How Vertical Farming Blog Researches, Reviews and Publishes Content
Vertical Farming Blog is an independent specialist publication covering the business, economics, companies and technologies shaping vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture.
Our objective is not to publish the largest possible volume of content or to repeat company announcements as quickly as possible. We aim to produce source-linked articles that explain why a development matters, how it fits into the wider industry and what remains uncertain.
This page explains how topics are selected, how sources are evaluated, how artificial intelligence is used and where final editorial responsibility lies.
Editorial Responsibility
Vertical Farming Blog is published and operated by Petr Kirpeit in his role as Publisher and Research Editor.
Articles are generally published under the byline Vertical Farming Blog Editorial Desk. This identifies the publication as responsible for the research, structure, revisions, source selection, updates and final publication decision.
AI tools may support parts of the workflow, but articles are not published automatically. Final editorial responsibility remains with the publisher.
Topic Selection
Topics are selected according to their relevance to the controlled environment agriculture industry and their potential to provide lasting value.
Priority is generally given to questions involving:
- the economics and viability of vertical farming;
- companies, operators and technology suppliers;
- investment, funding and business models;
- energy, labour and operating costs;
- plant production systems and supporting technologies;
- food safety, water management and production risk;
- international market developments;
- regulation, standards and public funding;
- industry failures, restructurings and commercial lessons; and
- developments that are poorly explained or fragmented across multiple sources.
Not every company announcement or industry news item becomes an article. A topic should provide enough substance for analysis, comparison or broader industry context.
Research Process
The research process varies depending on the subject, but it generally includes the following stages:
- Defining the central question: Each article begins with a specific question, development or information gap.
- Source discovery: Relevant scientific, institutional, regulatory, corporate and specialist sources are identified.
- Source review: Accessible sources are reviewed for their relevance, date, origin and evidential value.
- Comparison: Statements, figures and timelines are compared across available sources where appropriate.
- Contextual analysis: Information is connected to wider market, technology, investment or operational developments.
- Drafting and revision: Articles are structured, written and revised through multiple editorial passes.
- Source linking: Supporting sources are linked within the article wherever practical.
- Final review: The article is reviewed for clarity, consistency, unsupported claims and missing qualifications before publication.
The level of verification possible depends on the information available. Private companies may disclose less information than publicly traded companies, regulatory bodies or academic institutions.
Where a claim cannot be independently confirmed, it should be attributed, qualified or presented as an estimate rather than as an established fact.
Source Hierarchy
Not every source carries the same evidential weight. Vertical Farming Blog considers the origin, purpose, date and accessibility of a source when deciding how it should be used.
Where available, preference is generally given to:
- Official and primary documentation, including government publications, regulatory records, court documents, company filings, official statistics and institutional databases.
- Peer-reviewed and academic research, including published studies, systematic reviews, conference papers and recognised research institutions.
- Direct company information, including annual reports, investor presentations, official announcements, technical documentation and on-record company statements.
- Industry organisations and established specialist publications with relevant subject knowledge and identifiable editorial responsibility.
- Secondary analysis, consultancy material and commercial publications, particularly when they provide useful context or information that is not available elsewhere.
Company announcements and marketing materials can be valuable primary sources for understanding what a company claims, plans or offers. They are not automatically treated as independent confirmation that those claims, plans or technologies have been commercially validated.
How Sources Are Used
Sources may serve different purposes within an article.
A source may provide:
- a directly reported fact;
- a company or institutional statement;
- a technical explanation;
- a scientific result;
- a financial figure;
- a market estimate;
- historical context;
- or evidence supporting an editorial interpretation.
We aim to distinguish clearly between:
- independently documented facts;
- company statements and announced plans;
- research findings;
- third-party estimates;
- projections and scenarios;
- and our own editorial analysis.
Links are provided so that readers can examine relevant source material and reach their own conclusions.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Vertical Farming Blog uses AI-assisted research and editorial tools as part of its production workflow.
AI tools may support:
- discovering potentially relevant sources;
- organising large amounts of public information;
- comparing company statements and timelines;
- identifying contradictions or missing information;
- translating and summarising foreign-language material;
- developing article structures;
- preparing initial drafts;
- improving readability and language;
- and supporting revision and quality-control processes.
AI-generated output is not treated as a source in itself.
Material factual claims should be supported by accessible external sources. AI tools may help locate or organise information, but they do not replace the underlying documentation.
Articles are reviewed, revised and approved before publication. Topic selection, editorial framing, source inclusion and the final publication decision remain under human control.
Foreign-Language Sources
Vertical farming is a global industry, and relevant information is frequently published in Japanese, Chinese, Korean and other languages.
Translation tools and AI systems may be used to support the interpretation of foreign-language material. Where possible, information is checked against:
- the original publication;
- official English-language material;
- additional independent sources;
- or contextual information from the same organisation.
Translations may be paraphrased for clarity. Readers should consult the linked original source when exact wording or legal interpretation is important.
Figures, Estimates and Calculations
Costs, energy consumption, production output, company valuations and market-size figures can vary significantly depending on methodology and assumptions.
When presenting figures, we aim to identify whether they are:
- officially reported values;
- company-provided estimates;
- third-party market estimates;
- academic model results;
- editorial calculations;
- or illustrative scenarios.
Calculations may be rounded to improve readability. Where calculations are based on assumptions, those assumptions should be described within the article.
Financial, investment and project-cost information is provided for research and informational purposes. It should not be treated as individual investment, legal, engineering or financial advice.
Company Coverage
Company coverage may be based on public records, official announcements, interviews, financial disclosures, company websites, industry reporting and other relevant sources.
Being included in an article does not imply an endorsement by Vertical Farming Blog.
Similarly, the absence of a company from a list, comparison or article does not necessarily mean that the company is unimportant or unsuitable. Editorial coverage is limited by the scope of the article and the information available at the time of publication.
Companies are welcome to submit documented corrections, updated figures, technical clarification or additional primary-source material.
Interviews and Company Statements
Vertical Farming Blog may request comments, interviews or factual clarification from companies, researchers and industry professionals.
When a company does not respond, an article may still be completed using available public information.
A lack of response is not interpreted as confirmation or denial of a claim unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Quotations and company statements may be edited for length, spelling and readability without changing their intended meaning. Material changes should be confirmed with the person or organisation providing the statement.
Corrections and Updates
Controlled environment agriculture is developing rapidly. Companies change strategy, projects are delayed, financing rounds evolve, regulations are updated and previously accurate information can become outdated.
Vertical Farming Blog may update articles when:
- a factual error is identified;
- new primary information becomes available;
- a company changes its operating status;
- a figure or regulatory condition changes;
- or an article requires additional context.
Minor spelling, formatting and readability changes may be made without a separate correction notice.
Significant factual corrections or substantial updates may be identified within the article where appropriate.
Readers, companies and institutions can submit corrections through the contact page. Correction requests should include supporting documentation or a link to the relevant source.
Sponsored Content and Commercial Relationships
Vertical Farming Blog may generate revenue through advertising, contextual partner placements, company showcases, research services, directory services and other commercial partnerships.
Paid placements and sponsored formats are clearly identified.
A commercial relationship does not provide a company with control over independent editorial coverage or conclusions.
Partners may review sponsored company information for factual accuracy, but they may not purchase favourable treatment in unrelated editorial articles.
Editorial coverage may include companies that advertise with the publication, companies that have declined a commercial proposal and companies with which no commercial contact has occurred.
Limitations
Vertical Farming Blog aims to provide accurate, useful and well-sourced information, but no publication can guarantee that every source is complete, current or free from error.
Some industry information is commercially confidential, privately held or disclosed only in limited form. Company claims may not always be independently verifiable.
Articles represent the best available understanding at the time of publication and should be considered together with their publication or update date.
Readers making financial, technical, legal, regulatory or commercial decisions should consult current primary documentation and suitably qualified professional advisers.
Contact and Corrections
Questions about this methodology, source contributions and documented correction requests can be submitted through the contact form.
For information about the publication, publisher and wider project network, visit the About page.
For advertising, company showcases and commercial partnership options, visit the Advertise and Partner page.
Last editorial review: July 2026