In every industry, there are a handful of ‘game-changers’ that take it into their own hands to revolutionize long-time, tried-and-true processes, positively. In an industry as old as farming, it’s taken quite some time for technology to catch up with the old-time methods of the past.
Today, new generations are connecting old-school traditions with innovative equipment to harness the best of both worlds. In turn, they’re seeing maximum production, healthier yields than ever, and even creating their own trends across the US as the ‘future of agriculture’.
So, who is one of these up-and-coming leaders in farming in 2022? Levi Sellers, of Boonsboro, Maryland, has been inspired by this futuristic theme for agriculture since a trip to Epcot as a child.
Nearly 20 years later, he’s made his childhood dreams into a reality at his family-owned and operated farm. But, how? Let’s find out with our in-depth look at cultivation technology like aquaponics LED grow lights in real-time practice with Levi.
How it Started
Levi’s journey began on his family’s own bison farm, which ignited his passion for agriculture and a desire to continue his career on the same path. Like anyone nurturing a life-long passion, Levi became entrenched in the industry. He had the chance to open a hydroponic store in Colorado with a few friends, and “leapt at the opportunity” he says, in his own words.
Soon after, Levi learned more about aquaponics, which was not only the answer to his query on how to farm more organically and sustainably but is what has fueled him to become the face of the ‘future of agriculture’ today.
After investing into his education he felt more ‘prepared’ to pursue his dream, and successfully pitched his parents, Mark and Billie Jo Sellers, to sell the family recycling business and go ‘all-in’ on aquaponics.
Where It’s Going
A plan that had been 14 years in the making has now been operating for the last six years. The South Mountain MicroFARM is Levi’s pride and joy a family-owned and operated, leafy-green produce and hemp cannabis facility that’s 100% cultivated in an aquaponics system. That means fish provide the nutrients to the plants in an all-natural, sustainable, and organic ecosystem for cultivation.
Aquaponics does so by creating an all-in-one closed-loop system. In the system, crops absorb converted nutrients, which clean the water for the fish. The water cleaned by the plants is then returned to the fish for a full circle of life, for feed, nutrients, and the environment.
With the help of his parents, and financial backing from Farm Credit, including a ‘Farmers on the Rise Award’, Levi has been able to expand production, with additional greenhouses, and increase production. In which he’s relied on futuristic technology and equipment to support their energy-efficient and sustainable goals.
So, what’s one thing that plants require outside of H2O and nutrients that aquaponics can provide? The Sun, or light energy, of course. Now, that’s where Scynce and aquaponics LED grow lights come in.
The Scynce (science) Behind the Journey
After being awarded $10,000 by Farm Credit, Levi looked toward installing vertical rack systems to increase production in a smaller square footprint. When looking for lighting solutions that were energy-efficient and designed to improve and increase yields, LED lights just made sense.
“By incorporating horticultural LED technology and control from Scynce LED, we are able to be even more efficient with our vertical production,” Levi explains.
Scynce LED is proud to put its team’s eclectic experience to work in developing lighting systems including aquaponics LED options, to improve the health, sustainability, and efficiency of the cultivation and horticulture industries. In Levi’s case, and for cultivators coast-to-coast, Scynce’s breakthrough optical technology and spectrum controllability provide increased density and intensity for optimal growth—with power-saving perks to support energy efficiency, too.
In fact, at South Mountain MicroFARM they’ve seen a 70% energy savings while still providing the optimal light spectrum and intensity for healthy, happy plants, year-round.
The LED lighting brand has worked just as thoroughly and extensively as Levi has to develop a collection of lights that serve the greater good of the cultivation industry. That includes the best LED grow lights for aquaponics, in addition to single-level, and multi-level systems that are suitable for all types of farming, whether new or old-school methods of doing so.
Like Levi says, his plan has always been to “provide the highest quality products to improve not only the health of our customers but also the community and eco-systems that surround us,” and at Scynce LED, we couldn’t agree more.
So join us in celebrating the future of agriculture by following along South Mountain MicroFARM’s journey and Scynce’s, too. For all of your energy-efficient, earth-loving cultivation facilities, and aquaponics LED needs, look no further than Scynce LED to unlock the true potential of your plants (more sustainably!).