Editor’s note: This newsletter marks the final send for Dr. Sean Campbell, and I want to thank him for all his work in this space—Sean, you will be missed! We welcome Dr. Jake Holley, who will be taking over for Sean starting with the first issue in March.

—Jen Polanz, managing editor of Inside Grower

First and foremost, I want to thank each of you for your support of this publication during my tenure as editor-at-large, but it is with a heavy heart that I announce that I will be stepping down as I use the time to focus on the next steps in my career. It has truly been an honor covering the field of controlled environment agriculture for an organization as renowned as Ball Publishing, and I have enjoyed every moment interacting with the incredible people who make the science of CEA a reality.

I also want to thank Editor-in-Chief Chris Beytes, Managing Editor Jennifer Polanz, and the rest of the editorial team for the incredible opportunity, and for allowing me to continue to contribute to this fine publication as I refuse to give it up completely. So, while you will see more of me, I am incredibly confident that I am leaving you in good hands with Dr. Jake Holley of Colorado State. With that, take it away Jake. 

Hi, everyone! I’m Jake Holley, and I’m excited to be your new editor for the Inside Grower newsletter.

Plants! That’s why we are all here, right? Well, truth be told, I’m actually more of a manufacturing and automation guy, but I prefer this work with a botanical twist. I specialize in greenhouse crop production, from container flowers to large-scale veggies. In my role as a scientist and manager at Colorado State University’s Metro Ag Research Center, I get to explore how the latest technology and growing techniques can make greenhouses and vertical farms more efficient and productive.

I actually started out studying Marine Science, a cool mix of physics, chemistry and biology that tries to make sense of what’s happening in the deep blue. But then I found myself in a greenhouse, got hooked, and eventually made my way to UC Davis for a Master’s degree and Cornell for a PhD in greenhouse crop production. In between degrees and my current role, I spent time working at an LED grow light company, helped design backyard greenhouses, and even did a summer stint as a QA intern at a brewery (fermentation is still just controlled environment agriculture). My career path has zigzagged a bit, but that has shaped how I think about growing; always looking at the intersection of disciplines and how different systems fit together.

One of my favorite things is discovering new technology and being amazed at what it can do, right before feeling embarrassed when learning about an “old” technique that’s been around forever but still has so much value. With Inside Grower, my goal is to bring you the best of both worlds: new innovations, time-tested methods and practical insights to help make plant production smoother, easier and more profitable.

Got a question or an interesting tidbit to share? Shoot me an email at jholley@ballpublishing.com. Let’s get growing, stay tuned for some great stuff!

Contributed by Jen Polanz

Five years after its opening, BrightFarms is closing its 280,000-sq. ft. Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania growing operation, according to multiple local news reports. The greenhouse employed 76 people, and company officials cited the ability to scale up new farms in Illinois, Georgia and Texas as the reason for the closure.

“We have made the difficult decision to suspend operations at our Selinsgrove farm,” Lancaster Farming quoted the statement from the company. “As BrightFarms grows with new, larger farms, we are grateful for our Pennsylvania team and will support them through this transition. We remain committed to servicing our Pennsylvania customers.”

In late September, BrightFarms opened its Yorkville, Illinois, location, one of three hubs the company is focusing on to service a wide swath of the United States.

Read the full story in Lancaster Farming here.

Contributed by Chris Beytes

On Thursday, April 3, GrowSpan Greenhouse Structures will cut the ribbon on their new state-of-the-art Venlo*-style greenhouse at their Dyersville, Iowa, campus. GrowSpan’s Venlo greenhouse project represents years of research and development, they say, as well as significant investments made in manufacturing facilities ($13 million) and infrastructure.

Spanning nearly one acre, the newest of GrowSpan’s greenhouse offerings boasts approximately 25,000 sq. ft. of growing space, a hot-dipped galvanized steel frame, 4-mm glass glazing on the roof and sides and cable-driven climate screens.

Partition walls divide the growing space into three zones, each one tailored to an individual crop. Zone 1 features a deep-water lettuce cultivation system with above-ground ponds and polystyrene rafts; Zones 2 and 3 feature suspended gutter cultivation systems for tomato and strawberry. Additionally, the Venlo-style greenhouse is outfitted with the latest climate control equipment, including HAF and AHU fans, vertical sliding windows, hydronic heating systems, LED lighting, high-pressure foggers and more.

For more information or to RSVP for the grand opening, click HERE.

*A Venlo-style greenhouse is a specific type of commercial greenhouse design that originated in the Netherlands. They feature multiple spans, gabled roofs with narrow bays, large glass panels glazing the roof and sides for high light transmission, roof vents for good ventilation, and plenty of interior space for efficient growing and use of mechanization/automation.