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So what was the delay as earlier post said that they would be harvesting produce by October. When is the planting due to start and is a growing management team in place.
So how is the Build going on the rooftop and when is the first crop expected to be harvested ?
GWMAN
well it is now the 5th April and as yet I have heard nothing about the rooftop system that was supposed to be growing crops by April. Is there any more news on this?
So how is the rooftop build going now.
Or is it another Valcent PR job that comes to nothing.
S.Fane said we would be producing crops by end March
So we are a third of the way in so crop must be planted
And growing now.
Anyone any news of this?
GWMAN
I know where you are coming from, Personally i expected after the announcment of the "rooftop" thing there would be alsorts about it how far it was progressing but there has been nothing.
Are we on scedule for completion and the first Crops by End March April. Indeed have we started the build yet ? if not why not.
Has eu finished or is it still going, How is the trials going with the UK company.
GWMAN ? WHY ?
they are getting enquiries from all over and are as I understand due to build the rooftop system. So why this negative post you have always been the one to defend them.
The build should now be under way if it is not then why not as to have a crop by End March / April will be hard to do otherwise.
Anybody know anything I don't?
Still don't understand the numbers yet but thanks for trying to explain to me, I would like to know how many hangers there are in the 6,000sq ft system and how many trays and plants.I know this depends on height but a 4mtr high system would have xxx many hangers and xxx number of trays and each tray would produce xxx lbs of produce
How is the Build going as I understood we where going to start in January and be cropping by April so we must have started the build by now or is it still in the planning stage?
Has the final agreement being signed yet by both parties.
Well Valcent are now building there first system on a roof top, and first crops will be in March/April.This is according to press release before Christmas.
I would like to know how we can produce Basil at the rate of 10,000 plants every three days when Basil is not a quick crop to grow.Can someone please explain the numbers to me as the way I see it 123 x 8 high is 984 trays ( How many plants per tray) but at 12 plants per tray that is only 11,808 plants.
Unless it meant to say 123 hangers satacked 8 high then that make sense 123x 8 x 2 ( one tray each side)so 16 trays per hanger that gives 1,968 trays. If we have 12 plants per tray that gives us 23,616 to have 10,000 plants every three days that gives us a total of 23616 ( total plants) /by 3 ( days) = 7872 this is not 10,000.
So Basil is only on the system for 3 days my question is where is it the rest of the time.
If I am way out then please explain this procces to me.
well things seem to be moving forward as Christopher NG says they start building in January and first crops by March April.
http://www.vancouversun.com/High+tech+greenhouse+planned+downtown+Vancouver+parkade+rooftop/5854302/story.html
Boy are Valcent moving now, for the build to take place and the crop grown in this short time Fane and Co are finally moving very quick
Does anyone know the crops that are going to be produced and in what format. I assume that Valcent are running the VertiCrop ourselves as a company flagship. I for one will be going to see it in action.
Well here we go then, Now you watch the flood gates open.
Now we will produce quality food locally with a VERTICROP
Oh yes watch the share price aswell.
-- 12/12/11 -- Valcent Products Inc. (OTCQB:VCTZF) ("Valcent") announced today that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with PSWJ Holdings Ltd. ("PSWJ") and EasyPark, a Corporation that manages and operates parkades and properties owned by the City of Vancouver, to install a VertiCrop(TM) high density vertical growing system on the top-level of a parkade in the heart of the city's downtown core.
Named one of TIME Magazine's 50 Best Inventions, VertiCrop(TM) allows leafy green vegetables to be grown in controlled environments such as greenhouses and underutilized urban warehouses. In addition to providing year-round access to fresh, healthy, local produce, VertiCrop(TM) requires a fraction of the land, energy, and water conventionally required to grow, prepare and distribute produce.
The MOU proposes that North America's first VertiCrop(TM) unit be installed on the roof levels of the EasyPark parking lot at 535 Richards Street in downtown Vancouver, or a similar location. The business will be operated by a new joint venture between Valcent and PSWJ.
"We're very excited about the possibility of having North America's first VertiCrop(TM) operation installed in the progressive City of Vancouver," said Stephen Fane, CEO of Valcent Products Inc. "The way we produce food today will not satisfy global demand in the future. VertiCrop(TM) is the paradigm shift that we need in agriculture."
The City of Vancouver has set the goal of being the world's greenest city 2020 and EasyPark will provide the opportunity to showcase the VertiCrop(TM) technology and demonstrate a sustainable local food production facility.
"The proposed VertiCrop(TM) installation in the City of Vancouver showcases our ability to adapt our urban assets to meet changing market demands and promote environmental leadership," said General Manager Mel McKinney for EasyPark. "This long-term lease generates direct financial benefit to Vancouverites while showcasing Vancouver's sustainability innovation."
The MOU calls for the formal lease agreement to be completed within 90 days of today's signing.
An executive with Valcent said he is following up on 150 requests for orders from 20 countries.
Strange this as I heard from a grower that Valcents rep told him they are in the process of joining forces with others in the industry and are moving ahead in that fashion. Away from selling equipment to independent growers
Well i have not had a post since July which was just after Mr Fane apperance on BNN and he said a SALE would be announced in a few weeks.
I have learnt a few things about Vertical Growing and Horticulture in General since my last post so it has been usefull time away. I see there is no more Valcent web-site at all just the VertiCrop one.
The news that Mr Desspommier was not the designer of the sky scraper is not big news to certain people who told me that what we think is new news has been used in growing for years.
Horticulture is a fascinating subject and at the very frontline of technology. This is something I did not know untill I had a personal tour around a very upto date glasshouse nursery.
Urban growing and Valcent have a place but they must embrace modern horticultural methods. A sale has to be announced soon or as I found out we are lost and behind the game.
I agree lets get rid of dead wood. If the UK is dead and as people say then it should go. If there is court case then we have to ask how the money was used and why they can not pay creditors or staff.
I am not dwelling on that. I want to see commercial units and we have talked about this over and over, and here we have a unit at a Zoo working and winning awards.
Facts are Facts UK did not make any sales true but they did do the design work on the zoo system and that works. The people who did that where not the sales people so why have we not kept those people or have we to help improve VertiCrop.
Fane will not be desiging the new Verticrop and building it to iron out the bugs so who is.
So my question is why have Valcent not got a "Little Unit" this would not cost $1,000,000 to build so again why for so little money have we not built one.?
No doubt about it if Institute B had not come on we would be dead,
Also is the zoo a 3rd or 4th generation system if it is the 3rd then release the 4th and publise it. The zoo is working and producing crops so why not use it.? We have nothing else to show as a working prototype. I would like to see
1? Working unit to promote it ( I think we have the zoo unit )
2/ UK not suitable so build in US
3/ Are we using inhouse Grower skills or outside companies
4/ Sort out the UK and cut it loose if it is dead wood.
5/ All this talk about the UK is tarnishing the Valcent name again
That is my say so I will wait and see what happens. After all we can only talk Fane and Co have to Do it.
Untill i have something else to say
GWMAN
Fane should really give the job of public speaking to someone else. True he does not need to be a good speaker but also true he should do what he does best RUN the company.
Take a look at this post http://www.insideurbangreen.org/2011/07/paignton-zoo-wins-a-top-national-horticulture-award-zoo-and-aquarium-visitor-news.html
So what ever the UK team did it works, It is no good blaming the UK team for not delivering sales we have to ask why.
They installed this system and it is winning awards. No doubt Kevin Frediani has done a lot of work. I went on Paignton site to look at the Camera for VertiCrop but it has gone, or I can not find it.
I was thinking how great it would be to show people the zoo Verticrop working after the winning of this award. This is a fantastic chance to show the world and we are missing it why ?
This is simple free marketing that is FACT. Correct me if I am missing something,
1/ Does the system work
2/ Who installed it
3/ Who has provided the remote Help
4/ I assume Valcent have been providing back up as Fane talked about.
5/ Who has helped the Zoo get this award Valcent eu or Valcent Inc
6/ If it is people from UK then surley they should be retained not sacked or made redundant.
7/ Work together there is no i in team
I complain but I want this to work not fail. But i will say what I think.
I agree with your comment of
"He appreared as unprepared, unscripted and amateurish which as the CEO of Valcent, should not have happened. One would think that the media people advising Valcent would have learned the lessons from Fane's disasterous performance during the Vertical Farming Webinar earlier in the year."
Valcent and others on here made great claims about the media company then as you say they should have skooled ( pun ) him in the art of presentation or put there own person in there. The only positive outlook is that it got a good response for such a bad presentation put forward.
Your other claim
"It is clear that Valcent do not have credible answers for the vertical growing sector."
I disagree I still think that we have a good system that is the rolls royce as this can be automated and it looks good but a bad buisness man can ruin a good business. Again I question why we need outside investment when such a small sum of $1,000,000 is stopping a sale when as he mentioned one is to be announced in the next few weeks.
Do not forget we have delivered the paignton project so we can build a working system and "ironed the bugs out" so this surely is a good thing, but I agree we have to deliver a working commercial project, he also mentioned a "Grower Expert" and ongoing consultancy for the systems is this in house if so who is it as I thought David Dicks was our hydroponic expert then we had those before him, but they where in the Uk and we are now looking Canada and US.
I wait to reserve judgement but I am not holding my breath as that may be to risky.
Well Mr Fane exceled again, I have never seen such a profesional person make another poor prentation. The last time it was said that it was the first time he presented VertiCrop.Mr Fane should have been coached in the art of presenting if he is the face of Valcent in public this must happen. It sounded as though he did not even know the basic workings of the system. He said about putting a camera in to moniter the crop and remote controll by a "Expert Grower" I was under the impression that these are allready in place at Paignton so why does he not use these in his presentations or at least mention if anyone wants to see a live demonstration he can do one. He could show the crop and show how the computer works ect, This I think is in place and this is what he is saying they can do so why not show them working.The system is working now with no bugs so lets promote it as it is now.
Again given the state of Valcent eu (according to post on here) how will this if true involve Valcent Inc, The eu web-site as other post say conflits with the .net site. Where has David Dicks gone. But I was more concerned about the amount of money he wanted to raise. Given the amount we have gone through the final push is nothing.
When he asked for $1,000,000 -- $1,500,000
this amount to bring a VertiCrop to market is peanuts and this should be availeable by the people we have leading the company now. After all it is only $200,000 each
Mr Fane said he used to own the largest glasshouse nursery growing Tomatoes, Peppers then $1,000,000 to him should be nothing.
Why if we have sales coming soon, don't the new management put the money up, or is it the same as all the other sales we have announced.
Lets watch the shares rise again after this and then fall.
Again i watched this expecting to see a polished presentation
but it looks as though the new team have learned nothing.
Well in post 406 it was cleverly hidden that there is a sale in the US, I still would like to know where it has been announced that uk is shutting down.
With a PR company on board it should not be hard to release news like that. Cover it up by saying streamlining the company.
and shares going up agree with GWMAN wait for the price then run like hell.
Where has this come from. Please back this up as i have not seen anything to suggest this
We all know There have been changes
As management has now gone down to two.
Who is left in the UK?
But come on it is no surprise, how many sales have UK managed
And really what have they contributed to Valcent apart from high wages
And flying all over the world and getting nowhere.
At least this management seem to be getting rid of expensive dead weight
And going back to basics.
Yes I think a media company is a waste of time
As the best promotion will be a system working commercially
Not a small public showcase but a fully automated working system.
Well at least the press release say Valcent are now prepared to
Commercialize its vertical growing system.
so now we are ready.
Yea well all this waiting and wow a media company, how about a customer then tell the world. No we tell the world how good we are with no commercial system running yet. Well at least the shares went up enough to buy cheap and sell quick. if they get up to 14 sell a few more.
Would love to know why they where fired. Steve Austin can you elaborate on this please as I can find Nothing in Press releases about this. AlphaCrop rip of and link to AB, AB system is a rotating rectangle type system and The AlphaCrop is shaped like a triangle and all things are "copies" of another thing just changed around. The AlphaCrop can be added to as far as I was told so you can have one system then add a second to it and so on and it runs of one motor, where as the AB system is built to what size you require. The trays are removeable on the AlphaCrop for ease of loading and unloading. After all our own VertiCrop system is very simlar to systems that have been used in Growing it just used a plastic sheet for growing the plants then moved to trays.
Moving the system back to texas will have to be good because only when we got UK guys involved did anything come from Valcent up untill then it was all press release and talk and millions spent with no results. After all that is why the institute B guys had to come on board.We have had sales for years so they have said but nothing has come of it.I have sent an e-mail to Vertical Growing asking if he can send me some facts on why he was released ( fired) from Valcent. But this is going nowhere if staff have been made redundant then why no press release on this, we as shareholders have a right to know.
I have tried searching for Aqualogix and no luck so quite how you "Came across it " so one again assumes this is your own site or someone that you know. This system is no Different to many others, Including the terrasphere system a standing racking system that is irragated.We could put the VertiCrop into a container.The worring thing for me is the post from Mendicht about Dan Caiger Smith getting made redundant and others WHY who is doing work on the system now is Mr David Dicks one of these if so why has no announcment been made ? If this is so then we either need someone new onboard very quick but again someone new may not have done anything with Vertical or indoor growing.
But the point I was making was that Graham worked for Valcent and helped to design / redesign or at least helped in the installation of the VertiCrop at the Zoo. According to write ups and internet search on Graham and Valcent/ Micro herbs ect it all points to someone who knows growing and he worked for us and people credited him for a lot of the work on the VertiCrop. He also designed the Alphacrop system for Valcent, and according to his site he has other systems availeable so he must one assumes know his stuff, and then for some reason he left.
The referance to Verticalgrowing.co.uk was the one that he was looking for investors to build a system inside a warehouse. I was not thinking of investing any money or anything like that, I was thinking if we Valcent offered him a VertiCrop to install then it may be a win situation for both parties. First it would get a proffesional grower using one of our systems and secondly he could "improve , automate or whatever" our system needed. The publicity that Graham attracts is all positive news and press releases and lets face it Valcent need something.
This board is for Valcent shareholders to chat and swap views not a board to try and raise finance for companies. My View is that Valcent need something and he may bring it unless Bradford/ Fane have something up there sleves that they are not telling us about yet.
Hi Dave the rave
Looks a good system but the picture is painted different on every page. a 40ft container with one third taken up by water tanks in the first picture. Then you show a picture of 11 set of trays and no water tanks. Which is the right system.
If trays are seven high in a container then the height is 96 ins so from the floor upwards this gives 13 ins height between layers so with the plant in the tray unless the plant is at the bottom of the tray you have not much room for planting or harvest. You say racks four high for germination but I understood that you had plants closer for germination than when planted out, with four racks high and only one how can you grow enough plants for the system.
So if I wanted to grow a head of lettuce to 8oz what would the spacing be and how many plants per system. Where and how do I germinate , what media do I grow in, How do I plant and harvest is this inside the container.
Found this on the net so why have we not captured more market share with this guy onboard.
Dan Caiger-Smith
Market Development Manager
Valcent
Dan has developed his career in international sales and marketingand business development, working in a variety of industries withspecial emphasis on start up business, innovative products and newmarket development. He has worked in over 50 countries and has specialexpertise in distributor appointment and management, and new marketresearch and development.
http://www.sustainable-agriculture-partnerships.com/
Well he is in UK so not distributor but interesting that Graham designed the AlphaCrop and put in the Zoo system ,Unless like on his site he says he wants to grow in a warehouse maybe a carrot worth dangling on a joint venture maybe good for both parties.
But if we got sales and trails with large company something has to come soon as you say.
However Valcent eu have the people in place for that, Chris bradford, Dan Caiger Smith ( 20 years International sales ), Jo Bayley and David Dicks (He has been directly involved
in designing systems controls in the horticultural and
commercial growing industry, specialising in hydroponics.)from web site.
Just interesting all the google stuff on him Micro herbs, advertising,growing,
GWMAN
I have been looking into the Past of Valcent and come across
this guy Grahame Dunling I googled him and come across this
http://www.investorideas.com/CO/VCTZF/news/3081.asp
He now has his own site http://verticalgrowing.co.uk/default.aspx
he was entered in farm of the year 1999 and has been a proffesional grower all his life, and is looking for investers, perhaps it is worth a look. It looks like David Dicks and co have to compete with him
Have been looking into the past of Valcent this guy used to work for Valcent when they put the zoo system in.
GWMAN
Valcent still not announced anything but hold tight there are movements now in the Vertical Growing world. Rumors are abound big news coming, from who and what. We are either rich or have to stump up more money.
lets hope the development guy David Dicks has big news maybe the First set of Trails where enough to convince the company to buy a full blown VertiCrop system.Bradford did say sales where close.
I first bought stock after the opening of the paignton Zoo system in September 2009
I thought then that I would invest in this as it looked so promising; I expected sales of commercial growing units within 12 months at the most. Although I was going to be in for the long term as I think that this format of producing food in buildings is going to be the future. I still cannot see why we have not sold any yet. After all we was one of the first, but then the first spends the money developing the format and concept then the rest follow with no development cost to burden them.
I started to think why I had invested in the first place and it was down to the talk by one of the Valcent staff as he showed how the system worked of how this was going to change the world, and that takes time.
I am holding on to my stock as now maybe is the time to invest for the grandchildren.
Time to buy & gamble. The company is either going to be left behind or will flourish and prosper, we have no choice but to get a system out there and prove it works, time for talking is over.
I know the stock will go up once the announcement of a sale is made and that maybe soon.
Quote I found this reassuring.
Whilst I agree this is a positive move I can not help but think that they ( The Company) had enough time to get this right. I have listened to this time and time again with friends and we all agree that this was a public relations disaster. The feed back from them was that they did not think Mr Fane had either confidence or believed in what he was saying. Although I disagree with this as with his Hydroponic growing expertise I believe he is the right man for the job. After all we are growing crops so who better to lead the company than an ex grower.
I am looking forward to hearing news of a positive nature soon. We have had a working system in the Zoo for at least 12 months now and no sales from this even to other zoo's.( the only working one I believe) The next step should be a system for Human consumption even if this is under our own Brand name this will give the market place confidence that our system is the best and it works. If this system was installed at our expense then we could "sell" this system to a grower once it was proved and we had Built a Brand in the market place.I know this is going to require more funding but it may move things along as you will only buy once you can see a working and proven prototype. Or we could just ask the zoo to produce commercial crops for sale to the public as this is the company's system put in at our expense for our testing and there useage.
GWMAN
agree with tech problems but this should have been tested first it all felt very unprofesional, Terraspehere had problems but he was late as he could not log in I had the same problem.
I also agree that Fane has not been in control for a long time but there where to many Umms and gaps for a confident speaker of his Background after all he must have made hundreds of these.
We are not the only ones to control the plants remotly this as I understand it is now common practise after all it is only accessing a computor remotely, The skill comes in knowing what to do with it once it has been accessed. I think our BIG asset is the fact that the plants are able to move around the building, this brings the plants to the worker. Therefore in a building we can move the plants up and down floor to floor and around by this method.
Terraspehere are producing plants from there systems and untill we do this we are not leaders only followers. But the final furlong has yet to be run and we are gaining ground and with the team in place we are ready to win.
GWMAN
I listend to the talk by S Fane yesterday and was dissapointed in his presentation. It was as though he was not ready for this. I only hope that the Market Development Manager
Dan Caiger-Smith can do a better job with his.
I like yourself will be looking at taking my return asap, but may leave in any profit to see what happens in the long term.
The terrasphere presentation however was crisp and confident.
Just my thoughts.
Morning GWMAN
As far as I know Hydroponics can not be organic in the Uk ( I could be wrong ) but the Verticrop is classed as Hydroponic i think.
Maybe as you say changes to the trays, or software.
But that controls the conveyor and everything and look how long it has taken to get where we are now, to change that now may put sales back and we have a working product now (don't we ) or have I missed something. As far as I knew we where ready to roll them out once finance was in place and customers came forward. After all we have books full of enquiries and a great product.
Not forgeting the New Blood which always brings Enthusiasm.
I look forward to hearing S. Fane talk about the Verticrop on the 28th
Sorry to disagree but if they are done under a "Strict" confidentuality agreement then they would not allow these to be done in the public domain.
So either we have a unit to carry this out of our own, Or we will build one for this purpose. I would expect that we have a unit simlar size and specifacation to the zoo somewhere. That way any new concepts for the Verticrop can be tried out on this before they are implimented at the zoo.
As you say the UK are Research & Development then David Dicks and Jo Bayley are paramount to this ongoing development and will need to be involved with the end user to continue to improve the Verticrop.
This way it makes selling easier, So as you say looking forward to a good 2011 and first sales hope your Prediction it correct.
Some people must be taking at 0.20 went down to 0.16 then rallied to 0.19
I think on first sale it will shoot upto 0.50 then go up from there.
so if " we" are doing the trails on an exsiting Verticrop where is this? at the zoo? it can't be as this is public so where is the other Verticrop system and how big is this unit.whilst I welcome this news of a link up with major UK company surley we need sales now and not more testing. But at least it shows that we are begining to make head way into commercial companies therfore sales will hopefully follow. Nice to know that polish office never got going it is a small enough world.
at 0.17 now so maybe a buying spree soon.
Valcent eu Management team Now
Looking at the eu site it would seem that David Dicks and Jo Bayley would be the likly leaders of the development as I would think you need a grower and Technical skills to make this work.
I don't care who has left as long as this team delivers and with the zoo and the large UK company there is no reason why not.
I would like to know if we are installing a unit for these trails at our expense or is it at the"companies" expense. It says a supply and service contract, That implies that we are suppliying a Verticrop to them or am I wrong ?
* Chris Bradford
brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the company including management and development.
Chris is also the President and CEO of our parent company Valcent ™ Products Inc.
Jo bayley MSc
Jo is an experienced Plant Scientist with a background in plant
tissue culture and horticulture.
Dan Caiger Smith
Dan has more than 20 years experience in international market development.
David Dicks
David has a background in designing electronics control systems
and writing IT software packages. He has been directly involved
in designing systems controls in the horticultural and
commercial growing industry, specialising in hydroponics.
Wow what a video, it looks good first time I have seen this, it makes the company worth investing in.
These guys certainly know what they are doing look at the computor system certainly not of the shelf stuff.It has changed from the hanging sheets system. The guys who are now working on the design know there job. The new ceo has done a good job upto now making sure he has the design team on board. Just found this as well
New on here.
This Company Looks interesting for the future.