Berthoud, Colorado USA
By Meredith Hutmacher
The Surveyor - reprinted 2009
In the future, it is possible that residents
of Berthoud might receive a prescription for
a medication that contains disease-fighting
ingredients that were made possible because of
technological advances made by AgriHouse of
Berthoud.
AgriHouse, a biotechnology company whose
products President and founder Richard Stoner believes
are poised to revolutionize the way pharmaceutical
companies create drugs, is housed in a small
non-descript building on the corner of Welch
and Third Street.
Maturing plants grown in a pesticide free environment
Large agricultural companies are currently
researching the potential to use current
crops as biological factories that, in the future,
will provide natural, phytochemicals and
phytopharmaceuticals that could potentially be
used to prevent cancer and other diseases.
This type of plant development is referred to as
biofarming.
Richard Stoner, AgriHouse founder & President, shown
with NASA space shuttle test fixture and BEYOND product
Today, Stoner quotes business is on the
cutting-edge of providing the technology
required for biofarming.
"In a recent speech, to the United States
Department of Agriculture, the President of
Kraft foods said that growers need a controlled
environment for the biofarming of phytopharmaceuticals",
Stoner said.
Stoner explained that it is important to isolate
crops that are being genetically modified for
biofarming, Pollen from corn can travel 100 miles
in the wind. He also said that if biofarming is
to become economically feasible, it is necessary to
be able to produce multiple crop rotations. He said
this is easier to accomplish in a controlled
environment.
"This is why we are a shining star", said Stoner
emphatically. The current line of products created
by AgriHouse has begun to attract attention from
biofarming industry leaders. AgriHouse licensed
its technology to two large companies this year.
"We have the technology to provide containment,
and control of pollen and effluence out of building",
said Stoner.
"This has been a long-time coming", stated Stoner.
The this that Stoner refers to is the culmination
of more than 18 years of work during which he has
dedicated his energy toward finding better ways to
grow vegetables and plants.
Stoner's odyssey began in the late 80's
when he began using a method known as aeroponics
to grow herbs in a greenhouse. Stoner said he was
one of the only people in the country growing plants
using the aeroponic technique at the time.
In aeroponics, plant matter is literally grown while
suspended in air. In Stoner's method a seed or
a seedling is placed in a piece of micro-fiber, he devoloped.
It is placed in small, round hole in a rigid plastic incubator
that has numerous holes. As the plant grows, its roots
are kept moist by a light and regular misting. Full-spectrum
light array suspended above the plants provides the right
photosynthetic energy. A light special filter prevents insects
from eating the plants. Stoner developed the light array under
a NASA R&D grant.
Stoner used this method to provide fresh herbs to
area grocery stores.
Stoner shows plants incubated in less than 10 days
In 1992 Stoner received consulting contracts from
the timber industry and a Boulder-based pharmaceutical
company. The consulting contracts launched Stoner,
literally as it turns out, on an odyssey to discover
a natural way to enhance and trigger the defense
mechanism of plants.
Along the way Stoner worked with researchers at
Colorado State University to develop an all natural,
organically derived, disease control method
known as ODC - 'organic disease control'.
The product is known as a biocontrol because it
works with the plant immune system to enhance growth.
The product also has been effective in preventing
problems with fungus and insects, according to product
information available on the company website.
Information about this research piqued the interest
of NASA scientists, and Stoner's company, Aeroponics
International, was asked to assist NASA with an experiment
that was carried onboard the Russian space station MIR
in 1997.
NASA was interested in using Aeroponics International
expertise with aeroponic growing because of the
low-water requirements of the growing method.
Using aeroponics to create plant experiments helped
NASA eliminating the need to carry water, which helped
to reduce payload weight. NASA also has strict regulations
about the use of pesticides on board the space
station, so they were equally interested in trying
Aeroponics International ODC product,
known as Beyond All Natural Plant Amendment.
Adzuki beans coated with Beyond, were taken
aboard the MIR. At the same time, a similar
experiment using Beyond was conducted at a NASA laboratory
in Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to a NASA
press release (available on the AgriHouse website),
the beans on MIR sprouted successfully, as did
those tested on Earth.~ Experiment literature states
that the seedlings on the space station grew faster
than the ones grown in the laboratory in Florida.
After the success and notoriety of the MIR space station
experiments, the company applied for a NASA Small
Business Initiative Research grant designated for developing
High Performance Foods for Space and Terrestrials.
In 1992 Aeroponics changed its name to
AgriHouse to incorporate its new Beyond All Natural Plant
Amendment product, and shift focus from its aeroponic
growing systems.
Beyond underwent numerous years of testing at
major universities according to Stoner. It was
sold on the home shopping network after the MIR
space station success, and over 1,000 shoppers
purchased the product at 6 a.m. Although that wasn't
enough to ensure success at the Home Shopping
Network, it did gain the product popular support
from gardeners in various states.
Company executives realized that their expertise
with aeroponic growing using their patented Beyond
product, opened the door for them as a provider
of future technology in biofarming.
Biofarming has the potential to increase food
production for the entire planet, as well as
provide advancements in medicine according
to AgriHouse board member, Dr. Larry Forest of Longmont.
In May of 2005, Stoner accomplished a major goal in
the life of his company when he was able to move his
research and development as well as manufacturing
from a building on his property south of Berthoud, to a
the corner of Welch and Third Street.
Another major milestone was achieved recently,
when on August 4, 2005, Beyond was granted a Colorado
Department of Agriculture certification as an all-natural
plant amendment for food crops.
According to Stoner, the entire venture has been a
team effort. "From Dr. Larry Forest, who was my first investor,
to CSU researchers, and the cooperatives with NASA
it has been a group effort", said Stoner.
Stoner continued, "It is one thing to come up with a
science and technology discovery, but it is another
coming up with product marketing. There are 30,000
new products created every year, and most target
buyers will never see the products." He explained that
most small businesses fail their first year.
"It is hard to gain national prominence. It
requires a big time commitment and capital to
have the staying power. The ability to endure while
waiting to gain a foothold has allowed AgriHouse
the opportunity to participate in to the future
of biofarming", Stoner concluded.
Stoner said that it was fortunate to be
able to work with NASA, "NASA pumped a lot
of money into the company they have
been our principal investigator. It took an
incredible amount of work and effort
to gain respect for AgriHouse."
"We have a tiger by the tail, he said in
describing the potential for his company.
Stoner, who said that he has enjoyed the
entire venture stated, The whole thing is a
heck of a lot of fun (in part) because of the
people we have met in agricultural, in space
science it is the people who have made this
business enjoyable."
"I believe we have the best kept secret in
agriculture", Stoner said.
How often can a weekend gardener say he or
she is using a product that was tested in space?
Aeroponics growing supplies and the patented
Beyond product are available on the company
website at www.agrihouse.com
