26 Seasons' first vertical strawberry farm aims high in Foxton

Slip behind a bee-proof mesh curtain in an old Foxton factory building and a sweet surprise awaits.

"Welcome to our secret laboratory," Matthew Keltie said.

Under the bluish glow of the high-tech lights, pops of red catch the eye.

A bee buzzes past and quiet music overlays the faint gurgle of nutrients swishing through tubes.

This is 26 Seasons' first vertical strawberry farm and R and D hub for the indoor growing technology Keltie and his colleagues are developing.

For the full story from nzherald.co.nz, click here

Solar panels provide shade and a second source of revenue for this enterprising German farm

An apple farm in western Germany is reaping a second harvest - but it's not what you might expect.

Solar panels providing much-needed shade for the orchard have been producing bountiful electricity during this year's unusually hot summer.

“The idea is simple,” says Christian Nachtwey, owner of the organic farm in Gelsdorf - an hour's drive south of Cologne.

“To protect the orchard, without reducing the available growing surface and in particular maintaining production. On top of that there's the solar electricity being generated on the same land.”

For the full story from euronews.com, click here.