The principles of CEA and vertical hydroponics

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is the practice of creating/managing the environment around a crop to induce a more favorable outcome at harvest; either by quality, consistency, or speed. CEA is interpreted by many folks as a broad subject; because I've heard argued, that by applying pesticides to an open field is a means of controlling the environment. To Credible Hydroponics, CEA means excluding much of the ambient outdoor environment from the growing process and providing the crop with optimal resources to be consistently yielding a harvest. CEA can be done successfully inside any space, greenhouse or fully enclosed room with LED lights. What the new grower needs to understand about CEA are the trade-offs between cost and yield.

There are dozens of methods for controlling the environment around a plant. And within those methods, there are many different levels of technology and procedures. All of these things combined will enable a grower to be successful, but that comes with hundreds of decisions along the way. The four biggest costs a new grower MUST consider are: space, equipment, electricity, and their time on the learning curve. Available space in the US has become a premium in recent years, as many folks from Gen Z to Millennials have been unable to purchase real estate for themselves. If a grower must lease space to establish a growing operation, that already puts them at a disadvantage. Ideally, a grower already has willing access to a space - and they may need to get creative - to set up a system. Once a new grower has secured access to a space, they need to procure all the equipment. From lights to fans, dehumidiers, infrastructure, and pumps; the upfront equipment cost can easily run into the thousands of dollars. Then, CEA requires a surprising amount of electricity which will make up a significant chunk of a growers operating costs. Lastly, the grower must put all of these pieces together to make a fully operational system requiring knowledge in chemisty, plumbing, electrical, and horticulture.. in order to make a plant grow. This takes a giant amount of time and thought. Don't be fooled, its not easy. But growers are starting to have success producing crops in CEA and we think the industry is poised for a rapid shift in interest, with young savvy generations adopting this method as a profession or contribute to their monthly income.

Vertical Hydroponics literally adds a new dimension to growing crops in a space. Vertical hydroponic is the practice of utilizing as much of the volume of an enclosed space to produce crops. With indoor vertical hydroponics, its reasonable to produce 5-10 times the yield per year relative to an equivalent footprint in a garden. This is advantageous to a new grower with space constraints. Even a typical spare bedroom (10x10ft) could produce dozens of pounds of fresh herbs, mushrooms, or greens per year.

Electricity is the killer of indoor growing operations. Many groups underestimate it, and it's getting more expensive every year. Moreover, let's not forget the CO2 emissions from creating that electricity to grow crops. Cheaper electricity is dirtier electricity. New growers should be employing every tactic they can, to save every kWh possible. For this reason, replacing the sun entirely with LEDs is not a practical solution. Sunlight will save thousands.

The other killer of indoor growing operations is long learning curve. It's a given that a new grower will not be successful on the first try. With so many elements to monitor and control, as well as ensuring that all functions are running smoothly, one small miscalculation can ruin a crop. But overcoming quickly is the key. To be successful in three months would be ideal. To not be successful at a year would be bad news.

It's for all these reasons that Credible Hydroponics was formed. The demand for fresh, healthy food is loud and everywhere. Uncertainty around supply chains, economics, and politics is also everywhere. A quarter of the people on this planet are uncertain about what they're going to eat tomorrow; and half don't have access to fresh, nutritious food. Who else wants to join us in doing something about that? Credible Hydroponics will sort out the indoor vertical hydroponic workflow and optimize it to make it make sense for the small grower to adopt.