The New AI, Robotics and Data Analysis Farmers

Touch the Soil News #1442 (Feature photo – Indoor Farming – CCA SA 3.0 Unported – Bryght Knyght) A newer company in Pittsburg called Fifth Season (https://www.fifthseasonfresh.com/#our-story) made news recently as it just got $35 million in funding to build a 60,000 square foot vertical farm. Being solar powered, the new facility will produce over…

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Ground Zero for Urban Farming

Touch the Soil News #1436 (Feature photo – Manhattan – CCA Sa 3.0 Unported) Agritecture news portal interviews Jonathan Sumner – a traditional farmer turned urban farmer. Sumner’s farm – Riverpark Farm in Manhattan is just steps away from one of his largest customers. You can read the full story here (click on the story…

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Backyard Fresh Farms – Making Indoor Vertical Profitable

Touch the Soil News #1410 (Feature photo – Arugula – By Retama – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1803040) Chicago Tribune journalist Alexia Ruiz brings us the story of Jake Counne and the building of Backyard Fresh Farms. http://www.backyardfreshfarms.com/about-us/ Counne is convinced that his technology approach will allow him to grow food at an affordable…

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Downtown Denver Gets Its Own Urban Farm

Touch the Soil News #1404 (Feature photo – Altius Growing Towers – courtesy of Altius Farms) The Denver Post journalist Joe Rubino reports on the Altius Farms’ new operating greenhouse in Downtown Denver. The 7,000 square foot greenhouse uses vertical towers to increase production slated for downtown establishments. You can read the full story here:…

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Pennsylvania – Picking Up Where the USDA Leaves Off

Touch the Soil News #1388 (Feature photo – Seal of the State of Pennsylvania – By Henrik – Own workBoat and plow from File:Flag of Pennsylvania.svg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7002778) For most of our lives, the larger arena of food and farming has been overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The State of Pennsylvania…

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Turning Unused Car Parking Lots into Urban Farms

Touch the Soil News #1362 (Feature photo – Biofilta Urban Farm – photo courtesy of Biofilta) Australian company Biofilta (https://www.biofilta.com.au/#/) is helping cities re-invent food in concrete jungles. Recently the company built an urban farm on top of a large parking garage in Melbourne, Australia. The South China Morning Post brings the story here: https://amp.scmp.com/lifestyle/interiors-living/article/3012990/how-urban-farms-could-solve-our-future-food-problems-and

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New York City Seeks to Use Vacant Lots for Urban Farming

Touch the Soil News #1358 (Feature photo – Urban Agriculture – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license – Arnoud Joris Maaswinkel) Curbed journalist Caroline Spivack brings us the story of New York’s city council seeking to develop every possible vacant lot owned by the city into some productive food garden. Part of the effort…

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