way of innovation: risk.

In controlled environment agriculture, that risk is magnified. The wrong technology choice doesn’t just mean lost time; it can mean lost seasons, damaged relationships with buyers or worse.

Growers are navigating risk from greenhouse to shelf. Yet too often, they wait for someone else to go first. This isn’t condemning caution. In an industry where calculated decisions mean survival, caution makes sense. But recognizing when necessary caution becomes paralysis is equally important.

Read more from Peyton Merriam of Verdant Technologies on rethinking risk and innovation in CEA:

https://www.producegrower.com/article/controlled-environment-agriculture-risk-cea-business-management/

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