Harrisburg, PA – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding today announced the opening of the 2020-21 PA Farm Bill’s $500,000 Urban Agriculture Grant Program to grow agricultural infrastructure in urban food deserts to improve access to fresh, local food and provide opportunities for hands-on learning and community-building. First Light Project uses hydroponic technology on farms throughout the city to grow and sell leafy greens and herbs. They train and employ residents to operate the hydroponic farm, address food insecurity, inspire the community, and support the local economy. First Light used their $37,884 Urban Ag Grant funds to offset the cost of a full-scale hydroponic...
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First Light Project has been nominated for the Fuurephl award from the sustainphl
First Light Project was informed yesterday that we have been nominated for the #FuurePHL award from the SustainPHL program. The awards will happen at the virtual – Embracing Resiliency Symposium @ 4 pm on Friday, September 25th. Here’s the link if you want to cheer us on: https://www.accelevents.com/e/u/checkout/greenphilly/tickets/order We are being noticed and that’s a very good thing.
Local Food Systems Could Feed Us All—And Save the Planet
September 8, 2020; GreenBiz Since COVID-19 hit the Unites States earlier this year, home gardening has been rising in popularity—so much so that seed companies saw their highest sales in over 100 years. And this revival couldn’t come at a better time: the pandemic presents a perfect opportunity to reduce world hunger by putting food production back in the hands of local communities and ending food waste with a circular food system. The reality is that hunger in the US is not a result of food scarcity. In fact, nearly one third of all food produced each year goes to...
Who can resist a bouquet of Monte Carlo Romaine?
This is what our harvest today looks like. Who can resist a bouquet of Monte Carlo Romaine? We harvested approximately 80 lbs of leafy greens and donated 78 lbs to PCK, a culinary training program of Philabundance.
Updates on the Vertical Farm & These Unprecedented Times
In these unprecedented times we at First Light Project see that the COVID 19 Pandemic and recent protests has changed the way we live our lives, the way we do business and the way we think about food. In the past 3 months First Light Project has taken a look at how shopping now occurs, how our supply chain works or doesn’t work and how we, our friends and our families eat. With the major disruptions to the supply chain, the need for growing produce locally has moved to the forefront of our way of thinking and our way of...
grant from the PHL COVID-19 Fund to help with operational costs
We are excited to announce that we have received a grant from the PHL COVID-19 Fund to help with operational costs during these troublesome times. Prior to the stay-at-home orders, we had temporarily shut-down the systems for a deep cleanse and over the past few weeks, we sheltered in place. Last week we returned to germinate and this week we have seedlings growing for leafy greens, arugula and basil. Keep a look out for updates on our produce growth.
Philadelphia first light project farm
Check out our latest FLP farm in Philadelphia!
Are indoor vertical farms the future of agriculture?
By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 9.8 billion. How are we going to feed everyone? Investment-banker-turned-farmer Stuart Oda points to indoor vertical farming: growing food on tiered racks in a controlled, climate-proof environment. In a forward-looking talk, he explains how this method can maintain better safety standards, save money, use less water and help us provide for future generations. This talk was presented at a TED Salon event given in partnership with Brightline Initiative. TED editors featured it among our selections on the home page. Read more about TED Salons.