Lee Allen
Writer, Reporter, Gardener
Lee Allen is an award-winning reporter of both electronic and print media. He is also a struggling backyard gardener.
Many see controlled environment agriculture as the method of the future to provide a growing population with healthy food.
Extended severe drought, scorching temperatures, and supply chain setbacks are causing record amounts of farmland in California to be fallowed.
With potentially billions of dollars up for grabs in the cannabis space, companies are working harder than ever to get their brands in front of consumers.
Hop Latent Viroid (HpLVd) can quickly wipe out an entire population of cannabis plants. Fortunately there is a doctor in the house, as Lee Allen explains.
The space that American lawns occupy could provide enough land to grow three times as many fruits and vegetables if utilized properly.
While lots of old-school marijuana growers have been using HPS lights, many corporations and new growers are turning to an ever-better crop of LED grow lights.
Lee Allen spoke with cannabis entrepreneur Smoke Wallin to get his views on where the cannabis sector is at and where it’s going.
Researchers are continuing their march forward trying to find even more uses for this versatile plant.
Buying back hemp biomass is normal part of the industry, but EcoGen is in a position where it needs to buy more hemp despite the COVID pandemic.
Bob Dylan didn’t want to work on Maggie’s Farm but today he’d surely enjoy a puff on some sun-grown organic cannabis produced at his hit song’s namesake.
The founders at Vertical Harvest Farms are revolutionizing modern farming while providing opportunities for an underserved segment of the population.
An old cultivator pest, the Beet Curly Top Virus (BCTV), is back and seems to be setting its sights on hemp and cannabis plants.
When it comes to cost-effective cannabinoid production, Biomedican is on the right track using yeast to create cannabinoids in a lab.
Colorado and Oregon are the leading hemp producers in the U.S., but New York and Kentucky are making a bid to contend.
Dr. Monica Schmidt has developed a biotechnical groundbreaking method for reducing carcinogenic toxins in crops without using harmful fungicides.
With state-of-the-art technology and a seven-acre greenhouse grand opening in Arizona, Bayer is upping the ante when it comes to sustainable food production.
Taken in combination, they are being enjoyed by an ever-increasing number of pleasure-seekers known as dualists.
Healing herbs like kratom and kava took the spotlight at the recent Arizona Plant Medicine Conference.
Hemp growers in Arizona are learning that inconsistent seeds make it challenging to produce hemp that meets federal regulations for THC content.
Whether grown indoors or outdoors in sunlight, hydroponic cultivation offers strawberry growers many advantages.
The first FDA-approved cannabidiol drug made to treat seizures in young people is Big Pharma’s inaugural step into the world of CBD, bringing with it improved patient...
Research scientists at Trait Biosciences were looking for ways to improve cannabis and hemp yields when they discovered a method to make water-soluble cannabinoids.
NASA is exploring the best controlled environment agriculture technology on Earth today so that one day it can meet the challenges of keeping humans well-nourished as...
More than 300 attendees filled the university’s College of Medicine auditorium for the first-ever Interdisciplinary Cannabis Symposium at the University of Arizona.
With demand for hemp and CBD on the rise since the passing of last year’s Farm Bill, cultivators are under pressure to generate higher yields while working within legal...
Who knew the process of curing cannabis is remarkably similar to curing meat or cheese? David and Jane Sandelman figured it out and have since applied their knowledge to...
While many automated agricultural control systems are expensive and geared towards commercial operations, a little Raspberry Pi is perfect for home growers.
Feared because it is virtually impossible to get rid of, fusarium wilt is wreaking havoc on lettuce and other field and greenhouse crops. Lee Allen explains how the...
There are many factors that make controlled environment agriculture more environmentally friendly than traditional agriculture. Lee Allen investigates what they are and...
If you don’t understand sensing technologies and data mining for high-throughput (HT) phenotyping, you are definitely not alone. Here’s a bit of help.
Growing plants and vegetables in sand culture is not a new idea, but it appears to be both practical and economical now that plastics and commercial water-soluble...
Using natural concepts as models for solutions in the human world is a process called biomimicry and in this story, Lee Allen takes us to Arizona where two scientists...
Due to various pressures, the planet is losing plant diversity at an alarming rate. This is not god for ecosystems or humans. Lee Allen asked numerous experts for their...
Mushrooms check a lot of boxes for the future of food. While quintessential decomposers, these organisms assist in plant growth, anare packed with protein.
Until November of 2017, growers debated the organic certification of hydroponics. Now, the verdict is in.
Dr. Goggy Davidowitz says we’ll have to get over our aversion to the thought of eating bugs. The benefits simply outweigh the down sides.
Community gardens are a great idea, and when done correctly, can bring communities together. This is the case in Tucson's Las Milpitas de Cottonwood.
Hydroponic hops aren’t new, but growing them in nutrient-rich solutions is.
Here is a closer look at one program in Arizona experimenting with controlled-environment growing for space travel.
If you want your aquaculture system to really flourish, you need more than just fish...
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