Urban AgTech Digest

The Next Phase For Agriculture Technology - Forbes

10 min read | July 5 - For a long time, it wasn’t a target sector for venture capitalists or entrepreneurs. Only a handful of funds served the market, largely focused on biotech opportunities. And until recently, entrepreneurs were also too focused on what Steve Case calls the “Second Wave” of innovation, — web services, social media, and mobile technology — to look at agriculture, the least digitized industry in the world, according to McKinsey & Co.

The land grab for farm data - TechCrunch

4 min read | July 6 - This rise in so-called precision agriculture has precipitated a massive influx in unstructured “bushels to bytes” farm data, creating new opportunities for an industry that has previously operated solely in the physical realm.

Growing Greens in the Spare Room as ‘Vertical Farm’ Start-Ups Flourish - The New York Times

5 min read | June 29 - Consumer demand for locally grown food and the decreasing price and improved efficiency of LED lighting are driving the creation of more so-called vertical farm start-ups, said Chris Higgins, editor of Urban Ag News, which follows this segment of farming.

Scientists Grow Vegetables On "Martian" Soil; Believe We Won't Die From Eating Them - Modern Farmer

3 min read | June 30 - The bigger problem, one addressed finally by new research from Dutch scientists at Wageninger University, is not whether we can technically grow produce on Mars, but whether the fruits and vegetables grown there would be safe to eat. Martian soil is dense in heavy metals like cadmium and lead, which can be absorbed by plants, and can make their fruits and vegetables toxic.

Fresh salad at sea: Military considers gardens aboard subs - SFGate

4 min read | July 5 - The U.S. military is testing out the idea by growing plants hydroponically — that is, with nutrient solution instead of soil — inside a 40-foot shipping container on dry land at a laboratory outside Boston.

Now Even Fast-Food Chains Are Getting Into Farming Their Own Produce - Fast Co.Exist

3 min read | June 30 - It's part of a broader trend in the world of healthy fast food: rather than only buying food from local farmers, grow it yourself. Dig Inn, a restaurant chain that started in New York City, plans to purchase a 50-100 acre farm in upstate New York this year. At the California-based Tender Greens, aeroponic towers grow greens for lunch directly next to dining tables.

Fish feed experiment... Spent Grain - Plant Chicago

10 min read | June 28 - During the winter and spring of 2016, closed-loop food production organization, Plant Chicago, explore just how well spent grain can be used as a food source, comparing growth rates against commercial fish feed in their aquaponics system.

Farmer's Report - US Foods

12 min read | July 1 - Market Trends for meat and produce. How does your diet and supermarket stack up?

The farming of the future looks nothing like it does today. - The Aspen Institute

8 min read | June 29 - Our modern agricultural system consists primarily of massive, chemically intensive, highly automated and globally distributed mono-culture farms; the “American Gothic” image of farming has long since gone away. Only 2 percent of the population is actively engaged with farming in the United States, and the average age of our farmers is 58.

BONUS: Director of the OpenAg Food Computer, Caleb Harper, hosted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session during his talk at Aspen Institute, check it out on Reddit.

Fluence Photons (Interview) - Agritecture

10 min read | July 2 - Interview conducted by AVF (Association for Vertical Farming) with Fluence Bioengineering.

July 12 - FOOD IT: Solution Harvest

 Mixing Bowl | Mountain View - Join start-ups, key industry players, investors and representatives from leading global food and agriculture innovation hubs for FOOD IT: Solution Harvest.  This engaging occasion will foster a different type of discussion, a new form of collaboration, and new potential solutions to Food & Ag sector challenges through the application of technology.

July 13-14 - Forbes AgTech Summit

Forbes | Salinas Valley - Forbes Media announced that it will host its second AgTech Summit July 13-14, 2016, in Salinas Valley.  This two-day invitation-only event will bring together over 500 of the smartest and most entrepreneurial minds in Silicon Valley and global agriculture to tackle some of the world’s most critical challenges. Held once again right in the heart of the Salinas Valley, the summit is expected to foster a lively debate and generate rich networking opportunities while showcasing the latest innovation for farmers, investors and stakeholders of the global agricultural ecosystem.

July 15-17 - California Statewide Ag Hackathon - "Apps for Ag"

UC ANR | Sacremento - Calling software and agricultural innovators from all corners of the state... Come compete in the largest event to date! Event is hosted by UC ANR's (Agriculture and Natural Resources) state-of-the-art facility and contestants will be pitching concepts in front of a live audience at the California State Fair.

Sept 21-23 - 1st Annual Farm Tank Summit

Food Tank | Sacramento, CA - Food Tank, in partnership with the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau, Farm-to- Fork Program, and University of California- Davis, is excited to announce the 1st annual Farm Tank Conference at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. This two-day event will feature more than 35 different speakers from the food and agriculture field. Researchers, farmers, chefs, policy makers, government officials, and students will come together for interactive panels.

Alice

Currently wondering how the community is enjoying this news digest - email me at alice@urbanagtech.com with your thoughts

Adrian

Currently planning a hack night for the community

Anthony

Currently visiting farms in the Bay Area - find out which is my favorite so far