City Farming is a Trend

Participants of the agro-industrial exhibition AGRORUS-2021 evaluated the prospects of city farming in Russia and presented samples of miniature crops.

City farming is a relatively new global trend of growing fruit crops and herbs right in the city. Russian agricultural holdings also get with the times, so the laboratories of St. Petersburg Agrarian University and Gavrish already produce their own microgreen seeds, minitubers, and equipment for their cultivation.

Gavrish has been breeding varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops for 28 years. It sells seeds to the country’s largest agricultural holdings, which products are distributed by most of the chain grocery stores. Now the company's range of vegetable crops includes 34 microgreens: several types of basil, cabbage, coriander, dill, chicory, and other useful microgreens. At the exhibition AGRORUS-2021 anyone can buy seeds and feel like a city farmer, growing herbs on a balcony. The germination period for Gavrish seeds is less than two weeks. Dmitry Brichuk, head of professional area, added that microgreens are in demand among customers, and their daily use has an extremely positive effect on the body. According to company employees, the pandemic had almost no effect on sales: farmers and agricultural holdings continue to stably grow crops with Gavrish products.

The first crop species grown within the walls of St. Petersburg Agrarian University appeared in 2015. At that time, a group of interested students, along with graduate students, presented the first installation for growing fruit plants. A few years later, the student project grew into a laboratory. “We gradually began to receive orders from various agribusinesses as part of the import substitution program. We were acquiring installations and equipment, and in 2019 we organized a laboratory at our university to develop the elements of cultivation,” said Vitaly Kondratyev, head of the laboratory of photoculture and city farming. “Last year we worked with basil, rucola, and spinach, and this year we worked with tomatoes and peppers. The laboratory also fulfills orders for commercial firms, cooperates with New Holland, Boucher cafe, and others,” he added. Vitaly Kondratyev expressed the hope that production will continue to develop and the number of customers will grow.

At the exhibition AGRORUS-2021 you can personally talk to each exhibitor and learn how to grow delicious herbs and micro-vegetables at home. The event will continue until September 4.

More

City Farming is a Trend

Participants of the agro-industrial exhibition AGRORUS-2021 evaluated the prospects of city farming in Russia and presented samples of miniature crops.

City farming is a relatively new global trend of growing fruit crops and herbs right in the city. Russian agricultural holdings also get with the times, so the laboratories of St. Petersburg Agrarian University and Gavrish already produce their own microgreen seeds, minitubers, and equipment for their cultivation.

Gavrish has been breeding varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops for 28 years. It sells seeds to the country’s largest agricultural holdings, which products are distributed by most of the chain grocery stores. Now the company's range of vegetable crops includes 34 microgreens: several types of basil, cabbage, coriander, dill, chicory, and other useful microgreens. At the exhibition AGRORUS-2021 anyone can buy seeds and feel like a city farmer, growing herbs on a balcony. The germination period for Gavrish seeds is less than two weeks. Dmitry Brichuk, head of professional area, added that microgreens are in demand among customers, and their daily use has an extremely positive effect on the body. According to company employees, the pandemic had almost no effect on sales: farmers and agricultural holdings continue to stably grow crops with Gavrish products.

The first crop species grown within the walls of St. Petersburg Agrarian University appeared in 2015. At that time, a group of interested students, along with graduate students, presented the first installation for growing fruit plants. A few years later, the student project grew into a laboratory. “We gradually began to receive orders from various agribusinesses as part of the import substitution program. We were acquiring installations and equipment, and in 2019 we organized a laboratory at our university to develop the elements of cultivation,” said Vitaly Kondratyev, head of the laboratory of photoculture and city farming. “Last year we worked with basil, rucola, and spinach, and this year we worked with tomatoes and peppers. The laboratory also fulfills orders for commercial firms, cooperates with New Holland, Boucher cafe, and others,” he added. Vitaly Kondratyev expressed the hope that production will continue to develop and the number of customers will grow.

At the exhibition AGRORUS-2021 you can personally talk to each exhibitor and learn how to grow delicious herbs and micro-vegetables at home. The event will continue until September 4.

More