SaffroSystems and Veles Farming collaborate on new book and online course for saffron growers

October 24, 2025

33 2 minutes read

SaffroSystems and Veles Farming collaborate on new book and online course for saffron growers — 1761335164.png

“There was so much fragmented information available. Growers, practitioners, and consumers struggled to find reliable, evidence-based guidance,” says Khalil Mirza, co-founder of SaffroSystems and co-author of Saffron: From Fields to Fortune, a new book that brings structure and scientific grounding to one of the world’s most storied crops.

Long celebrated as the world’s most precious spice, saffron has carried centuries of cultural, medicinal, and economic significance. Written with Viktor Kulcsar, co-founder and COO of Veles Farming, and Davide Celentano, the book examines saffron through both agronomic and technological perspectives.

Drawing on years of research and field experience, the authors connect traditional open-field methods with the precision and scalability of controlled environment systems. Paired with the Saffron Mastery Course, the book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding saffron as both a botanical and an economic system, bridging cultural history, production science, and modern market strategy.

Building a unified knowledge base
Mirza says the book was born out of necessity. “The book unites every aspect of saffron, including agronomy, business, regulation, and medicine, into an accessible, step-by-step reference.”

The Saffron Mastery Course builds on that foundation with hands-on modules, global expert sessions, and personalized consultations. Designed as a community hub, it connects growers of all scales, from experimental vertical farms to smallholder producers, under one collaborative network. “The course offers live interaction and continuous updates,” says Mirza. “Participants learn, engage, adapt, and grow together.”

The rise of controlled environment saffron
While saffron is often regarded as a niche luxury crop, Mirza believes its reputation is about to change. “From rooftop farms in Montreal and Paris to vertical facilities in Slovakia, Israel, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia, production models are diversifying rapidly. Although the first year is the most capital-intensive, subsequent cycles bring improved margins and long-term sustainability.”

Developed as a joint venture between SaffroSystems and Veles Farming, the project draws on the latter’s technical breakthroughs. Veles Farming has achieved four bloom cycles per year under controlled conditions, demonstrating how precision climate control and tailored nutrient delivery can dramatically improve yields.

The integration of artificial intelligence and robotics is central to this progress. These technologies are already being tested to automate the delicate stages of harvesting and processing, the most time-intensive parts of the saffron cycle. “When AI and robotics integration meets modular aeroponic systems,” Mirza says, “it becomes possible to seamlessly automate the harvesting and separation of flowers. This is the turning point for scaling saffron indoors.”

A new chapter for the red-gold crop
Beyond education, Mirza’s work emphasizes ethical and sustainable growth, from corm selection to post-harvest processing. “The book’s medicinal chapter stands out, offering an evidence-based overview of saffron’s therapeutic properties, grounded in modern research.”

“Our goal is awareness and action,” says Mirza. “We want to bridge science, agriculture, and entrepreneurship, helping innovators and policymakers make saffron cultivation more transparent, scalable, and impactful.”

Vertical Farm Daily readers can use the code VFD5 at checkout to receive a discount on the Saffron: From Fields to Fortune eBook and the Saffron Mastery Course package on the SaffroSystems website. Click here.

The paperback version is available on Amazon.

For more information:
SaffroSystems
Khalil Mirza, CEO
[email protected]
www.saffrosystems.com