CEA is an umbrella term for indoor plant cultivation methods that use technology to control the environment. It allows year-round production with less water and land than traditional agriculture. CEA can take place in buildings like skyscrapers or warehouses and enables agriculture in cities. Common CEA methods include hydroponics, which uses nutrient solutions in a soilless system, and vertical farming. The controlled environment optimizes factors like temperature, light, and nutrients to maximize plant growth.

1. Controlled Environment Agriculture
(CEA)
MORE THAN HYDROPONICS

2. FreshBox Farms is a
sustainable grower of
delicious, healthy, and clean
produce.
We cultivate all of our greens at our indoor
hydroponic farm, in Millis, MA, which uses 99%
less water and land than traditional methods of
agriculture.

3. What is Controlled
Environment Agriculture?
(CEA)

4. CEA is an umbrella term used for many varieties
of indoor plant cultivation.

5. CEA is an umbrella term used for many varieties
of indoor plant cultivation.
This can include something as
simple as a DIY greenhouse

6. CEA is an umbrella term used for many varieties
of indoor plant cultivation.
This can include something as
simple as a DIY greenhouse
Or as complex as NASA’s
Biomass Production System

7. Most generally, however, CEA can be defined
as a method of cultivating plants in an
enclosed environment — using technology
to ensure optimal growing conditions.

8. The CEA cultivation process can be done in
virtually any form of contained area, whether that
be a:

9. The CEA cultivation process can be done in
virtually any form of contained area, whether that
be a:
Skyscraper

10. The CEA cultivation process can be done in
virtually any form of contained area, whether that
be a:
Skyscraper Home

11. The CEA cultivation process can be done in
virtually any form of contained area, whether that
be a:
Skyscraper Home Warehouse

12. This flexibility permits plants, and therefore food,
to be grown in almost any location, creating
agricultural opportunities in typically infertile
areas such as:

13. This flexibility permits plants, and therefore food,
to be grown in almost any location, creating
agricultural opportunities in typically infertile
areas such as:
Cities

14. This flexibility permits plants, and therefore food,
to be grown in almost any location, creating
agricultural opportunities in typically infertile
areas such as:
Cities Deserts

15. This flexibility permits plants, and therefore food,
to be grown in almost any location, creating
agricultural opportunities in typically infertile
areas such as:
Cities Deserts Even
space

16. Growing year round
• By using this method, food may be produced at
any time of the year, because CEA’s regulated
environment is not subject to the same
weather-constrained growing seasons that
traditional agriculture is.

17. • As concerns surrounding conventional field
agriculture build, including its impact on topsoil
degradation, water usage, and distance from
urban centers, CEA is being looked toward as
a viable alternative for modern food production.
Sustainable food production

18. How does CEA work?

19. CEA controls for several factors that
influence growth rate and health of
crops
These factors most often include:

20. CEA controls for several factors that
influence growth rate and health of
crops
These factors most often include:
• Temperature (air, nutrient-solution, root-zone)

21. CEA controls for several factors that
influence growth rate and health of
crops
These factors most often include:
• Temperature (air, nutrient-solution, root-zone)
• Humidity

22. CEA controls for several factors that
influence growth rate and health of
crops
These factors most often include:
• Temperature (air, nutrient-solution, root-zone)
• Humidity
• Carbon Dioxide

23. CEA controls for several factors that
influence growth rate and health of
crops
These factors most often include:
• Temperature (air, nutrient-solution, root-zone)
• Humidity
• Carbon Dioxide
• Light (intensity, spectrum, interval)

24. CEA controls for several factors that
influence growth rate and health of
crops
These factors most often include:
• Temperature (air, nutrient-solution, root-zone)
• Humidity
• Carbon Dioxide
• Light (intensity, spectrum, interval)
• Nutrient Concentration

25. CEA controls for several factors that
influence growth rate and health of
crops
These factors most often include:
• Temperature (air, nutrient-solution, root-zone)
• Humidity
• Carbon Dioxide
• Light (intensity, spectrum, interval)
• Nutrient Concentration
• Nutrient pH (acidity)

26. CEA farmers typically engineer technological
systems, which adjust the input and output
of nutrients and resources to the plants
within their enclosures.

27. Some forms of such technologies have been
experimented with and applied within CEA
operations. Examples include:

28. Some forms of such technologies have been
experimented with and applied within CEA
operations. Examples include:
Hydroponics

29. Some forms of such technologies have been
experimented with and applied within CEA
operations. Examples include:
Hydroponics Vertical
Farming

30. Some forms of such technologies have been
experimented with and applied within CEA
operations. Examples include:
Hydroponics Vertical
Farming
LED
Growing

31. We can explore hydroponics as a sample of
these methods and explain a bit more about
CEA in doing so. It is important to note that
hydroponics is a technological method that
works in conjunction with CEA to grow food.

32. What is hydroponics?

33. Hydroponics is an engineered way of
cultivating plants that uses a soil-less
growth medium and an optimized nutrient
solution in order to deliver the calculated
resources that a crop requires.

34. Hydroponics is an engineered way of
cultivating plants that uses a soil-less
growth medium and an optimized nutrient
solution in order to deliver the calculated
resources that a crop requires.
Because of this, plants are theoretically able to
uptake the maximum amount of nutrients that they can…

35. Hydroponics is an engineered way of
cultivating plants that uses a soil-less
growth medium and an optimized nutrient
solution in order to deliver the calculated
resources that a crop requires.
Because of this, plants are theoretically able to
uptake the maximum amount of nutrients that they can…
in the most efficient way that they can…

36. Hydroponics is an engineered way of
cultivating plants that uses a soil-less
growth medium and an optimized nutrient
solution in order to deliver the calculated
resources that a crop requires.
Because of this, plants are theoretically able to
uptake the maximum amount of nutrients that they can…
in the most efficient way that they can…
and subsequently achieve the best possible health and
fastest growth that they can.

37. Research on hydroponics began to develop
in the mid-1800s, as botanists and plant
nutritionists sought to determine methods of
quickly producing healthy food without
relying on the weather or access to soil.

38. Development
Over time, improvements
in the composition of
growth mediums and
nutrient cultures, as well as
in the understanding of
what plants are best grown
hydroponically, have led to
hydroponics being applied
to large-scale agriculture.

39. Feed the
World
The technology has been
positioned as a possible
solution for the ever-
growing global population
of consumers, as well as
for addressing the
environmental issues
caused by conventional
agriculture

40. How do hydroponic systems
work?

41. Fundamentally, hydroponic systems work by
applying an engineered nutrient solution to
the root system of a plant. This can occur by
using any, or a mix of the following sample
methods…

42. Static Solution
Culture
A set-up that positions
plant root systems directly
into a container of nutrient
solution, which is either
aerated or kept at a low
enough level to provide
adequate oxygen to the
roots. After a certain level
of nutrients have been
absorbed, the solution is
changed out or
replenished to ensure
maximum growth.

43. Continuous-
flow Solution
Culture
In this set-up, root systems
of plants are constantly
exposed to a flowing
nutrient solution, as
opposed to simply being
submersed in it. This
enables large-scale
maintenance of nutrient
levels and conditions, as
the vast majority of the
solution is stored in a
reservoir tank at any given
point

44. Aeroponics
A slight departure from
traditional hydroponics, the
aeroponics set-up utilizes
a mist of solution to deliver
nutrients to the plants’ root
systems. The unabsorbed
mist then condenses and
returns via gravity to a
reservoir tank for recycling.
This technique is used to
prevent the plant from
becoming water-logged,
and to increase the
amount of oxygen that is
delivered.

45. How does hydroponics
relate to CEA?

46. Hydroponics is a method used within CEA
for the best production results. It is CEA’s
cooperation of strategic growing strategies
(like hydroponics) with technological
environmental controls that creates optimal
agricultural solutions.

47. CEA technologies are composed of an interplay
between sensors, machines, and computers.

48. CEA technologies are composed of an interplay
between sensors, machines, and computers.
Sensors measure the
levels of environmental
factors (CO2,
temperature, light, etc.).

49. CEA technologies are composed of an interplay
between sensors, machines, and computers.
Sensors measure the
levels of environmental
factors (CO2,
temperature, light, etc.).
Machines, such as fans and
heaters and LED lighting
systems, regulate those
monitored levels.

50. CEA technologies are composed of an interplay
between sensors, machines, and computers.
Sensors measure the
levels of environmental
factors (CO2,
temperature, light, etc.).
Machines, such as fans and
heaters and LED lighting
systems, regulate those
monitored levels.
Computers ensure that
communication and
response between sensors
and machines operate
smoothly and rapidly.

51. CEA technologies are composed of an interplay
between sensors, machines, and computers.
Sensors measure the
levels of environmental
factors (CO2,
temperature, light, etc.).
Machines, such as fans and
heaters and LED lighting
systems, regulate those
monitored levels.
Computers ensure that
communication and
response between sensors
and machines operate
smoothly and rapidly.

52. What are the benefits of
CEA?

53. All of this information generally boils down
to the question: Why should I care about how
my greens are grown?

54. Answer
While there are many great answers to this
question…
which we address in other posts…
the principle benefits of CEA are that it enables
the following….
Read More

55. Much Lower Water
Consumption
CEA systems are optimized to
minimize evaporation and
excess
— using no more than the
amount
of water required by each crop.

56. Cleaner growing practices
for you and the environment
A CEA system has fewer pests,
weeds, and diseases to contend
with. This means that CEA
growers do not need to place
nasty pesticides and herbicides
in your food and waterways, as
has been the case with
traditional agriculture.

57. Better location and
distribution to cities
Because a CEA system may be
located almost anywhere, and
crops can be grown using much
less land, it is easier to position
a farm within or close to urban
centers

58. No usage of GMOs
The monitoring and mechanical
solutions utilized in CEA
systems ensure consistently
high, healthy yields, making the
usage of GMOs unnecessary.

59. Consistent availability
A CEA system ensures that
crops are always in-season and
experience optimal climates,
regardless of whether there may
be frosts or droughts outside.
This means that consumers get
the freshest, most reliably grown
produce all year round

60. So the question that consumers
should be asking is not
“Why should I care about
this?”

61. So the question that consumers
should be asking is not
“Why should I care about
this?”
It’s
“Where can I try some?”

62. SIGN UP

63. We’re social. Connect with
us.