3rd annual Indoor Agriculture Conference to be held in Las Vegas

Jan 06, 2015

Event scheduled for March 31 - April 1, 2015

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

The third installment of the Indoor Agriculture Conference (Indoor Ag Con) will take place in Las Vegas between March 31 and April 1, 2015.

The gathering brings together agriculture and technology professionals, chefs, entrepreneurs, investors, and others to look at the upcoming trends in indoor farming including hydroponic, aquaponic, and aeroponic growth systems for fish production in greenhouses, containers, and warehouses.

Indoor Ag-Con will feature speakers from a variety of avenues including Glenn Behrman, President of GreenTech Agro, Patrick M. Byrne, CEO of Overstock.com, Michael DeGiglio, President and CEO of Florida’s Village Farms, and Meiny Prins, CEO of Priva, based out of Holland.

The first day of the conference will consist of an overview of the industry and look at the larger issues related to commercial growers and farmers. Day two will look at specific technologies and practices that are best suited for indoor agriculture.

Also on March 30^th will be an integrated design workshop being put on by the Association for Vertical Farming, Indoor Ag Con, and the UNLV Downtown Design Centre, and GreenView Global. Three teams will design futuristic farms that teach vertical farming in a hands-on, tangible setting. Dr. Dickson Despommier, a vertical farming pioneer, will also speak at the event.

Registration for the Indoor Ag Con starts at $299. It includes admittance to all conference sessions, gift bags, some meals, and a discounted registration for New York’s first Indoor Ag Con, slated for fall of 2015.

Video: Season 6, Episode 12: Veterinarians’ Perspectives on Managing Swine Herd Health Across All Phases

Identifying challenges in swine production and turning them into solutions through research and team development is the focus of this episode. Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham of Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics shares insights on herd health, biosecurity and trial work to improve pig performance. She also discusses her team’s research philosophy, how they evaluate rate of investment and how they gather feedback from employees to address challenges and maintain herd health across all phases of production. Dr. Carlos Roudergue of Country View Family Farms discusses the growing complexity of swine production, especially as technology increases and employee interaction decreases. He also shares how their workforce is shifting toward more specialized roles to support herd health and efficiency.