Uncategorized Archives - Babylon Micro-Farms

Mayo Clinic is bringing new meaning to ‘locally grown’

Sara Hayes — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 15:24:18 +0000

How the Mayo Clinic is bringing new meaning to ‘locally grown’

The Rochester, Minnesota-based healthcare campus has added a hydroponic mini-farm to one of its cafes, a program it plans to expand.

By Heather Lalley on Oct. 07, 2024

It’s nearly impossible to find produce that’s more “locally grown” than the lettuces, microgreens, herbs and more being cultivated at the Mayo Clinic’s Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center Café in Rochester, Minnesota.

The center launched a “hydroponic micro-farm” onsite earlier this year and has since harvested about 100 pounds of ultra-fresh vegetables for use in the café.

“It’s hard to say even if ‘locally grown’ is the right word for it,” said David Bredesen, Morrison Healthcare’s foodservice manager at Mayo. “It’s right on the other side of my wall right now.”

Not only is the on-site mini farm able to grow fresh, delicious food, it appears to be boosting traffic to the café, Bredesen said.

The farm is located right behind the café’s entrée station, with its bright, eye-catching grow lights. Produce from the grow station is showing up on sandwiches, salads and bowls.

“Foot traffic’s been growing at a steady rate,” he said. “This really is a nice, bright addition to the café. It kind of brings a little bit of a conversational piece, too.”

The hydroponic operation (in which plants grow in a water-based nutrient solution, rather than soil) dovetails with the mission of the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, which features a fitness center, pools, steam rooms and more. The café serves about 150 guests each day.

“We pride ourselves on offering some fresh and healthy-for-you offerings,” he said. “It just kind of fits what we do. It’s always fresh. We try to not bring in any frozen or pre-cooked product. We do a lot of our own production here.”

Unlike traditional gardens, the micro-farm benefits from some high-tech upgrades, making it fairly easy for Mayo’s “farmers” to tend to their crops. Seeds can be selected from a catalogue, with the packets scanned into an app. The app explains how long until each can be harvested, and it regulates how much water is needed to grow each variety, while monitoring the pH.

“It’s a very nice way of growing something where it’s not a lot of burden on the person doing it,” he said. “The farm will prompt me, ‘Hey, it’s time to do a deep clean.” So I go through the process, and the app will tell me what steps should be followed in what particular order.”

With hydroponic growing, safety and sanitation are particularly important, to avoid introducing any contaminants into the growing solution. The farm is connected to a water filter.

It’s likely Mayo will expand the micro-farms to other parts of its sprawling Rochester campus, as well as to other Mayo campuses around the country, said L.J. Gearhart, Morrison’s Robotics, Automation, & Innovation Integration manager.

“What we really wanted to see was the proof of concept,” Gearhart said. “And this is it. We’ve seen that return on investment. It’s not necessarily about the dollars and cents for us. It’s really the experience and the quality, and promoting local, and the ability to share that through culinary innovation.”

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Press Contact

Chris Hollomon

Marketing Manager – Babylon

804-616-7358

chris.hollomon@babylonmicrofarms.com

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New technology changing the way Nazareth University students eat

Sara Hayes — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:37:17 +0000

BY RACHEL NIEMI ROCHESTER

PUBLISHED 12:42 PM ET MAR. 25, 2024

PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Nazareth University is taking the phrase “farm to table” to the the next level, starting at the pizza station.

What You Need To Know

Babylon micro-farms grows fresh herbs and vegetables on campus
Installed in January at Nazareth University
Fresh herbs are used in meals in dining center on campus

Fresh is best for Philip Realbuto and for the students he serves as pizza chef at Nazareth.

“I’m old fashioned, I like the fresh stuff,” said Realbuto. “I go to Italy, to see what pizzerias are doing and I like to introduce them here.”

On the menu this week? A margarita pizza made with fresh basil, which is grown just steps away.

READ THE REST OF The Original Publication

Media Kit Available here

Press Contact

Chris Hollomon

Marketing Manager – Babylon

804-616-7358

chris.hollomon@babylonmicrofarms.com

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Transforming Senior Living with Babylon Micro-Farms: A Webinar Recap

Sara Hayes — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 19:58:31 +0000

In our recent webinar, we discussed Babylon Micro-Farms’s impact on Commonwealth Senior Living communities.

Chef Lara Irwin recaps her experience with Babylon and answers attendees’ thoughts and questions in the Q&A session that followed.

Welcome

The webinar opened with gratitude for attendees’ interest in learning about the partnership between Commonwealth Senior Living and Babylon Micro-Farms. A video of Bob Raymond, VP of Dining and Procurement Services, highlighted the alignment of Babylon Micro-Farms’ sustainability goals with CSL’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint and engage residents in the farm-to-table process. He emphasized the importance of serving fresh greens and enhancing food safety in senior living.

Chef Lara Irwin’s Experience

Chef Lara Irwin, Regional Director of Dining Services at Commonwealth Senior Living, shared her journey with Babylon Micro-Farms. Lara praised the engagement and joy Babylon’s Galleri brings to residents and discussed the positive impact on their wellness and dining experience. The Galleri offers a focal point for healthy eating choices in Commonwealth’s dining areas.

Impact on Communities

Lara detailed the effects of Babylon Micro-Farms within her communities. She shared touching stories from the memory care team, emphasizing the therapeutic aspect of gardening and its role in bringing back cherished memories for the residents.

Resident Involvement and Preferences

The conversation touched on how residents participate in the farming process, from seed selection to harvesting. Lara explained how surveys help understand resident preferences for what to grow, underscoring the importance of giving them a voice in every step of the program’s process.

Sustainability and Food Safety

Chef Lara discussed the partnership’s central benefits: sustainability and a focus on food safety. The ability to harvest produce just before consumption eliminates many of the challenges associated with traditional food supply chains. Babylon’s focus on food safety and its traceability from seed to harvest make it an ideal partner for senior living teams.

Q&A Highlights

App Usability and Resident Engagement

Lara reassured attendees about the simplicity of the Babylon app, which was designed to make gardening accessible to everyone, including those without a green thumb. The app facilitates every step of the growing process, ensuring engagement and minimal labor.

Community Size Compatibility

In response to a question about the best community size for implementing Babylon Micro-Farms, the speakers clarified that the system is adaptable to any size, emphasizing its scalability and flexibility.

Larger communities may explore having multiple Micro-Farms on site to cater to the wants and needs of residents!

Favorite Crops

When asked about the residents’ favorite crops, Lara mentioned the popularity of butter-crisp lettuce and fresh herbs. She stressed the importance of experimenting with different varieties to accommodate resident preferences.

Final Remarks

The webinar reaffirmed the partnership’s success in enhancing resident experiences through sustainable, farm-to-table dining.

Chef Lara highlighted the therapeutic and communal benefits of integrating Babylon Micro-Farms into senior living communities, promising a bright future for this innovative approach to dining and sustainability.

Download Transcript

Link to Presentation

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Babylon Micro-Farms Recognized as TIME and Statista’s AMERICA’S TOP GREENTECH COMPANIES 2024

Sara Hayes — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 16:51:20 +0000

3/7/2024 – Richmond, Va

Babylon Micro-Farms, a pioneering leader in the field of hydroponic agriculture, is thrilled to announce its nomination for the prestigious AMERICA’S TOP GREENTECH COMPANIES 2024. This esteemed accolade celebrates companies that exhibit outstanding achievements by a comprehensive analysis conducted to identify the top performing greentech companies in the United States. First, companies had to primarily focus on developing and providing green technologies, products or services that help mitigate or reverse the impact of human activities on the environment, and the companies had to be headquartered in the United States

Babylon Micro-Farms ranks

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About TimeⓇ and Statista Methodology
Visit here for methodology

About Babylon Micro-FarmsⓇ
Babylon Micro-Farms builds its farms at its state-of-the-art facility in Richmond, VA. Babylon has developed patented technology to power the indoor hydroponic farms and farming service that enable businesses and communities to have a year-round supply of ultra-fresh produce. Babylon makes farming accessible to everyone through technology integrations and excellent customer support. The latest farms incorporate more sensors and are designed to reduce maintenance and harvest times significantly. Farming onsite has a sustainable and significant impact on the company’s customer base, which includes global leaders like Aramark, Ikea, MSC Cruise Lines, Linkedin, and Sodexo, along with many schools, venues, stores, hospitals, and senior care facilities.

Press Contact

Chris Hollomon

Marketing & PR Manager

chris.hollomon@babylonmicrofarms.com

– VIEW MEDIA KIT –

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Babylon Micro-Farms Unveils Galleri Lite, a Game-Changer in High-Nutrition, Onsite Farming

Sara Hayes — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 19:45:20 +0000

Richmond, VA, United States, February 5, 2025 – Babylon Micro-Farms, a pioneer in hydroponic farming technology, is proud to announce the launch of the Galleri Lite Micro-Farm, a solution designed to deliver high-nutrition, farm-to-plate produce with zero food miles. The Galleri Lite makes fresh, pesticide-free greens accessible, encouraging healthier food choices and reconnecting people with their food while delivering a positive ROI on select crops.

The Galleri Lite builds on Babylon’s mission to engage and inspire individuals across industries, including senior living, corporate dining, hospitality, and education while fostering a deeper connection to nutritious food. Designed with accessibility in mind, this system offers a more affordable entry point compared to the flagship Galleri system, ensuring fresh, nutrient-rich produce is within reach for more communities. The Galleri Lite offers exceptional ROI potential, particularly for microgreens, as the system’s yield can offset its initial capital expense. This unique capability positions the Galleri Lite as not only an accessible and affordable entry point but also a self-sustaining investment, making it an attractive solution for organizations seeking both economic and environmental benefits.

“The Galleri Lite isn’t just about growing produce; it’s about empowering people to make healthier food choices that benefit their well-being and their environment,” said Marc Oosterhuis, CEO of Babylon Micro-Farms.

Farm-to-Plate Nutrition Made Accessible

With its sleek design and compact footprint, the Galleri Lite offers an immersive farm-to-table experience. Users can grow a variety of high-nutrition crops, such as microgreens, herbs, and leafy greens, which are known for their health benefits. The system’s hands-on approach encourages users to reconnect with their food and its impact on their health.

The Galleri Lite provides a cost-effective solution for organizations and communities looking to promote wellness. Its ROI potential for select crops offsets operational costs while delivering maximum value in the form of fresh, highly nutritious produce.

Building Healthier Communities

While the Galleri Lite focuses on health and nutrition, it also fosters stronger connections within communities. By enabling users to grow fresh, nutrient-rich produce onsite, the system creates opportunities for people to come together, share experiences, and learn about healthy eating. Whether in a school, senior living facility, or workplace, the Galleri Lite becomes a centerpiece for interaction, education, and shared commitment to well-being.

A Vision for the Future

As Babylon Micro-Farms enters its seventh year, the company continues to innovate and expand its impact. The Galleri Lite makes fresh, high-nutrition food accessible to more people, inspiring healthier lifestyles and stronger communities. Its ability to deliver a positive ROI on select crops further solidifies its role as a valuable tool for organizations seeking to promote health and financial sustainability.

“The Galleri Lite is more than a farming system; it’s a tool for transformation, helping individuals and organizations alike to cultivate better health and a deeper appreciation for the food they consume,” Oosterhuis added.

About Babylon Micro-Farms

Founded in 2017, Babylon Micro-Farms provides innovative hydroponic farming solutions designed to deliver fresh, pesticide-free produce onsite. With a commitment to health, education, and sustainability, Babylon’s systems are used worldwide in schools, businesses, and healthcare facilities, empowering users to reconnect with their food and make healthier choices

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Babylon Micro-Farms Recognized as an Honoree for the 2023 Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 Award

Sara Hayes — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 14:14:45 +0000

8/18/2023 – Richmond, Va

Babylon Micro-Farms, a pioneering leader in the field of hydroponic agriculture, is thrilled to announce its nomination for the prestigious 2023 Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 award. This esteemed accolade celebrates companies that exhibit outstanding achievements in harnessing analytics to address complex business challenges, furthering data-driven innovation across industries.

The Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 award is a national recognition of excellence in analytics, spotlighting the top 50 companies that employ analytical solutions to overcome business obstacles and create transformative impact. These awards, bestowed biennially by the Center for Business Analytics at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, signify the convergence of academic-industry partnerships and the dynamic use of data analytics to drive success.

Babylon Micro-Farms’ nomination underscores the company’s commitment to innovation and its dedication to using analytics to revolutionize global agriculture. With its groundbreaking application, Babylon Micro-Farms addresses the challenge of scaling their network of remotely managed farms to hundreds of locations around the world.

The company’s analytics solution revolves around a sophisticated remote management platform, seamlessly integrating proprietary computer vision, pattern analysis, and growth recipe automation. This comprehensive approach ensures the optimal health and growth of hydroponically cultivated plants, even within a distributed network of vertical farms. By utilizing this technology, Babylon Micro-Farms has democratically opened the doors to vertical farming, empowering individuals to engage in successful agriculture without prior expertise.

“We are deeply honored to be selected for the 2023 Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 award,” said Graham Smith, Co-Founder & CTO at Babylon Micro-Farms. “We believe data analytics and remote monitoring are key to increasing accessibility of growing food at the point of consumption, benefiting the environment and our communities. This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our team and the transformative potential of data-driven innovation.“

Babylon Micro-Farms’ implementation of analytics has redefined the way vertical farming is conducted, enabling remote management that was once reserved for teams of experts. This shift has allowed hundreds of customers to experience the benefits of hydroponic cultivation, fostering local, sustainable produce that is fresher and more accessible than ever before.

The winners of the 2023 Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 award will be unveiled at a prestigious awards ceremony, where industry leaders, decision-makers, and analytics enthusiasts from across the nation will converge to celebrate data-driven achievements. This event provides a platform for sponsors to showcase their brands to honorees, distinguished guests, and prominent companies represented on Drexel LeBow’s business analytics advisory council.

Babylon Micro-Farms is proud to stand among the esteemed nominees for this year’s Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 award, embodying the spirit of innovation and progress that the award represents. The company remains dedicated to leveraging analytics to enhance global agricultural practices and create a more sustainable future.

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About Drexel LeBowⓇ
The Drexel LeBow Analytics 50 is a national recognition of analytics distinction honoring 50
organizations using analytics to solve business challenges. Presented by the Center for Business Analytics at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business, the initiative connects academia and industry, highlights best practices and applauds data-driven business impact. Honorees are selected by a panel of researchers and practitioners who evaluate nominations based on the complexity of the business challenge, the analytics solution implemented, and the solution’s business impact on the organization.

Press Contact

Chris Hollomon

Marketing & PR Manager

chris.hollomon@babylonmicrofarms.com

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Babylon Micro-Farms’ Galleri Is First Indoor Vertical Farming System Aligned with WELL to Promote Health

Sara Hayes — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 20:39:49 +0000

6/1/2023 – Richmond, Va

Babylon Micro-Farms, a pioneer in indoor hydroponic farming systems, has been approved by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) to license the Works with WELL trademark for its flagship product, Galleri, the first food-safe indoor vertical farming system with this distinction.

Galleri’s alignment with health features in the WELL Building Standard validates Babylon’s commitment to promoting healthy eating and access to nature. The hydroponic indoor farm system is confirmed to align with three features under the WELL Nourishment concept. Specifically, it aligns with feature N12.1 for providing gardening space, N07.1 for providing nutrition education, and N04.1 for optimizing food advertising. Galleri is also aligned with two features under the WELL Mind concept, M02.1 for providing connection to nature and M09.1 for providing nature access indoors.

The WELL Nourishment concept requires the availability of fruits and vegetables and nutritional transparency. It encourages the creation of food environments where the healthiest choice is the easiest choice. Incorporating a Babylon Galleri Micro-Farm in a project’s lobby, dining area, or workspace helps achieve the aligned WELL features for the project, earning points toward WELL Certification goals.

As workers return to the office, Babylon Micro-Farms helps businesses promote holistic, healthy living. Galleri’s elegant, biophilic design can help boost employee mental health, inspire better eating habits, and drive a desire to live healthily. Return on investment goes beyond the produce growing within each Micro-Farm.

“We are thrilled to join forces with IWBI through sustainable and innovative farming practices,” said Alexander Olesen, CEO & Co-Founder of Babylon Micro-Farms. “I’m personally proud of our team’s work to create a sustainable experience that benefits the communities we serve. Fostering connection among people around the food they eat; motivating them to lead healthier, more sustainable lives.”

Each Micro-Farm uses remote monitoring to ensure optimal plant growth and health while using ten times less water than traditional agricultural practices. Babylon Micro-Farms has provided efficient and environmentally friendly hydroponic systems to partners at universities, senior living communities, resorts, and corporate offices nationwide.

The Works with WELL alignment for Babylon Micro-Farms’ Galleri represents an exciting step forward for sustainable food production and healthy indoor environments. The WELL alignment recognizes innovative and sustainable design practices that benefit people and the planet.

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About Babylon Micro-FarmsⓇ
Babylon Micro-Farms builds its farms at its state-of-the-art facility in Richmond, VA. Babylon has developed patented technology to power the indoor hydroponic farms and farming service that enable businesses and communities to have a year-round supply of ultra-fresh produce. Babylon makes farming accessible to everyone through technology integrations and excellent customer support. The latest farms incorporate more sensors and are designed to reduce maintenance and harvest times significantly. Farming onsite has a sustainable and significant impact on the company’s customer base, which includes global leaders like Aramark, Ikea, MSC Cruise Lines, Linkedin, and Sodexo, along with many schools, venues, stores, hospitals, and senior care facilities.

Press Contact

Chris Hollomon

Marketing & PR Manager

chris.hollomon@babylonmicrofarms.com

– VIEW MEDIA KIT –

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CEO Alexander Olesen’s Remarks During Vice President Harris’s Visit to Babylon Micro-Farms

Sara Hayes — Fri, 05 May 2023 15:32:29 +0000

5/4/2023 – Richmond, Va

All great things start small, and only this country has the market, culture, and unfailing optimism that encourages people to take risks that can turn dreams into reality.

At Babylon, we’re empowering businesses and communities to grow their own food on-site, all year round, in a way that captivates the imagination about where your food comes from.

Indoor farming can enable anyone to grow their own food, using 90% less water, without the use of pesticides.

This is an essential tool for food security and the fight against climate change.

Our goal is to develop an ecosystem of accessible and affordable vertical farming products powered by the BabylonIQ remote management platform so that anyone can be a vertical farmer.

We’ve grown this idea from a school project to a scaling enterprise with clients like IKEA, LinkedIn, and Aramark.

The team has worked tirelessly over six years to develop our technology and commercialize the most advanced modular vertical farming systems on the market today. Each 15 sqft module is the equivalent of a 2000 sqft area of outdoor farmland.

The products, technology, and manufacturing process that you see here are setting the standard for Micro-Farming globally.

Our decision to move to Richmond and the opportunity zone here in Scott’s Addition has provided a strong foundation for our fast-growing business and enabled us to build a home for our 37 team members.

I’d like to extend my deepest thanks to Virginia Venture Partners, SSBCI, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Biden-Harris Administration for their tremendous support. The grant funding we received has allowed us to get where we are today.

We are deeply honored to show you the work that we do at Babylon Micro-Farms and demonstrate the potential for small businesses to be at the very cutting edge of sustainable technology.

With this administration’s support, our industry has a bright future.

Without further ado, it is my honor to welcome the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris.

Press Contact

Chris Hollomon

Marketing & PR Manager

chris.hollomon@babylonmicrofarms.com

– VIEW MEDIA KIT –

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