Challenge Industries begins operation of Cornell Hydroponics Facility
By Aaron Goldweber
What do you get when you combine cutting-edge greenhouse technology developed by Cornell University with vocational assistance provided by a local social service agency called Challenge Industries? You get a state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse that produces over 1,000 heads of lettuce a day, employment for more than 12 people and room to grow.
Challenge Industries signed the license to operate the Cornell Hydroponics Facility (CHF) in Dryden, N.Y., with Cornell on May 31. Shifting the operation of the 8,000-square-foot greenhouse to Challenge benefits workers, consumers and Ithaca by partnering Cornell with Challenge Industries, New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) and the New York State Energy and Development Agency (NYSERDA). The large-scale community economic development effort also involves the city of Ithaca through a Community Development Block Grant program, the Triad Foundation and United Way.
Cornell will provide Challenge with a $112,000 operating subsidy plus $16,000 for facility improvement during the first year, and a $50,000 capital investment during the second year. The university will continue to own the facility (on land leased from NYSEG), and Challenge will continue to take advantage of research done by Cornell faculty. Patents associated with technologies implemented in the CHF have been licensed from Cornell by a local enterprise, CEA Systems, Debra Scullary, president, and Mike Hall, founder and vice president. CEA Systems has donated free use of the intellectual property to Challenge for its operation of the CHF.
"This is a great example of real-world technology transfer moving to a very directed, day-to-day operation with clear beneficial results," said Lou Albright, professor in the department of biological and environmental engineering and co-developer of the technology used in the greenhouse, who is enthused that the seven-year-old facility will continue to provide employment and food to the region.
"We're excited to be in the greenhouse business," said Patrick McKee, president of Challenge Industries. "This wonderful facility will allow Challenge to further its mission to provide vocational services to a wide array of individuals who face barriers to employment. It's a great place for our clients to work."
On Sept. 1, Cornell and Challenge Industries officially recognized the licensing agreement with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility, which is located across from the NYSEG building on Route 13. Officials from the university, Challenge Industries and local municipalities attended.
The greenhouse was built in 1998 to implement Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) technology developed by Albright and Robert Langhans, professor emeritus in the department of horticulture. CEA is an intensive agricultural method for improving growing practices by optimizing light, temperature and other conditions. Running at peak capacity, the greenhouse is currently capable of producing 1,245 heads of lettuce daily.
"NYSERDA was looking 10 years ahead as they correctly anticipated the rise in oil prices and the need for local, year-round agriculture in New York and the entire Northeast," said Albright. "The success we've had with lettuce is an indication of viability of this technique for other crops."
"Challenge is not on its own," Albright explained. "Changes and innovations we develop will be integrated into the existing technology which will improve the growing operation and should help its business aspirations."
Long-time greenhouse manager Bob LaDue, who helped develop the harvesting and packaging production line, is now employed by Challenge Industries and will stay on to oversee the operation. Albright called LaDue's work at the facility "invaluable."
To meet the demands of the market -- like requests from its top buyer, Wegmans Foods -- Challenge is looking to expand operations and also grow herbs along with other greens, like spinach. Twelve Challenge clients currently are working at the facility. McKee said that will expand as Challenge moves the facility to seven-day-a-week operations.
Having already established its ability to staff the greenhouse over the last four years, Challenge will take the next step of getting the produce onto store shelves. To this end, it's founded Finger Lakes Fresh http://www.fingerlakesfresh.com, the marketing and distribution arm of the facility.
McKee sees the partnership as another phase in a long-standing relationship with the university and gives credit to those he worked with to complete the complicated licensing agreement.
"Bob Richardson, the vice provost for research, was key in moving the agreement forward, as were Mike Walter, chair of the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering; Richard Cahoon of the Cornell Center for Technology, Enterprise and Commercialization; and Mary Opperman, vice president for Cornell's [Office of] Human Resources," McKee said.
Established in 1968, Challenge Industries serves nearly 400 clients annually by placing them in positions in local business or Challenge's own ventures, such as its direct mail, document preservation and janitorial services. Challenge Industries is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization.
Cornell collaborative research leads to applied technology
The technology behind the Cornell Hydroponics Facility (CHF) started in 1991 as a part of Cornell University's Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Program in Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
The technology works because of precise climate control within the greenhouses. Temperature control has long been standard in the industry, but the CHF demonstration greenhouse implements Cornell-developed improvements in lettuce "plugs" and precision lighting control -- two of the most important factors contributing to the greenhouse's rapid production of lettuce.
Cornell researcher Lou Albright developed the algorithms behind the proprietary computer program that controls the lighting, or "daily light integral." The program adjusts the light reaching the plants through a combination of high-pressure sodium supplemental lights and automated shades under the roof of the greenhouse, which results in rapid growth.
Professor emeritus Robert Langhans and doctoral student David Dreesen worked to improve the production of flower and garden vegetable "plugs" -- 2-inch tall seedlings used at the start of production. The knowledge gained from that work is what led to the lettuce production system in the CHF. Before their work began, the industry standard was four to five weeks before seedlings reached marketable height. They were able to reduce this time to 16 days.
These two innovations were united in the greenhouse, where pest- and chemical-free lettuce heads of consistent high quality are produced year-round in central New York at 20 times the rate of California lettuce fields, at about 80 heads per square foot per year.
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