The Doctor Is In

Episodes

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  116. How to Choose the Right HVAC System 27.10.2026 37m

  Dr. Nadia Sabeh reviews the most important factors when selecting an HVAC system: performance, controllability, reliability, cost, lead time, utilities, ease of use, and physical constraints.
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  115. HVAC Cage Match! (How to Choose an HVAC System) 20.10.2026 54m

  Four experts debate which HVAC system is best for indoor farming, based on performance, controllability, reliability, serviceability, and cost.
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  114. How to Reduce Fertilizer Use 13.10.2026 30m

  Learn 10 ways to reduce fertilizer use and costs in greenhouses and indoor farms through smarter irrigation, nutrient management, and climate control.
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  113. How to Succeed with Irrigation 06.10.2026 1h 1m

  Learn how to design a reliable CEA irrigation system with better water quality planning, equipment selection, maintenance access, and redundancy.
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  112. Introducing: How to Succeed in CEA Series 05.10.2026 1m

  Learn how to design, build, and operate a successful CEA business with practical tips for indoor farming, greenhouse growing, and avoiding costly mistakes.
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  111. Indoor Ag Con 2026 Takeaways 19.02.2026 52m

  It’s an honor to present you with a series of interviews from our time at Indoor Ag Con last week! Hearing from attendees is a great insight into the conference content, the expo floor energy, and what’s possibly to come in the future of the conference, as well as the indoor agriculture industry as a whole. This year’s guests were: Gene Giacomelli, Professor Emeritus Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at the University of Arizona Jared Babik: National Project Sales Manager, Dramm Ryan Lesniewski: Consultant, Evolve Agriculture Rodrigo Pereyra: VP R&D and Innovation, Good Leaf Farms Dominick DiMucci: Director of Cultivation, Haven Greens Nick Denney: Director of Product Innovation, Holistic Industries Michelle Keller: Chief Horticulture Officer, Living Greens Sergio Picazo and Anthony Jones: Founders of PowrHouse David Sandelman: Owner/Inventor, Cannatrol Lehren Olk-Szost: Assistant Professor, Northern Michigan University Aaron Fields: Chief Executive Officer, Campo Caribe Thank you so much for spending 100 episodes growing with us. Learn more about this year’s Indoor Ag Con here. Intro Music Credits: Melody – Luke Bergs & Waesto | https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Brian Sullivan, President of Indoor Ag Con Kelley Nicholson, Automation Expert for MicrogGow and Autogrow Jim Rearden, President of Biotherm Michelle Keller, Head Grower at Living Greens Carly Becker, Program Coordinator at Ohio Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (OHCEAC) Glenn Behrman, Founder of CEA Advisors and Growtainers Henry Gordon Smith, Founder of Agritecture Austin Smith, Account Manager at Grodan Dr. Allison Justice, Founder of the Cannabis Research Center and Coalition Grant Peagler, Business Developer at Siemens Dr. Neil Mattson, Professor at Cornelll University and GLASE. The discussions cover topics such as automation, energy efficiency, crop steering, and the future of controlled environment agriculture. This milestone episode offers a comprehensive overview of current trends and innovations shaping the indoor farming industry. Thank you so much for spending 100 episodes growing with us. Intro Music Credits: Melody – Luke Bergs & Waesto | https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
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  110. Canadian Greenhouse Conference Takeaways 21.10.2025 22m

  We are back with more expo floor interviews! This week Nadia’s interviews come from the Canadian Greenhouse Conference, where Nadia presented about "Optimizing Airflow & Climate Control” This year’s takeaway guests were: Kevin Meier, Vice President and General Manager of Argus Peggy Paskell, Peg’s Country Blooms and Greenhouse Amos Bassi, Senior Plant Specialist for Philips Horticulture Paul Arena, Greenhouse Climate Consultant for Ludvig Svensson Miguel Ayuso, International Commercial and Operations Agent for MSC Greenhouses Victoria Buma, General Manager, Berry Growers of Ontario Intro Music Credits: Melody – Luke Bergs & Waesto | https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
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  109. Dr. Greenhouse Lessons: What is VPD? 03.09.2025 35m

  This episode is part of a series of episodes that Dr. Sabeh presents as lessons, or mini lectures. They’ll cover the basics and nuances of HVAC and the importance of environmental controls. This week we are reviewing our hottest topic: VPD. What is it? Why does it matter? How can you use it to help your plants thrive in your indoor growing environment? We wanted to provide more information about a crucial factor in your growing process. Remember to check out our other VPD content, like the app walkthrough, the calculator, and our blogs. Thank you for growing with us!
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  108. Dr. Greenhouse Lesson Reviews: 6 Tips for Keeping Your Greenhouse Cool 09.07.2025 34m

  This episode is part of a series of episodes that Dr. Sabeh presents as lessons, or mini lectures. They’ll cover the basics and nuances of HVAC and the importance of environmental controls. This week as it heats up in our hometown of Sacramento, we are reviewing Dr. Sabeh’s six tips to keeping your greenhouse cool. Listen in to hear the benefits of different shading systems, what factors to look at when deciding how to incorporate cooling in your greenhouse, and more. If you ever have a request for a topic for our lessons, please reach out and let us know, we love hearing from our listeners. As always, thank you for growing with us. This lesson first aired as our 66th episode in April 2023. Revisit more lessons on our website by searching “lessons” on our podcast page.
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  107. What Plants Crave feat. Gretchen Schimelpfenig: CEA Energy Management 24.06.2025 1h 43m

  Wrapping up our series discussing energy in all forms and its impact and function in CEA facilities is Gretchen Schimelpfenig! Gretchen is a Senior Energy Engineer at Energy Resources Integration, LLC (ERI), a clean energy consulting firm developing a sustainable future for our planet through cost-effective energy management. She is responsible for implementing energy efficiency and emerging technology programs and providing direct consulting services. Gretchen has seven years of experience in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and has worked for 11 years in the energy industry. Gretchen is a registered Professional Civil Engineer in California and Vermont. She obtained her master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford, where she studied sustainable design and construction with an energy emphasis and was a Schneider Fellow at the U.S. Green Building Council. Gretchen resides in Huntington, Vermont, with her partner, their five cats, and many houseplants.
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  106. What Plants Crave feat. Jeff Kelley: Energy Modeling in CEA 10.06.2025 1h 44m

  Welcome back to our new series with several interviews discussing energy in all forms and its impact and function in CEA facilities. In this episode Nadia and Jeff Kelley of Kelley Energy Management discuss energy modeling and utility incentives for CEA facilities.. Jeff is a seasoned professional in the utilities industry. With over 40 years of experience of working in the utility sector, Kelley has taken his knowledge and expertise to the cannabis industry – helping maximize utility rebates and incentives for cultivators across the country, capturing over $40M in incentives for customers.  Since 2019, Jeff has been using energy modeling as a technique to leverage custom incentives not available through standard incentive processes.  In addition to maximizing incentives, the energy models provide customers with clear visibility into their planned energy consumption.
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  105. What Plants Crave feat. Dan Dettmers: Energy Codes and Standards for CEA 27.05.2025 1h 50m

  Welcome back to our new series with several interviews discussing energy in all forms and its impact and function in CEA facilities. In this fourth episode Nadia and Dan Dettmers of Madison Air discuss energy efficiency and regulatory guidelines given by local, state, and federal agencies regulating CEA facilities.. Dan Dettmers joined the Controlled Environment Horticulture field in 2018 when he was hired by Quest, a Madison Air company.  He brought over 20 years of expertise in food and pharmaceutical processing, industrial refrigeration, and HVAC infrastructure design to the industry and 15 years in Agribusiness.   In particular, Dan pursued his passion for agriculture by moonlighting as the owner of a hop farm (also cannabacea family), where he and his partners built a vertically integrated business that encompassed every stage of hop production. At Madison Air and its CEH companies (Quest, Ag IQ, Conviron), Dan plays a key role in shaping standards, codes and regulations that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of indoor grow space conditioning equipment. In addition to guiding industry best practices, he is actively involved in research and development, creating new products, assisting customers with climate control solutions, and providing technical training both within and beyond the company. Stay tuned to continue exploring how energy is defined, its importance in CEA, and energy centered interviews with more industry experts. Thank you for growing with us!
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  104. What Plants Crave feat. Sam Milton: Energy Efficiency and Incentives in CEA 13.05.2025 1h 42m

  Welcome back to our new series with several interviews discussing energy in all forms and its impact and function in CEA facilities. In this third episode Nadia and Sam Milton of the Climate Resources Group discuss energy efficiency and what drives the incentives given by local, state, and federal agencies regulating CEA facilities.. Sam Milton is the Principal of Climate Resources Group (CRG), a company that helps businesses pursue cost-effective initiatives to reduce resource waste and maximize profits. Through CRG’s grower advisory service, Enlighten Your Grow, his team has collected over $5 million in incentives from energy utilities nationwide for his customers. Sam lives in Maine and is active in cannabis and energy policy and regulatory development across the U.S. Stay tuned to continue exploring how energy is defined, its importance in CEA, and energy centered interviews with more industry experts. Thank you for growing with us!
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  103. What Plants Crave feat. Rob Eddy: Energy Saving Opportunities and Challenges in CEA 29.04.2025 1h 41m

  Welcome back to our new series with several interviews discussing energy in all forms and its impact and function in CEA facilities. In this second episode Nadia and Rob Eddy of the Research Innovation Institute discuss energy saving best practices and tell stories about their greenhouse experiences. Stay tuned to continue exploring how energy is defined, its importance in CEA, and energy centered interviews with more industry experts. Thank you for growing with us!
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  102. Dr. Greenhouse Lessons: What Is Energy? 15.04.2025 29m

  Welcome back to the lecture hall with Dr. Nadia Sabeh! This week we are beginning our new series with several interviews discussing energy in all forms and its impact and function in CEA facilities. In this first episode Nadia reviews how energy is defined, its importance in CEA, and some terms to understand as we dive in with some experts. Thank you for growing with us!
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  101. A Look Back at the First 100 Episodes with Guest Host Tad Hussey 01.04.2025 1h 6m

  Enjoy a host interview with Tad Hussey from KIS Organics living soils and the host of the Cannabis Cultivation and Science podcast guest hosting for this episode! This is an opportunity to learn about Nadia's background as an agricultural and HVAC engineer and how we got to 101 episodes of education and industry insider information. Thank you for growing with us. Intro Music Credits: Melody – Luke Bergs & Waesto | https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
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  100. Indoor Ag Con 2025 Takeaways: Voices from the Industry on Automation, Energy, and the Future of CEA 18.03.2025 1h 29m

  It’s an honor to present you with a series of interviews from our time at Indoor Ag Con last week for our 100th episode! Hearing from attendees is a great insight into the content, the expo floor energy, and what’s possibly to come in the future of the conference, as well as the indoor agriculture industry as a whole. This year’s guests were: Brian Sullivan, President of Indoor Ag Con Kelley Nicholson, Automation Expert for MicrogGow and Autogrow Jim Rearden, President of Biotherm Michelle Keller, Head Grower at Living Greens Carly Becker, Program Coordinator at Ohio Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (OHCEAC) Glenn Behrman, Founder of CEA Advisors and Growtainers Henry Gordon Smith, Founder of Agritecture Austin Smith, Account Manager at Grodan Dr. Allison Justice, Founder of the Cannabis Research Center and Coalition Grant Peagler, Business Developer at Siemens Dr. Neil Mattson, Professor at Cornelll University and GLASE. The discussions cover topics such as automation, energy efficiency, crop steering, and the future of controlled environment agriculture. This milestone episode offers a comprehensive overview of current trends and innovations shaping the indoor farming industry. Thank you so much for spending 100 episodes growing with us. Intro Music Credits: Melody – Luke Bergs & Waesto | https://soundcloud.com/bergscloud/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
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  99. That’s a Good Question! 04.03.2025 28m

  As we approach our 100th episode, we are taking a look back at moments that highlight one of Nadia’s special talents: asking great questions. It’s a strength that has helped her solve many a problem for our clients, and get some great insights from our guests. What are they going to be talking about? Well, that’s a great question. Today’s featured guests were: Melanie Yelton of Grow Big ConsultingBruce Bugbee, Director of the Crop Physiology Laboratory at Utah State UniversityChristine de Jesus Director of Cultivation and GM at GalenasNick Denney Senior Director of cultivation at Holistic IndustriesGary Stutte President and CEO of SyNRGECraig Burg President of Desert AireJim Rearden and Thad Humphrey, CEO and Principal Engineer from Biotherm SolutionsBrian Anderson, Partner at Anderson Porter Design You can find all of these guests’ full interviews in our podcast archive wherever you listen to the doctor is in. Stay tuned for our next episode which will be our hundredth! We’ll be celebrating at indoor ag con and hope to see you there. Find our table to record a segment with us and give us your conference takeaways on Wednesday March 12th. Thank you for growing with us.
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  98. Dr. Greenhouse Lessons: Are Air Purifiers Fake Technology? 18.02.2025 35m

  In this episode Dr. Sabeh talks air purifiers, your different purifying and filter options in your facility, the benefits of each, and whether you really need air purifiers at all. If you have questions or topics that you’d like Dr. Nadia to cover, contact us at AskNadia@doctorgreenhouse.com
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  97. Dr. Greenhouse Lessons: 3 Uses of Data in Your CEA Facility 04.02.2025 27m

  In this episode Dr. Nadia discusses data, its use and function in CEA facilities, and how its collection can benefit your crops. If you have questions or topics that you’d like Dr. Nadia to cover, contact us at AskNadia@doctorgreenhouse.com Dr. Nadia Sabeh delves into the pivotal role of data in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and its impact on crop performance. She outlines three primary applications of data within CEA facilities: 1. Monitoring Data 2. Collecting Data 3. Analyzing Data Throughout the episode, Dr. Sabeh underscores that the integration of data into daily operations is fundamental to the success of CEA facilities. By leveraging data for monitoring, collection, and analysis, growers can create a more controlled and responsive growing environment, leading to improved crop outcomes and resource efficiency.