Planting with a purpose

“What we're currently doing is not going to feed the planet,” begins Nathan Eylands, a faculty member in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota.

Eylands is referring to a report by the United Nations, which estimates that in 2050, farmers will need to produce 70% more food than they did a decade ago to nourish a global population of nearly 10 billion. Climate change, supply chain disruptions, and resource depletion make this challenge even more complex.

“Solving global food insecurity, and doing so sustainably, will require a diverse set of solutions,” Eylands argues. Since joining the faculty in 2023, Eylands has been nurturing both cutting-edge research in controlled environment agriculture and a new generation of plant scientists, whose creativity will shape the future of food production.

A horticultural “tinkerer” and techno-optimist, Eylands believes that by optimizing plant growth environments and embracing technological innovation, we can develop sustainable practices that can help meet the growing demand for food.

The nexus of ag and tech

Controlled environment agriculture, or CEA, involves dialing in key factors like light, temperature, humidity, nutrients, and water to optimize plant growth; this approach includes greenhouses, hydroponics, and vertical farming. “CEA is the nexus of agriculture and technology,” says Eylands. 

“We're trying to promote year-round production, in northern climates especially, but anywhere where [growers] might encounter inhospitable growing conditions,” says Eylands. “Each facet of my lab’s research is directed at increasing the productivity and profitability of CEA farmers, while bringing consumers higher quality products at a greater value,” he continues. 

These techniques are rapidly gaining traction, especially in regions with challenging growing conditions like Minnesota. According to the USDA, the number of CEA operations more than doubled between 2009 and 2019, and the quantity of food is increasing: the quantity of controlled environment crop production increased significantly during that same decade. 

Meeting a growing demand

The consumer demand for food that is nutritious, grown locally, and good for the environment creates a niche that Eylands is equipped to address. Supermarkets that emphasize “freshness”, such as Whole Foods and Fresh Thyme, are on the rise. The Twin Cities also have a robust culture of food co-ops and farmers markets. 

The demand is even more pronounced in the restaurant scene, where locally-sourced ingredients convey the taste and the values of those who eat, and those who cook; the Minnesota Farmers Union promotes hundreds of farm-to-table restaurants across the state that support local farms.

According to the USDA, CEA has the potential to increase access to locally grown food, which can mean fresher vegetables, fewer resources spent on transportation, and more resilience to supply chain disruptions. “I think about how we can produce our food more locally, reduce food miles, and spur our local economies,” says Eylands.

Nurturing a community 

Just as Eylands is experimenting with the conditions needed to grow plants, he is taking care to create the right environment for his students and researchers to thrive. “Most of our time is spent outside of the laboratory, where we're growing plants. It's in the greenhouse and the growth chambers,” says Eylands. He works closely with staff from the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station to facilitate his experiments on the St. Paul campus.

Eylands teaches HORT 1001: Plant Propagation, a hands-on course that introduces students to plant growing techniques; the course is an entry point for students considering a horticulture minor or a plant science major. Eylands also teaches HORT 4141W: Scheduling Crops for Protected Environments where he teaches in-depth environmental control techniques as they relate to scheduling edible crops for continuous harvest and ornamental crops for wholesale and retail markets. 

High-tech ways to conserve energy 

Greenhouses have been around for a long time, and new technologies are innovating the future of CEA. “It's about creating high yields and high nutrition, high quality,” says Eylands. But using fans, pumps, and lights to grow plants indoors can be energy intensive. 

Eylands sees his niche as discovering how novel technologies—from LED lighting systems to cold plasma to quantum dots—can be used to grow food more efficiently and sustainably. This has led to collaborations with diverse industry partners, like working with 3M on light management films, LED lighting companies including FOHSE and RAYN Growing Systems, as well as collaboration across the University of Minnesota, with the College of Design and Extension on deep winter greenhouses, and the College of Science and Engineering on greenhouses equipped with solar panels. “We’re trying different strategies to reduce that energy level,” says Eylands. 

A growth mindset

Eylands is committed to continuing his collaborations across the University and with industry partners to develop cutting-edge practices for year-round plant production. By advancing the field of controlled environment agriculture, Eylands hopes not only to help mitigate the challenges of food insecurity and strengthen local food systems, but also to inspire a new generation of innovators to rethink how we grow and consume food in a changing world.