On the Blog
Our most recent blog posts
Here’s What You Need to Know About The Farm Bill
In a recent survey conducted by Upstart University, 70% of respondents stated that they were unsure of whether the Farm Bill would impact their [future] business. Yet ironically all respondents plan on investing in some kind of energy-efficient equipment in the next...
How to Achieve Your Best-Ever Hydroponic Germination Rates
In the last blog of the Crop Planning series, we talked about calculating seeding rates. Knowing how many seeds to plant is only helpful if you can properly get them through the germination and propagation stages. That requires carefully planning the environmental...
How to Accurately Compensate for Seedling Loss
Many of us learn the hard way that compensating for seedling loss early on in the planning process is essential to getting a good harvest. But seeding rates are relatively easy to overlook—you plant as many seeds as you need, right? Imagine this scenario: You’ve just...
5 Food Safety Best Practices You Need to Know
On April 10, 2018, an E. coli outbreak in the US was reported to the CDC. By April 9, 17 people were already infected. At the time this blog was published, there had been 149 infected people from 29 states, 64 hospitalizations, 1 death, and zero recalls. Foodborne...
How to Evaluate the Quality of Your Aquaponic Source Water
Water is a necessary input for all plant life. Soil-based agriculture uses irrigation water from rain, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers. But what about sourcing hydroponic and aquaponic water? Growing hydroponically or aquaponically means that you depend...
Should You Create Value-Added Products From Your Farm’s Produce?
Selling value-added products can be a great way for traditional farmers to improve their profitability. In the case of hydroponic and aquaponically grown produce, the product already has increased value. It probably already has a better flavor, texture, visual appeal,...
Upstart University’s 3rd Birthday: A Year in Review
Happy Birthday, Upstart U! It’s the 3rd year at Upstart University, and that means some big, exciting changes. Here's a quick look at Upstart University's history: 2015: Birth. When we celebrated Upstart U’s first birthday, there were 23 courses and 556 students....
Aquaponics & Autism in the Netherlands—A Farmer Spotlight
Hidden on the fifth floor of an enormous warehouse in Eindhoven, thousands of heads of lettuce, basil, and flowers grow in flat rafts floating on tabletops. The long tables stretch the length of the floor, and pink light radiates in every direction. This is Duurzame...
The Quick Reference Guide for Hydroponic Farmers
Hydroponics, while somewhat similar, is actually much different than aquaponics. The biggest difference, of which I’m sure you’re aware, is that there are no fish. In aquaponics, fish provide many necessary plant resources by pooping and participate in numerous...
Bringing Fresh to the Frozen State—A Farmer Spotlight
A modern farmer’s call to fresh food In a repurposed car garage, somewhere in Anchorage, Alaska, there is an indoor farm built from an unexpected combination of rectangular towers held in long, wooden racks. The farm is CityFarms Alaska, and it’s six months old. It...
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