272. Future Leafy Green Leaders Series (Episode 3) w. Jonah Helmer, Campo Caribe
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we conclude the Future Leafy Leaders of CEA series with Jonah Helmer, Director of Growing at Campo Caribe in Puerto Rico. Jonah shares his path from early hydroponic work at Cornell to leading a deep water culture operation in a tropical climate that requires careful management and consistent decision making. We explore what it takes to balance high humidity, strong sunlight, and disease pressure while maintaining steady production and reliable systems. Jonah breaks down the lessons that come from operating a retractable roof greenhouse, preventing root issues,...
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271. Future Leafy Green Leaders Series (Episode 2) w. Gus Brennan, Greenswell Growers
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we continue the Future Leafy Leaders of CEA series with Gus Brennan, Head Grower at Greenswell Growers in Virginia. Gus shares his path from vertical farms and cannabis cultivation to leading a lean, data-driven lettuce operation built on resourcefulness and grit. We explore what it means to be “scrappy” in CEA—how small teams can solve big problems through creativity, prioritization, and practical decision-making. Gus breaks down the lessons that come from fixing your own systems, balancing perfection with progress, and leading through accountability. A...
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270. Future Leafy Green Leaders Series (Episode 1) w. Dominick DiMucci, Haven Greens
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we kick off the Future Leafy Leaders of CEA series with Dominick DiMucci, Director of Cultivation at Haven Greens in Ontario, Canada’s first fully automated mobile gully lettuce facility. Dominick shares his path from greenhouse research at Colorado State to leading a high-tech, seven-day-a-week operation in King City. We discuss what it takes to manage a nonstop production loop, the mechanical and water quality challenges that define year one, and how data, discipline, and team culture drive performance. Dominick also offers a clear view of the industry’s...
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269. Master Strawberry Grower Series ROUNDTABLE (Episode 4)
CropTalk
The CEA Strawberry Series concludes with a roundtable bringing together three critical voices. Josh Tamminga (TamBerry Farms) shares the grower’s reality after four seasons of production, Katia Zacharaki (Niab | InnoPhyte Consulting) provides a research-driven perspective on disease pressure and physiology gaps, and John Place (Nourse Farms) weighs in from the propagation side. Together they break down plant quality, margins, and the steps needed to move strawberries forward in controlled environments.
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268. Master Strawberry Grower Series (Episode 3) w. Josh Tamminga, TamBerry Farms
CropTalk
We continue the CEA Strawberry Series with Josh Tamminga, Partner and Grower at TamBerry Farms in Ontario. Josh shares a candid grower’s perspective, reflecting on four seasons of greenhouse and tunnel strawberry production. He explains why early yield promises were unrealistic, how plant quality remains the industry’s biggest hurdle, and why growers must be more open in sharing lessons learned. We discuss his efforts in on-site propagation to improve consistency, the risks of disease and shelf-life breakdown, and the challenges of forecasting in such a volatile crop. Despite setbacks,...
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267. Master Strawberry Grower Series (Episode 2) w. Katia Zacharaki, InnoPhyte Consulting & Niab
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we continue the Master Strawberry Series with Katia Kouloumprouka Zacharaki, TCEA Soft Fruit Specialist at NIAB and founder of InnoPhyte Consulting. With more than a decade of experience across start-ups and research organisations, Katia brings a research-driven perspective on the realities of strawberry cultivation in controlled environments. We cover why greenhouse and polytunnel growers face shrinking margins, the biological gaps that make indoor strawberry yields unpredictable, and the risks of relying on best-case financial models. Katia explains the...
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266. Master Strawberry Grower Series (Episode 1) w. John Place, Nourse Farms
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we kick off the Master Strawberry Series with John Place, CEO of Nourse Farms, one of the largest berry propagators in North America with over 90 years of history. John brings a grounded perspective on the realities of strawberry propagation, breaking down the challenges CEA berry growers are facing today. We cover the rise of disease pressures like Neopestalotiopsis (Neo-P), the lag in high-yielding genetics, and the strain this has placed on commercial operators. John shares why low-tech tunnel systems may become the more realistic path forward and how clean...
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265. Master Tomato Grower Series ROUNDTABLE (Episode 4)
CropTalk
In this finale episode of the Master Tomato Grower Series, we bring together three of North America's top tomato minds for a roundtable conversation: Gabriel Forero of Sunterra, Roberto Ramirez of Best Boy Farms, and Matt Korpan of the SEF Center for Horticultural Innovation. This honest, grounded discussion cuts through the noise and gets to what actually matters in tomato production today. We talk real numbers, shifting margins, climate volatility, and the pressure to do more with less. The group shares sharp insights on labor management, why technology has to serve the grower (not the other...
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264. Master Tomato Grower Series (Episode 3) w. Matt Korpan, SEF Center for Horticultural Innovation
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we continue the Master Tomato Grower Series with Matt Korpan, Executive Director of R&D at the SEF Center for Horticultural Innovation. With a background rooted in commercial growing and now leading a 30-person innovation team in Leamington, Ontario, Matt shares a data-backed view of the tomato industry’s future. We cover ToBRFV mutation tracking, AI-driven plant sensing, flavor-focused breeding, and the realities of robotics and vertical farming in North America. A sharp, technical conversation on solving grower problems, adapting to retail demands, and...
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263. Master Tomato Grower Series (Episode 2) w. Roberto Ramirez of Best Boy Farms
CropTalk
In this episode of CropTalk, we continue the Master Tomato Grower Series with Roberto Ramirez, Head Grower at Best Boy Farms (Hazel Farms), formerly part of Bushel Boy. From his roots as a crop worker in Mexico to leading 19+ acres of high-tech greenhouse production, Roberto shares what it really takes to scale in CEA. We cover labor retention, biological controls, tech evaluation, and his outlook on AI and genetics in controlled environment agriculture. A grounded, insightful conversation on growing crops, leading teams, and staying ahead in a changing industry.
info_outlineIn this special roundtable episode of CropTalk, I’m joined by industry experts Marco de Bruin (de Bruin Consulting), Chris Higgins (Hort Americas), and Adam Greenberg (IUNU) to break down the current state of Controlled Environment Agriculture. As the industry reaches a pivotal moment, we dive deep into the complexities of operational mastery versus technology, the shifting landscape of investments, and the pressing challenges of workforce development.
We cover everything from navigating tariff impacts and energy costs to the future of vertical farming. Is modular expansion the key to sustainable growth? Can the U.S. develop CEA hubs to compete on a global scale? And what does it really take to build a profitable CEA operation today?