I still remember a time when the only décor a chef would accouter his plates with was parsley — at least at the restaurants I went to. I hardly gave the little green sprig a second glance as I ate the rest of my meal. But there’s been a revolution over the years, with the little green “decorations” playing a more expansive role in the foods we eat. Recently, I went to a five-course tasting at a local restaurant with a stellar reputation, and my expectations were high.

Having never had this type of meal, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Fortunately, the waiter explained the types of dishes that the chef would be preparing and the order of the plates, so we knew more or less how it would go. As the dishes came out, I noticed that, regardless of whether it was pasta, fish, meat or dessert, there were colorful microgreens, herbs or both accompanying nearly every dish. And we ate every last one; each added a spark of flavor and complemented the other elements on the plate. For their size, they certainly packed quite the punch.

Rob Laing, CEO and founder of Farm.One, is well aware of the culinary power and popularity of these tiny plants. The vertical farm has grown 580 different varieties of rare herbs, edible flowers and microgreens in approximately 1,500 square feet of growing space across two locations in the heart of New York City. Chefs appreciate that they can get fresh herbs, edible flowers and microgreens delivered to their restaurants sometimes mere minutes after being harvested, and have a much wider selection than they would if they relied solely on seasonal items. This month, we’re sharing Farm.One's story.

Also in this issue, we have the second installment of the Urban Agriculture series, which focuses on lighting in vertical farms and greenhouses. Leslie Halleck shares her take on how to clearly communicate your production methods to your customers. If you’re interested in growing lettuce, don’t miss Christopher Currey’s Hydroponic Production Primer this month. We hear from growing media guru Brian Jackson of North Carolina State University in our article on wood fiber, and food safety expert Lisa Lupo on the Produce Safety Rule. We round out our issue with growers’ perspectives on maintaining the cold chain and the latest from The Produce Moms.

kvarga@gie.net | (216) 393-0290

Twitter: @Karen_GIE

Photo courtesy of Farm.One

After launching a successful software company in Japan’s version of Silicon Valley, Australian-born entrepreneur Rob Laing made a 180-degree shift in careers. He enrolled in culinary classes, which got him interested in the myriad of ingredients that are incorporated into different dishes. The entrepreneur in him couldn’t help but wonder about the process by which chefs acquire these ingredients, and how they’re grown.

“I became intrigued with the idea of growing rare, unusual ingredients after finding exciting herbs and flowers at farmers markets around the world and wondering if I could apply the new techniques of vertical farming to growing these kinds of items,” says Laing, CEO and founder of Farm.One, a vertical farm located in Manhattan.

Laing wasn’t aware of anyone else trying to grow some of these rare ingredients in close proximity to their prospective customers, so he founded Farm.One with a “small amount” of his own money. The farm is located inside the Institute of Culinary Education, a culinary school in New York City. He says that Farm.One started with a small prototype facility and has grown step by step.

“We raised a little [money] from friends and family in early 2017, and have just started an equity crowdfunding campaign to accelerate our growth.”

There’s now 1,500 square feet of growing space split between two farms: the culinary school and a second, larger farm in Lower Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, underneath the two Michelin-starred restaurant Atera.

“It’s tiny but we manage the space very precisely with software to get the most out of it,” Laing says. Everything is grown in these relatively small facilities hydroponically with LED lighting.

Growing a profitable business model

Although Laing may not have a horticulture or farming background, he has the business acumen to run a startup. Plus, he has had the experience of watching his parents venture into olive production in Australia, and noted some of their challenges, such as keeping destructive kangaroos away from their trees. He quickly found that indoor farming eliminates any potential problems with large animals.

Farm.One currently employs 12 people, six who are devoted to production, five in management and one delivery person.

Catering to the chefs

Farm.One caters to the demand of popular chefs around the city, including Matthew Hyland, owner and chef of Pizza Loves Emily. And although he has only been working with Laing and Farm.One for a few months, he’s been pleased with the arrangement.

“It’s working great. We’ve got custom basil for our pizzas,” Hyland says. “People really like it because it’s something they’ve never seen before.” The custom basil he is referring to is a variety named Pluto, just one of Farm.One’s 580 varieties of rare herbs, edible flowers and microgreens it currently grows.

“Farm.One represents the future of where farming is going,” Hyland says. “We’re trying to have nicer, local stuff at a pizzeria, which is what most people don’t use. They use a commodity product. Farm.One is trying to grow nicer things that are sustainable. We’re trying to do the right thing.”

From farm to table... in no time!

Farm.One’s produce is grown so close to its customer base that it can deliver it by bicycle or subway, literally minutes after it is harvested. Right now, that customer base consists of upscale restaurants in New York City — popular eateries that employ chefs who simply won’t stand for the ordinary.

“Being close by is a huge benefit. The alternative for chefs is to ship product hundreds or thousands of miles, with loads of packaging and delays,” Laing says. “Being able to visit the farm with the chefs’ sous-chefs and line cooks is an added bonus — many young cooks have never seen something growing!”

Farm.One is eager to meet the demands of these chefs and can usually find the plants they are looking for from the 60-plus different international seed vendors that they work with.

“Every time we meet a chef we ask for their dream crop and set out to find the seeds to grow them,” Laing says.

The demand from chefs varies over time, Laing says, but right now the top three items are Pluto basil, a dwarf variety with a powerful cinnamon and clove scent; ‘Miz America’ mizuna, a dark burgundy-colored microgreen with a gentle mustard flavor; and various types of oxalis flowers, including ‘Irish Mist.’ Hyland also likes wasabi arugula, which he uses to spice up his pizzas.

“Chefs love the taste. Without that, we wouldn’t have any customers, so that’s first and foremost,” Laing says. “But they also love being able to specify an exact leaf size, which requires careful growing recipes and exact scheduling.”

Farm.One delivers

Having a party? Farm.One has taken their product on the road. The company delivers an “edible bar” of select herbs and flowers to gatherings around town.

“The edible bar is where we bring the farm to you,” Laing says. “We have a selection of dozens of live plants in a simple hydroponic tray that we can serve to party-goers straight off the stem.” He says the idea actually came from a customer who wanted something special for a corporate event. It was such a hit they’re continuing to offer it to customers.

“People love tasting plants they have never seen or heard of before,” Laing says. “We can provide a general selection, or offer a tailored menu of herbs and flowers that complement specific flavor notes in a product.” For example, they produced an edible bar for Macallan (a whiskey distillery) that matched a new whiskey, which he said was “an exciting and dramatic way of emphasizing the flavor profile.”

Neil is a horticulturist and freelance copywriter for the green industry, assisting businesses with advertising copy, white papers, blog posts, articles, and other digital content. greenindustrywriter.com

Photo: Adobe Stock

No one likes being lied to. When it comes to food and how it’s being grown and produced, consumers have developed a healthy sense of skepticism when it comes to claims of “green-ness.” Greenwashing backlash can be swift and consumer expectations are high. But, when you are doing something good, something that’s right, it’s worth every penny to get that message out to your customers.

You’ve seen them as you do your own grocery shopping — the abundance of labels and packaging advertising different foods as “natural” or “sustainable,” products that claim they are good for you, the earth, or are in some way environmentally friendly. Despite the onslaught of such marketing claims — some true, many not — the demand for organic and natural foods continues to rise. There is still plenty of opportunity to make the most of marketing your authentic sustainable practices.

Local rules

Where your produce is grown makes a huge difference to shoppers. As consumers shop more at local farmers markets, they’ve become attuned to the distance the produce traveled before they buy it. Locally grown produce is in high demand. Now, the term “local” means different things to different people, but if you go by typical farmer’s market standards, food grown within 200 miles of point of sale qualifies. Some markets limit produce sales to within a 50-mile radius. Closer is always better.

If you have a retail customer network that is within a tight radius from your production facility, this message should be one of your topmost marketing priorities. If you package your produce, consider creating special packaging for produce that will be sold within a close radius, to highlight its local origin. If you aren’t packaging or labeling your produce, be sure you’re working with retailers (or with their in-house marketing team) to provide them with good in-store signage that clearly communicates your growing location.

Don’t rule out D2C (direct-to-consumer) marketing. (Editor’s note: Read Leslie’s column on direct-to-consumer marketing here) While your customer might be the retailer, the end consumer needs to understand what makes your produce the better choice. You can’t always rely on your retailers to do your marketing for you. D2C marketing can be a great choice for marketing locally grown produce.

Organic

The word on the street is that we need more organic produce, and supply is not meeting demand. Food grown chemical-free may not be important to all consumers, but it is very important to a growing customer segment. Even consumers who ride the fence on organics may prioritize buying certain types of produce that are grown organically or naturally, while still accepting other foods that aren’t. Often these middle-of-the-road consumers are health conscious; but they are choosing some produce based on price alone when they can’t discern special differences. They need more specific information to influence their purchasing decision.

To get the right customer’s attention, you need to make it obvious very quickly that your produce is grown organically or with sustainable growing methods. Get specific about your growing practices and make it clear what you do and don’t use on your crops. This information should be shared on your website of course, as well as your packaging (if you use it), labels, and in-store signage.

If you’re a hydroponic or aeroponic produce grower in the USDA Certified Organic program, you can continue to use the logo. That stamp is meant as a marketing tool to help you make money from your investment in organic growing practices and it has been successful in helping the organic produce market grow.

Maximize the label

As shoppers are better able to navigate traditional advertising slogans and greenwashing, they are turning to a closer inspection of your product label. Now, I realize that if you have labeled or packaged whole produce, there may only be one ingredient. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use the label as an opportunity to describe how the produce was grown, and highlight materials used, or not used, in its production.

Are you using water-saving and water-recycling techniques to grow your crops? Are your practices pollinator friendly? Are you using CHP (combined heat and power) energy management strategies in your greenhouses? Solar power? Do you restrict usage of specific high-profile chemicals — or all synthetic chemicals? Again, all this information should be spelled out on your company website, but it also needs to trickle down to the end consumer in a direct and clear point-of-purchase presentation.

Wrap it up

If you package your produce, are you using easily recyclable, degradable and/or compostable materials? I’m a big recycler and home composter. If I can avoid buying produce in packaging I will — but if it’s unavoidable then I want to make sure the packaging is as low-impact as possible. There is nothing more supremely frustrating to me than to not be able to find clear recycling or composting instructions for the container or wrapper.

In fact, I find that many of the packages sold at “organic” or “natural” food stores are completely void of recycling information. Too often the materials used aren’t recyclable or compostable at all. Using materials that aren’t widely recyclable or require special facilities to sell organically grown produce seems counterproductive, and it sends a conscious message to me as the consumer. If you are using sustainable, recyclable and/or compostable packaging, make it more than clear on the label and provide instructions for disposal. It may not seem like it, but this is an important marketing message you need to communicate. The lack of this information does not inspire confidence.

Don’t make it too hard for customers to listen to what you have to say about what you grow and how you grow it. When it comes to contemporary marketing, your goal is to break through all the static with a message that is specific, clear, and truthful.

Leslie (CPH) owns Halleck Horticultural, LLC, through which she provides horticultural consulting, business and marketing strategy, product development and branding, and content creation for green industry companies. lesliehalleck.com

Genetics: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most popular food crops grown hydroponically in greenhouses and controlled environments (Fig. 1). Though iceberg is the most widely grown type of lettuce produced in fields, this is not what hydroponic growers are producing. Rather, butterhead and loose leaf are the most widely grown types of lettuce in greenhouses and controlled environments, though romaine or cos is also grown to a lesser extent. Though in limited quantities when compared to lettuce, other greens including spinach (Spinacia oleracea), kale (Brassica oleracea), bok choy or pac choi (Brassica napa), arugula or rocket (Eruca sativa), swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris; Fig. 2) are increasingly being grown hydroponically.

Production systems: Lettuce and leafy greens are most commonly grown in nutrient-film technique (NFT) or deep-flow technique (DFT) systems. These systems are best suited for producing leafy crops such as lettuce and other greens.

Propagation and young plant production: All lettuce and leafy greens are propagated by seed; no vegetative propagation is used for these species. Seedlings can be grown in a range of acceptable substrates. Stone wool and phenolic foam are the most ubiquitous substrates used for seedling production. However, coconut coir or peat moss that has been stabilized chemically with a binder or physically using a mesh wrap may also be used. Some lettuce and greens seed may be covered during germination, though this is not required; it is used to help manage moisture. Maintaining a temperature between 65 and 75° F results in good germination; air temperatures warmer than 75° F can diminish germination. Mineral nutrients should be provided by using solutions that are a ¼ to ½ the electrical conductivity (EC) of nutrient solutions used for finishing. Seedlings can be ready to transplant in 10 to 14 days from sowing for smaller plugs; larger plugs will take longer until they should be transplanted.

Nutrient solution: Different species of lettuce and greens will have different nutrient requirements. For example, the recommended EC for lettuce is around 1.4 mS/cm, whereas the recommended ECs for watercress and spinach are 1.2 and 1.8 mS/cm, respectively. The pH should be maintained between 5.4 and 6.0. For lettuce varieties that are susceptible to tip burn, be sure there is ample calcium in the nutrient solution. Since lettuce and greens are most often produced in NFT and DFT systems, the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the nutrient solution should be monitored and maintained at around 8 ppm. While some species may be tolerant of lower DO concentrations in the nutrient solution, keeping the solution well-aerated or injecting oxygen to maintain a constant and ample concentration will help promote healthy growth.

Temperature: Day temperatures range from 68 to 75° F and should never exceed 77° F, while night temperatures range from 60 to 65° F. While there are few specific guidelines for air temperatures for other leafy greens, many can be grown in the same conditions as lettuce. While many lettuce and greens will tolerate cool temperatures, the time it takes to reach harvestable sizes will be longer, which in turn reduces crop turns and costs of production. However, spinach is one green that requires cooler air temperatures for production, as warm temperatures promote bolting.

Light: Butterhead lettuce has an optimal daily light integral (DLI) requirement of 17.1 mol·m^–2·d^–1. This can be a challenge to achieve in greenhouses in northern latitudes in the late fall, winter and early spring. Supplemental lights can be very useful for boosting light intensity in the greenhouse during these times. With respect to other types of lettuce and leafy greens, the light requirements are not well-defined. However, a DLI of 12 mol·m^–2·d_–1 is a reasonable target for promoting good growth. In addition to light promoting growth, light also affects the coloration or red-leaved lettuce cultivars. The reddish pigment in lettuce leaves, anthocyanin, is not produced as much when light levels are low. Providing ample supplemental light or using blue light from light-emitting diodes can increase the coloration of the red foliage.

CO₂: Providing supplemental carbon dioxide (CO₂) can enhance the growth of lettuce, particularly in the winter months when the amount of air from outside is minimal and CO₂ is not being replenished from venting. Supplemental CO₂, whether produced from burners or injected from liquid, can be used to maintain a concentration of 1,000 to 1,500 ppm CO₂.

Pollination: Since lettuce and other greens are grown for their foliage, and not for any fruits, there is no need to manage flower pollination.

Pruning and training: Though some lettuces and greens may be harvested more than one time, no pruning is required to maintain plants. Additionally, lettuce and leafy greens are relatively short crops with no training or support needed.

Diseases: Powdery mildew and Botrytis are two of the most common diseases that affect lettuce and leafy greens. Botrytis can cause tissue to develop necrotic lesions and, as it develops, more obvious fungal growth. Powdery mildew, as the name implies, develops into white blotches on foliage. Both diseases can reduce or eliminate the marketability of crops. Good greenhouse sanitation between crops can help minimize successive incidents of powdery mildew, but Botrytis is so popular it can be a challenge to eliminate. Both diseases are promoted by high humidity as well, so greenhouses should be vented at the end of the day while the heat is one to push humidity out of the greenhouse. Pythium is another disease that can take a toll on greens, so keep a close eye on roots to look for signs of infection as this can spread quickly through the nutrient solution.

Physiological disorders: The two primary physiological disorders of lettuce and greens are tip burn and bolting. Tip burn, the necrotic tissue on the margin of leaf tips, is the result of a calcium deficiency in the foliage (Fig. 3). While this can be caused by a lack of calcium in the nutrient solution, it can also be due to a lack of calcium uptake from diminished transpiration. Avoiding high humidity, increasing light intensity with supplemental lighting or using vertical airflow fans, which blow down into lettuce heads and reduce humidity right around the foliage, can all promote transpiration and calcium uptake. The other most prevalent physiological disorder on lettuce is bolting. Bolting is when the stems in head-forming or rosette plants start to elongate in preparation for flowering. Bolting can make crops less attractive, but more importantly, it can make crops taste bitter and less palatable. Warm temperatures are the primary factor that promotes bolting. Try to keep maximum air temperatures below 80° F and, if this is not possible, harvest your crops before flowering is induced and bolting starts.

Harvesting: When you should harvest will depend on the type of crop, as well as the type of product you are harvesting. Head-forming lettuces should be harvested when a head starts to form and plants have reached sufficient size, usually 150 g (~5 oz.) to 250 g (~9 oz.). When harvesting lettuce heads, the root system can be left on the plant for a “living lettuce” that can result in longer postharvest performance. Other non-head lettuces are harvested for sale as loose leaves and sometimes multiple types are blended to make a mix. Other greens such as kale, spinach and some chard cultivars are sold as bunches, where multiple plants are combined to make a salable-sized bunch. Head lettuce and loose leaves can be sold in clamshell containers or plastic bags. Bunches of greens may be sold simply as bunches or placed inside a plastic bag.

Postharvest care: The postharvest shelf life of lettuce and greens varies with species and product. Some of the main causes of product loss in postharvest include desiccation, microbial spoilage, discoloration, off flavors and/or odors, and loss of texture/nutritional value. Most greens are very cold tolerant and should be stored just above freezing to prolong freshness. Some varieties can bruise easily, so handling lettuce should be minimized and careful.

Christopher is an assistant professor of horticulture in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State university. ccurrey@iastate.edu