Video of the Week: Labor Requirements in Indoor Agriculture

Posted by Brian Sparks|December 9, 2022

Each week, Greenhouse Grower highlights a video that shines a spotlight on the controlled-environment industry, from crop protection advice to insider views on plant production at greenhouse operations across the country. Have you recently produced a video you want us to highlight? If so, please send a link to Greenhouse Grower Senior Editor Brian Sparks at [email protected].

In early 2022, the OptimIA team and the Urban Agriculture Laboratory (AU/LAB) invited greenhouse and indoor leafy greens growers to fill out a survey regarding their labor needs. Results from the survey are part of a study to determine optimal models between labor and size of greenhouses and indoor farms that produce leafy greens, while taking into account various automation choices. In addition, the study is designed to inform policy makers and the education sector about the skills needed in this industry, as well as the extent of employment opportunities.

Last month, Dr. Simone Valle de Souza, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, presented a webinar that showed preliminary results from the survey, as well as a look at the next phase of the project that also includes survey results. Final results will provide reference information that will support industry benchmarking and better decision-making. Ultimately, the research results will be used to identify and estimate social and economic impact of indoor farms.

Check out the webinar below.