Vertical Farming Podcast

By: Harry Duran
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  • Summary

  • Vertical farming is a revolutionary approach to produce production leveraging controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technology and systems in innovative ways. It facilitates production of huge quantities of nutritious and quality fresh food without relying on favorable weather, high water usage, skilled labor, and high soil fertility. This ensures reliable yield and consistency in crop production year-round with climate control, and no effects of external environment factors such as diseases, pests, or predator attacks. Join Harry Duran, Host of the Apple-recommended Podcast Junkies and Founder of FullCast, as he explores the world of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA). Tune in every week for fascinating conversations with CEOs, Founders and luminaries from the exciting and fast-growing world of Vertical Farming. If you've been interested in the world of Indoor AgTech and want to hear inspiring stories from the innovators on the frontlines of this fast-moving industry, then this most definitely the show for you! Subscribe and learn more by visiting http://verticalfarmingpodcast.com/
    2022 FullCast
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Biological Sciences Science
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Episodes
  • S11E156 Rick Langille/Harvest Today - Harvest Wall 2.0: Engineering the Next Generation of Farming

    S11E156 Rick Langille/Harvest Today - Harvest Wall 2.0: Engineering the Next Generation of Farming
    Feb 21 2025

    Ever wondered how vertical farming could revolutionize food production and make fresh, flavorful produce more accessible? In this enlightening conversation with Rick Langille, CEO of Harvest Today, we explore the cutting-edge developments in vertical farming technology and their potential impact on the future of agriculture.

    Rick shares exciting updates on Harvest Today's progress, including the launch of their Shopify site and upcoming innovations in their Harvest Wall system. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability and customer-centric approaches in the vertical farming industry, highlighting the need for diverse crop solutions beyond just lettuce or strawberries. Rick's insights into the company's expansion into international markets, particularly in India and the Middle East, showcase the global potential of their technology.

    We delve into Harvest Today's partnerships and technological advancements, such as their collaboration with Ecoplume for AI-driven plant growth monitoring and their work with Rooted Robotics for automated cleaning solutions. Rick also discusses the company's plans for cost reduction, including strategic manufacturing decisions and the potential establishment of a private equity fund to support farmers.

    If you're curious about the future of sustainable agriculture and how vertical farming is evolving to meet global food demands, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to gain valuable insights from an industry leader and learn how Harvest Today is working to make fresh, flavorful produce more accessible through innovative vertical farming solutions.

    Thanks to Our Sponsors

    Bio520 Key Takeaways

    5:05 Industry outlook and diversifying crop offerings

    9:43 Harvest Wall's unique microbiome approach

    15:28 Navigating challenges and maintaining patience

    20:13 Manufacturing partnerships and cost reduction strategies

    25:31 Developing a super app for wellness

    31:00 Success story of small-scale vertical farm

    Tweetable Quotes"We need to be much more broad spectrum. We need to be able to address diets that are more than lettuce.""The harvest wall was really based around the plant biology of rooted plants. Because as we vertically irrigate or we use hydroponic technology in order to feed plants, hydroponics never allows a true microbiome to get going.""Quality is number one, though. Always, always, always. This isn't a toy."Resources Mentioned

    Website - https://www.harvest.today/

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvest-today/

    YouTube - @harvesttoday

    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harvest.today/?hl=en

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HarvestTodayLLC/

    Connect With Us

    VFP LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticalfarmingpodcast

    VFP Twitter - https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPod

    VFP Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/

    VFP Facebook -

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    48 mins
  • Dickson Despommier - A Vertical Farming Podcast Tribute

    Dickson Despommier - A Vertical Farming Podcast Tribute
    Feb 14 2025

    In this special tribute episode of The Vertical Farming Podcast, I honor the life and legacy of Dr. Dickson Despommier, the visionary who laid the foundation for vertical farming as we know it today.

    His book, The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century, completely changed the way I thought about food production, sustainability, and the future of agricultureReading it in 2019 was a turning point for me—it was the spark that led to the creation of this podcast.

    Over the years, I’ve spoken with over 150 CEOs and founders in the industry, and so many of them cite Dr. Despommier as a major influence on their work. His vision of growing food in urban skyscrapers was once considered radical, but today, it’s shaping the future of sustainable agriculture.

    Though he’s no longer with us, his ideas continue to inspire, and it’s up to all of us—researchers, farmers, entrepreneurs, and investors—to carry his vision forward. This episode is my way of saying thank you to a man whose ideas changed my life—and the world.

    Additional Social Tributes

    Marc Oshima on LinkedIn

    Nona Yehia on LinkedIn

    Honoring Dr. Dickson Despommier: The Visionary Who Planted the Seeds for Vertical Farming’s Future - Henry Gordon-Smith

    Thanks to Our Sponsors

    Bio520 Resources Mentioned

    The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century, by Dickson Despommier - https://amzn.to/3QhWWyY

    Connect With Us

    VFP LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticalfarmingpodcast

    VFP Twitter - https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPod

    VFP Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/

    VFP Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/VerticalFarmPod

    Subscribe to our newsletters!

    AgTech Digest - https://agtechdigest.com

    The Indoor Farmer - https://www.indoorverticalfarm.com/

    Horti-Gen Insights - https://www.hortigeninsights.com/

    🎙️🎙️🎙️

    Podcast Production and Marketing by FullCast

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Indoor AgCon 2025

    Indoor AgCon 2025
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    9 mins
  • S11E154 Jessica Fong/Common Farms - Microgreens and Mega Dreams: Common Farms' Inspiring Journey

    S11E154 Jessica Fong/Common Farms - Microgreens and Mega Dreams: Common Farms' Inspiring Journey
    Jan 24 2025

    Ever wondered how to start a vertical farm in a city with limited space and resources? Jessica Naomi Fong's journey with Common Farms in Hong Kong is a masterclass in resilience, innovation, and customer-focused growth.

    Jessica Naomi Fong, Founder and CEO of Common Farms, shares her inspiring story of launching a vertical farming business in Hong Kong just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. With a background in the restaurant industry and manufacturing, Jessica leveraged her unique perspective to create a thriving microgreens and specialty greens business in one of the world's most densely populated cities.

    In this episode, Jessica delves into the challenges of starting a vertical farm from scratch, including educating customers, building relationships with chefs, and adapting to market demands. She discusses the importance of keeping systems simple, focusing on customer needs, and continuously improving product quality and diversity.

    Jessica also touches on the future of Common Farms, including their focus on functional foods and the nutritional benefits of microgreens. She shares insights on growing as a CEO, the importance of building a strong team, and the value of collaboration within the indoor farming industry.

    If you're interested in the intersection of urban agriculture, culinary innovation, and entrepreneurship, this episode offers a wealth of practical insights and inspiration. Tune in to learn how Jessica turned challenges into opportunities and built a successful vertical farming business in an unlikely environment.

    Thanks to Our Sponsors

    Bio520 Key Takeaways

    5:07 Starting a business during COVID

    10:22 Origin story of Common Farms

    15:05 Building relationships with chefs

    26:20 Customizing produce for chefs

    32:31 Focusing on functional food

    43:10 Tough questions for entrepreneurs

    46:42 Collaboration in indoor farming

    Tweetable Quotes"We were very methodical about that. But then again, we had to test the market. Do people want microgreens? What microgreens do they want? How do they want them? What's the crop diversity? How much diversity do we need? What's the price point?""I created this scenario and this character and that future of the business. And that was the mission. That was the goal for me.""We can't do this alone. We really welcome anyone that's developing anything to reach out to us. We're constantly in the experimental stage, which means we're always incrementally making improvements and we can't figure all of this out on our own."Resources Mentioned

    Website - https://commonfarms.com/

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-naomi-fong/

    Connect With Us

    VFP LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/verticalfarmingpodcast

    VFP Twitter - https://twitter.com/VerticalFarmPod

    VFP Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/direct/inbox/

    VFP Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/VerticalFarmPod

    Subscribe to our newsletters!

    AgTech Digest -

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    1 hr and 1 min

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Inspiration through conversation

Not one minute has been wasted, it's both educational and inspirational, you are amazing and a human magnet for great people to come together on your podcast!!!
This might be the lifestyle/business I've been looking for, vertical farming.

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