{"id":2073,"date":"2022-09-06T13:58:49","date_gmt":"2022-09-06T13:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/?p=2073"},"modified":"2022-09-06T13:58:51","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T13:58:51","slug":"pioneering-vertical-farming-facility-launched-in-wales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/2022\/09\/06\/pioneering-vertical-farming-facility-launched-in-wales\/","title":{"rendered":"PIONEERING vertical farming facility launched in Wales."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A new climate-controlled facility designed to support a ground-breaking vertical farming project has officially launched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Lesley Griffiths, minister for rural affairs, North Wales and Trefnydd, opened the Tech Tyfu Innovation Hub at M-Sparc on Anglesey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Delivered by not-for-profit organisation Menter M\u00f4n, with support from the Welsh Government, the pilot programme was a success with growers in Gwynedd and Anglesey, who developed and supplied fresh micro greens to restaurants, hotels and consumers using sustainable, water-based hydroponic methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The second phase of the initiative will see 13 growing sites across Wales supported by the hub &#8211; which features a four-layer nutrient film technique rack system with a production capacity of 732 plant heads, flood and drain units, a grow room and a controlled environment chamber \u2013 in the next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Project manager Luke Tyler thanked the minister for attending and believes Tech Tyfu will play a major role in shaping the agri-technology economy nationwide, promoting food tourism, and strengthening supply chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are excited to open the new Innovation Hub, it will be pivotal in supporting the growers through research and development and horticulture training,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom this cutting-edge facility we will trial new crops, growing methods, and equipment, working with academic and business partners to explore opportunities for crops and technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe will also host an equipment library to encourage new growers to take their first steps into vertical farming without prohibitive costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was a pleasure to be able to demonstrate the progress made so far and our wider vision to the minister &#8211; we thank her again for supporting the project and visiting us today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The minister reinforced those words and said: \u201cIt\u2019s great to see this innovation taking place on Anglesey with Welsh Government support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVertical farming has the potential to cut the length of supply chains, increase food security and cut carbon emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe new Innovation Hub will ensure Wales will be at the cutting-edge of agri-technology and horticultural research, and I\u2019m pleased to officially launch it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/C_1736_0634-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2074\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/C_1736_0634-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/C_1736_0634-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/C_1736_0634-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/C_1736_0634-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/C_1736_0634-8x12.jpg 8w, https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/C_1736_0634.jpg 1067w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><figcaption>Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales and Trefnydd, officially opened the Tech Tyfu Innovation Hub. Photo: Mel Parry Photography. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Vertical farming allows growers to control the environment of their crop, which improves water and nutrient use efficiency by up to an order of magnitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It also enables them to create conditions necessary to grow out of season crops, reducing pressure on the food supply chain as well as transport, packaging, and refrigeration costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Innovation Hub project officer, Molly Poulter, now looks forward to exploring further research and development opportunities over the coming months, providing farmers, businesses, and the food industry with more scope to diversify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe hub will bridge the gap between research and development and commercialisation, all of which complements our work on the scale-up project,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe initial focus will be on supporting the 13 growers, and long-term we plan to help businesses in different areas of farming and agri-technology with their product and system ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe will also be looking at the systems and machinery here and the technology supplied to the growers, using feedback to advance that further, and running training courses so people can learn more about vertical horticulture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe will continue testing the programme and are excited to seeing how things develop.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new climate-controlled facility designed to support a ground-breaking vertical farming project has officially launched. Lesley Griffiths, minister for rural affairs, North Wales and Trefnydd, opened the Tech Tyfu Innovation Hub at M-Sparc on Anglesey. Delivered by not-for-profit organisation Menter M\u00f4n, with support from the Welsh Government, the pilot programme was a success with growers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2075,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2073"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2073\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2076,"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2073\/revisions\/2076"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techtyfu.com\/cy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}