Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Greenhouse for Growing Leafy Greens in Texas.  We know the CEA industry is advancing with facilities like those above producing food with great health benefits. But, how many of us know the benefits of individual leafy greens and herbs? We want to delve into one in particular that stands out for ..read more

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.) in hydroponics, courtesy of The Functional Plant Co.  Given the chance, we all appreciate the beauty of flowers, their color, perfume, diversity and sometimes their edible portions. We wonder why more people do not grow these commercially, especially those that love to be grown hydroponically.  Nasturtiums are often added to salads and ..read more

Vegetable production with grafted young plants originated in Japan and Korea as a way to avoid serious crop loss caused by soil-borne disease, aggravated by successive cropping. Which crops do we need to graft in CEA and why? Grapes of course are a well known grafted crop, as are apples and other stone fruits. They ..read more

Strawberries have an interesting lineage that many people may be unaware of. The story goes that the humble garden strawberry (fragaria x ananassa) originated from a spontaneous cross between two wild alpine strawberries, fragaria virginiana and fragaria chiloensis in 17th century France. Below we have grown them out in tissue culture to see what they were like.  Fragaria Virginiana  Fragaria Chiloensis  Wild fragaria vesca Originally alpines like vesca were just an appetizing snack on a forest trail walk, but look at where their genes are today, it could almost be as if you a ..read more

We all experience stress at some point in our lives. It’s not inevitable though, and our mood could be altered by the foods we eat. How we handle stress is very much down to the individual, but we can learn tricks and techniques to help us cope better, in the same way some of us use yoga or fishing to de-stress. Of course, there are many ways to combat stress, but in this article we are only concerned about how foods can impact how you feel.  CEA  itself is stress busting – don’t you think it’s like looking at art grow? Eating well for improved mental health is not difficult, but it ..read more

Ice cream would not be ice cream without Vanilla. I am fortunate to have the most famous Scottish ice cream parlor on my doorstep. Nardini’s in Largs, is an institution and draws people from across the world, even Chris Higgins has eaten here! They sell the best Vanilla and Scottish tablet ice cream.  The active ingredient of Vanilla, Vanillin, is the most commonly used flavoring in the world, but did you know it is normally produced by a synthetic reaction that involves petrochemicals? Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe and should not stop you from eating your favorite ice cream. T ..read more

Many of us drink coffee because it makes us feel good and gives us a boost in the morning. Caffeine, the active ingredient in coffee has a number of positive effects, including increased alertness, which it does by blocking a chemical messenger in the brain that makes us sleepy.  Some cultures swear by this ‘pick me up’. I recall ‘shots’ during a working trip to Barcelona, grabbing a double espresso hit in the morning rush hour with the locals. I remember how jittery I felt. Ironically, I was there to study artery health. So what was happening? The caffeine was tightening my arteries a ..read more

Do you yearn for great, fresh food that doesn’t damage your gut? Well, here we have it for you, gluten-free ravioli with fresh CEA grown spinach filling.  Gluten intolerance is more common than we may think. This is because many people are experiencing adverse reactions to proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. Bread is the usual culprit, but with most of the western world consumers of pasta, this popular meal is not far behind. Among other poor dietary choices, subsequent disease may well be associated with inflammation linked to a leaky gut. This is where small tears occur in the gu ..read more

Flower season comes once a year for Wasabi Japonica, but…. What if we control that process?  Why people love wasabi Wasabi has enormous health benefits. It’s good for your heart, and for your liver, it even helps regenerate your hair. Of course, taste and uniqueness come into play as the food service industry’s poster boy for Sushi and Sashimi. Back in the EDO period, Shoguns were scrapping over this beloved Japanese herb. Why? They discovered it prevented food poisoning after they ate raw fish.  Can it grow outside of Japan?  Native land of Wasabi, Mount Fuji, Japan Yes that ..read more

Lion’s Mane Hericium erinaceus  Can you believe this white ‘pom pom’ like fungus has properties that regrow nerves? This has been proven in several peer reviewed studies. Remarkably, this mushroom can grow larger than a baseball in under two months given the right controlled environment.  Substrates for Lion’s mane are commonly straw or sawdust based, but could just as easily be ground spent coffee beans. Setting up a container sized space, the main controls to be aware of for optimal growth are temperature and humidity.  Early stages of Lion’s Mane  Lion’s Mane mushro ..read more