“Someone entering the indoor agriculture sector has to make many daunting decisions. It can be difficult to choose a system, design the layout, source the hardware and technology, then develop a business plan and raise the necessary capital to build and become operational. There are a lot of moving parts, which is why we believe AmplifiedAg’s fully integrated and proven technology platform is the best option for new and experienced farmers, along with all of the components and support services that we provide,” says Michael Koziol, Chief Strategy Officer at AmplifiedAg.
AmplifiedAg has been making major strides in 2023 and now works with a variety of clients, including first-time farmers, retailers, food service companies, distributors, research organizations, and educational organizations that are using the company’s container farming platform and software. The company is mostly active in North America but is broadening its focus to wider markets, including the Caribbean.
Michael Koziol
“In a region like the Caribbean, the most important element of a farming system is resilience. Farms must be able to endure high heat, humidity, and extreme weather events. Our solutions are designed and built to withstand harsh conditions and solve for the extremes,” says Michael.
“When we go to market with a client or partner, we come armed with a lot of data to make sure you launch successfully. We have farms and technology in operation all across the country, so we have a deep understanding of what types of farm implementations are adaptable to different geographies and different conditions while growing various produce,” says Michael. “This is a result of our robust multi-tenant software, which is one of the major benefits of being on the AmplifiedAg platform.”
A manageable and scalable approach
When onboarding a new client, AmplifiedAg meets with the person or organization to identify production objectives and challenges to be overcome. AmplifiedAg then works with the client
to identify the best farm configuration, scale, and technology to fit their needs.
“In terms of farm infrastructure, the level of operation you start with needs to be representative of where you want to get eventually. We help our partners avoid going too big too fast or starting too small. Instead, we set them up with a manageable system and growth plan that is designed to be scaled up,” says Michael.
The scalable container farm site design gives AmplifiedAg partners the ability to start operations quicker and earn market share instead of deploying all capital at once.
AmplifiedAg brings the expertise to design the farming system and also provides a deep set of services related to training and operating the farm. AmplifiedAg’s support services include everything from the seed to sale, such as propagation, farming, training new employees, food safety, and research & development. The company has developed programs that are inclusive and highly comprehensive to help larger-scale growers and produce leaders master operations planning, farm design, and technology implementation. AmplifiedAg has also launched a similar program for smaller entrepreneurs and independent farmers.
The support provided by AmplifiedAg depends on the scale of operations. For example, a newer facility may require more approval in building its operative plant for food safety and training managers, whereas more established customers benefit from regular business reviews to ensure that their operations are yielding good results.
24/7 innovation
As Michael explains, AmplifiedAg is always innovating, including enhancements to the farm’s light spectrum, automation, and operating standards to improve yield and unit economics. The company also introduced its AmpVPS vertical propagation system in November 2022, which allows growers to cultivate 80,000 plants at a time.
Moving forward, AmplifiedAg is eager to enable and collaborate with growers to demonstrate the value of its technology and services across various agriculture environments while also building their own expertise to better the vertical farming industry. As Michael explains, the shakeout happening in the vertical farming industry today is nothing if not helpful as it is allowing the industry to settle, hopefully allowing farmers to more easily identify sustainable systems that will stand the test of time.
For more information:
Michael Koziol, CSO
AmplifiedAg
https://amplifiedaginc.com