Edward Harwood (American inventor)

Edward "Ed" Harwood (born February 4, 1950) is an American inventor, entrepreneur, and one of the pioneers of aeroponics. He is the founder of Aero Farm Systems, L.L.C. (AeroFarms), as well as the chief inventor of “Method and apparatus for aeroponic farming" (United States Patent No. 8,782,948).

Ed Harwood was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts. He attended Colorado State University, where he received three separate degrees: a BS in microbiology, a BS in animal science, and an MS in animal science. Harwood then went on to receive his PhD in dairy science and artificial intelligence from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Subsequent to working in dairy science in Madison, WI, most notably as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Topline Waikato, Inc., a New Zealand milking equipment supplier, Harwood moved to Ithaca, NY to work at Cornell University. In 2003, after serving as the Associate Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension, he built a prototype aeroponic system designed to grow vegetables indoors in a sustainable way, without pesticides. The advantages of the system, in comparison to traditional agriculture, include: less water usage, better air flow, and the ability to grow vegetables year round. After experimenting to find the most suitable textiles for the system, a critical piece of the technology’s success, he settled on a durable microfleece cloth that could be reused.

In 2004, Harwood took his technology and launched the Ithaca, NY based farming venture GreatVeggies. He began selling lettuce to local grocers and restaurants. After significant struggle finding investors interested in aeroponics, he received funding from the Quercus Trust and 21Ventures in 2009. He renamed the company AeroFarms and transitioned his focus from selling lettuce to selling the patented systems to farmers and entrepreneurs.

Harwood's first notable success as CEO of AeroFarms came in 2010 when he and EcoVeggies partnered with Phillip's Academy Charter School in Newark, NJ. One of Harwood’s patented aeroponic systems was placed in a science classroom as part of the school's EcoSPACES program, with the goal of helping students learn about sustainable growing techniques. The aeroponic system is currently located in the cafeteria, steps from the salad bar. The leafy-green vegetables grown by the students are used in the school kitchen to prepare nutritious and healthy meals for the kids. In April 2016, as part of her Let's Move initiative, Michelle Obama visited Phillip's Academy and was shown the aeroponic system by the students before eating a meal next to it in the cafeteria.

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