Controlled Environment Jobs

The objective of CEA is to provide crop protection from weather while maintaining optimal growing conditions throughout the development of the crop. Production takes place within an enclosed growing structure such as greenhouses, buildings, and even converted shipping containers. CEA optimizes the use of resources such as water, energy, light, space, capital and labor.

CEA technologies include the growing methodologies of hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics. Different techniques are available for farming in controlled environments and new technologies are developing rapidly. One well-known differentiator in CEA is the utilization of sunlight and/or artificial light, through the advancement and strategic use of LEDs. Greenhouses customarily use sunlight and increasingly, supplemental LED lighting, whereas indoor vertical farming use entirely artificial light.

One area of CEA seeing great advancements is indoor vertical farming. Indoor vertical farming has the ability to produce crops year-round, within a small footprint, in a totally controlled environment, increasing yields by "stacking" the crops vertically and providing the plant with the precise nutrients and environment it needs throughout the plant's life cycle.  This burgeoning segment of CEA is bringing farm production to cities and towns inside buildings that already exist, such as repurposed abandoned buildings and ultimately decreasing the supply chain while cutting "food miles" and providing hyper-local, fresh produce to a growing global population.

,p>Controlled Environment Ag Careers can include Growerhouse Grower; Vertical Farm Manager; Product Development Specialist; Hydroponic Crop Specialist; Supply Manager and many more. CEA disciplines include mechanical engineering, computer aided design, software development, robotics, automation, biology, agronomy, HVAC, electric/plumbing, food safety/quality assurance, accounting/finance, supply chain/logistics/procurement and many more...