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.

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

"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."

Website - https://commonfarms.com/

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

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The Indoor Farmer -

Ever wondered how cutting-edge technology is revolutionizing indoor farming? I've got the inside scoop on the latest innovations that are changing the game. In this episode of the Vertical Farming Podcast, host Harry Duran sits down with Per Lysaa, CTO and co-founder of Elevate Farms and founder of Intravision Group AS. With over two decades of experience in photobiology and LED technology, Per brings a wealth of knowledge to the conversation about controlled environment agriculture.

Per shares his journey from architecture to pioneering LED applications in plant growth, discussing the development of Elevate Farms' patented gravity flow system. This innovative approach allows for highly automated, large-scale production of leafy greens at commodity pricing, potentially disrupting traditional farming methods.

The conversation delves into the challenges of scaling vertical farming operations, the importance of partnerships in innovation, and the potential for machine learning and AI to further advance the industry. Per also touches on the global water crisis and its implications for future food production, highlighting the critical role vertical farming could play in addressing these challenges.

If you're curious about the future of food production and how technology is shaping sustainable agriculture, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to gain insights from one of the industry's leading innovators and discover the potential of vertical farming to address global food security challenges.

5:22 Early Work with LEDs and Photobiology

10:09 Space Research and Plant Growth

15:52 Cannabis Research and LED Advancements

20:29 Founding Elevate and Business Strategy

25:21 Balancing Roles in Two Companies

Website - https://www.elevate.farm/ & https://www.intravisiongroup.com/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/per-aage-lysaa-9685592/

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Ever wondered how vertical farming could revolutionize the cotton industry? I sat down with Simon Wardle, CEO of Gooddrop, to explore this groundbreaking concept.

Simon Wardle brings a unique perspective to vertical farming, combining his background in design with a vision for sustainable cotton production. As the leader of Good Drop, he's spearheading an initiative to grow cotton in controlled environments, potentially transforming the textile industry.

In this episode, we delve into Good Drop's ambitious plans to create a closed-loop system for cotton production. Simon shares insights on their progress, from container-based experiments to plans for a pilot facility, and discusses the challenges of reinventing the cotton supply chain.

We also explore the broader implications of this innovation, touching on topics such as energy sustainability, the potential for localized production, and the hurdles of disrupting a centuries-old industry. Simon offers a candid look at the realities of bringing a new concept to market in the vertical farming space.

If you're curious about the future of sustainable textiles and the role vertical farming could play, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to hear Simon's fascinating journey and the potential impact of vertically farmed cotton.

00:42 Collaboration and Industry Insights

06:00 Thanksgiving and Cultural Differences

12:00 Design Background and Transition

24:00 Challenges and Innovations

30:00 Leadership and Team Building

36:00 Industry Disruption and Future Plans

Website - https://www.good-drop.com/

LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/in/simon-w-09900827

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

Horti-Gen Insights -