Jason Brown Named Colorado Leader in Ag

We’re incredibly proud to announce that Jason Brown, our VP of Operations, is one of 22 people in the entire state of Colorado to be named as a Leader in Agriculture by the Denver Business Journal. Jason was employee No. 1 at FarmBox and he designed and built our very first container farm from scratch.

A general contractor by trade, Jason has dived into his leadership role and oversees the deployment of all of our farms, among many other responsibilities. We’re fortunate to have a hardworking, forward-thinking person like Jason on our team, and we appreciate all that he’s contributed to our company and the world.

Jason will be honored alongside the other 21 recipients during a ceremony on March 28, 2024, at the CSU Spur Hydro Building.

What ‘Supporting Local Farms’ Really Means

We often hear the phrase “Support your local farmers.” But what does that really mean?

Well, it contributes to the economic vitality of local communities in a major way. When consumers choose locally produced goods, they help sustain crucial local farming operations, preserving agricultural land and maintaining rural (and urban) livelihoods. In turn, this fosters a stronger economy by generating employment opportunities and encouraging entrepreneurship within the community.

Supporting local farms also promotes environmental sustainability. Locally sourced produce often requires less transportation, reducing the carbon footprint associated with long-distance shipping. This can lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to a more eco-friendly and sustainable food system. Many local farms prioritize sustainable farming practices, promoting biodiversity and soil health, too. These elements of the operations can’t be overstated.

Buying from local farms often means fresher and more flavorful products as well. Locally grown produce is typically harvested at peak ripeness, offering consumers higher nutritional value and better taste. This connection to fresh, seasonal ingredients can also foster a greater appreciation for the diversity of crops and promote a healthier diet, while ensuring that people have a longer period of time to eat the food before it goes to waste.

Supporting local farms plays a role in maintaining food security. By diversifying the sources of food production and distribution, local communities become less vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains, like what we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. This localized approach helps build resilience against external factors that could impact food availability and affordability.

In a social context, backing local farms fosters a sense of community. Farmers markets and direct-to-consumer sales allow for direct interactions between producers and consumers, creating a stronger bond and understanding of where food comes from. This connection promotes a shared commitment to sustaining local agriculture and can strengthen community ties.

In short, supporting local farms goes beyond the act of buying food; it’s a holistic investment in the economic, environmental and social well-being of communities. Choosing locally sourced products empowers local farmers, promotes sustainability, enhances the quality of food and contributes to the resilience and cohesion of communities. What more can you ask for?

Remediate Soil with Mycelium Substrate

Soil remediation is a critical environmental practice aimed at restoring or improving the quality of soil that has been contaminated or degraded by various pollutants, such as heavy metals, pesticides, petroleum products and industrial chemicals. The importance of soil remediation cannot be overstated due to its numerous ecological, agricultural, and human health benefits. Mycelium substrates, specifically mycoremediation, have emerged as a promising and sustainable approach to assist in soil remediation.

Here are some key points on the importance of soil remediation and how mycelium substrates can help:

  1. Environmental Protection: Contaminated soil can have severe adverse effects on the environment. It can lead to soil erosion, groundwater pollution, and harm to local ecosystems. Soil remediation helps mitigate these negative impacts, contributing to overall environmental protection and conservation efforts.
  2. Agricultural Productivity: Healthy soil is essential for agriculture, as it provides the necessary nutrients and support for plant growth. Soil contamination can lead to reduced crop yields and food safety concerns. Remediated soil can restore fertile ground for farming, ensuring food security and quality.
  3. Human Health: Contaminated soil can pose serious health risks to humans, especially if the contaminants leach into the water supply or are taken up by plants in the food chain. Soil remediation helps safeguard public health by reducing exposure to harmful substances.
  4. Biodiversity: Many soil-dwelling organisms, including microorganisms, insects, and plants, depend on a healthy soil environment. Soil remediation efforts aim to protect and restore these ecosystems, supporting biodiversity and ecological balance.
  5. Land Reclamation: Remediated soil can be repurposed for various land uses, including residential, commercial, and recreational purposes. This repurposing of land can revitalize urban areas and promote sustainable development.

Now, let’s explore how mycelium substrates plays a role in soil remediation, which FarmBox Foods customer BLH Farm has been doing since acquiring a Gourmet Mushroom Farm:

Mycoremediation: Mycoremediation is a bioremediation technique that employs fungal mycelium, the thread-like vegetative part of fungi, to break down or absorb contaminants in the soil. Mycelium has several properties that make it effective in soil remediation:

  • Biodegradation: Mycelium can secrete enzymes that break down complex organic molecules, making them more easily metabolized by other microorganisms and reducing the toxicity of contaminants.
  • Metal Accumulation: Some species of fungi have the ability to accumulate heavy metals in their mycelium. This can help to immobilize or concentrate metals, preventing them from leaching into groundwater or affecting plant growth.
  • Soil Structure Improvement: Mycelium can also improve soil structure by binding soil particles together, increasing soil porosity, and enhancing water retention.
  • Carbon Sequestration: As fungi grow and decompose organic matter, they contribute to carbon sequestration, which can help mitigate climate change.
  • Low Environmental Impact: Mycoremediation is often considered an environmentally friendly approach because it typically requires minimal external inputs and doesn’t produce harmful byproducts.

While mycelium substrates offer promising solutions for soil remediation, it’s essential to note that their effectiveness depends on various factors, including the type and extent of contamination, the specific fungi species used, and environmental conditions. That being said, mycoremediation is often used in combination with other remediation techniques to achieve optimal results. Additionally, research and development in this field continue to expand our understanding of how fungi can be harnessed for sustainable soil remediation practices.

Farmers Adapting to Changing Times and Conditions

The shifting climate is having a big impact on the agricultural sector, and farmers around the world are being forced to adapt to numerous challenges. Here are some of the challenges that farmers are facing due to climate change:

  1. Changing weather patterns: Climate change is causing shifts in weather patterns, leading to extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, heatwaves, and storms. These changes can damage crops, reduce yields, and affect the timing of planting and harvesting.
  2. Water scarcity: Changing rainfall patterns can result in water scarcity, making it harder for farmers to irrigate their crops. This can lead to reduced yields and even crop failure.
  3. Increased pests and diseases: Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns can lead to the proliferation of pests and diseases that can damage crops and reduce yields.
  4. Soil degradation: Climate change can cause soil degradation, making it less fertile and less able to support healthy crops. This can result in lower yields and reduced food quality.
  5. Reduced biodiversity: Climate change is causing shifts in ecosystems, which can reduce biodiversity and disrupt natural pollination cycles, leading to lower crop yields.
  6. Financial pressures: Climate change can lead to increased costs for farmers, such as higher irrigation costs, increased pest management expenses, and greater investments in technology and infrastructure to adapt to changing conditions.

What Can We Do?

  1. Promote sustainable farming practices: Encouraging sustainable farming practices such as conservation agriculture, crop rotation, and agroforestry can help to improve soil health and reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides. This can also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.
  2. Develop and promote drought-resistant crops: Developing crops that are more tolerant of drought conditions can help farmers adapt to changing rainfall patterns and reduce water usage.
  3. Improve water management: Improved water management techniques, such as drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting, can help farmers to conserve water and reduce the impact of droughts.
  4. Expand access to climate information: Providing farmers with access to reliable climate information can help them make better decisions about when to plant, what crops to grow, and how to manage their farms.
  5. Support research and development: Investing in research and development to improve agricultural productivity, develop new crop varieties, and enhance soil health can help farmers adapt to changing conditions and improve their resilience.
  6. Provide financial support: Providing financial support, such as subsidies or insurance, can help farmers to manage the financial risks associated with climate change and adopt new practices.
  7. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture through practices such as conservation tillage, improved nutrient management, and the use of renewable energy can help to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture.

Educating Future Generations Using Innovation, Hands-On Learning

Educating Future Generations Using Innovation, Hands-On Learning

GSSM 4

Is there any greater gift than bestowing life-changing knowledge to younger generations?

For schools that focus on science, technology, engineering and math — or those that simply think outside the box when it comes to how they educate their students — it’s a no-brainer. The trend of implementing curriculums that emphasize hands-on learning is on an upward trajectory, and it shows no signs of slowing.

The Governor’s School of Science and Mathematics in South Carolina is a prime example of how to promote greater interest in learning among all students, including those who struggle in a traditional, straight-out-of-the-textbook setting. The high school recently began growing in a Vertical Hydroponic Farm made by FarmBox Foods that will serve as an interactive classroom for years to come. It’s housed inside an upcycled shipping container that’s been outfitted with all of the plumbing, electrical components and sensor technology needed to grow food.

Oftentimes, engagement is the key that unlocks the door to improved attentiveness, and producing something tangible hammers home the potential impacts. When a student is able to hold, say, a fresh head of lettuce that was grown via ingenuity, it can spark something greater: intense motivation to learn more. They suddenly — and satisfyingly — have used both existing and newfound knowledge of science and technology to grow fresh, nutritious food, perhaps for those who face hunger in their community. The students can literally hold the real-world impact in their hands.

GSSM’s Hydroponic Research Lab, however, isn’t necessarily centered on what it can produce, but how it produces, and, perhaps more importantly, why. It’s a venue for all-encompassing lessons in everything from civics and social responsibility to inventing new indoor farming techniques and creating avenues for environmental stewardship that previously didn’t exist. The educational promise is boundless, as are the practical applications that result.

In many respects, encouraging initial failure provides interdisciplinary opportunities for critical thinking and problem solving. GSSM’s students will have the ability to experiment with different controlled environments, study the research findings, and help answer questions about its effects on the agricultural community in its region, state and beyond. The lab will also help students to develop and standardize hydroponic research protocols for model plants used in plant science, plants of interest and plants beneficial to the area.

“The GSSM Hydroponic Research Lab provides unprecedented opportunities for students to engage in meaningful research on issues of worldwide significance right here on the GSSM campus in Hartsville, SC,” said GSSM Director of Research and Inquiry, Dr. Josh Witten. “Because this lab represents a unique research resource, it will also be a platform for GSSM students, faculty, and staff to collaborate with researchers beyond our campus. These innovative and immersive experiences are a hallmark of the GSSM education, which prepares students to become the problem solvers of tomorrow.”

The container farm contains elements of — and applications for — biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, computer science, robotics and economics, and is ‘being used as a teaching tool to engage their creativity,” the school said.

Creating a curriculum

Within the next 1-2 years, FarmBox Foods plans to roll out a curriculum specific to each controlled-climate farm it manufactures. The Colorado company is fortunate to be surrounded by educators of all types who have offered to contribute their expertise to the endeavor, largely because they can see the enormous potential. The goal is to create plug-and-play lesson plans that fit with current science and technology curriculums.

User-friendly automation within the Vertical Hydroponic Farm puts control in the hands of the students and teachers. For example, they can tweak the watering schedule or crank up the humidity and witness first-hand its effects on the plants, and learn precisely why it has such a big influence on the growing process. They can also explore how plants that historically haven’t been able to grow in low humidity can survive.

Higher learning

One of FarmBox Foods’ prototype hydroponic container farms was delivered to the campus of Delaware State University in Fall 2022. Consider for a moment all of the different academic disciplines and tracks that a single farm can touch, from marketing and business development to mechanics and horticulture. 

“We have a lot of interested clients looking for ag-tech solutions to bring to schools,” said Michael Choi, owner of Ponix, which equips indoor farms with specialized software. “It offers a compelling story for schools — how they can work with the community, and offer things like workforce training. It’s how you program around it.”

Choi, who sold the used farm to Delaware State University, said they will use it for both food security and educational purposes.

“I’ve been working with a network of schools for many years, and that particular school wanted to move forward quickly,” he said.

Valor Christian High School, in Highlands Ranch, Colo., has a project-based learning environment that is helping to lead the next generation of agriculturists to the greener pastures of the future.

The Applied STEM Program, led by director Rick Russon, enables students to put into practice what they learn in the classroom, preparing them for successful careers in a number of industries, including agriculture. Members of Valor’s agriculture club, in particular, have an infectious enthusiasm for ideas that combine brain power with a desire to make a positive impact on the world, and it’s already leading to groundbreaking results. For their capstone project, Russon and the club members built a four-tube vertical hydroponic unit using prototype parts donated by FarmBox Foods.

The Applied STEM Program is aiming to modify the four-tube hydroponic system and build several models to bring them into food deserts to feed people in need. Valor Christian sends nearly 40 teams throughout the world each year on missions, and Russon’s hope is that they can help deploy a workable system in areas with little arable land and few natural resources.

The Valor-based vertical hydroponic setup continues to draw interest from students and faculty who want to grow their own farm-fresh greens and help others learn the science behind the hydroponic growing process.

By the numbers

  • The farms are housed inside an insulated, 40-foot-long shipping container
  • A Vertical Hydroponic Farm — or VHF — produces 200-250 lbs. of veggies each week; a Gourmet Mushroom Farm yields around 400 lbs. of mushrooms per week
  • The farms have a 320-square-foot footprint
  • A Vertical Hydroponic Farm can grow approximately 8,000 plants in various stages of growth simultaneously (4,100 in the grow walls, 3,800+ in the seed table)
  • Because of its ability to capture, filter and recycle water, the Vertical Hydroponic Farm uses around 5 gallons of water per day
  • The VHF yields the equivalent of approximately 2.5 acres of farmland annually
  • The VHF grows peppers, grape/cherry tomatoes, microgreens, tree seedlings, as well as a variety of leafy greens, like lettuce, kale, cabbage and culinary herbs
  • Estimated labor required for a VHF is 15-20 hours per week. Labor for the Gourmet Mushroom Farm is about 30 hours per week

CORE Electric, FarmBox Foods announce partnership to grow trees for reforestation​

CORE Electric, FarmBox Foods announce partnership to grow trees for reforestation

A groundbreaking reforestation program launched by CORE Electric Cooperative and FarmBox Foods is using innovation to achieve a new form of environmental stewardship.

 

On Nov. 17, the electricity provider finalized a contract with FarmBox Foods, a Colorado-based manufacturer of controlled-climate farms, to grow trees in a Vertical Hydroponic Farm housed inside an upcycled, insulated shipping container.  CORE plans to use the trees to rehabilitate forests within its service area, which covers 5,000 square miles along Colorado’s Front Range.

 

“CORE’s partnership with FarmBox to support reforestation efforts in our service territory advances our work to be responsible stewards of the environment,” said Jeff Baudier, CORE Electric Cooperative CEO. “As a member-owned cooperative, protecting the natural resources of the communities where we live and serve is a cornerstone of our mission.”

 

In the first three years of the initiative, CORE plans to plant 15,000 blue spruces and ponderosa pines, both native species in Colorado.FarmBox Foods began successfully growing tree seedlings and saplings in the controlled-climate container farm in 2021, but the Vertical Hydroponic Farm purchased by CORE is the first to be solely dedicated to tree propagation.  Under the terms of the agreement, FarmBox Foods will operate the indoor tree farm at its home base in Sedalia and conduct research on drought resistance, nutrient dosing, lighting and other growing parameters.  The trees will then be transferred to hoop houses to allow the root systems to grow out before being planted.

 

“We’re really excited to see the positive impacts that will come from this unique partnership,” said Rusty Walker, CEO of FarmBox Foods. “CORE recognizes its role in helping to maintain healthy forests and I think this is going to be a model for other electric cooperatives going forward.”

 

The partnership allows CORE to “play its part in keeping its service territory beautiful for generations of future members,” the cooperative said in a statement.  To keep powerline corridors safe and free of potential hazards, CORE responsibly removes vegetation.  It’s putting a renewed focus on rehabilitating areas that have been damaged by wildfires.

 

“This first-of-its-kind program exemplifies how CORE is leading the way to a more sustainable future and our mission of innovation,” said Amber King, communications manager for CORE.

 

CORE Electric, which supplies the energy that powers FarmBox Foods’ operating farms that grow nutritious produce in Sedalia, will work with local partners to identify areas in need of reforestation.

Evolving Labor Trends Turn Mushroom Farming into Viable and Profitable Option​

Evolving Labor Trends Turn Mushroom Farming into Viable & Profitable Option

Chestnut mushrooms in a fruiting chamber

Nearly everyone has heard about recent workplace trends said to have arisen from the pandemic, like “quiet quitting,” when in fact people have been re-assessing their priorities and career choices for years in an effort to strike a more equitable work-life balance.

 

There’s generally more awareness about workers leaving their jobs in pursuit of something more fulfilling. Finding a passion and turning it into a lucrative source of income is the goal, and turnkey solutions like container-based mushroom farming are receiving more recognition and acceptance as a low-overhead avenue to success.

 

Starting a career in farming might sound daunting, but a Denver-area company called FarmBox Foods makes it accessible, even for those with no prior experience in agriculture. FarmBox Foods manufactures high-yield Gourmet Mushroom Farms inside insulated shipping containers, allowing people to grow popular varieties of mushrooms year-round and create multiple revenue streams in the process. The privately owned company also trains you how to do it.

 

It’s a viable solution for those who don’t have millions of dollars to invest in a new business venture. There’s no need to buy farmland (the containers have a footprint of 320 square-feet) and all of the necessary equipment for start-to-finish mushroom cultivation is included. And customers can even finance the container farms, which generate more than $1.2 million in profits over their projected 10-year lifespan.

 

The farms open up opportunities for sustainable food production in places that currently lack access to fresh food, including islands. More than 90 percent of food consumed on islands is imported, which increases costs, reduces quality and results in food miles that impact the environment.

 

“It’s something that people can really pour their heart and soul into,” said Rusty Walker, CEO of FarmBox Foods. “It’s not just a new career. It allows you to live and work where you want to and get a good return on your investment while doing something that gives back to the community.”

 

The controlled-climate mushroom farms use a digital control panel and a network of sensors to monitor and automatically adjust conditions inside the farm for optimal growing. The farms can grow nearly 20 varieties of mushrooms, including lion’s mane, oysters, king trumpets and reishi, and yield around 400 pounds of mushrooms per week.

 

To learn more about purchasing or leasing a Gourmet Mushroom Farm, or to schedule an in-person or virtual tour, visit farmboxfoods.com/gourmet-mushroom-farm/.

FarmBox Foods launches indoor farm that grows livestock feed

Trays of hydroponic fodder growing in an indoor farm.

FarmBox Foods LLC is excited to announce the official launch of its Hydroponic Fodder Farm.

The company hosted a public open house on Sept. 27 at our home base in Sedalia, CO. Guided tours of the new indoor farm — the third product line offered by FarmBox Foods — were provided. Attendees also received a tour of the company’s other tech-assisted, containerized farms: the Vertical Hydroponic Farm and Gourmet Mushroom Farm.

What exactly is fodder? It’s a nutrient-dense hay that’s used as a dietary supplement for horses, cows, pigs, goats, chickens, sheep, rabbits and alpacas.

(Want to learn more about FarmBox Foods? Watch our July appearance on ABC News here)

By growing fodder on site year-round, farmers and ranchers can avoid supply chain disruptions, sourcing issues and spikes in hay prices. The controlled-climate farms provide a reliable, hyperlocal source of fresh food while shielding the barley fodder from weather and climate impacts, including drought, heat waves, freezes and floods. The farms are housed inside upcycled, insulated shipping containers outfitted with plumbing, electrical and sensors to control conditions inside. The 320 square-foot farms also capture, filter and recycle water for maximum water efficiency. 

Protein-rich fodder improves the overall health of livestock, supplements hydration and adds weight to beef cattle. It also promotes the production of better-quality milk for dairy cows and goats, improves fertility rates, reduces the likelihood of illness, and decreases methane output because of its superior digestibility compared to traditional alfalfa hay.

Because barley fodder requires only a 7-day growth cycle, a staggered schedule allows farmers and ranchers to harvest around 880 pounds of fodder per day.

What makes FarmBox Foods a green-oriented company?

What makes FarmBox Foods a green-oriented company?

A cow eating hydroponic fodder

We use only upcycled shipping containers.
We give used, insulated shipping containers a new life: growing food at scale in areas that struggle with reliable cultivation and/or access. By outfitting them with the components to grow produce, the repurposed containers are kept out of landfills and scrap heaps.
 
The farms we build are designed to promote efficient water usage.
We capture, filter and reuse water in both our Hydroponic Fodder Farm and our Vertical Hydroponic Farm, which requires only about 5 gallons of water per day. Water is often lost to evaporation and transpiration in traditional farm settings. By recycling the water, our farms get the most out of every drop. In times of severe drought and diminishing water supplies, this efficiency is critically important. 
 
The farms were built to reduce energy usage associated with agricultural production.
Our Vertical Hydroponic Farm uses around 190 kwh per day, the energy equivalent of two loads of laundry. The Gourmet Mushroom Farm uses even less, drawing an average of only 80 kilowatt-hours of electricity each day. High-efficiency, low-energy LED lights are used in FarmBox containers to reduce energy consumption.
 
Reduced need for fossil fuels.
Every kilogram/pound of food waste has a corresponding waste factor for energy, labor, water, carbon emissions, etc. It takes a lot to get produce from point A to point B, including diesel fuel to power trucks and trains. Transporting goods across long distances could be a thing of the past, as our portable container farms enable people to grow food near the consumer, thereby reducing emissions and expenses. Hyper-local growing almost entirely removes the supply chain — and its ongoing issues — from the equation.
 
Indoor farms don’t require the use of pesticides.
Because our farms are enclosed, they’re protected from many of the variables that keep traditional farmers up at night, like drought, flooding, heat waves and hail. But it also prevents impacts from pests, and therefore, pesticides are not required in our farms. As a result, the water discharged from the Vertical Hydroponic Farms and Hydroponic Fodder Farms we build does not contribute to groundwater contamination.
 
Fodder consumption by livestock reduces methane output.
Barley fodder is easier to digest than traditional alfalfa hay and other nutritional supplements, and because of this, less methane is emitted into the atmosphere. We’re in the process of gathering more specific data to quantify the reduction of methane from different types of animals, and how that reduction corresponds with their respective intake of protein-rich fodder.
 
Growing near the consumer reduces the likelihood of food waste.
After being harvested, produce grown in traditional outdoor settings often spends a few days on trucks and in distribution centers before it arrives at the store. Hyperlocal growing helps fresh veggies arrive on consumers’ plates and in their refrigerators much sooner — often within 24 hours of being harvested. The produce maintains its shelf life, which provides a longer period of time to eat the food. This results in less food waste at the consumer level.
 
Our farms can run off solar power.
Anyone who wants to grow nutrient-dense food off-grid can do so by hooking their farm up to a small solar grid. 
 
Compost from our Gourmet Mushroom Farms helps promote soil health.
The spent substrate from FarmBox Foods’ GMF showroom model is donated to the local community to be used as nutrient-rich compost. The seedling pods and spent mushroom substrate can be used for further plant-growing compost once they are removed from the farms. The spent mushroom substrate, in particular, is quite sought after for this purpose. These eco-friendly by-products can also be incorporated into the soil, and the substrate will continue to grow mushrooms if properly managed.
 
Soil rejuvenation and less need for agricultural acreage.
Millions of acres of America’s traditionally fertile soil have been stripped of vital nutrients, and farmers are compelled to implement crop rotation and remediation steps like composting to regenerate agricultural land. A FarmBox occupies only 320 square-feet of space (they can also be stacked), does not need soil, and allows farmers to revitalize oft-used ag soil.
Furthermore, clear-cutting forests to make room for agriculture is not necessary for some crops. Farmers can utilize available vertical space to grow more food on a smaller footprint.

Rising food prices influenced by several factors

What is influencing the increase in food prices and what can be done about it?

Rising food prices influenced by several factors

a wall of hydroponically grown lettuce

A confluence of global events and circumstances have some experts painting a grim picture for populations that already face food insecurity.

Recent spikes in food, fuel and fertilizer prices could lead to “destabilization, starvation and mass migration on an unprecedented scale,” said David Beasley, head of the U.N. World Food Program.

A recent U.N. analysis shows that “a record 345 million acutely hungry people are marching to the brink of starvation.” That’s a 25-percent increase from 276 million at the start of 2022, before Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. The number stood at 135 million people before the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, according to an ABC News article.

The war in Ukraine is having a continuing ripple effect on the global food supply. Russia and Ukraine together export 28 percent of fertilizers made from nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, according to Morgan Stanley. The limited global supply has sent prices into the stratosphere — in some cases doubling the cost — and there are fears that high costs or the lack of availability will result in farmers using less fertilizer, leading to lower yields of commodities that are already constrained. 

In early July, the Consumer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that food prices in the U.S. increased 10.4 percent from June 2021 to June 2022.

Rising costs for any critical ingredient for running a farm — water, labor, fuel or fertilizer — translate to higher food prices. And when all four hit at the same time, disruption ensues, to the detriment of consumers, especially those who were already hanging on by a thread.

In all, worldwide experts fear crop yields will drop by 10-30 percent, and developing countries will be hardest hit.

The prevalence of “undernourishment” — when food consumption is insufficient to maintain an active and healthy life — continued to rise in 2021. The U.N.-commissioned report, “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World,” estimates that between 702 million and 828 million people faced hunger last year.

A grain shortage stemming from the Ukraine conflict is also driving up the cost of basic foods and other commodities, and corn and wheat are not getting out to the market because the Black Sea is closed. To top it off, drought conditions are crippling agricultural operations in several regions known for high output. 

There’s a dearth of issues to navigate. But as The Shelby Report points out, crises stoke innovation. Agricultural adaptation is being employed, including the use of hydroponic container farms housed in upcycled shipping containers. The controlled-climate farms allow for uninterrupted, decentralized growing year-round and provide a stable environment to ensure reliable yields. Smart irrigation systems are being used more than ever, and data is driving decision-making at unprecedented levels in order to maximize available resources. Responses to climate change vary by location and commodity. Learn more about how the USDA is assisting food producers.