Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) in Virginia has been a major focus for Governor Glenn Youngkin, who was the keynote speaker at 2024’s CEA Indoor Ag-Con conference hosted at IALR in Danville, VA, October 1-2, 2024. Food safety in CEA was a main topic during the break-out session:
What is Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and why is it so important to agriculture in Virginia?
Controlling the environment for crop production not only helps to ensure yields, but also reduces pesticide consumption, increases the availability of locally grown produce, and has lower impacts on the environment (reference). Virginia is well positioned to serve the US population with fresh produce, and makes it an ideal location for CEA farms (reference). The Governor has a special interest in CEA and has even proclaimed that March is Virginia Controlled Environment Agriculture Month (resource).
IALR is important to the growing industry of CEA by testing new technologies, supporting growers and other companies in industry advancements, as well as conducting important research. Dr. Kaylee South, Virginia Tech Assistant Professor, is located at IALR and is one of the hosts of CEA Summit East — an annual conference held at IALR that focuses on CEA needs and research– and has an extension appointment to support CEA in Virginia in 2024, Kaylee was interviewed in a Vertical Farming Podcast where you can hear about her role and research at IALR.
How is food safety integral to CEA?
Food safety is a main focus in food production in CEA because so much of food safety practices can be controlled during crop production.
“Ensuring Safe Harvests: A Primer on Food Safety in Controlled Environment Agriculture”
Production Track This session provided an introduction to the critical aspect of CEA food safety. Attendees gained valuable insights into foundational principles, regulatory requirements, and best practices for maintaining food safety standards in greenhouse and vertical farming operations. The session covered essential topics such as sanitation protocols, hazard analysis, and preventive controls specific to CEA environments. Additionally, attendees received guidance on initiating food safety programs tailored to their operations and access to a curated list of resources for further support and information. Whether you’re a seasoned grower or new to CEA, this session offered essential knowledge and practical tools to ensure the safety and integrity of your harvests.”
In this panel, Amber Vallotton (VCE, VT), Kyle Freedman (Jiffy Group), and Neda Vaseghi (Microclimates) shared their perspectives on how CEA is utilizing extension and food safety practices in CEA. 
What challenges are faced in food safety for CEA?
Initially, GAP certification audit was designed for field grown produce, so the original manual to develop food safety needs to be augmented by industry, academic, and extension experts. Amber Vallotton was important for multiple CEA’s in Virginia ability to acquire GAP certification for their facilities including Greenswell Growers, Wyndale Gardens and Glenmary Farms.
In fact, Wyndale Gardens is the first Harmonized GAP certified aquaponics farmer in Virginia.
Videos Showcasing GAP Certified CEAs:
Greenswell Growers: a Goochland County CEA, has built in food safety practices in every aspect of their fully automated CEA and why it is so important to their markets. The video is available to the public for viewing on the VCE YouTube Channel.
Wyndale Gardens: located in Abingdon, VA, this CEA produces leafy greens and tomatoes using aquaponics in a deep water culture(DWC) raft system. The video is available to the public for viewing on the VCE YouTube Channel.
Glenmary Farms: a farm from Bristol, VA grew strawberries in an oscillating gutter system and focused on sustainable food packaging. The video is available to the public for viewing on the VCE YouTube Channel.
