LumiGrow, Inc., the leader in LED-based horticultural lighting solutions, announced today that it will provide energy-efficient illumination for Green Winter Farm, an indoor farm in Palmer, Alaska. LumiGrow LED lighting solutions will enable Green Winter Farm to grow vegetables with half the energy consumption and cost required by current farming methods.

A family of four in Palmer, Alaska spends an average of $1,300 more on groceries each year than does the same-size Portland, Oregon family, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. This is largely due to the fact that 98 percent of Alaska's produce is imported from out of state, per the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Greens travel great distances to reach Alaskan consumers, running up fuel costs along the way.

Greenhouses with conventional lighting systems make it possible to cultivate crops in challenging climates, but are expensive to operate because of their high energy demands. Alaskans pay among the highest rates for electricity in the US. Their rates are 50 percent higher, according to the US Department of Energy.

Green Winter Farm founder Crystal Boze sought a more economically and environmentally viable alternative to conventional greenhouse light fixtures, which rely on high intensity discharge (HID) technology. HID lights waste half the energy they consume because they emit broad swaths of the color spectrum unusable by plants. The USDA Farm Services Agency pointed Mrs. Boze to energy-efficient LED lighting, which can be designed to emit only those portions of the color spectrum that trigger healthy plant responses. A USDA loan helped Green Winter Farm establish a hydroponic basil farm, illuminated exclusively by LumiGrow LED systems, within a windowless steel building.

"As a farmer and mother of two young children, I know just how important it is, yet how hard it can be to put healthy food on the table," said Mrs. Boze. She continued, "Green Winter Farm required a lighting solution proven to produce bountiful crops without the high energy price tag. In reviewing third party studies, I realized that not all LED lights are created equal. LumiGrow is the clear winner."

LumiGrow LED lights will also make it easier to regulate the farm's temperature. Mrs. Boze explained, "LumiGrow LED systems don't produce waste heat. With hot-running conventional HID lights, we'd be forced to take in outside air or blast an air conditioner, or even both, to keep the temperature at an acceptable level."

In addition to basil, Green Winter Farm will grow strawberries, peppers, rosemary and cilantro. All of the farm's crops are grown pesticide-free. Green Winter Farm currently sells through farmers' markets and recently signed a distribution agreement with Carr-Safeway grocery stores.

"Green Winter Farm exemplifies the resourcefulness of growers," said Kevin Wells, CEO of LumiGrow. "We're pleased to support a local farmer in serving her community with affordable and healthy greens," added Mr. Wells.

About LumiGrow, Inc.

LumiGrow, Inc., the leading provider of high-efficiency LED lighting solutions for horticulture, enables commercial growers and agribusinesses to achieve operational efficiencies, reduce energy consumption and improve crop yield. LumiGrow offers a range of third-party proven solutions for use in greenhouses, indoor farms and scientific research chambers. LumiGrow solutions are eligible for energy efficiency subsidies from Pacific Gas & Electric, Puget Sound Energy and other utilities. The Company's 500 commercial and institutional customers include Dow AgroSciences, Duke University and the USDA. Headquartered in Novato, California, LumiGrow is privately owned and operated. For more information, call (800) 514-0487 or visit www.lumigrow.com.