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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>** If you wish to unsubscribe from the UA-CEAC Newsletter. Return this message to </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="mailto:CEAC@ag.arizona.edu"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";text-decoration:none'>CEAC@ag.arizona.edu</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'> **</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:#1F497D'>Note that some email addresses are forwarded to other addresses. Unsubscribe all possible email addresses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>To those with interest in Controlled Environments, please review the following announcement.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:#1F497D'>Gene Giacomelli<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>Workshop on the “Challenges in Vertical Farming”</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'>September 26, 2012</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:black'><a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wasum-the-marriott-inn-and-conference-center-university-of-maryland-university-college/" target="_blank" title="The Marriott Inn & Conference Center, University of Maryland University College"><span style='color:black;text-decoration:none'>The Marriott Inn & Conference Center, University of Maryland University College</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>3501 University Blvd, East Hyattsville, Maryland 20783 USA</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><a href="http://challengesinverticalfarming.org" target="_blank"><span style='color:#0066CC;text-decoration:none'>http://challengesinverticalfarming.org</span></a></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>We are </span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>pleased to announce an NSF funded workshop on the “Challenges in Vertical Farming”, which will be held on September 26, 2012 at the University of Maryland Conference Center. </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>We have assembled a group of experts from around the world to address various aspects -- horticulture, lighting, irrigation, automation, architecture, economics, business development</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'> and outreach related to Vertical Farming as a form of Urban Agriculture, who will provide their expertise within a full day of presentations and discussions. Attendance may be in person or through live Webcast. More information including the list of speakers and registration for attendance (select ‘in person’, or via ‘live webcast’) are available at</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'> <a href="http://challengesinverticalfarming.org" target="_blank"><span style='color:#0066CC;text-decoration:none'>http://challengesinverticalfarming.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>The goal of the workshop is to capture the state of the art in agriculture in controlled</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>environments, to define a research agenda for the future and to establish a working group at the nexus of Agriculture, Engineering, Economics and Architecture with focus on Urban Agriculture. The output of the workshop will be a report that could serve as the basis of research agenda by agencies such as the NSF, USDA and USAID.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>Please feel free to forward this notice to those interested in participating in the workshop.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>The Workshop organizers are led by Sanjiv Singh of Carnegie Mellon University, and include:</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#584D4D;text-transform:uppercase'>DICKSON DESPOMMIER (COLUMBIA) GENE GIACOMELLI (UNIV OF ARIZONA) MARC VAN IERSEL (UNIV OF GEORGIA) JOEY NORIKANE (FRAUNHOFER) GEORGE KANTOR (CARNEGIE MELLON) NIKOLAUS CORRELL (UNIV OF COLORADO) and MICHAEL HOADLEY </span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;text-transform:uppercase'>(</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>FEWZION)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>Here is some m</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>otivation for these efforts:</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;line-height:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>By the year 2050, we expect human population to increase to 9 billion and to be further concentrated in urban centers. An estimated billion hectares of new land will be needed to grow enough food to feed the earth. At present, however, over 80% of the land suitable for raising crops is already in use. Further, if trends in climate change persist, the amount of land available for farming will decrease. Since crops consume 87% of all water used globally, an increase in water usage</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>is not possible. Finally, while the need is for 50% higher yield by the year 2050 to maintain the status quo, we expect agricultural productivity to decline significantly across the world, especially in densely populated areas. There is an urgent need for high-yield agriculture that decreases the use of water and carbon based inputs per</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>unit of product, while simultaneously reducing vulnerability of crops to natural environmental conditions. Vertical Farming (using controlled environments for urban agriculture) will reduce transportation energy required from the distant outdoor farms. Recent implementations have shown high yields in the production of vegetables in controlled environments. Water usage has been significantly reduced compared to traditional outdoor farming, and crops are shielded from adverse climate, and, from pests and diseases. In addition, Vertical Farming has the potential to provide fresher and healthier produce to the local consumer.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>Since no one community or technology holds the magic key, the opportunity for is to collectively enumerate and prioritize the challenges that must be addressed to</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>bring high yield, resource efficient agriculture to fruition. The greatest contribution from this workshop could be a roadmap for governmental agencies and researchers to follow as they weigh their priorities in the coming years. Obviously the needs will vary depending on the locale addressed-- we expect that the needs for developing countries will be different than those that are less resource constrained. </span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>The goal of our workshop is to capture the state of the art in agriculture in controlled</span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'>environments, to define a research agenda for the future and to establish a working group at the nexus of Agriculture, Engineering, Economics and Architecture. The output of the workshop will be a report that could serve as the basis of research agenda by agencies such as the NSF, USDA and USAID.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:13.5pt;margin-bottom:16.2pt;margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'>** If you wish to unsubscribe from the UA-CEAC Newsletter. Return this message to </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="mailto:CEAC@ag.arizona.edu"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";text-decoration:none'>CEAC@ag.arizona.edu</span></a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'> **</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:#2A2A2A'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:#1F497D'>Note that some email addresses are forwarded to other addresses. Unsubscribe all possible email addresses.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>