Tag Archives: controlled environment agriculture Georgia

High-Tech Farming Takes Root at Kennesaw State’s PLOT Innovation Hub

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Kennesaw, GA |

The future of farming is taking shape at Kennesaw State University, where cutting-edge technology is being tested and implemented through the PLOT Innovation Hub — a 25-acre research and teaching facility designed to explore smarter, more sustainable ways to produce food.

At the heart of the initiative is a collaborative effort to bring together multiple disciplines and redefine how agriculture and technology intersect.

“The Prototype Living of Tomorrow initiative is a unique initiative,” said Chris Voicu, PLOT Initiative Lead at KSU. “It’s bringing together different faculties to work collaboratively on intelligent systems — things like robotic systems for agriculture, autonomous logistics, and even technologies that help people interact with their homes and environment in a seamless way.”

Making Farming More Accessible

 

One of the primary goals of the PLOT Innovation Hub is to create more efficient and accessible ways to grow food — particularly for those looking to enter the industry.

“The biggest barrier to entry for most young farmers now is property cost,” said Michael Blackwell, PLOT Field Station Director. “With smaller, controlled systems like what we’re working on, you can scale down your footprint and your costs. And because of automation, labor costs go down dramatically as well.”

By reducing both startup and operating expenses, these systems could open the door for a new generation of producers.

Predictability in an Unpredictable Industry

 

Traditional farming often comes with a long list of variables — weather, soil conditions, and pests — all of which can impact yields. But controlled environments like those being developed at KSU offer a more predictable approach.

“It’s the possibility of a predictive yield,” Blackwell explained. “If I can tell someone they can produce two thousand heads of lettuce per week, every one of them eight ounces for fifty weeks out of the year, that allows them to build a business plan.”

That level of consistency could be a game-changer for producers looking to stabilize their operations and reduce risk.

Robotics Leading the Way

 

With labor costs continuing to rise, robotics are emerging as a potential solution to one of agriculture’s biggest expenses. At the PLOT Innovation Hub, researchers are already testing a variety of robotic applications in the field.

“Robotics have two main roles,” Voicu said. “One is automation — interacting with the environment and even harvesting. The other is sensing — collecting data about the environment and the crops.”

Some of that technology includes robotic systems capable of scanning fields, analyzing crop health, and even creating digital models of entire growing environments.

“We have a robotic system that walks through the field, captures images and depth data, and evaluates the quality of the produce,” Voicu said. “From there, you can create a digital twin — a virtual version of the field — that allows you to monitor everything remotely.”

Looking Ahead

 

While the innovation hub is already making strides, researchers say this is just the beginning. The program is set for a public launch in early April, with plans to expand into even more advanced controlled environments.

“For the next phase, we’re looking at fully controlled systems — temperature, water, energy — all operating autonomously,” Voicu said. “We want to develop a whole new structure that takes these ideas even further.”

As agriculture continues to evolve, initiatives like the PLOT Innovation Hub are helping pave the way — blending technology and tradition to create a more efficient, sustainable future for farming.

By: Damon Jones

BrightFarms Opens High-Tech Greenhouse in Macon to Supply Fresh Greens Across the Southeast

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Macon, GA |

It’s farming with a modern twist in Macon, where BrightFarms has blended old-school growing principles with cutting-edge greenhouse technology. The company recently opened its nearly half-million-square-foot facility, designed to deliver fresh leafy greens to families across the Southeast year-round.

“This facility opened about nine months ago at the very beginning of 2025 to grow leafy greens for the entire Southeast,” says Jess Soare, Vice President of Marketing for BrightFarms. “Here, we package our leafy greens into ready-to-eat containers as well as ready-to-eat crunch kits that are perfect meal solutions for families.”

While the operation may not look like traditional farming, the mission remains the same—caring for the plant from seed to harvest.

“The whole process really starts from the seed and then comes all the way through to this mature, beautiful product that you see here,” Soare explains. “We really want to make sure that the babies, as we call them, our little sprouts, are given all the nutrients, the water, the sunlight, everything they need to thrive. And happy plants result in really fresh, delicious, crunchy products.”

Thanks to the controlled greenhouse environment, BrightFarms can deliver consistency and quality regardless of weather conditions outside.

“We in the greenhouse are not dealing with the harsh weather conditions that many of us have become accustomed to,” Soare says. “So, no matter if it’s a hundred degrees outside or a crazy cold, random snowy day in Atlanta that shuts the highway down, we can still grow our leafy greens here in the greenhouse at a seventy-two-degree environment with perfect levels of humidity.”

Choosing Macon for the new greenhouse wasn’t by accident. Its central location ensures quicker delivery to nearby markets, cutting down on transportation time.

“Here at BrightFarms, we’re growing just a couple of hours—or just a couple of minutes—down the road before it gets to your retailer,” says Soare. “Those leaves arrive to your grocery stores in as little as twenty-four hours after they were packaged. And so, the consumer actually gets the benefit of that shelf life in your fridge so that you have really fresh, long-lasting greens.”

That speed-to-shelf, paired with an uncompromising focus on quality, is what the team takes pride in every single day.

“Having oversight over the entire process—from seed all the way to harvesting—allows us to really control the quality of our products,” Soare says. “Every single BrightFarmer you see here is dedicated to quality, safe produce coming from BrightFarms. And that’s really our mission every single day.”

By: Damon Jones