RMJ Supply founder and CEO Mike Kupferman recently spoke with Bart Schaneman at MJBiz Daily to discuss regenerative farming:

“Indoor-equipment solutions

It isn’t easy to grow in a fully regenerative manner in an indoor facility or greenhouse, said Mike Kupferman, founder and CEO of RMJ Supply, a New York company that specializes in cultivation facility design, equipment procurement and optimization.

One challenge, for example, is that many growers want to use crop steering in greenhouse operations, where specific nutrients are added to plants at certain times of the day.

But a grower using regenerative practices trying to reuse irrigation water might not know exactly how much fertilizer remains in the reclaimed water.

Therefore, the fertigation process is less precise.

Kupferman recommends that indoor growers who want to reduce their energy use should consider free cooling, a term that means using cooler outside air to regulate indoor temperatures.

He advises caution, though, because outside air can contain contaminants such as mold.

Growers often will use a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERV)-rated filter to keep out the contaminants in fresh air.

For the sustainability-minded grower, Kupferman also recommends incorporating soil that doesn’t require added nutrients.

“Using living soil is as close to regenerative ag as possible in a horticulture setting,” he said.

Overall, he does see a push for more sustainable growing practices coming from both the industry and the consumer.

“It’s such a resource-intensive crop,” Kupferman said of cannabis. “We can’t keep going on like this.”

In order for it work, a company must make regenerative farming a priority, even if it doesn’t make the most sense financially, according to Kupferman.

“It’s tough to be regenerative,” he said. “But there are steps people can take to be more sustainable.”

Read the full article HERE.