News
AMPS to rebrand as VERTIFARMS
We are excited to publically announce that AMPS (Aquaponic Modular Production Systems) will be rebranding to VertiFarms Llc. We will still be providing the same great hydroponic and aquaponic management services to our clients. Our efforts as a company are to focus on the development of commercial farms through out New Orleans and the Gulf South region. We look forward to serving the region's retail markets local and supermarket grown produce all year-round.
Sincerely,
Kevin Morgan-Rothschild
VertiFarms Llc., Chief Operating Officer
New Orleans, Louisiana
Press Release: Rouses Markets Creates Sustainable Aeroponic Rooftop Garden Above Downtown New Orleans Store
PRESS RELEASE:
Rouses Markets Creates Sustainable Aeroponic Rooftop Garden Above Downtown New Orleans Store
New Roots on the Rooftop urban farm is first in the country
NEW ORLEANS, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The new rooftop garden on the Rouses Market in downtown New Orleans doesn't look like your typical herb garden; but this isn't your typical grocery store. Parsley, basil and cilantro are among the herbs the company is growing to package and sell on the building's ground floor.
Rouses Markets is the first grocer in the country to develop its own aeroponic urban farm on its own rooftop, says managing partner Donny Rouse. And they could not have picked a more picturesque location. "The flat rooftop on this store is perfect for urban farming," says Rouse. "And the view of downtown is postcard-perfect. I imagine we will do a lot of dinners up here on the farm." Rouses Markets downtown store sits just blocks from the Superdome, French Quarter, and Mississippi River.
The vertical aeroponic Tower Garden(TM) uses water rather than soil, and allows you to grow up instead of out. It was developed by a former Disney greenhouse manager, and is used at Disney, the Chicago O'Hare Airport Eco-Farm and on the Manhattan rooftop of Bell Book & Candle restaurant. "This is very cutting edge for urban farming," says Rouse. His company has aptly named the farm Roots on the Rooftop.
Chef Louis "Jack" Treuting, Rouses Culinary Director, first saw Roots on the Rooftop as a way to provide fresh herbs for the food Rouses chefs prepare, but quickly saw potential to expand the program to include retail. "I knew if our chefs wanted it, so would our customers." Treuting worked with New Orleans-based A.M.P.S. (www.ampsnola.com) on the Rouses system. "Aeroponics makes sense for the space," said Treuting. "It is lighter than soil-based operations, and the towers recycle water and liquid nutrients through their own reservoirs, so they're sustainable."
Roots on the Rooftop will officially launch on May 31st, one day before New Orleans kicks off its second annual Eat Local Challenge ( www.nolalocavore.org ). "The locavore challenge is to eat food grown within a 200 mile radius," says Rouse. "In our case, we're growing herbs less than 100 feet from our store."
While this is Rouses Markets first foray into urban gardening, the company's roots are planted in the local produce business. Anthony J. Rouse grew up working for his father's produce shipping company, City Produce, before opening his first grocery store in 1960. "My grandfather was a farmer at heart," says Rouse. "He would have loved everything about this."
About Rouses
Rouses Markets is one of the 10 largest independent grocers in the United States. Owned and operated by a second and third generation of the Rouse family, the Louisiana-based company has 38 locations in two states, and employs over 5,400 team members. Rouses Markets has been consistently voted best supermarket and best place to work.
SOURCE Rouses Markets
Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
Press Release: AMPS BUILDS NEW ORLEANS' FIRST “AEROPONIC” RECIRCULATING FARM, DEMONSTRATES SUSTAINABLE URBAN AGRICULTURE
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Douglas Jacobs, AMPS, LLC.: doug@ampsnola.com (970) 309-4014
Kevin Morgan-Rothschild, AMPS, LLC: kevin@ampsnola.com (504) 656-4538
Marianne Cufone, Recirculating Farms Coalition: mcufone@recirculatingfarms.org (813) 785-8386
February 9, 2012
NEW ORLEANS, LA Today, urban agriculture development company Aquaponic Modular Production Systems (AMPS) debuted its new project - the very first aeroponic farm in New Orleans. Hollygrove Farm and Market is hosting the AMPS design to showcase an innovative way to grow fresh produce sustainably – recirculating farming. Recirculating farms use clean recycled water in place of soil to grow food. “Aeroponic” is one type of these farms, where plants grow in vertical towers. AMPS plans to build many other recirculating farms throughout New Orleans to provide more local sources of healthy food.
Doug Jacobs, founder and lead farm designer said “When I came to New Orleans, I thought: how could a city so well-known for its cuisine source so little of its produce locally? We can help New Orleans sustainably grow fresh produce and make it more accessible for consumers. We could grow all the vegetables and herbs used here in a variety of farms throughout the city.”
Beginning the week of February 15th, the new aeroponic farm will provide vegetables for Hollygrove Market and Farm to sell to the community. The system is expected to yield upwards of 40 pounds of greens weekly.
AMPS provides a sustainable alternative approach to agriculture. Their farms have no runoff thanks to a closed-loop design, can efficiently capture and repurpose waste, recycle water to reduce consumption, and are able to grow food virtually anywhere – indoors or outside and in oddly shaped spaces, among other benefits.
AMPS is partnering with the Recirculating Farms Coalition, a national non-profit headquartered in New Orleans and the New Orleans Food and Farm Network, a food justice group, to reach out to locals about the benefits of building recirculating farms.
“Recirculating farming methods, like aeroponics, are becoming very popular worldwide.”, said Recirculating Farms Coalition executive director Marianne Cufone. “These efficient, eco-friendly farms create green spaces that provide food for the community; they are ideal for New Orleans, where growing areas may be limited or paved. We are excited to be part of bringing recirculating farms more into the urban farming movement.”
In addition to Doug Jacobs, the AMPS team includes Stephanie Stefanski and Tulane alums Kevin Morgan-Rothschild and Melissa Hew.
AMPS already received a number of recognitions for its farm concepts, winning Tulane's New Day Challenge in April of 2011 for social innovations and “Audience Favorite” at PitchNOLA 2011.
“We look forward to many more exciting things to come.” Jacobs said.
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AMPS designs, builds, and manages soilless farms in urban environments to provide a constant source of fresh produce for grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and other food-suppliers. See: http://www.ampsnola.com
Gearing up for the Water Challenge 2012!
The Idea Village Water Challenge is just around the corner and everyone is getting excited about it! AMPS is a finalist in the Water Challenge alongside Tierra Resources and Bayou Rebirth. LIfeCity is sponsoring "blue drinks" at the Idea Village in order to promote the competition. The event will take place this Friday, January 27th at 5pm. Click here for more info.
AMPS solutions are innovative answer to floodwater management. Click here to learn more.
Founder of Aquaponic Modular Production Systems, Douglas Jacobs named Silicon Bayou 100
"111 individuals (some are on the list in teams of 2 or 3) were nominated and selected for the 2011 Silicon Bayou 100 for their efforts over the past year in growing their own companies, supporting the companies of others, and being outstanding ambassadors representing the Silicon Bayou around the world."
To see the full story, click here.
