April 2021 - 1

Snap bean variety
key for flowering in
summer heat
Using AI to maximize
yield and efficiency
10
16
24
Riverdance Farms
finds success with
farm-visiting crowd
April 2021 | Volume 55 |
Issue 4
FACING THE
FUTURE
Living Greens Farm enlarges
product offerings, distribution
A Living Greens Farm worker performs her duties as part of the indoor-grown greens operation. Photos: Living Greens Farms
By Stephen Kloosterman
Associate Editor
Talk about starting the year off right.
Minnesota's Living Greens Farm (LGF)
headed into 2021 with new products and
increased distribution - good momentum
for a young company growing in the
market for indoor-grown greens.
And at the start of a year with many
uncertainties, company leaders are
staying positive about the future.
" We expect the industry to continue
to experience double-digit growth
fueled by an increasing consumer and
retailer understanding of the significant
benefits our products deliver, " said
George Pastrana, president and CEO,
LGF. " These include environmentally
sustainable growing practices, great
nutrition and taste, and freshness/
quality. "
An indoor revolution
The commercial farm production
facility is located in a former bakery
facility in Faribault, a town about an
hour's drive south of Minneapolis.
The facility is about 40,000 square feet
with more than 25,000 square feet
committed to growing, Pastrana said.
" We are able to grow over 175
different varieties of lettuces, leafy
greens, microgreens and herbs. Our
See GREENS, page 6
Balance the costs, benefits of grafting
By Dean Peterson
VGN Correspondent
High tunnel production is popular
for good reasons, but can be hampered
by soil-based challenges such as disease,
compaction, salinity and other types of
stresses that sap overall productivity.
Grafting can help and creates a
physical hybrid between two plants by
attaching the top (shoot) portion of
one plant to the root system of another
to get the best traits of both plants.
Grafting has been important in
tomatoes and watermelon and is
gaining importance in peppers,
cantaloupe, eggplant and cucumbers,
but grower acceptance can be an issue.
It sometimes falls in a 2:1:1 pattern.
" If I ask four growers about grafting,
two will favor it, one will have a
negative opinion, generally because of
cost, and one is uncertain, " said Matt
Kleinhenz, Extension specialist in
Ohio State University's Department of
Horticulture and Crop Science.
Kleinhenz spoke on vegetable grafting
in high tunnels at the most recent Great
Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market
EXPO, held virtually in 2020.
Soilborne diseases are a leading
reason for high tunnel growers to
consider grafting. There's strong
evidence grafted plants offer the
greatest return on investment to
growers who are facing a serious
soilborne disease.
" It has to be a disease for which a
See GRAFTING, page 8
Grafted tomato plant with fruit.
Photos: Ohio State University

April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2021

April 2021 - 1
April 2021 - 2
April 2021 - 3
April 2021 - 4
April 2021 - 5
April 2021 - 6
April 2021 - 7
April 2021 - 8
April 2021 - 9
April 2021 - 10
April 2021 - 11
April 2021 - 12
April 2021 - 13
April 2021 - 14
April 2021 - 15
April 2021 - 16
April 2021 - 17
April 2021 - 18
April 2021 - 19
April 2021 - 20
April 2021 - 21
April 2021 - 22
April 2021 - 23
April 2021 - 24
April 2021 - 25
April 2021 - 26
April 2021 - 27
April 2021 - 28
April 2021 - 29
April 2021 - 30
April 2021 - 31
April 2021 - 32
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/vgn-2025-digital-seed-guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyers-guide-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/vgn-digital-seed-guide-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyers-guide-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-august
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/vgn-digital-seed-guide-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyers-guide-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/seedguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/seedguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2019
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com