OSU Introduces Two New CEA-Based Masters Programs
In an effort to increase the educational opportunities available in the CEA realm, The Ohio State University is offering two CEA-based master’s programs, the Master of Science (M.S.) degree within the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership (ACEL) and the Master’s in Plant Health Management (MPHM), a Professional Science Master’s program.
Students in the ACEL M.S. program will be able to specialize in one of five different subject areas, including Agricultural Communication, Agricultural Education, and International Development. Designed for teachers, extension, outreach educators and other communicators, this M.S. degree program will prepare graduates for a variety of disciplines in the communication and education realms of CEA. More information about the program can be found on the
Agricultural Communication Education and Leadership website.
Developed within Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) department, the MPHM degree is the first graduate program at OSU to receive accreditation from
National Professional Science Master’s Association. A joint effort between the Plant Pathology and Entomology departments, the MPHM program is designed to include training in professional and technical aspects of plant health management. Students will have access to in-person and online learning options with courses in seven academic units to choose from.
More information about the program can be found at their
site and at the associated
press release.
University of Wyoming Leads $2.08M CEA Grant from NSF
A collaboration between six educational institutions with University of Wyoming at the lead, the “Harnessing Controlled Environment Agriculture to Secure Sustainability and Economic Growth” project will be aimed at studying plant and microbe interactions in hydroponics systems and their affect on crop yields in different environments.
Lead investigator for UW, director of the UW Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility in the Science Institute and associate director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Center, Carmela Rosaria Guadagno stated, “CEA represents a strong reality for the state of Wyoming, and it can be strategically leveraged to foster food safety and build economic sustainability within the region. By partnering with states facing similar challenges, we aim to empower communities to thrive under future climates while driving innovation in CEA technologies.”
This work has been ongoing for UW, including preliminary work by UW student Isaiah Spiegelberg (pictured) in UW’s Plant Growth and Phenotyping Facility as the university was conducting preliminary work to investigate indoor farming’s potential to help mediate climate related challenges. By including Santa Fe Community College, the program also seeks to establish a pathway for students to transfer from a CEA-based two-year program to a four-year degree in a related STEM field.
For more on the project and its investigators, visit the UW press release.
CEA Alliance and Indoor Ag-Con Partner for 2025 Meeting
Last week, the CEA Alliance and the management company behind Indoor Ag-Con announce that the CEA Alliance 2025 Annual Meeting will be hosted in conjunction with Indoor Ag-Con in Las Vegas from March 11-12, 2025.
As part of this partnership, the CEA Alliance will help contribute to the educational programs at Indoor Ag-Con, said CEO of Indoor Ag-Con, Brian Sullivan. “Hosting their annual meeting in conjunction with our event creates a unique opportunity for our exhibitors and attendees to engage directly with even more top-tier growers and industry leaders. The Alliance’s contributions to our educational lineup will be invaluable, bringing critical insights and expertise on the key issues and trends shaping the future of controlled environment agriculture.”
Having attended Indoor Ag-Con the past several years as a speaker and attendee, I’m excited to see how the Alliance can help bolster the educational opportunities on hand!
August Indoor Ag Science Café – GPEC Recap
This month’s Indoor Ag Science Café features Dr. Chieri Kubota of The Ohio State University and Dr. A.J. Both and Keiya Satoh from Rutgers University as they discuss ‘GPEC – A tradeshow for CEA innovations.’
GPEC, or the Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition/Conference, was hosted in Tokyo by the Japan Greenhouse Horticulture Association back in July and included over 200 exhibitors and 35,000 visitors.
To learn more about the conference and how future attendance might benefit you, tune in on Tuesday, August 27 (today!) at 11:00 a.m. ET. More information and the link for registration can be found on the associated site. Don’t worry if you didn’t see this in time, they post the videos to their YouTube page after the fact. You can find the full playlist of Indoor Ag Science Cafe videos here.
CEAHerb Annual Stakeholder Meeting
Founded in 2022, the Controlled Environment Agriculture Herb Extension & Research Base (CEAHerb) project received a 4-year USDA SCRI grant to assess the sustainability and profitability of CEA produced fresh-cut and potted culinary herbs. CEAHerb is led by Roberto Lopez of Michigan State University and includes Bridget Behe, Erik Runkle and Mary Hausbeck also from MSU, Kellie Walters and Alicia Rihn of the University of Tennessee, Brian Whipker (North Carolina State University), Christopher Currey (Iowa State University), Angela Shaw (Texas Tech University), and Jennifer Boldt (USDA-ARS). The stakeholder meeting will include results from the various experiments and outreach activities included in the project with opportunities for feedback and input. Tentative topics include:
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Non-chemical height control strategies for potted herbs, Roberto Lopez (MSU)
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Tips for germinating culinary herbs, Kellie Walters (UT)
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Adding value to domestically grown culinary herbs, Alica Rhin (UT) and Bridget Behe (MSU)
More details can be found on the CEAHerb page, and early registration is encouraged as space is limited.
Dates: Sept. 11-13, 2024
Location: Ames, Iowa (closest airport is Des Moines, Iowa)
Edible Garden AG Opens Doors to University of Rhode Island for CEA Sustainability Research
In a press release this week from Edible Garden Ag, the CEA producer announced they will be opening their doors to the University of Rhode Island in support of a graduate research project focused on assessing the sustainability of different practices in the CEA space. “By participating in this comprehensive assessment, we are not only benchmarking our efforts against industry standards but also gaining valuable insights that will help us set clear, actionable goals to elevate our sustainability initiatives,” said CEO of Edible Garden Jim Kras. “Additionally, beyond enhancing our internal operations, we see this project as an opportunity to contribute to the broader conversation about the environmental impact of the greenhouse CEA industry.”
Having worked in multiple aspects of the CEA realm from academic to start-up, with further insight covering the field for this fine publication, I hope we can all breathe a collected sigh of relief. Little information is available about the work to be done by the URI researchers and I will be reserving my kudos until the results have been announced and vetted by peers, but I can personally attest to the desperate need for more transparency in the CEA field. This is especially true when it comes to sustainability and the metrics being used to track it.
I realize that I may be speaking to the proverbial choir with this one, but I hope I’m one of the first to thank Edible Gardens Ag for opening their doors and I’m excited to see what comes as other companies follow suit.
Stay curious, ask questions and let me know how it goes at scampbell@ballpublishing.com.
Dr. Sean Campbell
Editor-at-Large
Inside Grower
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