FTS has been lucky enough to have Infinite Acres on board as a member for some time. In addition, CEO Tisha Livingston was recently elected Vice Chair of the FTS Board of Directors! We took the opportunity to have a chat with Tisha and find out more about the organisation, which takes a uniquely collaborative approach to the sector.
FTS: Hi Tisha, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. As both a newly elected board FarmTech Society Vice-Chair, and as CEO of Infinite Acres, we’re delighted to have the chance to have a chat!
Infinite Acres: Thank you so much. I am really excited to be part of the FarmTech Society
FTS: Tell us about the formation of infinite acres, how the three companies involved came together from varied backgrounds and areas of expertise, for mutual benefit.
Infinite Acres: Infinite Acres was formed with the idea that we need to collaborate with industry leaders in specific technology sectors to mature the indoor farming industry. 80 Acres and Priva have been working together on indoor farming technology since 2016. Through the learnings of developing an indoor farm together, we quickly realized that we needed many different skills to build a successful farm, including crop knowledge and all that goes along with growing the best crop (lighting, air flow, heating and cooling, irrigation), hitting the right unit economics (automation, continuous improvement, manufacturing capability) and selling (customer relationships, merchandising, consumer insights). 80 Acres and Priva recognized where they had key knowledge and where there were gaps. We have been searching for additional partners to help bridge the gaps and invest in future technology developments. As part of this journey, we were introduced to Ocado. They have a like mindedness about the role indoor farming will play in the future food supply. Ocado has unparalleled knowledge and technology in the automation and predictive analytics space. They were a natural fit and immediately began providing insight and help with future designs.
FTS: You’ve stated that “you believe the challenge is too great to go it alone”. This speaks to the risks and challenges inherent in trying to get established in this nascent industry. How has this collaboration helped you to overcome those challenges?
Infinite Acres: Infinite Acres has the benefit of three very strong parent companies with tremendous capabilities coming together to help build the best indoor farming solutions. Through this knowledge and collaboration we are able to provide a world class solution complete with a preferred operator in 80 Acres that will guarantee yield and performance. No other technology provider in the space has the experience and capability to guarantee that level of performance, de-risking the investment through a proven technology and business model.
FTS: You’ve also indicated a willingness, even an active desire, to collaborate with other partners, notably including social investors and policy & decision makers. How do you see such collaborations emerging and aiding both your company and the wider sector?
Infinite Acres: I believe that it takes a village to build this industry. We have to support all parts of the industry, including operators with training, manufacturing knowledge, food safety and quality; provide investors with the resources to understand how to de-risk the investment and understand how the industry is improving and standardizing to provide an attractive return on investment; and inform policy makers to enable the industry to differentiate from the rest of the produce industry. It is a tall order and we need everyone to share their experience and knowledge to mature the industry. What is good for the industry is good for Infinite Acres.
FTS: Of course, at FTS, we wholeheartedly support this collaborative approach, as it mirrors our own ethos! Did you join FTS to aid this process for your organisation and how can we help you to achieve that?
Infinite Acres: I believe that as a young industry, we need a way to bring together best ideas and share our learnings. Through standardization of best practices, we can advance and mature as an industry. FTS, as you mentioned, is an organization that aligns behind the same philosophy. It made sense that Infinite Acres would want to team up with a best in class organization that aims to help the whole industry. A strong industry with an eye towards education, standardization to enable realizing the value of indoor farming and policy to support the industry helps Infinite Acres clients be successful.
FTS: You’ve created the ‘Infinite Academy’ on your website, with learning resources. At FTS education is one of our key pillars of activity. Crucially, this is about enabling the next generation of skilled labour force as our industry grows. How important is that for Infinite Acres?
Infinite Acres: We believe that training and education is so important for the future of the industry. We know that the average grower is approaching the age of retirement. Fewer young people are choosing farming as a career. Many of the future growers are passionate about making an impact in the global food supply but do not have the experience and training. For us to be able to help the indoor farming sector mature, we need to provide training and support to ensure that the growers are able to get the most out of their indoor farming systems, growing healthy, clean, great yielding crops that hit the right unit economics. The industry success is our success. We need to help advance the industry, not only through great technology, but also training and education.
FTS: Thanks again for taking the time, and for your leadership and collaborative ethos in this young but rapidly growing industry! We look forward to working with you in the future.
Infinite Acres: Thanks so much for all you do with FTS and the industry.
FOR INFINTE ACRES
TISHA LIVINGSTON - CEO
We want you, our readers, to know more about who our members are and what they’re doing. So we put together the FTS finds out more series, to do just that!
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