Recipient Organization
CANOPII INC
191 IOWA ST
SILVERTON,OR 97381
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Small and mid-sized farms in the United States are facing significant challenges in maintaining profitability, particularly when competing with large-scale agricultural operations. These smaller farms often turn to specialty crops like herbs and vegetables to differentiate themselves, but the labor costs associated with manual harvesting and packaging these crops can be prohibitively high. This project aims to address this issue by developing a novel automated system for harvesting and handling living hydroponic basil. This development has potentially revolutionize how small and mid-sized farms operate and compete in the market by giving them access to cost effective labor automation.The research will focus on modifying an existing automated greenhouse system to harvest living basil plants while keeping their roots intact and then package them for wholesale distribution. This approach offers several advantages over traditional cut basil production, including reduced labor costs, decreased packaging waste, and a longer-lasting product for consumers. The project will involve designing custom mechanisms for plant handling, creating specialized trays and boxes for transportation, and developing software to control the entire process with minimal human intervention.By automating the harvesting and packaging of living basil, this project aims to significantly reduce labor costs for small and mid-sized farms, potentially increasing their profitability and competitiveness in the specialty crop market. This could also lead to more sustainable farming practices by reducing packaging waste and extending the shelf life of herbs, which in turn could decrease food waste at both the retail and consumer levels. Additionally, the system's compact design could enable urban and peri-urban farming, bringing fresh, locally-grown produce closer to consumers and potentially reducing transportation-related emissions.If successful, this project could have far-reaching impacts on the agricultural sector and beyond. It could empower small and mid-sized farms to access premium wholesale markets, potentially leading to more diverse and resilient local food systems. The technology could also be adapted for other herbs and nursery crops, opening up new market opportunities for growers. From a societal perspective, this innovation could contribute to stronger, more financially independent rural non-arable communities, increase access to fresh, locally-grown produce, and support the growing trend towards sustainable and efficient agriculture.Ultimately, this project represents a step towards a more distributed and sustainable agricultural future, where advanced technology is accessible to farms of all sizes, not just large industrial operations. By lowering the barriers to entry for commercial herb production and enabling more efficient use of resources, this research has the potential to contribute to a more diverse, resilient, and locally-oriented food system that benefits producers, consumers, and the environment alike.
Animal Health Component
20%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
20%
Developmental
80%
Goals / Objectives
The major goal of this project is to develop an automated system for harvesting and handling living hydroponic basil for wholesale markets. This research will build upon Canopii's existing automated greenhouse technology. This innovation aims to help small and mid-sized specialty crop growers reduce labor costs and access premium wholesale markets for living herbs. Additionally, this research can be applied to nursey crops and plant starts for field transplanting. The project seeks to modify Canopii's current automated greenhouse system to harvest living basil plants while keeping roots intact, package them into trays and boxes for wholesale distribution, and reduce labor costs and packaging waste compared to cut basil.This technology will address significant challenges faced by small and mid-sized farms, particularly in the labor-intensive specialty crop sector. By automating the harvesting and packaging of living basil, the project aims to increase profitability for growers, reduce waste, and provide longer-lasting products for consumers. The successful development of this system could potentially be translated to other herbs and even nursery crops, opening new market opportunities in both vegetable and nursery crop production.The objectives of the project are:Develop a post-harvest handling system that allows a Canopii's existing farm to output boxed living basil.Design, build, a post-harvest system automation for living plants, including custom mechanisms for plant handling, palletization, and storage.Develop custom software for controlling the post-harvest handling system for both manual and automated control.Integrate the new post-harvest handling system with Canopii's existing automated greenhouse technology.Test and optimize the system for reliability in handling living basil plants.Demonstrate the entire living basil post-harvest system operating autonomously with no human intervention.Achieve 80% repeatability in the automated living basil handling process.Produce sellable living basil plants through partnership with Ratto Farms and NW Transplants, confirming the viability of a Canopii farm as a source of living produce or nursery crops.Evaluate the financial viability of selling living plant varieties into the wholesale or direct to consumer markets for small and medium-sized farms using actual production data.Lay the groundwork for potential expansion into other herbs and nursery crops in future development phases.
Project Methods
The Canopii USDA NIFA SBIR Phase I project will employ a systematic approach to develop and evaluate an automated system for harvesting and handling living hydroponic basil. The project will be conducted through a series of interconnected tasks, focusing on engineering design, prototyping, software development, and rigorous testing to achieve the project's objectives.The project will begin with a comprehensive research and design phase, where the team will establish requirements for wholesale-ready living basil in collaboration with industry partners such as Will Ratto and Lauren Lucht. This will inform the prototype functionality and the mechanical and electrical design of the post-harvest handling system. SolidWorks CAD software will be used for mechanical design, while electrical design will primarily utilize commercial off-the-shelf components. The design phase will result in detailed CAD models, technical drawings, and electrical block diagrams.Following the design phase, the team will assemble the mechanical and electrical components of the living basil post-harvest system. This will involve building custom mechanisms, routing pneumatic, electrical, and irrigation lines, and integrating the new system with the existing Canopii farm prototype. Concurrently, custom software will be developed to control the post-harvest handling system, incorporating both manual and automated control options.The project will use rigorous testing and evaluation methods to ensure the system meets suitable requirements. Each stage of the process will be tested individually under manual and automated control, with observations informing improvements. The team will aim to achieve a repeatability of 80% in the automated living basil handling process, processing up to 438 plants per day with no more than 87 errors deemed acceptable for the initial prototype.Results will be analyzed through a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as harvesting speed, handling accuracy, and system reliability will be defined and tracked throughout the testing phase. The team will also conduct a comparative analysis between the automated system's performance and manual harvesting methods in terms of efficiency, quality, and cost.To cause a change in knowledge and actions among the target audience of small and mid-sized specialty crop farmers, the project will employ several efforts. Live demonstrations of the automated living basil post-harvest handling system will be conducted for potential customers and stakeholders, and video demonstrations will be recorded for remote viewing and analysis. The team also plans to organize tours for farmers and agricultural professionals to familiarize them with the new technology and receive customer feedback.The project's outputs and outcomes will be evaluated through a multi-faceted approach. Technical performance will be assessed by measuring the system's ability to achieve 80% repeatability in the automated living basil handling process. This will allow Canopii to quantify improvements in harvesting speed and efficiency compared to manual methods. Additionally, assessing the quality of harvested living basil plants through visual inspection, tasting, and shelf-life testing. Economic impact will be evaluated through a cost-benefit analysis comparing the automated system to traditional harvesting methods, assessing potential labor cost savings and increased revenue from living basil sales. Testing and evaluation will be performed in conjunction with Will Ratto and Lauren Lutch of Ratto Farms and NW Transplants respectively.Environmental impact will be measured by assessing reductions in packaging waste compared to traditional cut basil packaging methods. This will be done through shelf-life evaluations. Additionally, packaging weights will be collected to inform data on plastic consumption reduction. Market potential will be analyzed by evaluating market demand for living basil through sales data from partner farms and assessing the potential for technology adoption in other herbs and nursery crop applications.The project team will track progress against key milestones, including the completion of mechanical and electrical designs, successful integration of all system components, achievement of target repeatability rates, and production of sellable living basil plants. Long-term impact indicators will include tracking adoption rates among small and mid-sized farms over time, monitoring changes in local living herb market share and pricing, and assessing the technology's impact on farm profitability and sustainability.