David Kuack

Contributing Writer at Urban Ag News

Featured in: Favicon

urbanagnews.com Favicon

geneticliteracyproject.org Favicon

hortidaily.com Favicon

goodfruitandvegetables.com.au Favicon

hortamericas.com

Articles

Considering starting a vertical farm? Think like a farmer, not an engineer.

Oct 29, 2024 | urbanagnews.com | David Kuack

In April 2020 when Stan Kaplita started Zeste Farms, an indoor vertical farm in Paso Robles, Calif., the coronavirus pandemic was well established in the United States. “There was a lot of discussion of whether we should go forward with the business or not,” Kaplita said. “We had raised quite a bit of start-up money, so we made the decision to move forward given it was a prototype and we saw ongoing investment in this sector.
How can LED grow lights help you improve seed germination and tissue culture acclimation?

Oct 10, 2024 | hortamericas.com | David Kuack

Opel Growers in Hudsonville, Mich., specializes in the production of over 1,000 perennial varieties along with woody ornamentals, annuals, ornamental grasses, succulents, and herbs. Its finished crops are marketed in a variety of container sizes to independent garden centers and landscaper wholesalers. Three years ago, Paul Pilon, the company’s director of growing, began looking for ways to improve the germination of its seed varieties and the transplant success of its tissue culture plants.
How can USDA help make your greenhouse operation more energy efficient?

Oct 4, 2024 | hortamericas.com | David Kuack

When business partners Jason Maks and Marshall McDaniel started operating TrueHarvest Farms in 2018, they knew growing leafy greens in Texas would be a challenge. Operating 4¼ acres of greenhouses in Belton, Texas, the company produces a variety of leafy greens, microgreens and herbs that are sold to wholesalers and grocery stores from Alabama to Arizona, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods Market, Central Market and United Supermarkets.
Thinking of growing controlled environment specialty crops?

May 23, 2024 | urbanagnews.com | David Kuack

Specialty crops like heirloom tomatoes, which have not been bred for commercial controlled environment production, require more attention to detail in regards to how they are grown. Photo by Timothy Vollmer, Cornell Coop. Ext. Before starting to grow any controlled environment food crop, it pays (literally) to do your homework related to production and market potential. This is especially important with any type of specialty crop.
Acuity Brands looks to light up the CEA industry

Mar 13, 2024 | urbanagnews.com | David Kuack

Acuity Brands lighting, sensors, components, and controls products are used throughout North America in almost every major lighting segment including commercial indoor, outdoor, industrial, infrastructure and healthcare applications. The company consists of more than 25 individual lighting and controls brands of which several, such as Lithonia Lighting, date back more than 75 years.
Can intracanopy/intercanopy LED grow lights be used to increase greenhouse vegetable crop yields?

Jan 29, 2024 | hortamericas.com | David Kuack

A U.S. greenhouse grower in the Midwest was able to increase its yields of ‘Macxize’ tomatoes-on-the-vine crops by 17 percent by combining intracanopy LED lighting with high pressure sodium top lighting. Photos courtesy of Hort AmericasBy David KuackA critical factor in growing greenhouse vegetables is ensuring the crops are produced in an environment that not only maximizes yields, but consistently produces predictable yields.
Can electric light agriculture be profitable and sustainable?

Jan 17, 2024 | urbanagnews.com | David Kuack

Bruce Bugbee, professor of crop physiology at Utah State University, refers to the exclusive use of LEDs in closed indoor farms as electric light agriculture. He said no matter how efficient LEDs become, they are still competing with free photons from the sun. Photo by John FreyEven as controlled environment agriculture companies go out of business or file for bankruptcy, investors see economic opportunities. New indoor farms are coming online and others are expanding their operations.
Looking for reliable labor?

Oct 26, 2023 | urbanagnews.com | David Kuack

The current political climate in Washington, D.C., is not conducive for broad-based immigration, labor and workforce reform, which could help the horticulture and agricultural industries resolve worker shortages. During the AmericanHort Impact Washington Summit in September, over 120 people from 25 states came to Washington, D.C., to discuss with their elected officials the major issues facing the horticulture industry.
Where can you get accurate information about indoor farm production?

Aug 28, 2023 | urbanagnews.com | David Kuack |Chris Higgins

One of the major objectives of OptimIA project researchers was to establish an outreach program to engage with stakeholders in the indoor vertical farming community. Photo courtesy of Chris Higgins, Hort AmericasThe indoor farm industry is very fluid right now with changes occurring on a weekly basis. New companies are starting, some are leaving the industry, while others continue to receive millions of investor dollars to expand their operations.
NC State’s Collado and Hernandez Research Cannabis Water Use Under Supplemental Light

Aug 25, 2023 | urbanagnews.com | David Kuack

North Carolina State University researchers Professor Ricardo Hernandez and Cristian Collado worked with Current’s Arize® Element L1000 LED top lighting in a greenhouse setting to explore the impact of light levels on the production of cuttings, plant growth, flower production, quality, and water use of a cannabis sativa variety commonly cultivated for its high levels of CBD.